The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) today (August 31) held a session on "Spirit of the President's Important Speech" at the Central Government Offices. The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, attended as the major speaker. Mr Yeung studied in depth with directorate staff the important speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and reflected on ways to implement the messages of the speech  into policies and works.
 
     President Xi raised in his important speech "four musts" for the new administration: it must fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems"; it must uphold the Central Government's overall jurisdiction while securing the HKSAR's high degree of autonomy; it must ensure that Hong Kong is administered by patriots; and it must maintain Hong Kong's distinctive status and advantages. President Xi also laid down "four proposals" for the newly inaugurated Government, i.e. further improving its governance, continuing to create strong impetus for growth, earnestly addressing people's concerns and difficulties in daily life, and working together to safeguard harmony and stability.
 
     Mr Yeung said, "The National 14th Five-Year Plan supports the development of Hong Kong into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. The Government will facilitate the development of arts, cultural and creative industries, spare no efforts in consolidating Hong Kong's status as a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world as specified in the National 14th Five-Year Plan, showcase the rich heritage of Chinese culture, the soft power of our country, and tell the China story and Hong Kong story well."
 
     He stressed that in line with President Xi's speech, the CSTB will seize the historic opportunities, respond to the industries' requests, make every effort to promote the development of Hong Kong's cultural, sports and tourism affairs, and collaborate with different policy bureaux and industries, so as to live up to the country's care and high expectations for Hong Kong.
 
     During the session, the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Joe Wong, and the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, also shared their thoughts with the participants.
 
     Lastly, Mr Yeung concluded by encouraging colleagues to keep in mind the expectations of President Xi on Hong Kong, so that the policies would be formulated and executed in the best way possible, as well as being in line with the country's main policy direction and for the benefit of the community. Colleagues are expected to be dedicated to work and serve the community. In his concluding remarks, Mr Yeung highlighted the importance of upholding the policy direction mentioned in President Xi's speech, which is to enrich people's lives continuously through promotion of arts and culture, sports and recreational activities and tourism, create an environment which promotes health and wellness, build a united community, and contribute to the social wellbeing of people in Hong Kong.

Ends/Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:08

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