德意志聯邦共和國駐香港總領事 Mr. Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff 獻辭

德意志聯邦共和國駐香港總領事 Mr. Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff 獻辭

今天我們慶祝德國統一日二十三周年,以及慶祝德意志聯邦共和國國慶日。一九九零年十月三日,東西德分隔逾四十年後再度重聚,該日是慶祝一次歷史性革命的標誌,是東西德人民要求我國和平統一。藉此節日,本人高興地向居於中華人民共和國香港特別行政區的朋友們、夥伴們和德國公民致以最良好的祝願。

二零一三年是一個紀念年。本人對以下數項加強德國和香港關係銀禧年之際擔任駐香港總領事甚為榮幸。今年我們不單只在世界各地慶祝德國與法國所簽訂的《愛麗舍條約》五十周年,同時還會慶祝在香港的德國商會成立三十周年、我國的文化研究所 – 歌德學院五十周年以及德國駐香港總領事館六十周年。早在一九五三年,德國獲准可在海外重開領館後僅僅四年,德國聯邦外交部便旨在亞洲,毫無疑問,香港便是德國外交官的通道。數十年來,本總領事館由設在酒店一間房間只有一位員工的辦事處發展至現館址的總領事館,反映了在過去六十年來,德國社群在香港的持續增長。

除政治原因外,香港一直是德國重要的貿易夥伴。六十年前,當時只有一百五十名德國人居於香港,但香港從德國進口的金額便高達一千三百三十萬英鎊,位踞歐洲大陸第二大出口國,僅次於英國。今天,德港兩地的雙邊貿易關係空前強大,德國已成為香港最大的歐洲貿易夥伴,大約有六百家德國公司在此註冊。在二零一二年,兩地的雙邊貿易金額達七百六十億港元。這些數字顯示德國公司對香港作為進軍中國內地的通道、以及作為亞洲的一個貿易港口的信心。符合一致的事實是,有多家展示德國設計和技術創新的陳列室和旗艦店經已在香港設立。能取得如此優秀的經濟表現,當然是離不開香港的德國商會所作出的努力!

德國與亞洲的世界城市之間廣泛的貿易關係,在近年來可從蓬勃的酒類貿易體現出來。作為美食之都的香港已成為德國酒類在亞洲的最大出口目的地、亦是地區的領先酒類中心,使香港聯同倫敦和紐約是世界三大酒類拍賣中心之一。今年初,德國酒類研究所在香港舉行了一次四十款國際黑比諾的「酒類盲品會」,結果是德國酒橫掃前十位的八位,包括前五位的葡酒;今年五月,國際公認的「雷司令周」首次帶進了香港,促進了對「德國雷司令」的認識。這些顯著的成功主要是源於去年德國與香港簽署了「深化酒類相關業務合作意向書」。

然而,悠久的雙邊關係並不單只是經濟,同時還有文化交流。繼去年在香港設計學院成功舉行「德國設計標準 – 從包豪斯到全球」展覽後,德國藝術和文化繼續在香港公眾留下印象。世界一流的藝術家,例如小提琴家安妮‧索菲‧穆特、電子流行音樂「教父」Kraftwerk,更還有德累斯頓愛樂團將會參與在香港舉行的「理查‧瓦格納二百周年」的演出。此外,今年六月,德國聯邦外交部在「亞太周」期間,在柏林主辦了一個研討會,展示了香港創意工業。我們高興地看到這些文化交流得到持續,因為二零一四年的香港藝術節將會有科隆Guerzenich樂團和Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch舞蹈劇院的演出。

我們很感謝在半個世紀以來,香港的歌德學院作為德國文化和語言的活動大使。該學院每年培育四千名德國語學生,並為本地觀眾呈獻德國電影,每年舉行「KINO」電影節。隨着該學院新裝修的綜合性圖書館和電影資料館啟用,香港的歌德學院在未來的五十年將會更加成功。與此同時,我們亦感謝德國瑞士國際學校和德國學術交換服務(DAAD)對促進德國學校與學府所作出的貢獻,使香港學生選擇德國升學的數字有所增加。我們相信,在這些機構的努力下,德國的現代性和多樣性將會持續地在香港傳遞。

在這特別節日,本人謹向為德國與香港特別行政區關係作出貢獻的朋友們和夥伴們致以衷心的感謝!

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Message by Mr. Nikolaus Graf Lambsdorff, Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Hong Kong, on the occasion of the German National Day on 3rd October 2013

Today we celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the Day of German Unity, the National Day of the Federal Republic of Germany. On 3rd October 1990, East and West Germany reunited after more than 40 years of division. This day marks the celebration of a historic revolution, as it was the people of East and West Germany who peacefully demanded the unification of our country. It is my great pleasure to convey on this occasion my best wishes to all our friends, partners and German nationals residing in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

2013 is a year of anniversaries. It is an honour to commence my assignment as the Consul-General in Hong Kong in the jubilee year of various occasions that underline the strong bond between Germany and Hong Kong. Not only are we celebrating worldwide the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Elysée Treaty between Germany and France, this year also marks the 30th anniversary of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the 50th anniversary of our cultural institute, Goethe-Institut Hongkong, and the 60th anniversary of our Consulate General in Hong Kong. As early as 1953, merely four years after Germany was granted permission to reopen consular missions abroad, the German Federal Foreign Office aimed for Asia. It was without doubt for German diplomats that Hong Kong would be the gateway. Over the decades, the Consulate General has developed from a one-man office operating in a hotel room to an established consular mission in its present location, representing a constantly growing German community in Hong Kong over the past sixty years.

Besides political grounds, Hong Kong has always been a crucial trade partner of Germany. Sixty years ago when only 150 Germans lived in Hong Kong, imports from Germany already amounted to £13.3 million, ranking our country the second largest exporter from the European continent after the United Kingdom. Today, the bilateral trade relations are stronger than ever: Germany is Hong Kong’s number one European trade partner and some 600 German companies are registered here. In 2012, bilateral trade volume reached HK$76 billion. These numbers underline the confidence German businesses place in Hong Kong as a major gateway to China and a trade port with Asia as a whole, and accord with the fact that several showrooms and flagship stores demonstrating German design and technological innovation are opened locally. This excellent economic performance would not have been possible without the efforts of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

The extensive trade relationship between Germany and Asia’s World City can also be exemplified by the prosperous wine trade in recent years. The culinary capital is now the third largest export destination for German wine in Asia and has become the region’s leading wine hub, firmly establishing its position as one of the three largest wine auction centres in the world, alongside London and New York. Earlier this year, the German Wine Institute organised a blind wine tasting in Hong Kong of 40 international Pinot Noirs, where German wines swept eight of the top ten, including the top five wines; in May, the internationally recognised "Riesling Weeks" was brought to Hong Kong for the first time, promoting the awareness and knowledge of German Riesling. These are notable successes as a result of the signing of a declaration of intent last year to intensify co-operation in wine related businesses between Germany and Hong Kong.
However, the long history of our bilateral relations is not solely economic in nature, it is also characterised by cultural exchange.

Subsequent to last year’s success of the exhibition “German Design Standards – Between Bauhaus and Globalization” in the Hong Kong Design Institute, German arts and culture continue to make an impression on the Hong Kong public with world-class artists like violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the “godfathers” of electronic pop Kraftwerk, not to mention the Dresdner Philharmonie who will perform in Hong Kong on the occasion of Richard Wagner’s bicentenary. Conversely, a seminar was organised in June during the Asia-Pacific Weeks at the German Federal Foreign Office in Berlin to showcase Hong Kong's creative industry. We are pleased to see this cultural exchange continue as the Hong Kong Arts Festival will feature the Guerzenich Orchestra Cologne and the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch in 2014.

For this we are grateful to Goethe-Institut Hongkong which has been an active ambassador of German culture and language for the last half century. It is to the institute’s credit that 4,000 students of the German language are nurtured every year and German cinema is presented to the local audience with the annual film festival “KINO”. With its newly renovated premises comprising a comprehensive library collection and film archive, Goethe-Institut Hongkong will certainly see an even greater success in the coming fifty years. Equally thankful are we for the dedication of the German Swiss International School and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to the promotion of German schools and universities, which are gaining popularity as the number of Hong Kong students opting for our country grows. We are convinced that, with the concerted effort of these institutions, Germany’s modernity and diversity will be consistently conveyed in Hong Kong.

On this special occasion, may I extend my gratitude again to all our friends and partners for their contribution to the relationship between Germany and the HKSAR.