Tag Archives: China

     The Civil Service Bureau announced today (June 13) that the Chief Executive-in-Council (CE-in-Council) had decided that civil service pay for 2023-24 should be adjusted as follows, taking retrospective effect from April 1, 2023:
 
(a) a pay increase of 2.87 per cent for civil servants in the upper salary band and the directorate, subject to the pay points referred to in (i) and (ii) below the dollar values of which should be as specified:

(i) Master Pay Scale (MPS) 34 at $79,930 and MPS 35 at $80,730; and

(ii) Disciplined Services (Officer) Pay Scale (DS(O)) 20 and Police Pay Scale (PPS) 36 at $79,790, DS(O) 21 and PPS 37 at $80,590, and DS(O) 22 and PPS 38 at $81,400; and

(b) a pay increase of 4.65 per cent for civil servants in the middle and lower salary bands.

     In arriving at this decision, the CE-in-Council has thoroughly considered the staff side’s response to the pay offers and other relevant factors under the established annual civil service pay adjustment mechanism, including the state of Hong Kong’s economy; the Government’s fiscal position; changes in the cost of living; the net pay trend indicators; and civil service morale.
 
      The Government will submit the 2023-24 civil service pay adjustment proposal to the Legislative Council Finance Committee for consideration as soon as possible. read more

     â€‹As the Heat Stress at Work Warning is now in effect, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments.
      
     Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments face high levels of heat stress and are at a relatively higher risk of heat stroke. Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees at work and, based on the identified risk factors, take necessary preventive and control measures, including rescheduling work periods, setting up shading covers, providing ventilation and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.
      
     The Heat Stress at Work Warning is formulated by the LD based on the Hong Kong Heat Index. There are three levels of the warning: Amber, Red and Black, which help employers and employees better understand the level of heat stress while working outdoors or indoors without air-conditioning systems.
      
     A spokesman for the LD said that when the department issues the Heat Stress at Work Warning, employers must refer to the criteria and recommendations provided in the “Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work” to conduct risk assessments, according to the workloads and other relevant heat stress risk factors, for employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor workplaces. Appropriate rest breaks should be arranged every hour, as far as reasonably practicable, based on various levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning, to reduce employees’ risk of heat stroke.
      
     Employees must also follow instructions to rest on time. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest in a cool and shady place, drink water, and inform employers/supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.
      
     The LD issued the “Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work”, detailing the various risk factors that should be considered when conducting heat stress risk assessments and recommending corresponding control measures for identified risk factors for employers’ and employees’ reference. For the Heat Stress at Work Warning and related guidelines, please refer to the department’s thematic webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm. read more

     The Chinese Opera Festival (COF) 2023, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will bring together an array of well-known local Cantonese opera stars to stage a four-day programme, “The Art of Wusheng Roles in Cantonese Opera”, starting from July 13 (Thursday). Renowned wusheng artist Liu Kwok-sum is the Artistic Director, and he will join a star-studded cast including Lee Lung, Wan Fai-yin, Lui Hung-kwong, Chan Ka-ming, Yuen Siu-fai and others to reprise selected exemplary wusheng plays of the late “King of the Wusheng Role” Lan Chi Pak, offering the audience an excellent opportunity to experience the intricate artistry of wusheng characterisation in Cantonese opera.
 
     Wusheng (martial male) roles call for much emphasis on singing, delivery of lines, stylised movements and eye expressions, all of which require solid martial arts skills. Most wusheng roles in Cantonese opera are middle-aged or elderly characters, distinguished by the actors wearing a long beard, hence they are also known as “xusheng” (bearded male). Beard maneuvering skills are used in the rendering of many wusheng characters to express emotions. As for singing, a robust vocalisation called “baqiang” (also known as “dahou”) and “roudaizuo” are used to show that the character is a man who has seen the ways of the world, thus injecting into the character a unique depth in the performance.
 
     The first performance of “The Art of Wusheng Roles in Cantonese Opera” will start with the traditional set piece “Prime Minister of Six States”, featuring the miming of “riding a chariot” by the character Gongsun Yan that will be performed by Liu Kwok-sum with the stylised routines taught hands-on by his mentor Lan Chi Pak. The excerpt “Beating Hands” from “Wang Baochuan” highlights the performing routine “three hand claps to sever blood ties” that performers in wusheng roles use quite often to express the breaking up between father and daughter. In “Judge Bao’s Night Trial of Guo Huai”, the character of Judge Bao (hualian, literally “painted face”) will be played by wusheng that features many stylised movements and singing in a deep voice. At the second performance, the act “Burying the Horse” from “Contention for the Seal” has rarely been staged over the last 20 years. This time the entire act in the original script will be staged, showcasing the various detailed routines for interpreting the emotions of the character, who has no choice but to kill his beloved horse and buries it under a cliff. The third performance will stage the classic play “Death of a Loyal Warrior”, in which wusheng will play the lead role in the two acts “Forcing His Son to Get onto the Saddle” and “Killing His Own Son” to revive the stage directions and stylised movements that were devised, rehearsed and performed by Lan Chi Pak. At the final performance, the character of Yan Song in “The Impeachment of Yan Song” will be played by wusheng, as in the early practice. In the court scene of the play, the actor playing Yan Song will perform the miming of “sitting with an imposing air on the chair”, with actions need to be in sync with the percussion cues and supported by the waist and the thighs, showcasing the solid skills and physical strength of the actor.
 
     Details of the four performances are as follows:
 
Date and time: July 13 (Thursday), 7.30pm
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“Prime Minister of Six States”
Main cast: Lee Lung, Wan Fai-yin, Lui Hung-kwong, Liu Kwok-sum, Chan Ka-ming, Yuen Siu-fai, Pui Jun-hin, Ng Lap-hei, Leung Fei-tung, Li Yuen-yi, Lo Lai-see, Shum Pak-chuen, Wan Yiu-sing, Chung Kui-man, Chu Siu-yat, Lee Ching-yan, Siu Wing-yee, Cheung Siu-lun, Fung Choi-wan, Chin Yin, Mou Lai-yin
Synopsis: Su Qin lobbies the six states to form an alliance against the powerful state of Qin. After successfully forming the alliance, leaders of the six states agree to appoint Su Qin as their joint prime minister.
 
Excerpt “Beating Hands” from “Wang Baochuan”
Main Cast: Lee Lung, Wan Fai-yin, Lui Hung-kwong, Liu Kwok-sum, Chan Ka-ming, Yuen Siu-fai, Pui Jun-hin, Ng Lap-hei, Li Yuen-yi, Lo Lai-see
Synopsis: Wang Baochuan throws an embroidered ball to choose her husband, and it falls into the hands of a destitute young man, Xue Pinggui. Her father, the prime minister, wants to nullify the engagement but she refuses. Three hand claps are performed by the father and daughter to signify the unwavering positions of the two.
 
“Judge Bao’s Night Trial of Guo Huai” (Screenplay Arrangement: Yuen Siu-fai)
Main Cast: Lee Lung, Wan Fai-yin, Lui Hung-kwong, Liu Kwok-sum, Chan Ka-ming, Yuen Siu-fai, Pui Jun-hin, Ng Lap-hei, Lo Lai-see
Synopsis: Royal Concubine Liu conspires with Guo Huai the eunuch to replace Royal Concubine Li’s newborn prince with a dead cat. Lady Li is sentenced to abandonment at the cold palace, while Lady Liu becomes the Queen Consort. Kouzhu the palace maid does not have the heart to kill the baby and gives it to the eighth prince to raise. Since the Queen Consort is barren, the eighth prince offers her the baby as a godson. Guo Huai wants to set the cold palace on fire to kill Lady Li, but Kouzhu hurries to inform Lady Li to flee. Eighteen years later, the young prince succeeds the throne. One day, Judge Bao is on his way to Chenzhou and meet Guo Haishou, a vegetable vendor who has been giving shelter to Lady Li. On knowing what has happened to Lady Li, Judge Bao reopens the case. Pretending to be the King of Hell, he sets up a night trial of Guo Huai, and solves the mysterious case in the end. The young emperor is reunited with his mother, Lady Li.
 
Date and time: July 14 (Friday), 7.30pm
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“Contention for the Seal”
Main Cast: Lee Lung, Wan Fai-yin, Yuen Siu-fai, Liu Kwok-sum, Chan Ka-ming, Lui Hung-kwong
Synopsis: Shangguan Yunlong and Situ Wenfeng have been conferred the title of Marquis of Pingnan and Marquise of Pingxi respectively for putting down unrests on the frontiers, and the former is bestowed with an imperial sword and the latter a death-exemption token from the emperor. They meet in the streets and a confrontation follows as neither refuses to give way. They decide to bring the dispute to the emperor for a ruling. Caught in a dilemma, the emperor comes up with a trick: he would confer upon Wenfeng the title of “Princess Royal” and gives the order that she is to marry Yunlong. On their wedding night, pride gets in the way of any reconciliation and the two spend the night apart. The next morning, news arrives that the northern Di barbarians are infringing on the borders. The two contend to be the appointed commander, and eventually Wenfeng wins. When she calls the roll, Yunlong deliberately arrives late. He is sent to meet the enemy force with his own squad as punishment. When his squad is losing ground, Wenfeng enlists the entire army to come to his aid. The two reconcile and return to the imperial court in victory.
 
Date and time: July 15 (Saturday), 7.30pm
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“Death of a Loyal Warrior”
Main Cast: Lee Lung, Wan Fai-yin, Lui Hung-kwong, Liu Kwok-sum, Chan Ka-ming, Yuen Siu-fai, Pui Jun-hin
Synopsis: The story takes place during the Ming dynasty. Xiaoquan, the elder son of the patriotic family of Marshal Zhong Yujun, suspects the consort’s father for conspiring with the King of Wala, and is waiting to hear from his brother Xiaoyi who is gathering intelligence on the enemy. However, the Marshal mistakes Xiaoquan’s prudence as cowardice, and orders him to go ahead with the expedition. Xiaoyi discovers the enemy’s plot against Xiaoquan and hurries to rescue his brother from an ambush. The consort’s father slanders Xiaoquan before the emperor. Xiaoquan is thus summoned by the emperor to return to the court, and is dismissed from his position. Zhong Yujun also falls into the trap of the villain, thinking that the ruthlessness of his son has triggered the invasion of the enemies. Zhong Yujun strikes Xiaoquan in anger with his sabre, wanting to kill him with his own hands. At the same time, the consort’s father arrives with the royal decree and announces that Xiaoquan be executed. Despite coming back with the proof of the consort’s father’s treason, it is already too late for Xiaoyi to rescue his brother who has been executed. To avenge his brother, Xiaoyi strikes his sabre and kills the villain on the spot.
 
Date and time: July 16 (Sunday), 2pm
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“The Impeachment of Yan Song”
Main Cast: Lee Lung, Wan Fai-yin, Lui Hung-kwong, Liu Kwok-sum, Chan Ka-ming, Yuen Siu-fai, Pui Jun-hin
Synopsis: The story takes place during the Ming dynasty. Yan Song, father of the emperor’s favourite concubine, amasses power, takes bribes and extorts exorbitantly high taxes. The emperor has already decreed that anyone who impeaches Yan Song will be executed, but Inspector Hai Rui, undeterred by the powers-that-be, submits 10 memorials to impeach Yan Song. The emperor then orders to strip Hai Rui of his official title, and sends Hai Rui to prison to await execution. Meanwhile, Yan Song’s son, Yan Shifan, is exposed for delaying military manoeuvres and colluding with Japanese pirates. The emperor confiscates all of Yan Song’s assets and revisits accusations of his dereliction of duty. Yan Shifan is executed after proven guilty. Yan Song is pardoned from death, but ends up being a beggar in the streets.
 
     Four performances will be held at the Grand Theatre of Xiqu Centre, West Kowloon Cultural District. Each performance will run for about three hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission of 15 minutes. Lyrics and dialogue are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $180, $280, $380 and $480 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.cof.gov.hk/2023/en/cantonese.html.

     A pre-performance talk and a post-performance talk in Cantonese will be held. The pre-performance talk will be held at 7.30pm on July 3 (Monday) at AC2, 4/F, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The speakers include Lee Lung, Liu Kwok-sum and Yuen Siu-fai. Admission is free with limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Details can be found on the above-mentioned website. The post-performance talk will be held after the performance on July 16 (Sunday). The speakers are Liu Kwok-sum and Yuen Siu-fai. Members of the audience are welcome to stay behind to join.
 
     In addition, this year’s COF features “The Art of Wusheng Roles in Cantonese Opera” exhibition to introduce the intricate artistry of wusheng characterisation through photos and textual explanations. Details are as follows:
 
Date: From now until June 18 (Sunday)
Venue: Foyer Exhibition Area, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Date: July 13 (Thursday) to August 20 (Sunday)
Venue: Arts Resource Centre, 10/F, Hong Kong Central Library
 
     Since its inception in 2010, the COF has curated quality operatic programmes with the aim of promoting the artistry and culture of Chinese traditional opera. COF 2023 will once again bring together an excellent line-up of Chinese opera troupes to stage nine quality operatic programmes covering a variety of theatrical genres, including Peking opera, Qu opera, Sichuan opera, Han opera, Cantonese opera, Wu opera, Kunqu opera and Yue opera, from June to October, showcasing the splendour of Chinese operatic art in all its glory. For more details, please visit www.cof.gov.hk.

      

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, yesterday (June 12, Berlin time) attended the AsiaBerlin Summit 2023 in Berlin, Germany. The four-day summit is expected to welcome more than 3 000 attendees from communities within the startup ecosystems across Asia and Berlin to discuss the newest tech trends and cross-border collaboration between Asia and Berlin. 

     Delivering a keynote speech themed “Hong Kong: The Innovation Powerhouse of Asia – Ideal Gateway to Mainland China Market” at the summit’s opening ceremony, Professor Sun briefed the audience on the HKSAR Government’s strong commitment to perfecting the innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem and promoting industry development, in particular various support to startups, which enables the city’s positioning as one of the best destinations for startups to set up and grow to success.

     “We welcome I&T companies, not only start-ups, but also high-potential and top-notch I&T enterprises from all over the world, to set up or expand their operations in Hong Kong, where they can leverage the seamless access to the gigantic market in the GBA and the Mainland China, and explore boundless business opportunities provided therein,” Professor Sun said, adding that only through close cross-regional co-operation and solid exchange between East and West could create a powerful synergy in global technological development and bring prosperity as well as benefits to the human societies.

     Before the Summit’s opening ceremony, Professor Sun met the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Mr Kai Wegner. He also exchanged with government officials and leaders from I&T sector from Europe and Asia on the I&T development in the VIP breakfast hosted by the AsiaBerlin Summit. During the Summit, Prof Sun took a short tour to visit booths set up by various innovation networks and agencies, science platforms, as well as startup incubators.

     In the afternoon, Professor Sun met with Research Fab Microelectronics (FMD) Germany during which he learned about the latest micro- and nanoelectronic research and development (R&D) in Germany. The FMD, one of the largest cross-site R&D co-operations for micro- and nanosystems in Europe with competences and know-how of 13 institutes from two research organisations – Fraunhofer and Leibniz, focuses on bridging the gap between basic research and customer-specific product development, as well as providing expertise and techniques for innovation solutions.

     He later visited German Accelerator, a government-funded project under German Entrepreneurship, and was briefed on its highly-customised programmes which empower innovation and help startups from all stages and across various industries to achieve international growth and success.

     Professor Sun then called on the Envoy of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, Ms Zeng Yingru, and briefed her on the latest I&T development in Hong Kong.
     â€‹
     Professor Sun will proceed to Hamburg and continue his visit in Germany on June 13 (Hamburg time). 

                  

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the opening ceremony of AsiaBerlin Summit 2023 yesterday (June 12, Berlin time):

Mr Kai Wegner (Governing Mayor of Berlin), Dr Xu (Chairwoman of the AsiaBerlin Forum, Dr Feiyu Xu), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good morning, and hello from Hong Kong! It is my great pleasure to join you all today in Berlin, one of the coolest cities in the world and the hottest start-up scenes in Europe. As the annual flagship summit dedicated to economic ties between Asia and Berlin, the AsiaBerlin Summit provides an excellent platform for start-ups, investors and policymakers around the globe to connect and explore opportunities for cross-sector and cross-boundary collaborations. I am delighted to join you all in person today to share with you on this very special occasion our vision and efforts to develop Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre as well as Hong Kong’s unique position as an ideal gateway to the Mainland China market.

     I believe everyone here agrees that innovation and technology, I&T in short in my following speech, has become the key to unlocking sustainable growth and re-shaping the global political and economic landscapes. Many countries have developed more proactive technology development policies and allocated more resources on R&D (research and development), which accelerate the pace of technological breakthrough and advancement. Asia is no exception.

     Asia is the world’s most populous continent, with around 60 per cent of the world’s population. While Asia is a relatively young market compared to the advanced Western economies, Asian countries are catching up and there is a high demand and huge potential for I&T development. The future of Asia in I&T is definitely bright and positive! Hong Kong, as the “Asia’s World City”, will certainly capitalise on our unique strengths and seize the golden opportunity from the wave of global innovation and technological revolution.

     Indeed, promoting the development of I&T is of the top priority on the policy agenda of the current term of the Hong Kong SAR Government. With the unwavering support of the motherland and the enormous opportunities brought by the National 14th Five-Year Plan as well as the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, GBA in short, Hong Kong is well positioned for I&T development. Under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the rest of the world. Possessing the strategic geographical location being the primary gateway to Mainland China and the GBA, and highly accessible to all key Asian markets, Hong Kong continues to thrive as a bustling platform that connects I&T companies not just in the Mainland China, but also internationally.

     Hong Kong is also a highly open and livable international city and one of the world’s freest economy. As the world’s leading financial, trading and logistics hub, Hong Kong has developed a sophisticated financial system, a simple and low tax system, together with a mature legal system supported by a robust IP protection regime. All these favourable factors, combined with the Government’s strong commitment to I&T development, have positioned Hong Kong as the innovation hub in the region.

     Last December, we published the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint, which establishes a clear development path and systematic strategic planning for Hong Kong’s I&T development over the coming five to ten years. The Blueprint sets out four major development directions and eight key strategies to chart Hong Kong in moving full steam towards our goal of becoming a leading international I&T centre with the staunch support from the motherland.

     One of the key directions that we will put our prime focus is to further perfect our I&T ecosystem and promote interactive development of the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages in the upstream sector with our robust R&D capabilities and our ability to achieve breakthroughs out of the blue. Hong Kong boasts the highest concentration of top-quality universities globally, with five of them ranking in the world’s top 70. Our scientific research standards, with many world-renowned scholars and experts in their respective fields producing revolutionary and forward-looking R&D results, have been widely recognised both nationally and internationally.

     In order to further enhance the basic research in frontier technology fields such as AI (artificial intelligence) and quantum technology, the Hong Kong SAR Government will earmark an additional funding of HK$3 billion this year, equivalent to around 350 million euros to promote the development of relevant facilities. 

     Apart from consolidating our upstream R&D strengths, it is important to promote the midstream and downstream sectors by incentivising the universities to proactively push ahead the technology transfer and to commercialise their outstanding R&D outcomes, thereby bringing real benefits to the community. To this end, we will be launching later this year a new funding scheme namely Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme, RAISe+ Scheme in short, in a scale of HK$10 billion, approximately 1.2 billion euros to promote closer collaboration among industry, academic and research sectors and to accelerate the “1 to N” transformation of outstanding deep-tech R&D outcomes based on “0 to 1” research and the industry development. 

     We are also stepping up our effort on promoting the industry development, in particular those with an edge and of strategic importance, such as life and health technology, AI and data science and advanced manufacturing and new energy technology industries. For example, our Government will set aside HK$6 billion this year, equivalent to around 700 million euros, out of the earmarked provision to provide subsidies for universities and research institutions to set up life and health technology research institutes. We will also conduct a feasibility study on the development of an AI Supercomputing Centre in Hong Kong to forge ahead with the AI development. 

     On the other hand, green tech is also a key focus of our Government to promote decarburisation and sustainable development. We are planning to organise an International GreenTech Week in Hong Kong later this year to pool together representatives, enterprises and investors from the green technology industries around the world. I know that this year’s AsiaBerlin Summit also focuses on AI, energy transition and green tech, and we have many start-ups, companies and experts in these fields be here with us today. You are certainly our target enterprises and talents we are thirsting for.

     Start-ups are the source of new jobs, new products and new services. Some people say that building start-ups is like an adventure. It is true that building start-ups can be more risky than setting up traditional businesses, but it also has the huge potential for higher returns. Therefore, choosing the right partner and location is particularly important for start-ups. Apart from the business-friendly environment I have mentioned earlier, the ease of raising capital and the availability of a wide range of I&T-focused funding from both public and private sources make Hong Kong one of the most popular bases for start-ups in Asia. The Hong Kong SAR Government has been sparing no effort to support start-ups, SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and tech enterprises through various funding schemes.

     I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you to our two I&T flagships, namely Hong Kong Science Park, the city’s leading R&D base, and Cyberport, the largest innovative digital community in Hong Kong. The two I&T parks have provided comprehensive support to start-ups and I&T enterprises through a variety of entrepreneurship schemes and incubation programmes. For example, Science Park and Cyberport have respectively established the Corporate Venture Fund and the Cyberport Macro Fund to invest in their start-ups on a matching basis. The two Funds have attracted more than HK$7.4 billion, equivalent to around 870 million euros, of private investment in total over the years. To further enhance our support to start-ups, an additional funding of HK$775 million, or about 89 million euros will be allocated to launch different programmes this year to invest in or support the growth of tech start-ups by our two I&T flagships. Hong Kong is undoubtedly one of the best destinations for start-ups to set up and grow to success. We stand ready to support you on your journey to success in Hong Kong.

     And of course, what Hong Kong can offer is much more than just funding support. In fact, we are not only looking for start-ups, but also high-potential and top-notch I&T enterprises from around the world to Hong Kong, with a view to pooling together global talents for building a vibrant innovation ecosystem. We welcome I&T companies to set up or expand their operations in Hong Kong, where they can leverage the seamless access to the gigantic market in the GBA and the Mainland China, and explore boundless business opportunities provided therein. Beyond that, let’s not forget Hong Kong’s strategic position as a springboard to the Belt and Road countries. By making use of the HK$35 billion fund, equivalent to around 4 billion euros, as well as the land and space made available for I&T use starting from 2024 in the Lok Ma Chau Loop and elsewhere in San Tin Technopole in Hong Kong, we welcome high quality enterprises and talents from all around the world to set foot in Hong Kong.
  
     Ladies and gentlemen, I&T continues to shape the world in many ways and play a crucial role in global economic development. Only through close cross-regional co-operation and solid exchange between East and West could create a powerful synergy in global technological development and bring prosperity as well as benefits to the human societies. By making wise use of innovation and technology, I am confident that we could work together to build a more livable and sustainable world!

     I am so excited to have Berlin as the first stop of my Germany’s trip and I am going to visit a number of tech companies and institutes in Hamburg and Munich in the following days to study the development of advanced manufacturing and tech industries and experience the energetic I&T ecoystem in Germany. In return, I sincerely invite all of you here today to discover more about the new I&T development of Hong Kong, and join us in this exciting journey to develop Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. I hope Hong Kong will be your next destination and we sincerely welcome all of you to experience the vibrant and fascinating Hong Kong!

     In closing, may I wish the Summit another great year of success and everyone a good day. Thank you and see you in Hong Kong!