*********************************************************

The following is issued on behalf of the Culture and Heritage Commission:

The Culture and Heritage Commission held a press conference today (March 19) to launch a consultation paper titled "Gathering of Talents for Continual Innovation" to seek the public's views on Hong Kong's cultural development and the Commission's work plan in the years to come.

The Culture and Heritage Commission is a high-level advisory body responsible for advising the Government on the policies as well as funding priorities on culture and the arts. The Commission will also formulate a set of principles and strategies to promote the long-term development of culture in Hong Kong.

Professor Chang Hsin-kang, Chairman of the Culture and Heritage Commission, pointed out at the press conference that Hong Kong's culture was a component of Chinese culture.

He said, "It is the Commission's long-term goal to expand our global cultural vision on the foundation of the Chinese culture, drawing on the essence of other cultures to develop Hong Kong into an international cultural metropolis known for its openness and plurality.

"The Commission encourages Hong Kong people, in particular the young generation, to appreciate and participate in the arts, to enrich their lives with a greater emphasis on culture, to strengthen social cohesion and shared values, and to build up the confidence and pride of Hong Kong people in their country and society."

Professor Chang also pointed out that in this new century, information technology had accelerated the process of globalization and the growth of knowledge-based economy, necessitating the information among culture, technology and economy.

"For Hong Kong to maintain its competitive edge, it must further encourage creative thinking and put greater emphasis on culture," he said.

In the consultation paper, the Commission has put forward the following six principles and strategies for Hong Kong's cultural development:

* encourage a social environment that pays due respect to culture and the arts;

* assimilate the best of Chinese and other cultures;

* respect freedom of expression and protection of intellectual property;

* promote cultural development with a holistic approach;

* establish partnership among the Government, the business community and the cultural sector; and

* in the long-run, let the non-government organizations take the lead in cultural development.

According to the above principles and strategies, the Commission will give priority to topics including cultural and arts education, West Kowloon Reclamation Development, libraries, museums, heritage, cultural facilities, cultural exchange and deployment of resources. The Commission has also developed some major study areas on each of the above topics for public consultation.

Copies of the consultation document will be available at cultural venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, District Offices, Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and Hong Kong Arts Centre. The public will also be able to read the document on the Commission's Internet homepage (www.chc.org.hk).

If the public has any comments on the Commission's work, please forward them to the Culture and Heritage Commission Secretariat at 41/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, by 31 May 2001.

End/Monday, March 19, 2001

NNNN