Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee met Qatar’s leaders and government officials and learnt about the latest developments of the country’s sovereign wealth fund on the first day of a visit to Qatar.

Leading a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises, Mr Lee in the morning, met respectively the Amir, head of state of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Minister of Communications & Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai to exchange views on strengthening bilateral relations and economic co-operation between Hong Kong and Qatar.

The Chief Executive said that Qatar and Hong Kong are economic powerhouses in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region respectively. Noting that Qatar is Hong Kong’s third-largest trading partner in the Middle East with bilateral trade in goods worth US$1.6 billion last year, Mr Lee said that there is plenty of room for further growth in trade and business between the two places.

He also expressed his anticipation that during this visit, multiple memoranda of understanding and agreements will be made between Hong Kong and Qatar, covering various areas including trade and investment promotion, financial services, innovation and technology (I&T), and cultural tourism, with a view to further enhancing co-operation among the governments and institutions of the two places.

Mr Lee noted that Hong Kong, as a functional platform of the Belt & Road Initiative, is committed to deepening international exchanges and co-operation and leveraging its strengths as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to facilitate and add value to government and business projects along the Belt & Road through the city’s world-class professional services.

He also said that the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Belt & Road Initiative align in their values and aspirations for achieving high-quality development through all-round co-operation, embracing economic diversification and innovation, as well as fostering friendship and facilitating exchanges.

The Chief Executive supplemented that both Hong Kong and Qatar attach great importance to technological development and regard artificial intelligence as an engine of new economic development, and that he hoped Hong Kong and Qatar would enhance collaboration through joint research and exchanges, joint ventures, and cross-border investments to achieve mutual benefits.

In addition, Mr Lee visited the Qatar Investment Authority to learn about the development of Qatar’s financial sector. Established in 2005, the authority is Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. It manages and grows Qatar’s financial assets, with an aim to diversify Qatar’s economic development and ensure the country’s long-term financial sustainability. Mr Lee received an in-depth briefing on the operation and investment strategies of the sovereign wealth fund, and explored with the authority the development and co-operation opportunities for both sides in finance and the economy.

In the afternoon, he attended a luncheon hosted by an international financial group, where he gained insights into the group’s analysis of Qatar’s banking and financial services industry, as well as its capital markets.

Pointing out that Hong Kong is an international financial centre now moving towards also becoming an international green finance hub, Mr Lee said that last year the total amount of green and sustainable debt issued in Hong Kong exceeded US$84 billion, with green and sustainable bonds accounting for approximately US$43 billion. It captured around 45% of the total Asian market, ranking first in the region for seven consecutive years. He highlighted that under the principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises complement each other’s strengths, and that Hong Kong would give full play to its bridging role in attracting international investments to China and “going global” with Mainland enterprises. He welcomed Qatari enterprises to leverage Hong Kong’s broad and deep capital markets, professional financial services and seamless connectivity with the Mainland market to raise international funds for their sustainable infrastructure projects.

Afterwards, Mr Lee led the delegation to visit Lusail City, the second-largest city in Qatar, to understand how the city integrates I&T with urban planning and infrastructure development. Lusail City is one of Qatar’s flagship smart cities, focusing on information and communication technology, with the aim of developing into a model for intelligent living, urban evolution and diverse cultural landscapes. He noted that Hong Kong, as the world’s third-largest financial centre, offers world-class professional services that can support Qatar’s investment needs, adding that Hong Kong and Qatar can explore co-operation and exchanges in areas such as sustainable urban development.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to the National Museum of Qatar to learn about the country’s history and cultural heritage as well as a dinner hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Qatar Cao Xiaolin.

The Chief Executive and his delegation will continue their visit to Qatar tomorrow by meeting local political and business leaders before departing for Kuwait.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (May 11) led a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to commence its visit programme to Qatar. He met with leaders and government officials of Qatar and leant about the latest development of the country’s sovereign wealth fund. He also exchanged views with representatives of a local financial institution. He inspected Qatar’s town planning and visited local cultural and tourism facilities.
 
In the morning, Mr Lee met respectively with the Amir of Qatar, Mr Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the head of state of Qatar; the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Mr Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani; and the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mr Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai, to exchange views on strengthening bilateral relations and economic co-operation between Hong Kong and Qatar.
 
Mr Lee said that Qatar and Hong Kong are economic powerhouses in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region respectively. Noting that Qatar is Hong Kong’s third-largest trading partner in the Middle East with bilateral trade in goods worth US$1.6 billion last year, Mr Lee said that there is plenty of room for further growth in trade and business between the two places. He also expressed his anticipation that during this visit, multiple memoranda of understanding and agreements will be made between Hong Kong and Qatar, covering various areas including trade and investment promotion, financial services, innovation and technology (I&T), and cultural tourism, with a view to further enhancing co-operation among the governments and institutions of the two places.
 
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong, as a functional platform of the Belt and Road Initiative, is committed to deepening international exchanges and co-operation and leveraging its strengths as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to facilitate and add value to government and business projects along the Belt and Road through the city’s world-class professional services. He also said that the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Belt and Road Initiative align in their values and aspirations for achieving high-quality development through all-round co-operation, embracing economic diversification and innovation, as well as fostering friendship and facilitating exchanges.
 
Mr Lee also highlighted that both Hong Kong and Qatar attach great importance to technological development and regard artificial intelligence as an engine of new economic development. He said he hoped that Hong Kong and Qatar would enhance collaboration through joint research and exchanges, joint ventures, and cross-border investments to achieve mutual benefits.
 
Mr Lee also visited Qatar Investment Authority this morning to learn about the development of Qatar’s financial sector. Established in 2005, the Qatar Investment Authority is Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. It manages and grows Qatar’s financial assets, with an aim to diversify Qatar’s economic development and ensure the country’s long-term financial sustainability. Mr Lee received an in-depth briefing on the operation and investment strategies of the sovereign wealth fund, and explored with the Qatar Investment Authority the development and co-operation opportunities for both sides in finance and the economy.
 
In the afternoon, Mr Lee attended a luncheon hosted by an international financial group, where he gained insights into the group’s analysis of Qatar’s banking and financial services industry, as well as its capital markets.
 
Noting that Hong Kong, an international financial centre now moving towards also becoming an international green finance hub, Mr Lee said that last year the total amount of green and sustainable debt issued in Hong Kong exceeded US$84 billion, with green and sustainable bonds accounting for approximately US$43 billion. It captured around 45 per cent of the total Asian market, ranking first in the region for seven consecutive years. Mr Lee said that under the principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises complement each other’s strengths, and that Hong Kong would give full play to its bridging role in attracting international investments to China and “going global” with Mainland enterprises. He welcomed Qatari enterprises to leverage Hong Kong’s broad and deep capital markets, professional financial services and seamless connectivity with the Mainland market to raise international funds for their sustainable infrastructure projects.
 
Afterwards, Mr Lee led the delegation to visit Lusail City, the second-largest city in Qatar, to understand how the city integrates I&T with urban planning and infrastructure development. Lusail City is one of Qatar’s flagship smart cities, focusing on information and communication technology, with the aim of developing into a model for intelligent living, urban evolution and diverse cultural landscapes. Mr Lee said that Hong Kong, as the world’s third-largest financial centre, offers world-class professional services that can support Qatar’s investment needs. He also noted that Hong Kong and Qatar can explore co-operation and exchanges in areas such as sustainable urban development.
 
Mr Lee will later visit the National Museum of Qatar to learn about the country’s history and rich cultural heritage. The museum, which opened in 2019, is dedicated to vividly presenting the story of Qatar and its people in an innovative and immersive way.
 
The delegation led by Mr Lee will attend a dinner hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Qatar, Mr Cao Xiaolin. Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the Embassy for its strong support to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai, and for making meticulous arrangements for the visit.
 
Mr Lee will lead the delegation to continue its visit to Qatar tomorrow (May 12) to meet with local political and business leaders before departing for Kuwait.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Dancing Water Drops Exhibition, the large-scale art installations exhibition in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang water supply to Hong Kong, will present a 28.8-metre-tall water drop-shaped installation for the first time tomorrow (May 11). It is by far the largest of its kind among similar exhibitions. The exhibition will run until June 13 at Tamar Park and the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section).

In her speech at the launching ceremony for the giant water drop-shaped installation today (May 10), the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the installation is by far the largest and tallest of its kind, signifying that the uninterrupted water supply from Dongjiang to Hong Kong over the past 60 years is like a mother’s unconditional love and care for her children. She encouraged the public to visit the exhibition with family and friends on Mother’s Day and take photos with the giant water drop-shaped installation at the beautiful Victoria Harbourfront, and reinforce their understanding about the importance of Dongjiang water and be grateful for the care rendered by the country. 

Other officiating guests included the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky Lau; the Acting Director of Water Supplies, Mr Stanley Chan; internationally acclaimed artist Simon Ma; Vice Chairmen of the DC Charity Foundation Mr Richard Lo and Mr Edwin Chuang; and the director of the Po Leung Kuk, Ms Fay Cheung.

The Dancing Water Drops Exhibition was specially created by Simon Ma in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang’s water supply to Hong Kong. The display of “never-fall” water drop-shaped installations of various sizes symbolises the vitality that Dongjiang water brings to Hong Kong and social inclusion, as well as the “never-give-up spirit” of Hong Kong people. Please visit event webpage for details of the exhibition.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Since 2024, the Police Force has partnered with three post-secondary institutions to offer the Diploma of Applied Education – Police Cadet Training Programme. Through classroom learning, physical training and outdoor experiences, the programme aims to better prepare young people who aspire to join the force.

Personal growth

One such trainee is Park Hae-jun, a 27-year-old born in Hong Kong to Korean parents. Before joining the programme, he voluntarily returned to Korea to complete his military service, hoping to build discipline and confidence.

“I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and I consider Hong Kong my home – that is why I chose to come back,” he said.

He shared that the programme offered far more than textbook knowledge. Instructors taught him how to manage conflict and overcome challenges.

“When we face stress or setbacks, most of us want to give up. But here, we are trained to solve problems. The perseverance we have learned will not only help us in our careers but also in life.”

Hands-on learning

 Another trainee, 19-year-old Sae-ung Wing-man, described the field trips as being the most valuable part of the programme.

“They helped me to understand the work of the department I want to join, and how officers deal with different situations every day.” .

Wing-man has long aspired to join the force in order to support the public.

“The job is meaningful. It helps citizens solve problems. I want to be someone people can rely on.

“In preparation, I will further improve my physical fitness, stress management, legal knowledge and communication skills.”

Preparatory training

The Police Cadet School was established in 1973 and fulfilled its historical mission by 1990. Chief Inspector Wong Tak-choi, now responsible for physical and experiential training at the Police College, was once a cadet himself.

He hopes that the trainees of the Police Cadet Training Programme can carry forward the spirit of the Police Cadet school.

“Training methods may have changed, but our purpose remains the same – we want to nurture passionate young people who are ready to serve the community,” he said.

He also noted that many who fail to complete police training often lack physical or mental preparation – areas the cadet training programme addresses directly.

Course structure

The Police Force has co-organised this one-year training programme with the Caritas Institute of Community Education, the Hong Kong College of Technology, and the Hong Kong Institute of Technology.

Apart from core and supplementary subjects, the curriculum includes a 180-hour elective cluster titled “Police Cadet Training”, which is composed of “Police Studies”, “Police Recruit Preparatory Training” and “Physical & Mindset Development”.

Upon graduation, the trainees can attain a qualification equivalent to Level 2 in five Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education subjects, meeting the academic requirement for police constable recruitment. 

Final challenge

 After completing 22 weeks of police cadet training, the cadets took part in a passing-out parade. The event was inspected by Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming, who witnessed their growth and expressed his high expectations for their future success.

He highlighted that the final challenge includes a five-day, four-night “hell week” involving outdoor endurance tasks similar to the Outward Bound adventure training. Mr Chow joined cadets on the final early morning hike to Tai Mo Shan and expressed that he was impressed by how spirited they were.

“Some cadets had been injured earlier and could not complete the whole week, but they still tried to take part. Others felt exhausted, but they would still hold their heads up and pressed on.”

During a sharing session on the mountain, cadets reflected on their experiences and Mr Chow shared his own.

“The police career is long. Sometimes it feels lonely or dark – like the weather that day. But when you work as a team, someone will lead, and soon you will see the sunshine.”

Future vision

Mr Chow revealed that the cadet programme took more than three years to develop. He acknowledged the challenges, but praised his team for their dedication.

“It was like witnessing the birth of a child,” he stated.

In addition to preparing future officers, Mr Chow stressed that he hopes the programme will revive the spirit of the former cadet school, whose graduates served with distinction across the force.

“They lived by the values of wisdom, courage, integrity and perseverance. I hope this new generation will carry that torch forward.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Transport Department announced today (May 11) that, upon completion of the system maintenance, the HKeToll website (www.hketoll.gov.hk), mobile app and electronic notification services have resumed normal operation at around 4am.

     The system will process toll transactions recorded during the maintenance period and gradually restore sending electronic notifications to users. Motorists should pay the tolls charged based on their actual time of passing through the tunnel. Users may also log in to their account for transaction details.

     For enquiries, please call the 24-hour service hotline at 3853 7333.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region