kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
Re-appointment of Panel Judge under Interception of Communications and Surveillance Ordinance
2.9.2022

The Government announced today (September 2) that the Chief Executive, on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, has re-appointed Madam Justice Lisa Wong Kwok-ying, a Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, as a Panel Judge under the Interception of Communications and Surveillance Ordinance (Chapter 589) (the Ordinance) for another term of three years from September 4, 2022 to September 3, 2025. The Chief Executive, John Lee, said, "I am grateful to Madam Justice Lisa Wong Kwok-ying for her full dedication in handling the law enforcement agencies' applications for authorisations under the Ordinance during the past three years. I am confident that she, on re-appointment, will continue to work with the other two Panel Judges, Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah and Mr Justice Poon Siu-tung, to make use of their expertise and experience to ensure the effective operation of the regulatory regime under the Ordinance." The Ordinance provides a comprehensive statutory framework for regulating the conduct of interception and covert surveillance by law enforcement agencies, and aims to strike a balance between maintaining law and order and protecting the privacy rights of individuals. Under the Ordinance, Panel Judges shall consider applications for authorisations of interception and Type 1 surveillance and for device retrieval warrants. Ends/Friday, September 2, 2022 Issued at HKT 10:30 NNNN
Response to media enquiries about quarantine arrangements
1.9.2022

In response to media enquiries on the policy on designated quarantine hotels, a spokesman for the Chief Executive's Office said that the Government's overall anti-epidemic policy is maintained according to the following five points: (1) Not to "lie flat" and to continue to contain the number of confirmed cases, better manage risks and enhance our capability to respond to contingencies in order to prevent the healthcare system from overloading; (2) To reduce critical cases and deaths; (3) To protect high-risk groups, including the elderly, the young and patients with chronic illnesses; (4) To differentiate people into different risk levels precisely and scientifically for proper control, and to reduce the number of people and areas placed under control so as to allow maximum numbers of daily activities and participants involved; and (5) To strike a balance between risks and economic impetus, safeguarding the livelihood of the public and Hong Kong's competitiveness on the premise of proper risk management. The Government will continue its prevention and control measures taking into account the development of the epidemic and the above-mentioned policy. The spokesman pointed out that the current epidemic situation is serious as the number of confirmed cases reaches 8 000 to 10 000 a day and there is a rising trend. This not only threatens the lives of high-risk groups such as the elderly and children, but also seriously affects the operation of the public health system, where some 30 per cent of the non-emergency services has been cut as a result of the epidemic situation, leading to a severe impact. The Government will continue to take precise measures to control the epidemic. The spokesman appealed to the community to join hands and encourage the elderly to get vaccinated early. Parents should also arrange for their children's early vaccination to ensure that they are protected. Ends/Thursday, September 1, 2022 Issued at HKT 22:12 NNNN
Speech by CE at Human, Machine, Art, Creativity: International Symposium
10.8.2022

​Following is the video speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Human, Machine, Art, Creativity: International Symposium organised by Hong Kong Baptist University today (August 9): Dr Clement Chen (Chairman of the Council and Court of Hong Kong Baptist University), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to kick off the Human, Machine, Art, Creativity: International Symposium. Without human imagination and creativity, machines can only be senseless tools doing mundane chores. But with our imagination, we can give life to machines, turning them into our partners in the path towards greater development. Hong Kong Baptist University, with its commitment in discovering and nurturing new technologies and big ideas, is a leading force in comprehensive research and development for arts technology. The pioneering and innovative project Building Platform Technologies for Symbiotic Creativity in Hong Kong is funded by the Research Grants Council. It is one of China's biggest artificial intelligence (AI) technology research projects. It seeks to radically advance human and AI interaction and contribute to the sustainability of our arts ecosystem. Not long ago, the outcome of the research project came into the limelight at the Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra Annual Gala Concert. The innovative concert programme featured an amazing crossover of human creativity and AI, making the debut of a human-machine collaborative performance. I congratulate Hong Kong Baptist University on their foresight in organising this international symposium with the participation of world-renowned academics and experts in the field. The exploration of an integration between AI and arts is in line with the HKSAR Government's policy objectives to promote the development of arts and culture, and innovation and technology (I&T). It also echoes the National 14th Five-Year Plan, which supports Hong Kong's positioning as an international I&T hub and an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. As President Xi Jinping underlined in his important speech on July 1, the Central Government fully supports Hong Kong in its effort to maintain its distinctive status and edges, so as to expand and facilitate its exchanges with the world. With the unwavering support from our motherland, together with the concerted efforts of our community, I am confident that Hong Kong will continue to achieve breakthroughs in such budding areas as arts tech and bring new opportunities to the industries and, ultimately, to humanity. My thanks go to the many local and international academics and experts, for your continuing support to the development of arts and culture and I&T in Hong Kong. My thanks also go to Hong Kong Baptist University for initiating such a meaningful, intellectual exchange. Together, we shall seize the opportunities ahead, and start a new chapter for Hong Kong. I wish this symposium every success. Thank you. Ends/Tuesday, August 9, 2022 Issued at HKT 10:57 NNNN
CE inspects HA&apos;s COVID-19 treatment facilities
17.8.2022

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (August 17) inspected the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre of the Hospital Authority (HA) and the HA Infectious Disease Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital to have a better grasp on the HA's treatment and care services for COVID-19 patients, and express his gratitude to frontline healthcare personnel for their efforts in fighting against the epidemic. Mr Lee visited the clinical pathology laboratory, command centre and treatment facilities of the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre in the company of the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau; the Permanent Secretary for Health, Mr Thomas Chan; the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko. Mr Lee also received a briefing from healthcare personnel on the Centre's positioning and day-to-day arrangements for patient flow under the multi-tiered triage and treatment strategy. Mr Lee and the officials then visited the HA Infectious Disease Centre and were briefed by the officers in charge on treatment protocols and various support services for COVID-19 patients, as well as the contingency plans of related facilities in response to potential challenges posed by the epidemic. In view of the recent epidemic developments and the surge in the number of hospitalised patients, the HA has formulated contingency plans so that different treatment facilities can be activated within a short timeframe to meet relevant needs. Mr Lee said, "I thank all our healthcare personnel for tirelessly fighting the epidemic all along. Braving various risks and pressure over a long period of time, you have strived to conquer different challenges and difficulties, and contributed selflessly to safeguard the life and health of the public. You are the pride of Hong Kong and I salute you on behalf of the Government and the public. "Safeguarding Hong Kong's healthcare system is of paramount importance to the anti-epidemic work of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. A key direction of the anti-epidemic policies of the Government is to consistently keep the number of confirmed cases under control, better manage the relevant risks and enhance our capability to respond to contingencies in order to prevent the healthcare system from overloading. In addition, we have to balance the risks of the epidemic against the economic impetus, and safeguard the livelihood of the public and Hong Kong's international competitiveness on the premise of proper risk management. "There has been an upward trend in hospitalisation and critical cases among children recently. Without the protection of vaccination, children face a relatively much higher risk of becoming critical cases. Parents should arrange for their children to receive vaccination as soon as possible lest they regret not having done so when it is too late." Ends/Wednesday, August 17, 2022 Issued at HKT 18:48 NNNN
Declarations of interests by CE, politically appointed officials and ExCo Members
11.8.2022

A Government spokesman said today (August 11) that the first declarations of interests made by the Chief Executive (CE), Secretaries of Departments, Deputy Secretaries of Departments, Directors of Bureaux, the Director of the CE's Office and Members of the Executive Council (ExCo) after assuming office are available on government websites for public inspection. The declarations of interests of the CE have been uploaded to the website of the CE's Office ( www.ceo.gov.hk/en/links.html ). The declarations of interests made by Secretaries of Departments, Deputy Secretaries of Departments, Directors of Bureaux and the Director of the CE's Office, as required by the "Code for Officials under the Political Appointment System" (the PAO Code), have also been uploaded to the websites of the respective offices or bureaux. Information on the registrable interests of ExCo Members (including the President as well as Official and Non-official ExCo Members) has been uploaded to the ExCo website ( www.ceo.gov.hk/exco/eng/interests.html ). The PAO Code stipulates that politically appointed officials shall declare their investments and interests on appointment and annually thereafter. These declarations are uploaded to the websites of the respective offices or bureaux. The CE voluntarily observes the above declaration arrangement. ExCo Members are likewise required to declare their registrable interests on appointment and annually thereafter. These declarations are uploaded to the ExCo website. Ends/Thursday, August 11, 2022 Issued at HKT 16:37 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by CE at media session
29.7.2022

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at a media session this afternoon (July 29): Reporter: Mr Lee, what will the Government do to allay concerns of UN human right experts about the National Security Law? Will the authorities review the way it's enforced? Chief Executive: Well, we have already made a very clear statement to object to the misguided conclusion by the committee. We have already explained in detail what the Hong Kong National Security Law tries to do, and we have all witnessed that the stability and peace of Hong Kong have returned as a result of the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. The Law aims to deal with threats and action that will cause threats to national security, and we have all experienced the 2019 violence and destruction. Stability and peace are so important to Hong Kong. Destructive forces exploited the loophole at that time, when Hong Kong had no comprehensive law to deal with such threats. The Hong Kong National Security Law aims to do that in the same way that all countries in the world try to do to protect national security and also the security of the place. The rights and freedoms of Hong Kong (people) are all protected under the Basic Law. The 160 articles in the Basic Law remained intact and in effect since the first day of Hong Kong's return to our motherland. It will continue to be effective, and these are the guiding principles that will be taken into consideration by the presiding judge of all cases that go to the court, and our legal system operates with strong emphasis on judicial independence and we have a respectable legal system in which we actually have very reputable and famous judges who sit on the Court of Final Appeal. So these indicate the strong elements of our safeguard for human rights and freedom and at the same time ensuring our national security is well protected. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Friday, July 29, 2022 Issued at HKT 17:41 NNNN
CE&apos;s statement on serious incident at Hong Kong Coliseum
29.7.2022

Regarding the serious incident that happened during a concert held at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom in the evening of July 28, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, made the following statement: I am shocked by the incident. I express sympathy to those who were injured and hope that they would recover soon. ​I have contacted the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, and instructed the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, together with relevant departments, to comprehensively investigate the incident and review the safety requirements of similar performance activities in order to protect the safety of performers, working staff and members of the public. Ends/Friday, July 29, 2022 Issued at HKT 0:54 NNNN
CE pledges to tell the world the good stories of Hong Kong
27.7.2022

​The launch of the first volume of the English edition of the Hong Kong Chronicles was held at Government House today (July 27). Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said that one of the key chapters of the story of Hong Kong is about its national and international connectivity. He said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will make the best endeavours to tell the world the good stories of Hong Kong. Mr Lee pointed out that President Xi Jinping acknowledged the favourable conditions and distinctive advantages of Hong Kong's close connection with the world market in his important speech on July 1, in which the President said, "Proactively integrating itself into the country's overall development and carving out its role in national strategies, Hong Kong has maintained its strengths in its high degree of openness and in aligning with international rules. In doing so, the region has been playing an important role in raising China's opening up to a higher level with wider coverage and scope." "That means boosting our traditional strengths - as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, and as a regional centre for legal and dispute-resolution services. It also means developing our prowess in other areas as well. That includes rising as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, an up-and-coming area accorded significance in the National 14th Five-Year Plan," Mr Lee said. He said that reading the Hong Kong Chronicles will enhance understanding and appreciation of not only the nation's history, but also the future that offers wide-ranging opportunities for Hong Kong to take part in the nation's progress and development. "As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the HKSAR's establishment, the publication of this first volume of the Hong Kong Chronicles in English is a fresh opportunity to tell the success story of Hong Kong. "There will be a lot of exciting stories ahead of us and I cannot wait to enjoy them with you since we are, as I put it in my campaign slogan, 'Starting a New Chapter for Hong Kong Together,'" he added. The HKSAR Government fully supports the publication of the Hong Kong Chronicles by the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute. With the guiding editorial principle of recounting historical facts without interpretation, the Institute's goal is to produce a comprehensive, systematic and objective record of Hong Kong's heritage and history. Two Chinese-language volumes of the Hong Kong Chronicles, namely "Overview & Chronology" and "Hong Kong's Participation in National Reform and Opening-Up", have been published. The English version of "Overview & Chronology", which counts some 360 000 words and nearly 800 pages, has been presented to its readers today. Mr Lee expressed appreciation to the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute for bringing its professionalism and passion to this extraordinarily ambitious project, and thanked participating editors, experts and scholars, as well as relevant institutions, for their dedicated efforts. Ends/Wednesday, July 27, 2022 Issued at HKT 18:40 NNNN
Policy Address consultation launched
25.7.2022

​The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today (July 25) launched a public consultation for the Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address. The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will deliver his first Policy Address on October 19. "My team and I are pleased to start a new chapter for Hong Kong with our fellow citizens. I advocate a people-based governing belief, while pursuing a result-oriented approach to serve members of the public in a pragmatic manner," Mr Lee said. "I shall turn my electoral promises and community interests into practical measures to improve governance, strengthen the momentum for development, tackle people's concerns, and unite the community. Together we will leverage on Hong Kong's unique strengths of having the motherland's support and connect with the world to build a harmonious and diverse community where development opportunities abound. "I earnestly invite members of the public to give your views on the 2022 Policy Address. Your views will drive us to better serve citizens and the development of Hong Kong." The Government will conduct about 30 consultation sessions to listen to views and suggestions of the Legislative Council Members, representatives of various sectors and members of the public. Mr Lee and his governing team will also conduct district visits to meet with members of the public and representatives of different sectors to tap public views through multiple channels. Starting from today, members of the public can give their views through the Policy Address website ( www.policyaddress.gov.hk ), via the dedicated Facebook page for the Policy Address public consultation ( www.facebook.com/PolicyAddress2022 ), or by email ( policyaddress@cso.gov.hk ), phone (2432 1899) or fax (2537 9083). Ends/Monday, July 25, 2022 Issued at HKT 11:02 NNNN
Chief Executive convenes first COVID-19 Expert Advisory Panel meeting
22.7.2022

​The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, convened the first meeting of the COVID-19 Expert Advisory Panel today (July 22) to canvass professional opinions from the experts and exchange views with them. ​Mr Lee welcomed the six Expert Advisory Panel members, namely Professor David Hui, Professor Ivan Hung, Professor Lau Chak-sing, Professor Lau Yu-lung, Professor Gabriel Leung and Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, at the meeting. "The Government will closely monitor and assess the epidemic's situation and latest trends in order to formulate an anti-epidemic strategy that achieves the best outcome with the least cost. The experts' views will serve as a reference for the Government in devising its anti-epidemic measures," he said. "The advice offered by the six experts on the latest epidemic developments helps facilitate the Government's anti-epidemic efforts on a scientific basis and is much appreciated." ​The Government will convene Expert Advisory Panel meetings from time to time and consider the experts' opinions in order to combat the epidemic with precision and protect public health. Ends/Friday, July 22, 2022 Issued at HKT 19:15 NNNN
Fourth session on &quot;Spirit of the President&apos;s Important Speech&quot; held by Civil Service Bureau
21.7.2022

The Civil Service Bureau today (July 21) held the fourth session on "Spirit of the President's Important Speech" at the Central Government Offices. The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, attended as keynote speaker. The session was conducted to enable the participants to obtain a deeper understanding of the spirit of the important speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Over the past two weeks, the Chief Executive has addressed a series of four sessions as keynote speaker in person. Over 1 200 participants took part in these sessions, including Secretaries of Departments, Deputy Secretaries of Departments, Directors of Bureaux and other Principal Officials, Executive Council members, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Departments and directorate officers at various ranks. Apart from civil servants from bureaux and departments, the participants also included senior officers from organisations such as the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority. Mr Lee said that President Xi's speech was an important milestone of high significance and serves as crucial guidance on governance by the HKSAR Government in the coming five years. It is incumbent on the top echelon and civil servants of the HKSAR Government to grasp in full the core essence of President Xi's important speech and build it into their own work. Mr Lee encouraged colleagues to perform their best with a pragmatic and can-do attitude; make concerted efforts to enhance governance capacity and efficacy; proactively integrate Hong Kong into the country's overall development and raise Hong Kong's competitiveness; adopt a result-oriented approach in their work; respond actively to aspirations from the people of Hong Kong; and respect and safeguard the country's fundamental systems on their own volition. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, also shared her thoughts and feelings at the session. Some other participants shared their views at the session as well. About 420 participants, mainly comprising civil servants at the ranks of Directorate Pay Scale Points 1 and 2, attended the session today. Various bureaux and departments will also conduct sessions on the President's important speech for their staff so as to enable more colleagues from different ranks to grasp the core essence of President Xi's important speech, build the spirit of the speech into their own work, and see to its manifestation in the policy objectives and initiatives under their respective purview. Ends/Thursday, July 21, 2022 Issued at HKT 18:24 NNNN
CE expresses condolences on passing of Mr Shinzo Abe
9.7.2022

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (July 9) expressed his profound sadness at the sudden and unfortunate passing of former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr Shinzo Abe. "On behalf of the people and Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I express our sympathies to Mr Abe's family on the passing of Mr Abe. "Hong Kong and Japan maintained closely co-operative relations when Mr Abe was in office as the Prime Minister of Japan, during which the two places enjoyed close ties and made positive progress in various areas including economic and trade affairs, tourism and cultural exchanges. "I express our deepest sympathies on the passing of Mr Abe. May he rest in peace," Mr Lee said. Ends/Saturday, July 9, 2022 Issued at HKT 15:30 NNNN