The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (March 29) attended the "ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors' Dialogue" session at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019 in Hainan. She also visited a medical tourism facility in Boao and met with the Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and the Governor of the Bank of Thailand.

     In the morning, Mrs Lam addressed the "ASEAN-China Governors/Mayors' Dialogue" session at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019. She told the participants about the pivotal role Hong Kong can play in strengthening connections between Mainland China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). She said that Hong Kong set up in Bangkok its third Economic and Trade Office in ASEAN last month and that ratification of its Free Trade Agreement signed with ASEAN at the end of 2017 is making good progress. She expressed the hope that Hong Kong can go further by joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in due course, creating a bigger economic pie for Hong Kong, ASEAN and related signatory states. She also encouraged ASEAN to make use of Hong Kong's world-class financial and professional services to take part in the Belt and Road Initiative together.

     After the session, Mrs Lam and the other officials visited the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone where they toured the exhibition centre, the traditional Chinese medicine clinic and the hospital, and received briefings on the zone's operation. The state-level pilot zone was founded in 2013 with the approval of the State Council to develop international medical tourism-related industries including healthcare, elderly services and scientific research on a trial basis, providing an ecosystem with low carbon emission and encouraging co-operation and exchanges in relevant aspects at home and abroad. Given that the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area includes the creation of an environment favourable for Hong Kong and Macao residents to retire in Guangdong and promotion of the integration of medical and elderly care in the Greater Bay Area by providing comprehensive facilities for healthy ageing, Mrs Lam said the development model of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone has considerable reference value.

     Mrs Lam then met with the Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, Mr Liu Cigui, and congratulated him on the successful hosting of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019. She said that Hong Kong and Hainan have close ties with frequent exchanges of people, goods and capital and that the two sides are actively exploring more collaboration in various aspects including tourism, economic and trade affairs and youth exchanges with a view to further strengthening the close ties of the two places.

     In the afternoon, Mrs Lam met the Governor of the Bank of Thailand, Dr Veerathai Santiprabhob. Stressing that Hong Kong is an international financial centre and the world's largest offshore Renminbi (RMB) hub, she welcomed Thailand enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's capital raising platform and issue RMB bonds in Hong Kong as well as make use of Hong Kong's RMB clearing and settlement system for RMB trade settlement with Mainland enterprises. She also encouraged companies from Thailand to actively make use of Hong Kong's financial services including insurance and asset and wealth management.

     Mrs Lam concluded her visit and returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

              

     The Government announced today (March 29) that the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury has appointed Ms Joan Ho Yuk-wai and Professor Tam Kar-yan as panel members of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Review Tribunal for a three-year term with effect from April 1, 2019.
 
     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, said, "Professor Tam and Ms Ho have a strong public service record. I am confident that their expertise and experience will contribute to the effective operation of the tribunal."
 
     Mr Lau also expressed his gratitude to the outgoing members, Mr Wilson Fung Ying-wai and Professor Lam Kit-chun, for their valuable contributions over the years.
 
     The Tribunal was established under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) to review decisions made under the Ordinance by a relevant authority (including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Insurance Authority, and the Customs and Excise Department) to take disciplinary action against a financial institution, any decision of the Commissioner of Customs and Excise on licensing matters in respect of money service operators, and any decision of the Registrar of Companies on licensing matters in respect of trust or company service providers.
 

     The Government announced today (March 29) the re-appointment of Ms Melissa Kaye Pang as the Chairperson of the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education (CPCE), as well as the appointment and re-appointment of non-official members to the CPCE for a term of two years with effect from April 1, 2019.
      
     The Home Affairs Bureau thanked outgoing members Dr Raymond Lee Man-chun, Professor Lena Lee Ying, Mr Wong Wai-kit and Mr Clement Woo Kin-man for their contributions during their term of service.
      
     The membership list of the CPCE for the new term is as follows:
 
Re-appointed members
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Ms Melissa Kaye Pang (Chairperson)
Ms Amy Fung Dun-mi
Miss Maisy Ho Chiu-ha
Mr Rex Ip Yik-nam
Reverend Peter Douglas Koon Ho-ming
Mr Lam Cheung-chi
Mr Liu Ah-chuen
Ms Shirley Marie Therese Loo
Mr Laurence Tang Yat-long
Mr Eric Yeung Chuen-sing
 
New members
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Miss Catherina Choy Mei-wa
Mr Kinsey Ho Ka-tsun
Dr Yan Wai-kiu
Ms Jennifer Yeung Yin-chi
 
     Other non-official members of the Committee are as follows:
 
Dr Chan Cheuk-hay
Dr Andrew Chiu Ka-yin
Mr Stanley Choi Tak-shing
Mr Andrew Fan Chun-wah
Miss Sammi Fu Hiu-lam
Miss Hung Wing-ki
Mr Roger Kwan Ho-yeung
Mr Lai Chin-hong
Mr George Lau Ka-keung
Mrs Christine Lau Ma
Mr Timmy Lee Tan-chun
Ms Fonnie Leung Fung-yee
Miss Bella Lo Sung-yi
Ms Helen Lu Hai
Mr Tang Kwong-shing
Dr Wong Kwok-yan
 
     The official members of the Committee include representatives from the Home Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau, the Information Services Department, the Department of Justice, the Social Welfare Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, Radio Television Hong Kong and the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
      
     The CPCE is a non-statutory advisory body. It advises the Government on the objective and scope of civic education, promotes civic education outside schools through a range of publicity and educational programmes, and assists in the implementation of various funding schemes to support non-governmental organisations in carrying out civic education projects.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (March 29) published the March 2019 issue of its Quarterly Bulletin and Half-Yearly Monetary and Financial Stability Report.
 
     The Quarterly Bulletin carries a feature article, entitled "The Hong Kong Debt Market in 2018". The Half-Yearly Report provides detailed analyses of the global and local economy, as well as the monetary and financial conditions in Hong Kong. It also examines the recent performance and risks of the local banking sector. 
 
     The Quarterly Bulletin and the Half-Yearly Report can be viewed on and downloaded from the HKMA website. A separate, printed version of the Half-Yearly Report (English version only) may be ordered or purchased at the HKMA Information Centre on 55th Floor, Two International Finance Centre at HK$60 a copy.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
      
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced the results of the residential mortgage survey for February 2019.
      
     The number of mortgage applications in February decreased month-on-month by 11.9 % to 10,133.  
      
     Mortgage loans approved in February 2019 decreased by 6.9% compared with January to HK$26.1 billion.  Among these, mortgage loans financing primary market transactions decreased by 6.1% to HK$6.8 billion and those financing secondary market transactions increased by 9.8% to HK$11.9 billion.  Mortgage loans for refinancing decreased by 25.8% to HK$7.3 billion. 
      
     Mortgage loans drawn down during February decreased by 44.6% compared with January to HK$16.5 billion. 
      
     The ratio of new mortgage loans priced with reference to HIBOR increased from 49.3% in January to 77.5% in February. The ratio of new mortgage loans priced with reference to best lending rates decreased from 48% in January to 20.8% in February.
      
     The outstanding value of mortgage loans increased month-on-month by 0.2% to HK$1,328 billion at end-February. 
      
     The mortgage delinquency ratio remained unchanged at 0.02% and the rescheduled loan ratio remained unchanged at nearly 0%.