Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (front row, seventh left); Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong (front row, fifth left); Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin (front row, ninth left); publisher of Master Insight Man Cheuk-fei (front row, sixth left); chairman of the Board of Master Insight Patrick Poon (front row, eighth left) and other guests pose for a group photo during the Master Insight Forum to mark the media platform's eighth anniversary, in Hong Kong on Nov 4, 2022. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Hong Kong could further lift social distancing restrictions if there’s no drastic uptick in confirmed cases after the Hong Kong Sevens, said Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the Executive Council, the SAR government’s organ for assisting the chief executive in policy-making.
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the Executive Council, described the Hong Kong Sevens as a “test” for the city, which welcomes about 26,000 spectators, who are permitted to drink and eat during the tournament inside Hong Kong Stadium in Happy Valley
The rugby tournament, spanning three days, kicked off at Hong Kong Stadium in Happy Valley on Friday afternoon. It is among a series of mega-events the city is hosting to signal its comeback.
Ip described the Sevens as a “test” for the city, which welcomes about 26,000 spectators, who are permitted to drink and eat during the tournament inside the stadium.
She also said it’s now Hong Kong’s big week and the city is already in recovery despite current anti-pandemic rules, and is gaining a lot of vitality.
The observations were made on Friday at a policy opinion forum. Organized by Master Insight, the forum was held to explore Hong Kong’s new opportunities in the post-pandemic era. It also marked the media platform’s eighth anniversary.
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Addressing the same event, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said Hong Kong has returned to the center of the global stage as an international financial hub, with high-profile events coming one after another.
Alongside an orderly relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, Hong Kong will continue to be lively and dynamic, he said.
Lee also noted that Hong Kong boasts enormous opportunities in embracing the post-pandemic period given the city’s various advantages.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu speaks at the Master Insight Forum to mark the media platform's eighth anniversary, in Hong Kong on Nov 4, 2022. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)
Alongside an orderly relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, Hong Kong will continue to be lively and dynamic, said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu
Buttressed by the country’s strong support and the “one country, two systems” practice, Hong Kong has bright prospects for achieving long-term stability and prosperity, notwithstanding headwinds.
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Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said at the forum that the “Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint” will be promulgated next month, charting the roadmap for development and analyzing global innovation trends.
Hong Kong was highlighted in the country’s 14th Five-year Plan (2021-2025) as an international innovation and technology center among other things.
Mentioning the recent financial center rankings, which showed Singapore now ranks higher than Hong Kong, he said Hong Kong’s financial strength still outperforms that of Singapore.
But what Singapore does well is attract many research and high-tech companies to set up headquarters in the area, driving the city-state’s overall growth, Sun said.
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He emphasized that Hong Kong’s high-tech drive should not be focused only on one specific industry, but should be integrated with the SAR’s overall development plan.
evanliu@chinadailyhk.com