Press Release - May 10, 2001
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO), in association with the Canadian Association of Journalists, is pleased to announce Dateline Hong Kong Fellowship 2001, a working fellowship for Canadian journalists.

The purpose of the fellowship is for journalists to acquaint themselves with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China. Two fellowships are to be awarded and will see the winners travelling to Hong Kong before the end of March 2002. The package offered includes a business class return air ticket between Canada and Hong Kong, six nights' hotel accommodation inclusive of taxes, service charges and breakfast and round trip airport transfer. Funding for the 2001 project will come from the HKSAR Government. In addition to visiting places of interest, winners will be able to meet people of diverse views and cultural background, such as Canadian business people, politicians and senior government officials.

To apply, each applicant must include a resume, a written proposal laying out what is to be achieved, and a written statement of support, including a letter of intent from the editor/producer to broadcast/publish stories/articles in the respective newspaper, magazine, radio or television station. The proposal can concentrate on any area of life in Hong Kong, including, but not limited to: business, trade, politics, infrastructure development, IT, tourism, housing, education, culture and environment.

Neither the HKSAR Government nor the Canadian Association of Journalists will have any control over or rights to the work of the participants in the fellowship. Applications must reach the Canadian Association of Journalists, St Patrick's Building, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 by Friday, August 10, 2001. Three judges appointed by the Canadian Association of Journalists will select the winners. The result will be announced in September 2001.

Liane Faulder of Edmonton Journal, winner of Dateline Hong Kong Fellowship 2000 wrote on her return: "While spending is the national pastime, visitors to Hong Kong can escape the consumer frenzy and enjoy a collection of rich travel experience for (relatively) small amounts of money �."

Writing in the National, March/April 2001 issue, which is published by the Canadian Bar Association, Bob Neufeld, also winner of 2000, said: "Despite its transfer from British to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997, Hong Kong has retained what the Heritage Foundation, an American economic think-tank, calls 'the freest economy in the world'.
Previous Hong Kong fellowship recipients include:

1999 � Catherine Pope, BCTV and Janis Cleugh, Tri-City News, Coquitlam, B.C.

1998 � Stephen Ewart, Energy Writer, Calgary Herald and Theresa Lalonde, CBC Radio in Windsor

1997 � Tony Wong, Toronto Star and Kwoi Gin, freelancer

For more details of the Dateline Hong Kong Fellowship 2001, please refer to the Notice Board on the HKETO website: www.hketo.ca or visit the Canadian Association of Journalists website at www.caj.ca.

For further information please contact Chief Information Officer, Jean Chan, at 416-924-5544, e-mail: [email protected] or John Dickins, Canadian Association of Journalists, (613) 526-8061.