08/06/15 HKSAR

Hong Kong SAR Government

IS Department, Press Release (English)

CS speaks at Le French May Gala Dinner (English only)

Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at the gala dinner of Le French May 2008 at Hong Kong Museum of Art this evening (June 15):

Consul-General, Patrick (Ma, Chairman of Board of Directors of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals), Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Bonsoir. Je suis ravi de me joindre vous ce soir pour fter le grand succs d'un nouveau French May. [English translation : Good evening. I am delighted to join you tonight to celebrate another hugely successful Le French May.] ...
We are making good progress on plans to establish a world-class cultural hub in West Kowloon. This site will be home to the new M+ Museum, galleries and a variety of performing arts that will appeal to people throughout China, Asia and the rest of the world.
For this ambitious project to be successful, we need to foster our local talent and promote arts education and training programmes for the management of facilities. We are also strengthening links with the international arts community.
On the subject of international friendship, I am pleased to see relations between Hong Kong and France continuing to flourish.
As you may know, I had the pleasure of visiting Paris last month. It is a place I have been to many times and I never tire of the vibrant arts and cultural scene offered by this great capital.
The visit turned out to be most fruitful. Our determination to build a cultural hub in Asia met with very positive response from French political, cultural and business leaders. On a more specific note, we reached agreement with the LVMH Group to bring selected art masterpieces from the collection of the Louis-Vuitton Art Foundation to Hong Kong next year.
This will be the first time the Foundation's collection goes international. Hopefully during Le French May 2009, at this very same venue, we'll be celebrating the premiere overseas exhibition of the masterpieces.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we can learn a great deal from France as we work to develop the arts as well as cultural heritage, innovation and creativity in Hong Kong.
... Apart from the bubbling Moet Hennessy champagne which will kick off the dinner, it is appropriate that tonight we have, if we choose, a glass of wine from Cheval Blanc or dˇYquem to accompany dinner.
Whatever your taste, I am confident we will see more of these, and other fine French vintages in Hong Kong now that we are a duty-free wine city.
While we are enjoying our good food and wine, we must not forget the people whose homes and lives were shattered in the recent Sichuan earthquake. There is no better example to illustrate the French-Chinese friendship than turning tonight's celebration into a charitable dinner for the victims in the earthquake. I look forward to fierce bidding tonight. Your benevolence would help light up hope for the people in Sichuan.
But tonight belongs to the hard working organisers of Le French May and to the talented performers and dedicated individuals behind the scenes who have helped to make this year's festival such a resounding success. ... Thank you.
Ends/Sunday, June 15, 2008 Issued at HKT 19:38

08/05/15 Sing Tao Daily

A17 港聞
加強雙邊合作推動貿易旅遊法支持港成紅酒中心

政務司司長唐英年今日結束歐洲訪問之行，近日他在巴黎與多名政府部長及商界人士會面，特別提到特區政府正銳意把香港發展成亞洲葡萄酒分銷中心，而法國政府亦同意日後雙方制定更多雙邊合作協議，包括推動香港的葡萄酒貿易和旅遊，及讓更多人才來港提升試酒技巧。
唐英年訪問歐洲之行最後一站是到訪法國巴黎，他在四天內與多位法國政治、文化及商界領袖會面，包括經濟、工業與就業部部長克里斯蒂娜‧拉嘎爾德、農業與漁業部部長米歇爾‧巴爾尼埃，及外貿事務國務秘書安娜—瑪麗‧伊特拉克，向他們介紹香港最新發展情況，並特別提及特區政府銳意將香港發展成為亞洲葡萄酒分銷中心所帶來的商機。
讓人才來港教試酒技巧
他指出，多位部長均希望加強與香港的經濟聯繫，並歡迎香港最近寬免酒稅的措施，亦非常支持以香港作為進入亞洲酒類市場的平台。
他說：「我很高興法國政府同意我的建議，通過雙邊安排，與我們分享他們推動葡萄酒貿易和旅遊方面的經驗，以及提供試酒技巧培訓。」雙方亦希望法國葡萄酒業日後參與更多香港舉行的酒品展覽。
另外，唐英年亦與文化及交流部部長克麗絲蒂娜‧阿爾巴納爾會面，簡介香港建設文化藝術都會的願景及西九文化區的項目，二人均認同雙邊文化交流有巨大的發展空間；唐英年到訪的吉美博物館及龐比度中心，亦表示對西九文化區的「M+」合作交流有興趣。

「路易威登」明年港展收藏品
除推動紅酒及文化交流外，唐英年亦與國際著名品牌LV母公司「軒尼詩—路易‧威登集團」主席貝爾納‧阿爾諾會面，商討雙方合作，路易‧威登文化基金與康樂及文化事務署簽署合作意向書。
明年於香港藝術博物館展出基金收藏的藝術品，是基金收藏品首度於海外展出。

唐英年將於今天返抵香港。

08/05/14 HKSAR

CS ends fruitful visit to France

IS Department, Hong Kong SAR Government
(English) Press Release

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, has received a warm response from French political, cultural and business leaders on Hong Kong's drive to become the cultural and wine distribution hub in Asia and its determination to make the Olympics Equestrian Events this August a success.

During his visit to Paris from May 11 to 14, Mr Tang held constructive meetings with Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment, Mrs Christine Lagarde; Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Michel Barnier; and Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Mrs Anne-Marie Idrac. ...

During his meeting with Minister for Culture and Communication, Ms Christine Albanel, Mr Tang briefed her on Hong Kong's vision to build an art and culture metropolis and on the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) project. Both sides agreed that there would be ample opportunities to further promote bilateral cultural exchanges.
Mr Tang visited Musee Guimet and Centre Pompidou, which are renowned for their respective collections of Asian and contemporary art. Both museums expressed interest in stepping up co-operation and exchanges with Hong Kong museums, in particular with the future M+ in WKCD.

Mr Tang also met the LVMH Group Chairman, Mr Bernard Arnault, and witnessed the signing of a letter of intent between the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Louis-Vuitton Art Foundation to organise an exhibition of selected art works from the foundation's collection at the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 2009.

"The exhibition will feature a selection of masterpieces by modern and contemporary masters from the collection of the LV Art Foundation. This is the first time the foundation's collection will go international. We are extremely pleased by the foundation's vote of confidence in Hong Kong. We look forward to working closely with the foundation to launch a most successful exhibition in Hong Kong that makes an impact internationally," Mr Tang said.

... Mr Tang will return Hong Kong tomorrow (May 15).