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The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, will visit San Francisco and the Silicon Valley on July 21 and 22 respectively, a Government spokesman announced today (Thursday).

In San Francisco, Mr Tung will call on the Mayor of the City and meet with business and community leaders. He will visit a number of information technology companies in the Silicon Valley.

"The Chief Executive will take the opportunity of the visit to brief his interlocutors in the US on the latest developments in Hong Kong. He will emphasise Hong Kong's advantages as a business and service centre, and the importance the SAR attaches to the development of IT and other high value-added industries," the spokesman said.

Accompanying the Chief Executive on the visit will be the Secretary for Trade and Industry, Mr Chau Tak Hay; the Information Coordinator, Mr Stephen Lam; the Director-General of Industry, Mr Francis Ho; the Deputy Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Ms Eva Cheng; and the Private Secretary to the Chief Executive, Mr Joshua Law. The Chief Executive will also be accompanied by Mrs Tung.

End/Thursday, July 8, 1999

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