HKETO Jakarta celebrates in Philippines 27th anniversary of HKSAR establishment

2024-07-05 21:34 Last Updated At：21:48

Hong kong director-general attends anniversary dinner in manila to strengthen economic ties with philippines and asean countries, highlights business-friendly measures and benefits for investors

The Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng, attended a dinner organised by the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce of the PhilippinesInc in Manila, the Philippines today (July 5) to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Around 200 guests from the local government and business sectors attended the event.

Addressing the event, Miss Cheng said that Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" arrangement. Hong Kong will continue to maintain a high level of internationalisation and strengthen regional collaboration, including seeking early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, to further reinforce its connection with the Philippines and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"The Central Government has introduced a series of measures in support of Hong Kong over the past few days, injecting new impetus to our economic development. Among others, the Exit and Entry Administration of the country will start to issue a card-type document to non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents next Wednesday (July 10) to enhance their clearance convenience at Mainland control points, greatly facilitating their business travels to the Mainland. I encourage the Philippine business community to leverage this new measure to explore the vast potential in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the entire Mainland market, with Hong Kong as their base," she added.

She also gave an account of the HKSAR Government's work in attracting businesses and capital, including measures to attract family offices to Hong Kong and the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme launched in March this year.

"The HKSAR Government has continued to roll out business-friendly measures recently. We have introduced an arrangement to extend expiring land leases without having to execute a new contract, providing greater convenience and confidence to investors. Meanwhile, the 'patent box' tax incentive encourages enterprises to forge ahead with more research and development activities, and promotes intellectual properties trading. Both relevant legislations have taken effect today."

The dinner featured a lucky draw session to give out round-trip air tickets between Manila and Hong Kong, thereby incentivising Philippine businessmen to visit Hong Kong to attend mega events and explore business opportunities.

Also attending the dinner werethe Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, Ms Wang Yulei, and the Director of Singapore of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Ms Vivienne Chee.

London ETO supports Musicus Society and English Chamber Orchestra's cross-cultural collaboration in UK

2024-07-08 20:10 Last Updated At：20:18

Musicus society's hong kong students shine in london cultural exchange tour with english chamber orchestra, strengthening hk-uk ties

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported the Musicus Society's cultural exchange tour in partnership with the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) from July 3 to 9 (London time).The tour featured nine talented Hong Kong students aged 11 to 17 participating in a series of cultural immersion and enrichment activities in London, the United Kingdom (UK). Activities included a joint string ensemble performance with local students and musicians at St Paul's Church, professional training sessions conducted by the ECO, and visits to prestigious music venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal College of Music Museum.

The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, welcomed the student delegation on July 4. "It is our great pleasure to facilitate Musicus Society's cultural exchange tour in the UK.The tour not only enriches the music education of our young talent but also strengthens cultural ties between Hong Kong and the UK.Such exchanges highlight Hong Kong's unique East-meets-West fusion, showcasing our city's vibrant cultural landscape.With the boundless talent of our home-grown musicians backed by an international network, Hong Kong is poised to emerge as an international cultural exchange centre, a vision supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan," he said.

The highlight of the tour was a public concert held at the historic St Paul's Church at Covent Garden, London, in the evening of July 7.The performance featured a joint string ensemble led by the nine Hong Kong students from the Musicus Society alongside 21 local students and musicians. The audience, consisting of nearly 150 guests, enjoyed a captivating programme with iconic compositions from renowned musicians such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Gustav Holst, as well as the theme music of the Hong Kong movie "In the Mood for Love".

The Musicus Society, formed in 2010, is a registered charity in Hong Kong.The Society's mission is to promote cross-cultural collaboration of music internationally through performances and by nurturing the next generation of talent.