kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
CE expresses sorrow over passing of Ms Florence Hui
3.12.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (December 3) expressed sorrow over the passing of former Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui, and extended her deepest condolences to Ms Hui's family. Ms Hui was appointed as Under Secretary for Home Affairs in 2008 and was among the first batch of Under Secretaries of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. She served in that position until June 30, 2017. "Ms Hui had been dedicated to serving the Hong Kong community for years. In her tenure as the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, she worked in the promotion of civic education, district and community relations, culture, recreation and sport. She was sincere, passionate about arts and culture and attached importance to communication with the industry, earning the respect of those who had worked with her both inside or outside the Government. After leaving the Government, she continued to serve the community and was appointed as a board member of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Limited in March this year. "I am deeply saddened by her passing away at such a young age." Mrs Lam said. Ends/Monday, December 3, 2018 Issued at HKT 23:33 NNNN
CE meets NPCSC&apos;s HKSAR Basic Law Committee Chairman
3.12.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Mr Shen Chunyao, at Government House this afternoon (December 3). Principal Officials including the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, and the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, were also present. Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Shen's visit to Hong Kong to be the guest speaker at the Constitution Day Seminar tomorrow (December 4). She noted that the country's Constitution and the Basic Law together form the constitutional basis of the HKSAR, providing a legal basis for the country's basic policies on Hong Kong, namely "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy, laying the cornerstones for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. Mrs Lam said that the HKSAR Government will continue to enhance the community's understanding of the Constitution through such means as seminars, exhibitions, electronic media and school visits, and will also continue to promote the Basic Law. Ends/Monday, December 3, 2018 Issued at HKT 21:04 NNNN
CE meets Secretary of CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee
3.12.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Secretary of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee, Mr Luo Huining, at Government House this morning (December 3). Welcoming Mr Luo's first visit to Hong Kong in his capacity as the Secretary of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee to attend a promotional event on attracting investment in Shanxi, Mrs Lam wished his visit in Hong Kong every success. Mrs Lam said that the exchanges between Shanxi and Hong Kong have become more frequent with close economic and trade ties and there is much room for development. Noting that Shanxi has rich energy resources and a strong industrial base, Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong has the unique advantage of "One Country, Two Systems" with a well-established legal and judicial system, efficient professional services and a large pool of professional and management talents and can provide a platform for Shanxi enterprises to attract foreign investment and "go global". She added that Hong Kong is an international financial centre and welcomes Shanxi enterprises to list in Hong Kong. On people-to-people exchanges, she said she was pleased to note that Shanxi has rich heritage and expressed the hope that Shanxi can arrange heritage exhibitions in Hong Kong to deepen Hong Kong people's understanding of Shanxi. She also briefed Mr Luo on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's enhanced internship programmes in the Mainland launched in recent years for places including the Palace Museum, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan and said she hopes that the Shanxi Government could provide similar internship opportunities for young Hong Kong people in the future. Ends/Monday, December 3, 2018 Issued at HKT 15:36 NNNN
Speech by CE at &quot;Hong Kong Week 2018 - Greater Bay Area Showcase&quot; in Tokyo
1.11.2018

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at Hong Kong Week 2018 - Greater Bay Area Showcase in Tokyo today (November 1): Ms Zeng (Director of the Tourism Administration of Guangdong Province, Ms Zeng Yingru), Helena (Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Ms Marie Helena de Senna Fernandes), Kikuma-san (Vice Chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Mr Jungo Kikuma), Peter (Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Peter Lam), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon. It is with great pleasure that I join you here in Tokyo, at this important event organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. For decades, Hong Kong and Japan have been enjoying a close relationship in various areas, and tourism is certainly no exception. With visa-free arrangement and frequent flight connections between Hong Kong and 13 cities in Japan, Hong Kong and Japan are each other's fourth largest source market of tourists. I am confident that the number of visitors will continue to grow, for 2019 has been designated as Hong Kong-Japan Tourism Year with a series of promotion activities to be launched. There are now new reasons to visit Hong Kong, or stay a bit longer in Hong Kong. With the opening of the 26-kilometre Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high speed train in September and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge last week, you will find making short day trips to the neighbouring cities so much more convenient. With travelling time significantly shortened, visitors will be able to sample the charm of Macao's heritage and her world-class resorts and entertainment facilities, as well as the cultural and entertainment attractions, scenic historical spots, and tasty Cantonese cuisine offered by the Greater Bay Area Mainland cities. For those who love art and culture, the West Kowloon Cultural District, one of the world's largest cultural quarters in the making, is something not to be missed. By end of this year, the Xiqu Centre, the Cultural District's dedicated Chinese opera house, will open. This will be followed by two world-class museums, namely the M+ museum for contemporary arts and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which will feature the artefacts of Chinese art and culture from the imperial collection of the Beijing Palace Museum. For today's Greater Bay Area Showcase, I would like to thank our friends from the Guangdong Provincial Tourism Administration and the Macao Government Tourism Office for joining us in showcasing the many attractions of the Greater Bay Area. For our Japanese friends, please come to visit these three diverse and yet captivating destinations to enjoy a vacation that is three times as thrilling, three times as enticing, and three times as memorable! I look forward to welcoming you all in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. Thank you very much. Ends/Thursday, November 1, 2018 Issued at HKT 15:59 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by CE on traffic accident at Cheung Tsing Highway
30.11.2018

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before LegCo luncheon this afternoon (November 30): Reporter: Mrs Lam, do you think the Government should tighten regulations on long work hours of these drivers, because similar accidents have happened again? Chief Executive: I think it is too early to draw a conclusion out of this very tragic incident. Of course, the Police are still investigating the incident, and before they come up with any conclusion of the investigation or even a subsequent investigation it is premature to draw any conclusion, and that's why it is not appropriate for the Government to suggest what sort of remedial measures that we should take. But as you will recall, we did have this sort of serious incidents from time to time, and every time the Government would take it very seriously. Whether we need to have an independent inquiry, as in the case of very serious incident, or very detailed investigation or Coroner's Court, we have a very well-established system and the Government will do whatever is required as a result of those investigations. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Friday, November 30, 2018 Issued at HKT 14:54 NNNN
Chief Executive&apos;s Office responds to media enquiries
29.11.2018

In response to media enquiries on the suspected security loopholes in the application procedures for credit reports from TransUnion Limited (TransUnion), a spokesman for the Chief Executive's Office said: As TransUnion holds a massive amount of the public's personal data, it has the responsibility to protect such data with effective security measures. If there are any loopholes in the system, TransUnion must take immediate remedial actions to protect the rights of the public. We noticed that the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data issued a statement yesterday (November 28), stating that the Office had contacted TransUnion and initiated a compliance check to find out the facts and assist the company in taking immediate remedial actions. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has also requested through the Hong Kong Association of Banks TransUnion to investigate the incident immediately and to strengthen the authentication procedures required to obtain the personal data as soon as possible. As regards the Chief Executive's personal data, the Chief Executive has received a letter from TransUnion stating that the company has taken remedial measures to enhance data protection. Ends/Thursday, November 29, 2018 Issued at HKT 18:00 NNNN
CE meets Governor of Liaoning Province
28.11.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Governor of Liaoning Province, Mr Tang Yijun, at the Chief Executive's Office this afternoon (November 28). Welcoming Mr Tang's first visit to Hong Kong in his capacity as the Governor of Liaoning Province, Mrs Lam said she was pleased to meet with him again following their meeting in September last year when he was the Deputy Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee. She also congratulated him on the successful hosting of the economic and trade promotion event between Liaoning and Hong Kong today. Mrs Lam said that Liaoning and Hong Kong have close economic and trade ties and Hong Kong has been the largest source of external investment in Liaoning over the years. She added that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region set up the Liaoning Liaison Unit (LNLU) at the end of 2014 to further strengthen co-operation between the two places in areas including economic and trade affairs, culture and arts as well as youth exchanges, and expressed the hope that Mr Tang will continue the support for the work of the LNLU to promote co-operation between Liaoning and Hong Kong. She pointed out that Hong Kong is a premier international financial centre and ranks top in the world in terms of initial public offering funds raised so far this year and that Hong Kong has a well-developed and internationally-aligned professional services sector. With the further opening up of Liaoning Province, she said she welcomes Liaoning enterprises to make use of Hong Kong as the platform to "go global" and to jointly explore the international market. Ends/Wednesday, November 28, 2018 Issued at HKT 20:35 NNNN
CE meets President of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
27.11.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Professor Xie Fuzhan, at Government House this afternoon (November 27). The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, was also present. Mrs Lam welcomed the visit of Professor Xie and his delegation to Hong Kong to attend the International Forum on China's Economy and Policy 2018, which was jointly held today by the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office and the National Academy of Economic Strategy of the CASS. The forum, themed "Forty Years of Reform and Opening Up", attracted some 300 participants. The CASS, a premier academic organisation and comprehensive research centre in the fields of philosophy and social sciences in the Mainland, has co-organised the International Forum on China's Economy and Policy with the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) a number of times, fostering policy research on economic and social issues of the two places. Mrs Lam said that the excellent policy research conducted by the CASS on the nation's reform and opening up, in addition to the modernisation process, could serve as an important reference for the HKSAR in integrating into the overall development of the country and seizing opportunities brought by the country's development. She expressed the hope that the CASS and the Chinese Institute of Hong Kong - the CASS branch set up in Hong Kong last year - would help promote exchanges and co-operation in humanities and social sciences between Hong Kong and the Mainland, including the nurturing of talent, universal education and research in the relevant areas, to help young people in Hong Kong deepen their understanding of the country and strengthen research to assist Hong Kong's future development. Ends/Tuesday, November 27, 2018 Issued at HKT 19:53 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting
27.11.2018

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (November 27): Reporter: Mrs Lam, what expectation do you have on the new lawmaker, and are you going to take the opportunity of strong pro-government power in the legislature to roll out controversial laws like Article 23 or to make it easier to pass like the Lantau Tomorrow Project? Chief Executive: Since taking office last July I have adopted a very consistent approach in interacting with members of the Legislative Council regardless of their political affiliations. So, I’ve been attending more frequently meetings of the Legislative Council to answer questions and address concerns from members with different political backgrounds, and diligently follow up on their suggestions and ideas. This particular result of the by-election will not have any material impact on what I have been doing in the last 16 months or so. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Tuesday, November 27, 2018 Issued at HKT 15:49 NNNN
Government appoints URA Board non-executive directors
23.11.2018

The Government today (November 23) announced that the Chief Executive has, pursuant to section 4 of the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance, re-appointed Professor Joseph Lee Kok-long, Ms Alice Mak Mei-kuen and Mr Wu Chi-wai as non-official non-executive directors of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) Board for a term of two years from December 1, 2018, to November 30, 2020. The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, welcomed the appointments. "The re-appointment of the three Legislative Council members to the URA Board will help keep the wide representation on the Board and continue the close link between the URA and the Legislative Council," Mr Wong said. The URA Board comprises 20 non-official non-executive directors (including the Chairman), four official non-executive directors and three executive directors. All the non-official non-executive directors are appointed in their personal capacity. The membership of the URA Board is set out below: Chairman ----------- Mr Victor So Hing-woh Non-Executive Directors (Non-official) ------------------------------------------ Mr Evan Au Yang Chi-chun Ms Judy Chan Ka-pui Dr Ann Chiang Lai-wan Mr Edward Chow Kwong-fai Mr Laurence Ho Hoi-ming Professor Eddie Hui Chi-man Mr Nelson Lam Chi-yuen Professor Joseph Lee Kok-long Dr Gregg Li Ka-lok Mr Laurence Li Lu-jen Mr Roger Luk Koon-hoo Mr Timothy Ma Kam-wah Ms Alice Mak Mei-kuen Dr Lawrence Poon Wing-cheung Mr David Tang Chi-fai Mrs Cecilia Wong Ng Kit-wah Mr Michael Wong Yick-kam Mr Stanley Wong Yuen-fai Mr Wu Chi-wai Non-Executive Directors (Official) ------------------------------------- Director of Buildings Director of Lands Director of Planning Deputy Director of Home Affairs (2) Executive Directors ---------------------- Managing Director/Deputy Chairman Two Executive Directors Ends/Friday, November 23, 2018 Issued at HKT 12:00 NNNN
CE expresses sorrow over passing of Mr Lau Nai-keung
22.11.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (November 22) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of member of the Committee for the Basic Law Mr Lau Nai-keung. "Mr Lau had actively participated in public and community service for a long time, showing his care for the country and Hong Kong, in particular in the work on the Basic Law. He served as a member of the Basic Law Consultative Committee before Hong Kong's return to the motherland and had been a member of the Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress since 2007, contributing significantly to the promotion and research of the Basic Law. "I am saddened by his passing. On behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family," Mrs Lam said. Ends/Thursday, November 22, 2018 Issued at HKT 12:34 NNNN
CE meets Secretary of CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee
20.11.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr Li Xi, at Government House this morning (November 20). The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah; the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, were also present. Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Li's first visit to Hong Kong after his assumption of office as the Secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee last year and the delegation led by him which includes the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Ma Xingrui. She thanked Mr Li for supporting the work of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in various areas all along since he took office, in particular in providing Hong Kong young people with more opportunities for exchanges, studying and starting businesses in Guangdong Province and implementing a number of facilitation measures to help Hong Kong people living in the Mainland. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the reform and opening up of the country, she pointed out that Hong Kong has contributed to the reform and opening up and developed close ties with Guangdong Province, in which Hong Kong is still the largest source of external investment. Looking ahead, she said that Hong Kong will continue to step up co-operation with Guangdong Province, especially in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, in which Hong Kong and Guangdong may complement each other to jointly establish an international innovation and technology hub in the Greater Bay Area, and that both sides may arrange more activities to promote the advantages of the Greater Bay Area overseas. After the meeting, Mrs Lam hosted a lunch for Mr Li and the delegation members. Ends/Tuesday, November 20, 2018 Issued at HKT 19:38 NNNN
Government House open to the public on November 25
20.11.2018

Government House will be open to the public on November 25 (Sunday) from 10am to 5pm. Visitors will be able to view the well-nurtured flowers and trees in the garden and the landscaped area of Government House, and see the places where the Chief Executive holds official functions and receives dignitaries. There will also be guided tours by the Antiquities and Monuments Office on the history and architectural features of the distinguished building. "On the open day, visitors will be able to enjoy music performances by the Hong Kong Police Band and student ensembles as well as magic shows. Display boards and QR codes will be set up along the visitors' route to share details of the history, architecture and important moments of Government House. Visitors may use their smartphones or other mobile devices with suitable software to browse information about Government House," a government spokesman said. "For the first time, souvenir chops featuring Government House will be available at specific locations along the visitors' route. Visitors may bring along paper for stamping." (A photo of one of the stamps is attached for reference.) The spokesman added that as a large number of visitors are anticipated on the day, queuing outside Government House may be stopped before 5pm so that those waiting in the queue can be admitted in time. Visitors will enter the garden through the east gate on Upper Albert Road and leave through the main gate of Government House. The visitors' routing is one-way only. They are encouraged to arrive by public transport or on foot. Water dispensers will be available at the venue. To care for the environment, no disposable cups will be provided. Visitors are welcome to bring their own bottles. Visitors may visit the website of Government House ( www.ceo.gov.hk/gh/eng ) for details of the open day. Government House is a declared monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. Ends/Tuesday, November 20, 2018 Issued at HKT 18:00 NNNN
CE meets Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
19.11.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Mr Peter O'Neill, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, this morning (November 19). Mrs Lam congratulated Papua New Guinea on the successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2018 Economic Leaders' Meeting and the related meetings, noting that it will boost the country's development. She said that Hong Kong is willing to strengthen exchanges and collaboration with Papua New Guinea and that Hong Kong can provide quality professional services and share its rich experience in city management with the country. While attending the APEC meetings, Mrs Lam held bilateral meetings with the leaders of a number of countries including Australia, Malaysia and Vietnam to explore opportunities for further co-operation. During a media interview, she reaffirmed the support of Hong Kong, a founding member of the World Trade Organization, for free trade and the multilateral trading system. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will also proactively formulate appropriate social policy initiatives to ensure inclusive development. Mrs Lam will depart for Hong Kong this afternoon. Ends/Monday, November 19, 2018 Issued at HKT 13:02 NNNN