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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, continued her European tour today Monday 19 June with a visit to Hamburg, Germany's second largest city and principal seaport.

Mrs Chan had a breakfast meeting with Mr Peter Dietrich, President of the Association of Hamburg Port Operators and Chairman of the Association of German Seaports and other important port business representatives.

During the meeting, Mrs Chan said Hong Kong enjoys a good relationship with Hamburg in trade and shipping. She said Hong Kong is keen to become a logistic hub in Asia, and this will offer new opportunities for business and shippers in Hamburg, Europe's second largest container port after Rotterdam and Germany's largest foreign trade centre. China's accession to the WTO would also benefit traders and shippers.

The Chief Secretary then attended a round table discussion organised by the Institute of Asian Affairs, where the main topics were the latest economic and political developments in Hong Kong and how Hong Kong was sharpening our competitive edge in the information age.

Mrs Chan then delivered the keynote address at a business luncheon organised by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, the German Asia-Pacific Business Association, the HKTDC and the HKETO, Brussels.

In the afternoon, after a courtesy call on Mr Ortwin Runde, First Mayor and President of the Senate of the City of Hamburg, Mrs Chan will depart for the Netherlands where she will attend a dinner with Dutch CEOs hosted by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade, Mr Gerrit Ybema, in Amsterdam this evening. Mr Ybema is due to visit Hong Kong in November.

Photos

Photo 1: The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, delivered a keynote address at a business luncheon jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, and German Asia-Pacific Business Association, which was well attended by some 300 German business people.

Photo 2: The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, sharing a point with Chairman of the Institute of Asian Affairs, Mr Hans Jakob Kruse in Hamburg.

Photo 3: The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, meeting Mr Peter Dietrich, President of the Association of Hamburg Port Operators and Chairman of the Association of German Seaports (second from right). At the left are Mr Philip Chen, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd (first from left), and Mr Vincent Cheng, Vice-chairman and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank Ltd. (second from left).

End/ Monday, June 19, 2000

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