kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
CE meets Hong Kong students and young people with international competition awards
1.7.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, together with the Secretaries of Department and the Directors of Bureau met over 100 Hong Kong young people and students, who won international competitions in the past year, in a tea gathering at Government House this afternoon (July 1) to commend the new and outstanding generation of Hong Kong and encourage them to continue to work hard for their goals. Some 140 young people and students, together with their parents, headmasters, teachers and tutors, totalling about 250 people took part in the tea gathering. Mrs Lam said that since she assumed the post of the Chief Executive, she has spent more time to read newspapers every morning. She said that she was excited whenever she came across news reports about Hong Kong young people and students winning international competitions and bringing honour home, and would take record of them. On the 21th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, she said she invited this group of outstanding young people and students to a tea gathering today to celebrate with them and encourage them to continue to work hard to contribute to Hong Kong. "The young people and students here in the tea gathering won awards in various international competitions. I am proud of the efforts they have made during the process. Every young person and kid has his own potential and is the future and hope of Hong Kong. We should give them room to realise their potential. I hope people from various sectors would work together to nurture them into a new generation with a sense of national identity, an affection for Hong Kong and an international perspective, who are also passionate about and committed to the well-being of our community," Mrs Lam said. The young people invited to the tea gathering won in 40 different international competitions with areas covering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), drawing, music, animation, design, sports, etc. The youngest of them is only four years old. In addition to taking pictures and chatting with the Chief Executive, the Secretaries of Department and the Directors of Bureau, they exchanged their experience gained in the competitions with each other and relived the exciting moments of winning awards. Ends/Sunday, July 1, 2018 Issued at HKT 20:24 NNNN
CE and Principal Officials release short videos on work in past year
1.7.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam and the Principal Officials (POs) will release short videos on their work in the past year. Mrs Lam’s video will be broadcast this (July 1) afternoon while the rest will be released in the next few days. The videos will be available from the newly-revamped website of the Information Services Department (isd.gov.hk) and its YouTube channel. Ends/Sunday, July 1, 2018 Issued at HKT 14:16 NNNN
Policy Address consultation launched
1.7.2018

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today (July 1) launched the public consultation exercise for the 2018 Policy Address. The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam; the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; and the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will meet representatives from different sectors to listen to their views. "Since I delivered my inaugural Policy Address last October, my team and I have been sparing no effort to implement more than 250 policy initiatives in it and making good progress. Most of the initiatives have been implemented or are being taken forward according to the plan. I know that people from various sectors in the community still have aspirations in connection with governance and different policies. My team and I, who will continue to avoid no difficult tasks, will respond further in the second Policy Address in October this year. I sincerely invite members of the public to give their views on the Policy Address, so that we can harness the collective wisdom and insights to formulate policy initiatives to meet the needs of the people and Hong Kong," Mrs Lam said. To facilitate expression of opinions by the public, the Government introduced social media as an additional channel for collecting views this year. Members of the public are invited to give their views through the dedicated website ( www.policyaddress.gov.hk ), the Chief Executive's Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/carrielam.hksar ), and Instagram ( www.instagram.com/carrielam.hksar ), or by email ( policyaddress@pico.gov.hk ), phone (2432 1899) or fax (2537 9083). Ends/Sunday, July 1, 2018 Issued at HKT 13:34 NNNN
2018 Honours List
1.7.2018

The 2018 Honours List is published in the Government Gazette today (July 1). This is the 21st full Honours List since 1997. The Chief Executive has awarded a total of 282 persons in this year's Honours List, including: Award Number (a) Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM) 4 (b) Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) 10 (c) Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) 20 (d) Medal for Bravery (Silver) (MBS) 4 (e) Distinguished Service Medals for the disciplined services and the ICAC 12 (f) Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) 40 (g) Medal for Bravery (Bronze) (MBB) 9 (h) Meritorious Service Medals for the disciplined services and the ICAC 46 (i) Medal of Honour (MH) 60 (j) Chief Executive's Commendation for Community Service 53 (k) Chief Executive's Commendation for Government/Public Service 24 -------- 282 The Honours recipients are from different walks of life. They are given an honour or award in recognition of their significant contributions to Hong Kong or for their dedicated public and community service. The presentation ceremony for the awards will be held on October 27, 2018. The citations of the award recipients of the 2018 Honours List are provided in the Appendix. Ends/Sunday, July 1, 2018 Issued at HKT 0:01 NNNN
Speech by CE at Belt and Road Global Forum Inauguration Ceremony cum Cocktail Reception
27.6.2018

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Belt and Road Global Forum Inauguration Ceremony cum Cocktail Reception today (June 27): Vincent (Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Mr Vincent Lo), Andrew (Council Member of the HKTDC, Mr Andrew Weir), Margaret (Executive Director of the HKTDC, Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, It really gives me great pleasure to come here to witness the launching of the Belt and Road Global Forum. Some of you may know I literally arrived in Hong Kong in the early hours of this morning. So to be able to catch this very meaningful event is a really great pleasure for me. During my almost two weeks' travel in Europe covering Brussels and several cities in France, this Belt and Road Initiative popped up very often, whether amongst very senior government officials, especially in France, because when President Macron visited Beijing earlier this year, he came back and announced that France would like to take a leading role in the Belt and Road Initiative, and hence, the Prime Minister of France was in China only a few days ago. This picking up of momentum on the Belt and Road almost five years after President Xi Jinping announced the Initiative is to be very much welcomed, and of course welcomed by Hong Kong because the Central Government has made it very clear that Hong Kong will have a major role to play in the Belt and Road, and also to contribute to make the Belt and Road a success. That's the objective of our signing an arrangement, very exceptionally, with the National Development and Reform Commission last December. I just want to say that our work in Belt and Road has been picking up momentum and I'm very pleased with the achievements following the signing of the arrangement last December. The inaugural meeting for us to meet with relevant authorities and agencies in the Central Government spearheaded by the National Development and Reform Commission took place earlier this month. This is a very important forum for us to have first-hand information about the Belt and Road, including things which are of great interest to many of you - the projects, the policies, the financing and so on. In this particular forum, we are extremely pleased, being the third one in a row, we have attracted over 5 000 participants. And this forum has now been given added meaning and strength with the formation of the Belt and Road Global Forum, which has within a very short period, not only set up but attracted some 111 member associations from 29 countries. I have to congratulate and commend the Trade Development Council, in its usual can-do spirit and efficiency, for getting this global forum up and running and I'd love to meet with you in future occasions to talk about our joint efforts in the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, enjoy this reception and the full day of programme tomorrow at the third Belt and Road Summit. Thank you very much. Ends/Wednesday, June 27, 2018 Issued at HKT 21:01 NNNN
Speech by CE at Swedish Midsummer and National Day Celebration
8.6.2018

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Swedish Midsummer and National Day Celebration today (June 8): Consul General (Consul General of Sweden in Hong Kong, Ms Helena Storm), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon. What a pleasure to be here today in celebration of Sweden's national day and its midsummer festival, the country's most traditional of holidays. First of all, my gratitude to the Consul General and your team for opening this fantastic celebration to the people of Hong Kong. It provides an excellent opportunity for our people to appreciate the rich culture of Sweden through the music, dance, food and many other things on offer this afternoon. I am also delighted that the celebration is taking place in the courtyard at PMQ. The Former Police Married Quarters, PMQ is one of eight Conserving Central projects, half of which are now up and running. Just two weeks ago, I took part in the opening of the nearby Central Police Station Compound – now called Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts. I must say I am thrilled to see Hong Kong’s past rise again – revitalised and, as this good afternoon attests to, radiating life, purpose and good will. Ladies and gentlemen, I can say very much the same about Hong Kong and Sweden. Our two economies, our two peoples, are finding good reasons to come together. Less than two years ago, the Karolinska Institutet's Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine opened here, setting in motion what I am confident will be a long and mutually rewarding collaboration between us in science and technology, as well as the creative industries. Indeed, Prince Carl Philip visited Hong Kong just six months ago, here to inaugurate the Swedish Pavilion at Business of Design Week, as well as to launch the first edition of #SwedenTalks_HK, a creative exchange that we very much look forward to building on. The Prince is definitely not the only person from Sweden to visit us. Thanks to our mutual visa-free arrangement and direct flight connection, arrivals from Sweden to Hong Kong grew by about 25 per cent cumulatively in the past three years. And I am sure our people-to-people bond will continue to grow, especially amongst young people, with our bilateral Working Holiday Scheme commencing operation in January this year. Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to ties between Hong Kong and Sweden, there is a great deal more to say. But I would stop here now, so that I will have more time to tour the booths here and to learn how to make a Swedish flower crown from the Consul General. I wish the people of Sweden a most happy and memorable national day, and everyone here an enjoyable afternoon, actually till 10pm tonight. Thank you very much. Ends/Friday, June 8, 2018 Issued at HKT 16:48 NNNN
Celebration events for 21st anniversary of establishment of HKSAR
29.6.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and senior government officials will attend a flag-raising ceremony and reception on Sunday (July 1) to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The flag-raising ceremony will be held at Golden Bauhinia Square outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) at 8am. About 2 400 people, including community leaders, members of community groups and uniformed groups will attend the ceremony. The Police Band will perform at the ceremony and a mixed choir from St Paul's Co-educational College, Diocesan Boys' School and Diocesan Girls' School will sing the national anthem under the lead of two singers, Mr Alexander Chen and Ms Colette Lam, followed by a fly-past and a sea parade by the disciplined services. The public are welcome to watch the ceremony. A designated public viewing area will be set up with a capacity of about 1 000 people. An LED wall will be installed in the area to facilitate viewing of the ceremony. To ensure the smooth running of the flag-raising ceremony and to avoid disrupting other viewers, people are requested to observe the rules and instructions given by the authorities on-site. The celebration reception, led by the Chief Executive, will be held at the Grand Foyer on 3/F of the HKCEC after the flag-raising ceremony. About 1 600 guests, including members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, consular corps, government officials and members of various community sectors, will attend the reception. Motorists are reminded that Golden Bauhinia Square and the nearby area will be designated as a restricted zone by the Police. Only holders of valid passes will be allowed entry. Ends/Friday, June 29, 2018 Issued at HKT 15:00 NNNN
CE speaks on development of innovation and technology and smart city in Hong Kong
27.6.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, addressing the Smart City Summit 2018 organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong this morning (June 27), said that Hong Kong has clear advantages in developing innovation and technology (I&T) and that the Government is currently pushing ahead with development at full steam in accordance with the eight-pronged approach set earlier with the devotion of a large amount of resources. She said she is confident that with the support of the Central Government, Hong Kong will be developed as a world-class I&T hub and smart city. Noting in her keynote speech at the Summit that Hong Kong's I&T development is supported by sound technological foundations and outstanding capability in scientific research with the convergence of top universities, research institutes and high-quality professional scientific research talent from around the world, she said that most important of all is the unique advantage of "One Country, Two Systems" and the city's proximity to the huge Mainland market. She said that with the impetus brought about by the two major national strategies, namely the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Macao Bay Area, Hong Kong is set to be presented with unprecedented opportunity in I&T development. She said Hong Kong has world-class information infrastructure and is among the world's top five fastest growing start-up ecosystems. The number of start-ups has doubled to some 2,200 from 2014 to 2017. Venture capital has surged significantly from US$80 million in 2012 to about US$1,100 million in 2017. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport provide space for I&T enterprises, as too will the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park to be developed at the Lok Ma Chau Loop area. "The most important thing is to increase resources in research and development. In order to do this, it is not just the question of the Government putting in money. We want also the private sector to invest more, so the Government launched tax incentives. And we want to attract more tech-intense companies or research institutions to Hong Kong by building up two important clusters, one focusing on healthcare technologies and the other on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies," Mrs Lam said on the Government's strategy in I&T development. On the development of smart city, Mrs Lam introduced various initiatives in the six major areas of the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong released in December last year, which comprise "Smart Mobility", "Smart Living", "Smart Environment", "Smart People", "Smart Government" and "Smart Economy". She expressed the hope that the Summit could provide more ideas for Hong Kong's smart city development. After delivering the speech, Mrs Lam chatted with Sophia, a robot developed by a start-up in the Hong Kong Science Park. During the chat, Mrs Lam said she hopes that the community will work together to develop Hong Kong into a smart city. Ends/Wednesday, June 27, 2018 Issued at HKT 22:05 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by Acting CE at media session before ExCo meeting
26.6.2018

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (June 26): Reporter: Mr Cheung, why is the Government withdrawing the Yuen Long footbridge plan from the FC (Finance Committee) agenda, and what is the rationale behind? And also, a second question on the vacant property tax. How are you going to face if there are any legal challenge like challenging the Government’s decision on that? Acting Chief Executive: First of all, the Yuen Long footbridge. In fact, we are not withdrawing the item from the Finance Committee. It’s purely that we are really talking about prioritising in order to provide more time to consult. We're not talking about taking it out at all. The need for a footbridge in Yuen Long is not debatable. We all agree, everybody agrees, that there is a need for a footbridge there to facilitate the pedestrian flow and that also there is a need locally in Yuen Long. Of course, there is a difference in opinion between professional bodies and some local groups. The Government, of course, will put up the proposal to the Finance Committee. Now, we are going through a stage because of difference in opinion. I think we need to get together, put our heads together, and consult more thoroughly, explain our position more thoroughly, in order to reach common ground. That's why the Highways Department colleagues will be going down to the Yuen Long District Council at lunchtime to explain fully the circumstances, the rationale, for the proposal and also to try to bridge the gap, as it were, between various parties. We hope to find a way forward that's acceptable to all sides. It's a win-win situation that we are talking about. On the second question, the vacancy tax, of course, the Chief Executive has promised to update the community on the latest position of vacancy tax by the end of this month. We still have a few days left, so let’s be patient. Reporter: Are you concerning the legal challenges? I was asking about legal challenges. Acting Chief Executive: We can’t comment on hypothetical questions at the moment. Wait until the Government has made the announcement on the issue first. OK? (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Tuesday, June 26, 2018 Issued at HKT 14:26 NNNN
CE exchanges views with young scientists in Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
25.6.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, continued to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting today (June 25, Lindau time). She spoke with young scientists and met with laureates of the Nobel Prize and the Shaw Prize. Mrs Lam attended a seminar this morning. Together with two Nobel laureates, Professor Dr Kurt Wüthrich and Professor Dr Ferid Murad, she exchanged views with young scientists about the leadership required of scientists. Mrs Lam said that issues facing politicians and scientists may be different, but as leaders they must be diligent and perseverant as well as have team spirit. She encouraged the young scientists to be creative and curious and set clear goals for themselves. Noting that Hong Kong provides necessary support for scientific research and has a highly international environment, Mrs Lam welcomed the young scientists to go to Hong Kong to develop their careers. Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Head of the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office, Mrs Betty Fung, then met with Professor Bruce Beutler and Professor Jules Hoffmann, who are laureates of both the Nobel and Shaw Prizes. She briefed them on Hong Kong's latest situation and invited them to visit Hong Kong. Mrs Lam left Lindau in the morning. She departed for Beijing via Zurich in the afternoon and will arrive in Beijing tomorrow morning (June 26). During the stay in Beijing, she will report to the Vice-Premier of the State Council, Mr Han Zheng, the views and suggestions of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and different sectors of the community on matters relating to the development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. Ends/Monday, June 25, 2018 Issued at HKT 20:46 NNNN
CE to visit Beijing
24.6.2018

After concluding her visit to Europe, the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will depart for Beijing direct and arrive in the city on June 26. During the stay in Beijing, she will report to the Vice Premier of the State Council, Mr Han Zheng, the views and suggestions of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and different sectors of the community on matters relating to the development plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will join the visit. Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong in the early hours on June 27. During her absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be the Acting Chief Executive. Ends/Sunday, June 24, 2018 Issued at HKT 20:12 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by Acting CE at media session
23.6.2018

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a media session after attending Fight Drugs Together 2018 today (June 23): Reporter: Many constructions of Leighton have many problems. Does that mean Leighton has some trust problems, or this company is no longer trustworthy? Acting Chief Executive: As I said a few days ago at a function, the Development Bureau has already asked Leighton (Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited) to produce evidence and information, particularly about its works in respect of the Hung Hom MTR Station of the Shatin-Central Line. And also of course in respect of the excavation work, the support work in connection with the Exhibition Station, the Development Bureau will also ask them to provide the report within a certain time frame. So we are following up on the general performance of Leighton in respect of government contracts. Of course, the question of responsibility in respect of Hung Hom Station must be left to the independent statutory Commission of Inquiry that will be set up soon. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Saturday, June 23, 2018 Issued at HKT 19:17 NNNN