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Fifth Term HKSAR Government sworn in
The Inaugural Ceremony of the Fifth Term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was held on 1 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. President Xi Jinping, who was in Hong Kong for this special occasion, swore in the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Principal Officials. In her inaugural speech, Mrs Lam said that the new Government would take on more proactive roles. As a facilitator and promoter, it would reinforce and upgrade Hong Kong’s traditional industries while promoting the development of innovation and technology and creative industries. New impetus would also be injected to diversify the economy to create quality jobs for the city’s workforce, especially the young people. Read more here. |
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Celebration events to mark HKSAR's 20th anniversary
1 July marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR. The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and senior government officials attended a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square in the morning. To share the joy of the 20th anniversary with members of the public, more than 40 celebration events were staged across the city on 1 and 2 July. Top of them were a street carnival featuring exhibitions, workshops and performances; two major exhibitions displaying collections from the Palace Museum and exhibits of Qing Emperors, and a massive fireworks display over Victoria Harbour. The 23-minute firework show included the 20th anniversary celebration theme song as well as brilliant displays of "China HK", the number "20" and the bauhinia flower. Read more here.
Besides, the 2017 National Band of New Zealand and the Aotearoa Maori group staged on 2 July a concert at the Yuen Long Theatre, Hong Kong to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR en-route to the World Music Concourse in Kerkrade, the Netherlands. The concert, featuring a variety of music and performances by the Aotearoa Maori Group and the local Engor (Dance of Heroes) troupe, promoted cultural exchange and social integration. Read more here. |
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Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area signed
The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, HKSAR Government, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government signed the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area in Hong Kong on 1 July. The Framework Agreement signified an important milestone in formulating the development plan for the Bay Area. The four signatories to the Framework Agreement agreed to improve the coordination mechanism and convene annual consultation meetings to coordinate and resolve major problems and issues of cooperation arising from the development of the Bay Area. Read more here. |
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Agreements to upgrade CEPA
On 28 June, Hong Kong Financial Secretary, Paul Chan, and the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Gao Yang, signed two agreements under the Close Economic and Partnership Agreement (CEPA), namely the Investment Agreement and the Agreement on Economic & Technical Cooperation. With the two new Agreements, CEPA has broadened its scope to become a comprehensive modern free trade agreement covering four important pillars of trade in goods, trade in services, investment, and economic and technical cooperation. Hong Kong businesses can continue to enjoy the most preferential treatment in accessing the Mainland market. Read more about the story here. |
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Hong Kong Customs and Australian Customs signed Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on 6 July. Under the MRA, the Hong Kong Authorized Economic Operator (HKAEO) Programme and the Australian Trusted Traders (ATT) Programme are mutually recognised. Trade facilitation benefits, including reduced examination and prioritised clearance as provided by C&ED for the HKAEOs, will be extended to members of the ATT Programme accredited by the Australian Customs and vice versa. Read more here. |
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Hong Kong signed agreement with New Zealand on automatic exchange of financial account information in tax matters
Hong Kong signed an agreement with New Zealand for conducting automatic exchange of financial account information in tax matters (AEOI) from 2018 onwards. Read more here. |
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