The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting today (March 8) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Safeguarding National Security Bill will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debate on the Bill will be adjourned.

     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, led a delegation of innovation and technology (I&T) industry to begin their visit to Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 7 (Abu Dhabi time).

     In the morning, Professor Sun and the delegation visited Masdar City which is a business, and research and development hub with comprehensive ecosystem, driving innovation to realise greener and more sustainable urban living. They were briefed on the innovative design and technology projects of this sustainable urban community. 
      
     Professor Sun later met with the Board member of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ms Noor Al Tamimi, and exchanged views on forging closer business and trade ties between Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi, as well as strengthening co-operation in such areas as I&T and new industrialisation. Professor Sun pointed out that both Hong Kong and the UAE are leading regional financial and business centres, and have huge potential for co-operation in the area of I&T development.
      
     In the afternoon, Professor Sun and the delegation visited Hub71 to learn more about how the technology centre supports corporates to innovate and start business, as well as the centre's various programmes and funding support for its member start-ups. Professor Sun and the delegation then listened to a presentation about the Abu Dhabi's I&T ecosystem and had an exchange with the Director General of Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Mr Badr Al-Olama; the Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Residents Office, Mr Hareb Al Mheiri and the Executive Director of Industrial Development Bureau, Mr Arafat Al Yafei.

     In the evening, Professor Sun attended a dinner hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the UAE, Mr Zhang Yiming, where they met again after Mr Zhang's visit to Hong Kong in May last year. Professor Sun introduced the latest initiatives of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to promote the development of I&T and new industrialisation in Hong Kong, which support the high-quality development of Hong Kong's economy.

     In the evening of March 6, Professor Sun joined representatives from more than ten technology enterprises in the two I&T flagships, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, and relevant industries participating in the visit for dinner. He thanked them for their support to the visit and bringing along innovative solutions to tell the good story of Hong Kong's I&T to the world together, and hoped that they could explore new business opportunities and development in the Middle East market.
      
     Members of the delegation include the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Albert Wong; the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Mr Peter Yan, and representatives from more than ten technology enterprises in the two I&T flagships and relevant industries.

     Professor Sun concluded the visit and returned to Hong Kong in the evening (March 7, Abu Dhabi time).

     The Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee, spearheaded a 19-member delegation, composed of experts on information technology, drones, traffic policing, child protection and police dogs, to attend the World Police Summit 2024 from March 5 to 7 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a prestigious annual event for law enforcement agencies around the globe to share the latest police knowledge and innovation for the advancement of policing and promotion of international collaboration.

     This year, the World Police Summit has witnessed an unprecedented gathering of senior officers from 138 countries engaging in international dialogues on pressing issues in the realm of law enforcement, addressing contemporary policing challenges and fighting transnational crimes through global co-operation and knowledge exchange. Being part of the highlights, Mr Siu together with the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Information Systems Wing), Ms Kwan Chui-ching; and the Chief Superintendent of Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau, Mr Lam Cheuk-ho were invited to speak at the summit.

     Speaking at the Commissioner Keynote session which marked the opening of the summit, Mr Siu emphasised that compassion and empathy, coupled with effective internal communication, were the anchors of effective leadership in law enforcement.  These values are essential for fostering a strong relationship between the Police and both the community and its personnel, thereby maintaining public trust and confidence.  

     As an illustrative example, Mr Siu highlighted Police’s extensive efforts during the pandemic to support the healthcare sector.  In particular, officers who underwent tactical emergency medical training were deployed to assist ambulance staff, demonstrating the Police’s commitment to caring for the community in times of need.  

     To ensure effective internal communication and provide staunch and proactive support to the frontline, Mr Siu treasured direct dialogues with frontline officers and drew strength from their ideas to transform individual intelligence into organisational wisdom. Besides, he was dedicated to enlisting support from working partners with a view to creating conducive operational environment to facilitate officers’ work, in particular the frontline officers.  Finally, Mr Siu also shared his views on how visibility of top management could give assurance to both the public and the frontline officers.

     In another session, Ms Kwan shared the Force’s strategies in advancing intelligence-led policing through cutting-edge technical capabilities, while Mr Lam provided an in-depth look at the Force's innovative tactics in pre-empting cybercrime, highlighting the singular effectiveness of “Scameter”, a one-stop scam and pitfall search engine.

     At the summit, the Information Systems Wing of the Police Force showcased its latest technological breakthrough – the HKSOS smart search and rescue mobile application unveiled in January. The mobile application allows users to reach the Police Reporting Centre with one-click access to maps, hiking routes and location functions in emergency situations, which represents a significant leap forward in emergency response and public safety.

     Meanwhile, Mr Siu engaged in bilateral talks with high-ranking officials from Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, Vietnam and the UAE respectively to further the summit's goals. These pivotal discussions centred on the joint effort to combat transnational crimes, with a focus on technology crimes, money laundering, and financial investigation. The dialogues also encompassed the essential aspects of international co-operation and cross-rank personnel training.

     Since its inception in 2021 by the Dubai Police, the annual World Police Summit has set the stage for law enforcement agencies worldwide to converge and share insights on policing. The participation of Hong Kong Police Force has contributed to the continual evolution of global law enforcement practices.

              

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) hosted a reception in Perth, Australia, today (March 7) to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
 
     Around 100 guests from various sectors including political and business circles, media, academic and community groups as well as government representatives attended the reception. Among them were the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; the Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Perth, Mr Long Dingbin; and the Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Ports, Road Safety and Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport of Western Australia, Mr David Michael, representing the Premier of Western Australia.
 
     Addressing the reception, Dr Choi said that Hong Kong has sound education infrastructure, outstanding research talent, as well as diverse basic education. The quality of teaching and learning in Hong Kong is ranked among the top in various international comparative studies.
 
     "Building on this solid foundation, we will continue to seize the opportunities brought about by the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and build on our unique status and advantages under 'one country, two systems' to nurture and attract talent," Dr Choi said.
 
     Dr Choi pointed out that the Government is striving to develop Hong Kong into an international education hub for post-secondary education. "We will double the admission quota of non-local students by government-funded post-secondary institutions to 40 per cent, and strengthen scholarship and related support to attract more overseas and Mainland students to further education in Hong Kong. Another exciting development is the Northern Metropolis University Town, providing unlimited opportunities for post-secondary institutions to strengthen co-operation with renowned Mainland and overseas education institutions," Dr Choi added.
 
     The Director of the Sydney ETO, Miss Trista Lim, introduced the latest initiatives announced in the 2024-25 Budget at the reception. "Our Financial Secretary unveiled his 2024-25 Budget last week presenting a series of measures aimed at bolstering confidence and establishing Hong Kong as a premier destination for business and tourism through hosting more mega events and thematic annual conferences. More than 80 mega events will be staged in Hong Kong in the first half of this year," Miss Lim said.
 
     She also highlighted that the Budget places a strong focus on green development and the digital economy, with various initiatives on green finance, green shipping and aviation, as well as measures to guide industries towards high-quality development.
 
     In addition to the reception in Perth, the Sydney ETO also hosted Chinese New Year receptions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand, to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with the communities.

          

The following is issued on behalf of the Executive Council Secretariat:

     The Non-official Members of the Executive Council (ExCo Non-official Members) today (March 7) issued the following statement:

     ExCo Non-official Members expressed their full support to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government's announcement today on the gazettal tomorrow (March 8) and the introduction of the Safeguarding National Security Bill (the Bill) into the Legislative Council.

     The Bill fully implements the constitutional duty and requirements for safeguarding national security set out in Article 23 of the Basic Law, the Decision of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Establishing and Improving the Legal System and Enforcement Mechanisms for the HKSAR to Safeguard National Security adopted by the NPC on May 28, 2020, and the Hong Kong National Security Law. Therefore, there is a genuine and urgent need for the legislation.

     During the public consultation period for the legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law, the HKSAR Government comprehensively explained the legislative proposals to members of the public and various sectors of society. Among the over 13 000 submissions received, the majority (98.6 per cent) showed support and made positive comments, indicating the wide support for the legislative proposals from the public.

     ExCo Non-official Members fully support the Bill and appeal for the prompt completion of the legislative work, with a view to facilitating the HKSAR's work in improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security. ExCo Non-official Members also expressed their gratitude to the Security Bureau and the Department of Justice, which have carefully analysed and studied the opinions collected within a short period of time and worked at full steam to complete the drafting of a comprehensive and meticulous bill, ensuring the effective safeguard of national security.