Tag Archives: China

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 toda… read more

     The Community Chest of Hong Kong has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (November 18), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said. 
      
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD’s website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/ngo/controlofc/flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.
      
     In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      â€‹The spokesman for Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) made the following statement today (November 17) regarding an incident of a nursing student suspected to… read more

     Following is the speech by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, at Hong Kong Laureate Forum 2023 Gala Dinner cum Closing Ceremony today (November 17):

Professor Tong (Chairman, the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum (HKLF) Limited, Professor Timothy Tong), Mr Simon Chan (Chairman of Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Mr Simon Chan), members of the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum, esteemed Shaw laureates, honourable guests, young scientists, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening! It is my great pleasure to join you all this evening. My sincere thanks go to everyone involved in making this year’s Hong Kong Laureate Forum (HKLF) a great success.
 
     Throughout this eventful week, the Council of HKLF has arranged visits to the Science Park, InnoHK research clusters and research and development (R&D) centres, as well as some of our universities and secondary schools. I am delighted to see so many of you at this “grand finale” here at Cyberport. All of these places, and the bright minds you have met along the way, play significant roles in Hong Kong’s transformation into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre. Reflecting on your visits and fruitful discussions during the Forum, I hope you would agree that Hong Kong is an ideal place for turning great ideas into reality. What, I think, is a really unique advantage for Hong Kong, is that it is a very compact city and everything is within easy reach. Just for example, you could easily be at the Science Park or Cyberport in the morning, discuss ideas with start-up entrepreneurs over lunch, visit a top ranked university in the afternoon and still be home in time for dinner!
 
     Talking about universities, you take your pick. We have five that are ranked among the world’s top 100; the only city in Asia that can make this claim. It reflects not only the quality of our tertiary institutions, but also the deep and broad pool of world-renowned scholars and experts who make it happen. All along, we enjoy the unique “one country, two systems” advantages: that is the strong support of our motherland coupled with close connectivity to the rest of the world.

     With a comprehensive R&D ecosystem, it is little surprise that Hong Kong is now home to some 4,000 start-ups. Our city has “given birth” to more than 10 unicorns so far. We ranked first in Asia and second globally in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2023.  

     And we are just getting started! I am pleased to tell you that, over the past year, Hong Kong has attracted some 30 strategic enterprises with cutting-edge technologies.  They will make an initial investment of around HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion) to establish their foothold or expand their operations in Hong Kong. 

     We are also actively supporting the development of frontier fields such as microelectronics and artificial intelligence (AI).  We will establish the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute next year, to lead and facilitate collaboration among universities, R&D centres and industry. This will include exploring third‑generation semi‑conductor core technology and leveraging the well‑developed manufacturing supply chains and enormous market in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Cyberport will establish an AI supercomputing centre in phases, starting from next year. This will support the huge demand for computing power from R&D and relevant sectors and promote industry development. 

     In addition to the two existing InnoHK research clusters focusing on healthcare technologies and AI, we are preparing to establish a third cluster. It will focus on advanced manufacturing, materials, energy and sustainable development. 

     To enhance the I&T ecosystem, we have rolled out initiatives including the recently launched Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+), which aims to accelerate transformation, realisation and commercialisation of R&D outcomes. We will also launch the HK$10 billion (US$1.3 billion) New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme. The Scheme will promote the downstream development of new industrialisation by providing financial assistance for enterprises in the fields of life and health technologies, AI and data science, advanced manufacturing and new energy technologies. 

     I have mentioned just a few new initiatives that demonstrate the Government’s ambition and determination to fuel I&T development in Hong Kong. We warmly welcome talent, start-ups and entrepreneurs to join us in developing a world-class I&T hub in the heart of Asia. 

     I thank the Council of the HKLF for hosting tonight’s gala dinner and I wish you all the best of business, science and ideas to help make our world a better place. 

     Lastly, I would like to remind everyone here that the seventh District Council Election will be held on December 10. I urge you to vote on Election Day to elect patriotic, committed and capable District Councillors for the good governance and well-being of Hong Kong. Thank you and I wish you all an enjoyable gala dinner. 

    

     The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office (GBA Office) of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau today (November 17) organised the GoGBA Development Day, attracting about 420 participants to learn about the entrepreneurial and career opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). The event featured presentations by government officials and representatives of relevant organisations, as well as experience sharing by young entrepreneurs to help participants grasp the opportunities of Greater Bay Area development and create greater room for business and career development.

     In her opening address at the event, the Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan, said that the Greater Bay Area has unlimited development potential, and is one of the most vibrant and competitive regions not only in the country but also in the world. Young people are the future of Hong Kong, and are also the engine that drives the development of society and the economy. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to the development of young people, and continues to introduce and enhance various schemes and measures such as the Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area and Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme, so as to provide concrete and targeted support to Hong Kong young people who aspire to set up businesses and develop their career in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, and to help them realise their aspirations on a bigger stage in the Greater Bay Area.

     Ms Chan added that the HKSAR Government set up the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Promotion Centre under the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong in April this year to enhance promotion in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, as well as to provide better support for Hong Kong residents (including young people) and enterprises there. The GBA Office has also set up the “Greater Bay Area Information Station” (GBAIS) in various districts in Hong Kong since August this year, with a view to helping members of the public understand the policy directions and facilitation measures in different aspects of the Greater Bay Area as well as practical information about living in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area. Ms Chan encouraged Hong Kong young people to make the most of the opportunities brought about by the development of the Greater Bay Area to build a brighter future for themselves.

     Today’s GoGBA Development Day was jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, with a representative from the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Co-operation Zone) to introduce the latest development of the Co-operation Zone. In addition, a number of young entrepreneurs shared with participants their practical tips on starting businesses in the Greater Bay Area. There were also sharing by Hong Kong people working in different cities of the Greater Bay Area of their invaluable experiences in developing their career in the Mainland, and recruitment consultants introduced the latest position relating to the recruitment of Hong Kong talents by renowned Mainland enterprises. The event also featured a networking session for participants to exchange views and share experiences.

     The HKSAR Government has all along attached great importance to telling the good stories of the Greater Bay Area. The Office has organised GoGBA Development Day in Hong Kong and in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area on a number of occasions to promote the significant opportunities brought about by the development of the Greater Bay Area to Hong Kong residents and enterprises, and all of them were widely welcomed by the participants. The event today focused on introducing the entrepreneurial and employment opportunities in the Greater Bay Area, as well as various supporting schemes and measures offered by the HKSAR Government, so as to illustrate the importance the HKSAR Government attaches to supporting Hong Kong young people in making the most of the opportunities of Greater Bay Area development.

     For more information about the Greater Bay Area, please visit the dedicated website (www.bayarea.gov.hk/en/), which also covers the content of the GBAIS (www.bayarea.gov.hk/gbais/en/) for easy browsing by members of the public.