The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, congratulated the Hong Kong swimming athlete Ng Cheuk-yan on winning a bronze medal in the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB6 event at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games today (September 1).
 
     Mr Yeung said, "Ng Cheuk-yan outcompeted her opponents with perseverance and distinguished performance. We are so proud of her."
     
     The Hong Kong, China Delegation has so far won two medals, namely one silver and one bronze, at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. The details are as follows:

Silver medal
————–
Swimming: Women's 100m Butterfly S14
Chan Yui-lam
 
Bronze medal
—————
Swimming: Women's 100m Breaststroke SB6
Ng Cheuk-yan

     Hong Kong swimming athlete Ng Cheuk-yan today (September 1, Paris time) won the bronze medal in the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB6 event at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. It is the second medal of Hong Kong, China at this year's Paralympic Games. The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, expressed his heartfelt congratulations to Ng Cheuk-yan and her coaches.
      
     "Ng Cheuk-yan is the youngest-ever athlete of the Hong Kong, China Delegation in the Paralympic Games. She demonstrated superb swimming skills and great perseverance in the competition, achieving remarkable results in her first appearance at the Paralympic Games and winning a bronze medal. All Hong Kong people and I are proud of her excellent performance," Mr Lee said.
      
     Ng has achieved outstanding results in recent years. She won a bronze medal in the Women's 100m Backstroke S6 event at the 4th Asian Para Games Hangzhou and a silver medal in the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB6 event at the Para Swimming World Championships last year.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, continues his visit to Harbin today (September 1).
 
     In the morning, Mr Chan attended the opening ceremony of the 2024 China Industrial Transfer and Development Matchmaking Activities (Heilongjiang) organised by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the People's Government of Heilongjiang Province. Mr Chan delivered a speech introducing Hong Kong's role in assisting the optimisation and upgrading of the industries of Heilongjiang, fostering new quality productive forces, and servicing the country's overall high-quality development. He also encouraged local enterprises to make use of the dual role of Hong Kong as a "super connector"and "super value-adder" to promote connections and co-operation with Hong Kong in areas such as finance, innovation and technology, value-added services, professional support services and biomedicine, and to use Hong Kong as a springboard and a stronghold for expanding into the international market.
 
     In the afternoon, Mr Chan met with Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Heilongjiang Province Mr Guo Yuehua to exchange views on co-operation initiatives in areas such as innovation technology, industry, and trade. They expressed hope to further strengthen exchanges and co-operation in innovation technology between the two places, jointly making contributions to the country's scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening. He then visited the Shenzhen (Harbin) Industrial Park to learn about the latest local developments in digital economy, high-end equipment manufacturing, bioeconomy and new materials industry.
 
     Mr Chan then met with the Mayor of the Harbin Municipal People's Government, Mr Wang Hesheng, to discuss further promoting economic and trade co-operation and cultural exchanges between the two places. He stated that the Central Government further enhanced the Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) in May this year, adding Harbin as one of the Mainland cities eligible for the IVS. Direct flights between Harbin and Hong Kong have also commenced operation. These favourable policies and measures will deepen economic, trade, tourism and cultural exchanges between Harbin and Hong Kong, making the co-operative relationships between the two places even closer.
 
     Mr Chan will depart for Hong Kong tomorrow morning (September 2).

            

     The Home Affairs Department is opening 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (September 1).
      
     The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.
      
     For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.
      
     The heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Island:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
Hang Hau Community Hall
G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
 
     In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.

     The Main Programme under the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications for project proposals starting today (September 1) from non-profit-distributing organisations such as professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes.
 
     PASS, with a total allocation of $200 million, aims at funding non-profit-making industry-led projects to increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong's professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong's professional services.
 
     The maximum grant for each approved project under the Main Programme of PASS is $3 million or 90 per cent of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower. A wide range of professional services, such as accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design and technical testing and analysis, are eligible for the Main Programme. Sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects are both welcome. Expenses directly incurred for implementing a project, such as manpower costs, venue and set-up costs, production and promotion costs, and the project team and active participants' travel and accommodation costs outside Hong Kong are typically eligible for funding support under the Scheme. Funding support may also be provided for travel and accommodation costs incurred by participants of relatively longer professional internships or attachment programmes outside Hong Kong which are funded by the Main Programme.
 
     Up to early August 2024, near 110 projects had been funded under the Main Programme, including project deliverables in and outside Hong Kong. The deliverables include capacity-building programmes for enhancing the standards of local professionals, such as training programmes, workshops and study tours; outreach and promotional activities for showcasing the strengths of Hong Kong's professional services, such as roadshows, promotional seminars and participation in exhibitions outside Hong Kong; exchange activities for deepening interaction between Hong Kong professionals and their external counterparts, such as visits to other economies and international conferences and seminars held in Hong Kong; and research projects on potential external markets for Hong Kong professional services and development of best practice guidelines and manuals for professionals. Details about the Main Programme and its funded projects are available at www.pass.gov.hk/main/en/home.
 
     Furthermore, with a view to stepping up the promotion of Hong Kong's competitive edges and professional services to Mainland cities (including those in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) and overseas markets, $50 million has been set aside for the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme (PSP) under PASS to subsidise Hong Kong major professional bodies to participate in relevant activities organised by the Government (such as Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council after the pandemic situation has stabilised. Details of the PSP and its latest list of eligible activities are available at www.pass.gov.hk/psp. Hong Kong professionals from the eligible professional sectors under PASS may make use of the PSP subsidy to join the relevant activities.
 
     The Main Programme and the PSP receive applications for project and activity proposals all year round and they are processed on a quarterly basis. The deadline for the new round of applications is November 30, 2024. A briefing session will be held this month for organisations interested in applying for PASS funding. For registration for the briefing session or other enquiries, please contact the PASS Secretariat at 3655 5418 or pass@cedb.gov.hk.