kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
CE to visit Japan
22.10.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will visit Japan from October 29 to November 2. The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau; and the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, will join parts of the visit. During the five-day visit, Mrs Lam will meet with senior government officials, members of parliament, members of the business and political sectors and professionals in Japan. She will speak at the "Think Global, Think Hong Kong" symposium and dinner organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and at an activity to promote tourism in the Greater Bay Area organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, as well as at a forum on financial co-operation between the Greater Bay Area and Japanese enterprises organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Japan and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong. In addition, Mrs Lam will attend an architecture exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, a cheongsam exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Arts Centre, and a special concert presented by alumni of the Asian Youth Orchestra from Hong Kong and Japan. She will also meet with the leaders of a number of education institutions and organisations specialising in innovation and technology (I&T), and conduct visits to seek further collaboration in I&T between Japan and Hong Kong. Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong on November 2. During her absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be the Acting Chief Executive. Ends/Monday, October 22, 2018 Issued at HKT 19:25 NNNN
HKSAR Government and AIIB sign Special Fund Contribution Agreement
22.10.2018

The Acting Chief Executive, Mr Paul Chan, and the President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Mr Jin Liqun, witnessed today (October 22) the signing of the AIIB Project Preparation Special Fund Contribution Agreement between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the AIIB. The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, and the Vice President (Policy & Strategy) of the AIIB, Dr Joachim von Amsberg, represented the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the AIIB respectively to sign the Agreement. Mr Chan and Mr Lau met with Mr Jin and the senior management of the AIIB before the signing ceremony. Welcoming the visiting delegation, Mr Chan said that Hong Kong as a member of the AIIB is pleased to contribute US$10 million to the AIIB Project Preparation Special Fund for supporting low-income countries. He also looked forward to the AIIB making good use of Hong Kong as a hub to source investment opportunities, prospective investors and financing partners. Mr Chan also thanked Mr Jin for accepting the invitation to attend the annual Asian Financial Forum. With the theme of "Creating a Sustainable and Inclusive Future", the 2019 forum is scheduled to be held in Hong Kong on January 14 and 15. Ends/Monday, October 22, 2018 Issued at HKT 20:12 NNNN
Appointments to the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Board
22.10.2018

​The Government today (October 22) announced appointments by the Chief Executive to the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) for a two-year term from October 23, 2018 to October 22, 2020. The list of appointees is as follows: Mr Ronald Arculli (Vice-Chairman) Mr Benjamin Cha Yiu-chung* Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan Mr Chan Chi-chiu* Mr Henry Fan Hung-ling* Mr Glenn Fok* Mr Wilson Fung Ying-wai Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung Dr Kan Tai-keung Mr Leo Kung Lin-cheng Ms Rose Lee Wai-mun* Dr Lo Wai-kwok Ms Dee Poon Chu-ying* Ms Winnie Tam Wan-chi Mr Wan Man-yee Secretary for Home Affairs or alternate representative Secretary for Development or alternate representative Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury or alternate representative (*new appointee) A Government spokesman said that the 15 non-official members, with their wealth of experience and expertise in different sectors, including arts and culture, engineering, surveying, business and finance, law and community service, would provide needed knowledge and valuable advice to the Board to discharge its statutory duties and to oversee the development and operation of the WKCD. "I would like to thank the six outgoing members, Dr Victor Lo Chung-wing, Mr Ma Fung-kwok, Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung, Dr Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, Dr Fu Yuning and Ms Anita Fung Yuen-mei, for their invaluable contribution to the work of the Board, and I look forward to their continual support for the WKCD project in other capacities," said the Secretary for Home Affairs Mr Lau Kong-wah. The WKCDA Ordinance (Cap. 601) provides that the Board is the governing and executive body of the WKCDA. It is responsible for the planning, development, operation and maintenance of the arts and cultural facilities and related facilities in the WKCD. Ends/Monday, October 22, 2018 Issued at HKT 15:20 NNNN
CE to visit Beijing and Hebei
22.10.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will visit Beijing and Hebei from October 23 to 25. The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; 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 accompany Mrs Lam on the visit. Mrs Lam will depart for Beijing in the evening on October 23. She will attend the 4th Hong Kong/Beijing Co-operation Conference and the opening ceremony of the 22nd Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium the next day. While in Beijing, she will call on the central ministries and meet with municipal leaders. The Hong Kong/Beijing Co-operation Conference, formerly known as the Hong Kong-Beijing Economic and Trade Co-operation Conference, was established in 2004 and three plenary sessions have been held. During Mrs Lam's meeting with the Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, Mr Cai Qi, and the Mayor of Beijing, Mr Chen Jining, in Beijing at the beginning of this year, both sides agreed to hold another plenary session as soon as possible to further co-operation between the two places in various aspects such as economic and trade, livelihood and social affairs. The Beijing-Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium has been held annually since 1997 and the two cities alternate to host the symposium. The Chief Executive also attended the symposium in Hong Kong last year. This year's symposium, with the Belt and Road Initiative as the theme, will feature a series of activities on the development and further opening up of the Belt and Road Initiative, technology and cultural innovation, major works projects and city management. Mrs Lam will then go to Hebei where she will meet with leaders of Hebei Province and conduct a visit on October 25. She will return to Hong Kong in the evening. During Mrs Lam's absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be the Acting Chief Executive. Ends/Monday, October 22, 2018 Issued at HKT 14:40 NNNN
CE expresses sorrow over passing of Mr Zheng Xiaosong
21.10.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (October 21) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region, Mr Zheng Xiaosong. "I knew Mr Zheng who was working in Fujian Province while I was the Chief Secretary for Administration and together with him, promoted the co-operation between Hong Kong and Fujian, including co-chairing the first Hong Kong/Fujian Co-operation Conference in 2015, laying a solid foundation for further exchanges between the two places. He had worked in Hong Kong earlier and was familiar with Hong Kong and concerned about the development of the city. I was grieved to learn of his sudden departure. 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/Sunday, October 21, 2018 Issued at HKT 13:06 NNNN
CE to attend opening ceremony of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in Zhuhai
20.10.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will depart for Zhuhai in the afternoon on October 22 to attend the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge the next morning at the passenger clearance building of the Zhuhai Port. Officials to attend the ceremony include the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC; the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee; the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on October 23. During her absence, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, will be the Acting Chief Executive. Ends/Saturday, October 20, 2018 Issued at HKT 18:47 NNNN
CE visits STEM Education Centre
18.10.2018

To mark the first anniversary of the opening of the STEM Education Centre under the Education Bureau, the event "STEM Education Centre: Supporting STEM education and sharing of students' achievement" was held today (October 18). The event aimed to consolidate the experience on supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in schools over the past year, share students' work and introduce the services for this school year. The Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam officiated the event at the STEM Education Centre in Lok Fu. Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, visited various facilities in the Centre and showed appreciation for prize-winning students' work and students' achievements, including a 3D printed Chinese cultural architecture design model as well as air-cushioned sliding raft and hovercraft model projects. She also visited the Maker Space of the Centre and observed students' participation in STEM learning activities. The STEM Education Centre will organise various STEM education related courses and activities this school year, including STEM education training programmes for teachers to enhance their pedagogical knowledge, and inter-school competitions for students to provide opportunities for them to integrate and apply knowledge and skills acquired, unleash creativity and solve problems through hands-on learning experiences. The Centre will continue to provide school-based support services to partner schools with on-site support and experience sharing to support them to further promote STEM education. The STEM Education Centre has been providing support to primary and secondary schools in promoting STEM education since its opening in October 2017. Detailed information of the STEM Education Centre is available on its website ( www.atec.edu.hk/stemcentre ). Ends/Thursday, October 18, 2018 Issued at HKT 16:40 NNNN
Ceremony to Commemorate Those Who Died in the Defence of Hong Kong
17.10.2018

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today (October 17, Chung Yeung Festival) held an annual official ceremony at the Hong Kong City Hall Memorial Garden in commemoration of those who died in the defence of Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945. The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, attended the ceremony and laid a wreath. Senior government officials, representatives from the Judiciary and members of the Legislative Council and the Executive Council were also present at the ceremony. They were joined by representatives of Central People's Government organisations in Hong Kong, members of the Consular Corps concerned, religious leaders, community dignitaries, former members of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, war veterans' groups, uniformed groups and student groups. Ends/Wednesday, October 17, 2018 Issued at HKT 10:11 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by CE at media session before ExCo meeting
16.10.2018

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (October 16): Reporter: Mrs Lam, how can those seeking election show that they've changed their political views? Or are election bans for life? Secondly, last week you said Lau Siu-lai's disqualification was based on fact, as well as based on the opinion of one man, the official who claims she believes in independence. Would you agree it can only be one of these two things? Chief Executive: I'm sorry, the decision about whether a candidate could be qualified to contest in an election and in this case a by-election is a decision made by the Returning Officer in accordance with the law and the facts, and I'm afraid that that particular case may go through an election petition or even a judicial review in due course, therefore it is not proper for me to comment on the details of the case. Reporter: Can they change their views though? Chief Executive: It's not proper for me to comment on a case which is going to go through a petition or a judicial review process. Reporter: Mrs Lam, you said you want to give hope to Hong Kong people, but what do you want to say to the thousands of people who either signed petition and protested last weekend against the Lantau Tomorrow project? Chief Executive: What I want to say is Lantau Tomorrow Vision is a proposal for our future generations. I think there is no doubt in everybody's mind that we are acutely short of land, and that's why a lot of people are living in very poor conditions. Over 270 000 families are waiting to be provided with decent housing, and that decent housing is not even a very spacious one. Hong Kong needs a more steady supply of land, not only to meet our immediate needs but to meet the future needs of Hong Kong, both in terms of housing, economic development, leisure and all the other purposes. So, Lantau Tomorrow is proposed under that sort of passion for Hong Kong, that Hong Kong should move forward, Hong Kong should be a better city for our population. There's absolutely no conspiracy in this Lantau Tomorrow Vision, except to do good things for the people of Hong Kong. Thank you very much. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Issued at HKT 13:57 NNNN
Appointment to Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service
16.10.2018

The Government announced today (October 16) that the Chief Executive has re-appointed Mrs Ann Kung Yeung Yun-chi as a member of the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service (the Directorate Committee), from November 1, 2018, to March 31, 2021. The Directorate Committee advises the Chief Executive on matters relating to the structure, pay and conditions of service of the directorate ranks in the civil service. It is chaired by Dr Pang Yiu-kai. Other serving members are Dr Clement Chen Cheng-jen, Mr Peter Sit Kien-ping, Mr Ivan Sze Wing-hang and Mrs Betty Yuen So Siu-mai. Ends/Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Issued at HKT 16:00 NNNN
CE follows up on Policy Address initiatives
15.10.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited the TWGHs Wong Fut Nam College this afternoon (October 15) to meet over 700 students from 18 secondary schools operated by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in a seminar. Mrs Lam shared with them her vision outlined in the 2018 Policy Address and the initiatives in it, and responded to questions raised by the students. In the opening address, Mrs Lam shared with the students her governance philosophy and her experience in the past year as the Chief Executive. She noted that the Government has been implementing policy initiatives proactively over the past year and the initiatives have yielded remarkable outcomes in many aspects, which is a testimony that Hong Kong no doubt will scale new heights as long as Hong Kong people stand united and remain focused. Pointing out that there is no perfect solution in this world and it would be difficult to forge an absolute consensus in the community, she stressed that Hong Kong, yet, has to decide and proceed after discussions. She said that the Government will accommodate different opinions and strive ahead with the community decisively to advance Hong Kong's development. The Chief Executive fielded a wide range of questions raised by the students during the question-and-answer session, which include the Lantau Tomorrow Vision, revitalisation of industrial buildings, innovation and technology development, alleviating road traffic congestion, creative industries, retirement protection, electronic vehicles, street performances, electronic cigarettes, and support for pre-school children with special needs. In her concluding remarks, Mrs Lam stressed the "three beliefs" she mentioned in delivering her 2018 Policy Address, including the beliefs that Hong Kong people and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are capable of building a better Hong Kong; that all sectors in the community will seize the current opportunities to boost Hong Kong's economy and livelihood; and that the country will continue to provide staunch support for Hong Kong to help Hong Kong rise to challenges and continue to inject new impetus to facilitate Hong Kong's development. Mrs Lam encouraged students to believe in themselves and at the same time believe in the school, teachers and parents that they will nurture them into future pillars of society. Ends/Monday, October 15, 2018 Issued at HKT 23:30 NNNN
CE meets Secretary of CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee
15.10.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the Secretary of the CPC Guangzhou Municipal Committee, Mr Zhang Shuofu, at Government House this morning (October 15). The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang; 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 Zhang's visit to Hong Kong and thanked him for personally receiving her and other guests who arrived at Guangzhounan Station by the Vibrant Express train on the day of commissioning of the Hong Kong Section the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) last month and for briefing her on the latest developments of Guangzhou. She said that Hong Kong and Guangzhou enjoy close ties in economic affairs and trade and people-to-people exchanges, and that the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the XRL will further enhance the connectivity between the two places. Noting that some of the trains running between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Guangzhounan Station pass through Qingsheng Station in Nansha and that she viewed the transportation network and surrounding development of Qingsheng Station during her visit to Guangzhou in May, she said she believes that the high-speed rail service can help Hong Kong and Nansha explore co-operation in different areas. Mrs Lam said that the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will bring new development opportunities for Guangzhou and Hong Kong. She said that Hong Kong has advantages in areas such as innovation and technology, biomedicine and education and that Guangzhou can provide land as the hub for transformation of technological achievements as well as provide more room for the development of innovation and entrepreneurship by young Hong Kong people. She said she hopes that the two places will strengthen co-operation and jointly contribute to the development of the Bay Area. Ends/Monday, October 15, 2018 Issued at HKT 20:52 NNNN
CE congratulates achievements of Hong Kong athletes in Asian Para Games
14.10.2018

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (October 14) extended her congratulations to Hong Kong athletes on achieving the best ever results in the Indonesia 2018 Asian Para Games, noting that their distinguished performance and sportsmanship are most encouraging. "The Hong Kong team won a record-breaking total of 48 medals, comprising 11 gold medals, 16 silver medals and 21 bronze medals. Breakthroughs were achieved in some areas including winning the gold medal for the first time in boccia and breaking the Asian Para Games record and the Asian record in swimming. Their achievements are most heartening. "Since my tenure as the Director of Social Welfare, I have been supporting the participation by persons with disabilities in sports to demonstrate their talents. In this Asian Para Games, athletes of the Hong Kong team, as in the past, fought hard and persevered in competitions. They have earned the admiration of all Hong Kong people and made us proud. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will certainly continue to allocate resources to support sports development for persons with disabilities," Mrs Lam said. On the support by the HKSAR Government for persons with disabilities in sports development, a budget of $70 million has been earmarked for 2018-19, representing an increase of 50 per cent compared to last year, which includes the support for disabled athletes to prepare for and participate in large-scale sports events, and the organisation of large-scale local sports activities for them. Furthermore, the Government has completed the consultancy study and public consultation on Sport for People with Disabilities in Hong Kong and will implement the recommendations gradually, including providing full-time training for athletes with disabilities. Also, the Government will enhance venue facilities to enable the hosting of sports activities for persons with disabilities, and allocate extra funding for relevant national sports associations to organise outreach programmes in workshops and institutions to provide more opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in sports. Ends/Sunday, October 14, 2018 Issued at HKT 20:21 NNNN