HONG KONG CONNECT


	Giant panda Ying Ying gives birth to pigeon pair of cubs The giant pandas, Ying Ying and Le Le, gifted by the Central People’s Government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in 2007, succeeded in natural mating at Ocean Park in March this year. After a pregnancy period of nearly five months, Ying Ying gave birth to a pigeon pair of cubs at 2.05am and 3.27am on 15 August. The Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Mr John Lee, said that this year marks the 75^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, which makes the birth of the first lovely Hong Kong-born pigeon pair of cubs by Ying Ying and Le Le even more special. He expressed his deepest gratitude to the Central Government again for gifting the giant pandas to the HKSAR which fully demonstrates its care and support for Hong Kong. More details here.

	CE welcomes Hong Kong, China Delegation returning from Paris 2024 Olympic Games The welcome home reception for the Hong Kong, China Delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, co-organised by the HKSAR Government and the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), was held at the Central Government Offices on 21 August to congratulate the Delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games for their outstanding achievements, and express gratitude to the coaches for their nurturing, as well as the medical teams for their contributions. The Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Mr John Lee, officiated at the reception and presented certificates of commendation to the Hong Kong athletes who participated in the Games. Addressing the reception, Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong athletes showcased their abilities in this year’s Paris Olympic Games, and their achievements were most heartening. The HKSAR Government will continue to spare no effort in training local sports talent and to promote the development of sports in Hong Kong, including comprehensive planning, development and optimisation of sports facilities. The HKSAR Government and the SF&OC also arranged a bus parade for the Hong Kong athletes on the same day. Members of the public welcomed and cheered them on. More details here.

	Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster continues to rank second globally The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published the Global Innovation Index 2024 top 100 science and technology (S&T) clusters on 27 August, among which the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster continued to rank second globally for the fifth consecutive year. A spokesman for the HKSAR Government welcomed the ranking published by WIPO, which continues to give high recognition to the leading position of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in the global innovation and technology (I&T) field. The GBA international I&T centre plays an important strategic role in the national S&T innovation system. Hong Kong will continue to actively promote I&T development by strengthening basic research capabilities, enhancing the local I&T ecosystem, accelerating the transformation and commercialisation of research and development outcomes, and promoting new industrialisation to accelerate the cultivation of new quality productive forces in accordance with local strengths. More details here.

	Youth Development Summit The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau hosted the Youth Development Summit on 10 August which marked the opening and highlights of the 2024 Youth Festival. Themed “Set Sail for New Horizons”, the inaugural Summit has gathered officials responsible for youth policies from different regions, along with business leaders, talent in technological innovation, creative experts, young entrepreneurs and representatives of youth organisations as guest speakers. It also attracted over 2 400 young people to register to participate and about 500 of them came from the Mainland and other overseas locations such as Singapore, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, which enabled them to exchange views and engage in mutual learning on issues of concern to young people. The Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Mr John Lee, officiated at the Summit and pointed out that the Government attaches great importance to youth development. The Government has released the first Youth Development Blueprint for Hong Kong, highlighting its vision and concrete steps, for youth development. More details here. See the Chief Executive’s speech here. See the Chief Secretary for Administration’s speech here. See the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs’ speech here.


	Webinar “Introduction to Career Pathways in Hong Kong” HKETO co-hosted a webinar “Introduction to Career Pathways in Hong Kong” with the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health and the Hong Kong Medical Society of Australia on 3 August to promote the latest pathway and registration arrangement for medical school students in Australia who wish to pursue a career in Hong Kong. Speaking at the webinar, the Deputy Director of HKETO Sydney, Mr Timothy Chau, highlighted that Hong Kong is a place of dynamic growth in healthcare and medical research with immense opportunities for innovation leadership in the healthcare sector. Mr Chau added that returning to Hong Kong means joining a community that values their expertise and is eager to support their professional development. The medical school graduates will have the chance to make a significant impact, contribute to cutting-edge projects, and be part of a thriving healthcare system that is at the forefront of advancements in the region.

	Deputy Director of HKETO Sydney attended the Business Awards organised by the Western Australia Chapter of the Hong Kong Australia Business Association The Deputy Director of HKETO Sydney, Mr Timothy Chau, attended the Business Awards organised by the Western Australia Chapter of the Hong Kong Australia Business Association on 9 August. Mr Chau shared with the participants the exciting developments in Hong Kong, particularly on attracting enterprises and talent. He highlighted that Invest Hong Kong has already assisted 322 overseas and Mainland companies in the first half of this year to set up or expand businesses in Hong Kong, an increase of 43% compared with the same period last year. The Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises also brought in some 50 strategic enterprises to Hong Kong, covering life and health technology, AI and data science, fintech, and advanced manufacturing and new energy, which will invest more than HK$40 billion in Hong Kong and create over 13 000 jobs. Mr Chau also promoted Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s Events Capital and encouraged the participants to visit Hong Kong for business or leisure.

	Director of HKETO Sydney attended the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association Annual Gala Dinner 2024 The Director of HKETO Sydney, Miss Trista Lim, attended the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association Annual Gala Dinner 2024 on 15 August. Addressing the guests, Miss Lim said that the trade relationship between Hong Kong and New Zealand has always been close and strong. Hong Kong is not only a key gateway to Mainland China and the broader Asian market, but also a dynamic economy that thrives on innovation, resilience, and openness. She noted that Hong Kong was New Zealand’s 12^th largest export destination in 2023, and the two markets are tightly interwoven across various sectors, from agriculture and food products to financial services and technology. Miss Lim also highlighted the encouraging results of attracting enterprises and talent to Hong Kong.

	Seminar “IP: Fuelling Bilateral Trade Between Australia, Hong Kong and Beyond” HKETO co-hosted a seminar “IP: Fuelling Bilateral Trade Between Australia, Hong Kong and Beyond” with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and DCC Ventures on 22 August. Speaking at the seminar, the Deputy Director of HKETO Sydney, Mr Timothy Chau, noted that Hong Kong, with all the advantages under “one country, two systems”, has been entrusted by the country to become a regional IP trading centre under the National 14^th Five-Year Plan. Mr Chau highlighted that the Government has set aside HK$45 million to help the Hong Kong Productivity Council host a Technology and Innovation Support Centre in Hong Kong, one that will offer patent search and analysis, consultation services regarding IP management and commercialisation. Another exciting initiative includes a “patent box” initiative, reducing the tax on profits derived from qualifying IP from the existing 16.5% to 5%. Mr Chau added that by leveraging Hong Kong’s advanced IP infrastructure, Australian businesses can find new opportunities to protect and commercialise their innovations in a thriving market.



	*LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2024 (Hong Kong)* The 6-day “LI-NING Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2024 will be held between 10 and 15 September at Hong Kong Coliseum. The tournament is one of the stops of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500, with a total grand prize money of US$420,000 for two consecutive years. The “Li-Ning Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500” is proud of being an “M” Mark event that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. More details here.

	*Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance (Hong Kong)* Every Mid-Autumn Festival, the quaint neighbourhood of Tai Hang comes alive as a glowing dragon - carried by over 300 performers - dances through the streets for three nights. This fascinating tradition of Hong Kong dates back to the 19th century, when residents of the then small Hakka village combated a plague with a fire dragon dance, accompanied by roaring gongs and drums. The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, to be held on 16 to 18 September this year, is officially listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and continues to attract crowds for the blazing spectacle. More details here.

	*Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (Hong Kong)* To strengthen the global network of arts institutions and practitioners in the region and beyond, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council hosts the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo from 14 to 18 October, presenting Expo Programmes, International Showcases, Pitch Sessions, Talks, Exhibition and Networking Activities to encourage interaction and promote exchange among arts professionals from China including Hong Kong and around the globe. Arts lovers can visit the theatres, mingle with the artists across the border and feel the cultural ambience. More details here.

Updates on Latest Situation in Hong Kong