kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
CE holds engagement session with HK deputies to National People&apos;s Congress
12.2.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, held an engagement session with about 30 Hong Kong deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC) today (February 12) to exchange views with them on Hong Kong's integration with the overall development of the nation and its active participation in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Some Secretaries of Departments and Directors of Bureaux also attended the session. Mrs Lam said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will actively participate in three major national initiatives this year, namely the celebration activities of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing in April and the second China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai in November. As the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will be promulgated by the Central Authorities within days, Mrs Lam added that the participants are cordially invited to attend the related symposium to be jointly held by the governments of the HKSAR, Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region on February 21 to contribute to the building of a world-class bay area. Mrs Lam said that the HKSAR Government attaches great importance to the views of the Hong Kong deputies to the NPC. Noting that they have been very concerned about Hong Kong and know a lot about its affairs, Mrs Lam said that they are the cornerstones of various sectors in the community who are tasked with the vital responsibility of taking part in national affairs. She expressed the hope that they would continue to support Hong Kong in leveraging its advantages to seize the opportunities arising from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative, thereby contributing to Hong Kong and the country. The Chief Executive will meet separately the Hong Kong members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference this Thursday (February 14). Ends/Tuesday, February 12, 2019 Issued at HKT 20:58 NNNN
CE inspects clean-up work at Lunar New Year Fair site and visits airport staff
5.2.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited staff members on duty at the site of the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair and the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) this morning (February 5) to express her gratitude for their dedication to duties in serving the public during the Chinese New Year. As in last year, Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, inspected clean-up work at the site of the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair this morning and visited staff members of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department on duty to thank for their hard work during the holiday. She also expressed her gratitude to volunteers from the department for delivering pots of flowers and plants donated by fair vendors to the homes for the elderly and hospitals, showing support for environmental protection and sharing festive joy with other people. Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Acting Secretary for Transport and Housing, Dr Raymond So Wai-man, the Chairman of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), Mr Jack So and the Chief Executive Officer of the AAHK, Mr Fred Lam, then attended the Chinese New Year festive activities at the HKIA, during which she exchanged New Year greetings with members of the public who were departing Hong Kong and travellers who had just arrived at the city. Mrs Lam also visited frontline officers of the Immigration Department and the Customs and Excise Department to express her appreciation for their devotion to duty during the holiday, providing efficient services to a large number of travellers during the Lunar New Year period. Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong is an aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific Region and in the world, in which the HKIA has been playing an important role. She noted that the Civil Aviation Department had set a new single-day record of handling 2 467 flights just days ago, while the HKIA's three air traffic categories reached new annual heights in 2018 with 74.7 million passengers, 427,725 flight movements and 5.1 million tonnes of total cargo throughput handled. She said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to work together with the AAHK to further strengthen Hong Kong's leading position as the international aviation and cargo hub. On her return trip, Mrs Lam went to a home for the elderly in Tsz Wan Shan to visit the 98-year-old Uncle Fook. Mrs Lam met Uncle Fook during her tenure as the Director of Social Welfare and had visited him during the Chinese New Year over the years to send festive greetings to him. She also presented mandarin oranges to other elderly residents there and conveyed her well wishes to them. In the evening, Mrs Lam will attend the Chinese New Year night parade organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board in Tsim Sha Tsui to join members of the public to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Ends/Tuesday, February 5, 2019 Issued at HKT 15:19 NNNN
CE delivers Lunar New Year message
4.2.2019

Following is the translation of the Lunar New Year message delivered by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (February 4): "The Lunar New Year is an important festival for Chinese people. It is also a time for families to get together. When the Lunar New Year approaches, many people will do their festive shopping. I also took a break from my busy schedule and went to Sheung Wan to buy some dried seafood and flowers. I chatted with shop owners and staff, and took the chance to extend early New Year greetings to members of the public and exchange good wishes with them. "This year is the Year of the Pig. I wish you all a healthy and prosperous year ahead." The message is available on the Chief Executive's website ( www.ceo.gov.hk/lny_message19/eng/ ). Ends/Monday, February 4, 2019 Issued at HKT 12:00 NNNN
CE meets Mayor of Seoul, Korea
1.2.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met with the Mayor of Seoul, Korea, Mr Park Won-soon, at Government House this afternoon (February 1). The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, was also present. Welcoming Mr Park's visit to Hong Kong, Mrs Lam said she was very pleased to meet him again in Hong Kong. She said she visited Seoul some seven years ago as Secretary for Development and was impressed by the city's infrastructure developments, urban planning and heritage conservation, in particular the two successful river restoration projects in Seoul, namely the restoration of Cheonggyecheon River and the Hangang Renaissance Project, which served as valuable reference in her subsequent promotion of urban renewal and waterfront development initiatives in Hong Kong. Mrs Lam noted that Hong Kong and Korea have close ties, with continuous economic and trade co-operation and people-to-people exchanges, adding that Korean popular culture appeals to many Hong Kong people. She said that Hong Kong has been committed to developing cultural and creative industries in recent years and a number of cultural facilities popular with both local residents and visitors have been launched, including the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District and the Blue House Cluster, which won the Award of Excellence in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Mr Park has visited both places during his stay in Hong Kong. Holding the belief that there is room for more economic and trade and cultural co-operation between Hong Kong and Korea, Mrs Lam expressed the hope that an Economic and Trade Office would be set up in Seoul as soon as possible to foster further exchanges between the two places in various areas. Ends/Friday, February 1, 2019 Issued at HKT 19:38 NNNN
Speech by CE at Xiqu Centre opening ceremony
20.1.2019

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the opening ceremony for the Xiqu Centre at the West Kowloon Cultural District this afternoon (January 20): It is heartening to be here with you all today to celebrate the grand opening of the Xiqu Centre, the first major performance venue of the West Kowloon Cultural District. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to serve the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District since its early days in my various positions. As time goes by, it is clear to me and many people that the West Kowloon Cultural District is of huge significance to Hong Kong, and its contribution will go beyond arts and culture. Its success will enrich our quality of life, complement our economic vitality, and elevate the status of Hong Kong to among the great cities of the world. As in all world class cultural projects around the world in history, delivering this ambitious West Kowloon Cultural District project is no easy task. I wish to thank the Authority, the architects and contractors, and many parties involved in bringing Hong Kong's first venue tailored to the artistic needs of the rich traditional Chinese art form of xiqu to fruition. I would like to take this opportunity to pay particular tribute to the late Bing Thom, the lead architect of this project. Bing was born in Hong Kong, and Xiqu Centre is his home coming project. We are indebted to him for his exquisite work which has greatly enriched Hong Kong's architectural scene. On the opening of this gem, I believe that everyone who has contributed to the project would share his thought: "I like to empower everyone. If you walk here and feel a little taller, I am happy." This quote from Bing is now engraved on the sitting area in the Xiqu atrium. Let's work together to take Cantonese opera and the xiqu art form as a whole to the next level and to the global stage through this Xiqu Centre. And let's look forward to the commissioning of more world-class facilities in the West Kowloon Cultural District very soon. Thank you very much. Ends/Sunday, January 20, 2019 Issued at HKT 20:42 NNNN
Government spokesman&apos;s response to media enquiries
24.1.2019

In response to media enquiries on the meeting between the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, and the pan-democratic members of the Legislative Council today (January 24), a Government spokesman responded as follows: The Acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and representatives from relevant government departments this afternoon met pan-democratic members of the Legislative Council for 1 hour 15 minutes and had a candid dialogue to clarify misunderstandings on the measure to adjust the eligible age for elderly Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) from 60 to 65. The Government spokesman reiterated that the aim of adjusting the eligible age for elderly CSSA from 60 to 65 is not to cut expenses, but to encourage able-bodied adults aged up to 64 to engage in employment by extending CSSA employment support services to them. The Government will introduce a new Employment Support Supplement under the CSSA Scheme to provide able-bodied adult recipient aged 60 to 64 with a monthly sum of $1,060 per recipient to encourage them to join the labour market and remain in employment. The Government will closely monitor the implementation of the measure, continuously listen to different views and explore areas for improvement during the process. Moreover, the Social Welfare Department will assist these CSSA recipients to participate in the Integrated Employment Assistance Programme for Self-reliance operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). NGOs will assist these recipients in a caring manner, help them get access to up-to-date labour market information, arrange job matching, assess their needs and provide them with tailor-made and focused employment assistance services. The main objective of the above arrangement is to assist the able-bodied CSSA recipients aged 60 to 64 joining the workforce, not forcing them to find jobs. The Government spokesman also clarified that all persons with disabilities or persons in ill health and their family carers, or single parents and child carers with their youngest child aged below 12, do not have to participate in the employment support programme. Persons aged 60 to 64 who have received elderly CSSA before February 1, 2019, or had received elderly CSSA before and re-apply for CSSA also do not have to participate in the programme. Ends/Thursday, January 24, 2019 Issued at HKT 21:56 NNNN
CE to attend World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Switzerland
18.1.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will depart for Switzerland in the early hours on January 21 and will attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos from January 22 to 24. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, will join part of the visit. Mrs Lam will meet with local government officials and members of the business sector in Zurich on January 21 to update them on the latest developments of Hong Kong. She will then go to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, at which she will address a session on the emerging markets outlook. During her stay in Davos, she will meet with leaders of various economies, the World Economic Forum and the business sector. She will also address the Belt and Road Seminar co-organised by Tsinghua University and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, and the Hong Kong Night co-organised by the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited. Mrs Lam will leave Davos on January 25 (Switzerland time) and arrive in Hong Kong on January 26. During her absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be the Acting Chief Executive. Ends/Friday, January 18, 2019 Issued at HKT 10:58 NNNN
Approved Wang Tau Hom and Tung Tau Outline Zoning Plan referred back for amendment
18.1.2019

​The Town Planning Board announced today (January 18) that the Chief Executive in Council has referred the approved Wang Tau Hom and Tung Tau Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) to the Board for amendment to reflect the latest land use proposals. The OZP incorporating the respective amendments will be exhibited for public inspection under the provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance. The Wang Tau Hom and Tung Tau OZP was last approved by the Chief Executive in Council in October 2011. Ends/Friday, January 18, 2019 Issued at HKT 16:00 NNNN
Appointments to Board of Financial Services Development Council
17.1.2019

The Government announced today (January 17) appointments to the Board of Directors of the incorporated Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) for a term of two years from January 17, 2019 to January 16, 2021. Further to the appointment of Mr Laurence Li Lu-jen as Chairman of the Board of Directors upon the incorporation of the FSDC as a company limited by guarantee, the Chief Executive has appointed 14 members to the Board of the incorporated FSDC, including 12 serving members of the FSDC. The Board will oversee the operation of the incorporated FSDC with effect from January 17, 2019. Announcing the appointments, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, said, "The appointees are all seasoned practitioners and broadly representative of major sectors of the financial services industry. I am confident that the Board will direct the incorporated FSDC to further step up its efforts in conducting research, promoting market development, and nurturing talent with increased resources and operational flexibility." Mr Lau also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all outgoing members of the FSDC for their contributions to the work of the FSDC over the past years. The FSDC was established in 2013 by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government as a high-level, cross-sectoral advisory body to engage the industry in formulating proposals to promote the further development of Hong Kong's financial services industry and to map out the strategic direction for development. The FSDC has been incorporated as a company limited by guarantee with effect from September 2018 to allow it to better discharge its functions with more flexibility. Following is the membership list of the Board of the incorporated FSDC with effect from January 17, 2019: Chairman ---------- Mr Laurence Li Lu-jen (appointed with effect from September 21, 2018) Members (14) --------------- Dr Au King-lun Ms Diana Cesar* Ms Bonnie Y Chan Ms Lena Chan* Mr Mark Dickens Ms Ding Chen Mr Henry Fan Hung-ling Mr Glenn Fok Dr Hu Zhanghong Mr Brian Li Man-bun Mr Joe Ngai Mr Andrew Walter Bougourd Ross Weir Mr Stephen Wong Yuen-shan Ms Winnie Wong Chi-shun Ex-officio member -------------------- Mr James Lau (in the capacity as Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury) * new appointee Ends/Thursday, January 17, 2019 Issued at HKT 11:00 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting
15.1.2019

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (January 15): Reporter: Mrs Lam, would you take back the statement that angered and offended so many lawmakers, or apologise for it though? Second question, pan-democratic lawmakers are saying that they will vote down the next Budget if the Government doesn’t withdraw the plan, and they are asking pro-government lawmakers to also join them. What do you make of that – is that holding the next Budget hostage? And on the second topic about Andy Chan’s hearing, does yesterday’s hearing already count as him having argued his case simply because he didn’t answer any question because his lawyers aren’t present and do you think, just why can’t the hearing be, well, postponed or rescheduled? Chief Executive: On the last question first, I could not comment because it is an appeal case to be handled by the Executive Council, and thereafter, as the Chairman of the Executive Council, I will need to deal with this appeal case, so it is inappropriate for me to comment on the processing of this appeal case. On the first two questions, I have already explained that on the two occasions that I spoke on the subject of the age definition of elderly CSSA recipients, I was merely responding to questions in a factual, and in my sort of straight talk style. So, in the Legislative Council when one member urged me to withdraw the proposal, my response was to explain to her that it was no longer a proposal, it was something that has been approved in the context of the 2018-19 Estimates. If individual members felt uncomfortable with that sort of straight talk then I will be more diplomatic in future. But I still need to talk about the facts because nobody could change the facts. On this sort of linkage between the CSSA age limit with the next Budget - if I heard you correct, you were talking about the next Budget, that is the 2019-20 Budget of the Financial Secretary - if you ask me, of course, I said it is totally unreasonable because members of the Legislative Council have yet to see the content of the next Budget. I have not seen the content of the next Budget. So, to suggest that because of unhappiness over one policy issue, or maybe other policy issues in time to come, that they should now in advance say that they are not going to approve the next Budget, I don’t think this is a very responsible way of dealing with Legislative Council business. At the end of the day, the community will be hurt if there isn’t a Budget to support the various activities and services of the government departments. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Tuesday, January 15, 2019 Issued at HKT 14:25 NNNN
CE to visit Guangzhou
14.1.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will depart for Guangzhou in the afternoon tomorrow (January 15) to meet with the Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr Li Xi, and the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Ma Xingrui, to discuss various areas of collaboration between Hong Kong and Guangdong in relation to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Government officials joining the visit include the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah; the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; and the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan. Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong in the evening on the same day. Ends/Monday, January 14, 2019 Issued at HKT 19:51 NNNN
CE meets University Grants Committee members
11.1.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met members of the University Grants Committee (UGC) at Government House today (January 11) to exchange views on issues including the UGC's efforts in nurturing talents and promoting research work in the funded universities so as to maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness and address the city's strategic needs. She expressed her gratitude to some 20 local and non-local experts on the UGC under the leadership of the Chairman, Mr Carlson Tong, for their valuable advice to the Government on allocation of funding to the funded universities and the strategic development of higher education in Hong Kong. Recognising their solid foundation in academia and innovation and technology (I&T), Mrs Lam said she was confident that the UGC-funded universities would play a key role in contributing to the development of Hong Kong as a global I&T hub. Mrs Lam reiterated that the Government's expenditure on education would be the most meaningful investment for Hong Kong's future and stressed the Government's commitment to supporting I&T development. She announced in the 2018 Policy Address the decision to accept in full the recommendations made by the Task Force on Review of Research Policy and Funding led by Professor Tsui Lap-chee under the UGC and has specifically pledged funding to implement new initiatives to strengthen the research capacity of Hong Kong, including a $20 billion injection into the Research Endowment Fund and the launch of a $3 billion Research Matching Grant Scheme, as well as to support the establishment of three new research fellowship schemes under the Research Grants Council. Mr Tong thanked the Government for its favourable response to the needs of higher education with concrete support and substantial resources for the UGC-funded sector in the past year. The UGC will continue to work closely with the Government, universities and stakeholders to strengthen Hong Kong's position as a leading regional education hub, he said. Ends/Friday, January 11, 2019 Issued at HKT 19:20 NNNN