kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting
12.9.2017

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (September 12): Reporter: Mrs Lam, but some say the Government's high-profile condemnation, including your own statement, was a means to narrow the freedom of expression on university campuses and you might be part of the cause of the social divide that you just talked about. How do you respond to that? And also, does the Government have any position on how and when the by-election of the LegCo seats should be carried out? Chief Executive: Well, on the first question, I have said I'm not going to comment on these issues again. I respect institutional autonomy and freedom of speech. This is not a question about freedom of speech. This is a question of whether we are respecting “one country, two systems”, and whether we are concerned about the development of Hong Kong, and also whether we are a compassionate society, showing respect especially for people who are caught in a very difficult position. On the second question about conducting by-elections, briefly, I have to stress that when and how to conduct by-elections of several Legislative Council seats is a matter for the statutory Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC). But I just want to say that since the judicial proceedings of four of those cases, that is four vacant seats, have come to an end, then one would expect - and I'm sure the EAC will take a similar view - that the by-elections should be conducted as quickly as possible. The Government will provide all the necessary support to the EAC and also the REO (Registration and Electoral Office) in conducting these by-elections in terms of resources, manpower and so on. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Tuesday, September 12, 2017 Issued at HKT 11:58 NNNN
Chief Executive expresses sorrow at passing of Sir David Ford
11.9.2017

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (September 11) expressed sorrow at the passing of the former Chief Secretary Sir David Ford. Sir David joined the Hong Kong Government in 1972 and held various senior positions over the years, including Commissioner in the Hong Kong Government Office in London, Director of Housing, Secretary for Housing, Secretary for the Civil Service and Chief Secretary. He retired from the service in 1997. "Sir David served in the Hong Kong Government for a long period of time before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In particular, as the Chief Secretary, he led the civil service to serve the community with the utmost dedication and made significant contributions. On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, I extend my deepest condolences to Sir David's family," Mrs Lam said. Ends/Monday, September 11, 2017 Issued at HKT 9:04 NNNN
CE condemns improper remarks appearing on university campuses
8.9.2017

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, condemned today (September 8) the improper remarks appearing on university campuses recently. "I was shocked to learn yesterday that extremely callous and insulting remarks targeting the Under Secretary for Education, who is grieving over the passing of her son, were posted on students' notice boards on the campus of the Education University of Hong Kong. I deeply regret and condemn such behaviour. The remarks are entirely disrespectful, against the moral values of society and cold-blooded. The whole community is shocked, grieved and enraged by the appearance of such remarks in a tertiary institution in Hong Kong. I personally got in touch with Professor Stephen Cheung Yan-leung, the President of the Education University of Hong Kong, yesterday night to express my deep concern on the matter," Mrs Lam said. "I also noted that there are slogans on display on different university campuses advocating 'Hong Kong independence'. As I pointed out earlier in response to media enquiries, 'Hong Kong independence' runs against 'One Country, Two Systems' and the Basic Law as well as the overall and long-term interest of society. I condemn the continued appearance of such remarks on university campuses, which is in violation of our country's sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests," Mrs Lam added. Mrs Lam emphasised that the freedom of speech is not without limits, and that academic freedom and autonomy of tertiary institutions are not excuses for the advocacy of fallacies. The above-mentioned remarks have already overstepped the bottom line of society and the public will have their own fair judgement. She expressed the hope that the university administration will take appropriate action as soon as possible. She also said she hoped that different sectors of society would join forces to rectify such abuse of the freedom of speech so as to safeguard the core values of a civic society as well as defend the moral standard that a society like Hong Kong should have. Ends/Friday, September 8, 2017 Issued at HKT 16:32 NNNN
Appointments of Private Columbaria Licensing Board members
8.9.2017

The Chief Executive has appointed nine members to the Private Columbaria Licensing Board for a three-year term from September 8, 2017 to September 7, 2020. The appointments were gazetted today (September 8). The Head, Private Columbaria Affairs Office of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is appointed as an ex officio member and as Chairperson of the Licensing Board. Mr Ip Kwok-him is appointed as an ad personam member and as Deputy Chairperson of the Licensing Board. A spokesman for the Food and Health Bureau said that the non-official members of the Licensing Board come from various fields including legal, planning, building, surveying, engineering, environmental, commercial/ business, accounting, social/community services and more. "The regulation of private columbaria involves complicated and sensitive issues. Members of the Licensing Board come from diverse backgrounds of various professional fields, and are equipped with wide exposure to public services. With their wealth of expertise and experience, they will provide the needed knowledge and valuable advice to the Licensing Board to discharge its statutory functions," the spokesman said. The Licensing Board is a statutory body established under section 8(1) of the Private Columbaria Ordinance (Cap. 630) for regulating the operation and management of private columbaria and, in particular, handling the applications for specified instruments (licence, exemption and temporary suspension of liability), issuing relevant guidelines and codes of practice and handling complaints. The membership list of the Licensing Board for the first term is as follows: Ex officio member Head, Private Columbaria Affairs Office of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (Chairperson) Members appointed on an ad personam basis Mr Ip Kwok-him (Deputy Chairperson) Mr Cheung Hau-wai Mr James Mathew Fong Dr Ho Chi-ming Ms Elizabeth Law Professor Johnny Ng Kit-chong Professor James Kenneth Pong Kam-keung Miss Alice Wan Ngai-teck Ends/Friday, September 8, 2017 Issued at HKT 11:40 NNNN
International Conference on &quot;One Health: Connect and Proact&quot; begins today
5.9.2017

The International Conference on "One Health: Connect and Proact", organised by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, is being held for two consecutive days from today (September 5) at the Central Government Offices, gathering veterinarians, medical doctors and other professionals of various disciplines from around the world to promote the concept of "One Health" together with a view to enhancing public health. The conference is one of the celebration activities for the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In light of the threats of antimicrobial resistance and emergence of zoonoses in recent years, this conference aims to promote the concept of "One Health" and provides a platform for scholars and professionals of various disciplines from around the world to exchange their knowledge and experience on "One Health" from different perspectives to enhance public health collaboratively and proactively. Addressing the audience at the cocktail reception, the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, welcomed local and overseas speakers as well as participants who are attending to share their experience and expert knowledge with a view to enhancing the policies and measures to safeguard public health. The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Food), Mrs Cherry Tse; and the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Dr Leung Siu-fai, also attended the event. Featuring a series of speaking and discussion sessions, the International Conference on "One Health: Connect and Proact" is being attended by some 200 participants including local and overseas government representatives and veterinary, medical and academic counterparts from various institutions and professional bodies. For details of the conference, please visit www.afcd.gov.hk/misc/download/onehealth/en/index.html . Ends/Tuesday, September 5, 2017 Issued at HKT 19:10 NNNN
Ceremony to commemorate victory day of Chinese people&apos;s war of resistance against Japanese aggression
1.9.2017

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and senior government officials will attend an official ceremony on Sunday (September 3) at City Hall Memorial Garden to commemorate the victory of the Chinese people's war of resistance against Japanese aggression. The official ceremony will be held at 8am. The ceremony will include a performance by the Police Band, singing of the national anthem by a choir from Wah Yan College, Kowloon and Heep Yunn School, flag raising, a gun salute by the Police Rifle Squad, silence in mourning and wreath laying. About 880 people including judicial officers, members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, representatives of war veteran groups, members of the community, uniformed groups and students will attend the ceremony. In view of the limited capacity at the venue, there will be no public viewing area for the ceremony. Radio Television Hong Kong will provide a live broadcast of the ceremony on the day. The Police will implement temporary traffic arrangements at the northern section of Edinburgh Place outside Hong Kong City Hall on the day from 5.30am onwards until the end of the ceremony. Vehicular access to the northern section of Edinburgh Place outside Hong Kong City Hall will be closed and entry will be restricted to vehicles with the appropriate Closed Road Permit. Ends/Friday, September 1, 2017 Issued at HKT 15:00 NNNN
Financial Leaders Forum convenes first meeting
30.8.2017

The Financial Leaders Forum, chaired by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, held its first meeting today (August 30). The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met with members of the Forum before the meeting. She said, "The financial services sector is one of Hong Kong's pillar industries, accounting for about 18 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product. As an international financial centre and the biggest offshore Renminbi centre in the world, Hong Kong should actively seize the opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, so that the financial services sector can better serve our real economy." She thanked the member regulators for their efforts over the years in establishing a credible financial system, paying tribute as well to the Financial Services Development Council for contributing valuable advice in different aspects of the sector in the past four years or so. Mrs Lam said she hoped that the financial services sector would reach new heights under the Forum's forward-looking leadership. The Forum discussed at today's meeting the future development of Hong Kong's listing platform, the joint consultation by the Securities and Futures Commission and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on the listing regulatory structure, and received an update on implementation of reports published earlier by the Financial Services Development Council. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Chan said, "The Government attaches great importance to enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness as an international financial centre. While we endeavour to uphold market quality, we should also actively seek to further develop and broaden our capital markets." He added that he looked forward to working in collaboration with the members of the Forum to promote the long-term development of the financial services industry in Hong Kong. The terms of reference and composition of the Forum were announced via the press release issued on August 18, 2017. The Forum held its first meeting today and will meet again in the next quarter. Ends/Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Issued at HKT 17:30 NNNN
CE to visit Shenzhen
30.8.2017

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will visit Shenzhen tomorrow (August 31). The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will also join the visit. During her visit, Mrs Lam will officiate at the opening ceremony of "20……43 Business of Hong Kong Design" - Shenzhen exhibition and the foundation stone laying ceremony of a park in Qianhai for Shenzhen and Hong Kong design and creative industries. She will also visit Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation Entrepreneurship Base and a technology enterprise, as well as meet with leaders of the Shenzhen Municipal Government. Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on the same day. Ends/Wednesday, August 30, 2017 Issued at HKT 10:22 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting
29.8.2017

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (August 29): Reporter: So what is the direction of legislation? Would anybody booing the national anthem be arrested in the future? And do you think by making the law under the highly polarised society will lead to any political consequences? Chief Executive: Not at all. I think protecting the dignity of the national anthem is the obligation and the responsibility of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and indeed of any Chinese national. But the exact scope and content of the local legislation will have to be considered in light of the legislation going to be enacted by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. I just want to reiterate that rightly so that we are living in a more politicised environment, but we need not adopt this very politicised stance in considering and dealing with any matter. This particular matter of national anthem legislation does not carry any particular scope for politicisation. Let’s just deal with it as a piece of national nation-wide legislation and implement it in Hong Kong in accordance with the Basic Law. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Tuesday, August 29, 2017 Issued at HKT 11:11 NNNN
Appointment to Task Force on Land Supply
29.8.2017

The Chief Executive has appointed 22 non-official and eight official members to the Task Force on Land Supply (Task Force) for a term of one and a half years from September 1, 2017 to February 28, 2019. The membership will be published in the gazette on September 1. Mr Stanley Wong Yuen-fai and Dr Greg Wong Chak-yan will serve as Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Task Force respectively. A spokesman for the Development Bureau said, "Providing a steady and sustainable land supply to cope with Hong Kong's various development needs tops the Government's agenda. As set out in the Chief Executive's election manifesto, the Task Force will take a macro review of the land supply options. Specifically, it will, building on the multi-pronged land supply strategy adopted by the Government, review and evaluate other land supply options, and launch a public engagement exercise to engage the community in discussions on the pros and cons of different options and their priorities. The ultimate objective is to build consensus in the community and draw up a broad framework of recommendations on the overall land supply strategy with prioritisation of different land supply options for further consideration by the Government." "The Task Force is made up of members coming from various professional disciplines, including planning, engineering, architecture, surveying and environment, as well as members involved in the academia, think tanks, social services, housing development and district administration. With their wealth of experience and expertise, we are confident that the Task Force will come up with constructive ideas and will effectively engage the community in rational and objective discussions over different options," the spokesman added. The Task Force will hold its first meeting on September 6. Following is the Task Force's membership: Chairman ----------- Mr Stanley Wong Yuen-fai Vice-chairman ---------------- Dr Greg Wong Chak-yan Non-official members ------------------------ Professor Chau Kwong-wing Mr Cheung Hok-ming Mr Simon Fung Shing-cheung Mr Ho Hei-wah Ms Iris Hoi Professor Lam Kin-che Mr Lau Chun-kong Professor Jimmy Leung Cheuk-fai Professor Francis Lui Ting-ming Dr Eunice Mak Hoi-cheung Dr Ng Cho-nam Mr Vincent Ng Wing-shun Dr Derrick Pang Yat-bond Mr Jasper Tsang Yok-sing Ir Wai Chi-sing Mr Wong Kit-loong Mr Wong Kwun Mr Stephen Wong Yuen-shan Professor Anthony Wu Ting-yuk Mr Ricky Yu Wai-yip Official members ------------------- Secretary for Development or representative Secretary for the Environment or representative Secretary for Transport and Housing or representative Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) or representative Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) or representative Director of Civil Engineering and Development or representative Director of Lands or representative Director of Planning or representative Secretary ----------- Principal Assistant Secretary (Planning and Lands), Development Bureau Ends/Tuesday, August 29, 2017 Issued at HKT 10:39 NNNN
Acting CE visits Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre
27.8.2017

The Acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, visited the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) of the Security Bureau at around 8am today (August 27) to understand the measures and works undertaken by various departments in response to Typhoon Pakhar. Mr Cheung directed all officers on duty to remain vigilant in discharging their duties and closely monitor the city's situation. They should take all possible and immediate actions to handle emergencies, so as to protect the lives and property of Hong Kong people. He also expressed his appreciation to civil servant colleagues and staff members in other organisations for their dedication and hard work during inclement weather to ensure that Hong Kong continues to be safe and orderly. The EMSC will be activated when no. 8 gale or storm signal is hoisted to co-ordinate the resources and emergency response operations across various departments. Ends/Sunday, August 27, 2017 Issued at HKT 10:50 NNNN
CE visits Tianjin
26.8.2017

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, arrived in Tianjin today (August 26) to commence her three-day visit. On arrival in Tianjin in the afternoon, Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, called on the Secretary of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, Mr Li Hongzhong, and the Mayor of Tianjin, Mr Wang Dongfeng, and attended a welcome dinner hosted by them. Mrs Lam congratulated them on hosting the 13th National Games in Tianjin and wished the event a great success. She said that the Hong Kong team is participating in the Games for the sixth time since Hong Kong's return to the motherland and that the delegation, comprising 350 people of which 254 are athletes, is the biggest ever, reflecting the importance Hong Kong has attached to the nurture of elite athletes in recent years. Mrs Lam pointed out that Hong Kong and Tianjin have always been close. In particular, Hong Kong is the largest source of external investment in Tianjin, with more than 9,000 Hong Kong enterprises in the city. There are also more than 10 Tianjin enterprises listed in Hong Kong, leveraging on Hong Kong’s international platform to "go global". In recent years, Tianjin and Hong Kong also collaborate in areas such as technology and engineering, for example, the MTR Corporation Limited signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Tianjin Metro Group on consultancy services for subway and transit-oriented development in June this year. At the meeting, Mrs Lam also expressed her gratitude to the Tianjin Municipal Government for its tremendous help in the establishment of the Tianjin Liaison Unit of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Starting operation in February this year, the Unit will help strengthen ties between the two places. Mrs Lam will continue her visit to Tianjin tomorrow (August 27). Ends/Saturday, August 26, 2017 Issued at HKT 22:01 NNNN
CE meets Governor of Sichuan Province
24.8.2017

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Governor of Sichuan Province, Mr Yin Li, at the Chief Executive's Office this afternoon (August 24). Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Yin’s visit to Hong Kong and on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, extended her sympathies to the Sichuan people who suffered and the families of those who died in the earthquake in Jiuzhaigou, Aba Prefecture in Sichuan early this month. Mrs Lam said in the meeting that Hong Kong and Sichuan have always been close, highlighting that Hong Kong is the largest source of external investment in Sichuan and that Hong Kong set up an Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu as early as 2006. Through its participation in the post-quake reconstruction in Wenchuan, Sichuan between 2008 and 2016, Hong Kong has established deep friendship and started co-operation with Sichuan in various aspects. Mrs Lam proposed to Mr Yin that with the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, Hong Kong and Sichuan can explore further cooperation in areas including finance, economic and trade, tourism, innovation and technology, sea transport and logistics, people-to-people exchanges, food regulation as well as health and medical services. Both sides agreed at the meeting to establish a comprehensive co-operation platform between Hong Kong and Sichuan and would further discuss the concrete arrangements. Ends/Thursday, August 24, 2017 Issued at HKT 20:53 NNNN