The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) has launched its 2018 Chinese New Year celebrations in countries under its purview by holding events in the Nordic countries of Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

     The London ETO greeted the Year of the Dog with Chinese New Year receptions in Helsinki in Finland on February 1, Stockholm in Sweden on February 6, Copenhagen in Denmark on February 8 and Oslo in Norway on February 12. All of the events were well attended by guests including representatives of the government, business and academic sectors, and featured musical performances by Hong Kong musicians to promote the musical talents of Hong Kong.

     Key speakers at the events included the Director-General of the London ETO, Ms Priscilla To; the State Secretary for the Ministry of Industry and Fisheries of Norway, Mr Roy Angelvik; the Regional Director, Europe, of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr William Chui; the Administrative Director of the Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine of the Karolinska Institutet, Ms Marie Tell; and the Legal and European Business Director of the MTR Corporation Limited, Ms Gill Meller.

     At the receptions, Ms To briefed the guests on the latest developments in Hong Kong, including the most recent initiatives of the Government in promoting development in the innovation and technology sector, as well as the key role played by Hong Kong in the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. She encouraged any company looking to expand its market reach to partner with Hong Kong to venture into the vast Mainland China and Asian markets.

     In Helsinki, Ms To highlighted the events held together by Hong Kong and Finland in 2017 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as well as the centenary of Finland’s independence. In Stockholm, Ms To hailed the excellent progress made in various areas in fostering closer relations between Hong Kong and Sweden, including the meeting between the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden in December 2017. Ms To also raised in Copenhagen the possibility of stronger co-operation between the two places on promotion of creative industries and start-ups, and updated the guests in Oslo on Hong Kong's position as a leading maritime capital as well as the latest initiatives to promote research and development in Hong Kong.

     The Chinese New Year receptions were co-organised by the London ETO, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and local business associations, namely the Finland-Hong Kong Trade Association; the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden; the Denmark-Hong Kong Trade Association; and the Norway-Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce. The London ETO will be holding further Chinese New Year celebration programmes in other countries under its purview this month.

Ends/Thursday, February 15, 2018
Issued at HKT 21:38

NNNN