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Author Archives: hksar gov

Transcript of remarks by Acting CE at media session (with video)

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a media session today (August 14):
 
Reporter: Will the Government consider to take back FCC’s building?
 
Acting Chief Executive: Well, the building is in fact under a lease, currently a seven-year lease up to January 2023. We make available the premises to FCC and this testifies to our support of its work over the past decades. In fact, we’ve been co-operating very, very well with the FCC in Hong Kong. We also value the importance of press freedom, of speech freedom in Hong Kong. No question about it. These two freedoms are also protected under the Basic Law. They also represent the core values of Hong Kong, which underpin our present success as a vibrant, open, inclusive and international centre. But having said all that, this exercise of the freedoms concerned – press freedom and individual freedom, particularly speech freedom – has to be within the confines of the law, within bounds of the law. In other words, there is a limit beyond which you mustn’t overstep. OK?
 
Reporter: Secretary, given the statement today and the Government’s position, is the Government prepared to cease to co-operate with FCC given today’s talk, that is it damages the relations of your Government and the FCC? And my second question being, are you prepared to, perhaps, arrest Chan Ho-tin or not, because given this express statement he made in the FCC, and could you point us to which parts of his statement particularly concerned you?
 
Acting Chief Executive: First of all, we have a very cordial relationship with the FCC, and I’m sure that this relationship will continue. We don’t see any disruption to this very cordial working relationship. That explains why we support the allocation of the present premises, which is actually a graded building, under a pretty long lease to FCC over the past years. So there’s no question of us ceasing relationship at all. I don’t think this is a question we should consider at the moment, in fact consider in the future either.
 
     Hong Kong, as I said, is a free place. We pride ourselves on being an open, vibrant, free international city. This is our recipe for success. We’ll certainly continue to build on our success. But having said all that, we mustn’t forget that Hong Kong has a constitutional responsibility to protect, safeguard, the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security of the People’s Republic of China, and Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, so there is no question about independence. That’s why we always say that we can’t tolerate any discussion, let alone promotion, campaigning, for the sake of pushing forward nationalism, independence in Hong Kong. No question about it.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more

East Asia

Coin Collection Programme

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today (August 14) announces a new service schedule of the two “Coin Carts” under the Coin Collection Programme, for the period of August 27 up to October 28. The schedule and other details of the Programme are shown on the HKMA webpage (coincollection.hkma.gov.hk).
 
     Since the launch of the Programme in October 2014, the two Coin Carts have completed 20 cycles of serving the 18 districts on June 17, 2018. The Carts had carried out 454 000 transactions, collecting 379 million coins with a total face value of HK$514 million during the period. The collected coins are re-circulated to meet demand.
 
     The Coin Carts provide service at locations that are convenient to the public without affecting the normal flow of traffic and pedestrians. Locations that have suitable power supply facilities, such as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department mobile library service locations, are preferred so as to reduce the need for using the Coin Carts’ own stand-by generators. This makes the Programme more environmentally friendly. In selecting the service locations, the HKMA has taken into consideration comments and suggestions given by district councils and members of public; and has consulted the Transport Department and the Hong Kong Police Force as necessary.
 
     The two Coin Carts collect coins from members of public in the 18 districts of Hong Kong on a rotating basis. Under normal circumstances each Coin Cart will stay at a location for a week, subject to availability of the parking space and the maintenance schedule of the Cart. Service hours are from 10am to 7pm. Each vehicle is equipped with two coin counting machines and operational staff will be present to provide assistance. An electrical wheelchair lift is available for use. Users can choose to exchange coins for banknotes or adding value to their stored value facilities, such as Octopus Cards or e-wallets (including AlipayHK, Octopus O! ePay, Tap&Go, TNG Wallet and WeChat Pay). There is also a Community Chest donation box inside each vehicle. The coin collection service is free of charge.
 
     The HKMA will review the Programme from time and time; and will regularly update the service schedule to give advance notice to the public. read more

East Asia