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The following is the transcript of the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (SCIT), Mr Henry Tang, at a media session after attending the meetings of LegCo Information Technology and Broadcasting Panel and Commerce and Industry Panel today (January 13):

Reporter: I've got two questions. My first question is how do you feel about the comments made before the Legislative Council today that Mainland officials may not be 100 per cent comfortable with talking to Hong Kong about the Pearl River Delta because of the so called "cavalier" attitude. My second question is how do you feel about the local movie industry staging opposition against the Government's plan to introduce the Film Guarantee Fund because they said that could stifle creativity and could introduce self-censorship and stifle creativity.

SCIT: First of all I don't believe that by introducing the Film Guarantee Fund, which has the wide support of the movie industry, will stifle creativity. In fact, I think it will encourage more companies to invest in new films so as to take us to realize more potential from the film industry itself. As a matter of fact, Hong Kong has become increasingly popular in becoming a filming place. Last week, Tomb Raider 2 spent a week in Hong Kong. This is a hundred-million-dollar film, and they are taking 30 per cent of the scenes in Hong Kong. It will go a long way to showcase Hong Kong as a filming place.

Secondly, regarding your question about Pearl River Delta. Actually I think we must never be mistaken that this is a zero-sum game. Many provinces in the Mainland, including cities in the Pearl River Delta, each has their own advantage. By increasing two-way communication, by increasing our relationships, and by building up trust, it will help us to realize the benefit of the complementarity between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta.

(Please also refer to the Chinese part.)

End/Monday, January 13, 2003

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