The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, tomorrow (December 4) will lead a business delegation of enterprises of Belt and Road countries operating in Hong Kong to depart for Shenzhen to kick-start a two-day visit to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a view to promoting Hong Kong as a service hub in assisting enterprises to tap the Mainland market.
 
     The visit is the first business networking event organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government for enterprises of Belt and Road countries operating in Hong Kong. Members of the delegation include 20 representatives from these enterprises, the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho, as well as representatives from the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, the Independent Commission Against Corruption and Invest Hong Kong.
 
     The delegation, under the themes of "green development" and "innovation and technology", will visit a number of renowned enterprises and organisations in Shenzhen and Guangzhou to learn about the latest development of the relevant high-quality industries. They will also meet and exchange views with local senior government officials.

     Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on December 5. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development.

     â€‹To enhance students' understanding of the Constitution, the Basic Law and the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL), the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Security Bureau, the Education Bureau (EDB) and the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation jointly organised the Territory-wide Inter-school National Security Knowledge Challenge, and held a launching ceremony at the former French Mission Building today (December 3) to tie in with Constitution Day tomorrow (December 4) and National Security Education Day on April 15 next year.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said in a video speech that he hopes students can have a deeper understanding of the NSL and the holistic view of national security, as well as learn about the Constitution and the Basic Law through participating in the Challenge. He encouraged the students to share with their family members and friends the knowledge and thoughts acquired from the Challenge, become promoters of national security education and proactively make contributions in safeguarding national security. He also appealed to different sectors of the community for their full support of the legislative exercise on Article 23 of the Basic Law so as to fulfil the constitutional responsibility of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and their civic responsibility as well as obligation in safeguarding national security.

     Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, pointed out that national security is the cornerstone of national stability. It is not only a legal responsibility for citizens to respect and abide by laws in safeguarding national security, but also a due obligation. Understanding the importance and urgency of national security during school years can help students to cultivate a sense of national identity at an early stage and properly understand our civic responsibilities.

     Also officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, said that the Government has always been coming up with new initiatives on national security education. He noted that the Challenge has combined the professional legal knowledge of the DoJ, the schools' and students' networks of the EDB, and the experience in organising inter-school competitions and the resources of the Hong Kong Shine Tak Foundation, with a view to enabling a more profound national security education with a wider coverage.

     Addressing the ceremony, the Under Secretary for Education, Mr Sze Chun-fai, said that with the participation from more than 102 000 students from 585 secondary and primary schools, the number of students participating in the online heat round has reached an all-time high. It showed that the education sector has attached great importance to and provided support for promoting national security education.

     The Challenge is conducted in the form of a quiz, and is divided into the primary school and secondary school sections, both of which include team and individual competitions. Fifty four secondary and primary schools have advanced into the quarter-finals to compete for the crown.

     Highlights of the launching ceremony and the Challenge will be broadcast at 10.30pm on Sundays starting from today till mid-April next year, on the programme "Our Home Our Country" on HOY Infotainment. The programme also comprises a session on national security knowledge to deepen the understanding of national security concepts among members of the public.

          

     To enhance public understanding of the constitutional basis of the country and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the HKSAR Government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR will jointly hold a seminar on Constitution Day tomorrow (December 4), with the Endeavour Education Centre as the supporting organisation.
 
     On November 1, 2014, the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC) decided to designate December 4 of each year as Constitution Day and conduct promotion of and education activities on the Constitution through multiple channels, in order to heighten public awareness of the Constitution, promote the spirit of and enhance the implementation of the Constitution, and advance the overall law-based governance of the country.
 
     In the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China delivered in 2022, President Xi Jinping states that the country's central task at present is to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realise the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation. The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state and the overall guiding principle for governance. In the process of advancing Chinese modernisation and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the safeguard provided by the Constitution as well as the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong is indispensable.
 
     This year's Seminar will be conducted on the theme of "The Constitution and Chinese Modernisation", and comprises two parts, namely a keynote speech and a panel discussion. The keynote speech will be delivered by Professor Zhang Xiang from the Peking University Law School. The panel discussion will be moderated by the Chairman of the Management Committee of the Endeavour Education Centre, Mrs Rita Fan, who will host a discussion with Member of the HKSAR Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the NPC and Member of the Legislative Council, Professor Priscilla Leung; HKSAR Deputy to the NPC, Mr Nicholas Chan; and Professor Zhang, to explore how Hong Kong can contribute in building a great China and advancing Chinese modernisation.
 
     The Seminar will be held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 10.30am to noon tomorrow and broadcast live simultaneously. Members of the public can view it on the website of the Information Services Department (webcast.info.gov.hk), the news.gov.hk's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/govnews.hk) or the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (CMAB)'s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/cmab.gov.hk). Radio Television Hong Kong TV 32 will also broadcast the Seminar. Moreover, the full version of the Seminar will be uploaded to the website of the CMAB (www.cmab.gov.hk/en/home/index.htm).
 
     For other information about Constitution Day, please visit its dedicated webpage (www.cmab.gov.hk/en/issues/constitution_day.htm).

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 (December 3) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, will lead members of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board (HKMPB) on a visit to Shanghai tomorrow (December 4) to participate in Marintec China.

     Mr Lam and members of the HKMPB will attend the opening ceremony of the China Hong Kong Pavilion at Marintec China 2023 and visit various facilities, including an automated terminal. They will also promote Hong Kong's maritime services to the local industry and explore co-operation opportunities.

     On December 6, Mr Lam will depart for Hangzhou to inspect autonomous driving technology. During his visit to Shanghai and Hangzhou, he will meet with local government officials to exchange views on issues of mutual concern.

     Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong in the evening on Thursday (December 7). During his absence, the Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-san, will be the Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics.