The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, visited the Basic Law Library (the Library) this afternoon (August 24) to see for himself the facilities and collections there and to keep abreast of its operation.

     Joined by two summer interns and accompanied by colleagues of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and library staff, Mr Nip paid a visit to the Library located at the City Hall Public Library in Central. The Library opened in 2004 as a joint project of the LCSD and the Basic Law Institute.

     Mr Nip was informed that the Library collections included the Basic Law Collection originally housed in the Hong Kong Central Library, as well as about 17,600 items such as books, journals and multimedia information; reference materials on the Basic Law collated by the Government professional bodies, academic institutions and community organisations; and documents and newspaper clippings relating to the drafting and implementation of the Basic Law. Online database workstations are also available in the Library for use by the public.

     He then toured the Extension Activities Room of the City Hall Public Library and listened to a briefing by staff members on the various kinds of activities organised in the past to promote the use of the Library.

     Mr Nip said, "The Constitution and the Basic Law form the constitutional basis of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The Basic Law sets out clearly the country's basic policies regarding Hong Kong. It enshrines the important concepts of 'one country, two systems', 'Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong' and a high degree of autonomy. It also prescribes the various systems to be practised in the HKSAR and sets out the blueprint for the HKSAR's future development.

     "Since the establishment of the HKSAR, the Government has been promoting the Basic Law through civic education, school education and training for civil servants. To step up the promotional efforts, the Government established in 1998 a Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee to provide steer on the overall programme and strategy in promoting the Basic Law and to co-ordinate promotional efforts of the Government and the community.

     "The Basic Law is closely related to our daily lives. It is therefore very important to have an accurate understanding of the constitutional document. With its resourceful collections, the Library offers a wide variety of channels for the public to understand the Basic Law. I hope that members of the public can make the best use of the Library to deepen their understanding of the Basic Law."

        

     The Asian Youth Orchestra (AYO) played a concert in Tokyo, Japan, today (August 24) as part of its concert tour across Asia.
 
     Comprising about 100 young musicians from various parts of Asia, the AYO had earlier performed in Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Xiamen, Xian, Beijing, Manila, Chiayi, Taipei and Ayase. The concerts in Tokyo today and tomorrow (August 25) will conclude this season’s tour.
 
     The performances by the AYO in Tokyo are supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo.
 
     Based in Hong Kong, the AYO attracts many bright young musicians from all over Asia to Hong Kong every year, and takes them to different parts of the world for performances and cultural exchange.
 
     The AYO has been playing a significant role in promoting arts and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Japan. The AYO’s first public concert in 1990 was held in Kumamoto, Japan. Since then, Japan has been one of the destinations for the AYO tour almost every year. The AYO was awarded Japan’s Praemium Imperiale Grant for Young Artists in 2010 in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the development of young artistic talent. It was also awarded the Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture and Community in 2015 for promoting friendship and understanding of young people across Asia through the common language of music.
 
     To tie in with the official visit to Japan by the Chief Executive, the AYO will present a special concert in Tokyo later this year with around 30 musicians from Hong Kong and Japan who have performed in the AYO previously.

  

     The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority (HZMBA) announced yesterday (August 23) that with the approval and consent of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, the toll levels of the HZMB Main Bridge (per vehicle per trip) have been confirmed as follows:
 
Light passenger vehicles (private cars, hire cars): RMB150
Heavy passenger vehicles (cross-boundary coaches): RMB200
Shuttle buses: RMB300
Container trucks: RMB115
Goods vehicles: RMB60
 
     For details, please refer to the following website with the relevant information released by the HZMBA (Chinese only): mp.weixin.qq.com/s/li28iBugb6P4MnAbPdbRPA
 
     A spokesman for the Transport Department said that the HZMB Main Bridge is located within Mainland waters and the toll plaza is also situated in the Mainland. According to the territoriality principle (i.e. handling all issues in accordance with the respective local laws) and the Inter-Governmental Agreement in Respect of the Construction, Operation, Maintenance and Management of the HZMB, the HZMBA, which is responsible for the operation of the Main Bridge, will collect tolls from vehicles using the HZMB Main Bridge in accordance with the laws of the Mainland. The toll levels have been approved according to the Mainland's laws and procedures (including the holding of the hearing on toll levels with the participation of representatives from the three places) after the completion of relevant discussion by the three governments.

     The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, today (August 24) extended his congratulations to Hong Kong gymnast Shek Wai-hung on winning a gold medal in the Men's Vault event in the 18th Asian Games, being held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia.

     Mr Lau said, "Shek Wai-hung has won a gold medal in the same event after his victory in the last Asian Games held in Incheon. He has kept up with his high standard and has demonstrated marvellous techniques. I hope fellow Hong Kong athletes can continue to excel and achieve further good results."

     The Hong Kong team has so far won 18 medals, namely two gold medals, four silver medals and 12 bronze medals, at this Asian Games. The list of medals won earlier today and yesterday (August 23) as follows:

August 24

Silver medal
—————
Rowing: Men's Lightweight Single Sculls
Chiu Hin-chun

Bronze medal
—————
Cycling: Women's Road Individual Time Trial (20km)
Leung Wing-yee

Fencing: Women's Team Epee
Chu Ka-mong, Kaylin Hsieh, Vivian Kong and Coco Lin

Rowing: Women's Lightweight Single Sculls
Lee Ka-man

Rowing: Men's Lightweight Eight
Chau Yee-ping, Cheung Ming-hang, Lam San-tung, Leung Chun-shek, Kenneth Liu, Tang Chiu-mang, James Wong, Wong Wai-kin and Yuen Yun-lam

August 23

Silver medal
————–
Swimming: Women's 4x100m Medley Relay
Stephanie Au, Chan Kin-lok, Camille Cheng and Jamie Yeung

Bronze medal
—————
Fencing: Men's Team Sabre
Cyrus Chang, Lam Hin-chung, Terence Lee and Low Ho-tin

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
     
     Delivery versus Payment (DvP) settlement has been fully implemented in Bond Connect starting from today (August 24).  All trades under the Bond Connect have begun to be settled on a DvP basis. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) welcomes this development.
      
     An HKMA spokesperson said there had been strong market demand for DvP settlement since Bond Connect was launched in July 2017. Thanks to the support of the People's Bank of China (PBoC) and the efforts of the relevant institutions in the Mainland and Hong Kong, DvP settlement has been fully implemented in Bond Connect. This increases settlement efficiency and reduces settlement risks, affording greater convenience to international investors investing through Bond Connect. The HKMA will continue to work closely with the PBoC to enhance the Bond Connect platform.