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 Israel and Hong Kong.

     Joined by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, and the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, Mr Chan first called on the Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority and Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Economy and Industry, Dr Ami Appelbaum, to keep himself abreast of the latest developments of I&T of Israel. Noting that Israel is a leading global hub for cutting-edge and innovative technologies, Mr Chan remarked that Hong Kong can draw valuable lessons from Israel’s successful experience on various fronts, such as Fintech, biotech and biomedicine.

     Mr Chan and members of the Hong Kong business mission then attended a briefing by Dr Appelbaum on the business environment and opportunities in Israel. Several Israeli I&T companies supported by Hong Kong investment funds also shared their experience.

     Addressing at a luncheon co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Mr Chan said "Hong Kong is actively embracing I&T as the new impetus for economic growth. I see much potential for Israeli tech entrepreneurs and talent to partner with Hong Kong in developing high-tech solutions. We also welcome Israeli innovative companies to make use of our world-class financial platform to raise fund."
      
     "We are developing Hong Kong into the preferred listing platform for emerging and innovative enterprises.  The Hong Kong Stock Exchange introduced in April this year a new listing regime which allows pre-revenue biotech companies and companies with weighted voting right structures to list on the Main Board." He added.

     In the afternoon, Mr Chan first met with Mr Benjamin Soffer, Head of Technion Technology Transfer office of AMIT. The office mainly supports and promotes the commercialisation of biomedical innovation of Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Mr Chan pointed out that $10 billion has been earmarked in this year’s government budget to support the establishment of the two research clusters on healthcare technologies and on artificial intelligence and robotics technologies. He welcomed AMIT and other top scientific research institutions from around the world to set up operations in Hong Kong.

     After meeting representatives of a few Israeli I&T companies, Mr Chan visited the innovation centre of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and the Floor, a Fintech platform, to gain first-hand information on the latest developments in Fintech and cybersecurity in Israel. He was pleased to note that the centre has already expanded their business in Hong Kong..

     Today (September 4, Israel time), Mr Chan will continue his visit in Israel.

            

     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.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met with the Mayor of Chongqing, Mr Tang Liangzhi, and the Governor of Hubei Province, Mr Wang Xiaodong, at Government House today (September 3).
 
     At her meeting with Mr Tang in the afternoon, Mrs Lam welcomed Mr Tang and his delegation for visiting Hong Kong for the first time after his assumption of office as Mayor of Chongqing to attend the Chongqing Hong Kong Symposium earlier in the morning. She said that Hong Kong and Chongqing have always been close and she was pleased to note that some Memorandums of Understanding and project agreements were signed between the relevant parties of Hong Kong and Chongqing during Mr Tang's stay in Hong Kong to further enhance co-operation between the two places.
 
     Mrs Lam said that the National 13th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong to consolidate and enhance its status as an international financial, transportation and trade centre, and develop the innovation and technology (I&T) industry and establish itself as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region. She invited enterprises from Chongqing to "go global" by leveraging Hong Kong's core advantages in fields including finance, commerce and trade, logistics, management, and legal and professional services to jointly explore the international market. She said Hong Kong has devoted more resources to scientific research and expressed the hope that Hong Kong and Chongqing will further explore co-operation in I&T. Expressing great interest in the development of the southern transport corridor and sea-rail intermodal transportation by Chongqing, she said she hopes the port and logistics sector in Hong Kong would be able to take part in it.
 
     In the evening, Mrs Lam met with the Governor of Hubei Province, Mr Wang Xiaodong. She welcomed Mr Wang for visiting Hong Kong again to attend an event promoting Hubei-Hong Kong economic and trade co-operation today, following his first visit to Hong Kong and their meeting last year. She noted that the event has been held in Hong Kong for 17 years consecutively, indicating the close relationship between the two places.
 
     Mrs Lam said that the Economic and Trade Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Wuhan (WHETO) was set up in 2014. She thanked the Hubei Government for its staunch support for WHETO’s work, enabling it to fully discharge it duties to promote co-operation between Hubei and Hong Kong. She said that with the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link in about three weeks, Hong Kong people will be able to reach 44 destinations in the Mainland, including Wuhan, in direct trains. The journey between Hong Kong and Wuhan will only take about four hours, enhancing ties between the two places and bringing greater convenience to those who do business and study and even retirees. She added that Hong Kong is committed to advancing I&T development and that with Wuhan's I&T talents, the two places can strengthen co-operation and exchanges in the area.
  
     Mrs Lam said at both meetings that the relevant Central ministries are rolling out measures to facilitate Hong Kong residents to live, work and study in the Mainland, and they announced last month that Hong Kong residents living in the Mainland who meet the relevant criteria can apply for residence permits. She expressed the hope that Chongqing and Hubei would continue their support in the implementation of the relevant measures.

    

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, at the World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony 2018 today (September 3):

Mr Cooke (President and Founder of World Travel Awards, Mr Graham Cooke), Paddy (Executive Director of K Wah International Holding Limited, Ms Paddy Lui), Mr Wassermann (General Manager of InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, Mr Alexander Wassermann), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
    
     Good evening. It is my great pleasure to join you all tonight on this very special occasion celebrating the World Travel Awards' Silver Jubilee Anniversary. I am particularly pleased that Hong Kong is once again chosen to be the host of this prestigious event this year.
 
     Over the past years, the Awards has gained a notable reputation for providing a benchmark for excellence across different sectors of the tourism industry. Indeed, Hong Kong shares the same values with the Awards in driving for excellence in the provision of the warmest hospitality and highest level of service to our visitors. With the concerted efforts of our industry members, Hong Kong has become one of the world's favourite tourist destinations. We are proud that our city is ranked by the Euromonitor International as number one among the top 100 city destinations in the world.
 
     While a lot of people would use tourist numbers as an easy indicator of the popularity of a city's tourism attractions, I must reiterate that Hong Kong’s success has not and should not be measured by tourist figures alone. I would say, total experience among tourists counts better. Even if we look at figures, let us look at a bucket of them. If we look at retail figures (total retail sales value increased by 7.8 per cent year on year in July 2018), hotel occupancy (rates were nearly 90 per cent in 2017), visits to attractions, MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) activities, diversity of tourists among origins and balance between long and short-haul travels, 2017 and 2018 have been quite rewarding years for Hong Kong. But we can do better.
 
     We can do better by broadening and deepening the scope of entertainment, enjoyment and experience of tourists in Hong Kong. This involves constant upgrading and improvement of services, the creation of and reinvesting in new attractions, and re-discovering hidden treasures in our tourism resources. The rejuvenation of history and heritage content together with arts and culture in our Central District is a recent example. The recent completion of the renovated Tai Kwun, the restoration and rebirth of the three historical monument buildings of the Central Police Station, Central Magistracy and Victoria Prison have now become an exciting landmark among our tourist attractions. Together with the Dr Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail and PMQ, which has become home to over 100 design galleries and shops, Central district offers a totally new and dramatic experience to our visitors.
 
     We will continue to do more in enriching what a tourist, new or repeat, in getting a totally new experience in discovering Hong Kong. Following the success of Central Old Town, our next project is to "experience every local bit" of two other districts namely Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai Districts where typical Hong Kong style of local living and livelihood could be of interest to tourists too. I am sure these are interesting and rewarding experiences for getting to know more about the local character of Hong Kong as a city where the East meets the West; and tradition crosses over with modern metropolitan life.
 
     Creating new attractions alone cannot satisfy a sustainable tourism trade. City management, municipal services and quality assurance are all important. Safety, comfort and trust cannot be taken for granted. And any city that is safe and easy to travel in will be greatly welcomed by visitors. 
 
     In this regard, I am proud to say that Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world, and a city that is easy for any tourists to get around with its efficient transport and tourist-friendly facilities. These are important pillars that support our industry. And we must continue to make the best endeavour to do more and do better in receiving visitors from all over the world and to ensure that they have enjoyed their stay.

     The tourism industry is not a single or stand-alone trade. Increasingly, tourism works in tandem with related businesses like conferences and MICE, and business travellers' experience in particular, is often important in facilitating their repeated visits and furthering their goal in coming to a city for purposes other than sightseeing.
 
     Hong Kong prides itself as an international business and financial centre, and we will continue to provide the best venue for all these commercial activities and play a good host to events like the one here this evening.
 
     In the coming few weeks, we will see the commissioning of two major cross-boundary modern transport links, connecting Hong Kong much closer, easier and more comfortably to our immediate hinterland, the Bay Area (the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area), as well as the entire country of the Mainland of China. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao-Bridge and the high speed railway (Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link) will be our new connections to the wider region and the world. It is also high time for Hong Kong to do better in seizing the opportunity to position ourselves as the most favourite destination as well as a prime landing place for multi-destination travelling in this region.
 
     With all these new and exciting things happening, I stand ready to welcome all of you to come to Hong Kong more frequently.
 
     Last but not least, I would like to thank the creator and organiser of the World Travel Awards, and to all those involved in making the Awards a guiding light over the past 25 years. I must also extend my warmest congratulations to this year's award winners, who well deserve our big applause. Well done!

     I wish you all a great evening. Thank you.

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government hosted a welcome home ceremony at Hong Kong International Airport today (September 3) to greet the Hong Kong, China Delegation to the 18th Asian Games on their triumphant return from the Games.
 
     Speaking at the ceremony, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, praised the Hong Kong athletes for their exceptional achievements at the Games. The Hong Kong delegation won a total of 46 medals, comprising eight gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze. Describing the results as most encouraging, Mr Lau said that Hong Kong citizens were impressed by and proud of these athletes, who had demonstrated strong determination and great perseverance in striving for the best.
     
     Mr Lau added, "The Government has all along been boosting the development of sports and supporting the athletes at full steam. In the coming years, we will allocate $60 billion towards sport projects, including the construction of the Kai Tak Sports Park as well as 26 sports and recreation facilities in the community. The Government will also continue to devote resources in support of elite athletes and National Sports Associations in organising more high-level and large-scale sports events in Hong Kong."
 
     The 18th Asian Games was held between August 18 and September 2 in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia. Hong Kong sent a record-breaking delegation of some 580 athletes to the Games, which took part in 36 events.   
 
     Other guests attending the ceremony today included the President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Mr Timothy Fok; the Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, Mrs Cherry Tse; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; and the Chef de Mission of the Delegation, Mr Herman Hu.