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Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

A new “Hong Kong Artists” series will be held from May to December, with 10 distinguished local musicians performing six recitals, featuring music for the violin, piano, cello and guzheng, as well as vocal works.

Announcing the series, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department said it will showcase the remarkable talents of local artists. It will also use the series to foster cross-genre collaborations.

In May, pianist Colleen Lee, together with Aaron Chan on violin, Letty Poon on cello and Rhythmie Wong on piano, will perform works by French composers Debussy, Saint-Saens and Ravel. Paintings by the watercolour artist Fu Man-yat will be exhibited in tandem with the performance.

In June, emerging violinist Nina Wong and young pianist Shelley Ng will present works by composers including Bach, Strauss and Piazzolla.  

Pianist Anson Wong will perform works in July by masters such as Janacek and Schumann, as well as his own transcription of the adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5.

In a musical journey spanning 200 years celloist Alex Lau – accompanied by Japanese pianist Naoko Sonoda – will perform works by Beethoven, Ligeti and others in September.

In November, soprano Viola Cheung will perform classical operatic and contemporary works, accompanied by Leona Cheung on the piano.

In December, guzheng player Grammy Yeung will collaborate with various musicians to showcase classical and contemporary guzheng pieces, including a new commission by local composer Chan Hing-yan.

Tickets for the recitals, which will be held at City Hall and the Cultural Centre, will be available from URBTIX from March 27. Package discounts are available.

Call 2268 7321 for enquiries.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

More than 400 young musicians from the Music Office’s band, orchestras and choirs will perform in the 2025 Music Office Annual Gala on February 23 at the Cultural Centre, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department announced today.

 

Musicians of the Music Office’s Youth Choir and Children’s Choir, Hong Kong Youth Strings, Hong Kong Youth Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and Hong Kong Youth Symphonic Band will perform various music pieces.

 

Among the highlights are a touching and haunting adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5“; The World Takes on a New Look for Spring, selected from the modern Peking opera Taking Tiger Mountain by Stratagem; an adagio from Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27; and a wind ensemble piece, Crescent Moon Dance, composed for the Japanese animation Sound! Euphonium.

 

Tickets are available at URBTIX.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Co-ordinated by the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, the 2025 Lunar New Year Fireworks Display will light up Victoria Harbour on January 30 at 8pm to welcome the Year of the Snake.

Divided into nine scenes, the extravaganza will last for 23 minutes, showcasing 23,888 pyrotechnic shells.

The lucky red number 8 will kick off the show to symbolise well wishes for prosperity, happiness and contentment for Hong Kong in the new year.

Countless red peonies, silver peonies and red hearts will bloom to epitomise how elite talent from all over the world set their sights on Hong Kong and contribute to a greater tomorrow.

The eighth scene, one of the highlights of the show, will feature six adorable panda heads against a backdrop of green lighting representing bamboo and silver illuminations, to celebrate the newborn panda twins and giant panda duo gifted to Hong Kong by the central government.

The finale showcases the electrifying Dance of the Golden Snake, with the powerful rhythmic sound of gongs and drums booming in tandem with the dance of fireworks patterns flickering above the sea.

Additionally, the façades of the HSBC main building in Central and the Convention & Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai will present a new LED light show to complement the fireworks.

The display can be viewed from numerous vantage points on both sides of Victoria Harbour, including Tsim Sha Tsui, Mid-Levels, Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, East Coast Park Precinct in Fortress Hill and Hung Hom Bypass.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) will stage the first large-scale exhibition of French Impressionist giants Cézanne and Renoir in Hong Kong from tomorrow until May 7.

Bringing to Hong Kong national treasures of France, the “Cézanne & Renoir Looking at the World – Masterpieces from the Musée de l’Orangerie & the Musée d’Orsay” exhibition features 52 iconic works from the two renowned museums.

Addressing the opening ceremony today, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law said the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay are internationally celebrated for their outstanding Impressionist art collections, and Hong Kong is delighted to exhibit these national treasures of France that are cherished by audiences worldwide.

“It is a brilliant illustration of a cultural exchange between East and West, a glowing testament to Hong Kong-French co-operation.”

She also noted that Hong Kong is a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures and has the advantage of strong support from the motherland and close connections to the world. The world-class arts and culture facilities as well as the diverse arts environment, help Hong Kong to further develop its role as a cultural hub for the region and the world.

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department will partner with another internationally renowned French museum, the National Museum of Asian Arts – Guimet for the fourth edition of the Museum Summit, in late March, Miss Law added.

Renoir’s use of light and shadows in his works played a pivotal role in the development of Impressionism. While Cézanne’s art theory laid the groundwork for the development of various art styles in the 20th Century, unveiling a new era in modern art.

All but one of the 52 exhibits are debuting in Hong Kong. The HKMoA has created an education corner that mimics a French train platform, inviting visitors to board a time-travel train and immerse themselves in the creative worlds of Cézanne and Renoir.

The Hong Kong version of this exhibition also features specially designed simulated conversations between the two masters, footprint maps, and more, elements highlighting the fascinating lives and enduring friendship of the two iconic artists.

Click here for details.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

To introduce to the people of the Middle East the unique potential for business, investment and tourism in Hong Kong, the Information Services Department (ISD) has staged the “Immersive Hong Kong” roving exhibition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), during the year-end festive season, attracting over 200,000 visitors to experience the appeal and vibrancy of Hong Kong through interactive art technology.

Organised in collaboration with the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Dubai, the exhibition is part of the ISD’s promotional campaign to showcase Hong Kong’s new attractions, advantages and opportunities.

The exhibition, held from December 20 last year to January 5, received an overwhelming response from both the UAE public and tourists. It also drew the attendance of a number of distinguished guests, including Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Consul General of the UAE in Hong Kong Shaikh Saoud Ali M. A. Almualla and Chinese Consul-General in Dubai Ou Boqian.

Hong Kong has been actively expanding and deepening its overseas networks, including closer co-operation and engagement with the Middle East.

Chief Executive John Lee and a number of principal officials have led delegations to visit the Middle East since 2023 to strengthen Hong Kong’s connections with the region, to tell good stories of Hong Kong, and to explore greater business opportunities.

“We have brought the ‘Immersive Hong Kong’ exhibition to Dubai to provide people in the region with a better understanding of our city and its unique potential,” Director of Information Services Apollonia Liu said.

“We are very delighted with the positive response as well as the expansion of our circle of friends and network through staging this exhibition,” she added. 

Themed “Hong Kong – Where the World Looks Ahead”, the exhibition enabled visitors to delve into different virtual scenes representing the city with a creative twist. The five thematic zones, namely “Financial Bridgehead”, “I&T Brain Bank”, “Blossoming Creativity”, “Diversity and Greenery” and “Buzzing Sports Action”, featured multiple interactive art projections, light box installations and naked-eye 3D displays, presenting the multifaceted appeal of Hong Kong.

Performances by Hong Kong music group SENZA A Cappella and dance group Move Beyond were also arranged at the exhibition venue to give visitors a taste of Hong Kong’s cultural offerings and enhance their overall exhibition experience.

Dubai is the fifth stop of the “Immersive Hong Kong” exhibition, following successful stints in Jakarta, Indonesia; Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Guangzhou between July 2023 and August 2024. The ISD will explore holding the exhibition in other cities later this year.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui

The two-day 18th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) concluded successfully last Tuesday (January 14).  AFF is Hong Kong’s annual first-in-line flagship mega event and a significant forum highly anticipated by the region’s financial community. This year, the forum has attracted about 3,600 policymakers and business leaders from about 50 countries and regions, featuring numerous highlights. I believe that all participants gained a lot and returned with fruitful experiences.

 

Exploring Hot Topics

This year’s AFF, themed “Powering the Next Growth Engine”, discussed ways to ignite new growth engines in 2025 and achieve breakthroughs in a challenging landscape. The forum featured a distinguished lineup of more than 130 renowned speakers, including senior government officials, representatives of central banks and regulatory agencies, financial and business leaders, scholars, and economists, who offered unique opinions on various hot topics including global economic and financial development, growth potential in emerging markets like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Middle East, artificial intelligence (AI), fintech, sustainable development, family offices, and philanthropy, etc.

 

In particular, the forum also invited Prof Justin Yifu Lin, the former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank, to share his in-depth analysis of the shifting global economic situation as well as China’s current trajectory and its evolving role in the world; and Prof Stuart Russell, the Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Council on AI and Co-chair of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development’s Expert Group on AI Futures, to share his views on the development and implications of Generative AI. Besides, I moderated two plenary sessions joined by government officials from various countries and leaders of multilateral institutions and had earnest discussion on leveraging innovation to promote growth and using co-operation to pursue shared prosperity respectively.

 

Additionally, I am also pleased to co-host with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) the GCC Chapter for the first time. In the session, we invited Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, and policymakers from GCC member states and business leaders to share insights on economic development in the Gulf region and explore future co-operation opportunities with Hong Kong. The chapter marked an important milestone in fostering collaboration in financial services between Hong Kong and GCC member states. We will continue to closely collaborate with the GCC Secretariat to further strengthen the interconnected development of the financial markets of both sides, with a view to creating economic prosperity for both regions.

 

Solid National Support for Hong Kong
I would also like to express heartfelt gratitude to the Central People’s Government’s steadfast support on the development of the financial industry of Hong Kong. This year, we are honoured that Mr Zhou Ji, Executive Vice Director of the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China, and Mr Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy for Climate Change of the People’s Republic of China, graced the event and delivered important remarks. Mr Zhou emphasised that the Chinese Government will, as in the past, do its utmost to provide strong protection for supporting Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, trade and shipping centre, as well as for strengthening technological innovation. Mr Pan highlighted that the People’s Bank of China will focus on four key directions to continue to fully support the development of Hong Kong as an international financial centre (including to support the development of Hong Kong’s capital market; to expand and strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an offshore renminbi business hub; to enhance Hong Kong’s functions as an international asset and wealth management centre; and to resolutely safeguard Hong Kong’s financial stability and security). Also, Governor Pan indicated that asset allocation of the country’s foreign reserves in Hong Kong will be increased, enhancing the attractiveness and liquidity of our capital market. Mr Liu praised the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for being a pioneer in the global response to climate change and expressed hope that Hong Kong could leverage its strengths to empower Asian energy transition through climate financing so as to make new and greater contributions to global sustainable development.

 

We will continue to uphold the spirit of reforms, to further consolidate our status as an international financial centre, proactively enhance the competitiveness of the financial services industry, and contribute to our country’s development as a financial powerhouse.

 

Expanding circle of friends, leveraging advantages of super connector
The forum also featured the AFF Deal-making session, bringing together more than 270 investors and over 560 investment projects with more than 700 one-on-one meetings held, covering a wide spectrum of sectors such as fintech, healthtech, environmental technology, etc. It has helped connect funds and investment projects from across the globe. The forum has successfully expanded Hong Kong’s circle of friends, and fully demonstrated Hong Kong’s unique role as a super-connector and super value-adder.

 

In order to enrich the experience of participants from outside Hong Kong, the forum also collaborated with a number of organisations to provide special experience activities, including Peak Tram and Sky Terrace trips, the iconic Aqua Luna red-sail junk boat, etc, for the visitors to experience the unique charm of the city.

 

To Conclude
The forum attracted top-notch financial and business leaders from around the world, reflecting the attractiveness and significant position of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. We will continue to leverage Hong Kong’s strengths, power the next growth engine, and contribute to the overall development of the region and the world.

 

Last but not least, I thank the co-organiser, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, for their full assistance, the partner organisations for their strong support, and friends from around the globe for their enthusiastic participation, which all contributed to the success of the forum. I look forward to reuniting with friends from all over the world at AFF 2026 in Hong Kong!

 

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui wrote this article and posted it on his blog on January 20.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan

The development of Hong Kong’s maritime and port industry has garnered significant attention. In the Legislative Council, lawmaker Lam San-keung proposed a Members’ Motion last Wednesday titled “Enhancing Hong Kong’s Status as an International Maritime Services Centre”. Many members offered valuable suggestions on how to elevate Hong Kong’s position as an International Maritime Centre. I was leading members of the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council (LOGSCOUNCIL), along with colleagues from the Customs & Excise Department and the Marine Department, on a visit to Guangxi to explore logistics co-operation. Although I was unable to exchange with the legislators in person during the motion debate, I took some time to review their opinions afterwards. Hong Kong’s port logistics industry boasts a century of excellent legacy, but in the face of a continuously evolving global landscape of shipping and logistics, we must also keep pace with change and speed. In today’s blog, I will share with you all the latest development and our upcoming efforts in Hong Kong’s maritime and logistics industry.

Port industry

Hong Kong’s shipping industry comprises two main sectors: maritime services and port. Earlier, under the arrangement of the Hong Kong Container Terminal Operators Association, I inspected the operations of the Kwai Chung Container Terminal and engaged in in-depth discussions with three terminal operators. I was able to witness the arrival of the largest batch of Chilean cherries of the month, with around 3,700TEUs of fresh cherries. Within a few hours, these cherries could be delivered to the South China region. As I was watching truck after truck waiting to pick up the cherries, I felt a sense of confidence, knowing that we can overcome challenges facing Hong Kong ports with our concerted efforts. If you are interested in understanding the visit, you can refer to our Facebook post.

Maritime services

Maritime services are the high-value-added segment of the shipping industry, with economic contributions increase by nearly 40% from 2019 to 2022, and I see immense potential in the ship management services in Hong Kong.

First, let me provide some information: ship management companies are professional teams that offer technical management, crew management, regulatory compliance, operational management, and financial management services to shipowners. They manage a diverse range of vessel types and can provide various services to enhance operational efficiency, such as voyage optimisation solutions and recommendations to reduce fuel consumption, through their own operational systems and big data management and analysis systems. Currently, the global shipping industry faces numerous challenges, and some new shipowners are investors like private equity funds and export credit agencies that are not directly involved in the shipping industry. Professional management teams can provide these shipowners with optimal operational solutions.

There are over 300 shipping agents and managers, as well as overseas shipping companies’ representative offices in Hong Kong now, employing approximately 5,500 people. The demand for ship management services has also fostered the development of other professions, such as ship financing, maritime mediation and insurance, creating a vibrant maritime ecosystem in the region.

More importantly, Hong Kong’s ship management services have a long history and are renowned worldwide. Among the top 10 ship management companies globally listed by shipping authority Lloyd’s List, five have operations in Hong Kong, with three of them headquartered here, making Hong Kong the region with the most headquarters among the top 10. These include Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, ranked first, Fleet Management Limited, ranked third, and Wallem Group, ranked ninth. To understand Hong Kong’s strengths and future potential, we must also make reference to the development of these top companies in Hong Kong over the years.

Anglo-Eastern was founded in 1974, and Hong Kong has been their operational headquarters since they established. They provide a comprehensive range of management services utilising various innovative technologies, including newbuilding supervision, alternative fuel advisory, and retrofit consultancy, among others. Their award-winning Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy in India allows additional 500 trained seafarers onboard annually.

Fleet Management Limited was also founded in Hong Kong. Although it has only been 30 years since its establishment in 1994, it has rapidly risen to become the third-largest ship management company worldwide. They leverage breakthrough, proprietary technology to offer clients a one-stop platform for real-time vessel data monitoring, predictive maintenance, and seamless communication between onshore teams and crews at sea.

Wallem Group was established in Shanghai but began operations in Hong Kong in 1925, welcoming its 100th anniversary in the city this year. They are known for their bespoke services, providing ship management, agency services, commercial services, lifeboat safety, and compliance consulting tailored to each client’s needs.

While the development directions of these three companies may differ, they share a same commitment to continuous reform and adaptation throughout their growth. They also express confidence in the Hong Kong market environment. They all recognise Hong Kong’s strategic global connectivity, well-developed maritime ecosystem, robust common law system, international and business-friendly environment, and an enormous pool of professional talent as significant advantages. Additionally, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has launched a series of measures to enhance Hong Kong’s shipping competitiveness, including continuously optimising competitive tax incentives, reforming the current Hong Kong Maritime & Port Board, conducting alternative fuel research, and providing talent training, all of which affirm their belief in the Government’s commitment to promoting the development of Hong Kong’s maritime industry.

The analysis of the three ship management companies regarding the prospects of Hong Kong’s shipping industry are very similar to ours. The institutional system advantage of “part of China but outside the Mainland” enjoyed by Hong Kong is what makes us unique. We will make every effort to maintain Hong Kong’s international environment while enhancing our maritime competitiveness through various tax incentives and support measures. In recent years, we have introduced tax incentives for ship operator, ship leasing, maritime insurance-related business, and shipping commercial principals. For many years, ship operators have benefited from tax exemptions on income derived from the international operations of registered ships in Hong Kong. Our latest measure, the Block Registration Incentive Scheme in Hong Kong Shipping Registry (HKSR), will be implemented on February 14. We hope to attract more shipowners to register their ships in Hong Kong. Under the scheme, if more than one eligible ship is registered with the HKSR within 24 months, the owners of the ships concerned may be provided with a refund of the ship registration fee and the first-year annual tonnage charge.

Connecting both the Mainland & the world

In addition to consolidating Hong Kong’s international maritime advantages, we have also continued to strengthen our connections with the Mainland. Recently, I visited Nanning in Guangxi, the southwestern gateway of the country, marking my first official visit as the Secretary for Transport & Logistics.

In recent years, the country has been actively building the “New Western Land-Sea Corridor,” making Guangxi an important hub for connecting the southwestern region of the country with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through both water and land routes. During the trip, we visited the Nanning International Railway Port and the China-Singapore Nanning International Logistics Park. The Nanning International Railway Port is Guangxi’s largest railway logistics centre and serves as a key departure point for important international freight trains, including the China-Vietnam and China-Europe freight trains. This visit allowed us to gain first-hand insight into the types of goods transported through Guangxi under the “New Western Land-Sea Corridor,” as well as future key cargo types and markets for development.

During the trip, we were hosted by the People’s Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the Department of Transport, allowing us to taste Guangxi’s three famous rice noodle dishes: Laoyou noodles, Guilin rice noodles, and Liuzhou Luosifen, which left a lasting impression. However, what impressed us even more was our deepened understanding of Guangxi’s rich natural resources. A significant amount of live pigs and vegetables supplied to Hong Kong come from Guangxi, and the clementine is a local specialty. Guangxi also produces a large quantity of natural spices; for instance, it accounts for nearly 90% of the country’s star anise production, earning it the title of the “Kingdom of Spice Plants”. Moreover, Guangxi is rich in mineral resources and has made significant progress in industries such as metal processing and automobile manufacturing.

The potential for co-operation between Guangxi and Hong Kong in the logistics sector is immense and has started long ago. We signed an agreement on Guangxi-Hong Kong Transportation & Logistics co-operation back in 2016, and last May we further signed the Framework Agreement for Deepening Strategic Co-operation of Guangxi-Hong Kong Transportation & Logistics, strengthening collaboration between the two regions. On a business level, many Hong Kong-invested enterprises have already taken the lead in establishing shipping and logistics co-operation with Guangxi. For example, a Hong Kong terminal operator signed a memorandum of co-operation with Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group last May to enhance multimodal transportation collaboration. The foundation of co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangxi, combined with this visit, reinforces my belief that Hong Kong can play the role of a “super connector” to assist Guangxi’s logistics and maritime sector in attracting investments and expanding its reach. I am very grateful to the members of the LOGSCOUNCIL for working together with the Hong Kong SAR Government to explore new sources of goods and broaden the logistics and shipping landscape for Hong Kong. I would also like to thank the colleagues from the Customs & Excise Department and the Marine Department who joined our delegation, enabling us to address the bottlenecks and pain points in the logistics chain during our discussions with the Guangxi authorities.

Hong Kong’s port development is with a century-old foundation. We have world-class port infrastructure and a strong shipping tradition, built on the efforts of those who came before us. We must cherish this foundation. I will focus on promoting the port industry to actively expand cargo volume and business and seeking new growth points. We will continuously enhance the competitiveness and efficiency of the port by going smart, green, and digital. We will also do our best to assist Hong Kong’s shipping companies in showing their potential, and make good use of Hong Kong’s finance, legal and institutional strengths to develop and promote our high value-added services to the rest of the world.

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan wrote this article and posted it on her blog on January 18.