The fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) approved the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035" (the 14th Five-Year Plan) today (March 11). A spokesman for the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said the Government greatly welcomed the contents relating to Hong Kong in the 14th Five-Year Plan and expressed gratitude for the Central Government's support for the future development of Hong Kong in various key areas.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, said, "The 14th Five-Year Plan is the blueprint and action agenda for the social and economic development of the country in the next five years. I am delighted that contents relating to Hong Kong can be found in its chapter 61 on maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, and chapter 31 on proactively and progressively taking forward the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Indeed, the 14th Five-Year Plan has incorporated many concrete proposals put up by the HKSAR Government after more than a year of study, demonstrating the Central Government's unwavering support for Hong Kong.

     "Hong Kong has faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years. It has become very clear that only by firmly upholding the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle and safeguarding national security can society and the economy of the HKSAR progress and develop steadily. The part concerning Hong Kong and Macao in the 14th Five-Year Plan states from the outset that to maintain the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, it is imperative to fully and faithfully implement the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle; uphold the constitutional order as enshrined in the Constitution and the Basic Law; uphold the Central Authorities' overall jurisdiction over the Special Administrative Regions (SARs); implement the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the SARs to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests of the nation and the social stability of the SARs; and resolutely prevent and curb interference by external forces in the affairs of Hong Kong. I fully agree to these fundamental principles."

     On economic development, the 14th Five-Year Plan continues to support Hong Kong to enhance its status as an international financial, transportation and trade centre; strengthen its status as a global offshore Renminbi business hub, an international asset management centre and a risk management centre; establish itself as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region; and promote service industries for high-end and high value-added development. Furthermore, the 14th Five-Year Plan raises for the first time the support for Hong Kong to enhance its status as an international aviation hub, to develop into an international innovation and technology hub and a regional intellectual property trading centre, and to develop into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. The HKSAR Government is deeply encouraged by such new supporting statements and will continue to press ahead with measures in bolstering Hong Kong's competitiveness in relevant sectors, including the development of the three runway system at Hong Kong International Airport, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Co-operation Zone, the West Kowloon Cultural District, and the various new initiatives announced in the Chief Executive's 2020 Policy Address.

     On high-quality GBA development, the 14th Five-Year Plan mentions the deepening and widening of mutual access between the financial markets of Hong Kong and the Mainland and strengthening exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and the Mainland on different fronts, and, for the first time, includes the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Loop as a major platform of co-operation in the GBA. Pursuant to the Outline Development Plan for the GBA, the HKSAR Government has been taking forward various initiatives over the past two years. During the Chief Executive's visit to Guangdong and Shenzhen in November 2020, key collaboration initiatives for 2021 were formulated with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government respectively. These include facilitation for Hong Kong youths to study, work and start business in the Mainland cities of the GBA, which is in line with the objective of establishing a brand of quality exchanges among the youths of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao as mentioned in the 14th Five-Year Plan.

     On social development, the 14th Five-Year Plan points out improving policy measures to enable Hong Kong and Macao residents to develop and live in the Mainland, strengthening education on the Constitution and the Basic Law and national development, and enhancing national awareness and patriotism among Hong Kong and Macao people. The HKSAR Government has been, through education in schools and other means, stepping up efforts to enhance Hong Kong people's understanding of national development, in particular national security, and will roll out a series of promotional and educational activities on this year's National Security Education Day on April 15. The HKSAR Government will spare no effort in explaining to the public the work of the NPC on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR and implementing "patriots administering Hong Kong".

     The Government spokesman said that Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy in handling external affairs under "One Country, Two Systems", and that the HKSAR Government welcomes the support from the 14th Five-Year Plan for Hong Kong to foster co-operation and exchanges with countries and regions around the world and will make the best use of its overseas and Mainland Economic and Trade Offices to explore more opportunities for developing bilateral and multilateral co-operation.

     In summarising the significance of the 14th Five-Year Plan to Hong Kong, Mrs Lam said, "As a highly market-oriented city and an international economy underpinned by the rule of law, Hong Kong will proactively become a participant in domestic circulation and a facilitator in international circulation amidst the 'dual circulation' development strategy of our country with the support of the 14th Five-Year Plan. Hong Kong will take the GBA development as the best entry point to better integrate into the overall development of our country, which will bring continuous impetus to Hong Kong's economy."

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, issued the following statement today (March 11) in response to the passage of the Decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC):
 
     I, together with the governing team of the HKSAR Government, would like to pledge our staunch support for and sincere gratitude to the passage of the Decision on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR by the NPC this afternoon.
 
     The political structure of HKSAR, of which the electoral system is an essential component, is the prerogative of the Central Authorities. The Decision, made in accordance with Article 31 and Article 62(2), 62(14) and 62(16) of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, and relevant requirements in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is fully constitutional and legal.
 
     Having considered the actual situation in Hong Kong, the Central Authorities take the initiative from the national level to improve the electoral system of Hong Kong, aiming to ensure that Hong Kong can stay true to the original aspiration in implementing the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" and get Hong Kong back on the right track; it is only by putting in place institutional safeguards to ensure "patriots administering Hong Kong" that the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" can be fully and faithfully applied in the HKSAR which is conducive to the long term prosperity and stability of the city.
 
     The HKSAR Government fully supports the fundamental principles adopted in the Decision for guiding amendments to Annex I of the Basic Law on Method for the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Annex II on Method for the Formation of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its Voting Procedures, i.e. (i) upholding and implementing the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy; (ii) firmly safeguarding the constitutional order of the HKSAR as enshrined under the Constitution and the Basic Law; (iii) ensuring "patriots administering Hong Kong"; (iv) effectively enhancing the governance capability of the HKSAR; and (v) upholding HKSAR permanent residents' right to vote and the right to stand for election in accordance with law.
 
     The Decision has authorised the Standing Committee of the NPC (NPCSC) to amend Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law according to the aforementioned principles. I, together with the HKSAR Government, will render our full cooperation in facilitating the amendments, and press ahead with the necessary amendments to the relevant local electoral legislation thereafter. We will conduct and regulate election-related activities in accordance with the law efficiently, so as to implement the new electoral system that accords with the actual situation in Hong Kong.
 
     I note that the expanded and broadly representative Election Committee (EC) which should reflect the overall interest of Hong Kong is the core element of the improvement to the electoral system. The reconstituted EC will not only nominate and elect the Chief Executive, but also be endowed with the new function of nominating candidates for the Legislative Council (LegCo) election and electing some of the legislators. The HKSAR Government will provide the NPCSC with our views on the composition of the five sectors of the EC, with a view to ensuring the EC fulfills the requirements of being broadly representative and reflecting the overall interests of our society.
 
     The Decision also stipulates the establishment of an eligibility vetting mechanism for the different elections of the HKSAR to provide a robust systemic safeguard for implementing the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" in our political system. It is only when the offices of the Chief Executive, Election Committee members and LegCo members are filled by determined patriots can the full and resolute implementation of "One Country, Two Systems" be ensured; national security, sovereignty and development interests of the Country be safeguarded; and Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperity be maintained.
 
     As Chief Executive of the HKSAR, I will lead my governing team to dutifully ensure the full and resolute implementation of the principle of "One Country, Two Systems", administer Hong Kong according to the rule of law, safeguard the constitutional order of the HKSAR as defined under the Constitution and the Basic Law, safeguard the Country's sovereignty, security and development interests, and ensure the overall stability of Hong Kong. I firmly believe that, after the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" is fully implemented and loopholes of the existing electoral system are plugged, we will be able to resolve the problem of the LegCo making everything political in recent years and effectively deal with the reckless moves or internal rift that have torn Hong Kong apart. It will then allow us to leverage our unique advantages to develop the economy and improve livelihood of our citizens with the staunch support of the Central Authorities.
 
     The HKSAR Government will spare no effort in continuing to explain to the public about the necessity and urgency of improving the electoral system as well as the solid constitutional basis of the Decision. Upon the passage of the amendments to Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law by the NPCSC, the HKSAR Government will enact the needed local legislation as soon as practicable, and conduct the relevant elections efficiently in light of the actual circumstances in Hong Kong, including the pandemic situation.

     The Hong Kong Police Force launched the "e-Ticketing Pilot Scheme" in March last year for issuance of fixed penalty tickets against illegal parking. It successfully digitalised the manual procedures at the frontend and streamlined the workflow at the backend, helped improving the overall enforcement accuracy.

     The Police Force will further expand the "e-Ticketing Pilot Scheme" on March 16, 2021 to cover the issuance of fixed penalty tickets against traffic moving offences.

     Collaboration has also been sought with the Transport Department. An encrypted QR code will be imprinted on newly issued and renewed driving licences to facilitate extraction of offenders' data for issuance of tickets.

      

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (March 11) appealed to members of the public to stagger grave-sweeping activities over a wider period before and after the Ching Ming Festival to avoid grave sweeping during the peak period on the day of the Ching Ming Festival (April 4) so as to avoid the gathering of people and reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19.
      
     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "The opening hours of public columbaria under the FEHD will be extended to 7am to 7pm two weeks before and after the Ching Ming Festival (i.e. covering the period between March 20 and April 18) to lessen crowd conditions. People visiting cemeteries and columbaria paying respect to ancestors should avoid meal gatherings at worship sites or in crowded places. They are also urged to maintain appropriate social distancing with other people as far as possible, comply with relevant regulations on prevention and control of disease, maintain good personal hygiene and keep the environment clean when sweeping graves. The FEHD will also step up cleaning services inside public cemeteries and columbaria during the festival period."

     The spokesman reminded the public to pay attention to special traffic and transport arrangements which will be implemented during the Ching Ming Festival. Access to cemeteries and columbaria of the FEHD will be closed to all vehicles while the special traffic and transport arrangements are in operation, except for those with permission. Nim Wan Road to Tsang Tsui Columbarium will be closed on Saturdays, Sundays and the public holidays during the two weeks before and after the Ching Ming Festival. While grave sweepers are not allowed to walk or drive to Tsang Tsui Columbarium, KMB will provide a special route, 56S, plying between MTR Tuen Mun Station and Tsang Tsui Columbarium. For details of the special traffic and transport arrangements in the vicinities of cemeteries and crematoria during the Ching Ming Festival, please visit the Transport Department website (www.td.gov.hk).

     In addition, the spokesman called on grave sweepers to co-operate by clearing stagnant water and rubbish before leaving to prevent mosquito breeding. Containers such as lunch boxes, drink cans, plastic bags and buckets for burning incense should also be removed. As a precaution against mosquitoes, grave sweepers are advised to wear light-coloured long-sleeved tops and trousers, and apply insect repellent to exposed parts of their body. Managers of private cemeteries are also advised to take relevant precautions against mosquitoes.

     To protect the environment and to prevent hill fires, members of the public are encouraged to replace incense burning with flowers when paying tribute to their ancestors. Grave sweepers should take extra care when burning incense, which should only be carried out inside a designated joss paper furnace or iron bucket. They should make sure that all fires have gone out before leaving. Grave sweepers are also reminded to keep flammable items (such as alcohol antiseptic sprays and alcohol-based instant hand sanitiser) away from fires.

     The Government has been promoting green burials, and the FEHD has set up the Green Burial Central Register (www.greenburial.gov.hk) to enable the public to register their wish for green burial in advance. The FEHD has also set up the Internet Memorial Service webpage (www.memorial.gov.hk) and its mobile application for members of the public to pay tribute to their deceased beloved ones anywhere and anytime.

     The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced today (March 11) the appointment of Mr Michael Lam Siu-chung as Law Draftsman, to head the Law Drafting Division of the department.

     Mr Lam was selected for the position through a promotion-cum-open recruitment exercise. He will assume duty on March 16.

     Welcoming the appointment, the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, said that Mr Lam is a seasoned legislative draftsman with sound professional experience and proven leadership. 

     "Mr Lam is a distinguished lawyer with in-depth legal knowledge and impressive professional competence. I have full confidence that he will aptly lead the Law Drafting Division to meet the challenges ahead and to continue to deliver professional and quality service to the people of Hong Kong," Ms Cheng said.

     Ms Cheng also expressed her gratitude to Ms Theresa Ann Johnson, who formally completed her four-year tenure as Law Draftsman on January 3, 2020, for her sterling contributions. Upon Ms Johnson's departure, Ms Fanny Ip Fung-king, Principal Government Counsel, has acted as Law Draftsman for administrative convenience until the commencement of her pre-retirement leave on March 16. Ms Cheng conveyed her appreciation for Ms Ip's dedicated and meritorious service for 27 years and wished her a fulfilling and happy retirement.

     Ranked at the Law Officer (DL6) level, the post of Law Draftsman is responsible for overseeing the drafting of all government legislation and advising on complex and important legal issues identified in the course of developing draft legislation.

     Brief biographical notes on Mr Lam are set out below:

     Mr Michael Lam Siu-chung was admitted as solicitor in Hong Kong in 1994. He joined the Law Drafting Division of the DoJ in 1995 as Crown Counsel, and was promoted to Senior Government Counsel in 2000 and Deputy Principal Government Counsel in 2006. He has been serving in the Law Drafting Division for most of his service with the department except for a short stint in the Civil Division.