Category: Asia Pacific

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Financial Secretary Paul Chan today met Communist Party of China (CPC) officials and visited research and development (R&D) companies in Hangzhou and Suzhou on day two of his Mainland trip.

In the morning, Mr Chan met CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee Deputy Secretary and CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee Secretary Liu Jie to exchange views on deepening co-operation between the two places as well as jointly fostering the development of new quality productive forces to promote high-quality development.

The areas for co-operation involve technological innovation, financial services, building of airports, cultural exchanges and higher education.

During the meeting, Mr Chan said there will be plenty of room for the synergistic development of innovation and technology industries between Hong Kong and Hangzhou, given that Zhejiang is a province with a large number of private enterprises.

There is also the fact that Hangzhou enjoys robust development in industries including intelligent Internet of Things, biomedicine and new materials and new energy and has achieved remarkable results in digital economy development, Mr Chan added.

He said Hong Kong’s highly efficient and quality financial, legal and other professional services can help Zhejiang enterprises better access global capital, gather talent, align with international standards, and better manage their multinational financing and supply chain, thereby achieving greater international success.

In the morning, Mr Chan also visited a Hangzhou innovation and technology enterprise engaging in biomedical technology.

The enterprise focuses on the R&D of ribonucleic acid technology application in various cancer screenings, and has applied for listing in Hong Kong.

Mr Chan noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is actively developing the city into a health and medical innovation hub, including establishing a clinical trial facility and research platforms in the Loop, and strengthening co-operation with Mainland medical regulatory authorities.

He welcomed enterprises to conduct their medical research activities and clinical trials in Hong Kong.

The finance chief headed to Suzhou in the afternoon and held talks with CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee Secretary Liu Xiaotao on the economy and development directions of the two cities.

“There can be deeper and more comprehensive co-operation in technological innovation and the creative industries in the future. Hong Kong’s financial and professional services as well as internationalised talent can assist enterprises in Suzhou in opening up a bigger international market. Thus the room for further co-operation between the two cities is enormous,” Mr Chan noted.

He toured two enterprises in Suzhou – one engaging in the research and manufacturing of green optical fibre materials, and the other in solar photovoltaic and green energy – to view their production lines and exhibition as well exchange views with their persons-in-charge.

Both enterprises have a wide range of business operations in Hong Kong as well as R&D or production bases around the world.

Mr Chan encouraged them to further leverage Hong Kong’s R&D resources that are continuously enhanced and strengthened, and the comprehensive and thriving financial markets, so as to enhance their global presence and promote further development.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

A delegation of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government District Officers (DOs) was received by State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Deputy Director Wang Linggui in Beijing today.

Led by Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, the delegation was on the second day of its district governance study programme in the capital.

Meeting members of the delegation, Mr Wang said the Hong Kong SAR Government completed the enactment of the Basic Law Article 23 legislation, laying down the foundation for a more stable development of the society, and leading Hong Kong to acquire new development opportunities.

He encouraged members to keep placing people first, keep up the good district works with diligence and responsibility, fully support the administration of the Hong Kong SAR Government in accordance with the law, and enhance the efficacy of district governance.

Miss Mak outlined to Mr Wang the objectives and desired learning outcomes of the study programme.

She said this was the first time that the Hong Kong SAR Government arranged for all DOs to study at the National Academy of Governance (NAG) after improving district governance.

It is of paramount significance for the Hong Kong SAR Government DOs to receive training at the NAG, which enables them to better understand the background theories of grassroots governance and enhance the implementation of district works to a higher level, Miss Mak added.

In the morning, the delegation received a lecture on Xi Jinping’s Philosophy on Grassroots Governance, delivered by NAG Vice President Gong Weibin. They also visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China to understand more about the party’s 100-year history. 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The inaugural Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) will be held from June to September, presenting various performing arts programmes and extension activities for the public and visitors to experience the broad and profound Chinese culture. 

Addressing the CCF’s programme parade today, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung noted that Hong Kong has the advantages of having a unique blend of Eastern and Western influences and a vast international network, adding that the festival can drive visitor arrivals and related business growth.

An array of programmes in the first CCF includes exemplary local arts projects recognised by the China National Arts Fund, performing arts programmes from arts and cultural organisations, film screenings, exhibitions and talks.

The CCF will also introduce the “Chinese Culture for All: A Special Performance Series” and school tours to open new arenas for students to experience Chinese culture.

The festival’s opening programme is a dance drama, “Five Stars Rising in the East”, performed by the Beijing Dance Drama & Opera, while the Chinese Opera Festival – a signature project of the Leisure & Cultural Services Department – will be a core part of the CCF from this year.

The CCF also designates a focal city each year, with Shanghai as this year’s focus. Three speculator events will be presented by the Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company, Shanghai Chinese Orchestra and Shanghai Museum to showcase the cultural charm of Shanghai styles.

Tickets for the festival programmes will go on sale from tomorrow. Call 2268 7321, 2268 7323 or 2268 7325 for enquiries.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Fire Services Department today said the white foam found in a water pond in Tseung Kwan O last night was firefighting foam that had inadvertently gone into the stormwater drainage system, and follow-up work is ongoing.

Responding to media enquiries, the FSD said it received a report last night about the discovery of white foam in a Siu Chik Sha water pond.

The FSD explained that it conducted a test of “biodegradable fluorine-free firefighting foam” yesterday at the Fire & Ambulance Services Academy (FASA) close to the pond’s location.

The department suspects that some of the firefighting foam did not divert into the pipes of the foam treatment system during the test, and inadvertently went into the stormwater drainage system.

The FSD immediately cleaned the FASA stormwater drainage system and took on-site samples for further testing by the Government Laboratory.

It also arranged for a contractor to inspect the foam treatment system, which also completed the cleaning work at nearby channels late this afternoon.

The FSD said it will closely monitor the situation of the nearby channels in these few days and take appropriate follow-up action if any more foam is found.

Additionally, the FASA has suspended all drills involving firefighting foam until the cleaning work and inspection of the foam treatment system are completed.

The FSD will continue to co-operate with various departments on the matter.

It emphasised that the foam concentrate used in the test is a fluorine-free firefighting foam that is biodegradable and does not remain in the environment as a persistent organic pollutant.