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The following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, at the ITU Telecom Asia 2000 Welcome Reception this (December 3) evening:

Secretary General Utsumi, Minister Wu, Heads of delegations, Distinguished Guests,

It is a pleasure and an honour to welcome you all to this reception.

Hong Kong is proud to host the ITU Telecom Asia 2000. Now that you have been here and seen for yourselves, I do hope that you will find Hong Kong is an excellent choice for hosting this exhibition and the forum.

As host of this most important event, we have worked hard over the last 18 months, and worked very closely with the ITU and the Ministry of Information Industry, to ensure that in the coming week you experience the best that Hong Kong has to offer. I hope you will not be disappointed.

The next five days will be a lot of hard work for all our visitors. Some 500 exhibitors from 30 countries will showcase their latest products and share their vision and ideas with more than 50 000 visitors, of which 15 000 are from overseas. More than 200 speakers - regulators, market leaders, academics - will exchange views at forum sessions. I believe these high-level discussions will help promote collaboration and co-operation amongst interested parties, in harnessing the opportunities brought by the IT revolution to provide a better quality of life for people around the world.

I have just come from a tour of the exhibition halls with Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo, Secretary-General Utsumi and Minister Wu. We were all very impressed by the diversity of products on display and the enthusiasm and professionalism of all participants. The best of the telecommunications market is on display in Hong Kong for the next week and I congratulate all participants for their involvement.

Once again, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Hong Kong and to this evening's networking and relaxation. Our special thanks go to Cisco Systems, whose generosity has made possible tonight's entertainment. I hope you have a very enjoyable evening and a fruitful and successful discussion and exhibition in the coming week.

Thank you.

End/Sunday, December 3, 2000

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