Tag Archives: China

     The Under Secretary for Education, Mr Sze Chun-fai, kicked off the Healthy Living, Happy Family Series – Thrive Party for Kids and Families today (May 18) together with the ambassadors of the Positive Parent Campaign, Mommy Light and Daddy Light.

     Under the Positive Parent Campaign, the Education Bureau (EDB) organised three events of the Thrive Party for Kids and Families in May and June. The events are aimed at encouraging parents and children to develop a healthy lifestyle together, which includes having adequate sleep, daily exercises, leisure activities and sufficient rest. Thus, both parents and children can relax properly and maintain their physical and psychological well-being to facilitate the happy and healthy development of children.

     Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Sze said that parents are inevitably under pressure when facing difficulties and challenges in their work and daily lives. To avoid the negative impacts from stress, parents should first learn to care for themselves, recognise and understand their own emotions and maintain well-being through developing a healthy lifestyle together with their children. Children can thus grow up in a safe and loving environment.

     A spokesperson for the EDB said that the Thrive Party for Kids and Families provides a wide range of interesting activities. There are five thematic zones, namely Parent-child Fun Day Camp, Stay Calm and Relax Zone, Kids Fit Workout Station, Warmie’s Amazing Maze Playground, and Glowie’s Favourite Books Corner. Parents and children are encouraged to try out the experiential activities in their daily lives to develop a healthy lifestyle, enhance their well-being and build a positive parent-child relationship.  

     In the Parent-child Fun Day Camp, there are a parent-child relay race, a parent-child yoga session and an expert sharing nutritious recipe tips. The race is divided into kindergarten group and primary group, testing how well parents and their children can co-operate. The winners will receive a certificate of commendation and fabulous prizes. 

     Activities in other zones include singing bowl sessions, a mini-maze for kids and floorball games, as well as various thematic workshops such as storytelling, origami and badge making. These activities allow parents and their children to unleash their creativity and strengthen their parent-child relationship.

     The first Thrive Party for Kids and Families event was launched at the Central Market today. The second and third events will be held at Tseung Kwan O Plaza on June 1 and Tsuen Wan Citywalk on June 8 respectively, from 11am to 8pm. All the activities are free of charge but some activities have limited quotas and require pre-registration. A number of quotas are available for walk-in people. Souvenirs will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Parents may visit the event website (www.parent.edu.hk/en/smart-parent-net/topics/article/orpa2024) for the registration procedures and other details.

     The EDB has been running the Positive Parent Campaign since 2020 and has organised various activities to promote the proper ways and attitudes of nurturing children to parents and the general public. For the latest information of the Positive Parenting Campaign, please visit the Smart Parent Net website (www.parent.edu.hk/en/smart-parent-net) or follow the Facebook (www.facebook.com/parents.edu.hk) and Instagram pages (www.instagram.com/parents.edu.hk) of the Smart Parent Net.

    

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 Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, will lead an about 30-strong delegation, comprising representatives from the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, Invest Hong Kong and related sectors, this afternoon (May 18) on a five-day visit to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai in United Arab Emirates, to promote Hong Kong’s legal and dispute resolution services and enhance co-operation and exchanges between Hong Kong and the Middle East.

     During their visit, Mr Lam and the delegation will meet with local legal and business sectors to have a better understanding of their need for cross-jurisdictional legal services. They will also call on relevant government officials to discuss and exchange views on various areas of legal co-operation.

     Mr Lam will speak to the local legal and business sectors during the visit, in Riyadh at a networking luncheon, and in Dubai at a half-day forum and a networking luncheon.

     The visit to the Middle East is conducted with the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

     Mr Lam will conclude his visit and depart for Hong Kong on May 23. During Mr Lam’s absence, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will be the Acting Secretary for Justice. read more

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, spoke at a discussion session entitled “Trade Liberalisation: World Trade Organization (WTO)” at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting in Arequipa, Peru on May 17 (Arequipa time).
　　
     At the discussion session, Mr Yau shared his insights with the participating trade ministers on how to reinforce the WTO’s credibility and ensure its continued relevance in the evolving global trade landscape.
 
     Mr Yau stressed that a pressing priority is to restore by 2024 a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all WTO members. He called on APEC member economies to expedite discussions in an inclusive and transparent manner so as to achieve concrete outcomes as they agreed in the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi.
　　
     Meanwhile, Mr Yau said that the WTO must demonstrate its capability to formulate rules addressing the complex challenges of today’s global trading scene, citing the Joint Statement Initiative on E-Commerce and the successful conclusion of the negotiations for the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement.
　　
     He added that the extension of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions at MC13 preserved the facilitating environment for all businesses, in particular for micro, small and medium enterprises and women-led enterprises, to continue pursuing cross-border trade and deepening their presence in the global market which is now deeply ingrained in E-commerce.
      
     In the morning, Mr Yau and trade ministers of other APEC member economies also attended a joint meeting with Ministers Responsible for Women to discuss women’s economic empowerment through trade.
　
     Mr Yau said that lowering the cost of doing business or streamlining procedures through the use of technology, and wider digitalisation of trade can help women to start and develop their businesses. Noting that Hong Kong has been implementing various measures on this front, he called on APEC member economies to help accelerate this transformation through collaborative efforts so as to open up new opportunities for women to participate in trade.
　　
     On the margins of the meeting, Mr Yau took the opportunity to meet with the Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Mr Taku Ishii, and the Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations of Singapore, Ms Grace Fu, to exchange views on issues of mutual concern.
 
     Mr Yau will continue to join the MRT Meeting on May 18 (Arequipa time).

      

     â€‹Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, at the discussion session entitled “Trade Liberalisation: World Trade Organization (WTO)” at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Arequipa, Peru, today (May 17, Arequipa time):
 
     Good afternoon, Chair, Deputy Director-General of the WTO (Ms Angela Paolini Ellard), and colleagues.
 
     I would like to thank Peru for bringing us to this beautiful and historic city of Arequipa and for their warm hospitality.
 
     Despite various challenges, the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) managed to deliver some, albeit modest, outcomes. At this critical juncture, APEC’s role as a champion of the WTO assumes even greater significance. APEC not only provides a platform for open dialogue about the WTO, fostering trust and understanding among member economies, but also serves as an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions. Allow me to make a few recommendations on how we can make the most out of the MC13 outcomes to reinforce the WTO’s credibility and ensure its continued relevance in the evolving global trade landscape.
 
     First, a pressing priority is to restore by 2024 a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all WTO members, a goal we set to achieve in less than eight months’ time. With the appointment of a new facilitator and the formalisation of the reform process, it is important for the membership to expedite discussions in an inclusive and transparent manner so as to achieve concrete outcomes by the end of 2024 as we agreed in Abu Dhabi. Hong Kong, China (HKC) fully supports the interest-based, “bottom-up” and solution-oriented approach in the upcoming discussions, and we call upon APEC member economies to step up our engagement, be responsive to the views of WTO members, and more importantly be constructive and creative in finding a landing zone in the remaining discussions.
 
     Second, the WTO must demonstrate its capability to formulate rules addressing the complex challenges of today’s global trading scene. At a time when achieving multilateral consensus is becoming more and more challenging, plurilateral trade initiatives emerge as a pragmatic solution for addressing pressing issues of common concern. We welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations for the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, supported by a significant majority of WTO members, including a substantial number from the APEC region. Closely on its heels is the Joint Statement Initiative on E-Commerce where again many of us at APEC are participants. Together we must push forward with the early incorporation of such plurilateral initiatives into the WTO’s legal framework and encourage more WTO members to join the agreements.
 
     On trade and environment, we are so close, yet still a distance away from both the entry into force of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and the conclusion of the second-wave negotiations. Most of us here have formally accepted the Agreement, and we urge others to expedite actions to reinforce APEC’s leadership in promoting positive trade and environment outcomes. HKC will continue to work constructively with WTO members to bridge the remaining gaps in discussions in Geneva.
 
     The extension of the moratorium on customs duty on electronic transmissions at the eleventh hour of the MC13 preserved the facilitating environment for all businesses, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and women in particular, to continue pursuing cross-border trade and deepening their presence in the global market which is now deeply ingrained in e-commerce. Going forward, the extension of the moratorium deserves the support of APEC member economies as we continue to engage in useful dialogues to refine the relevant framework and trading environment.
 
     An APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) delegation recently made a visit to Geneva to foster dialogues and explore opportunities for a deeper engagement with the WTO community. As a group, APEC should support ABAC’s initiatives in this regard to ensure ideas and views from our business community are given due consideration in WTO discussions.
 
     HKC remains steadfast in supporting the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core. Recognising that every step of the progress contributes to the larger tapestry of global economic co-operation, we are committed to working together with WTO members to invest in the negotiations and bolster institutional functions of the WTO.
 
     Thank you. read more