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The following is the speech by the Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan, at the dinner in honour of the President of Venezuela at the Government House today (Sunday):
President Chavez, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Senor Presidente Me Gustaria Darle La Bienvenida a Hong Kong.
I understand, Mr President, that this is your fourth stop on a packed Asian visit and your very first visit here in Hong Kong.
Unfortunately for us, your stay is quite brief, but I hope that in the time available, you can get an appreciation of what Hong Kong is today which is a vibrant city, energised by a hard-working people who have fashioned a dynamic environment successfully blending the cultures of the east and the west. An international city that is now home to over 600 Venezuelans.
Mr President, Hong Kong is largely driven by trade and commerce. We are constantly looking for new opportunities and new areas for co-operation. In this regard, we are especially delighted that your government has decided to extend the tourist card system to include Hong Kong. It will give Hong Kong residents carrying our new passport the same status as travellers from countries such as the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia. And it will help raise the profile of the passport which is gaining increased recognition throughout the world.
In return, I am very pleased to announce that we will extend from one month to 90 days, the visa-free period that Venezuelan nationals can enjoy in Hong Kong. I believe it is in the best interests of our two communities to maintain a free-flow of visitors in both directions to help strengthen the economic, social and cultural links between Hong Kong and Venezuela.
I sincerely hope the rest of your business mission to the Asian region will be as beneficial as the contacts and negotiations your delegation members have, no doubt, already had both in the mainland of China, in Japan and in Korea. Bilateral trade links between Hong Kong and Venezuela may be in their infancy at this stage. But that should mean just one thing - they can only improve. Last year our total trade was worth some US$238 million, much of this in re-exports. We would obviously like to see overall trade grow as we endeavour to expand our commercial relations with South America.
Mr President, I know that you and your delegation members are interested in seeing some of the infrastructure developments which have helped transform Hong Kong into what it is today. You saw our magnificent new airport on your arrival; and tomorrow, I understand, you will be taken on a visit to our port facilities. I'm sure you will be impressed with what you see at one of the world's busiest container ports - not only the infrastructure, but the private sector management that makes the Kwai Chung container terminals amongst the most efficient in the world.
I hope it will give you an insight into our efforts in building Hong Kong as Asia's premier international city, on a par with New York or London. The world-class infrastructure you will see is just part of the hardware of this development. Much of the software, as it were, is already in place with the recognition of Hong Kong as a leading financial services centre; trading, commercial and transportation hub; and the freest, most business-friendly city in the region.
We are slowly recovering from the impact of the Asian financial crisis. The fact that it struck so soon after our seamless return to Chinese sovereignty on July the 1st 1997 caught us all by surprise. Nevertheless, I can say without hesitation that the Central Government in Beijing has been meticulous in observing its hands-off policy towards Hong Kong under our unique 'one country, two systems' formula. This concept gives Hong Kong people the freedom to run Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy.
Once again, Mr President, I would like to welcome you and members of your delegation to Hong Kong and we wish you a most pleasant and fruitful stay here. Thank you.
Photo: The Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan, hosted a banquet for the President of the Republic of Venezuela, Mr Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias, at Government House. Picture shows Mrs Chan greeting the President on his arrival at Government House.
End/Sunday, October 17, 1999
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