June 26, 2003 - Four prominent experts in Chinese culture will share their views on the key issues, problems and challenges facing Asian countries in a globalised world at an upcoming forum to mark the 80th anniversary of Lianhe Zaobao this year.

The forum on "A Tale of Four Cities" will be held at the Mandarin Singapore on July 20.

The four speakers are Mr Liu Thai Ker, Chairman of National Arts Council in Singapore, Professor Zhu Xueqin from the Shanghai University, Mr Tao Jie, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and well-known Taiwanese writer Ms Lung Ying-Tai.

They will touch on a spectrum of issues ranging from urban planning, cultural evolution and the development trends in their own respective cities, and how these cities position themselves to respond to the challenges of globalisation.

The forum is chaired by Professor Eddie Kuo of the School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University.

Editor of Lianhe Zaobao Lim Jim Koon said: "The forum is a rare gathering of four prominent figures who have indepth knowledge in their respective areas. It will be a good chance for those interested in East Asian developments to update themselves on current trends in the four cities.''

The one-day forum is open to the public. Admission is by ticket at $25. Those who are interested can contact

Ms Cindy Hoo at 6319 1589 or email her at hoocfc@sph.com.sg)
or
Mr Zhou Zhao Cheng at 6319 1946 (e-mail: zhouzc@sph.com.sg)

For more information, please contact:
Peter Ong
Editor, Special Projects
Lianhe Zaobao
Tel: 6319 2457

About the speakers:

Mr Liu Thai Ker
Mr Liu is a director with RSP Architects Planners & Engineers. The 65-year old architect has more than 20 years of experience in public housing. He has served as a planning advisor for many Chinese cities include Beijing, Yantai, Ningbo and even Taiwan's I-Lan county. He also chaired the panel of judges in the Beijing Olympics Village Design competition in 2002. His avid interest and extensive knowledge in the arts has made him the chairman of the National Arts Council in Singapore since 1996.
Mr Liu's speech at the forum is entitled "Cultural issues of urban planning and development in Singapore" .

Professor Zhu Xueqin
Prof Zhu is a well known intellectual in China and he has been teaching a wide range of courses at the Shanghai University since 1991. He lectures on courses including Chinese culture and political thoughts, and the comparative study of Chinese and Western political cultures. The Shanghai-born professor is also a prolific writer and has many books to his credit. He has twice been appointed visiting fellow at Harvard University and has also been invited to lecture at Princeton University and Yale University.

Mr Zhu will deliver a speech entitled "China's tale of two cities - Beijing and Shanghai".

Mr Tao Jie
Educated in Hongkong and Britain, Mr Tao has worked at the British Broadcasting Corporation. He has stayed in Britain for 16 years. After returning to Hongkong, he took up the post of deputy editor of Ming Pao Daily News, a major Chinese daily. Now a full-time columnist for a number of HongKong papers, he has earned many fans in the global Chinese community who are impressed by his knowledge and incisive writing style. Mr Tao, who has penned more than 10 books, has received many awards for his works.

Mr Tao's speech at the forum is entitled "A Hongkong's perspective - Dilemma of a civic-conscious Asian and his place in the society".

Ms Lung Ying-Tai
Educated in Taiwan and US, Ms Lung is a writer famous for her commentaries and novels published in Taiwan. Her collection of short commentaries published in the eighties created a stir in the Taiwan literary scene. She has also lectured in the States and Germany. in 1988, she became the first Taiwan female reporter to be invited by the Soviet government for an interview in Moscow. Ms Lung has also contributed regularly in European newspapers and a Shanghai newspaper. Her writings have been well received by readers in Taiwan, China and the European countries, which is a rare achievement.

Ms Lung will take a look at the Chinese-speaking world from the perspective of a Taiwanese at the forum. Her speech is entitled "My thoughts on 'Modernisation'.