The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 15) that in view of a notification from the General Veterinary Inspectorate of Poland about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza in Å�ancucki District of Podkarpackie Region and DziaÅ‚dowski District of WarmiÅ„sko-Mazurskie Region in Poland, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 13 500 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 39.08 million poultry eggs from Poland last year.

     "The CFS has contacted the Polish authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the World Organisation for Animal Health and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said.      

     Aggressive Construction Company Limited, Aggressive Civil & Foundation Engineering Limited, Leung Kai Construction Company Limited and Wing Wai Construction Company Limited were fined $13,000, $69,000, $59,000 and $30,000 respectively at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts today (April 15) for violation of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Electricity) Regulations and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Safety Management) Regulation. The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
      
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on July 20, 2020, at a building construction site in Kowloon Bay. A worker was electrocuted as he touched a damaged cable of a set of electric arc welding equipment.

     Following is the speech (English translation) by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the National Security Education Day 2021 Opening Ceremony today (April 15):
 
Mr Tung (Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Mr Tung Chee Hwa), Director Luo (Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and National Security Adviser to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR (the National Security Committee), Mr Luo Huining), Mr Zheng (Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Zheng Yanxiong), Acting Commissioner Yang (Acting Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the HKSAR, Mr Yang Yirui), Major General Chen (Commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison, Major General Chen Daoxiang), distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends from the media,
 
     Good morning. As stipulated in Article 14 of the National Security Law of the People's Republic of China adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) on July 1, 2015, April 15 each year shall be National Security Education Day, which aims to enhance citizens' awareness of national security and to safeguard national security. This year marks the sixth National Security Education Day; it is also the first National Security Education Day held after the implementation of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (National Security Law). To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region chaired by me has organised a series of events under the theme "Uphold National Security, Safeguard Our Home", including today's Opening Ceremony cum Seminars. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for your presence here today. My particular thanks go to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for their support.
 
     National security is the cornerstone of national stability and the bedrock of people's well-being. Therefore, safeguarding national security is the top priority for every country around the world. An inalienable part of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the HKSAR bears the constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security. Like all compatriots in the country, Hong Kong residents share the obligation to safeguard national sovereignty, unification and territorial integrity. Regrettably, since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, local legislative work for safeguarding national security has been demonised by people with ulterior motives, turning Hong Kong into a loophole of national security, which not only endangers the safety of Hong Kong people, but also that of the people of the whole country. Together with the influence of external forces and propaganda by local radicals through the Internet, national security risks have gradually surfaced in Hong Kong. For over one year since mid-2019, violence has raged across the city, with the emergence of acts close to terrorism and the spread of messages advocating "Hong Kong independence", "self-determination" and "mutual destruction" in our society. A small group of anti-China disruptors created chaos in the Legislative Council and tried to seize power through election, posing great security risks to the Hong Kong society and our political system. Such acts, if not stopped in time, will endanger national sovereignty, security and development interests.
 
     The Central Authorities resolutely responded to the unprecedented crises faced by the HKSAR from the national level. On June 30 last year, the Standing Committee of the NPC enacted the National Security Law which was added to Annex III of the Basic Law and came into effect in Hong Kong by way of promulgation. The legislation has established robust legal and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, and has effectively restored stability in our society and helped Hong Kong get out of the shadow of violence.
 
     National security and political security are inseparable. To achieve genuine national security, governance must be firmly held in the hands of patriots. With the approval of the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law by the Standing Committee of the NPC on March 30 this year, the HKSAR Government submitted the local laws for improving the electoral system of the HKSAR, i.e. the Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021, to the Legislative Council for scrutiny yesterday. This has actually made today's National Security Education Day even more fulfilling. The two major measures taken by the Central Authorities this year have stabilised the overall situation of Hong Kong and laid an important and solid foundation for the comprehensive and accurate implementation of the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy.
 
     It is the constitutional responsibility of the HKSAR to safeguard national security. To enable the HKSAR to comprehensively and accurately perform its duties in safeguarding national security, as Chairperson of the National Security Committee, I would like to make a pledge on the following:
 

• First, we will take forward the work of safeguarding national security in Hong Kong according to the concept of overall national security, and ensure that the related work is fully understood and implemented at full steam and in a holistic manner, covering various policy areas of the HKSAR, including the domains of politics, society, economy, culture, technology, the Internet, finance, and public health.

• Second, we will engage the whole community in our efforts to raise Hong Kong people's awareness of national security and the obligation to abide by the law, so as to make it everybody's responsibility to safeguard national security. In organising today's National Security Education Day, much effort has been spent on public publicity so as to widely disseminate the message of safeguarding national security. Events including mosaic wall activities in the community and schools, and a public exhibition are organised this year, with the aim of bringing the message of national security to the community and schools.

• Third, public officers have to play a more important role in safeguarding national security. The HKSAR Government is fully committed to establishing a sound system for public officers to swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC, as well as taking necessary measures in accordance with Article 9 of the National Security Law to strengthen communication, guidance, supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security handled by schools, social organisations, the media and the Internet. We have also set up bodies which will shoulder the major responsibility of safeguarding national security, including the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force, the National Security Prosecutions Division of the Department of Justice and the Secretariat of the National Security Committee. As part of this year's programme, the training schools of a number of disciplinary forces in the HKSAR Government will hold open days for the public, with a view to demonstrating our determination and law enforcement capabilities.

 
     As the leading figures of Hong Kong, many of you play the important role of administering Hong Kong and are tasked with the major responsibility of safeguarding national security, including promoting the improvement of the national security framework and the electoral system of the HKSAR, and implementing "patriots administering Hong Kong". I firmly believe that so long as we work together and strive ahead to adhere to the original purpose of the Basic Law by comprehensively and accurately implementing the principles of "One Country, Two Systems" and "patriots administering Hong Kong", Hong Kong will be able to maintain its long-term prosperity and stability and contribute to the prosperity and success of our country.
 
     Once again, I would like to thank you all for supporting the activities of National Security Education Day. I wish all of you an enjoyable and fruitful day. Thank you.

          

     The Education Bureau (EDB) together with schools in Hong Kong organised a variety of student activities today (April 15) in support of the National Security Education Day to promote national security education.

     The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, and the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, attended the morning assemblies of SKH St James' Primary School and King's College respectively, during which they viewed the raising of the national flag and sang the national anthem with students.

     Mr Yeung said, "Today is the sixth National Security Education Day (National Security Day) of our country and also the first of its kind since the implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the National Security Law). It is therefore particularly meaningful. As a place for education, schools should enable students to understand that while having staunch support from the country, we, as nationals, also have the responsibility to safeguard national security with a view to contributing to the prosperity, stability and continuous development of the country and Hong Kong society.

     "Building on the foundation of national education, Constitution and Basic Law education, the EDB will continue to adopt a 'multi-pronged and co-ordinated' approach in supporting schools in the implementation of national security education, including issuing curriculum documents to explain the important concepts of national security and how the curriculum contents of different subjects can be connected and integrated naturally, as well as providing teaching exemplars, learning and teaching resources, and suggested activities to help schools promote national security education within and outside the classroom.

     "The EDB will also continue to provide relevant training for teachers and render professional support and advice to schools on all fronts, such as school visits and forming teachers' learning circles," he added.

     According to the circular memorandum issued by the EDB, schools, in addition to explaining to students the meaning of the National Security Education Day during morning assemblies or class teacher sessions, may also introduce different aspects of national security, such as territorial security, economic security, ecological security, cyber security and cultural security through related subjects.
      
     Schools may also organise inter-class or inter-form activities with the theme of national security, such as national affairs knowledge quiz, bulletin board design, poster design and slogan design competitions, encouraging students to gather information and conduct project work to foster self-directed learning.

     In order to strengthen primary and secondary students' understanding of national security, the Curriculum Development Institute of the EDB is organising the "2021 National Security Education Day Online Quiz Competition" and "School Bulletin Board Design Competition on National Security".

     The "2021 National Security Education Day Online Quiz Competition" is being held from April 12 to 19, with 454 primary and secondary schools participating. The list of awardees will be announced on the first anniversary of the implementation of the National Security Law on June 30.

     Regarding the "School Bulletin Board Design Competition on National Security", a total of 248 teams from 114 primary and secondary schools have submitted either photos or design layouts to participate. The EDB announced today the list of 10 finalist teams. They will have one month to complete the decoration of their classroom bulletin boards, and members of the judging panel will visit these schools to conduct assessments. The results will also be announced on June 30.

     Meanwhile, a number of schools participated in the "Together We Safeguard Our Nation and Homeland – Community Mosaic Wall" activity today. Students put stickers printed with photos of smiling faces on a display board in their school campus to make up a thematic image of the activity in order to disseminate the messages of safeguarding national security and building a safer and better home together.

              

     Turkish creative advertising and brand consulting agency Dantatsu Creative Agency Limited announced today (April 15) that it has officially opened its Hong Kong office, as the city offers a strategic point for the company to leverage the buoyant Mainland market.
      
     With the establishment of the Hong Kong office, Dantatsu aims to help Turkish and European brands to enter the China market, and also offer its creativity and know-how to help Chinese and international brands expand their business overseas. It has formed a team in Hong Kong with expertise in Chinese social media platforms.
      
     The company, founded in 2012 in Turkey, offers all-round marketing communication and creative strategies to a portfolio of more than 100 brands, including many global household names in the hospitality, food and beverage and automotive sectors, among others. More than 70 design and creative professionals in the three offices in Hong Kong, Istanbul and Ankara work together round the clock in a synergised approach to serve clients, while the Hong Kong office also takes up a core role in devising China marketing strategies for clients. "The addition of an office in Hong Kong allows us to offer multicultural creativity to our clients, as well as speed and cost-effectiveness," the Director and Chief Creative Officer of Dantatsu, Mr Cankat Kalyoncu, said.
      
     Mr Kalyoncu added that as China's economy continues to grow and dominate the global economy, they expect that business ties between China and Turkey will only increase exponentially, creating a good niche. Hong Kong is in the middle of this growing tie and hence his company's timely presence here is to tap the new opportunities that arise.
      
     "We foresee a very strong growth in business, trade and investment between Turkey and China in the coming decades and we want to become a digital marketing and creative advertising partner for companies and brands on both sides. Hong Kong has a very privileged position. It is not only a direct gateway to the Mainland but also a superb trade, aviation and services hub well connected with the rest of the region. In addition, the city is strategic in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so going forward we will watch the development closely to reap any business opportunities that will arise for us in the Bay Area," Mr Kalyoncu said.
      
     Associate Director-General of Investion Promotion at Invest Hong Kong Mr Charles Ng said, "Dantatsu has made a very good decision to build a base in Hong Kong to enjoy privileged access to the Mainland market, as China's latest dual circulation development mode will see huge growth potential of its domestic consumer market. China will continue to attract global brands who will need marketing and creative consulting services such as those offered by Dantatsu. I am confident our talents in Hong Kong will help Dantatsu achieve its business goals."
      
About Dantatsu
      
     Founded in 2012, Dantatsu is a full-service creative advertising and brand consulting agency from Turkey. Dantatsu has its namesake in the Japanese word "Dantotsu", which means outstanding. The company name is integral to the company's mission, namely to help its clients become the very best in their industries. Dantatsu has offices in Ankara, Ä°stanbul and Hong Kong with around 70 full-time designers, along with brand directors, copywriters and production teams. For more information, please visit dantatsu.co/.
      
About Invest Hong Kong
      
     Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
      
     For a photo, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157718921746187.