Giant panda Ying Ying gifted by Central Government to HKSAR gives birth to pigeon pair of cubs
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced today (August 15) that the giant pandas, Ying Ying and Le Le, gifted by the Central People's Government to the 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 today.
This is a very critical period for the health of the newborn giant panda cubs. Ocean Park's animal care and veterinary teams, together with experts from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), are monitoring Ying Ying and her cubs round the clock until their conditions become fully stable.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said "This year marks the 75th 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. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Central Government again for gifting the giant pandas to the HKSAR which fully demonstrates its care and support for our city. We would also like to thank Ocean Park's team for taking good care of An An, Jia Jia, Ying Ying and Le Le over the years, as well as the experts from the CCRCGP for their continuous support, which enabled Ying Ying and Le Le to give birth to the pigeon pair of cubs."
Speech by SITI at Opening Ceremony of BIOHK 2024
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Opening Ceremony of BIOHK 2024 today (September 11):
Honourable Vice-Chairman C Y Leung (Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), Albert (Chairman of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization and President of BIOHK2024, Professor Albert Yu), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you all at BIOHK 2024. As the global biotechnology sector continues to evolve rapidly, it is crucial that we gather, exchange ideas, and collaborate to address the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead of us. A very warm welcome to those joining us from abroad, your participation reflects the global significance of this convention.
Hong Kong is one of the largest fundraising hubs for the biotechnology sector. Since we last gathered, Hong Kong has continued to bolster its biotechnology ecosystem through several key initiatives. As of the end of April this year, our Innovation and Technology Fund has funded about 830 projects on the biotechnology front, including cutting-edge technologies like artificial "mini-hearts", internally motorised minimally invasive robot surgeons, non-invasive prenatal diagnostic techniques, and more.
The Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government has earlier earmarked HK$10 billion for promoting the development of life and health technology. Of this, HK$6 billion will be deployed to support local universities to set up life and health technology research institutes in Hong Kong to promote cross-institutional and multidisciplinary research co-operation, and help facilitate relevant R&D (research and development) activities and transformation of R&D outcomes, as well as attract global talent to Hong Kong.
In addition, the InnoLife Healthtech Hub that we are setting up in the Loop will further provide world-class infrastructure to attract top-notch research teams and talent from around the globe for cutting-edge research in life and health disciplines. This initiative is pivotal for developing Hong Kong into an international I&T (innovation and technology) centre. Furthermore, HK$2 billion out of the HK$10 billion earmarked will be allocated to support the InnoHK research clusters to establish a presence in the Loop. An additional HK$200 million will also be provided to assist start-ups engaging in life and health technology through incubation and acceleration programmes.
Biotechnology has always been a key pillar in Hong Kong's I&T development. With world-class universities, advanced research facilities and a vibrant ecosystem, Hong Kong provides an integrated platform for life and health technology companies to innovate and grow from R&D to clinical trials and commercialisation.
In closing, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to BIOHK for bringing together the brightest minds in the field. It is through such gatherings that we continue to push the boundaries of biotechnology and explore new possibilities for the future.
May I wish BIOHK 2024 every success and everyone a rewarding and inspiring experience throughout the event. Thank you.
Speech by SITI at Opening Ceremony of BIOHK 2024 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
