DotDotWeekly | Xia Baolong: Bright future awaits HK after completion of 'historic mission'

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Xia: HK heading for a bright future after completion of 'historic mission'

The director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Xia Baolong, on April 15 hailed the SAR government for completing a "historic mission" last month when it passed the territory's homegrown national security law, adding the city had a bright future ahead of it.

Beijing's top man overseeing SAR affairs also said the country's support for Hong Kong would not waver.

He told the opening ceremony of the National Security Education Day via video link that the legislation, which he likened to a "sophisticated security system", provided the best possible opportunity for Hong Kong to focus on its economy.

Xia noted many mega events had been held since Basic Law Article 23 national security legislation was passed and global business leaders have cast their vote of confidence "with sincerity and real money".

"Hong Kong still has the best business environment in the world, and is the best place to start a business, make money and realize one's dreams. It is like the sun in the universe. Its shine can never be covered by dark clouds," he said.

HK must seize opportunities and take positive actions amid changes, John Lee says

Chief Executive John Lee on April 16 expressed his sincere gratitude to Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, for his care, guidance, and support for Hong Kong in his keynote speech at the "National Security Education Day" opening ceremony".

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, Xia talked about the "five imperatives" for Hong Kong's development from governance to prosperity. He said that Hong Kong, with the escort of the national security laws, is now at the best time to strive for economic growth and development.

Lee thanked Xia for his concern for Hong Kong, and mentioned that Hong Kong is going through a new period of economic development.

"In the past, Hong Kong has gone through different periods of economic restructuring, and Hong Kong people have always been able to seize the opportunities amid the changes to create miracles."

"Hong Kong people should recognize and face up to the changes in the general trend and, as in the past economic restructuring periods, not to blame others, but to be proactive, innovative, creative and responsive to changes," Lee noted.

Lee emphasized that active integration into the country's overall development would bring the most direct and numerous business opportunities to Hong Kong. He described our country, with a population of 1.4 billion, as the second largest economy in the world and a market that the rest of the world wants to enter.

Tony Leung should announce that he won't accept Best Actor at HKFA again, Wong Jing says

Hong Kong director Wong Jing said in a post on April 15 that Tony Leung, who won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2024, should announce that he will not accept the award anymore, leaving the opportunity to the younger generation.

The Hong Kong Film Awards announced on April 14 that Leung was awarded the Best Actor for the sixth time after 19 years for the movie The Goldfinger. The last time he won this award was in 2005 for 2046.

Wong said he agreed with the best film "A Guilty Conscience," the Best Actress Jennifer Yu, the Best Supporting Actress Rachel Leung, and the Best Supporting Actor John Chiang, but "The Goldfinger" is "not the best performance" by Tony Leung.

"If I were him, I would follow the example of Alan Tam and Leslie Cheung, who announced that they would not accept the award anymore, and give the opportunity to the younger generation."

Released on Dec. 30 last year, The Goldfinger stars Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Charlene Choi, and Simon Yam as a crime drama with a 6.1 rating on the Chinese website Douban.

HKTB announces visitor arrivals of 11.23 mn for first quarter of 2024

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) announced that the provisional visitor arrivals figure for March was about 3.4 million, about a 40% increase year on year. Cumulatively, a total of 11.23 million visitor arrivals were recorded in the first quarter of this year (January to March), representing a 1.5 times year-on-year increment and a 5% increase from the fourth quarter of 2023, reflecting the continued and gradual growth of visitor arrivals.

Temple Street Night Market has drawn over 1.2 mn visitors: CSTB

As of early March this year, the Temple Street Night Market, launched by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) on Dec 15 last year, has attracted more than 1.2 million visitors throughout its six-month promotion, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) announced.

In response to a question from Legislative Council Member Joephy Chan, the CSTB stated that the promotion injected new vitality into the traditional market, by setting up food stalls that present the unique flavor of Temple Street and various themed photo spots to attract visitors.

The project currently includes 22 food stalls exclusive to Temple Street and 10 itinerant hawkers selling nostalgic snacks. The HKTB launched a second phase of promotion for Temple Street in March, aiming to attract more tourists and create business opportunities for local merchants.

While the initial promotion campaign was set for six months, the HKTB plans to communicate with government departments and stakeholders to extend it by another six months. Additionally, they will explore long-term strategies for continuous promotion.