The Department of Justice (DoJ) today (November 7) hosted the first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Lawyers Exchange Reception, bringing together more than 150 participants from the legal sectors of the Mainland, Macao and Hong Kong, including representatives from the Guangdong Lawyers Association, the lawyers associations of the nine Mainland municipalities in the GBA, the Macao Lawyers Association, and Hong Kong legal professional bodies, as well as many GBA lawyers and various Legislative Council Members, to discuss the work of promoting the construction of rule of law in the GBA.

     The Director-General of the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, Mr Chen Xudong, and the Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau of Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Ms Leong Weng-in, also attended the event.

    The DoJ consulted various stakeholders on the work of the GBA. The GBA lawyers considered that it is necessary to establish a platform as soon as possible to facilitate exchanges and capacity building among them to enable the industry to better participate in the development of the GBA.

     The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said that the establishment of the platform is not only an initiative in the Policy Address, but also an important measure in the DoJ's Action Plan on the Construction of Rule of Law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The platform aims to consolidate the professional strengths of the legal services in the GBA and foster mutual capacity development by leveraging the strengths of the GBA, thereby giving full play to the unique strengths of GBA lawyers and contributing to the high-quality development of the GBA.

     Mr Cheung said it is an initial suggestion that the platform, with the GBA lawyers as key members, would serve three objectives:

(1) Promote training and professional exchanges among the GBA lawyers in a more systematic manner;
(2) Establish and develop the team of the GBA lawyers; and
(3) Build and promote the brand of GBA lawyers to contribute to the construction of foreign-related rule of law of the country.

     He emphasised that once the details of the establishment of the platform are finalised, the DoJ looks forward to implementing the setting up as early as possible in response to the industry's strong demands.

     He continued that the platform organisation, together with the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy to be launched shortly, will enable Hong Kong to fully harness the institutional strengths of the "one country, two systems" framework in response to the keen demands for the foreign-related legal talent in the region and beyond, and to grasp the opportunities in the GBA with a view to making greater contributions to the high-quality development of the country.

     The Exchange Reception is one of the events on the fourth day, themed "Joint Contribution to the Construction of Rule of Law in the GBA" under Hong Kong Legal Week 2024.

        

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2024 today (November 7):
 
Margaret (Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It is my pleasure to join you all at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair 2024.  For those travelling from abroad, a very warm welcome to Hong Kong.

     The HKTDC has been organising this annual flagship event for 16 years, and the Fair this year is particularly special. For the first time, exhibitors trading liquor – approximately 20 per cent of the traders in this show – are benefitting from a reduction in liquor duty. As announced in the Chief Executive's Policy Address just a few weeks ago, the duty on liquor has been reduced from 100 per cent to just 10 per cent, for the portion of value above HK$200. We believe this change will stimulate high-end liquor trading and auctions in our city.  

     This is a timely initiative, as the production and consumption of wine and spirits in China have become increasingly vibrant and promising. Many Chinese baijiu (白酒) brands are looking to expand globally. Whisky consumption on the Mainland has surged as well, making it the world's fourth-largest whisky market by value last year. 

     Meanwhile, I am delighted that the Irish Whiskey Association is participating in this Fair for the first time. I have no doubt that many participants will ask about Irish coffee! 

     Hong Kong is the ideal location for your wine and spirits business. While our favourable tax regime – zero tax for wine, now lowered tax for liquor – is a clear advantage, what truly sets us apart is our status as a highly internationalised city, which facilitates the free flow of capital, people, and goods, coupled with highly efficient customs clearance, a comprehensive air and shipping network, advanced storage facilities, top-quality wine valuation services and a vibrant auction market. Here, you will find the right traders, partners, and business opportunities. 

     Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the HKTDC for organising this year's Hong Kong International Wine and Spirits Fair. I am especially pleased that this event not only serves as a highly successful B2B platform but will also welcome a diverse group of public visitors on Saturday. With talks, masterclasses, and competitions, it promises to be both entertaining and educational for wine and liquor lovers in our city and beyond. 

     I wish you all a rewarding three days at the Fair and a memorable weekend in Hong Kong, and the best of business in the time to come. Thank you.

          

　　The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the first meeting of the Working Group on Promoting Silver Economy today (November 7) to commence co-ordinating the work plans of relevant bureaux for promoting the silver economy.
 
　　The Chief Executive (CE) announced in the 2024 Policy Address that a Working Group, chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, will be set up and commence work by the end of this year. The Working Group will implement measures in the five areas of boosting "silver consumption", developing the "silver industry", promoting "quality assurance of silver products", enhancing "silver financial and security arrangements" and unleashing "silver productivity", to meet the growing needs of the elderly and help the industry seize business opportunities.
 
　　Mr Cheuk said, "Developing the silver economy to tackle population ageing is crucial to people's livelihood and well-being. The silver economy encompasses a wide range of sectors and has a long industry chain. Its burgeoning market signifies substantial development potential. Accelerating the growth of the silver industry requires co-ordination of various policies. The Working Group will co-ordinate the efforts of relevant bureaux in formulating supportive policies and measures to implement the five areas outlined by the CE to boost the scale of the silver economy. It will not only inject vitality into Hong Kong's economy and drive the overall economic development, but also deliver high-quality silver product and service models for the elderly to share the fruits of development.

　　"Bureaux will work out implementation details of the work plans under their policy areas in the upcoming six months, to formulate initiatives and measures for implementation in the first half of next year. The Working Group will monitor the work progress of bureaux to implement relevant initiatives and measures as soon as possible," he added.
 
　　At the meeting today, the Working Group reviewed initial work directions of bureaux under each of the five areas, and discussed how to strengthen collaborations among bureaux and departments. Bureaux and departments were also asked to further include elements supportive of the silver economy and deepen their work in this regard to build up a silver-friendly community and accelerate the development of the silver economy.
 
　　The other members of the Working Group include the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Vice Chairman); the Secretary for Labour and Welfare; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury; and the Secretary for Health. The Working Group will also invite representatives of other bureaux, departments or relevant agencies to discuss related work on a need basis.

  

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident happened in Yuen Long this morning (November 7) in which a woman died.
 
     At about 8.05am, a private car driven by a 30-year-old man was travelling along Yuen Long On Lok Road towards Long Ping. Upon approaching 29 Yuen Long On Lok Road, it reportedly knocked down a 19-year-old non-ethnic Chinese woman who was crossing the road.

     Sustaining multiple injuries, the woman was rushed to Pok Oi Hospital in unconscious state and was transferred to Tuen Mun Hospital later. She was certified dead at 2.06pm.

     The private car driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death and is being detained for enquiries.

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories North is underway.

     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 3800.

     The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) launched the exhibition "Life Planning of the Chinese Literati: Selected Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the Xubaizhai Collection", featuring 46 sets of Chinese painting and calligraphy selected from its Xubaizhai collection. The exhibition applies the contemporary concept of life planning to the choices made by traditional Chinese literati on their lives and careers. It explores the diverse artistic styles and aspirations shaped by different groups of scholarly officials and reclusive literati due to different life journeys and personal encounters.

     Life planning is a crucial part of the management of one's living in society nowadays. The ancient literati often found themselves at the crossroads between serving in the court to engage with the world or retreating to enjoy a life of seclusion, thereby achieving different artistic paths. Through comparisons of artists between officialdom and seclusion, court and mountains, Confucianism and Buddhism, the exhibition highlights the stylistic differences of Chinese painting and calligraphy during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It also explores how the decisions made by the ancient scholars against the backdrop of dynastic transitions affected their artistic pursuits.

     Highlight exhibits include works by famous artists from the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Tang Yin's "Returning home with a qin", Wen Zhengming's "Cooling off the hot summer", Tang Dai's "Autumn mountains", Zhu Da's "Reeds and mallard" and Kang Youwei's "Four poems in running-cursive script". Visitors can try the "Career Aptitude Test of Ancient Literati" interactive game in the gallery to discover their own strengths and potential in the workplace.

     The HKMoA has also invited Hong Kong artist Leung Lai-man to create the artwork "Ready, Set, Go!" for the exhibition. Drawing inspiration from the various paths of official careers and reclusive lives chosen by the Chinese literati, Leung depicts seven children dressed in kindergarten uniforms in a set of "gongbi" paintings. These "children at play" are presented as ancient literati from the Ming and Qing dynasties in a Chinese garden setting, inviting audiences to travel back in time, engage in dialogue with ancient literati across time and space, and explore the meaning of life.

     The HKMoA's Xubaizhai collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy was donated by the late renowned collector Mr Low Chuck-tiew in 1989. It encompasses masterpieces dating from the Six Dynasties through to the 20th century and is especially renowned for works by masters of the major schools of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

     The exhibition is being held at the Xubaizhai Gallery of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, 2/F of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon), while the "Hong Kong Artist Dialogue Series: Leung Lai-man – Ready, Set, Go!" is now on display at the lobby on the second floor of the museum. Admission is free. For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/life-planning-of-the-chinese-literati-phase1.html or call 2721 0116 for enquiries.