Hong Kong Circle
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington D.C. Newsletter (Text Only Version)
July 2008
Hong Kong Tops Enabling Trade Index
13th Annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival / Filmmaker Johnnie To Donates Awards to Film Archive
Hong Kong International Airport Ready for Olympic Visitors
Wal-Mart Chooses Hong Kong as Springboard to Asia
Autodesk Chooses Hong Kong to Set Up First Buzzsaw Production Data Center
Hong Kong and Shenzhen Collaborate with DuPont to Develop Solar Energy Technologies
Cotton Incorporated Opens Regional Office in Hong Kong
Bright Idea Makes Light More Efficient
Digital TV Coverage Extended to 75 Percent of Population in 18 Districts
Seventh Meeting of Guangdong-Hong Kong Expert Group on Protection of IPRs
Dear Friends,
Last month I had a brief reprieve from Washington's sweltering summer heat to welcome Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang to San Francisco.
The Chief Executive visited the City by the Bay to promote Hong Kong as a destination for business and leisure travel, as well as to launch a national campaign to publicize Hong Kong as co-host of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events.
At a welcoming reception for the Chief Executive, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Mr. Tsang's visit strengthened the bonds between Hong Kong and San Francisco.
Illustrating the historic ties between the two waterfront cities, Mayor Newsom declared June 13, 2008 "Hong Kong Day in San Francisco."
In promoting Hong Kong, Mr. Tsang officiated at "Hong Kong The Perfect Choice!", a public event co-organized by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in San Francisco and Hong Kong Tourism Board at the beautiful Ferry Building.
Thousands of locals and tourists attended the event, visiting various booths to learn more about trade opportunities, tourism and Hong Kong culture.
During the event, Mr. Tsang commented that Hong Kong had entrenched its position as an international convention and exhibition capital by playing host to more than 300 conventions and exhibitions, including the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Conference and ITU Telecom World.
Hong Kong's ability to host such events is due in large part to its world-class staging facilities, particularly the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo.
According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, of the 28 million plus visitors to Hong Kong in 2007 an increase of 11.6 percent over 2006 about 1.7 million were coming for meetings, conventions and exhibitions.
To enhance Hong Kong's appeal as a tourist destination, the government is moving ahead with plans for a new cruise terminal at the site of the old airport at Kai Tak, as well as a $700 million upgrade of the marine-based theme park, Ocean Park.
In addition to popular destinations such as Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong plans to diversify its portfolio of tourist attractions by promoting green tourism, with special emphasis on nature conservation and sustainable development.
While in San Francisco, the Chief Executive celebrated the launch of a national publicity campaign with NBC, the official broadcaster of the Beijing Olympic Games, to promote Hong Kong as the co-host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events this August.
The campaign includes the 30-minute television program, "Hong Kong Reins," and an online microsite showcasing video vignettes on Hong Kong and the city's preparations for co-hosting the Games.
The microsite, "Hong Kong Olympic and Paralymnpic Equestrian Events" is accessible via http://www.nbc4.com/hongkongnbcolympics/index.html
To mark the occasion of Hong Kong co-hosting the Olympic Equestrian Event, the Hong Kong government recently named a trail from Pak Mong Village to Mui Wo as Hong Kong Olympic Trail and a tree planting site near Pak Mong Village as Olympic Green.
The naming of the Hong Kong Olympic Trail and Olympic Green correspond with the theme of Green Olympics and aims to promote the idea of a green lifestyle.
The Hong Kong Olympic Trail is about 5.6 kilometers with its highest point at 227 meters. It passes through a number of villages settled for more than 200 years.
Hong Kong people are honored to co-host the Games and have diligently worked to ensure their success.
Community-wide efforts, including a $150 million investment in state-of-the-art equestrian facilities by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, have helped create a world-class environment that is "second to none", as noted by U.S. rider Bruce Davidson, Jr. Bruce was among a group of participants who joined a pre-Olympic trial run staged last August in Hong Kong.
The 2008 Olympic Games include a number of firsts for the equestrian events, including 24-hour air conditioned stables, an indoor air-conditioned training area, on-site equine drug testing facilities, mobile cooling stations for horses, and 100 percent recycling of Olympic stable waste.
Just in time for the Olympic Games, early next month Hong Kong will extend coverage of free digital terrestrial television (DDT) broadcasting to all 18 districts reaching 75 percent of the population. This will undoubtedly enhance viewers' audio-visual experience of the Games.
Locally, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, D.C. presents the 13th Annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art. The annual film festival offers a unique opportunity to showcase Hong Kong's cinematic achievements. The festival will run until August 24. I hope you will find the time to enjoy a movie at the Freer Gallery of Art.
Hong Kong Tops Enabling Trade Index
Hong Kong leads the world in terms of enabling trade, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum.
The inaugural issue of the Global Enabling Trade Report 2008 measures and analyzes factors enabling trade in 118 industrialized and emerging economies around the world. The report covers four areas: market access, border administration, transport and communications infrastructure, and business environment.
Financial Secretary John C. Tsang welcomed the report saying that it demonstrated positive recognition of Hong Kong's open, transparent and efficient trading infrastructure.
"Our market promotion efforts in emerging economies, efforts to facilitate the importation of skills and talents, and the government's announcement of the introduction of a competition law are all examples of our commitment to ensure ease of access to markets and a fair and level playing field for investors," Mr. Tsang said.
Citing the recently opened Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, Mr. Tsang said Hong Kong would continue to invest in cross-boundary infrastructure to ensure maximum efficiency in transport and communications infrastructure.
He said Hong Kong would also continue to enable trade through improving regulatory efficiency so as to reduce compliance costs.
"We will continue our policy of facilitating free trade while ensuring an appropriate degree of government regulation to provide a fair business environment for investors, and aiming to maintain Hong Kong as a global leader in enabling trade in goods and services."
According to the report, the findings illustrate Hong Kong's openness to international trade and investment. The report finds that Hong Kong has a highly efficient customs administration, well-developed transport and telecommunications infrastructures, and a business environment conducive to the logistics and transport industries.
World Economic Forum: http://www.weforum.org/en/index.htm
Financial Secretary's Office: http://www.fso.gov.hk/
13th Annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival / Filmmaker Johnnie To Donates Awards to Film Archive
The 13th Annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival is underway. The popular film festival is cosponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
The crop of films in this year's film festival exemplifies the diversification that the island's film industry continues to undergo. Once a relatively isolated industry readily associated with the action genres it specialized in, filmmaking in Hong Kong is now part of a broader East Asian conversation. No longer known simply for its action films, Hong Kong cinema as this festival shows is becoming refreshingly hard to pin down.
The Postmodern Life of My Aunt
Friday, August 1, 7 PM
Sunday, August 3, 2 PM
Like fellow luminaries John Woo and Tsui Hark, Ann Hui began her career as part of the wave of directors that re-energized Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s.
Her latest film, based on a popular novel by Yan Yan, mixes comedy and poignancy to tell the tale of a 60-something woman living alone in Shanghai and trying to cope with both financial woes and the impersonal city around her. When her young nephew comes for an extended visit, and concocts a scheme to get himself kidnapped, her world becomes even more complicated.
Chow Yun-fat adds to the film's charm in a turn as a smarmy con man, hilariously spoofing his famously suave screen persona. (2006, 111 min., Mandarin with English subtitles)
Shaolin Soccer
Friday, August 8, 7 PM
Sunday, August 10, 2 PM
Part Jackie Chan, part Jerry Lewis, and part Bugs Bunny, Stephen Chow is a one-man maelstrom of physical comedy. He both directs and stars in this special effects-filled farce, playing a down-on-his-luck goofball who just happens to be trained in the Shaolin school of martial arts, which gives him superhuman abilities when it comes to things like kicking soccer balls.
Together with his former classmates each of whom has their own special power he forms a soccer squad to take on "Team Evil" in a high stakes tournament. The film's "infectious style has a way of lifting spirits. You don't have to be a fan of soccer or kung fu to enjoy it." (Claudia Puig, USA Today). (2001, 87 min.)
As Tears Go By
Friday, August 15, 7 PM
Sunday, August 17, 2 PM
Wong Kar-wai, who gained an enthusiastic cult following with such films as Chungking Express, In The Mood for Love, and 2046, made his directing debut with this gangworld saga about a criminal whose protective instincts lead to tragic consequences.
Rife with the hallmarks of Wong's later style a lush, moody atmosphere, dazzling camerawork, and tender moments underscored by melancholy pop songs it established him as one of Hong Kong's most distinctive filmmakers. (1988, 102 min.)
Triangle
Friday, August 22, 7 PM
Sunday, August 24, 2 PM
Hong Kong legends Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Johnny To teamed up for this cinematic game based on Hark's idea for a collaborative film.
Although it tells a continuous story, each director contributed a section, using his own method and taking the plot in any direction he wanted. The result is both a primer in each of these masters' unique styles, and an enjoyable romp about a robbery gone wrong. "It is like tasting an exquisite dish with three different flavors." (Dosin Pak, Pusan International Film Festival.) (2007, 101 min.)
Venue
Meyer Auditorium, Freer Gallery of Art
Independence Avenue at 12th Street, SW
Metro: Smithsonian
FREE tickets are required for all films in the 300-seat Meyer Auditorium. Up to two tickets per person are distributed one hour before show time. For more information, please call (202) 357 2700. All films are in Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles unless otherwise indicated.
In conjunction with the Freer's Made in Hong Kong Film Festival, the AFI Silver Theatre will present a retrospective of the films of Johnny To. Visit www.afi.com/silver/new for details.
Filmmaker Johnnie To Donates Awards to Film Archive
Acclaimed film director and producer Johnnie To donated trophies and photos to the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) for permanent preservation.
Speaking at the "Johnnie To Donation Ceremony and Seminar", Assistant Director of the Leisure and Cultural Services (Heritage and Museums), Louis Ng Chi-wa, noted that films of different generations not only marked the history of film development, but also reflected societal changes which had become part of Hong Kong's cultural heritage.
From TV producer to film director, Johnnie To has made films in many different genres.
With Milkyway Image, he has nurtured new directorial and scriptwriting talent with a vision of sustaining film heritage.
Since its inception, the HKFA has received staunch support from individuals, the film industry and the public in preserving Hong Kong's cinematic achievements.
Hong Kong International Airport Ready for Olympic Visitors
Hong Kong Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Carrie Yau, recently toured the Hong Kong International Airport to inspect the hospitality and security arrangements for the upcoming Olympic Equestrian Events to be staged in Hong Kong.
Mrs. Yau, accompanied by officials of the Home Affairs Bureau and the Equestrian Company, visited the Integrated Airport Centre and Airport Emergency Centre, where she was briefed by the Hong Kong Airport Authority representative on the operation of the centers.
The party then toured the Apron Passenger Vehicle Lounge and was briefed by Immigration Department officials on immigration arrangements.
Mrs. Yau was briefed by representatives of the Equestrian Company on the services and facilities including quarantine and immigration and customs clearance for the import of horses. She also inspected the horse loading areas and learnt of the operations for receiving horses.
"With the close rapport developed between the airport community and the Equestrian Company reinforced by a series of drills over the past few months the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government could ensure that Olympic athletes and horses, IOC members, overseas spectators and visitors would arrive safely and comfortably," Mrs. Yau said.
2008 Olympic Equestrian and Paralympic Games: http://www.equestrian2008.org/eng/front.aspx
Wal-Mart Chooses Hong Kong as Springboard to Asia
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has opened a regional office in Hong Kong to further develop its customer base in the booming Asian market.
The regional operation is headed by Vicente Trius, Executive Vice President, President and CEO of Wal-Mart Asia.
After reviewing several cities in Asia, the retail giant decided that Hong Kong was the ideal location for its regional office. "Hong Kong is centrally located in the Asia region, and therefore makes a good staging point for continuing to develop our businesses in the hemisphere," said Mr. Trius.
The company informed Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) representatives of its decision during their visit to the company's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, in February of this year.
HKTDC Executive Director Fred Lam was pleased to be among the first to welcome Mr. Trius to Hong Kong at a luncheon organized by HKTDC in May.
Continuous expansion
Wal-Mart has seen strong growth in its international business, posting a 17.5 percent year-on-year increase in the fiscal year ending in January 2008.
The U.S. retailer has been operating in the Mainland of China since 1996, when it opened its first store in the southern city of Shenzhen.
It currently has 206 retail units, which includes a minority shareholding in the Trust-Mart chain.
Mr. Trius noted that emerging markets such as China and India, where organized retail was a fairly new phenomenon, presented potentially large business opportunities. He noted that the common thread around the world was to save people money a theme that resonates with customers no matter where Wal-Mart operates.
Mr. Trius said Wal-Mart continued to see other business opportunities across Asia. "Part of the success of our international business is using our global leverage to deploy best practices, share talent, technical expertise and other resources to our markets around the world.
"We draw from experience gathered from all our markets to find new ways to serve customers around the world."
Wal-Mart: http://www.walmart.com/
Autodesk Chooses Hong Kong to Set Up its First Buzzsaw Production Data Center in Asia Pacific
On July 22, Autodesk, a world leader in 2D and 3D design software, announced the launch of its new Autodesk Buzzsaw data center in Hong Kong.
The company spent three years conducting a thorough selection process and site-visits before deciding upon Hong Kong.
Autodesk Regional Director for Hong Kong and Taiwan, Margery Yeung, said the move would meet clients' growing demand for secure storage and multi-site access to their data.
Autodesk Buzzsaw enables customers to effectively manage vast infrastructure and building projects. As an example, Ms. Yeung noted that architectural firms are increasingly working on international projects and require access to documents from various locations around the world.
She commented that Autodesk's data center offers secure data storage and reduces data transfer times by over 50 percent.
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Simon Galpin, welcomed the establishment of Autodesk's data center in Hong Kong, saying that Hong Kong had an international pro-business environment, including a sound legal system, that protects data and intellectual property rights, and a stable political environment.
"Hong Kong also has world-class telecommunications, information technology and electric power infrastructure. And Hong Kong is the gateway to China, soon to be the worlds third largest economy," Mr. Galpin said."
Autodesk, Inc. is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment markets.
Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art digital prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.
Invest Hong Kong is the investment promotion arm of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government responsible for attracting and facilitating inward investment into the city by providing free services and support to help overseas and Mainland of China companies establish or expand their business presence in Hong Kong.
Invest Hong Kong: www.InvestHK.gov.hk
Autodesk: www.autodesk.com.hk
Hong Kong and Shenzhen Collaborate with DuPont to Develop Solar Energy Technologies
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the Shenzhen Municipal government have launched the first major technology cooperation project under the "Shenzhen Hong Kong Innovation Circle" to establish a Solar Energy Research and Industrial Platform in collaboration with DuPont.
The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation will take the lead in establishing a Solar Energy Research and Development Support Centre at the Hong Kong Science Park to assist the development of solar energy and related technologies in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region in the Mainland of China.
DuPont will join the center as the first anchor tenant by locating its Global Thin Film Photovoltaic Business/Research and Development Center in the Hong Kong Science Park. At the same time, the Shenzhen Municipal government will collaborate with Hong Kong to provide land and other facilities to support the downstream development and manufacturing of solar energy products.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Financial Secretary, John C Tsang, said: "The development of solar energy will help reduce the use of fossil fuels in the generation of electricity. This will help to reduce air pollution and the effects of global warming."
Mr. Tsang said the joint Solar Energy Research and Industrial Platform would improve the environment and promote the development of renewable energy.
Commenting on DuPont's decision to locate its operations in Hong Kong, Mr. Tsang said the move reinforced the city's position as a prime location for innovation and technology-based companies in the region.
Hong Kong Science and Technology Park: http://www.hkstp.org/
Cotton Incorporated Opens Regional Office in Hong Kong
The firm is the research and marketing company representing U.S. upland cotton - providing solutions to supply chain partners to influence the use of cotton. Its mission is to build the demand for, and profitability of, cotton worldwide.
The new regional office in Hong Kong will offer technical services for mills and manufacturers in the region. It will also provide information on cotton supply and demand, fiber quality and consumer research trends as well as product trend analysis services which include sourcing specialists and supplier information.
The office will employ 10 full time professional staff with knowledge of product development, supply chain manufacturing and sourcing in the cotton industry. In addition, it will host industry experts from the U.S. who will visit regularly to service clients' specific needs, such as trend forecasting, sourcing, textile innovations, better quality cotton, market research and consumer information.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Cotton Incorporated, J. Berrye Worsham, said: "We have been doing business in China for over 20 years. Last year, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our permanent office in Shanghai. We are committed to doing business in China and have several programs in place; both with the trade and in educating consumers on the benefits of cotton."
Mr. Worsham commented that the new office in Hong Kong offered a central location among key mills and manufacturers in the region.
Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Mike Rowse, welcomed the opening of the company's regional office saying that Hong Kong remained the preferred base in Asia for foreign companies to oversee their regional operations. "Every year since records began in 2002, the number of regional headquarters and regional offices in Hong Kong has grown," Mr. Rowse said.
At the end of 2007, Hong Kong was home to a record 1,246 regional headquarters and 2,644 regional offices.
Cotton Incorporated is funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products.
InvestHK is the investment promotion arm of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government responsible for attracting and facilitating inward investment into the city by providing free services and support to help overseas companies establish or expand a business presence.
Invest Hong Kong: www.InvestHK.gov.hk
Cotton Incorporated: www.cottoninc.com
Bright Idea Makes Light More Efficient
A Hong Kong team of researchers came away with the top prize at an international invention exhibition in Geneva for designing a more environmentally friendly street lighting system.
Researchers from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering of Hong Kong Polytechnic University came up with a high-power light-emitting diode, or LED street lighting system, which promises to be longer lasting, energy saving and cost-effective.
Team leader Professor Lee Wing-bun said the financial and environmental cost of lighting up major cities such as Hong Kong sparked the idea. "Imagine how much energy can be saved if you can come up with a way to make street lighting more efficient," Professor Lee said.
The design Professor Lee's team developed beat some 1,000 other inventions from more than 700 exhibitors at the International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products.
There is growing demand for LED lighting systems around the world thanks to its high energy efficiency. While the price of the LED street light is similar to conventional street lamps, LED lasts for up to 100,000 hours compared with traditional street lights, which need replacing after as little as 5,000 hours.
The team's design builds on LED's energy efficiency, employing an advanced freeform optical component to allow light to be distributed more efficiently and effectively.
The invention is a product of more than a decade of work at the Advanced Optics Manufacturing Centre, a mini laboratory tucked away at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University campus.
Over the years, researchers there have come up with new and more sophisticated optical lenses used in cameras, DVDs and mobile phones. Because of growing demand for LED, Professor Lee's team branched out into designing LED automobile headlamps and street lighting.
According to Professor Lee, the optical lenses in its LED street light design diffuse light more evenly and accurately without glare, which is considered a type of environmental pollution in a highly illuminated city like Hong Kong.
Only half the number of LED lamps is needed because of the more efficient distribution of light, resulting in a saving of 50 percent. The system requires only one-fourth the energy of traditional lighting systems.
The modular lamp holder is made up of five LED heat sink braces on which the high-power LEDs are placed. The five LED braces are installed on a main brace, which can be customized according to use. The design allows for better heat dissipation and lets the burned-out lamp be replaced without having to dismantle the entire holder.
Saving cities money
Several manufacturers and city authorities have already expressed interest in exploring possible uses for the high-powered lighting system. The university is now collaborating with a Chinese Mainland company to test a prototype lighting system for use on highways. It is estimated that for a city the size of Beijing, installing an LED street lighting system can save up to 190 million kilowatts daily on a 4,000-kilometre roadway that needs 300,000 street lights.
Factories, which operate around the clock, can also see enormous energy savings by converting to LED lighting. The system can also be used for decorative and indoor lighting as well as outdoor advertising systems.
"Our LED lighting system demonstrates how applying research can lead to practical applications that have huge energy and environmental implications," Professor Lee said.
He noted that while Germany and Japan are leaders in the field, the Hong Kong operation proved that even a small set-up can produce state-of-the-art technology. "Being small doesn't mean you cannot be cutting edge," he said.
Advanced Optics Manufacturing Centre: http://www.aomc.hk/
Digital TV Coverage Extended to 75 Percent of Population in 18 Districts
With six new transmitting stations coming into service, the coverage of free digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting will be extended to all 18 districts reaching 75 percent of the population this month, enabling more people to view the Beijing Olympic Games on digital TV.
DTT broadcasting was first launched by the two broadcasters at the end of last year through the main transmitting station at Temple Hill, reaching about 50 percent of the population and covering the northern part of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon peninsula, part of Shatin and the eastern part of the Lantau Island.
The launch of DTT has substantially widened the program choice for the TV audience. Apart from watching the programs of the four existing TV channels of the two free-to-air TV broadcasters, Asia Television Ltd. and Television Broadcasts Ltd., in digital format, viewers can now select programs from nine new free DTT program channels in the format of standard definition television (SDTV) or high definition television (HDTV). The broadcasters will also launch Olympic channels during the Games period for viewers to closely follow the event.
The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has recently enhanced its online database to include new areas covered by DTT signals as well as information on whether the communal aerial broadcast distribution (CABD) system of a particular building has been upgraded.
The Acting Director-General of Telecommunications, Ha Yung-kuen, said that according to responses from building managers and incorporated owners of 10,000 buildings covered in a recent survey, about 63 percent have upgraded or plan to upgrade their CABD system to receive DTT signal by early August.
For more information, please visit the Hong Kong government's dedicated digital TV Web site at www.digitaltv.gov.hk
Seventh Meeting of Guangdong-Hong Kong Expert Group on Protection of IPRs
The Guangdong-Hong Kong Expert Group on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) has agreed to step up cooperation to raise intellectual property (IP) awareness among the public and enterprises.
During the seventh meeting of the Expert Group on July 18, the two sides reviewed the latest IP developments in both Hong Kong and Guangdong Province and concluded that many IP cooperation items had been successfully completed.
These included an IP seminar in Shantou, joint production of an Announcement in the Public Interest on "No Fakes Pledge" Scheme, "Intellectual Capital Management" seminars, a roundtable discussion for IP Agents in Guangdong and Hong Kong and Guangdong/Hong Kong IP Cooperation columns on the official Web sites of both sides.
The two sides also organized an exchange program for universities and science and technological institutes.
Law enforcement authorities in both places have been working closely to strengthen the coordination mechanism for cross-boundary IP-related cases.
The group also discussed projects for the second half of the year, including enhancing exploitation and management of IP by enterprises and an exchange program on the flow of business for IP professionals.
Speaking at the meeting, Hong Kong Director of Intellectual Property, Stephen Selby, said that raising public awareness about protecting IP was one of the important goals of cooperation between the two sides.
The IP authorities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao jointly established the "Intellectual Property Database for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao" in late 2003. The database enables the public to obtain the latest information on IP in the three regions.
The one-stop database is a resourceful tool for the international business community. For this reason, the IP authorities in the three regions plan to produce an IP booklet to enable the public and enterprises to obtain IP information in the three regions with a view to attracting further investment.
Mr. Selby thanked the IP professionals in both places for their support for the cooperation activities in Guangdong and Hong Kong. He said IP professionals had played an important role in IP protection. Both sides plan to organize exchange activities on the flow of business for IP intermediaries of the two places to enhance the standards of IP professional services of the two places.
The Expert Group, set up after the Sixth Plenary of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Co-operation Joint Conference in August 2003, is aimed at enhancing exchanges and cooperation on various aspects of IP, including promotion and education, training, enforcement and information dissemination.
The Hong Kong delegation is headed by Mr. Selby, and comprises officials from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Customs and Excise Department.
The Guangdong delegation is led by the Director of Guangdong Provincial Intellectual Property Office, Tao Kaiyuan, and comprises officials from the Public Security Bureau, the Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Department, the Administration for Industry and Commerce, the Copyright Bureau, the Guangdong Customs and Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Guangdong Province.
A summary of the cooperation items is posted on the Web site of the Intellectual Property Department at www.ipd.gov.hk
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