Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang will open the Hong Kong Festival in London on Thursday, according to a news release by the Information Services Department Tuesday.
Tsang will leave Hong Kong on the night of July 3 for a two-day duty visit to the UK capital.
The three-month Hong Kong Festival will be launched at a gala lunch in the presence of His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, who is the UK's Special Representative for International Investment and Trade.
The launch will be attended by a wide cross-section of political and business leaders, diplomats, personalities, academics and media.
Also on Thursday, Tsang is scheduled to meet the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg, and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw.
On Friday, Tsang will hold talks with the chairmen of UK Universities and the English Speaking Union and meet Head of the Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet (designate) Andrew Turnbull.
He will also attend a performance by students of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts who are taking part in the Hong Kong Festival.
(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2002)