Speech by Rosanna Ure,
Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office
at the Reception to Send Off the Calgary Stampede and Launch the Brand Hong Kong

The Honourable Ralph Klein, Mayor Broconnier, distiguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for joining us this evening to send off the Calgary Stampede to Hong Kong and to launch the new brand of Hong Kong in Calgary.

When the Calgary Stampede joined the Chinese New Year parade in Hong Kong last year, it was an instant success. To many Hong Kong people, it was the first time they had a face-to-face encounter with the colorful performance and the friendliness of Calgarians. The combination of Native performances and Western cowboys is both new and familiar to Hong Kong people. It is new because this fusion of the two performing arts has never been seen in Hong Kong before. Yet it is also familiar because Hong Kong is also the product of a fusion of two cultures.

Hong Kong's transformation from a small fishing village to a world-class city is legendary. The city is a unique creation of history. Though the majority of the population is ethnically Chinese, we have also assimilated western culture and values and through this process, we have developed our own identity and personality. Hong Kong is the place where dreams can come true, where ambitions are fulfilled, and where miracles happen. The "Living in Hong Kong �V Past and Present" photo exhibition to be staged here in the coming week provides a snapshot of the progress Hong Kong has made in the past half a century. With the change of sovereignty in 1997 and the city��s reunification with the Mainland of China, Hong Kong is once again on the world stage as we carry on our success story under the 'One Country Two Systems' principle. But to our overseas audience, what can best symbolise Hong Kong? How can we let our friends in Canada and elsewhere know what Hong Kong stands for?

According to an international survey, the most frequently used terms by tourists and international business leaders to describe Hong Kong are - "innovative, up-to-date, dynamic, intelligent, glamorous, progressive, energetic, trendy, prestigious, unique and high performance". To capture all these qualities, we have developed the "Brand Hong Kong" - a new competitive identity and logo for Hong Kong as Asia's world city. As you can see from the backdrop of the stage, the energetic dragon, which incorporates both the Chinese characters for Hong Kong and the letters "H" and '��K", is a very modern interpretation of a traditional icon. This dual expression symbolizes a blend of East and West that characterizes Hong Kong. Another striking element �V the multi-colored dragon's tail �V depicts Hong Kong��s dynamism.

What we are promoting is not just a visual identity of Hong Kong. The special presentation of "Brand Hong Kong" is part and parcel of our continuing global strategy to focus the world's attention on the many facets of Hong Kong. The new visual identity reflects Hong Kong��s image as one of the world's most cosmopolitan and vibrant cities, epitomizes its rich culture and unique heritage and challenges you to explore Hong Kong as a visitor, an investor and an admirer.

For business, the energy of the dragon means Hong Kong is the place where things happen, where business gets done. Indeed more than 3200 multinational corporations chose Hong Kong as the base for their regional headquarters and offices last year.

With China's entry into the World Trade Organisation, Hong Kong is ready to leverage its proximity to and its ties and contacts with the Mainland to assist international investors to tap the enormous opportunities that will emerge in China over the next few decades.

According to Chinese legends, the dragon flies in the sky and swims in the ocean. In the modern day context, the numerous aeroplanes taking off and landing at our state-of-the-art airport and fleets of vessels sailing in and out of the world��s busiest container terminal reflect the vigorous energy emitted by this mythical sacred animal. But the pulsating beat of the city is best illustrated by the comprehensive fibre-optic network which links every corner of the world to Hong Kong. High connectivity, excellent telecommunications infrastructure and projects such as the Cyberport and Science Park help to establish and nurture a world-class technology community dedicated to applied research and development.

To many visitors, Hong Kong is the city which marvels and fascinates. Its gleaming highrises, endless traffic and crowds of pedestrians contrast with the traditional temples and old rural villages. No wonder Hong Kong is the most popular single city tourist destination in Asia. Over 13 million visitors went to Hong Kong in 2000, of whom 250,000 were Canadians. Despite the economic downturn and security concerns arising from the September terrorist attacks, the number of tourists visiting Hong Kong has increased by 5.1% in 2001 when compared to the previous year. To our visitors, Hong Kong represents a unique mix of East and West, blending Chinese heritage, British colonial influences, hi-tech modernity and Cantonese gusto. Those who joined the Stampede to visit Hong Kong last year have brought back a lot of pleasant memories. We look forward to welcoming more Canadian visitors this year.

Chinese New Year will start on February 12 this year and it is the Year of the Horse. For the Stampede whose performance is so closely related to horses, this is an especially auspicious year. I hope you all enjoy your stay in Hong Kong. May I now invite Premier Klein who is going to lead the Stampede again to Hong Kong to say a few words.