â€‹The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the new Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG) and National Security Adviser to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Zhou Ji, at Government House today (May 31). They exchanged views on a range of issues, including the opportunities and challenges of Hong Kong, and promoting the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the Central Government for its continued support to and care for Hong Kong, driving and supporting Hong Kong’s transition from stability to prosperity. He extended his warm welcome to Mr Zhou on his new appointment. Mr Zhou had extensive experience in local governance and policy-making from a macroscopic perspective, having previously held such positions as Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, Member of the Standing Committee and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee, and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Governor of the Henan Provincial Government.
      
     Since taking office in July 2023 as the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zhou has been participating in taking forward Hong Kong’s work under national development strategies. He is well acquainted with the national policies on Hong Kong and actively promoted the implementation of the Central Government's policies benefitting Hong Kong. Last year, Mr Zhou led a delegation to visit Hong Kong and gain better insights into its economic development, providing his important views to the formulation of measures benefitting Hong Kong. He has also undertaken solid efforts to ensure the measures achieve optimal results.
      
     Mr Lee said he is confident to work with Mr Zhou in actively aligning with national development strategies, as well as in implementing fully, faithfully and resolutely the principles of "one country, two systems" and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy, maintaining the constitutional order of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Constitution and the Basic Law, implementing the "executive-led" structure and implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", with a view to ensuring the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, the steadfast and successful implementation of the "one country, two systems" principle, and jointly expediting the development of Hong Kong from stability to prosperity.
      
     During the session, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is currently undergoing an economic transformation, and that the HKSAR Government will uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground, endeavour to take forward reforms, and continue to lead all sectors of Hong Kong society to embrace changes and strive for innovation, actively exploring new areas of development and growth.
      
     Mr Lee said he believes that under the leadership of Mr Zhou, the LOCPG will continue to support the HKSAR Government’s governance in accordance with the law. Noting that Mr Zhou is well acquainted with Hong Kong affairs, Mr Lee said that this will help Hong Kong better contribute to and benefit from its integration into national development, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt and Road Initiative. The session was conducted in a cordial and productive atmosphere, with both Mr Lee and Mr Zhou sharing the common goal of expediting Hong Kong’s rise from stability to prosperity.

      

     In support of the annual Cultural and Natural Heritage Day on the second Saturday of June designated by our country, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office (ICHO) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will launch the first Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage Month (Hong Kong ICH Month) in June. The opening ceremony for the Hong Kong ICH Month 2025 was held today (May 31) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
 
     Addressing the opening ceremony, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, said that starting this year, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will designate June as Hong Kong ICH Month, thereby deepening the implementation of the Cultural and Natural Heritage Day. Hong Kong ICH Month also aims to present a vibrant annual mega Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) event through a series of engaging programmes. With the theme "ICH Around Town", the inaugural Hong Kong ICH Month will fully showcase that despite Hong Kong's relatively small geographic size, ICH can be found everywhere. He said the programmes will give the public and tourists a greater insight into ICH, and enable their first-hand experience of the cultural richness of ICH as well as the pleasure .
 
     Other officiating guests included the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau; the Chairperson of the Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee and Legislative Council Member, Dr Starry Lee; Legislative Council Member Mr Kenneth Fok; the Chairperson of the ICH June and Legislative Council Member, Professor Lau Chi-pang; the Chairperson of the ICH Advisory Committee, Professor Ricardo Mak; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; and the Head of the ICHO, Ms Judith Ng.
 
     Moreover, the ICHO is launching the ICH Carnival at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza today and tomorrow (May 31 to June 1) with the aspiration of rolling out ICH festive events across the territory, kicking off the Hong Kong ICH Month 2025. The Carnival offers diverse performances of Hong Kong ICH items, such as lion dance and Engor parade, Cheung Chau floating colours and dragon dance parade, Hakka unicorn dance in Hang Hau in Sai Kung, Cantonese opera excerpts, Nanyin, Yip Man Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Pixiu dance, and dragon boat dance. There are also more than 10 interactive experiential booths, at which members of the public can participate in and learn the techniques of crafting flower boards and wooden furniture, and making Chinese brushes and clay sculptures, etc. ICH organisations and practitioners will also provide demonstrations on-site. Admission is free. For details of the Carnival, please visit the website: www.icho.hk/en/web/icho/hk_ich_month_2025_fiesta.html.
 
     ​Hong Kong ICH Month 2025 is presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, and organised by the ICHO of the LCSD with ICH June as the strategic partner. Delightful programmes include 80 ICH performances, 60 interactive experiential booths and 20 "ICH Highlight Tours", covering over 100 ICH items and bringing together over 50 ICH practitioners, including representative bearers of the national ICH. ​

                      

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 today (May 31) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Hap Mun Bay Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     Police today (May 31) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Ngau Tau Kok.
      
     Yan Wai-man, aged 73, went missing after he left his residence on Shing Fung Road on May 27 afternoon. His family made a report to Police in Kwun Tong on May 28.
      
     He is about 1.85 metres tall, around 68 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a dark-coloured long-sleeved jacket, a blue and white polo shirt, brown trousers and black leather shoes.
      
     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0316 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

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 today (May 31) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach in Islands District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.