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Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Antony Leung, at the Forbes Contract-Signing Ceremony today (June 28):

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for joining us today on this very happy occasion. I am pleased to welcome Steve Forbes (the President, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes) and the other members of the Forbes team to Hong Kong.

I am particularly pleased and grateful that Steve has returned to our city with such good news. Our selection to host the Forbes Global CEO Conference 2004 in the spring of next year and also the 'Best Under a Billion' award dinner in November this year has sent out a very important message that Hong Kong is back in business and is a safe and vibrant city. We are sending this message to the international community.

As many of you know, we are in a relaunch phase. We are trying to promote Hong Kong again to the international community. Such events - the Forbes events - certainly represent a major contribution to our ongoing efforts to reassure investors, businessmen, traders and tourists around the world and we would like to welcome them back to Hong Kong.

I recall that last year's Forbes Global CEO Conference brought some 350 regional and global Chief Executive Officers to Hong Kong. I am sure that next year, the 2004 CEO Conference will be even more successful and valuable for all participants.

Steve, thank you very much for demonstrating your confidence in Hong Kong. Your continued friendship and support is invaluable and will encourage us to work even harder to strengthen the attributes that make Hong Kong, even more successful than before, and once again I believe your conference will prove to the international world that Hong Kong is the preferred location for international businesses serving the Asia Pacific region.

Thank you very much.

End/Saturday, June 28, 2003

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