| Services promotion. The Hong Kong Coalition
of Service Industries is the Chamber's service policy think tank.
As a champion of services promotion, the HKCSI makes regular contributions
to the Financial Secretary on policies to promote the service industries.
A major event was the "Servicing Economy Penta Forum" in
January, attended by more than 100 leaders of the Hong Kong community
from the academia, government, business, community and legislators,
and media. The forum was an occasion to brainstorm ideas on policies
in logistics, social and community services, healthcare, and promotion
of services to the Mainland.
WTO services liberalisation.
The HKCSI continued to represent the Hong Kong private sector's
views on liberalisation of trade in services under the Doha Development
Agenda, through regular dialogue and consultation with the government,
WTO, and CSI counterparts in Australia, Europe and the US. The following
were noteworthy:
- A position paper on the GATS negotiations on movement of personnel
was submitted in January.
- HKCSI supported the Global Dimensions Lecture at the Hong Kong
University by then WTO Director General Designate Dr Supachai
Panitchpakdi in May.
- We provided input into the WTO's Trade Policy Review of
Hong Kong.
Mainland China. The HKCSI's
China programme was expanded considerably in 2002. In July a 12-member
delegation led by HKCSI Chairman Stanley Ko was received by Vice
Minister Wang Yang of the State Development Planning Commission.
The delegation also called on the State Economic and Trade Commission,
the Ministry of Information Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Trade
and Economic Relations, and the Development Research Centre of the
State Council. Besides the annual mission, other activities included:
- The HKCSI, with an 11-member delegation, hosted a Service Industries
Forum in May as part of the "Shangdong-Hong Kong Week"
presented by the HKSAR Government and the Shandong government
in Jinan.
- The HKCSI was a supporting organisation of the "Modern
Service Sector" Exhibition organised by the Shanghai Association
of International Services Trade in September.
- The HKCSI was also represented in a seminar organised by Moftec
in September on "Opening up of the Service Industry to Foreign
Investors" in Xiamen.
Pearl River Delta. In support
of the Chamber's PRD programme, an HKCSI study group on HK/PRD
integration was established. After a series of focus group meetings,
a survey and a visit to Guangzhou, the study group compiled a "blueprint"
on HK/PRD integration. The report became a significant source of
policy thinking on HK/PRD integration for the Chamber as well as
the government.
Committees and activities.
The Chamber co-organised a number of service-sector activities,
such as conference on mobile multimedia applications, and service
management courses. A well-attended seminar on "The Housing
Market - What Lies Ahead" was held in December. Through
the HKCSI Committees a variety of subjects were deliberated, for
example:
- Financial Services Committee: progress of Growth Enterprise
Market;
- Information Services Committee: "e-government", third
generation mobile telecom services;
- Real Estate Services Committee: Hong Kong residents purchasing
properties in the Mainland, role of Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation;
- Professional Services Committee: promotion of professional services.
- Travel/Tourism Committee: Hong Kong's tourism strategy,
heritage tourism
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