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 Laykin.Com is pleased to welcome the Hong Kong delegation of the Honorable Mrs. Anson Chan to the City of Angels. Mrs. Chan, the Chief Secretary of the SAR ( Special Administrative Region ) of Hong Kong is the second highest ranking official of the Hong Kong Government and the first woman to hold that post as well as the highest ranking woman in Hong Kong Government History. She was presented today at the Los Angeles Regal Biltmore Hotel by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as the first stop on a United States goodwill tour. As the site of numerous awards ceremonies of the Academy or Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) this venerable hotel was selected by conference organizers, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Los Angeles based World Affairs Council and the Asia Society because of its close proximity to the business center of Los Angeles. With a record turn out for a Hong Kong public relations affair in the United States the official reaction of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council was one of triumph. Mrs. Chans remarks which ran the gamut of economic, political and government affairs were up beat and matter of fact. Her eloquence was not lost on the half Asian American half Anglo audience, the response was one of interest. From the issue of the Chicken Flu to the pending opening of the New Hong Kong Airport, Mrs. Chan delivered a message which was full of promise for the stability of Hong Kong; siting it's transparent government and civil service, low tax rate, educated work force and independent judiciary as the strengths which will ensure stability in these rocky East Asian times. Special mention was made of the importance of the Hong Kong - Los Angeles relationship now on this 150th anniversary of the 1848/49 California Gold Rush. It was noted by Mrs. Chan that the United States makes up for 51 Billion Dollars in Trade annually making the US the second largest trading partner of the Hong Kong SAR and that Los Angeles is the preferred and most logical entry point for goods destined for this country. Introducing Mrs. Chan to a packed house was John Hotchkis, Board Director, Los Angeles World Affairs Council, and President of Hotchkis and Wiley, a division of Merrill Lynch Capital Management Group. 
Additional Attendees and speakers of round table discussions included: Mr. Andrew Sheng, Deputy Chief Executive, Hong Kong Monetary Authority Mr. Lee Hn Chiu, Chairman, The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Ltd. Mrs. Laura Cha, Deputy Chairman and Executive Director, Securities and Futures Commission of Hong kong Mr. John Strickland, Chairman, Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. Mr. Richard Margolis, First Vice President, Merrill Lynch ( Asia Pacific ) Mr. Robert McKnew, Executive Vice President, Bank of America Mr. Dave Zuercher, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wells Fargo HSBC Trade Bank N.A Mr. Garrett F. Bouton, CEO, South East Asia and Australia, Barclays Global Investors   |
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