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 (May 25) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Shek O Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, will depart for Geneva, Switzerland, today (May 25) to attend the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) and to visit pharmaceutical companies and a hospital in Basel and Zurich to enhance exchanges and co-operation on health and medical innovation between the two places.

     Professor Lo will attend the 77th WHA on May 27 (Geneva time) as a member of the Chinese delegation. The theme of this year's Assembly is "All for Health, Health for All ". The key discussions will cover universal health coverage, infection prevention and control, International Health Regulations, antimicrobial resistance, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, health promotion and WHO's preparedness and response to public health emergencies.

     During his visit in Geneva, Professor Lo will take the opportunity to exchange views with senior officials of the WHO on public health-related issues.

     After attending the WHA, Professor Lo will depart for Basel and Zurich to commence his visit to Switzerland by visiting Novartis, Roche and University Hospital of Zurich to introduce to experts and academics of local medical and pharmaceutical sectors and in the field of health and medical innovation the measures put forward by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to develop into a health and medical innovation hub; enhance the prevailing drug evaluation and registration mechanism and foster clinical trial development.

     The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, will accompany Professor Lo to Switzerland. They will return to Hong Kong on May 31. During Professor Lo's absence, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, will be the Acting Secretary for Health.

     Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (May 25) will be cancelled.

     If the thunderstorm warning is cancelled and weather conditions permit by then, the flag-raising ceremony may be resumed without further notice.

     Three charities have been issued Public Subscription Permits to hold flag sales from 7am to 12.30pm today (May 25). They are, on Hong Kong Island, Apostolic Faith Church of Hong Kong Limited; in Kowloon, the Hong Kong Chinese Church of Christ; and in the New Territories, Society for Abandoned Animals Limited, a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said.
      
     Arrangements have been made with the charities to help people to distinguish among the three flag-selling activities.  
      
     Information on the three flag-selling organisations on May 25 is as follows:
      

 
     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.

     The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, attended the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Europe (France) Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference in Paris this afternoon (May 24, Paris time).
      
     The Conference was jointly hosted by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government, and the Macao SAR Government. The Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Weizhong; Mr Chan; and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR, Ms Ao Ieong U, gave keynote presentations to over 400 French and European leaders of the commercial and industrial sectors attending the event, to promote the enormous business opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) for European businesses. The Chinese Ambassador to France, Mr Lu Shaye, and the Vice-President of the Society for the Encouragement of National Industry, Mr Gilles Henry Garault, also delivered speeches.
      
     Mr Chan highlighted at the Conference Hong Kong's unique advantages of having convenient access to the Mainland market under "one country”, and the practice of common law; the free flow of capital, goods, people and information; the maintenance of a simple and low tax regime and the linked exchange rate; and commercial rules that align with the best international standards, etc. under “two systems”. Hong Kong is an ideal entry point for French enterprises to develop the GBA market, and an optimal springboard and platform for further developing businesses on the Mainland and in Asia.
      
     Mr Chan said that Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, possesses a highly internationalised financial market, and has been deepening and expanding mutual market access with the Mainland's financial market. With a vibrant ecosystem of venture capital and private equity funds, Hong Kong is able to support the funding needs of French enterprises at different development stages. Apart from access to both Mainland and international capital, French enterprises can also utilise Hong Kong’s vast Renminbi (RMB) liquidity pool to raise RMB funding to support their business expansion in the Mainland. They can also leverage the offshore RMB products and risk management tools available in Hong Kong to manage the RMB funds acquired through trading activities.
      
     Mr Chan also introduced the development of Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology centre, including Hong Kong's advantages in basic research and collaboration with the sister cities in the GBA, in particular the progress of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone. Furthermore, he highlighted Hong Kong’s efforts in the development as an international green tech and green finance centre, facilitation in efficient matching for international green capital and green projects in the region, and active participation in formulating international green standards, certification and nurturing relevant talent.
      
     Hong Kong and France have long had deep exchanges in commerce and trade, culture and people. Hong Kong welcomes French enterprises to initiate businesses, set up research and development centres and regional headquarters. He also opined that the internationalised, safe and dynamic living environment of Hong Kong is highly attractive to French and European talent. 
      
     At the Conference, Mr Wang, Mr Chan and Ms Ao Ieong witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by Invest Hong Kong and three French enterprises, namely Prophesee, SUEZ and Egis. Invest Hong Kong will provide support to the enterprises on stepping up investments and starting operations in Hong Kong.