HK in an enviable position: CE

Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Hand in hand with that historic occasion, we acknowledged, as well, the 25th anniversary of the implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle.

 

For the past quarter of a century, this great principle has served as the strong foundation of Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability. Hong Kong has clearly flourished under “one country, two systems”.

 

Today, we are one of the world’s top three financial centres, the fifth most competitive economy, a major trading and logistics hub, a rising innovation and technology centre and the vital business bridge between our country and the rest of the world.

 

President Xi Jinping, who was in Hong Kong for the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong SAR, spoke of Hong Kong on July 1 – and I quote – “proactively integrating itself into the country’s overall development and carving out its role in national strategies”.

 

The safeguarding of national security and the prioritising of social stability are also essential aspects of our integration into the country’s development. And there is no question that the National Security Law, adopted two years ago, has returned stability and confidence to the streets of Hong Kong and to our economy. The improved electoral system has also ensured that the “patriots administering Hong Kong” principle is fully put into practice, which is necessary and conducive to effective governance.

 

Our way ahead, and our flourishing future, will continue to be predicated on “two systems”, as well as “one country”. On this, President Xi reassured us all. He said, “The more firmly the ‘one country’ principle is upheld, the greater strength the ‘two systems’ will be unleashed for the development of the SARs.”

 

As the President underlined in his speech to the people of Hong Kong, and I quote: “The central government fully supports Hong Kong in its effort to maintain its distinctive status and edges, to improve its presence as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, to keep its business environment free, open and regulated, and to maintain the common law, so as to expand and facilitate its exchanges with the world”.

 

I can tell you that President Xi was speaking directly to you, to each and every one of you, whatever your ambitions. Whatever you want to accomplish, the doors to Hong Kong remain wide open and welcoming.

 

So, to answer the question posed by the theme of this year’s China Conference – “Where does Hong Kong stand 25 years after the handover?” – it is clear that we have come a long and rewarding way, that we are in an enviable position, despite the challenges of the past few years.

 

That said, I am not here to “stand”. Hong Kong will move forward. I am here to lead Hong Kong in breaking new ground and achieving another leap forward in prosperity in the coming five years. And I am blessed – Hong Kong is blessed – to be able to do so under the innovative and great principle of “one country, two systems”.

 

President Xi Jinping’s important speech on July 1 serves as the blueprint and beacon for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in the governance of Hong Kong in the coming five years. My roadmap for Hong Kong is in line with the “four proposals” or “four hopes” outlined by the President.

 

First, improving governance. It means upholding the rule of law as a core value. It means instilling a results-oriented approach throughout the Government and the civil service. It means streamlining government procedures, including our response to COVID-19 based on science and precision. It also means providing prompt and high-level leadership to solving our problems. For that, I have set up four dedicated task forces led by the most senior officials of my governing team, to tackle the wide-ranging issues of intergenerational poverty and district matters, and to strive for more and faster production of land and housing.

 

Second, seizing the boundless opportunities offered by our country through the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Belt & Road Initiative and other initiatives to create strong impetus for growth – not only in maintaining our enviable status as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, but also venturing into such burgeoning areas as innovation and technology as well as arts and culture.

 

Third, putting the people of Hong Kong first, helping them – all 7.4 million of them – to a more rewarding and prosperous life, to better education and healthcare, and at every stage of their lives; to address the housing problem by doing things faster, in greater quantities, and more efficiently.

 

Fourth, safeguarding our hard-won stability and harmony, seeking common ground at every turn. No less important, it means ensuring that our young people cultivate a sense of pride in our country, as well as in the Hong Kong SAR.

 

In each of these four interlinked strategies, we will be guided by the “one country, two systems” principle.

 

I shall announce my first Policy Address in October. For that, we have just launched a public consultation. I welcome you all to send us your views and drive us to better serve the citizens and the development of Hong Kong. Together, we shall seize the opportunities ahead.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, from disarray to good governance, Hong Kong is entering a new phase of becoming more prosperous in the next five years. I am determined that the whole Government will be working, pragmatically and passionately, for Hong Kong and our country, building a future we will all be proud of.

 

The challenges are daunting. But in “one country, two systems”, and our East-meets-West position, as well as the talent and resilience of the people of Hong Kong, I am confident we have what we need to accomplish what we must.

 

Chief Executive John Lee gave these remarks at the South China Morning Post China Conference Hong Kong 2022 on July 27.

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Govt’s full support for HK universities

Since its establishment in 1911, the University of Hong Kong has shouldered the pivotal role of nurturing countless “doctors of medicine, scientific engineers, and trained administrators” – leaders and talents who made, and continue to make, immeasurable contributions to our nation and city.

      

Throughout the 111 years, the university keeps scaling new heights in upgrading its hardware and software. From the Main Building and Old Halls to the Centennial Campus, the university has expanded its footprint to meet the ever-evolving teaching and research needs of its faculty and students.

      

Today marks yet another page of the university’s campus development with the ground breaking of the Tech Landmark, the university’s state-of-the-art headquarters of InnoTech Research. Tech Landmark, a cluster of four towers, is scheduled to open in 2024. It will be home to 12 world-class, interdisciplinary institutes, with their disciplines ranging from smart cities, artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering to quantum science, fintech and ageing.

      

A remarkable feat by itself, the Tech Landmark is but one part of the university’s grand plan, which will also see the development of a new Pokfield Campus and the expansion of the Medical Campus. These new developments will surely help the university position itself at the forefront of developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub, a role supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.

      

In his important speech delivered in Hong Kong on July 1, President Xi Jinping highlighted the importance of our young people. The President said, and I quote, “Hong Kong will prosper only when its young people thrive; Hong Kong will develop only when its young people achieve well-rounded development; and Hong Kong will have a bright future only when its young people have a good career prospect.” Our universities share the important mission of nurturing a thriving generation of young people for Hong Kong and our nation. The Government will render our fullest support to the development of our universities, and we look towards our universities in working with us to discharge this important responsibility bestowed upon us.

      

I believe in our youth. In our universities. In you. And I am confident that the Tech Landmark will help Hong Kong’s rise, in concert with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as an international I&T hub. After all, in this – and much more – we have the full support of our nation.

      

Ladies and gentlemen, a bright future awaits us. Let us join hands and embark on an exciting new chapter for Hong Kong and our nation.

 

Chief Executive John Lee gave these remarks at the University of Hong Kong 111th anniversary celebration and Tech Landmark ground-breaking ceremony on July 23.

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Education fund to remove age limit

Manpower is clearly vital to our economy. As the Government, we put a lot of emphasis on manpower development, and also nurturing our talent which is key to ensuring that we remain competitive in the years to come, as Hong Kong develops itself and transforms itself into a knowledge-based and high value-added economy. It is increasingly important that our economy is going to be driven by innovation, professionalism and a wide adoption of technology in business sectors. In fact, from that angle, manpower is shifting towards high-skilled and educated workers.

 

So for Hong Kong, we spare no effort in nurturing our local talent by improving and continuing to invest in our education. Let us take a look at this very important yardstick. The proportion of students having a post-secondary education right now is three quarters. If we look at the same figure 10 years ago, it was two-thirds. So clearly, in the span of 10 years, we have made a lot of improvement in terms of having more students having a post-secondary education, which is very, very important for their future. In addition, we also promote vocational and professional education and training (VPET) as multiple and flexible pathways for young people with different aspirations and abilities. We have also been making efforts to strengthen VPET pathways at the degree level. The Government launched in 2020 a pilot project on the development of applied degree programmes to prepare graduates for employment in relevant disciplines with recognised qualifications.

 

Apart from the formal education, we also invest very heavily in building up our own manpower and skill sets through training, retraining and lifelong learning. The Employees Retraining Board provides over 170,000 training places a year. Some of these courses are placement-tied, some are focusing on specific skill sets and some are trying to improve people’s generic skills. Also, we have the Continuing Education Fund (CEF). The purpose of that fund is to promote learning by subsidising all adults, regardless of their educational level or how much money they earned, so that they can upgrade themselves, upskill themselves and learn new skills to meet with the fast-changing demand in a society that keeps on changing. Despite COVID-19, the beneficiaries, if we look at the number of people who benefitted from the CEF in the past three years, have increased more than double. Right now, we have 50,000 people benefitting from the CEF. To keep the momentum going, we will very soon introduce a new wave of CEF enhancement on August 1, including completely removing the upper age limit. Regardless of age, if you want to improve yourself, you can apply for a subsidy from the CEF and upgrade yourself at any age. Also, we are going to raise the ceiling of the subsidy from August 1. The ceiling of that subsidy will be $25,000 a year.

 

We clearly understand that the Government alone cannot succeed in improving our manpower. What we need is a collaborative approach. We need the support of education institutes, business sectors and non-governmental organisations. I am confident, through collaboration among all parties, we can help our young people realise their potential and acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, so that they can build a bright future for themselves.

 

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun gave these remarks at the opening ceremony of the Trade Development Council Education & Careers Expo 2022 on July 21.

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Country supports HK’s I&T future

Over the years, Polytechnic University (PolyU) has been playing a long supporting and pioneering role in driving the innovation and technology (I&T) development in Hong Kong. I am particularly pleased to see that PolyU is furthering its journey to help shine Hong Kong as a leading I&T hub by leveraging its academic strengths and world-class research competence through various strategic measures, such as setting up the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research, joining the Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance, and supporting our InnoHK initiative to develop three research centres in our two research clusters with world-renowned universities which help transform our city into a global innovation powerhouse.

 

With the Government’s solid commitment to the I&T development, coupling with our strong capabilities in scientific research and academic excellence of our universities, Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem is flourishing and increasingly vibrant. The number of startups and venture capital investment in Hong Kong have substantially increased over the past few years, during which we have also witnessed the birth of more than a dozen unicorns. Hong Kong is now Asia’s largest and the world’s second largest fundraising hub for biotechnology companies.

 

With the unwavering support from the central government in the National 14th Five-Year Plan, and the encouraging support to Hong Kong’s I&T development by President Xi Jinping during his recent visit to Hong Kong, this term of Government will endeavour to step up efforts in driving the I&T development with the vision to develop Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. We will devise a top-level planning, further enlarge our I&T talent pool, continue to enhance our I&T ecosystem, speed up the progress of the reindustrialisation, and deepen our I&T collaboration with the Mainland thereby bringing continuous impetus to the I&T development of Hong Kong. The concerted effort of all relevant stakeholders, including the academia, research institutes and business community is certainly indispensable.

 

The coming five years will be a crucial time for Hong Kong to advance from governance to prosperity and are particularly important for Hong Kong’s I&T development. I look forward to joining hands with you all here to fully seize the golden development opportunities ahead and to build a better and more innovative Hong Kong. Before I close, may I take this opportunity to wish PolyU a happy 85th anniversary, today’s event a great success and everyone a very fruitful and rewarding experience.

 

Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong gave these remarks at the opening ceremony of PolyU InnoTech Open Day on July 16.

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Clearing doubts over rule of law

My fellow Hong Kong citizens, I take office as the Deputy Secretary for Justice with humility, supporting the work of the Secretary for Justice and serving Hong Kong.

 

As pointed out by the Secretary for Justice in his blog today, the rule of law has always been the bedrock of Hong Kong’s success. This core value is of utmost importance to the future of Hong Kong.

  

Under the leadership of the Secretary for Justice, I shall, together with the team of the Department of Justice, spare no effort in upholding Hong Kong’s rule of law.

 

Since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, the Basic Law protects the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents and protects the independent judiciary and final adjudication. Facts speak louder than words. Hong Kong has been ranked high as the world’s No. 19 in the rule of law, followed by many countries in Europe and America.

 

Noting that some people in society have doubts or even queries about the rule of law of Hong Kong, I shall dedicate myself to assist the Secretary for Justice in expressing our stance in a clear and concise manner to enable local and international communities to have a better understanding of the real situation of the city, clearing up the confusion.

 

Let us join hands together to uphold the rule of law. Let us build a fair society governed by the rule of law and a community based on mutual respect, tolerance and self-consciousness to abide by laws.

 

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan wrote this article and posted it on his blog on July 3.

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Upholding rule of law a top priority: SJ

Hello, my dear fellow citizens! I assume office as the Secretary for Justice to serve Hong Kong with zeal and humility.

 

Undoubtedly, the rule of law has always been the bedrock of Hong Kong’s success. To maintain and promote this core value is of crucial importance to Hong Kong. This is indeed one of the primary missions of me and my team in the Department of Justice.

 

Objective facts have proven that the rule of law in Hong Kong is well recognised. My personal experience has also rendered me to have full confidence in the rule of law in Hong Kong. That said, I will guard against complacency and will not be oblivious to any weakness or shortcomings. I deeply appreciate that there are people who entertain doubts about the rule of law and some of them even hold very different views from mine. In the hope of enhancing mutual understanding, I am going to listen patiently and carefully to different voices, and at the same time, express my stance concisely.

 

The rule of law is not, and should not be, a difficult and unfathomable concept that only few could understand. In short, it provides us with a fair and stable environment in which all of us will be able to live at ease and pursue our potential. To build a society governed by the rule of law, one of the key requirements is the possession by the general public of a sense of community based on mutual respect, tolerance, willingness to compromise and self-consciousness to abide by a common set of rules. We practise the rule of law by acts and moves in our daily lives, and to maintain the rule of law depends on each and every fellow citizen discharging his or her responsibilities in this respect. I sincerely invite you all to work together and to make our home, Hong Kong, a better place.

 

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam wrote this article and posted it on his blog on July 3.

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Next 5 years crucial for advancement

Today, with a humble heart, I have been sworn in by the President of the People’s Republic of China as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Central People’s Government and the people of Hong Kong for the trust they place in me. I will lead my team to strive to build a more caring and inclusive Hong Kong filled with vibrancy, hope and development opportunities.

 

Twenty-five years ago, at the stroke of midnight on July 1, the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China was played and the national flag and the Hong Kong SAR regional flag were raised gradually at the Convention & Exhibition Centre, where we are right now. It is at that solemn moment that the Hong Kong SAR was officially established and the great and innovative principle of “one country, two systems” was formally implemented.

 

The principle of “one country, two systems” is the institutional safeguard of Hong Kong and the cornerstone of maintaining Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability. It is also a successful national policy that allows Hong Kong to maintain its unique strengths. Over the past two and a half decades, Hong Kong has made impressive achievements on multiple fronts. It has been recognised as the world’s freest economy, the world’s No. 3 global financial centre and the fifth most competitive economy around the globe. Hong Kong is also the world’s largest offshore renminbi hub and the world’s No. 1 in terms of air cargo throughput. In addition, five of the universities in Hong Kong are in the world top 100. The list goes on.

 

Hong Kong has of course also encountered various challenges, including the global financial crisis, the unlawful occupy movement in 2014, the Mong Kok riots in 2016, the riots and violence in 2019 together with the interference in Hong Kong’s affairs by external forces which threatened our national security, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the full support of the central authorities, the vitality and strength of the “one country, two systems” principle, as well as Hong Kong citizens’ diligence and determination to seek improvements, Hong Kong succeeded to overcome each and every challenge and move forward to scale new heights.

 

This fully demonstrates two major strengths of Hong Kong. The first one comprises Hong Kong’s unique advantages under “one country, two systems” as a special administrative region – making it possible for Hong Kong to fully integrate into our country’s national development, to thrive as a metropolitan city with high international connectivity, and to serve as the most effective gateway between the world and our country. The second is the combination of our own advantages, resilience and strong will of our people, and the concerted efforts of all sectors of the community.

 

It is the greatest honour for me today to shoulder this historic mission given to me by the central authorities and the people of Hong Kong. I know well the great responsibility that comes with it. I will strive to comprehensively and accurately implement the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong” and a high degree of autonomy, to safeguard the constitutional order of the Hong Kong SAR as defined under the Constitution and the Basic Law, to safeguard our country’s sovereignty, national security, and development interests, and to ensure the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

 

The rule of law is the cornerstone and core value of Hong Kong’s success. Since our return to the motherland, the Basic Law protects the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents and protects the independent judiciary and final adjudication. Hong Kong has been ranked as the world’s No. 19 in the rule of law, followed by many countries in Europe and America. Being a highly market-oriented and international economy underpinned by the rule of law, Hong Kong has exactly what it takes to be a successful international city.

 

With the enactment and implementation of the National Security Law, Hong Kong has made it to restore order from chaos. The improvement of the electoral system has enabled the implementation of the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”. The improved electoral system upholds the principle of “one country, two systems”, accords with the actual situation of Hong Kong, and caters for the needs of Hong Kong’s development. It is therefore imperative that we should cherish and uphold the system for a long time to come, and we should make good use of it to effect sound governance.

 

The next five years will be a crucial time for Hong Kong to advance from governance to prosperity. The Hong Kong SAR Government will press ahead to overcome challenges with a pragmatic and can-do attitude, and adopt a result-oriented approach to solve social problems. The governing team will value teamwork and the need to support and complement one another. We are bold to change, willing to embrace challenges and seek innovation in order to enhance the efficiency of governance and tackle problems for the people. Leading officials of the Government will proactively intervene to solve problems and make directions to nip problems in the bud. We will be mindful of the public’s expectations in policy making. Even if we may only solve one problem a day, without making such small steps, it is simply impossible to get to faraway places. Through perseverance we shall succeed.

 

The Hong Kong SAR Government will enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness and develop the economy. Apart from strengthening our established sectors and reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, transportation and trading centre, we will strive to fully develop a range of emerging industries under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. Emphasis will be put on the development of Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub, leveraging and combining the respective strengths of Hong Kong and the Mainland, as well as strengths of other places, and facilitating the commercialisation of our basic research results as driven by the industry chains, talent and market forces in the Mainland, especially the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In doing so, we will foster robust growth in I&T and various areas, and rise to the challenges of global competition.

 

The newly opened Hong Kong Palace Museum, which showcases a rich trove of national treasures plus Chinese history and culture, is set to attract visitors from all over the world to come to Hong Kong, and is conducive to the spread of the fine Chinese culture. This, coupled with the M+ museum of modern and contemporary visual culture and a series of Hong Kong’s cultural and arts exhibitions and performances, will work well together in developing Hong Kong into an East meets West centre for international cultural exchange, thereby enhancing the international positioning of Hong Kong. The Belt & Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development also bring us unlimited opportunities and room for development.

 

Development is the gold key to resolving social problems and improving people’s livelihood. Our governance will be people-based. We will tackle the problem of land and housing, set up working groups to enhance action and co-ordination, and expedite developments through improving efficiency and increasing quantity holistically.  Diversified sources of land and housing supply will be explored. We will also adopt a scientific and precise management approach to bring under control the COVID-19 epidemic situation, strengthen the resilience of our healthcare system, and enhance protection of the elderly and the young children. Young people are the future of society. We will formulate a comprehensive youth policy and development blueprint, broaden the scope for upward mobility of our youngsters, and encourage them to embrace the opportunities of the Greater Bay Area and make their dreams come true. We will enhance our education system, and nurture a new generation of youth with an affection for our country, a global perspective and a perspective of the overall situation as well.

 

Development aside, the Government will stay vigilant and strive to keep crises at bay. We will lay the foundation for stability and ensure that there are adequate preventive and protective capabilities to counter threats against national security, financial security, food and health security, supplies security, etc. The Government will send officials and delegations to visit overseas countries and regions. We shall make good use of our discourse power to tell a good Hong Kong story and tell them the achievements and real truth about the success of Hong Kong.

 

My campaign slogan is “Starting a New Chapter for Hong Kong Together”. “Together” is the key word. The word “together” reflects the great importance I attach to teamwork. It carries a dual meaning: first, my team and I will stay united, share common goals and work with concerted efforts to achieve the synergy effect of “one plus one is greater than two”; second, the Government will work together with the community in unity and give full play to our strengths in charting the future of Hong Kong. With the concerted efforts of the Government, the community and individuals, we will be working with one heart and will become even stronger to overcome all the difficulties ahead.

 

Fellow citizens, we are now all set at a new starting line. We are in no way complacent about our past achievements, and will strive to overcome challenges and problems ahead. Let us join hands and stay united in passing on the Hong Kong legacy of courage and strong will to overcome challenges. Together, we will start a new chapter for building a better Hong Kong, contribute to the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and contribute to realise China’s dream of national rejuvenation.

 

This is the English translation of Chief Executive John Lee’s speech delivered at the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on July 1.

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