Issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Services
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Friday, July 11, 1997 CONTENTS ======== 1. Electoral Affairs Commission Bill gazetted 2. FS visits elderly CSSA recipients 3. FS' transcript 4. Heritage conservation requires community efforts 5. Applications for legal aid 6. Issuance of the Code of Banking Practice 7. Appointment to Advisory Committee to the SFC 8. Granting banking licence to The Zenshinren Bank 9. Employment and vacancy statistics of March 1997 released 10. HKSAR's trade policy remains unchanged 11. Airmail services to Cambodia suspended 12. School works in Tseung Kwan O 13. Reminder of deadline for returning survey questionnaires 14. International Mathematical Olympiad 1. Electoral Affairs Commission Bill gazetted ********************************************** An independent commission will be set up to oversee practical arrangements for elections of the Legislative Council, the Municipal Councils and the District Boards, an SAR Government spokesman announced today (Friday). This Electoral Affairs Commission will also be responsible for making recommendations on geographical constituency boundaries. "The Commission will ensure that the elections are conducted openly, fairly and honestly," the spokesman said. The Electoral Affairs Commission Bill, which provides for the setting up of the Electoral Affairs Commission, is gazetted today. The Bill sets out the composition of the Commission, its powers and functions, and the criteria which the Commission has to follow in making recommendations on constituency boundaries. The spokesman said that the stringent criteria for appointment of the Commission's members would ensure its impartiality and integrity. "All three members of the Commission are to be politically neutral persons and appointed by the Chief Executive. "To enhance the neutrality of the Commission, the Chairman will be a High Court Judge to be nominated by the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal," he said. The Commission's recommendations on geographical constituency boundaries will have regard to representation from the public. A consultation period will be provided for in the legislation. The spokesman explained that the Commission would also be given statutory powers to make regulations relating to election arrangements and procedures, including regulations on voter registration. An independent body was set up in 1993 for making recommendations on geographical constituency boundaries and for supervising the conduct of the three-tier elections. "There is strong expectation from the public that there should be a similar body for future elections. The establishment of the Electoral Affairs Commission will achieve just that," the spokesman said. The Bill will be introduced into the Provisional Legislative Council on July 23. End 2. FS visits elderly CSSA recipients ********************************* The Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, today (Friday) visited three singleton elderly persons in Sham Shui Po. This is in honour of his promise made earlier this year while petitioned by an elderly group. The three elderly persons visited by the Financial Secretary were Madam Ho Yee, Mr Hong Man and Madam Ngan Sau-fong. They were all recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and had applied for aged home placements. Accompanied by the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Andrew Leung, Mr Tsang first called on 81-year-old Madam Ho, who lives by herself in a housing unit in Shek Kip Mei Estate. Mr Tsang was told that Madam Ho had been living on CSSA since her retirement from hawking in January 1993. She has also been getting home help service for house cleaning and escort service for attending medical treatments. She has been waitlisted for a residential placement for the aged. The Financial Secretary next visited 83-year-old Mr Hong, a retired ship building factory worker with sound health, who lives by himself in a small room in a private tenement building in Yiu Tung Street. Mr Hong has successfully applied for a place at a home for the elderly and would be admitted at the end of July. The last stop on the visit programme was Madam Ngan whom Mr Tsang met earlier at a petition. Also living alone in a housing unit in Shek Kip Mei Estate, the 68-year-old Madam Ngan has been receiving CSSA standard payment as well as rent and telephone charge allowances since July 1995. Since January this year, she has been waitlisted for a residential placement for the elderly. Speaking after the visits, Mr Tsang said: "The visits have helped me gain some first-hand information about the life of our elderly living on their own. I am sure they will improve my understanding and consideration of various institutions being made to assist our senior citizens." " I share the Chief Executive's commitment to improve elderly welfare in Hong Kong. They have contributed to the success of our community in the past. We in the community share a responsibility to ensure that they can lead a dignified life in the old age," he said. "Over the years, the Government has spared no efforts in improving welfare services for the elderly. I have noted the public call for an increase in the standard rate of the CSSA. "We would tackle the resource problems relating to the funding of improvements to elderly welfare in the forthcoming Resource Allocation Exercise. We will keep an open mind." End 3. FS' transcript ************** Following is the transcript (English part) of the remarks by the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang, after visiting three single elderly living alone in Shek Kip Mei area this (Friday) afternoon: Question: What makes the Government so hesitated in increasing elderly allowance ? FS: It's not hesitation. We are completely resolved that this is our top priority. The question is, what we were trying to find out is a rational basis for the revision of the basis rates of assistance for our elderly. At least I personally witness although this is a small cross- section, their needs are very varied. They are not related to fundamental needs of keeping oneself together. It is not a question of food or clothing but rather extraordinary items such as going to a private doctor, having special provision for special suits, and some recreation, buying lotteries, giving money to the young and so on. But I am not saying these are not essential items. They may satisfy some psychological needs of the elderly. But it will be more difficult to find a more rational basis for revision of this kind. But as I said, we are going to address this issue, we are not going to shrink from it and I hope that something would emerge pretty quickly. End 4. Heritage conservation requires community efforts ************************************************ The Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan, said tonight (Friday) that the promotion of heritage conservation is no easy task, but she firmly believed that it could be achieved through concerted efforts from all sectors of the community. Speaking at the Year of Heritage Gala Evening, Mrs Chan said that antiquities and monuments were precious legacy of culture that recorded the historical changes of society. Without proper preservation, they would easily be buried away with time and development. With an aim to preserve these valuable archaeological relics, she said, the Government enacted the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance and set up the Antiquities Advisory Board as early as 1976, followed by the setting up of the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust in 1992. "Drawn from all walks of life, the chairmen and members of these organisations are all ardent supporters of these worthy causes. Their dedicated efforts have ensured that a wealth of historical treasures of Hong Kong is conserved for the community." Earlier, in his welcoming speech, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust, Mr Alexander S K Au, said that the whole world has joined Hong Kong to look back on its past on this historic occasion of the handover, which had become a focus of world media. He said : "Hong Kong's history spans not just 156 years, but a lengthy 6 000 years. As residents, we take great pride in being a part of it. "Hong Kong is a modern business and finance centre. The fact that in this concrete jungle there are still quite a number of antiquities and monuments that bear testimony of the 6 000 years of development has made us feel the more gratified. "Living in Hong Kong, there is a need for us to better understand our country and the place we brought up. Understanding our past will no doubt help strengthen our sense of belonging to the community." The joint effort of the Trust, the Antiquities Advisory Board and the Antiquities and Monuments Office of the Broadcasting, Culture and Sport Bureau in organising the Year of Heritage is to put the message across to the public at large, he added. One of the highlights of the Year of Heritage will be the opening of the Central and Western Heritage Trail, which is currently under construction. This will be the first heritage trail in the urban area. Strolling along the trail is perhaps the best time to reminisce once again the changes and development that the territory has undergone over the years, he said. Another major event will be the International Conference at the end of the year to further promote the message of heritage preservation. With a host of programmes, including an exhibition, an auction and performances by the Academy for Performing Arts, the Gala Evening raised more than two million dollars for the Trust to finance the Year of Heritage and the future development of heritage-related activities. End 5. Applications for legal aid ************************** A spokesman for the Legal Aid Department said today (Friday) that since July 3, the department has to date received 134 applications for legal aid from parents of Mainland children to challenge the amended Immigration Ordinance. According to the department, legal aid has been offered to six applicants this afternoon, and six applicants will be offered legal aid tomorrow. The remaining applications will continue to be processed and decisions will be made soon. End 6. Issuance of the Code of Banking Practice **************************************** The Code of Banking Practice ("the Code") is issued jointly by the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) and the Deposit-taking Companies Association (DTCA) today (Friday) after an extensive consultation exercise. Both Mr Chris Langley, chairman of HKAB and Mr Alex Au, chairman of DTCA expressed full support to the Code and said their members would take active steps to comply with it as quickly as possible. Mr Raymond Li, Executive Director (Banking Policy) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) welcomed the issue of the Code. "The Code will further enhance the transparency and quality of banking services in Hong Kong," said Mr Li. "We fully endorse the provisions of the Code and we will monitor compliance as part of our regular supervision," he added. The Code has been developed by a Working Group comprising representatives of the industry associations and the HKMA. The Code comprises five chapters: Relationship between banks and customers Opening and operation of accounts and loans Card services Payment services Debt collection. A draft of the Code was issued to the industry associations and other interested parties for consultation in January this year. Extensive comments were received during the consultation period. This has greatly assisted in improving the draft Code. As in other financial centres, the Code will be subject to review and revision from time to time in the light of operational experience and market developments. The Code will be available to the public through designated branches of the HongkongBank: 3rd Floor, 1 Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong; Mongkok Office - 673 Nathan Road, Kowloon; and Shatin Centre - Shop 30D, Level 3, Shatin Centre Shopping Arcade, N.T. The Code is also accessible through the HKMA internet Website (http://www.info.gov.hk/hkma). End 7. Appointment to Advisory Committee to the SFC ******************************************** The Financial Secretary has appointed Mr Linus Cheung, Peter Clarke, Stephen Hui and Andrew Lo as members of the Advisory Committee to the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for two years ending May 31, 1999. Announcing this today (Friday), the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui said: "Mr Sydney Leong has also been appointed as member of the Advisory Committee with effect from September 1, 1997 after he retires as the Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Futures Exchange at the end of August." Five other current members are re-appointed for a further term of two years. They are Mr Henry Cheong, Paul Gallagher, Leong Ka-chai, Liang Xiao-ting and Dr Alex Wu. These appointments have been made by the Financial Secretary acting under delegated authority from the Chief Executive in respect of section 10 of the SFC Ordinance. The membership of the Advisory Committee also includes two Executive Directors appointed by the SFC, while the Chairman of the SFC presides at the Committee's meetings. Mr Hui said: "The membership of the Committee is a well-blend of respectable representatives from not only the securities and futures industries, but also other professional fields. This enables them to give independent and impartial advice to SFC on matter of policy and market development." Mr Hui also thanked the retiring members, namely Mr Henry Cheng, Patrick Wang, Paul Fan, Kevin Westley, Victor Chu and Philip Gray for their valuable services and contribution to the Committee. End 8. Granting banking licence to The Zenshinren Bank *********************************************** A spokesman for the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said today (Friday) that The Zenshinren Bank (ZB) had been granted a banking licence by the Monetary Authority under the Banking Ordinance on July 10, 1997. ZB is the 56th largest bank in the world in terms of asset size and its operation network comprises 16 domestic branches, an overseas branch in New York, three overseas representative offices in London, Singapore and Hong Kong and a securities subsidiary in London. It has been operating in Hong Kong as a representative office since November 1994. ZB wishes to upgrade its representative office to a full branch in Hong Kong to enable ZB to expand its banking and investment business in the Asian region and to provide additional support to Japanese companies who are increasing their presence in Hong Kong and Mainland China. After the grant of a banking licence to ZB, the number of licensed banks in Hong Kong has increased to 183 of which 31 were incorporated in Hong Kong. End 9. Employment and vacancy statistics of March 1997 released ******************************************************** According to the figures released today (Friday) by the Census and Statistics Department, employment in most of the major service sectors continued to record notable increases in March 1997 over a year earlier. Employment at construction sites also registered a further significant year-on-year increase. On the other hand, employment in the manufacturing sector remained on a downtrend. In March 1997, vacancies in the manufacturing sector and all major service sectors increased markedly over March 1996. These increases were consistent with the steady growth in economic activity, though partly also attributable to a low base of comparison in March 1996. Vacancies at construction sites also registered a substantial increase. Taking all the major sectors surveyed together, there were around 67 100 vacancies in March 1997, up 37.1% from the 48 900 vacancies recorded in March 1996. In terms of the number of persons engaged, the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector was the largest, employing 1 046 400 persons in March 1997. This was followed by the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector, with an employment of 407 700; the community, social and personal services sector, 323 900; the manufacturing sector, 312 600; and the transport, storage and communications sector, 182 000. Also, there were 83 500 manual workers at construction sites. In terms of change from a year earlier, employment of manual workers at construction sites showed the most significant increase, by 21.4% in March 1997. This was followed by employment in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector, increased by 7.6%; the community, social and personal services sector, by 7.0%; the transport, storage and communications sector, by 3.9%; and the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector, by 1.9%. Employment in the manufacturing sector, on the other hand, fell by 11.1%. The respective employment figures are shown in greater detail in Table 1. As regards the vacancy situation in individual sectors, the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector had the largest number of vacancies, with 30 430 in March 1997. This was followed by the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector, with 13 380; the community, social and personal services sector, with 9 160; the manufacturing sector, with 7 830; and the transport, storage and communications sector, with 4 730. Also, there were 1 510 vacancies for manual workers at construction sites. In terms of change from a year earlier, vacancies for manual workers at construction sites recorded a substantial increase of 60.4%. This was followed by vacancies in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services sector, increased by 47.7%; the wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels sector, by 39.7%; the transport, storage and communications sector, by 37.2%; the manufacturing sector, by 32.1%, and the community, social and personal services sector, by 18.7%. Job vacancy figures for selected major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. Of the total of some 67 100 vacancies (other than those in the Civil Service) recorded in March 1997, the majority fell into four major occupation groups, viz. associate professionals; clerks; service workers and shop sales workers; and elementary occupations. They together accounted for over three-quarters of the total number of vacancies in all the major sectors surveyed. In March 1997, vacancies in most of the major occupation groups continued to show significant increases over a year earlier. Amongst them, vacancies in the craft and related workers category showed the largest increase, by 74.9%. This was followed by vacancies in the clerks category, by 47.5%; the elementary occupations category, by 43.3%; the plant and machine operators and assemblers category, by 35.7%; the service workers and shop sales workers category, by 33.1%; the associate professionals category, by 32.7%; and the professionals category, by 3.1%. Vacancies in the managerial and administrative occupation category however fell by 10.5%, after a marked rise in the preceding quarter. Job vacancy figures broken down by major occupation group are shown in Table 3. The above statistics for March 1997 were derived from the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies, the Supplementary Survey of Job Vacancies and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites conducted by the Department. In the former two surveys, some economic activities (e.g. those where self- employment is predominant, such as taxi operators, hawkers and freelance authors) are not covered and hence the respective employment and vacancy figures relate only to those selected industries included in the surveys. In the latter survey on construction sites, employment and vacancy figures relate to manual workers only. Detailed breakdowns of the above statistics are available from the Quarterly Report of Employment, Vacancies and Payroll Statistics, March 1997 and the Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, March 1997. They will be available at HK$42 per copy and HK$16 per copy (both exclusive of postage) respectively at the Government Publications Centre, Ground Floor, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong and at the Publications Unit of the Census and Statistics Department on the 19th Floor, Wan Chai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Table 1: Employment figures and percentage changes by selected major sector Persons engaged Percentage change (employment) ----------------- --------------- Mar 97 Mar 97 Selected over over major Mar 96 Dec 96 Mar 97 Mar 96 Dec 96 sector ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------- Manufacturing 351,500 325,100 312,600 -11.1 -3.8 Construction 68,800 81,700 83,500 +21.4 +2.2 sites (manual workers only) Wholesale, 1,027,000 1,056,100 1,046,400 +1.9 -0.9 retail & import/export trades, restaurants and hotels Transport, 175,200 181,500 182,000 +3.9 +0.3 storage & communications Financing, 378,800 395,900 407,700 +7.6 +3.0 insurance, real estate & business services Community, 302,800 320,100 323,900 +7.0 +1.2 social & personal services Table 2 : Vacancy figures and percentage changes by selected major sector Number of vacancies Percentage change ------------------- ----------------- Mar 97 Mar 97 Selected over over major Mar 96 Dec 96 Mar 97 Mar 96 Dec 96 sector ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------- Manufacturing 5,930 5,240 7,830 +32.1 +49.4 Construction 940 2,000 1,510 +60.4 -24.7 sites (vacancies for manual workers only) Wholesale, 21,790 22,620 30,430 +39.7 +34.6 retail & import/export trades, restaurants & hotels Transport, 3,450 3,050 4,730 +37.2 +55.1 storage & communications Financing, 9,060 11,440 13,380 +47.7 +17.0 insurance, real estate & business services Community, 7,720 8,380 9,160 +18.7 +9.3 social & personal services Table 3 : Vacancy figures and percentage changes by major occupation group Number of vacancies Percentage change ------------------- ---------------- - Mar. 97 Mar. 97 Major over over occupation Mar 96 Dec 96 Mar 97 Mar 96 Dec 96 group ---------- ------ ------ ------ ------- ------ Managers & 1,160 1,260 1,040 -10.5 -17.7 administrators Professionals 3,480 3,290 3,590 +3.1 +9.0 Associate 8,510 9,220 11,290 +32.7 +22.5 professionals Clerks 11,630 11,180 17,160 +47.5 +53.4 Service 11,210 12,580 14,930 +33.1 +18.6 workers & shop sales workers Craft & 2,590 4,070 4,540 +74.9 +11.4 related workers Plant & 3,630 3,500 4,930 +35.7 +40.7 machine operators & assemblers Elementary 6,690 7,630 9,590 +43.3 +25.7 occupations End 10. HKSAR's trade policy remains unchanged ****************************************** The implementation of "one country, two systems" policy in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) means the continuation of Hong Kong's established trade policy, Assistant Director-General of Trade, Mr Patrick Nip said today (Friday). Speaking at a seminar organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr Nip said the continuation of the free trade policy and other important ingredients for Hong Kong were enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. In line with the autonomous trading status Hong Kong will continue to enjoy, there will be no merging of Hong Kong and Mainland China's textiles quotas; no change in the 'Made in Hong Kong' label; and no merging of Hong Kong and Mainland China's trade statistics. Mr Nip noted that the integrity of the HKSAR trading system is the cornerstone of its separate customs territory status. "Hong Kong will continue to be a full and separate member of the WTO, using the name 'Hong Kong, China', and we will continue to implement faithfully our obligations under the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing," he said. "It should be clear that Hong Kong's regime governing the textiles and clothing trade will remain unchanged. "And we take our multilateral and bilateral obligations very seriously. We remain fully committed to maintaining the utmost vigilance over any attempt to abuse the origin rules. "We will continue with our initiatives to enhance our textiles control system. We will continue to work with our trading partners to enhance both sides' effectiveness in the common objective of tackling illegal transshipment. "At the same time, we will seek to ensure that any action taken by our trading partners should not be discriminatory in nature, should not target Hong Kong and should not affect adversely legitimate traders," he added. In the seminar, Mr Nip highlighted the recent developments regarding the US documentation requirements for textiles imports to the US. In June last year, the US unilaterally imposed a series of additional import measures targeting certain garments imported from Hong Kong. After various bilateral exchanges, the US has in the past months modified such measures. Most recently, the US Customs announced in early June that with effect from July 1, 1997, new term bond requirement for companies importing textiles and apparel products, regardless of the source of the imports, will be set at two percent of the value of world-wide imports for the previous calendar year, with lower and upper ceilings US$50,000 and $30 million respectively. "We note that this is an improvement over the June 1996 arrangements under which Hong Kong was singled out for a single entry bond requirement. "Under the latest US move, the single entry bond is removed, and the new term bond requirement is applicable to all textile and apparel imports, regardless of country of origin. "However, we need to continue to keep a close watch on the implementation of the new term bond requirement to ensure that in practice there will be no discriminatory treatment against Hong Kong's import," he said. "We will pursue further with the US Customs on the early removal of any discriminatory treatment against Hong Kong, in particular the importer's certification and additional documentation requirement for entries from 'suspect manufacturers'," he added. End 11. Airmail services to Cambodia suspended ************************************* The Postmaster General, Mr Robert Footman, announced today (Friday) that because of the situation in Cambodia, all airmail services to that country, including Speedpost, are temporarily suspended with immediate effect. A further announcement will be made as soon as services can be resumed. End 12. School works in Tseung Kwan O ***************************** The Architectural Services Department (Arch SD) will begin works in November to build three secondary schools and two primary schools in Area 56 and 57 in Tseung Kwan O respectively. Upon completion in July 1999, the schools will provide a total of about 1,100 secondary school places and 1,000 primary school places in the new town. "These schools will be built by using a new construction approach --- the 'Structural System Design'," a spokesman for the Arch SD said today (Friday). "Under this approach, the contractor will be required to propose a structural design and construction system using non-timber formwork or prefabricated elements to minimise the use of timber formwork and in- situ construction," the spokesman said. "The method is aimed at minimising construction waste and the use of hardwood, improving the quality of construction, developing mechanisation on site and reducing construction time and cost," he noted. The schools will each comprise a classroom block and an attached assembly hall. Each primary school will contain 30 classrooms, four special rooms, three remedial teaching rooms, one basketball court, covered playground and car park. Each secondary school will have 26 classrooms, 14 special rooms, three remedial teaching rooms, one basketball court, covered playground and carpark. End 13. Reminder of deadline for returning survey questionnaires ******************************************************** The Census and Statistics Department today (Friday) reminded selected establishments in the following annual surveys in respect of 1996 to return survey questionnaires to the department promptly : * Annual Survey of Industrial Production; * Annual Survey of Wholesale, Retail and Import and Export Trades, Restaurants and Hotels; * Annual Survey of Building, Construction and Real Estate Sectors; * Annual Survey of Transport and Related Services, and * Annual Survey of Storage, Communication, Financing, Insurance and Business Services. These surveys are conducted annually by the department to collect up-to-date statistical data for evaluating the contribution of various economic activities to Hong Kong's gross domestic product and for ascertaining their cost structure and operating characteristics. The survey results are useful to both the government and the private sector in formulating policies and making decisions. Questionnaires were mailed in April - May to about 24,000 establishments selected for the 1996 annual surveys. The establishments concerned are required by law to return the completed questionnaires to the department by July 31 this year. The Commissioner for Census and Statistics, Mr Frederick Ho, appealed to the management of all selected establishments to fulfil their legal and social responsibilities by returning promptly the completed questionnaires and co-operating with officers of the department in the course of the surveys. Any person who is unable to return the completed questionnaire within the time specified is required to declare with reasons his inability in doing so. Those who fail to do so may be committing an offence. Each questionnaire of these annual economic surveys has been so designed that respondents can complete it by themselves. If necessary, officers of the Census and Statistics Department, who carry a Government Identity Card and a certificate for conducting the respective surveys, will visit the establishments concerned to assist them in completing the questionnaires. Mr Ho pointed out that audited accounts are not essential for the supply of income and expenditure data required by the surveys. The Census and Statistics Department accepts figures based on preliminary accounts or estimates which are correct to the best of the respondents' knowledge at the time of submission of the questionnaire, if audited accounts are not yet available. He also stressed that information relating to individual establishments would be treated in strict confidence under the Census and Statistics Ordinance. Only aggregate information that does not reveal details of individual establishments will be released. End 14. International Mathematical Olympiad *********************************** Ten Mathematics talents will be awarded prizes at the Prize Presentation Ceremony of International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) Hong Kong Selection Contest 1997 and Asian Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO) 1997 tomorrow (Saturday). The Gold Award of APMO goes to Mok Tze-tao, Edmond, of Queen's College. Leung Wing-chung of Queen Elizabeth School and Chan Chung-lam of Bishop Hall Jubilee School win the Silver Award. The Bronze Award winners are Fung Ho-yin of Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College; Mak Wai-yip, Vincent, of Wah Yan College (HK); Wong Kwok-tai of Li Po Chun United World College; and Lau Lap-ming, Alvin, of St Paul's College. Cheng Chi-sum of Shaukeiwan Government Secondary School, Chan Ming-chiu of La Salle College, and Yeung Yi- pok of Pui Shing Catholic Secondary School win the Honourable Mention. Besides, six secondary students are selected members of the IMO Hong Kong, China Team 1997. They are Chan Chung-lam of Bishop Hall Jubilee School, Cheung Pok-man of STFA Leung Kau Kui College, Lau Lap-ming, Alvin, of St Paul's College, Leung Wing-chung of Queen's Elizabeth School, Mok Tze-tao, Edmond, and Yu Ka-chun of Queen's College. Alternate members are Chan Ming-chiu of La Salle College, Cheng Chi-sum of Shaukeiwan Government Secondary School, Hui Wa-yam of Heung To Middle School, Kee Wing- tao of Po Leung Kuk Centenary Li Shiu Chung Memorial College, Ng Ka-man of STFA Leung Kau Kui College and Wong Kwok-tai of Li Po Chun United World College. The team will be presented the flag at the ceremony and is ready to set off for Argentina, the hosting country for the IMO 1997. The IMO aims at providing a meeting place for mathematically talented young people from all over the world. It also promotes students' interest in mathematics and encourages teachers to exchange ideas on the development of mathematics education. The event provides opportunities to establish personal and friendly contacts among participants as a means to contribute international understanding. The IMO came into being in 1959 when Romania invited six other countries in Eastern Europe to send a team of high school students to participate in a mathematics competition. Since then the IMO has become an important annual event in the mathematics world of secondary school students. In 1988, Hong Kong sent her first team to the IMO. End
