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Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, in the name of Hong Kong, China, was yesterday (July 8) elected as the World Customs Organization (WCO) Vice Chairman representing the Far East, South and Southeast Asia, Australasia and the Pacific Island Region (Asia/Pacific Region).

This is the election result in the WCO's Customs Co-operation Council Session held in Brussels from July 6 to 8.

Upon elected, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr John Tsang Chun-wah, told the Council members that Hong Kong, China was honoured to have been elected the WCO Vice Chairman for the Asia/Pacific Region.

"We shall do our best to upkeep the exemplary precedence set by our predecessor, the Australian Customs Service.

"It is the first time Hong Kong, China takes up such an important role at the regional level," said Mr Tsang.

He added that the Hong Kong Customs would, in consultation with other members of the Asia/Pacific, work out the region's future path to best realize the WCO's objectives and interests.

Mr Tsang, currently in Brussels attending a series of WCO meetings, will attend the kick-off ceremony of a "Best Practice" workshop at WCO headquarters tomorrow (July 10).

Mr Tsang will then pay an official visit to the French Customs Administration in Paris from July 11 to 13.

"There is close co-operation between Hong Kong and French Customs. The two administrations signed a bilateral Cooperation Agreement for Mutual Administrative Assistance in July 1996," Mr Tsang noted.

On July 12, he will deliver a talk on 'Hong Kong Customs working under the "one country, two systems" concept' to the French business circle in a luncheon jointly organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Brussels) and the France-Hong Kong Society in Paris.

Mr Tsang will return to Hong Kong on July 14.

End/Sunday, July 9, 2000

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