kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
CE begins visit programme in United Arab Emirates
8.2.2023

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, started his visit programme in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 7 (Abu Dhabi time). The delegation led by Mr Lee attended Abu Dhabi-Hong Kong Business Forum and networking luncheon hosted by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry to exchange views on fostering co-operation between the industrial and commercial sectors in Hong Kong and the UAE. Speaking at the forum, Mr Lee noted that the UAE is Hong Kong's largest trading partner in the Middle East, and that Hong Kong will capitalise on its advantages as an international financial centre and the world's largest offshore Renminbi business hub to facilitate the UAE's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative. Mr Lee and the First Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Aldhaheri, witnessed the exchanges of Memorandum of Understanding between the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council respectively, which promoted further co-operation between the two places on industry, commerce and trade. The delegation led by Mr Lee then visited an Abu Dhabi enterprise, Aldar Properties PJSC to learn more about the real estate development and investment there. They also visited the UAE's sovereign wealth fund, Mubadala Investment Company and met with its Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, to introduce Hong Kong's distinctive advantage under the "one country, two systems" in enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, and discuss the collaboration opportunities with Hong Kong enterprises. Mr Lee then met with the Chief Executive Officer of a local tech firm G42, Mr Xiao Peng, to introduce the enormous business opportunities in Hong Kong and to invite the company to grasp investment opportunities in the city. Mr Lee later had a meeting with the Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Mr Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is a member of the ruling family in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and deliberated on issues of mutual interest on economic co-operation. In the evening, the delegation led by Mr Lee attended a welcoming dinner hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the UAE, Mr Zhang Yiming. Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the Embassy for its staunch support to the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai, and making detailed arrangements for the visit. Mr Lee will continue his visit in Abu Dhabi, the UAE today (February 8, Abu Dhabi time), and will depart for Dubai, the UAE later on. Ends/Wednesday, February 8, 2023 Issued at HKT 8:00 NNNN
CE to visit Saudi Arabia and UAE
2.2.2023

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will lead a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) delegation and depart for a visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the afternoon on February 4 to enhance connections between Hong Kong and the two countries in various areas such as trade, investment and culture, with a view to realising vast business opportunities for Hong Kong, and telling the good stories of Hong Kong by promoting the city on all fronts. The Middle East region, with its vibrant development and unlimited potential, is a key link for the country's Belt and Road Initiative. This visit demonstrates the HKSAR's proactive participation in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative. Members of the HKSAR delegation include the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Director of Information Services, Mr Fletch Chan; and the Acting Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Johann Wong. Members of the delegation also include more than 30 high-level representatives from various sectors, including finance, industrial and commercial, trade, professional services, infrastructure and development, innovation and technology, and transport and logistics. Mr Lee will visit Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from February 5 to 6. He will depart for Abu Dhabi, UAE, in the evening on February 6 and depart for Dubai, UAE, in the afternoon on February 8. During his visit, Mr Lee will meet with local political and business leaders, visit local enterprises, attend forums and exchange activities to introduce Hong Kong's latest developments and investment and business opportunities, as well as its unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle. Mr Lee will also promote the new developments and opportunities of Hong Kong and foster Hong Kong's exchanges and co-operation with Saudi Arabia and the UAE on all fronts. Mr Lee will also visit the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai. There, he will be briefed on the office's plans and progress on the work of attracting businesses and talents as well as other areas. Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong in the morning on February 11. During his absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will be the Acting Chief Executive. During the absence of Mr Hui, the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury. During the absence of Mr Yau, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development. Ends/Thursday, February 2, 2023 Issued at HKT 16:00 NNNN
CE delivers Lunar New Year message
21.1.2023

Following is the translation of the Lunar New Year message delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (January 21): Lunar New Year is the most important festival on the Chinese calendar. This year, we can visit the flower markets, go out for new year shopping, reunite with family and friends and extend festive greetings to one another, enjoying the hustle and bustle of the Spring Festival and joining in the festive cheer. This year welcomes the Year of the Rabbit. Adored by many, rabbits are agile and energetic. Rabbits are just like Hong Kong people, who are flexible and resilient, and constantly strive for improvement. The rabbit is, as well, a symbol of great vitality, so the Lunar New Year is seen as heralding a new start and new hope for Hong Kong. Our economy will continue to grow and our tourist attractions will be filled with visitors. My wife and I wish all Hong Kong citizens a happy, healthy and blessed Year of the Rabbit! (The message is available on the Chief Executive's website: www.ceo.gov.hk/lny-message/23/en/ ) Ends/Saturday, January 21, 2023 Issued at HKT 12:00 NNNN
CE visits single elderly persons in Kwai Tsing and Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park
20.1.2023

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (January 20) visited single elderly persons and shops in Kwai Tsing District in the morning, and toured the Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park in the afternoon to extend festive greetings to citizens. In the morning, Mr Lee, accompanied by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, and the Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Alice Cheung, first visited single elderly tenants in Cheung Hang Estate, Tsing Yi, to learn about their living conditions and express warm wishes and care for them. Mr Lee distributed gift packs filled with new year blessings to the elderly persons and put up spring couplets for them, wishing them a healthy Year of the Rabbit. Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government spares no effort in improving elderly services with due emphasis on both quality and quantity, and adheres to the policy objective of promoting "ageing in place as the core, with institutional care as back-up". He put forward in the Policy Address the regularisation of the Pilot Scheme on Community Care Service Voucher for the Elderly in the third quarter this year as well as enhancement of the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme by allowing the shared use of vouchers between spouses and increasing the annual voucher by $500 to promote the use of primary healthcare services, with a view to responding to the needs of the elderly for healthcare services and improving the standard of services. Mr Lee then visited the wet market of Cheung Hang Estate and chatted with different vendors and local citizens to learn more about the market situation as Hong Kong gradually returns to normalcy. Accompanied by the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong, and the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Ms Irene Young, Mr Lee visited the Lunar New Year Fair at Victoria Park in the afternoon. He chatted with operators of new year flower stalls and members of the public to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Lunar New Year Fair this year. Mr Lee said, "The Government continuously relaxes anti-epidemic measures to promote the gradual resumption to normalcy of Hong Kong society while managing relevant risks. The Lunar New Year fairs, which were cancelled in the past two years, have come back this year, and members of the public could enjoy gathering and doing new year shopping at the flower markets with their families and friends again. As various events will be resumed in Hong Kong this year, society will regain the impetus for economic growth. I wish all sectors of the community every success and prosperity in the Year of the Rabbit." Ends/Friday, January 20, 2023 Issued at HKT 19:24 NNNN
CE meets new Liaison Office Director
17.1.2023

​The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the new Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG) and National Security Adviser to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Zheng Yanxiong, at Government House today (January 17). Extending a warm welcome to Mr Zheng on his assumption of the new posts during the meeting, Mr Lee said that Mr Zheng had worked in Guangdong Province for a long time and had been serving as the first Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) for more than two and a half years since July 2020, and that Mr Zheng has always attached great importance to the development of Hong Kong's society and is very familiar with the situation in Hong Kong. Mr Lee said he has every confidence that he and Mr Zheng will work together in implementing fully, faithfully and resolutely the principles of "one country, two systems" and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy, maintaining the constitutional order of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Constitution and the Basic Law, and implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", as well as actively integrating into the country's overall development and strengthening the city's role as a first-class international metropolis. During the meeting, Mr Lee said the Hong Kong society has embarked on the path towards normalcy and is back on the international stage. With the strong support of the Central Government, normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland is resuming in a progressive, orderly and comprehensive manner, and frequent exchanges of people, businesses and tourism will resume. The HKSAR Government, while uniting different sectors of the community to focus on development, will also be dedicated to addressing concerns and difficulties of members of the public in their daily lives so as to enhance their sense of well-being and maintain Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability. Mr Lee said he believed that under the leadership of Mr Zheng, the LOCPG will continue to support the HKSAR Government's governance in accordance with the law. The HKSAR Government will spare no efforts in leading the Hong Kong society to seize the historic opportunities offered by the national strategies such as the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) development and the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and will actively carry out international exchanges and co-operations. Mr Zheng's familiarity with the situation of the Guangdong Province will definitely help Hong Kong make greater achievements in proactively integrating into the overall development of the country and participating in the development of the GBA as Hong Kong steps onto a higher level. Ends/Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Issued at HKT 16:03 NNNN
CE meets University Grants Committee members
13.1.2023

​The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met members of the University Grants Committee (UGC) today (January 13) to exchange views on the latest development of higher education in Hong Kong. The Secretary for Education, Dr Christine Choi, and the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, also joined the meeting. The UGC Chairman, Mr Tim Lui, briefed Mr Lee on the UGC's strategies and initiatives in nurturing talents and integrating into national development, promoting whole-person development and encouraging students to broaden their international exposure and set sights on Mainland opportunities, as well as telling the good stories of Hong Kong. He highlighted that the UGC would continue to support the universities in contributing to Hong Kong's development as an international innovation and technology hub under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. He also thanked the Government for the significant investment in higher education, which has ensured the continuing success of Hong Kong's universities in making outstanding achievements. Mr Lee welcomed overseas members of the UGC for visiting Hong Kong to attend the meeting in person for the first time since 2020. Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the UGC for serving its bridging role between the Government and universities, and supporting the higher education sector's continued efforts together in striving for excellence, nurturing talents for Hong Kong's development and leveraging their strengths in research. He encouraged the UGC to continue guiding the universities in striving to achieve the Government's targets of promoting STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education and subjects related to Hong Kong's development into the "eight centres" under the National 14th Five-Year Plan, thereby supporting Hong Kong's contribution to national development in the years to come. Ends/Friday, January 13, 2023 Issued at HKT 16:20 NNNN
Senior judicial appointment: non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal
13.1.2023

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, has accepted the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission (JORC) on the appointment of the Honourable Patrick Anthony Keane as a non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal. Subject to the endorsement of the Legislative Council, the Chief Executive will make the appointment under Article 88 of the Basic Law. Mr Lee said, "I am pleased to accept the JORC's recommendation on the appointment of Mr Keane as a non-permanent judge from another common law jurisdiction of the Court of Final Appeal. Mr Keane retired from the judicial office of Justice of the High Court of Australia in October 2022. He is a judge of eminent standing and reputation. I am confident that he will greatly contribute to the Court of Final Appeal. "With the appointment of Mr Keane, the panel of non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions will consist of 11 eminent judges from the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. The presence of these esteemed jurists from overseas as non-permanent judges of the Court of Final Appeal manifests the exercise of judicial power independently by the Judiciary in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as protected by the Basic Law. It also helps maintain a high degree of confidence in the HKSAR's judicial system, and enables Hong Kong to maintain strong links with other common law jurisdictions. I have every confidence that these distinguished jurists from overseas with profound judicial experience will continue to be a unique strength of the HKSAR's judicial system." Article 90 of the Basic Law provides that the Chief Executive shall obtain the endorsement of the Legislative Council on the appointment of judges of the Court of Final Appeal. The Government will seek the endorsement of the Legislative Council of the recommended appointment in due course. The curriculum vitae of Mr Keane is at Annex. Ends/Friday, January 13, 2023 Issued at HKT 18:00 NNNN
CE inspects Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point on first day of resumption of normal travel with Mainland
8.1.2023

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, visited the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/ Futian Control Point this morning (January 8) on the first day of the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland to see the arrangements for people crossing the boundary control point (BCP). He was briefed by staff on site and chatted with members of the public. Mr Lee was satisfied with the overall smooth operation on the first day of resumption of normal travel. With the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's close deliberation and co-ordination with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, a consensus on the resumption of normal travel was reached and approved by the Central Government. Normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland began to resume in a progressive, orderly and comprehensive manner starting today. Mr Lee said all the relevant BCPs were in good operation and members of the public could travel across the border smoothly. He said the resumption of normal travel must proceed in an orderly, safe and smooth manner. He added that the relevant authorities will closely monitor the situation, including the arrangements before and after the Lunar New Year, to come up with an overall plan for realising the goal of full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland in a secure and manageable way. Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the relevant Mainland authorities, including the Guangdong Provincial Government, the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Office of Port of Entry and Exit for mutual assistance and co-ordination in the operation of the BCPs, immigration clearance arrangements for travellers and related matters to facilitate the resumption of normal travel of persons between the two places in a safe, orderly and smooth manner. Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government will closely monitor and constantly review the implementation of travel resumption arrangements, and maintain communication with the relevant Mainland authorities to facilitate the arrangements for the next stage. Mr Lee was briefed about the triage procedures for outbound travellers at the BCP this morning, and inspected the immigration clearance services of the Immigration Department and the customs clearance arrangements for travellers carried out by the Customs and Excise Department. Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to all BCP personnel for returning to their duties within a very short period of time, ensuring the smooth process of the operation, and providing convenience and a good experience for members of the public in travelling across the border in a safe, orderly and smooth way. Government officials who accompanied Mr Lee at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line/ Futian Control Point today included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung; and the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong. Ends/Sunday, January 8, 2023 Issued at HKT 12:55 NNNN
CE to go on duty visit to Beijing
20.12.2022

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will pay a duty visit to Beijing from tomorrow afternoon (December 21) to December 24 to brief state leaders on the latest economic, social and political situation in Hong Kong. The Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip, and the Private Secretary to the Chief Executive, Ms Priscilla To, will join the visit. During Mr Lee's absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will be the Acting Chief Executive. Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2022 Issued at HKT 10:30 NNNN
Chief Executive determines oaths taken by elected members returned by 2022 Legislative Council Election Committee constituency by-election valid
19.12.2022

With respect to the oath-taking ceremony held today (December 19) for the four elected members returned by the 2022 Legislative Council (LegCo) Election Committee constituency by-election at the Chamber of the LegCo Complex, the oath administrator, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, has determined that the oaths taken by these four elected members of the LegCo are valid. Article 104 of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) stipulates that, when assuming office, Members of the LegCo must, in accordance with the law, swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC. According to the Interpretation of Article 104 of the Basic Law passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on November 7, 2016, the person administering the oath has the duty to ensure that the oath is taken in a lawful manner. He or she shall determine that an oath taken in compliance with the Interpretation and the requirements under the laws of the HKSAR is valid, and that an oath which is not taken in compliance with the Interpretation and the requirements under the laws of the HKSAR is invalid. If the oath taken is determined as invalid, no arrangement shall be made for retaking the oath. According to the Public Offices (Candidacy and Taking Up Offices) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2021 that was gazetted and came into effect on May 21, 2021, the amended Oaths and Declarations Ordinance (Cap. 11) stipulates that the oath taken by Members of the LegCo must be administered by the Chief Executive or a person authorised by the Chief Executive. Based on the principles laid down by the Interpretation and the relevant legal provisions, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, has determined that the oaths taken by these four elected members of the LegCo are valid. Ends/Monday, December 19, 2022 Issued at HKT 14:56 NNNN