Financial Secretary Henry Tang will visit Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai from November 28 to December 3 to woo businesses and attend the 2005 Shanghai-Hong Kong Metropolitan Development Seminar.

Mr Tang will open the ninth Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Co-operation Symposium on November 28 and explore business opportunities available to enterprises of the two cities through direct investment and business co-operation. He will also meet with the mayor and leaders of the Beijing Municipal Government.

Mr Tang will fly to Wuhan on November 30. He will lead the Hong Kong delegation to attend Hubei-Hong Kong Week activities to promote economic co-operation and exchanges under the Mainland-Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. 

Other members of the delegation will be Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Frederick Ma, Beijing Office Acting Director Patrick Nip, and Director-General of Investment Promotion Mike Rowse. More than 200 Hong Kong representatives from commerce, industry, financial services, legal services, tourism and other professional services sectors will partake in the activities.

Mr Tang will also meet with leaders of the Hubei Provincial People's Government, attend a welcome dinner held by the Provincial Government. In the next day, he will speak at the opening of the Hubei-Hong Kong Week and deliver a keynote speech at the Hong Kong Dinner organised by the Beijing Office.

On December 2, Mr Tang will leave for Shanghai where he will attend the 2005 Shanghai-Hong Kong Metropolitan Development Seminar scheduled for December 3. Mr Tang will also call on the mayor and meet with other leaders of the Shanghai Municipal Government.