The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, today (May 7) continued his visit to Beijing and met with officials of the Ministry of Commerce and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

     In the morning, Mr Wong met with the Deputy Director General of the Department of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce, Mr Liu Huabo. They exchanged views on various issues including matters relating to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Belt and Road Initiative and Hong Kong's engagement in the Mainland's foreign aid construction projects.

     Later, he met with the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Huang Liuquan. He thanked the Office for its support in fostering mutual recognition of professional qualifications under the CEPA framework. They also exchanged views on various issues, including the opportunities brought about by the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative.

     Accompanying Mr Wong on the visit were the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Lam Sai-hung, and the Deputy Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Francis Chau. Mr Wong and the accompanying officials will return to Hong Kong tonight.

    

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 is 104.1 (down 0.1 against yesterday's index).

     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, today (May 7) met with the Director of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), Ms Jiao Hong, at the Central Government Offices. They also signed two co-operation agreements in relation to the regulation of drugs and the Chinese Medicines Herbarium.
 
     Speaking at the signing ceremony, Professor Chan said, "The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and the NMPA have signed a Co-operation Agreement on Regulation of Drugs and a Co-operation Agreement on Construction, Research and Management of Chinese Medicines Herbarium to enhance communication and co-operation on the regulation of drugs, medical devices and Chinese medicines with a view to safeguarding public health in Hong Kong and the Mainland."
 
     During the meeting, Professor Chan spoke to Ms Jiao on the feasibility of collaboration between the FHB and the NMPA in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the NMPA jointly promote the development of the Greater Bay Area by signing the Co-operation Agreement on Regulation of Drugs. The Government of the HKSAR looks forward to attracting local and multinational pharmaceutical and biomedical and health technology companies to apply for registration of new pharmaceutical products in Hong Kong and to introduce medical devices to Hong Kong. We encourage these companies to expand their business in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, benefiting patients in need in the two places," she said.
 
     Professor Chan also suggested strengthening exchanges and co-operation on Chinese medicines between Hong Kong and the Mainland at the meeting. She said, "The Government of the HKSAR is actively planning the establishment of the permanent Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI), which includes the setting up of the Chinese Medicines Herbarium to collect Chinese medicinal materials and the specimens of the animals and plants from which they derived. The herbarium will be opened to the public, the trade and international research institutions. The Mainland has long been supporting the development of Chinese medicines in Hong Kong including exchanges in the area of developing standards for Chinese Materia Medica as well as providing human resources and technical support to the GCMTI. With the signing of Co-operation Agreement on Construction, Research and Management of Chinese Medicines Herbarium, Hong Kong and the Mainland will formulate a systematic Chinese Materia Medica specimen collection programme with a view to improving the collection of the Chinese medicines herbarium of the two places."
 
     The Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Ms Elizabeth Tse, and the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan, also attended the meeting and signing ceremony today.

    

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the opening ceremony of HOFEX 2019 – the 18th International Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant & Foodservice Equipment, Supplies & Services today (May 7):
 
Mr Duck (Executive Vice President of UBM Asia, Mr Michael Duck), Anthony (Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Mr Anthony Lau), Rebecca (Chairman of the Hong Kong Hotels Association, Ms Rebecca Kwan), Mr Degen (Executive Director of Messe Düsseldorf – Germany, Mr Michael Degen), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good morning.

     It is a pleasure to be here with you, for the grand opening of HOFEX 2019.

     This is the 32nd year since the debut of HOFEX.  And this fair's ever-expanding scale in exhibitors, exhibition space and halls, as well as countries participating, amply demonstrates the growing popularity and international recognition that HOFEX has realised over the years.

     This year, we welcome a wide variety of new exhibitors to the fair from Belgium, British Columbia, Czech, Latvia and Spain. In all, more than 2 800 exhibitors from 74 countries and regions will showcase their fine wine, fine food and hospitality products to some 42 000 buyers from 86 countries and regions. 

     This 18th edition of HOFEX sets another major milestone: it's the biggest in the fair's history.

     Event highlights include the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic, featuring 900 international chefs competing in a sweet, and savoury, range of categories. In the team events, there's butchery skills, high-tea and the gourmet team challenges. Individual chefs compete for the right to call themselves kings of the kitchen in Chinese and Western cuisine, as well as gelato and pastry making.

     HOFEX is scaling fresh heights in the range of its offerings as well. This year's fair once again features ProWine Asia, in cooperation with Messe Düsseldorf. Launched at the 2017 HOFEX with some 200 exhibitors, ProWine this time around counts more than 300 international wine and spirits exhibitors from 27 countries and regions. This reflects Hong Kong's prominent position as both an international exhibition centre and Asia's wine hub.

     In fact, back in 2017, we have imported over 16 million bottles of wine into Hong Kong, although we only managed to consume half of it. The people of Hong Kong, after all, are known worldwide for their passionate pursuit of good life, wining and dining. That's abundantly evident in the extraordinary number of restaurants here, covering the full menu of local, regional and global cuisines at every delectable level, from street food to Michelin-starred.

     Our sophisticated infrastructure, world-class exhibition facilities, high English proficiency and liberal trade policies toward food products are equally compelling reasons for the heady success of HOFEX. In the end, of course, Hong Kong creates the connections that help everyone excel.

     I wish you all, buyers and sellers alike, the best of business over the four fabulous days of HOFEX.

     And I invite you to make time to eat, drink and be merry in Hong Kong, Asia's food and fun city.

     Thank you.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

     Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (May 7) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Cafeteria New Beach in Tuen Mun District are suspended until further notice.

     First aid services will be maintained at the beach.