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The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, will attend the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland from January 28 to 30 and make a trip to Israel from January 31 to February 3.

"The WEF meeting is an annual gathering of world leaders from business, government, academia, culture and the media. This year's theme is 'Responsible Globality : Managing the Impact of Globalisation'," a Government spokesman said today (Thursday).

The Chief Executive will brief world leaders on the latest developments in Hong Kong. As head of the HKSAR, he will share with world political and business leaders attending the meeting his first hand experience on the successful implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" concept since our reunification with the Mainland.

Mr Tung will also be explaining to the audience how Hong Kong has been tackling the financial crisis and the measures taken to sharpen our competitive edge. He will again stress the need for further cooperation to strengthen the international financial architecture, as he did at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Kuala Lumpur two months ago.

The WEF was established in Switzerland in 1971 as an independent, international, non-profit and non-partisan organisation to bring world leaders together in a global partnership. A delegation of prominent local business leaders will be attending the Forum.

On January 29, the Chief Executive will take part in a session on Hong Kong, "Hong Kong: Turning the Tide". He will deliver a speech at a plenary session of the Annual Meeting on January 30 on "What Conditions for a Renewed Asian Miracle?". He will also have meetings with some of the business and political leaders in the margin of the Forum.

The Chief Executive will depart Davos for Israel on January 31 to see for himself technological development in the country.

While in Israel, Mr Tung will meet Government ministers, business leaders and leading academics involved in the development of innovation and technology; and be briefed on their experience in enhancing the capability of commercial firms to innovate, stimulating technological development, and encouraging its commercialisation and application.

Accompanying the Chief Executive in the official delegation will be the Secretary for Trade and Industry, Mr Chau Tak Hay, and other colleagues of the Chief Executive's Office. He will also be accompanied by Mrs Tung on the trip.

END/Thursday, January 7, 1999

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