Tag Archives: China

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (September 4):
 
Reporter: …that Mainland officers will be staying overnight in the terminus, and what about their meals? Some reports say that we’re going to pay for their meals, I mean how is the Government going to ensure that? And secondly, regarding the set-up of the Mainland Port Area, why doesn’t the Government decided to do it, like, not publicly?

Chief Executive: First of all, what has taken place at midnight at the West Kowloon terminus is a working level handover. The legislation on co-location took effect at midnight today on September 4, so there was a little working-level handover procedure in order to indicate this. That was not a ceremony per se, so I wasn’t there on this particular occasion. The important opening ceremony will take place on September 22 and will be formally officiated by myself and Governor Ma Xingrui of Guangdong Province. This brings me back to the point I was just making, that apparently and unfortunately, anything relating to the high-speed train normally is presented with some worries and anxieties. I don’t want this to continue to repeat itself between now and the opening of the high-speed train on September 23, so I have asked the Transport and Housing Bureau together with the MTR Corporation to provide responses as promptly as possible to any queries or worries or anxieties either conveyed by media friends or we pick up somewhere, so as to allay all these unnecessary fears and anxieties.

     The same applies to the provision of meals to officers working in the Mainland Port Area. As I said, these Mainland officials will not leave the Mainland Port Area. They come in on a daily basis from Shenzhen to work in the Mainland Port Area and they are not allowed to go out to have their lunch or dinner, so we need to find arrangements to provide meals to them. The cost of all these meals as well as the cost of all the other expenses, like cleansing, collecting rubbish, electricity and water, are all picked up by the Mainland authorities, but we need to help them to arrange these things. It’s as simple as that.
      
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)  read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (September 4) that the Envir… read more

     The Inland Revenue Department announced today (September 4) that all eTAX services will be suspended from 4pm on September 8 to 9pm on September 9 for a system upgrade. The department apologises for any inconvenience caused. &nbs… read more

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, arrived in Tel Aviv on September 3 (Israel time) to start his first official visit to Israel to forge closer economic and innovation and technology (I&T) co-operation between Isra… read more

     The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Co-location) Ordinance (Ordinance) came into operation today (September 4) to dovetail with the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) later this month.

     The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, and the Deputy Secretary General of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, Mr Lin Ji, jointly hosted a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Mainland Port Area at the West Kowloon Station to commemorate the moment, signifying that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Mainland will co-operate with each other to jointly implement the co-location arrangement with a view to maximising convenience for future high-speed rail passengers.

     Starting from today, personnel from the Mainland Authorities Stationed at the Mainland Port Area will work in the West Kowloon Station Mainland Port Area to make final preparations for the implementation of the co-location arrangement. For the purposes of the application of laws and the delineation of jurisdiction in the Mainland Port Area, the Mainland exercises jurisdiction over the non-reserved matters defined in the Ordinance in accordance with the “Co-operation Arrangement between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Establishment of the Port at the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link for Implementing Co-location Arrangement” and the relevant laws of the Mainland.

     The Hong Kong Section of the XRL will commence operation on September 23, 2018. It will connect Hong Kong to the ever-expanding national high-speed rail network, enabling passengers to travel among Hong Kong and various Mainland cities in a breeze and offer a speedy, convenient and comfortable transport alternative. read more