â€‹A red tide was sighted during the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (March 28).

     On March 24, staff of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department spotted a red tide at Turtle Cove Beach, Hong Kong Island. The red tide has dissipated and no associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.

     A spokesman for the working group said, "The red tide was formed by Noctiluca scintillans, which is commonly found in Hong Kong waters and non-toxic."

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged mariculturists at Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan and Po Toi fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.

     Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD's proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public.

     The Government announced today (March 28) that the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, has appointed Mr Xu Bing as the Ambassador for Cultural Promotion for a period of approximately five years with effect from today (March 28).
 
　　The Government is committed to fostering the cultural development of Hong Kong and strengthening the city's role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges as set out in the National 14th Five-Year Plan. Last year, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) appointed Tan Dun as the first Ambassador for Cultural Promotion. To extend the scheme of Ambassador for Cultural Promotion to other fields of arts, the CSTB today appointed Chinese contemporary artist Xu as the second Ambassador for Cultural Promotion. He will initiate a series of large-scale art projects in Hong Kong and nurture young talent to promote cultural development.
 
　　Xu is internationally recognised as one of the most innovative and influential contemporary artists. He completed his studies at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in 1981 before joining the faculty. He served as the Vice President of the CAFA from 2007 to 2014. In 1990, he was invited to the United States as an honorary artist. Xu gained extraordinary achievements in the international art field. He was granted the MacArthur Fellowship in 1999. In 2003, he was honoured with the 14th Fukuoka Asian Cultural Award and won the first Artes Mundi Prize in Wales in 2004, and the lifetime achievement award from the Southern Graphics Council in 2007. Xu's works have been displayed in numerous prestigious art museums and venues around the world such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Moreover, he has participated in a number of international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale and the Sydney Biennale.
 
　　Addressing today's appointment ceremony, Mr Yeung said that Xu was widely recognised as one of the most innovative and influential Chinese contemporary artists. His works of art not only embody the beauty of traditional Chinese culture but also integrate with modern elements, making a significant contribution for Chinese culture in the international art scene. The Hong Kong Museum of Art also collected one of Xu's most well-known works, "A Book from the Sky". This ground-breaking artwork contains both traditional and contemporary elements, just like Hong Kong, which is a fascinating blend of Eastern and Western cultures, crossing cultural boundaries with unique features. Mr Yeung hoped that Xu's extensive global network, as well as his experience in teaching and cultural exchanges, would facilitate local young art talent to participate in internships or art exchange programmes on the Mainland or abroad and broaden their horizons in art and cultural development. Xu's artistry and pioneering spirit would be a guiding force to local young artists and help inspire their creativity, thus showcasing the soft power of Hong Kong and telling good stories of China and the city.
 
　　Xu said that he was deeply honoured to be appointed as the Ambassador of Cultural Promotion. He shared his profound appreciation for Hong Kong's cultural and artistic characteristics, as well as his vision for the city's cultural development. He highlighted the significance of the East-meets-West cultural blend, which strongly resonates with his own artistic philosophy. Xu also expressed his commitment to utilising the power of art to capture the essence of Hong Kong's distinctive qualities in refreshing and innovative ways. Through future collaborations and upcoming art projects, he further conveyed his dedication to nurturing the next generation of artists, encouraging cultural exchanges and creating opportunities for young talent to flourish.

        

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, at a media session after attending appointment ceremony of Xu Bing as Ambassador for Cultural Promotion this morning (March 28):
 
Reporter: Just a quick follow-up on the Snooker Challenge that the reporter has said, to any degree that indicated a need for the Government to kind of provide assistance more proactively in future on organising such a large-scale sporting event? The coming Easter and Ching Ming Festival, it is expected to have 11 million travelers throughout the whole festive period, what kind of specific arrangements are in place at different boundary points, especially cruise terminals?
 
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: It is a privately-run activity regarding the master game, we have been supporting the organisation in providing the venue. But as it is a privately-run activity or competition, we leave it to the organisers to make all the detailed arrangements. It is also up to them to negotiate with the NSA (national sports association) in Hong Kong as to whether they need their technical support or not.
 
     Regarding the coming Easter holidays, we are aware that there will be more people crossing the boundary, likely we will be having more people going out for holidays than coming in, because it is not a public holiday in the Mainland. But our colleagues at the boundary points are well-prepared, I am sure that they will look after the people movement, requirements and all these things.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese version of the transcript.)

     The Housing Bureau and the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) announced today (March 28) that two tenders for the design and construction of the second batch of Light Public Housing (LPH) projects, i.e. Public Works Project Contract no. SS M520, Design and Construction of Light Public Housing at Lok On Pai, Siu Lam, and Public Works Project Contract no. SS M521, Design and Construction of Light Public Housing at Tuen Mun Area 54 and Sheung On Street/Sheung Ping Street, Chai Wan, have been awarded to Able – Chun Wo Joint Venture upon assessment.
 
     The first batch of LPH projects comprises four projects, located respectively at Yau Pok Road, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun Area 3A, Choi Hing Road, Ngau Tau Kok, and Olympic Avenue, Kai Tak, providing a total of around 17 000 units. The construction works of all these sites have been commenced since December 2023.
 
     The second batch of LPH projects will provide a total of around 13 000 units. Among them, the construction works of the Lok On Pai, Siu Lam, Tuen Mun Area 54, and Sheung On Street/Sheung Ping Street, Chai Wan, projects, providing a total of around 11 500 units, will commence by phases shortly. The remaining LPH projects at Hang Kwong Street, Ma On Shan, and the conversion of five vacant or to-be-vacant school premises will be tendered out in mid-2024.  
 
     In order to improve the living conditions and quality of the people living in inadequate housing as soon as possible, the ArchSD will press ahead with relevant works at full speed to achieve the target of providing about 30 000 LPH units by 2027-28.
 

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Professor Celeste Saulo, today (March 28). Also attending the meeting were the Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Miss Janice Tse, and the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Dr Chan Pak-wai.
      
     Mr Lee congratulated Professor Saulo on her assumption of office as the first female Secretary-General of the WMO in January this year. He welcomed Professor Saulo's first visit to Hong Kong, noting that she will attend a signing ceremony for an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the HKO and the WMO.
      
     Mr Lee pointed out that with the intensifying change in global climate, extreme weather conditions have become more frequent, and there are practical needs to strengthen early-warning capabilities around the world to more effectively protect people's lives and properties. The HKO and the WMO first signed an MOU in 2018 in supporting global weather information services. The signing of the updated MOU will further enhance the co-operation between the two sides and contribute to the implementation of the Early Warnings for All initiative of the United Nations.
      
     He said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been maintaining close professional exchanges with the WMO to broaden the international horizons and enrich the professional development of HKO officers. He added that the HKO will continue to support the WMO's initiatives, including the WMO Voluntary Cooperation Programme, whereby the HKO will set up the Meteorological Training Centre for Belt and Road Countries this year to provide training for meteorological personnel from the Belt and Road regions, and foster regional and international co-operation on meteorology.