Press Release - November 20, 2003
The Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Ms. Elsie Leung, today (Nov. 20) paid her first official visit to Vancouver, the Canadian city in the west coast with the largest Chinese population.

This was the last leg of her three-city visit in Canada. She visited Ottawa and Toronto in the last two days.

While in Vancouver, Ms. Leung called on Mayor Larry Campbell of the City of Vancouver and Mayor Malcolm Brodie of the City of Richmond to promote closer ties between Hong Kong and British Columbia.

She also attended a luncheon held in her honour by the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association (Vancouver), the Canadian Club and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office.

At the luncheon, Ms Leung said in parallel to the growth in China, Hong Kong had become one of the world�s leading financial and business services hubs, a place for international companies to venture into China, and a place for Mainland companies to raise funds and reach out to the world.

She added that as more foreign investment and imports poured into China, investors were increasingly turning to lawyers for legal advice in the negotiation and conclusion of China-related agreements.

Mainland companies venturing overseas were also making use of Hong Kong�s legal services, Ms Leung said.

�Hong Kong�s legal system also offers a reassuring setting for litigation, arbitration, mediation and other forms of dispute resolution,� she noted.

Ms. Leung later met Chinese business and community leaders at a reception.

The Secretary for Justice will continue her Vancouver visit tomorrow to meet the Attorney General of British Columbia, the Hon. Geoff Plant.

She will also meet local academics, lawyers and think-tank representatives at a roundtable session organized by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada before concluding her visit to Canada.


For more information, please contact:
John Tam, Chief Information Officer of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office at: (416) 924-5544 or email: [email protected], Elison Chu, Senior Information Officer, [email protected] or Catherine Yuen, Principal Consultant, Vancouver at (604) 331-1300 or email [email protected].