Hong Kong – HKSAR Government’s response on handling of visa application

HKSAR Government’s response on handling of visa application

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     In response to media enquiries on a visa application, a Government spokesman issued the following statement today (October 28):

     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will not comment on individual cases. As regards the handling of visa applications, the Immigration Department acts in accordance with the law and relevant policies (including that an applicant should meet normal immigration requirements, such as holding a valid travel document with adequate returnability to his/her country of residence or citizenship; be of clear criminal record and raise no security or criminal concerns to the HKSAR; have no likelihood of becoming a burden on the HKSAR, etc) in handling each application and will determine each application on its individual merits.

     For details, please refer to the “Immigration Guidelines for Entry to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China” which can be downloaded from the website of the Immigration Department at www.immd.gov.hk/eng/forms/forms/id939a.html. 

Hong Kong – HKSAR Government’s response to 2023 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index

HKSAR Government’s response to 2023 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index

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     In response to media enquiries on 2023 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index (Index), a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government spokesman made the following reply today (October 25):

     Hong Kong continues to rank the 6th in East Asia and the Pacific, and attains the 23rd out of 142 countries and jurisdictions covered in the Index. Hong Kong remains high in the overall ranking, ahead of some European and American countries which often unreasonably criticise the rule of law and human rights situation of Hong Kong.

     In respect of “Order and Security”, Hong Kong’s score is higher than last year and continues to attain the 6th in its global ranking. It is sufficient proof of the important role of the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) in maintaining the order and security of Hong Kong. The NSL has provided the necessary conditions for ensuring the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and enables Hong Kong residents to enjoy their rights and freedoms in a safe and peaceful environment. This is conducive to the rule of law, the protection of human rights, the successful implementation of the “one country, two systems” principle, and the long-term interests of both the country and the “two systems”.

     In respect of “Absence of Corruption”, Hong Kong’s score remains unchanged, ranking the 9th globally. This demonstrates that the city’s anti-corruption efforts have been widely recognised. The Government will continue to promote the exchange of anti-corruption experience among experts and scholars from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, thereby strengthening Hong Kong’s international status in integrity building.

     In respect of “Fundamental Rights”, Hong Kong’s score is also higher than last year and ranked three places higher globally. In relation to “Regulatory Enforcement” and “Criminal Justice”, whilst Hong Kong’s scores remain the same as last year, its global rankings climb one and two places respectively. Hong Kong’s scores slightly drop in relation to “Constraints on Government Powers”, “Open Government” and “Civil Justice”.

     As a matter of fact, Hong Kong’s overall score (0.73) is the same as the countries ranked globally from the 20th to the 22nd. Regarding the minor drop in scores in some aspects and the slight adjustment in the global ranking, the HKSAR Government will continue to enhance the international community’s proper understanding of the rule of law situation in Hong Kong, thereby telling the good stories of Hong Kong.

     The HKSAR steadfastly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, and fully and faithfully lives up to the top priority of the principle of “one country, two systems”. The HKSAR Government will resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the NSL and further strengthen the HKSAR’s legal framework and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security to prevent, suppress and punish in accordance with the law acts and activities that endanger national security. At the same time, it will safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law with a view to ensuring the steadfast and successful implementation of “one country, two systems”.

Hong Kong – HKSAR Government’s Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments call on Zhejiang Province leaders (with photos)

HKSAR Government’s Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments call on Zhejiang Province leaders (with photos)

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     The delegation of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government on a study and duty visit led by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, called on the Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, Mr Yi Lianhong today (June 29).
      
     Mr Yi met every member of the delegation. Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO), Mr Wang Linggui; member of the Standing Committee and head of the Organization Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, Mr Wang Cheng; and Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, Mr Li Yanyi also attended the meeting.
      
     Mrs Yeung sincerely thanked Mr Yi for taking the time to meet the delegation. She said Zhejiang and Hong Kong had signed a number of co-operation agreements a few days ago, one of them is that with the co-ordination of the HKMAO, both sides will continue to promote exchanges between civil servants in Zhejiang and Hong Kong, and share management experience and professional knowledge in public services. This study and duty visit truly symbolises the closer co-operation and exchange between the two places.
      
     The delegation visited various places in Hangzhou and Wuzhen to learn about different scopes of work covering sports, commerce and economy, tourism and ecological conservation.
      
     The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou will be officially opened on September 23 and the preparatory work is in full swing. The delegation took this rare opportunity to visit a venue of the Asian Games, the Tennis Center Finals Hall in the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, which is termed “Small Lotus”, to let the HKSAR Government’s senior civil servants learn about the venue and experience for this major sports event to prepare for organising future mega events, especially the 15th National Games to be co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in 2025.
      
     The delegation also visited the Hangzhou International Expo Center which provided facilities for conventions, exhibitions, catering, tourism, hotel and office space. The centre will soon be one of the venues for the Asian Games.
      
     As there are many private enterprises in Zhejiang Province, the delegation also visited Zhejiang Geely Holding Group headquartered in Hangzhou to learn about the development of electric and new energy vehicles.
      
     The delegation also made the best use of the time at night and visited the West Lake Comprehensive Protection Project to know more about how the local government balanced conservation and development through environmental protection governance as well as greening and beautification projects, which also enhanced the competitiveness of Hangzhou’s tourism industry.
      
     Meanwhile, in Wuzhen, a place commonly known as beautiful water town, the delegation went to West Scenic Zone to gain a picture of the development of the leisure and holiday industry there. They also visited the permanent site for the World Internet Conference.
      
     The delegation will continue the visit in Hangzhou tomorrow (June 30) and return to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Hong Kong – HKSAR Government’s Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments visit Zhejiang for practical experience of grassroots governance (with photos)

HKSAR Government’s Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments visit Zhejiang for practical experience of grassroots governance (with photos)

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     ​The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, led Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments to visit Huzhou City and Jiaxing City of Zhejiang Province today (June 28) to obtain a deeper understanding of the practical experience of grassroots governance and common prosperity.
      
     In Anji County, they visited places including Yucun and Villa & Resort to learn more about rural transformation and success stories about improving rural environment and increasing rural income. They also talked to local residents and shop operators to learn more about their daily lives and business practices.
      
     More than a decade ago, Yucun closed the county’s largest mining area which caused serious pollution. Through improving the environment, the local government rediscovered the value of the village and put efforts on rural rebuilding and reconstruction of urban and rural areas. Following the concept of “clean waters and green mountains are just as valuable as gold and silver”, the local government established the first ecological county in the country and developed rural tourism economy. After years of continual and dedicated efforts, Anji County has accelerated green development and paved the way for the modernisation of grassroots governance, creating a path of transformation and upgrading for ecological economisation and economic ecologisation, which increased farmers’ income, narrowed income gap between urban and rural areas to achieve common prosperity.
      
     Similarly, after a careful conversion, Villa & Resort, a homestay cluster, has been transformed from a “hollow village” where most of the young people left the village for work in the city in the past, to an integrated community for leisure tourism, arts, culture and creativity which attracted a large number of young people to start their businesses and let tourists to stay and enjoy village life there.
      
     The delegation also visited the Hello Kitty Amusement Park in Hangzhou; the China Bamboo Expo Park, the first county-level base for giant pandas in the country; the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History; and the Song Ming Tea Expo Garden in Anji which is developed in the direction of agriculture, tourism and culture.
      
     Mrs Yeung said development needs to balance economic interests and the impact on the environment and lifestyle. In the course of development, there is a need to assist those who are less capable financially to find opportunities to improve their lives. The successful practical experience of common prosperity and Chinese-style modernisation in Zhejiang has enabled senior civil servants to gain a first-hand understanding of ways to resolve conflicts in the process of development. It is believed that upon their return to Hong Kong, the participants can, taking into account their own experience from this trip, formulate more people-oriented policies in their respective positions so as to boost momentum for development in community and improve people’s livelihood.
      
     She also said many of the places visited today have green, tourism and cultural elements, and are examples of successful transformation combined with advantages of natural valuable resources. She believed that they would be an inspiration to colleagues in different positions.
      
     The delegation will continue its visit in Zhejiang Province tomorrow (June 29).

Hong Kong – HKSAR Government’s Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments formally start study programme (with photos)

HKSAR Government’s Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments formally start study programme (with photos)

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     ​A delegation of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government for study and duty visit formally started their study programme at the National Academy of Governance (NAG) this morning (June 26). The Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO), Mr Xia Baolong, had a meeting with the delegation participants this afternoon.
      
     The Executive Vice President of the NAG in charge of daily operations, Mr Xie Chuntao, and Deputy Director of the HKMAO Mr Wang Linggui, attended and delivered speeches at the opening ceremony for the study programme, marking the resumption of the study programme for the most senior colleagues in the civil service of the HKSAR Government since 2018.
      
     The leader of the delegation, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said Hong Kong is now in a new phase of advancing from stability to prosperity. The civil service is the backbone of the HKSAR Government, while Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments are the core of the civil service of the HKSAR Government. It is most timely for them to come to the NAG to receive training at this critical period and she hoped that the participants will seize this learning opportunity.
      
     She added that the NAG’s training could reinforce the participants’ understanding of the country’s important policies and future development strategies, helping them formulate and implement future policies and initiatives and obtain a deeper understanding on how Hong Kong can better integrate into national development.
      
     After the ceremony, vice-dean of National Security College at National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army, Major General Tang Yongsheng, and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief designer of the space station system of the China Manned Space Program, Mr Yang Hong, gave lectures to the participants on national security and the national manned space programme respectively.
      
     Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the HKMAO Mr Wang Linggui, delivered a lecture on Chinese-style modernisation to the Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of the HKSAR Government.
      
     The Secretary for the Civil Service yesterday led a delegation of more than 20 Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of the HKSAR Government to Beijing and Zhejiang Province for a six-day study and duty visit. This arrangement was made after the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland and the full resumption to normalcy of society for Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments to study on the Mainland following the one in 2018. It also has the largest number of participants ever.
      
     The delegation will continue the study at the NAG tomorrow morning, and depart for Zhejiang Province for duty visit tomorrow afternoon.