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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs. Anson Chan, officially opened the new office building of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) in New York today (Friday, June 25, USA time).
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chief Secretary said the HKETO building, located at 115 East 54th Street, further enhances the important role as a HKSAR representative.
The HKETO New York office shares a seven-storey townhouse with two other Hong Kong organizations - the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Tourist Association - in mid-town Manhattan. To mark the inauguration of the new office, Mrs. Chan's mother, Dr. Fang Zhaoling, a prominent artist, donated a painting.
Mrs. Chan said that Hong Kong is seeing some encouraging signs on the economic front. "The property market has stabilized and there has been healthy buyer interest in competitively priced new units coming onto the market. This has been helped by a lowering of interest rates, and an easing of credit crunch," she said.
Mrs. Chan added that there is a need for Hong Kong to reform and realign its economy to maximize the benefits of economic recovery when it comes. "This has meant reforming our financial services market; strengthening even further our banks; and promoting high-tech, high value-added industries as part of our drive to become the innovation and technology center for East Asia and beyond.
Mrs. Chan arrived in New York City yesterday (June 24) after her promotional tour in Chicago. She was the guest of honor at the "Hong Kong - USA 1999" gala dinner and reception at a New York museum, organized by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, New York.
Mrs. Chan and 300 guests were treated to a spectacular performance of Lion and Dragon Dances by the Ha Tak Kin Martial Art Society from Hong Kong during the gala event. The society won the 1998 Hong Kong Lion Dance Competition and the International Lion Dance Invitation Tournament held in Hong Kong this year.
Concluding her visit to New York, the Chief Secretary also gave in-depth briefings to editors of Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek magazines, who showed keen interests on the latest developments in Hong Kong and the implications to Hong Kong of US-China relations.
Photo: The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, started her Hong Kong promotional tour in New York with a Gala Dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Photo shows Mrs Chan addressing the gathering of New York's leading business people and financiers. She said that since the handover two years ago, Hong Kong had retained the standing as one of the world's great and most secure cities.
Photo: The Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Mrs Anson Chan (left), officially opened the new office building of the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (New York). She was accompanied by Commissioner, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Affairs, USA, Miss Jacqueline Willis (centre); and Director, Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (New York), Mr Raymond Fan (right).
End/Saturday, June 26, 1999
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