People in Canada can now easily "click" to many important Hong Kong links with the launching today (Monday) of an exciting new web site (www.hketo.ca) by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) in Toronto, the official representative of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

"The web site is launched because we are fully aware of the Internet's capability in disseminating information, and we are keen to offer the Canadian communities an additional and convenient means to access and acquire information on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the HKETO around the clock," said Mr Donald Tong, Director of the HKETO.

The HKETO web site displays the services, work and organization of the Toronto Office, as well as carrying major speeches and press releases issued by the Office. In addition, the HKETO site is hooked up with the Government Information Centre of the HKSAR Government which houses home pages of all HKSAR policy bureaux and government departments, including the Trade & Industry Bureau, Trade Department and Industry Department which provides official and authoritative information on doing business in Hong Kong. The Government Information Centre home page, administered by the Information Services Department, has become so popular that it recorded a total of 1.5 million visitors in the two-year period ending December 1997.

For people interested in reaching out to other sources of information on doing business with Hong Kong, the HKETO web site links with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Canada Business Association, and trade bodies and business associations in Hong Kong. In addition, the HKETO web site provides information on government tenders, and shows people the opportunities in participating in the territory's huge C$43 billion infrastructural projects if you surf to the linked sites of the Hong Kong Airport Authority, Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, Mass Transit Railway Corporation and the HKSAR Government's Works Bureau.

The HKETO web site lists out events being organized by HKETO and highlights major events happening in Hong Kong, such as the forthcoming Legislative Council election this May and the opening of the new airport this July. Through the HKETO web, the legal profession has access to the statutory laws of Hong Kong and a selection of constitutional documents. The Laws of Hong Kong are available in both English and Chinese, without charge. Hong Kong's mini constitution, the Basic Law, is also there. The web site also leads you to background information on Hong Kong, including a series of fact sheets and statistics.

For those who want to pursue their career in Hong Kong, they can look up civil service vacancies on the HKETO web. Want to explore Hong Kong? The web shows you a seven-minute Government video "This is Hong Kong", takes you to the Hong Kong Tourist Association's home page, and gives you a list of web sites around the world about Hong Kong.

The HKETO web also provides access to Hong Kong's telephone directories and yellow pages, as well as the Hong Kong World Wide Web Database. Just click on the site to look up a Hong Kong company's or a business contact's phone number, or to search for a Hong Kong home page.

"Sit back and happy surfing to Hong Kong," said Mr Tong.