DotDotWeekly | Xia Baolong begins weeklong inspection tour in HK

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Weekly Highlights

Record-breaking number of tourists visit HK during golden week

Hong Kong experienced a significant influx of mainland Chinese tourists during the recent Golden Week Lunar New Year holiday, with a staggering total of 1.43 million visitors from the mainland.

Interestingly, during the extended holiday period, the number of outbound travelers from Hong Kong exceeded the number of incoming tourists, a trend that has become a norm in recent years.

CE: Article 23 legislation to guard HK against damage

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee said Tuesday that the planned Basic Law Article 23 national security legislation is to protect Hong Kong from possible damage. Lee said the government has received a lot of opinions since the month-long consultation period began in late January.

According to the CE, his administration will carry on with its work to enact Article 23 at top speed, and that he believes LegCo will consider the bill as quickly as possible.

HK govt to further subsidize exhibitors to boost MICE tourism

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau said that the Government expects the convention and exhibition industry to achieve or surpass pre-pandemic levels given that certain large-scale events have already returned to Hong Kong.

Yau pointed out during a press conference this afternoon that throughout the second half of last year, 61 exhibitions were held in the city, 54 of which had been approved for a total of HK$265 million in government subsidies. He also added that approval will be given for more exhibitions to be held in the city and the number of people visiting Hong Kong will increase accordingly.

Hong Kong sees population increase in 2023

HK saw an increase in population in 2023 thanks to a net inflow of residents. The provisional estimate of the Hong Kong population was over 7.5 million at the end of 2023, an increase of 0.4 percent as compared with that at the end of 2022, the Census and Statistics Department of the HKSAR government said.

The population increase was mainly attributable to a net inflow of 51,700 Hong Kong residents recorded during the period, with an inflow of 40,800 one-way permit holders and a net inflow of 10,800 other Hong Kong residents, the population increased for the second consecutive year since normalcy resumed in Hong Kong, the department said.

Hong Kong's jobless rate remains at 2.9%

Hong Kong's unemployment rate remained 2.9 percent for November through January, the same as that from October through December, with experts saying that tourism and mega events will improve the city's labor market by attracting more visitors.

The underemployment rate also remained unchanged at 1 percent during the November-through-January period.

Xia Baolong visits Hong Kong for inspection

The Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Xia Baolong, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for a week-long inspection trip.

Xia then left for the government headquarters in Admiralty, where he met with government officials.

On Friday, Xia met with HK's lawmakers. The legislators said they discussed a range of topics with Xia, including economic development, GBA integration, and Article 23 legislation.

The Beijing official will go on to meet with district councilors, business chambers and legal bodies during his stay.

Travelers from Xi'an, Qingdao can enter HK, Macao in their individual capacity from March 6

Starting from March 6, 2024, entry permits to Hong Kong and Macao will be issued in Xi'an and Qingdao for eligible persons under the Individual Visit Scheme, according to the Exit-Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China.

The endorsement is valid for three months or one year and good for one or two visits to Hong Kong. The endorsement holder can stay in Hong Kong for not more than seven days on each visit. Eligible applicants may apply for a new endorsement once the current one has expired or has been used up. There is no quota on the number of endorsements to be issued.