********************************************************
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) greeted the Year of the Horse by hosting a Chinese New Year reception in London yesterday (February 6, London time) and participating in the large-scale London Chinatown Chinese New Year celebration in Trafalgar Square, Chinatown and Shaftesbury Avenue on February 2, London time.
The Director-General of the London ETO, Ms Erica Ng, welcomed several hundreds of friends of Hong Kong at London Whitehall Banqueting House during the Chinese New Year reception on February 6.
Amongst the guests at the reception were mayors from various London Boroughs, UK parliamentarians, UK government officials, senior diplomats, leading figures in the business world and media representatives. Ms Ng briefed them on Hong Kong's achievements over the past year, and spoke of the ever-strengthening relations between Hong Kong and the UK.
Ms Ng updated the guests on the latest infrastructure projects in Hong Kong, including the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, West Kowloon Cultural District, as well as the proposals to develop two new core business districts in Kowloon East and East Lantau. She told the audience that Hong Kong would commence formal negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. She also explained how Hong Kong is building on its position as China's global financial centre to assist in promoting the internationalisation of Mainland China's currency, the Renminbi. All these would create business opportunities for the UK, Ms Ng said.
The reception also featured a performance by the Hong Kong fusion band SIU2, a lion dance and traditional Chinese music.
On February 2, the London ETO took part in the annual London Chinatown Chinese New Year celebration, which was attended by about half a million people. With the support of the London ETO, SIU2 performed a fusion of Chinese and Western music on the main Chinese New Year celebration stage in Trafalgar Square. Another stage called "Hong Kong in London Chinatown" was created on Shaftesbury Avenue. Ms Ng greeted the audience from the stage and conveyed to them her best wishes for the Chinese New Year.
Following the above events, the London ETO will co-host business seminars and receptions together with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and local business associations in Moscow and St Petersburg (Russia), Birmingham (UK) and Copenhagen (Denmark) later in February and March.
Ends/Saturday, February 8, 2014
Issued at HKT 06:56
NNNN
