Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition News

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HK to host forum on human rights in Asia
Ravina Shamdasani
5 May 2005
South China Morning Post

Experts from around the world will descend on Hong Kong next week for yet another big conference - this time on human rights and development in Asia.

Already this year the city has hosted an International Red Cross conference and a world forum on disaster relief and humanitarian aid. In December it hosts the World Trade Organisation's sixth ministerial conference.

Peter Malanczuk, dean of City University's School of Law, which is hosting the human rights conference, said Hong Kong had a tradition of concentrating on commerce, trade and investment. But the same "hub" quality could be used to bring people together to discuss and develop ideas in many other fields, including human rights and governance, he said.

City University law lecturer C. Raj Kumar added that one important contribution the city could offer towards better governance in the region was its success in fighting corruption - which was deeply tied to rights and development.

The two-day event - the International Conference on Human Rights and Development: Approaches to the Reform of Governance in Asia - will bring together human rights scholars and officers from non-governmental and inter-governmental human rights bodies from many nations: Afghanistan, Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, China, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, the Netherlands, Britain and the United States.

Also attending will be Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, programme manager for the Asia-Pacific unit in the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The focus of the conference was on economic, social and cultural rights rather than the traditional "first-generation" civil and political human rights issues of freedom and liberty, Professor Malanczuk said. The role of the World Bank and multinational corporations in human rights and development will also be analysed.

"The UN secretary-general in his March report said we need to look at security in the context of human rights and development, and the UN Millennium Development goals also focused on a lot of things we are trying to do," Mr Kumar said.

Professor Malanczuk said that while the decision to hold the conference at this time was not directly linked with the upcoming WTO conference, the agendas overlapped.

"The Doha agenda is supposed to be a development agenda, and one of the issues is the issue of trade, the market economy and human rights," he said.

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SCIT promotes ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 in Finland
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Government Press Release

The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, has called on Finnish enterprises to come to Hong Kong and join the "Olympics in telecommunications" - the ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006, which will be hosted by Hong Kong in December, 2006.

Speaking at a business networking dinner during his visit to Helsinki, Finland, yesterday (May 11, Helsinki time), Mr Tsang emphasised that with Hong Kong's experience in organising the ITU Telecom Asia in 2000 and 2002, and the support of Mainland China, Hong Kong was determined to make the ITU Telecom World 2006 a big success.

"Hong Kong offers the best gateway for Finnish companies seeking to explore the Asia Pacific market. Our affinity with the Mainland, language capability and rich experience in doing business there make us the best launching pad for entering the tremendous China market.

"For foreign companies interested in expanding into the vast Mainland China, the ITU Telecom World to be held in Hong Kong in 2006 will offer them a golden opportunity," he said.

Mr Tsang is leading a business delegation from Hong Kong's information and communications technology (ICT) to Europe. They arrived in Helsinki on May 10 (Helsinki time) evening for a two-day visit.

On the first day of their visit (May 11, Helsinki time), Mr Tsang and the delegation visited a number of renowned telecommunications companies, including Nokia, and attended a seminar on mobile technology and mobile games. Later they joined a business networking dinner.

Mr Tsang took also the opportunity to meet his ministerial counterparts, including the Minister of Transport and Communications, Mrs Leena Luhtanen; the Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Pekka Lintu; and the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mauri Pakkarinen, and discuss topics with mutual interests.

Mr Tsang and the delegation will continue their busy schedule today (May 12, Helsinki time) by visiting a number of digital entertainment companies and institutions to see the latest development of digital entertainment and creative industries in Finland.

Mr Tsang and the delegation visited Finpro, a registered association owned by Finnish companies and attended a business networking lunch hosted by the association. During the luncheon, Mr Tsang witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association and Mobile Monday of Finland. The MoU signifies their common understanding to jointly promote wireless technologies and applications in both countries, and to create business opportunities between members of both organisations.

Visiting a country renowned for its design business, Mr Tsang and the delegation seized the opportunity to visit the famous University of Art and Design Helsinki, an international university dedicated to design, audiovisual communication, art education and art. It is the largest university of its kind in the Nordics.

They also visited the Sulake, an interactive entertainment company specialising in developing, publishing and distributing multiplayer online communities and games; and the Technology Industries of Finland, which is owned by its 1,200 member companies and representing the largest industrial sector of the country.

Mr Tsang will return to Hong Kong on May 13.

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May 25, 2005
Government Press Release
MC6 to be a success: Raymond Young

Hong Kong will spare no effort to stage a successful Hong Kong Ministerial meeting and work closely with other World Trade Organisation members for a timely and successful conclusion of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations, Director-General of Trade & Industry Raymond Young says.

If successfully concluded, the Doha Round could increase Hong Kong market access through elimination of, or at least substantial reduction of, tariffs and non-tariff barriers. Tariffs of up to US$983 million can be saved if duty on Hong Kong's top 10 domestic export sectors is removed.

The removal of non-tariff barriers will also increase Hong Kong goods' competitiveness in overseas markets and bring indirect benefits to Hong Kong services sectors -including transportation, storage, insurance and banking - and to Hong Kong investors on the Mainland.

Speaking at a roundtable luncheon organised by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Mr Young said hosting the Hong Kong Ministerial in December underlines the city's active and constructive participation in the WTO and raises Hong Kong's international profile as a bastion of free trade.

"It demonstrates the successful implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems' and provides an excellent opportunity to showcase Hong Kong as Asia's world city", he added.

Market-access issues HK's priorities

Mr Young said Hong Kong's priorities in the Doha Round were market-access-related issues, notably market access for non-agricultural products and for services.

In the ongoing services negotiations, Hong Kong will continue to seek comprehensive and commercially meaningful market access commitments in industries where Hong Kong enjoyed comparative advantage, such as telecommunications, audiovisual, maritime transport, logistics, and financial services.

Hong Kong will also take part in the discussions to remove other countries' discriminatory measures that were inconsistent with the most-favoured-nation treatment principle, and to ensure that their domestic regulations would not cause unnecessary barriers to trade in Hong Kong services.

"We will use the opportunity to clarify and improve WTO rules, including those related to anti-dumping, subsidies and regional trade agreements to ensure that the rules will remain relevant and conducive to trade and investment. The trade facilitation measures under negotiation will strengthen Hong Kong's entrepot status and Hong Kong's position as a logistics hub," Mr Young added.

He reiterated every endeavour will be made to hold a successful Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong to pave the way for an early completion of Doha Round. Dialogue has been maintained with local and overseas non-governmental organisations to facilitate their expressions of views during the conference.

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Hong Kong Summit Will Focus on WTO Treaty
Thursday June 2, 4:11 am ET
By Bo-Mi Lim, Associated Press Writer

JEJU, South Korea (AP) -- A year-end summit in Hong Kong will be crucial for completing a much-delayed World Trade Organization treaty, the head of the agency said Thursday, calling on Pacific rim trade officials to put their political weight behind the negotiations.

"We won't be able to complete the round by 2006" without agreements in Hong Kong, Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi told reporters on the resort island of Jeju, where trade officials from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are meeting.

"If we miss the chance of completing the round by 2006, it will be very difficult to complete the round in the foreseeable future," Supachai said.

The current round of treaty talks -- launched in Doha, Qatar in 2001 -- aims to slash subsidies, tariffs and other barriers to global commerce, and to use trade to help poor nations. The original plan was to create a new global trade treaty by the end of 2004, but a WTO conference in 2003 collapsed amid bickering over investment rules between rich and poor members, as well as differences on agriculture.

Talks have yet to regain their momentum and EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson warned Tuesday that too little progress was being made toward agreeing on a trade accord this summer.

Trade negotiators have lowered their expectations for a series of July meetings at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, which are a key part of the process of hammering out an accord at the December summit in Hong Kong.

The WTO is hoping for agreement from countries at the Hong Kong conference leading to a final treaty by 2006 or early 2007.

While assuring negotiations were on track -- in a "more or less" final phase -- Supachai warned there simply was not much time left and called on APEC leaders to provide "clear political guidance."

"Negotiations now have to be based on political decisions, not technical analysis," said Supachai, whose term at the WTO ends in August. "We just can't repeat some of the old mistakes."

Trade officials from 21 APEC economies are fine-tuning details of a statement on the WTO's Doha round of treaty negotiations at their talks in Jeju, expected to be adopted Friday at the session's close.

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RTHK seeks to air WTO sessions live
Zach Coleman, Hong Kong Standard
June 7, 2005

Amidst a parade of digital radio executives declaring that broadcasters need to offer something new to convince consumers to splash out on new sets, an official of Radio Television Hong Kong had a proposal to make: a live broadcast of the upcoming World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference.

The December conference promises to put Hong Kong at the center of the world stage as representatives of the world's most powerful nations struggle to reach a grand pact to relax trade and investment barriers - and thousands of protesters make a beeline for the SAR to disrupt their efforts.

Speaking at a World DAB Forum seminar in Hong Kong Monday, Simon Heung, deputy production manager at RTHK, said the station is interested in broadcasting the conference's opening and closing sessions, the closing press conference and plenary sessions, in Cantonese and English.

But RTHK's proposed broadcasts are unlikely to capture the tension.

The plenary sessions are a forum where ministers deliver prepared speeches while the give-and-take of the trade talks go on behind closed doors, according to a WTO spokesman in Geneva.

"The negotiations are closed to the public and the media, so there's no way they would be broadcast,'' he said.

The spokesman said it is common for the opening and closing sessions and press conference to be telecast by international broadcasters, but he expressed surprise at the idea of anyone broadcasting a full program of plenary sessions.

He said that even the WTO itself has only posted opening and closing programs on its Web site, though the organization operates a feed that includes the plenary sessions for broadcast within the conference site and for interested broadcasters to exploit.

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HK to hold first international symposium on national education
Government Press Release
Monday, June 6, 2005

The following is issued on behalf of the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education:

An International Symposium on National Education jointly organised by the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (CPCE), the Commission on Youth, the Home Affairs Bureau and Radio Television Hong Kong will be held tomorrow and Wednesday (June 7 and 8) at Theatre 1 of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This international symposium is the first of its kind on the subject of national education in Hong Kong. The objective of the symposium is to facilitate an exchange of views and sharing of experiences with experts from different places in the world on how to promote national education (aimed at enhancing the sense of national identity among the general public) both inside and outside schools, with a view to drawing useful references and insights for Hong Kong.

Eleven distinguished speakers from different parts of the world (France, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Mainland China, Northern Ireland, Singapore, South Korea, United Kingdom, and United States) will share their experiences and expertise at the two-day symposium through topical presentations, group discussions and a discussion forum. Participants in the symposium include representatives from government advisory committees, tertiary education institutes, non-governmental organisations, school principals, civic and moral education teachers, district organisations, media editors, commentators and members of the public.

Chairman of the CPCE, Mr Daniel Heung; Chairman of the Commission on Youth, Dr Philemon Choi; Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho; and Director of Broadcasting, Mr Chu Pui-hing will officiate at the symposium. Dr Ho will deliver the keynote speech at 9.30am on Wednesday. The event will also be broadcast live on the Internet (http://www.rthk.org.hk) through video webcast by Radio Television Hong Kong.

For details of the symposium, please call 2372 0090 or visit the website of the symposium (http://www.national-education.org).

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Government promotes Telecom World 2006 in Chicago
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Government Press Release

The Hong Kong Government hosted a reception in Chicago on Monday (June 6, Chicago time) to promote the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006, which will be held in Hong Kong in December 2006.

More than 100 business leaders and professionals from the information and communications technology industry from the United States and around the globe attended the reception, which was jointly organised by the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau and the Information Services Department of the HKSARG.

The reception was held during the exhibition period of the SUPERCOMM 2005, the world's premier annual exhibition and conference on communications and information technology. The exhibition booth set up by the ITU also helped to promote ITU Telecom World 2006 to visitors.

The Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Communications and Technology), Mrs Marion Lai, represented the Hong Kong Government at the reception. Other important guests included the Secretary-General of the ITU, Mr Yoshio Utsumi, and the Acting Consul-General of the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Chicago, Mr Tang Ying.

Mrs Lai also took the opportunity to meet major company executives and trade associations to brief them on the theme of ITU Telecom World 2006 – the Gateway to a Wealth of Opportunities, and invite them to Hong Kong to participate in the prestigious event.

ITU Telecom World 2006 will be held from December 4 to 8, 2006, in Hong Kong and is the first time the event will be held outside Geneva, where the ITU is based.

The ITU Telecom World is the most prominent global telecommunications event held every three to four years. Hong Kong previously hosted two ITU regional events - ITU Telecom Asia 2000 and ITU Telecom Asia 2002.

The event comprises two parts - the exhibition and the forum. The exhibition enables industry players to showcase their latest equipment, services or technologies, while the forum provides a platform for participants to debate critical issues in policies and regulation, key technologies, business applications and environment.

It is estimated that ITU Telecom World 2006 will attract an estimated 100,000 overseas visitors, generating about $1.2 billion of direct economic benefit to Hong Kong.

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Monday June 13, 8:49 AM
Chinese vice premier, Malaysian leader, WTO head to speak in Hong Kong

AP - Malaysia's prime minister, a Chinese vice premier and the World Trade Organization's head were to speak Monday in Hong Kong at the start of a two-day regional meeting of business leaders.

WTO Director-general Supachai Panitchpakdi was scheduled to give the first keynote speech at the Pacific Basin Economic Council's annual meeting. The Hong Kong-based group is an international business association that says it represents about 1,000 companies in 20 economies across the region.

Chinese Premier Wu Yi planned to give a lunch speech. Wu has played a high-profile role in dealing with China's ongoing tensions with Japan and U.S.-China friction over textile trade.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was scheduled to give a keynote dinner speech.

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19th International Travel Expo opens in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The 19th International Travel Expo (ITE) Hong Kong opened Thursday at the Convention and Exhibition Center with more than 500 exhibitors attending the four- day event.

The organizer, TKS Exhibition Services Ltd, said the ITE this year is expected to be the largest ever in the history of the exhibition, which has attracted exhibitors and buyers from all parts of the world, especially Asia, Europe and America. Latin American pavilion attended the exhibition for the first time and brought new tourism itineraries with unique characteristics.

Stephen Ip, secretary for economic development and labor, said at the opening ceremony that with the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland and the coming on-stream of other tourist attractions such as Asia's largest Wetland Park in early 2006, visitor arrivals in Hong Kong are expected to set another new record at 23. 4 million in 2005.

He said the Hong Kong tourism industry has achieved spectacular growth in 2004 and made a number of records, especially in terms of visitor arrivals, which reached a record high of 21.8 million in the year.

He said an encouraging achievement in the industry is that Hong Kong, for the first time, was named the seventh most popular tourist destination in 2004.

Stephen Ip said, "We will do our best to maintain Hong Kong's leading position as Asia's premier tourist destination through joint efforts of the tourism industry, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the government."

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WTO ministerial meeting logo signifies hope
Government Press Release


Janet Wong, MC6 logo
Rays of hope: WTO 6th Ministerial Conference Co-ordination Office Head Janet Wong unveils the logo for the upcoming meeting. It incorporates the WTO's familiar six strokes, surrounding them with golden rays to form an image that looks like the number '6'.

WTO 6th Ministerial Conference Co-ordination Office Head Janet Wong this morning unveiled a new logo for the so-called "MC6" meeting to be held in Hong Kong from December 13 to 18.

Designed by Michael Miller Yu of Creation House Limited, it incorporates the WTO's familiar six strokes, surrounding them with golden rays to form an image that looks like the number '6'.

The sunshine-like rays represent "hope, brightness and smooth sailing," Ms Wong said, reflecting Hong Kong's desires for the meeting.

Every ministerial conference in the past had its own logo to present a unique and distinct image of the host country or city.

The co-ordination office considered the views of the Hong Kong Designers' Association and the Information Services Department before issuing an expression of intent to about 700 design firms and designers, asking for submissions of interest in undertaking the logo design work.

The office set up a selection board to examine the submissions. It recommended the selection of Creation House Limited based on the tenderers' backgrounds, past achievements and fees charged.

The colourful logo will be used to promote the upcoming meeting and decorate the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre meeting rooms that will house the MC6.

Preparations aim to prevent chaos

Ms Wong noted that preparing for the conference was a mammoth undertaking, and that seven working groups were tackling various needs, such as security, information technology, and public relations.

"It's important for us to have liaisons with the community," she said. "We want them to feel a part of it, and we need to engage them during the conference."

There will inevitably be road closures and detours to help ease the traffic congestion around the main venue, she said, noting there will be limosines for heads of state and shuttle services for delegates adding to the normal volume.

Since the Convention & Exhibition Centre will be so busy during the World Trade Organisation's 6th Ministerial Conference here in December, the Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay will serve as the accreditation centre.

Conference registration to open July 1

All participants, including the media, must register online beginning July 1 at the WTO website, www.wto.org. The WTO will send this information from Geneva to Hong Kong. It is too early to estimate how many participants - including non-governmental organisations and demonstrators - will arrive for the event.

The press centre will be situated in Phase I of the Convention & Exhibition Centre, along with a centre for NGOs and meeting rooms.

The press centre, in Theatre I and II, will be well equipped with workstations, wireless local area networks and live television feeds provided by RTHK.

Actual negotiations will take place in the Convention & Exhibition Centre Phase II, behind closed doors

Police establish 9 working groups

The Police are also making preparations to ensure people's safety and security during the conference. The force has nine working groups, including:
* security;
* public order;
* traffic management;
* tactics and training;
* PR and publicity;
* command and control;
* logistics;
* IT and communications; and
* manpower and procurement.

Based on the experience of previous ministerial conferences, many demonstrators are expected. Ms Wong noted that freedom of expression is respected in Hong Kong.

"If people have views different from those of the WTO, that's okay. We manage these demonstrations peacefully," she said, adding they are meeting with NGOs to build rapport ahead of MC6.

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Mainland CEO delegation visits Hong Kong for CEO Forum
Government Press Release
15-06-2005

A Mainland investment study delegation began their three-day visiting programme in Hong Kong today (June 15). Led by the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Foreign Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce ("MOC"), Mr Zhao Chuang, some 30 delegates including CEOs from prominent Mainland state-owned and privately-owned enterprises will participate at a special forum designed for them.

The "Forum on Global Business Strategies of Chinese CEOs" ("CEO Forum") is the first CEO visiting programme organised by the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR ("Liaison Office"). Co-organisers include Invest Hong Kong and the Department of Foreign Economic Cooperation of the MOC.

The objective of the CEO Forum is to foster deeper understanding among potential Mainland investors of the strategies for expanding their business, using Hong Kong as the platform to go global. The visiting CEOs are being encouraged to leverage the many advantages of Hong Kong.

At a cocktail reception this evening, the Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Mr Mike Rowse, warmly welcomed Mr Zhao and the delegation's visit to Hong Kong. He also thanked the Deputy Director, Commercial Office of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office, Mr Wang Hui, for officiating at the reception.

"We are delighted to have the opportunity to present Hong Kong's business advantages to the group of CEOs representing rapidly growing Mainland enterprises, an important driving force of our country's economic development," Mr Rowse said. "These enterprises are constantly looking for expansion opportunities both in and outside of the Mainland. With Hong Kong's strong link with the huge Mainland market, established status as one of the leading international financial and business centres, our city is the ideal platform for Mainland enterprises to raise funds, expand their regional operations and carry out their global business activities."

He said that Mainland enterprises, with the aim of becoming a regional or global player, had become one of Hong Kong's major sources of inward investment. In 2004, about 17% of the investment projects facilitated by Invest Hong Kong were from Mainland enterprises. The facilitation policy launched by the MOC last year has opened up new opportunities for more Mainland enterprises to invest in Hong Kong. Currently, about 20% of investment projects being handled by the department involve Mainland enterprises.

Mr Rowse particularly thanked the Commercial Office of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office and the MOC for jointly organising this significant programme. He said that Invest Hong Kong, as the official investment promotion agency for the Hong Kong SAR Government, would continue to work closely with them in assisting Mainland enterprises to use Hong Kong as the springboard to go global.

The delegation visited the Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Cyberport today. They were impressed by these state-of-the-art facilities, which were important in supporting the overall long-term development of Hong Kong as an investment location.

In the next two days, the Mainland CEOs will participate in a number of sessions discussing various areas related to investment in Hong Kong. Mr Zhao will brief the delegates on the Central Government's "going out" policy. Partners from PricewaterhouseCoopers will discuss taxation planning for expanding outside of Mainland, as well as the importance of corporate governance and risk management.

To encourage the Mainland enterprises to use Hong Kong as a platform for planning and executing their global business strategies, the organisers also arranged for several prominent business leaders to share their experiences during the forum.

For example, two of Invest Hong Kong's Investment Promotion Ambassadors - the Vice-Chairman and President, China Overseas Holdings Limited, Mr Kong Qingping will discuss using Hong Kong as a fund raising centre; President and CEO of Philips Electronic Asia Pacific, Mr Andreas Wente will share his experience with the delegates on how a multinational corporation benefits from its investments in Hong Kong.

The Executive Director and CFO of Mainland IT giant Lenovo Group, Ms Mary Ma, will provide her insights on the "strategy, synergy and integration" of Mainland enterprises.

The three-day visiting programme will end on Friday (June 17).

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Exco backs $1.3b centre expansion
Dennis Eng
17 June 2005
South China Morning Post

The government has thrown its support behind a $1.3 billion extension of the Convention and Exhibition Centre's atrium, dealing a victory to the Trade Development Council, which has long wanted more exhibition space at the Wan Chai venue.

The green light was given by the Executive Council. Plans for the proposed extension will be submitted to the Town Planning Board next week. If the blueprint is approved, construction could start as soon as next year, which avoids the World Trade Organisation conference in December. It is due to be completed in 2009.

The trade council said traffic would not be adversely affected as work would take place within the venue and large construction pieces would be transported by sea. There will be no reclamation work.

A contractor involved with the extension, Chan Sing-fung, said the height of the atrium would be increased to make room for three levels of exhibition space.

The project will be financed internally and by bank loans, although it is uncertain whether the venue's operator, New World Development, will invest in it.

"We must not slip and lose this opportunity. This is a win-win project for Hong Kong," trade council chairman Peter Woo Kwong-ching said.

The government said it had taken into consideration the future demand for exhibition space, including the extra 100,000 square metres that will be available when the $2.35 billion AsiaWorld-Expo centre opens at Chek Lap Kok at the end of this year.

A spokesman for the airport venue declined to comment on the announcement.

The rival centres are understood to have buried the hatchet earlier this year after AsiaWorld-Expo chief executive Nicolas Borit said opposition to the expansion was "no longer on our agenda".

Relations also improved following an agreement with the trade council to stage six new shows at the AsiaWorld-Expo centre.

Trade show organiser Kenfair International, which has also been at odds with the trade council over competing toy fairs, welcomed the development.

The trade council said the 19,400 square metres of space in the atrium could accommodate more than 1,000 exhibitor booths. There is a waiting list of about 3,000 exhibitors, usually for fairs in April and October.

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TDC's proposal needs to seek further approval for implementation
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Government Press Release

In response to media enquiries on whether approval has been given to the Trade Development Council (TDC)'s proposal to expand the atrium link between Phases I and II of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), a Government spokesman explains as follows:

"The Government supports the TDC to take forward the proposed project. The proposal, which will provide 19,400 square metres of additional exhibition space, helps enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness as a major convention and exhibition centre in Asia. However, the proposal still needs to go through the due process and the required approval for implementation.

Although the Government has given policy support to the proposal, the TDC has to seek approval from the Town Planning Board (TPB) and to comply with the relevant statutory regulations and requirements.

According to the provisions of the amended Town Planning Ordinance, the planning application will be published for public inspection and comments. The TPB will take into account the comments and views received in considering the application.

The TDC has presented the proposal to the Harbour-front Enhancement Committee (HEC) in January and will continue to maintain a dialogue with the HEC and its Sub-committee on Wan Chai Development Phase II Review.

The Atrium Link Extension as proposed should not constitute reclamation works for the purpose of the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance. However, in carrying out some of the engineering works, the TDC has to comply with the relevant stipulations under the Foreshore and Sea-Bed (Reclamations) Ordinance and for project implementation, it will have to comply with all related legal requirements."

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CAD to host ICAO Asia Pacific Regional Seminar on Facilitation
Monday, June 20, 2005
Government Press Release

The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) will host the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Asia Pacific Regional Seminar on Facilitation from tomorrow (June 21) to 24 at Two International Finance Centre.

A key objective of the seminar is to provide a forum for delegates to share their experiences on the implementation of Machine Readable Passports, with a view that all 188 ICAO member states will have begun issuing machine readable passports by 2010, in accordance with ICAO specifications.

The seminar will focus on the practical aspects of universal implementation of Machine Readable Passports, the enhancement of Machine Readable Travel Documents with biometric identifiers and the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology at airports. More than 150 delegates from 18 states/territories including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Republic of Korea, will participate in the Seminar. Representatives from ICAO, International Air Transport Association, Airports Council International, Asia Pacific Smart Card Association and the aviation industry will also attend.

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G8 protests may be repeated here, warn police
Dennis Ng, Hong Kong Standard
July 8, 2005

It is possible that the demonstrations seen around the G8 summit venue in Scotland might be repeated in Hong Kong during the World Trade Organization Sixth Ministerial Conference in December, a police spokesman said Thursday.

A police assessment has rated the global conference to be held here from December 13-18 as ''high risk,'' meaning senior police will put in place stringent security measures including traffic and crowd control.

But Police Public Relations Bureau chief Alfred Ma said he is confident the measures will be adequate to ensure the conference proceeds smoothly. He said police had made similar preparations for handover ceremonies in 1997 and the Fortune Forum in 2001.

In response to journalists' questions about the likelihood of protests, Ma said: "It is possible, but I can't tell you how likely it will be.''

Things would become clearer closer to the conference.

Hong Kong will welcome about 6,000 senior government officials, as well as 3,000 press and 2,000 non-governmental organization representatives at the conference venue.

An unknown number of demonstrators from around the world are also expected to gather in Hong Kong for the event.

More than 13 government departments are preparing for the meeting, with the police in charge of security.

Ma was confident police would ensure the conference would proceed smoothly, while maintaining public order.

Police conduct risk assessments for all public events and classify them in one of three categories.

A small demonstration lasting a short time with a non-controversial theme is usually classified low risk.

Middle risk means there is an even chance of problems.

Not surprisingly, the WTO ministerial conference has been assessed as high risk. He did not say whether the same rating was given to the handover ceremony or the mass march of July 1, 2003, when half a million Hong Kong people demonstrated against proposed anti-subversion laws.

Police began planning security for the WTO meetings at the end of last year.

Ma said Interpol had assisted Hong Kong police but declined to give details.

He said frontline officers had received refresher courses, mainly on crowd control.

Other measures included banning leave during the conference and redeploying back-office police officers to the frontline.

Hong Kong has almost 27,000 police and about 4,000 auxiliary police but Ma refused to give the exact number likely to be deployed during the global conference.

He said police will designate areas where peaceful demonstrations will be allowed to be held.

But he refused to say if these areas would be located near the conference venue or at other places within sight of conference participants.

Ma said it was too early to say where they will be located.

"Maybe no one will show up for the protest,'' he joked to media representatives at a news conference.

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Activists plan marches for Hong Kong WTO summit
Monday July 11, 2005, 5:30 pm

HONG KONG (AFP) - Anti-capitalist protesters will stage three major marches in Hong Kong when the Chinese territory hosts the next ministerial summit of the World Trade Organisation, activists said.

But they fear the police's lack of preparation could inflame anger among the demonstrators, sparking the sort of violence seen at gatherings of world leaders in Edinburgh last week and Seattle in 1999.

Activists said they expect a total of 10,000 demonstrators at the three protests on December 11, two days before the summit opens, again on the 13th and once more on the final day of the meet on December 18.

"Those are our proposals we will give to police," said Elizabeth Tang, convenor of the Hong Kong People's Alliance Against the WTO, the umbrella co-ordination group for the hundreds of global protests groups expected here.

Tang added, however, that negotiations with the police over arrangements such as routes and security had been turbulent.

"There has been no progress so far and that worries us," said Tang. "We've not been able to get any firm commitment from the police or the government for things like provision of appropriate venues."

The two sides are locked over issues of crowd control. Police are keen to avoid riots like those that marred WTO meetings in Genoa and Seattle, while Tang says that although the alliance's will promote a peaceful protest, she cannot guarantee there will be no violence.

Activists are also worried police will be heavy handed in their dealing with skirmishes after reports that officers were stocking up on rubber bullets and other riot control gear.

Tang said her organisation was also still seeking assurances there will be enough hotel and guest house rooms for the flood of protesters.

With some 20,000 summit delegates, lobbyists, media and researchers expected to descend on the city, Tang fears all accommodation will either be booked or too pricey for protesters.

The alliance has requested a tent city, dormitories or campsites be established for the swarms of activists and warns there could be violence if they cannot find a place to stay.

"These people are going to be here anyway so it is in the authorities' interests that have somewhere they can stay," said Tang.

[hkskyline]

July 13, 2005
Rafael Hui to oversee WTO arrangements
Government Press Release

A high-level committee, headed by Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui, will oversee planning and co-ordination of the WTO Sixth Ministerial Conference to be held in Hong Kong this December.

Speaking to the media at the Central Government Offices, Mr Hui said the conference is important to Hong Kong, an externally-oriented and small economy, adding the event will, apart from economic and trade matters, involve a number of security and traffic management issues.

He stressed there is a need to ensure the safety of participants and the public. To keep inconvenience to affected shops to the minimum, the Government will seek shop owners' support on the issue, he added.

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Parts of Wan Chai to be sealed off for WTO event
Douglas Crets, Hong Kong Standard
July 16, 2005


Police want to avoid a repeat of unrest seen at the Seattle WTO gathering. REUTERS

Facing the possibility of disruptive or even violent demonstrations during December's World Trade Organization talks, Hong Kong police will create a "restricted zone" in Wan Chai during the gathering.

Parts of the district near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center will be sealed off from traffic, access to some office buildings will be limited, and several transport services will be shut down for the five days of the gathering, according to a government proposal to be discussed in the legislature next week.

The draft security plan aims to "facilitate lawful demonstrations" during the meeting while also protecting delegates and others. The government is still identifying possible gathering points for demonstrators in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai.

The plan says that most protesters are expected to be law-abiding but that "some may use disruptive or even violent methods" to try and derail the meeting.

Details of the security plan have been keenly anticipated in light of past problems at WTO meetings and the recent unrest during the G8 summit in Scotland.

The plan appears to give police the flexibility to close off the meeting area and effectively isolate any disruptive protesters a safe distance from the gathering. In addition, 30 bus routes will be diverted and ferry services around the convention center will be halted.

The Wan Chai ferry pier and Golden Bauhinia Square pier will be closed.

A spokesman for Star Ferry said about 23,500 passengers a day will be affected if the Wan Chai service is closed.

A First Bus spokeswoman said it has not received detailed instructions yet but will cooperate with the police and the Transport Department.

The government also recommends closing access roads to three hotels near the convention center.

The restrictions will be in effect from 6pm December 12 through the early morning of December 19, a few hours after the meeting is scheduled to close.

A three-kilometer-square secure area will extend into the sea around the convention center peninsula and access to the WTO site will be granted only to registered delegates and other accredited individuals.

To prevent the kind of massive looting, destruction and violent protests that have become an unwelcome hallmark of previous protests at WTO meetings, barriers will be erected to prevent unauthorized persons from traveling in and out of the area.

The Tamar site will also be used to clear vehicles for safe ingress to the talks.

While the Legislative Council will discuss and formally approve the plan, the chief executive has the power to take other steps "necessary for the protection of ... public safety and public order," according to the proposal. The plan was prepared by departments such as the Security Bureau, the police and the Transport Department.

A source working with a foreign non-governmental organization said she had been given additional details by the Industry and Technology Department, including the fact that overhead walkways that lace Central and Wan Chai will be used for "crowd control."

"We need to have a meeting first before we can have any solid plan regarding your question," said Renaissance Harbour View Hotel communications director Selina Chan. "We can't evaluate the actual effects on our operation. Neither the police nor the Transport Department have contacted us."

Central's luxury shops and hotels not listed by the ministerial conference as hosts for delegates and their parties have indicated they are not installing extra security measures on windows or entrances in anticipation of the event.

Claudia Hardt, public relations director for the Ritz-Carlton in Central, said the WTO talks are "part of normal procedure" for Hong Kong, which hosts thousands of business events a year.

Miranda Szeto, head of communication at Swire Properties, said it is not installing any extra security barriers on any of its shops or buildings in Central or Admiralty.

Members of the Hong Kong People's Alliance, the NGO representing dozens of organizations heading to Hong Kong to protest the WTO talks, said they have planned "three central actions" for December 11 and 13, two marches and a cultural night to welcome NGO representatives to the event.

Coordinator Elizabeth Tang said she will be meeting with government officials to discuss these plans Monday and, though she had not seen the security proposals, she is hopeful that her organization's peaceful spirit will make talks go smoothly. "We can only hope for the best," she said.

CHESTER YUNG CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.

[hkskyline]

Fans queue overnight to be first inside comic fair - Trade looks to growing mainland opportunities
Vivienne Chow and Yi Hu
29 July 2005
South China Morning Post

More than 100 comic fans, including a 75-year-old woman, spent the night outside the Convention and Exhibition Centre playing mahjong and reading comics to be the first ones into today's Comics Festival and Game Fair.

The first to arrive was 16-year-old student Steve Mo, who had $6,000 with him.

"I came here [at 8pm on Wednesday] but there was no one here. So I went home to sleep. I came back at 6am. I'm planning to buy some figures," he said.

A Mr Lam, who declined to disclose his full name, was third in the queue. "I got here at about 2pm [yesterday]. I've brought $5,000 to buy the local comic figures," he said.

Madam Chu, 75, said she was in the queue to keep her grandson company.

Meanwhile, an entourage of mainland officials and exhibition organisers will visit today's fair to learn from Hong Kong.

The visit follows Hong Kong's participation in the first International Animation and Cartoon Festival in Hangzhou last month. Organised by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the event attracted more than a million visitors.

Leung Chung-poon, chief executive of the Hong Kong festival, said the local fair enjoyed a strong reputation on the mainland.

Mr Leung said exposure at Hangzhou had opened up the possibility of co-hosting similar events with mainland organisers. "We found some potential partners at the mainland fair," he said. "This time, officials from Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Guangdong will visit our event. We will further discuss the possibility of co-organising events in future."

Mr Leung said the market for comics and animation had yet to mature on the mainland.

"But my understanding is that the central government is active in promoting the culture. They want to have locally produced works in the market, not just those from Japan or America," he said.

"Hong Kong's industry has a much longer history and it's worthwhile for our mainland counterparts to take reference from it."

He said while the turnover of the comics industry in Hong Kong was $700 million a year, "the potential turnover in major mainland cities was at least $1 billion per year".

[hkskyline]

Fisherfolk plan harbor protest against WTO
Doug Crets, Hong Kong Standard
August 6, 2005

Hundreds of fishermen are planning to stage a "parade" on water to educate free-trade proponents about the harm being done to self-employed fishermen by the World Trade Organization, their organizer said Friday.

Fisherfolk Movement, a 500-strong group representing self-employed fishermen throughout Southeast Asia, will be joined by members of Focus on the Global South for what they call a "river parade" in Hong Kong during the WTO talks in December, Focus spokesperson Joseph Purugganan said.

It plans to peacefully protest against free-trade policies that will eliminate tariffs imposed by poorer nations to protect their local industries

But the alliance coordinating the efforts of non-governmental organizations has warned that the water protest may not happen.

"Originally, they were telling us that they wanted to sail their boats [into] Hong Kong," said Mabel Au, spokeswoman for the Hong Kong People's Alliance. "The plan changed, because the procedure is too complicated."

Au said there were some difficulties maneuvering around customs laws and the logistics of transporting that many people on small craft. "They haven't updated [us on] how they are going to carry out the parade in the harbor," she said.

The Marine Department confirmed the group had met to discuss plans and was awaiting its formal plans.

A spokesperson for the department said that, if the action were to go through, it would advise boaters "to give the parade a wide berth."

In late July, the police and the Security Bureau floated plans in the Legislative Council that would effectively close off most of Wan Chai during the talks, making it unlikely that any group would get close to what is expected to be a highly fortified Wan Chai convention center in December. Officials have expressed concern over "foreign" activists disrupting the talks and damaging public property.

"Most protesters coming to Hong Kong are not bent on destruction," Au said. "They are coming to educate and show solidarity against the WTO."

She said the alliance had helped organize applications for organizations wishing to organize gatherings at Victoria Park or Southorn Playground.

The Trade and Industry Department, which is managing the sixth ministerial conference (MC6), did not directly answer queries about reservations for Southorn Playground, but said it is formally reviewing applications for slots during the December talks.

TID spokesperson Connie Man replied in an e-mail: "The government will consider arrangements in the best interest of the organizers and the local community, as well as a smooth conduct of the MC6."

Au is unconcerned about the indecision over the arrangements. "Then we will have to sort out some other place, because [we know] we can already get Victoria Park," she said.