CE attends National Games flag handover ceremony (with photos)

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (September 27) attended the closing ceremony of the 14th National Games in Xi'an and joined the National Games flag handover ceremony with the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Ma Xingrui, and the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mr Ho Iat-seng. 

     The closing ceremony of the 14th National Games was held at the Xi'an Olympic Center Stadium tonight. The Premier of the State Council, Mr Li Keqiang, announced the closing of the National Games. After the flag of the National Games was lowered, the flag handover ceremony took place. The flag was passed by the Governor of Shaanxi Province, Mr Zhao Yide, to the Director of the General Administration of Sport of China, Mr Gou Zhongwen, who then handed it over to Mrs Lam, Mr Ma and Mr Ho, representing the joint hosts of the 15th National Games.

     "Sports carry the power of encouraging and uniting people. I am grateful for the trust and support of the Central Government, allowing Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao to host the 15th National Games together. The National Games are a major sports event with the highest level and largest scale in the nation. The hosting of the event will significantly boost the promotion of sports development in Hong Kong.

     "Hong Kong hosted the 2009 East Asian Games and organises various international sports events every year. Occupying an area of 28 hectares, the Kai Tak Sports Park will be the largest sports venue in Hong Kong upon its commissioning in 2023. With the Kai Tak Sports Park, the Hong Kong Velodrome and other sports facilities, Hong Kong can make full use of its facilities to host events of the 15th National Games. The Hong Kong SAR Government will work closely with the relevant ministries of the Central Government, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Macao SAR Government and follow the Central Authorities' requirement of 'simple, safe and wonderful' in conducting the Games to carry out the preparatory work for the 15th National Games," Mrs Lam said.

     While in Xi'an, Mrs Lam and the Secretary for Homes Affairs, Mr Caspar Tsui, visited the Daming Palace National Heritage Park to view its work on the conservation, restoration and display of relics and archaeological sites. They also visited an education hub run by Xi'an Qinhua Gas Group, a joint venture of wholly state-owned enterprise Xi'an Infrastructure Investment Group and the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, to learn more about the participation by Hong Kong enterprises in the urban gas business in the country's northwest region and the business operations of Hong Kong enterprises in Shaanxi. Mrs Lam encouraged Hong Kong companies to continue to give full play to their advantages in modern service industries to grasp the opportunities brought about by Shaanxi's development of a modern industry system, contributing to the establishment of a vital economic hub with national influence in Shaanxi and bringing mutual benefits to the economies of the two places. Mrs Lam also gave an interview to the local media.

     Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong via Shenzhen tomorrow (September 28).