Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question by the Hon Michael Tien and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (May 14):   Question:        Sta… read more

     Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley today (May 14). The arrangements will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

     The following road closure and traffic diversions will be implemented from 50 minutes before the start of the first race for day racing, or from 6pm onwards for night racing:

1. Road closure

     Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp outside the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed, except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.

2. Traffic diversions

– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside the HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Traffic along eastbound Queen’s Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen’s Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road, except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen’s Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen’s Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.

B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting

     The following road closure and traffic diversions will be implemented from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

1. Road closure

– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside the HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of the HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen’s Road East.

     In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of the HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversions

– Eastbound Queen’s Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.

C. Learner drivers prohibition

     Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:

– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.

D. Suspension of parking spaces

     Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm for day racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm for night racing respectively.

     All vehicles parked illegally during the implementation of the above special traffic arrangements will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.

     Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site. read more

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 Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (May 13) led a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to commence its visit programme to Kuwait, meeting with local leaders and business representatives, and visiting cultural facilities.
      
     In the morning, Mr Lee met with the Amir of Kuwait, Mr Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who is the head of state of Kuwait; the Crown Prince of Kuwait, Mr Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah; and the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Fahad Yousuf Saud Al-Sabah, to exchange views on strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Kuwait. Mr Lee then attended a roundtable meeting chaired by the Acting Prime Minister, engaging in in-depth discussions with senior officials of the Kuwait Government on areas such as finance, trade, and innovation and technology (I&T). Mr Lee and the Acting Prime Minister witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding by Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council with the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority respectively. He and the delegation also participated in a luncheon hosted by the Acting Prime Minister.
      
     Mr Lee noted that Kuwait is the first member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) to sign both an Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement and a Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement with Hong Kong, establishing a robust framework and foundation for economic and trade co-operation between the two places.
      
     He said that Kuwait has been actively developing a diversified economy in recent years, proposing Kuwait Vision 2035 to promote digital transformation and develop the country into a regional and international financial and trade centre. Hong Kong, as an international financial, shipping and trade centre with world-class professional services, has vast opportunities for co-operation with Kuwait in areas such as finance, investment, digital economy, and I&T, and can assist Kuwait in advancing its Vision 2035. Noting that Kuwait is the rotating President of the GCC currently, Mr Lee expressed his anticipation to strengthen co-operation between Hong Kong and Kuwait, adding that he looks forward to establishing closer economic, trade and cultural exchanges with more GCC member states.
      
     Mr Lee highlighted that Hong Kong enjoys the advantage of connecting the country with the world under the “one country, two systems” principle. Hong Kong will fully leverage its role as a bridge to serve enterprises in going global and attracting external investment, complementing the strengths of Mainland enterprises while deepening international exchanges and co-operation. He welcomed the Kuwaiti Government and enterprises to utilise Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to explore new opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative for mutual benefit.
      
     Later, Mr Lee and the delegation met with representatives of a local corporation, Bukhamseen Group Holding Company, to learn about the latest developments in the company’s businesses in construction, real estate, financial services, and culture and tourism. Mr Lee introduced Hong Kong’s development opportunities and its highly internationalised and market-oriented business environment with its pool of professional services talent. He welcomed the company to use Hong Kong as a springboard to develop diversified businesses and tap into the Mainland market, better grasping the immense opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
      
     Mr Lee then visited the Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre to learn about Kuwait’s arts and culture projects and developments. The Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, which opened in 2018, comprises eight buildings, six of which are museums with different themes, housing a total of 22 display halls.
      
     Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is committed to developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges, with the West Kowloon Cultural District as one of the world’s largest arts and culture projects. Both Hong Kong and Kuwait place importance on arts and culture development, and he said he looks forward to further deepening connections and co-operation in cultural exchanges between the two places.
      
     The delegation led by Mr Lee attended a dinner hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Kuwait, Mr Zhang Jianwei. Mr Lee expressed gratitude to the Embassy for making meticulous arrangements for this visit and for its continued support to the HKSAR Government and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai. The HKSAR Government will continue to promote economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Kuwait.
      
     Mr Lee will lead the delegation to continue its visit to Kuwait tomorrow (May 14), meeting with local political and business leaders, and visiting enterprises.

                                    

     The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, currently in Beijing for a visit, will conclude his visit tomorrow (May 14) and depart Beijing for visits to Hungary and Egypt from May 15 to 20 to attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conferences there, jointly organised by the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, to promote the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
 
     While in Beijing, Mr Tsang led the HKSAR Government delegation to meet with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Hua Chunying and leaders of various bureaus to deepen their understanding of the country’s foreign policies and the latest developments of the international situation. He expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its staunch and continuous support for the HKSAR and hoped it would continue to provide support and guidance the HKSAR Government in handling external affairs of Hong Kong, to support Hong Kong in intensifying international interaction and co-operation, and to showcase the successful implementation of “one country, two systems” to the world.
 
     In addition to the visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Tsang also met with the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and toured the China Foreign Affairs University. Before leaving Beijing tomorrow, he will visit the Museum of Early Revolutionary Activities of the Communist Party of China in Beijing (the Red Building of Peking University), one of the main venues of the May Fourth Movement, meet with Hong Kong students in Beijing, and visit the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing to receive briefings on its work.
 
     Mr Tsang will depart Beijing for Budapest, Hungary, in the early hours of May 15. He will attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – Europe (Hungary) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference co-organised by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on May 16. The conference aims to promote the enormous business opportunities brought about by the GBA to the Hungarian business community and how Hong Kong can play its important function as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” between the two places.
 
     During his stay in Hungary, Mr Tsang will meet with local political and business representatives to learn about the latest developments in the region and explore ways to further strengthen co-operation between Hungary and Hong Kong, with a view to opening up new opportunities for enterprises of both places.
 
     After completing his visit to Hungary, Mr Tsang will depart for Cairo, Egypt, on May 17 and attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – Africa (Egypt) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference on May 19 to promote the latest developments and the development potential of the GBA, as well as Hong Kong’s unique advantages under “one country, two systems”. During his stay, he will exchange views with representatives of the local political and business circles to understand the local development trends and promote interface between the industries of Hong Kong and Egypt.
 
     The Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan, and the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, will join the visit.
 
     Mr Tsang will depart from Egypt on the evening of May 19 and return to Hong Kong on May 20. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Clement Woo, will be the Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs. read more