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     President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The Education Bureau (EDB) today (July 27) held a session on the “Spirit of the President’s Important Speech” at the Central Government Offices. Former Secretary for Justice Ms Elsie Leung was invited to deliver a keynote speech to enable the education sector to obtain a deeper understanding of the spirit of the President’s important speech.
 
     President Xi raised in his speech “four musts” for the new administration: we must fully and faithfully implement the principle of “one country, two systems”; we must uphold the Central Government’s overall jurisdiction while securing the HKSAR’s high degree of autonomy; we must ensure that Hong Kong is administered by patriots; and we must maintain Hong Kong’s distinctive status and advantages. President Xi also laid down “four proposals” for the newly inaugurated Government, i.e. further improving its governance, continuing to create strong impetus for growth, earnestly addressing people’s concerns and difficulties in daily life, and working together to safeguard harmony and stability. President Xi showed love and care for the young people in particular. He pointed out that “When the young people thrive, Hong Kong thrives. When the young people grow, Hong Kong grows. When there is a future for the young people, there is a future for Hong Kong.” He said that Hong Kong should create opportunities for all of Hong Kong’s young people, so that they can devote themselves to building the city into a better home and writing a rewarding chapter of their life with impassioned youth.  
 
     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and the Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms Michelle Li, also talked about their views at the session. Other participants shared their feelings as well.
 
     Dr Choi said, “I am very grateful to President Xi Jinping for this important speech, which sets out a clear direction for the future development of the HKSAR. I am particularly grateful for his care and high expectations for the youth of Hong Kong. President Xi’s speech is closely related to Hong Kong’s future as well as every student’s future. As teachers and parents, we have the responsibilities to help students understand the pace of development and future of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.
 
     “At present, Hong Kong is entering a new era of ‘advancing from stability to prosperity’. The next five years will be a crucial time for Hong Kong to make progress. The EDB will unequivocally devote efforts to improving education in a bid to provide ‘better education for children’, and strengthen the nurturing of our young people.
 
     “With concerted efforts of the education sector and other sectors throughout the community, we will strive to create more opportunities for our young people to unleash their potential and grasp Hong Kong’s unique advantage as a world city that implements the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, enable them to understand the development trend of our country and the rest of the world, enhance their national pride and sense of being the masters, integrate into the overall development of the country, and build a broader stage for the country, Hong Kong, and themselves through learning, exchange, collaboration and development of talents,” she added.
 
     The session today was attended by about 250 participants, including the directorate and senior staff of the EDB, heads of government schools and representatives from school councils and principals’ associations in relation to kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools, as well as other education organisations.

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      The spokesperson for North District Hospital (NDH) made the following announcement today (July 27):      A 69-year-old male patient in … read more

     â€‹The launch of the first volume of the English edition of the Hong Kong Chronicles was held at Government House today (July 27). Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said that one of the key chapters of the story of Hong Kong is about its national and international connectivity. He said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will make the best endeavours to tell the world the good stories of Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Lee pointed out that President Xi Jinping acknowledged the favourable conditions and distinctive advantages of Hong Kong’s close connection with the world market in his important speech on July 1, in which the President said, “Proactively integrating itself into the country’s overall development and carving out its role in national strategies, Hong Kong has maintained its strengths in its high degree of openness and in aligning with international rules. In doing so, the region has been playing an important role in raising China’s opening up to a higher level with wider coverage and scope.”
      
     “That means boosting our traditional strengths – as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, and as a regional centre for legal and dispute-resolution services. It also means developing our prowess in other areas as well. That includes rising as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, an up-and-coming area accorded significance in the National 14th Five-Year Plan,” Mr Lee said.
      
     He said that reading the Hong Kong Chronicles will enhance understanding and appreciation of not only the nation’s history, but also the future that offers wide-ranging opportunities for Hong Kong to take part in the nation’s progress and development.
      
     “As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the HKSAR’s establishment, the publication of this first volume of the Hong Kong Chronicles in English is a fresh opportunity to tell the success story of Hong Kong.
      
     “There will be a lot of exciting stories ahead of us and I cannot wait to enjoy them with you since we are, as I put it in my campaign slogan, ‘Starting a New Chapter for Hong Kong Together,'” he added.
      
     The HKSAR Government fully supports the publication of the Hong Kong Chronicles by the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute. With the guiding editorial principle of recounting historical facts without interpretation, the Institute’s goal is to produce a comprehensive, systematic and objective record of Hong Kong’s heritage and history. Two Chinese-language volumes of the Hong Kong Chronicles, namely “Overview & Chronology” and “Hong Kong’s Participation in National Reform and Opening-Up”, have been published. The English version of “Overview & Chronology”, which counts some 360 000 words and nearly 800 pages, has been presented to its readers today.
      
     Mr Lee expressed appreciation to the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute for bringing its professionalism and passion to this extraordinarily ambitious project, and thanked participating editors, experts and scholars, as well as relevant institutions, for their dedicated efforts.

    

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, expressed gratitude to private hospitals for providing more hospital beds in a gradual manner to receive patients referred from the Hospital Authority (HA). The move will enable the HA to focus its resources in combating the COVID-19 epidemic more effectively and team up with private hospitals in securing public health.
 
     The number of daily new cases in Hong Kong remains high, in four-digit figures, recently, and the overall number of hospitalised patients is on a continuous rise. In view of the epidemic development, Professor Lo, together with the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, as well as colleagues from the HA and the Department of Health, met with representatives from the Hong Kong Private Hospitals Association yesterday (July 26). He invited private hospitals to provide more hospital beds for the HA to transfer suitable patients to receive treatment at private hospitals, thereby alleviating the pressure on the public healthcare services.
 
     Professor Lo said, “I am pleased to note that the Hong Kong Private Hospitals Association has shown support for the appeal. All 13 private hospitals are willing to provide a total of 364 hospital beds, including those for COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients, at the initial stage to address the HA’s immediate needs. Depending on the actual demand, the number of hospital beds can be gradually brought up to around 1 000. The HA will commence discussions with the private hospitals on the plan for matching one to three private hospitals with each HA cluster for receiving patients referred from public hospitals, so as to ensure effective use of hospital bed resources and the early transfer of patients for receiving medical services.
 
     “Given the signs of a rebound in epidemic situation, it is essential to the lives and safety of our citizens for us to maintain the operation of the public healthcare system. We are grateful to the private hospitals for rendering assistance at this critical juncture and making contributions to Hong Kong’s battle against the epidemic.” read more

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Historic Launch of the First Volume of the English Edition of Hong Kong Chronicles today (July 27):
 
Commissioner Liu Guangyuan (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)), Deputy Director Lu Xinning (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR), Deputy Head Li Jiangzhou (Deputy Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR), Mr Bernard Chan (Executive Committee Chairman of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute), consuls general, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Government House on this historic occasion – the launch of the first English-language volume of the Hong Kong Chronicles.
 
     The wonderful story of Hong Kong Chronicles begins with the wise men behind it. It begins, of course, with Our Hong Kong Foundation, led by Mr Tung Chee Hwa, the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, and Mr Bernard Chan, Executive Committee Chairman of the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute.
 
     The Institute was set up, just three years ago, by Our Hong Kong Foundation. Moving with textbook purpose and commitment, the Institute quickly found essential support. That includes generous funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club, as well as from individual companies and non-profit organisations.
 
     The great support comes also from a dedicated editorial staff, together with hundreds of scholars, experts and community leaders. To date, they have researched and written two Chinese-language volumes of the Hong Kong Chronicles, namely “Overview & Chronology” and “Hong Kong’s Participation in National Reform and Opening-Up”. With the guiding editorial principle of recounting historical facts without interpretation, their goal is to produce a comprehensive, systematic and objective record of Hong Kong’s heritage and history.
 
     The English version of “Overview & Chronology” counts some 360 000 words and nearly 800 pages. It is a direct and faithful translation of the Chinese volume. For that daunting, detailed effort, my thanks go to the Institute’s team of in-house translators and editors. They worked under the expert guidance of a high-profile Translation Committee, chaired by historian and the University of Hong Kong’s Honorary Professor Elizabeth Sinn.
 
     They’re just getting started, ladies and gentlemen. The Chinese edition of Hong Kong Chronicles will run to 68 books in 54 bound volumes, each of which is expected to be published, and in your hands, by 2027. The English edition, also in 54 volumes, will be on bookshelves by 2032. I’m told the full series will contain about 25 million words, taking readers from the beginnings of Hong Kong, some 7 000 years ago, to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR, in 2017.
 
     And now, five years later, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the SAR’s establishment, the publication of this first volume, in English, is a fresh opportunity to tell the success story of Hong Kong.
 
     As put by President Xi Jinping in his important speech delivered on July 1st, and I quote, “Proactively integrating itself into the country’s overall development and carving out its role in national strategies, Hong Kong has maintained its strengths in its high degree of openness and in aligning with international rules. In doing so, the region has been playing an important role in raising China’s opening up to a higher level with wider coverage and scope.”
    
     The President acknowledged that the favourable conditions and distinctive advantages of Hong Kong’s close connection with the world market are cherished by both the people of Hong Kong and the Central Government. Hong Kong’s story is one of national and international connectivity. And our history and culture, as well as our people, institutions and circumstances, all add vibrant colours to our Hong Kong story.
 
     In addition to knowing the story of Hong Kong, reading the Hong Kong Chronicles will also enhance our understanding, and appreciation of the nation we are all so proud to be part of. That includes not only the history we share, but the future we can look forward to. That future, ladies and gentlemen, offers wide-ranging opportunities to take part in, and to help in, our nation’s progress and development.
 
     That means boosting our traditional strengths – as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, and as a regional centre for legal and dispute-resolution services. It also means developing our prowess in other areas as well. That includes rising as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, an up-and-coming area accorded significance in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
 
     That makes great good sense, given our integrated arts and cultural offerings, world-class facilities that just keep on coming. M+, our brand new global museum of contemporary visual culture, for example, opened just over eight months ago. Earlier this month, the Hong Kong Palace Museum came to brilliant life. This latest addition to Hong Kong’s cultural landscape is now showcasing more than 900 works of art from the prestigious Palace Museum in Beijing, as well as a number of pieces on loan from the Louvre, in Paris. The Louvre’s involvement in the opening only underlines Hong Kong’s standing as an East-meets-West centre for our nation – and the world.
 
     Our literary tradition offers much as well. You can see, and feel, that here today. You could also experience it at this year’s Hong Kong Book Fair, the 32nd edition. The week-long festival dedicated to literature and the joy of reading ended yesterday. The first two Chinese-language volumes of Hong Kong Chronicles were exhibited at the Book Fair. I’m sure that subsequent editions of the Chronicles, in English and Chinese, will be featured at this important literary event in the years to come.
 
     After all, the history of Hong Kong, and of our nation, is replete with remarkable stories. As Hong Kong Chronicles will tell us, we lived them, we learned from them, we grew from them. Ultimately, they rewarded us as a community. And I can promise you, ladies and gentlemen, that my team and I will make our best endeavours to tell the world the good stories of Hong Kong.
 
     The future of Hong Kong, and our nation, will bring with it more stories, more challenges. We will learn from them, grow from them, and flourish with them. There will be a lot of exciting stories ahead of us and I cannot wait to enjoy them with you since we are, as I put it in my campaign slogan, “Starting a New Chapter for Hong Kong Together”.
 
     My thanks, once again, to the Hong Kong Chronicles Institute – to each and every one of you involved in bringing your professionalism, and your passion, to this extraordinarily ambitious project. Today, you have started a new chapter not only for the Chronicles, but also for Hong Kong.
    
     Thank you, and happy reading.