 A
Hong Kong innovation is changing the way consumers manage
everyday transactions around the world. The Octopus smartcard
was introduced in Hong Kong in 1997, offering users the ability
to pay for public transportation by simply waving their card
over a reader.
Almost a dozen years later, its applications have now expanded
to cover fast food, parking, and many other retail transactions.
It is also used by residential estates and commercial offices as
an access card, as well as by schools and students to register
attendance, as school library cards and to sign up for school
activities.
 There
are expanded opportunities for Canadian businesses in the wine,
environmental technology, IT and innovation sectors.
In her speech, entitled "Global Financial Crisis: Hong Kong's
Game Plan and Canadian Opportunities" at a seminar last November
organized by the Vancouver Board of Trade and co-presented by
the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association and the Hong Kong
Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in Canada, the Secretary for
Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs. Rita Lau, made the point
that although the current challenges are significant, Hong Kong
people have a proven track record of "turning crisis into
opportunity."
 Four
Canadian television celebrities stepped up to the challenge of
Chinese cooking in a gala event, "Celebrity Challenge - The
Great Hong Kong Culinary Cook Off", last November.
About 200 VIP guests shared the fun as Global TV program host
Roz Weston, CTV E-talk host Zain Meghji, and Home and Garden TV
hosts Justin Ryan and Colin McAllister tried to show that "Man
Can Cook", under the guidance of visiting Hong Kong chef Chow
Chung.
The "Cook Off" was presented by the HKETO in Canada,
co-organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the
Metropolitan Hotel in Toronto, and served as a prelude to the
year's James Beard Foundation's annual culinary gala, which
carried the theme "Dumplings & Dynasties: The Evolution of
Modern Chinese Cuisine".
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Hong Kong Movie Opens