The Financial Secretary Henry Tang will visit Switzerland and France next week to promote Hong Kong. He will also attend promotional events for the Hong Kong film industry at the Cannes film festival.

Mr Tang will meet the two countries' local media representatives to brief them on Hong Kong's economic outlook and business opportunities available to international investors.

Mr Tang will arrive in Geneva, the first stop of his duty visit, on May 14. He will meet the World Trade Organisation Director-General Pascal Lamy.

He will also join a lunch organised by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (Geneva) with WTO ambassadors. He will reaffirm Hong Kong's continued commitment to improving multilateral trade rules and systems.

During his stay in Switzerland, Mr Tang will call on Federal Minister of Finance Hans-Rudolf Merz and meet Swiss banking community representatives.

He will brief them on the recent development and growth potential of Hong Kong's financial-services sector and discuss how the financial-services sectors in both places can work together to provide better services for each other's clients.

Mr Tang will leave Geneva on May 17 for Cannes.

Reception to toast HK film industry's success

He will visit Cannes Film Market on May 18 and attend a lunch with major international film-market directors, key representatives of international film associations and Hong Kong film companies.

He will also officiate at the inauguration ceremony of a photo exhibition and cocktail reception celebrating the 60th anniversary of Cannes film festival and the Hong Kong film industry's success.

Mr Tang will leave Cannes on May 19 and return to Hong Kong on May 20.