The Civil Service College (CSC) today (January 27) held the first talk of the series on the country's foreign affairs jointly with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (OCMFA) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The talk, which was on the topic of "In-depth Study of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy for a Brighter Future of Hong Kong", was delivered via video-conferencing by the Director-General of the Policy Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Mr Miao Deyu. The talk was also attended by Deputy Commissioner of OCMFA Mr Yang Yirui. 
      
     Addressing the talk, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, said that in the macro environment of the new era, it is very important for civil servants, in particular senior officials, to acquire a better understanding of the national development strategy and the evolving international landscape, as well as broaden their horizons and enhance their sensitivity. It is also important for them to act in concert with the HKSAR Government to fully implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", and ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems" when performing their duties, so that Hong Kong can play its due role and make a greater contribution to the national development. 
      
     Mr Nip said the CSC will reinforce the sense of national identity among civil servant colleagues and deepen their capability for broad and strategic thinking through various trainings, including strengthening collaboration with the OCMFA to run a series of monthly talks on the country's foreign affairs, which will be delivered by relevant officials of the MFA. The talks will cover various topics so as to deepen civil servants' understanding of the international scene and the country's positioning, which in turn will enable them to act in better concert with the country's foreign affairs policy in handling the relevant areas of work.
      
     "This is a key training programme for the CSC since its establishment. We attach great importance to this programme and we are grateful for the strong support from the OCMFA," he said.
      
     About 220 civil servants in the directorate and senior ranks took part in today's talk. They joined the talk mostly through online access in light of the latest social distancing measures.

Ends/Thursday, January 27, 2022
Issued at HKT 14:45

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