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Following is the transcript of the answers (English portion) by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, and the Mayor of Taichung City, Mr Jason Hu, to a media question after a meeting and a briefing session organised by the HKSAR Government on the Individual Visit Scheme and other tourism-related issues for the Taiwan delegation:
Reporter: Can you tell us the city exchanges platform that you agreed this morning. Is it going to lead to visits to Taiwan by senior Hong Kong officials?
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: I’ll let the Mayor speak first, and then I’ll follow him.
Mayor of Taichung City: We are hoping that perhaps in the near future. I hope it would not take longer than three months. I will work on this project and bring a delegation here and start the whole thing. Then we will discuss what we would do next. After I bring a delegation here, I hope there will be a Hong Kong delegation to my city. There we can promote Hong Kong right on the spot. What we would do after then we will discuss.
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs: We look forward to that mutual exchange and co-operation. I would just like to say that we, the Hong Kong Government, warmly welcome the recent developments between Hong Kong and Taiwan in terms of co-operation and exchanges. We particularly welcome the visit of Mayor Jason Hu and his delegation.
Yesterday, the Financial Secretary received the delegation and had excellent exchanges and communication. Today, we organised this briefing for Mayor Hu and his delegates so that they will be able to take this opportunity to gain a deeper and broader understanding as to how we do tourism promotion on behalf of Hong Kong and to explore possibilities for co-operation.
Today, the Mayor and myself, we have jointly agreed that we will initiate a new initiative – Hong Kong-Taiwan intercity forum, and we will start with Taichung and Hong Kong. We will pick a convenient moment in the next few months to commence this dialogue starting in Hong Kong and I warmly welcome the Mayor’s invitation that we reciprocate later to visit Taichung.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, January 8, 2009
Delegation from Taiwan attends a briefing session on tourism-related issues (1)
The Deputy Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Howard Chan (right), greets the Mayor of Taichung City, Mr Jason Hu, on Mr Hu's arrival to attend a briefing session this morning (January 8) on the Individual Visit Scheme and other tourism-related issues organised for the delegation from Taiwan.
Delegation from Taiwan attends a briefing session on tourism-related issues (2)
The Deputy Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Howard Chan, addresses the Taiwan delegation at the briefing session on the Individual Visit Scheme and other tourism-related issues today (January 8).
Delegation from Taiwan attends a briefing session on tourism-related issues (3)
(From left) the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, exchanges views with the Mayor of Taichung City, Mr Jason Hu, at the tourism briefing session today (January 8). With them are the Magistrate of Taichung County, Mr Huang Chung-sheng (third from left) and the Magistrate of Changhua County, Mr Cho Po-yuan.
Delegation from Taiwan attends a briefing session on tourism-related issues (4)
The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, addresses the delegation from Taiwan at the tourism briefing session today (January 8).
SCMA meets with the Mayor of Taichung City (1)
The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam (left) exchanges views with the Mayor of Taichung City, Mr Jason Hu, on issues regarding co-operation between Hong Kong and Taiwan at a separate meeting after the tourism briefing session this morning (January 8).
SCMA meets with the Mayor of Taichung City (2)
The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam (left) presents a souvenir to the Mayor of Taichung City, Mr Jason Hu.
SCMA meets with the Mayor of Taichung City (3)
The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam (left) receives a souvenir from the Mayor of Taichung City, Mr Jason Hu.
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