The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, today (September 20) in Ho Chi Minh City attended Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) events and met with senior officials of Vietnam to strengthen Hong Kong-Vietnam trade and economic ties.

     This morning, he attended the HKTDC's "In Style‧Hong Kong" Symposium before touring the related trade exhibition of brands and designs from over 130 Hong Kong companies.

     He said at the Symposium that by working together, Hong Kong and Vietnam will have much to gain long down the road.

     Given Hong Kong's excellent business environment, the quality professional services it provides, as well as the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between Hong Kong and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) last year, he said Hong Kong is well positioned to help Vietnam enterprises expand their businesses.

     Mr Chan then met with the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Mr Nguyen Thanh Phong, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Mr Lê Hoài Trung, separately.

     At the meetings, he highlighted that Hong Kong is actively participating in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's development and the transport network between Hong Kong and other cities in the Area is highly efficient and convenient.  He expressed the hope that Hong Kong can strengthen co-operation with Vietnam on all fronts to seize the huge opportunities brought about by this national development initiative. He also provided an update on the latest development of innovation and technology as well as financial services in Hong Kong.

     In the afternoon, Mr Chan visited the headquarters of a Hong Kong enterprise and its projects in the city.

     He also paid a courtesy call on the Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr Wu Jun, to thank him for supporting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in forging co-operation with ASEAN.

     Addressing the HKTDC’s gala dinner this evening, Mr Chan stressed that with its strong professional services from financial services and cross-border logistics to creative design, Hong Kong can help Vietnam enterprises expand their businesses in the markets of the Mainland and the Asian region.

     He also underlined Hong Kong's commitment in promoting the development of art, culture and creative industries.

     He said that as trade and economic activities between Hong Kong and Vietnam continue to grow, he hoped that the two places, both meeting points of the East and the West, can forge stronger co-operation in different areas, such as art, culture and tourism.

     Tomorrow (September 21), Mr Chan will continue his visit to meet representatives of the Vietnamese business sector. He will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

                

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at In Style: Hong Kong Gala Dinner in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, today (September 20):

Deputy Minister Le (Deputy Minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam, Mr Lê Hoài Trung), Dr Vu Tien Loc (President and Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Vincent (Chairman, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr Vincent Lo), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good evening.

     I'm delighted to be here, in Ho Chi Minh, the business, financial and cultural capital of Vietnam, a city teeming with people and outsized promise.

     Given the entertainment, the fashion and the fabulous dinner soon to come, and this fabulous venue with the "Starry Night on the Waterfront" theme, I would say we are in for a great evening, Ladies and Gentlemen.

     Yes, tonight's Hong Kong Gala Dinner is among the highlights of "In Style, Hong Kong", the largest Hong Kong promotion ever to take place in Vietnam.

     It all began this morning, with the opening of the "In Style, Hong Kong Expo", a designer fair featuring quality lifestyle products from Hong Kong.

     For those of you unable to attend today's trade fair, there's good news. The exhibition, showcasing the designer offerings of more than 130 Hong Kong companies, is open all day tomorrow. Along with product displays, the expo includes business-matching opportunities and thematic seminars.

     I invite you to see for yourself why Hong Kong brand products can make a difference for your company. Your business.

     A symposium, highlighting Hong Kong's world-class business services, also took place today at the GEM Center. And I'm pleased to note, the event attracted more than 800 Vietnamese business leaders, government officials and SMEs.

     And if you missed the symposium, the key takeaway is this: Hong Kong's renowned business services, from finance to design, branding, logistics and much more, can help Vietnamese companies expand their business in the massive markets of mainland China and throughout the Asian region.

     It helps, of course, that Hong Kong and the 10 Member States of ASEAN – Vietnam included of course – signed a Free Trade Agreement, and the related Investment Agreement, just last November. That the agreements, which take effect beginning in January, will undoubtedly boost trade and investment ties between Hong Kong, Vietnam and the other nations of ASEAN. Those ties, Ladies and Gentlemen, were designed to expand opportunity long down that cooperation road.

     Tonight, of course, we celebrate Hong Kong culture. You had a taste of that at our pre-dinner cocktail, with its Hong Kong Pub atmosphere and craft beers micro-brewed in Hong Kong.

     And there's much more cutting-edge culture and Hong Kong innovation on the way. Including a four-course dinner designed exclusively for this gala evening by two Michelin one-star chefs. They're here from Hong Kong just for you.

     I must say I'm just as eager as you are to savour their creations. But before that please allow me just a few words on how we view, and support, culture in Hong Kong.

     We believe that the creative industries are a potential powerhouse, that they can both help driving diversified economic growth and making Hong Kong a more attractive global city.

     Like Vietnam in its own way, Hong Kong is a glittering confluence of East and West. That has given us – and continues to give us – a bounty of cultural diversity. International art fairs and galleries have made Hong Kong among the largest art markets in the world.

     We are blessed, as well, with major arts festivals and performing arts groups. And, later this year, the Xiqu Centre, a showcase for Chinese opera, will open in the West Kowloon Cultural District, one of the world’s largest cultural projects.

     In May, the Hong Kong SAR Government injected US$128 million into our dedicated funding scheme for the creative industries.

     One of the fastest-growing of those industries is design. Hong Kong designer creativity and talent will be showcased tonight in the sand art and fashion performance, all interspersed with dinner.

     Let me add that design takes centre stage in Hong Kong every December, with Business of Design Week. The international extravaganza of design excellence is the largest event of its kind in Asia – and among the biggest in the world.

     I invite Vietnamese designers and trade organisations to join us for Hong Kong Business of Design Week, December 3-8. Your not-to-be missed opportunity to explore the latest in design and innovation, to talk business with a world of creative leaders.

     In short, ladies and gentlemen, while In Style Hong Kong is here to expand our good trade and investment ties, we are also here to explore the boundless opportunities that culture and the arts, education, tourism and more, offer our two economies, our two peoples. Today and tomorrow and deep into this 21st century of promise.

     Before I close, allow me to express my gratitude to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for organising "In Style, Hong Kong" and for bringing us together this grand gala evening.

     Thank you.

     The Hong Kong Forum: 60th Anniversary of the New York Convention was held today (September 20) to commemorate 60 years of the operation of the New York Convention.

     The Forum was jointly organised by the Department of Justice, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the Asian Academy of International Law (AAIL).  The event has gathered prominent experts on arbitration and mediation as well as distinguished judges coming from all four corners of the world. The Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Geoffrey Ma Tao-li, gave opening remarks at the Forum.

     Under the theme "Rejuvenating New York Convention in the 21st Century", the Forum reviewed the application of the New York Convention over the last six decades. The event also explored whether the Convention needs to be "modernised" to meet new challenges and complexities, and discussed the implications of investment mediation on the future of investment arbitration.

     Speaking at the Forum, the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, said that the New York Convention is an important legal infrastructure for international arbitration. Hong Kong has been actively providing training for judges in the application of the Convention.

     Under the New York Convention, arbitral awards made in Hong Kong can be enforced in 159 Contracting States and also in the Mainland, by way of a mutual arrangement. Hong Kong also plays an active role at international level to enhance its role as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
 
     The Hospital Authority (HA) Board today (September 20) discussed and endorsed the report on the "2017 Patient Experience Survey on Inpatient Service" (the Survey). The Survey revealed that the proportion of respondents who rated their overall inpatient experience positively had increased to 91 per cent, as compared to 86 per cent in a similar survey conducted two years ago. The Survey results will help the HA to better understand the needs of the patients and further enhance its service quality. 
 
     The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care (JCSPHPC), Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong was commissioned by the HA to conduct the Survey from August to November 2017. More than 9 900 randomly selected patients discharged from 26 public hospitals were interviewed by phone. The Survey examined the core aspects of patient care, covering the patient journey from admission to discharge.
 
     The Principal Investigator of the Survey, Professor Eliza Wong of the JCSPHPC, said that the overall response rate of the Survey was 84 per cent. The findings revealed an overall positive experience in inpatient service, with 91 per cent of respondents rating it 7 or above (on a scoring scale of 0 to 10). The mean score of the overall experience across the 26 public hospitals was 8.1. The JCSPHPC conducted a similar survey in 2015 for around 9 300 patients discharged from 25 public hospitals, where 86 per cent of respondents rated the overall experience positively and the mean score was 7.8.
 
     The majority of the respondents gave high ratings for multiple care aspects including "doctors and nurses providing clear and understandable answers to important questions", "confidence and trust in healthcare professionals", "pain control", "provision of clear and understandable explanation in the patients' care and treatment process, as well as on how to take medication after discharge" and "being treated with respect and dignity".
 
      However, Professor Wong added that, "Evaluative items concerning 'response time after pressing the call bell' and 'provision of contact information for post-discharge care' were identified as areas with comparatively low scores. These two newly added questions originated from a similar patient survey in the United Kingdom. To keep the Survey abreast of the times, we will continue to take into account both international experience and local healthcare culture in devising future questionnaires."
 
     The HA Director (Quality and Safety), Dr Chung Kin-lai, said, "The HA will study the findings of the Survey in detail to continuously improve the quality of public hospital services. In view of the relatively low rating in the provision of discharge information in the 2015 Survey, the HA has launched a pilot project in some public hospitals where discharged patients would be given a summary sheet with salient medication reminders and future medical appointments. The project will be extended to all public hospitals if the outcome is favourable. On the call bell issue, we will also explore how best to support frontline staff and patients under the heavily loaded ward environment.
 
     "The HA is deeply grateful to patients for their support and for giving positive ratings in this Survey on inpatient service. The HA will continue to carry out regular surveys in specific areas or themes to help map the service development direction and formulate improvement measures."
 
     Members of the public are welcome to browse the full report on the Survey, which can be accessed online under "Special Reports" in the "Corporate News" section of the HA website www.ha.org.hk.

     The 28th Chinese Poetry Writing Competition prize presentation ceremony was held today (September 20) at Hong Kong Central Library. Organised by the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the competition aims to promote proficiency in Chinese language and the appreciation of Chinese literature with rhymes.
 
     The competition received an enthusiastic response this year with more than 500 entries.
 
     The First Prizes in the open category and the student category went to Mr Wong Kam-hung and Hong Kong Shue Yan University student Miss Deng Ziying respectively. Mr Wong's work describes a camera drone flying in the sky and shooting far away, while Miss Deng's work tells us that if we overcome life's hurdles, we can ultimately find the truth of life. Other winning works feature a variety of topics, including allegories on personal feelings as well as reminiscences about old friends.
 
     Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, the Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Libraries and Development), Miss Rochelle Lau, said that the Chinese Poetry Writing Competition aims to promote greater interest in writing and Chinese poetry. To tie-in with the competition, the HKPL has organised the Talk Series on Chinese Poetry Writing to introduce the characteristics, rhyming and writing skills of Chinese poetry. She expressed the hope that more people will become devoted to poetry writing to help pass on the heritage of Chinese poetry.
 
    The winners' list and their winning entries (Chinese versions only) have been uploaded to the HKPL website at www.hkpl.gov.hk/poetrywriting. This year's winning works will be on display from tomorrow (September 21) until October 25 at the foyer of the South Entrance of the Hong Kong Central Library. A roving exhibition will be held at various public libraries afterwards. For details, please visit the above-mentioned website.
 
     Other guests at the ceremony included adjudicators Professor Ho Man-wui, Professor Wong Kuan-io and Professor Lau Wai-lam. Also adjudicating for this year's competition were Professor Chan Chi-ching, Professor Nicholas Chan and Professor Tang Pui-ling.
 
     The HKPL has been organising the Chinese Poetry Writing Competition annually since 1991, with Chinese shi and ci poetry competitions being held in alternate years. This is the 14th time that participants have taken the opportunity to showcase their literary talent in writing Chinese ci poetry.