Norman Hung Chen Ming from Taiwan is glad to spend the summer visiting some Chinese mainland cities and exchanging views with other 246 university students of Chinese origin from 17 countries and regions.

Hung from Taiwan's Tsing Hua University is a member of the fourth China Synergy Program for Outstanding Youth (CSP), a "root finding" tour to the Chinese mainland which kicked off Tuesday at the Government House.

The 17-day itinerary starting Wednesday has been designed to enable the students to gain some first hand knowledge of the latest social, economic, technological and cultural developments of Chinese mainland, said Alice K.Y. Lam, delegation leader of the fourth CSP.

"We hope that with a better understanding of the heritage and traditions of their motherland, the students will ultimately play a significant role in bridging Western and Chinese cultures together and contribute to the future development of China," she added at the Commissioning Ceremony of the fourth CSP officiated by Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tung Chee Hwa, who also acts as patron of the program.

With a mission to provide Chinese university students from around the world an opportunity to "learn more about China and Chinese culture," the program starts in Hong Kong before proceeding to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi'an.

Chan Shu Hei from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is excited about going to the Chinese capital Beijing. He noted that his schoolmates who took part in the previous synergy activity were amazed at the rapid economic development of the Chinese mainland, as well as the high English and professional standards of the mainland university students.

The CSP was initiated in 1999 by some community leaders in Hong Kong with a partial funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, having attracted more than 500 outstanding university students of Chinese origin from around the world during the past three years.

Lam pointed out that the 247 distinguished students had been carefully selected from some of the world's leading universities including Harvard, Stanford and Princeton from the United States, Oxford and Cambridge from the United Kingdom.

Endorsing the CSP, John Chan, steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, wished the students to "explore the many riches China has to offer" during the "journey of discovery."

Luo Haocai, vice chairman of the People's Political Consultative Committee of the People's Republic of China, was among those present at the ceremony.

( July 10, 2002)