Tag Archives: China

The following is issued on behalf of the Youth Development Commission:
 
     The Youth Development Commission (YDC) has welcomed the initiatives on promoting youth development in the “The Chief Executive’s 2021 Policy Address” delivered by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (October 6). The YDC will actively follow up on the Chief Executive’s invitation to explore ways to enrich its existing programmes and launch new funding initiatives with a view to nurturing young people’s positive thinking.
 
     The Vice-Chairman of the YDC, Mr Lau Ming-wai, supported the Government’s new initiatives in the Policy Address in relation to promoting youth development, including the re-organisation in relation to the setting up of the Youth and District Affairs Bureau, the continuous support for Hong Kong young people to explore opportunities for entrepreneurship, career development, internship and exchange on the Mainland, as well as the strengthening of the work of the six disciplined services and two auxiliary services on nurturing young people’s positive thinking and law-abiding awareness.
 
     Mr Lau said, “In the face of the severe challenges confronting Hong Kong in the past two years, the YDC has kept reflecting upon and deliberating the future directions of youth work to enable young people to grow up in a productive, healthy and positive environment and contribute to society. This summer, the YDC paid visits to the activities provided by different sectors in the community in this regard and hosted an online thematic meeting to discuss this important subject. I am pleased that the Chief Executive has announced in the Policy Address to further support projects which are beneficial to promoting young people’s positive thinking, care for their needs and groom them into constructive builders of society.”
 
     He expressed appreciation of the Government’s acceptance of suggestions raised by members of the YDC, and said that the YDC would work proactively and closely with the Government and stakeholders to follow up on and implement relevant new measures to take forward youth development.
 
     Chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr John Lee, the YDC oversees the formulation and co-ordination of youth policies with a view to enabling a more holistic and effective examination of and discussion on issues of concern to young people, especially those related to education, career pursuits and home ownership, and participation in politics as well as public policy discussion and debate. Since its establishment, the YDC has implemented a wide spectrum of programmes to promote youth exchange, internship, entrepreneurship, life planning and more, so as to help young people create diverse development opportunities. In addition, the YDC is keen on gauging young people’s views through various channels, including organising youth engagement activities and online policy thematic meetings to further strengthen communication with young people. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Transport Advisory Committee:

     The Chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC), Professor Stephen Cheung, welcomed the initiatives on smart mobility and improvement on road traffic announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2021 Policy Address” delivered today (October 6) by the Chief Executive.

     Professor Cheung said, “The Chief Executive mentioned in her Policy Address that the Government will take forward a series of smart mobility initiatives, including:
 

• implementing the Free-flow Tolling System progressively at government tolled tunnels and the Tsing Sha Control Area from the end of next year;
• automated parking system projects in Tsuen Wan and Tai Po, among those seven projects, being commissioned this year and next year respectively;
• promoting autonomous vehicles with a bill submission to the next term of the Legislative Council by the Transport and Housing Bureau on the establishment of a new regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles; and
• providing funding support to projects that enhance commuting convenience for motorists, increase transport efficiency and improve driving safety through the Smart Traffic Fund launched in March this year.

     “Furthermore, the Government will amend the relevant legislation to enable the serving of electronic fixed penalty notices against traffic contraventions to enhance efficiency of traffic enforcement. The Government will also amend the Road Traffic Ordinance to accept electronic driving licences presented by mobile applications to bring greater convenience to driving licence holders.

     “I welcome the aforesaid proposals, many of which have been discussed in the TAC meetings. These initiatives are not only continuous efforts in the Government’s smart city development, but will also help alleviate traffic congestion and further facilitate commuting by the public.” read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee:
 
     Cantonese Opera Advisory Committee (COAC) welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2021 Policy Address”, and supports the training of young Cantonese opera talents as well as the continued professional development of Cantonese opera practitioners.
      
     Professor Andrew Chan Chi-fai, the Chairman of COAC said, “Cantonese opera is a traditional culture in Hong Kong which is very representative. It is also Hong Kong’s first world-class intangible cultural heritage item.  The HKSAR Government has always strived to foster the development of Cantonese opera in various ways, in order to preserve, safeguard and promote this precious local art form.
      
     COAC is delighted to see that the Chief Executive has raised in Policy Address that the HKSAR Government plans to provide additional resources to nurture Cantonese opera talent and enable continued professional development of practitioners. COAC hopes this will generate more Cantonese opera practitioners, in particular young talent who would play an active role in the transmission of Cantonese opera.”
      
     “In addition, in order to attract a wider range of audiences, COAC also wishes that the Government would continue to encourage and support the sector’s innovative work to create more plays that appeal to young audiences, as the transmission of Cantonese opera is not only about training practitioners, but also related to nurturing of audiences, especially the cultivation of the young generation’s knowledge of and interest in Cantonese opera. In so doing, Cantonese opera can be passed on in a lively manner,” Professor Chan continued.
      
     “I hope that the cultural treasure of Cantonese opera will continue to flourish under the active promotion of the Government and its joint efforts with the sector,” Professor Chan concluded. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Cantonese Opera Development Fund Advisory Committee:
 
     Cantonese Opera Development Fund Advisory Committee (CODFAC) welcomes “The Chief Executive’s 2021 Policy Address”, and supports the new initiatives in providing additional support for training of young talent and enabling the continued professional development of practitioners, as well as encouraging the production of new scripts in respect of Cantonese opera. 
           
     Professor Lui Yu-hon, the Chairman of CODFAC said, “The HKSAR Government established the Cantonese Opera Development Fund (CODF) in 2005 to support projects and activities related to the preservation, promotion and development of Cantonese opera. In recent years, CODF has enhanced its support to creative Cantonese opera. By end 2018, CODF has increased its funding support for premiere and re-run of Cantonese opera with new/adapted scripts, with a view to encouraging creative writing and increasing the number of Cantonese opera scripts for production. In 2021, CODF has further enhanced its support for creative Cantonese opera, such as adding a funding requirement that the duration of each performance of new plays should be within two hours and forty-five minutes, in order to attract more audiences to watch the shows, and with a view to further expanding the audience base, in particular young audience, so as to facilitate the transmission of Cantonese opera.”
           
     Professor Lui said, “Besides, the original funding scope of CODF has already included nurturing of Cantonese opera talent. For instance, since 2012, CODF has subsidised the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong to nurture Cantonese opera budding artists through the Yau Ma Tei Theatre Venue Partnership Scheme. In order to strengthen the transmission and development of Cantonese opera, CODF will explore the enhancement of support for continuous professional development in Cantonese opera, such as devoting more resources to nurturing young Cantonese opera talent, and encouraging Cantonese opera practitioners to pursue further studies in different categories of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong, or even in the Mainland/overseas, with a view to generating a positive effect in culture transmission.”
           
     Professor Lui continued, “CODF will continue to maintain close liaison with the sector and review the funding direction in due course to meet the latest needs of the sector’s development.” read more

     ​In the preceding week till 11.59pm on October 3, the Department of Health (DH) received 85 reports (Note 1) of adverse events following COVID-19 immunisation. No death case was reported by the Hospital Authority (HA) involvi… read more