This is the 1776th issue of Hong Kong One Day
Hong Kong held a flag-raising ceremony and a cocktail reception to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland
Today (July 1) marks the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government held a flag-raising ceremony and a cocktail reception at the Golden Bauhinia Square and the Convention and Exhibition Centre this morning to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and other government officials, responsible persons of central government agencies in Hong Kong, and people from all walks of life in Hong Kong attended the meeting.
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At 8 o'clock in the morning, the bright five-star red flag and the regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were raised at the Golden Bauhinia Square, accompanied by the Police Band. All the guests at the scene stood solemnly facing the national flag and the regional flag and sang the national anthem. Subsequently, helicopters of the disciplined services of the HKSAR Government flew over Victoria Harbour to display the national and regional flags, and boats sprayed water jets over the sea surface of Victoria Harbour in salute.
Source: Hong Kong's "Sing Tao Daily"
Source: Hong Kong "Point News"
At the flag-raising ceremony, a reporter from Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News in Hong Kong noticed that the Hong Kong Police Band played three well-known Chinese-style military music when the guests entered, and the entrance music and exit repertoire of the flag guard and honor guard were all "Singing the Motherland". Hearing these familiar songs in Hong Kong, many guests expressed their familiarity.
In addition, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, the Office of National Security of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army also held national flag-raising ceremonies this morning. A number of schools and community organizations in Hong Kong also held flag-raising ceremonies today.
Shenzhen Satellite TV direct news reporter in Hong Kong Li Wensi/photo
After the flag-raising ceremony, the HKSAR Government held a celebratory reception at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In his speech at the reception, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong has fully resumed customs clearance after emerging from the epidemic, and this year has fulfilled the constitutional responsibility and historical mission of enacting Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong, improved regional governance, fully implemented the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", and the 18 District Care Teams have also helped citizens at different levels, and the SAR Government has actively developed the economy and improved people's livelihood.
"My emphasis on the work attitude is that there is no best, only better. My team philosophy is like a ship, the direction must be correct, the belief must be consistent, the speed must be constantly accelerated, and the waves must be broken and courageously move towards the goal. Li Jiachao said.
Looking ahead, Li Jiachao said that he will work hard in three aspects: make every effort to develop the economy and focus on improving people's livelihood; Strengthen its own advantages and explore new growth points; Seize the dual opportunities of the country and the world, and catch the express train of national development. He said that opportunities and challenges coexist in Hong Kong today, but the opportunities far outweigh the challenges, and the HKSAR Government will continue to dare to take responsibility and lead all sectors of society to work together to innovate and seek change in the period of economic transition, and give full play to the spirit of striving hard and daring to win.
Source: Hong Kong "Point News"
Overjoyed Hong Kong will welcome another pair of national treasures
It is worth mentioning that Li Jiachao also announced at the reception that the Hong Kong family will soon usher in two "new members", and the central government will present another pair of giant pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The pandas will arrive in Hong Kong in a few months' time, and Hong Kong will immediately start preparations to welcome them, believing that they will bring laughter and joy to the city.
Kevin Yeung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, posted on social platforms today (1st) that he sincerely thanked the central government for once again gifting a pair of national treasure giant pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which fully demonstrates the central government's great love for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Yeung Yun-hung mentioned that yesterday he went to visit the giant pandas "Ying Ying" and "Le Le", who are currently living in Ocean Park in Hong Kong, to inspect their living conditions and living environment. He believes that the addition of the new pair of giant pandas will attract a large number of tourists and members of the public, and inject impetus into Hong Kong's tourism industry.
Pang Jianyi, chairman of the Hong Kong Ocean Park Corporation, said that the giant pandas "Jiajia", "An An", "Ying Ying" and "Le Le" arrived in Hong Kong in 1999 and 2007 respectively, which can be said to have grown up with the Hong Kong SAR. This year, the Central Government will once again present giant pandas to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and it is of great significance that they will join hands with Ying Ying and Le Le to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with Hong Kong residents and visitors to Hong Kong.
Many Hong Kong citizens were overjoyed by this, describing the giant panda gift from the central government as a great gift, reflecting the family affection and trust between the mainland and Hong Kong.
Giant pandas "Ying Ying" and "Le Le" Source: Ocean Park, Hong Kong
Li Jiachao published nearly 10,000 words of signed articles
In addition, a number of officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government also issued articles today reviewing the glorious achievements of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and "one country, two systems" in the past, and looking forward to Hong Kong's continued prosperity and stability in the future.
Li Jiachao today published a signed article of nearly 10,000 words entitled "Since Hong Kong's Return to the Motherland, the Practice of 'One Country, Two Systems' Has Achieved Major Achievements That Have Attracted Worldwide Attention, and the Tremendous Superiority of 'One Country, Two Systems' Has Been Continuously Demonstrated." Mr Lee said that the HKSAR adheres to the principle of "one country, two systems" in a comprehensive, accurate and unswerving manner, innovates and seeks change, is not afraid of hardships and obstacles, is not afraid of trials and hardships, works hard and does not slack off, carries forward the cause of "one country, two systems", and contributes to the high-quality development of the motherland, Hong Kong and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, quoted John Lee as saying in a signed article that he believes that all citizens who love the country, Hong Kong and the community deeply understand the hard truth that "security is the foundation of development, and stability is the prerequisite for prosperity". Looking back on the main achievements of the past year, he described them as "legal principles", "quality" and "soft and hard", and said that in the future, he will do a good job of "inclusiveness" in the process of governance, and continue to work in unity and unity with the help of the government, business and the people.
The Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Paul Chan, said in a post on social platforms that it is now a critical stage for Hong Kong to fight for economy and development, and hopes that everyone will work together to forge ahead, consolidate and enhance their own advantages, accelerate the cultivation of emerging industries, accelerate the development of new quality productivity, promote high-quality economic development, and improve the quality of life of citizens.
Tang Pingqiang, Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, also posted on social platforms that today is the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and it is also the fourth anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law. This is evidenced by the fact that Hong Kong has risen the most in the latest 2024 Global Livable Cities Rankings, which report points to the National Security Law and other laws introduced earlier this year to help restore political stability in Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong media
Colourful activities to celebrate in Hong Kong
It is worth mentioning that various circles in Hong Kong are also holding a variety of activities in many places today to let the public feel the festive atmosphere and celebrate the return to the motherland. According to Hong Kong media reports, more than 2,000 restaurants in Hong Kong's food and beverage industry launched a 7.1% discount during the "July 1st" period, and the public can take trams, light rail and MTR buses running the Northwest New Territories route for free; Admission to LCSD's recreational and sports facilities and venues, as well as exhibitions and attractions, including the thematic exhibitions at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, all thematic exhibitions at the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Hong Kong Wetland Park, are free of charge.
Starting from 29 June, the celebration of the reunification of the motherland organized by the Hong Kong Celebrations Committee was held in Victoria Park for four consecutive days, with a number of exhibitions divided into six themes, including three sets of ancient cultural and creative toys in the traditional Chinese culture exhibition area at Court 5, including a 5-meter-high tangram dragon and phoenix decoration, a large Chinese chess board and a giant colorful Luban lock, attracting many members of the public to "check in".
On June 29 and 30, the Hong Kong Garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) held the "July 1" barracks opening activities, and successively opened Stonecutters Island, Shek Kong and San Wai Barracks for the public to visit and enjoy performances. During this period, children can board naval vessels, observe armored vehicles, experience simulated shooting, etc. It has been learned that this is the 33rd time that the Hong Kong Garrison has held an open barracks event, and over the past 27 years, it has received more than 800,000 spectators visiting the barracks.
502 people were awarded honours and awards by the HKSAR Government Andy Lau was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (1st) announced the list of Honoured and Appointed Justices of the Peace in 2024, and a total of 502 people have been awarded honours and awards by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Five of them were awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal. On the same day, the honours list was published in the Gazette of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, which was the 27th honours list since Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
This year, the five recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal, the highest honour under the Honours and Awards System of the HKSAR, are: Non-official Member of the Executive Council of the HKSAR and Member of the Legislative Council, Liu Cheung-kai, Advisor of the National Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, Lau Siu-kai, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Lee Ka-kit, Chairman of Henderson Land Group, and Lam Shu-che, Permanent Honorary President of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, 12 were awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star, 24 were awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star, 40 were awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star, 14 were awarded the Medal for Distinguished Services and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and 46 were awarded the Medal of Honour for the Disciplined Services and the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Another 59 persons were appointed as Justice of the Peace by the Chief Executive. Among the winners, there are many celebrities and athletes, including Andy Lau being awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star, which is the second time he has been awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star in 2016; The 92-year-old artist Hu Jixiu (Hu Feng) was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star.
A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said that the recipients of honours and awards come from different sectors of the community and from different backgrounds, and have made significant contributions to Hong Kong in various sectors and sectors of society, including public and social services, education, medical and public health, finance, industry and commerce, innovation and technology, philanthropy, culture and arts, sports, housing, transport, construction and urban development, environment, religion, labour and welfare, women and youth affairs, and professional services. The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) would like to express his heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all the awardees and hope that they will continue to demonstrate their potential and serve the community in their respective fields.
On the first anniversary of the implementation of "Hong Kong cars going north", the integration of the Greater Bay Area pressed the accelerator button
At 0:00 today (July 1), the first anniversary of the implementation of the "Hong Kong cars going north" policy, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs under Gongbei Customs has supervised and inspected more than 967,000 single-plate vehicles entering and leaving Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong's "Ta Kung Wen Wei Po"
With the facilitation of filing and the continuous optimization of the customs clearance process, self-driving northbound has gradually become one of the main ways for Hong Kong residents to travel across borders. Since the beginning of this year, the average monthly actual entry and exit of "Hong Kong cars going north" has exceeded 110,000. In June this year, the number reached a new level, exceeding 130,000 vehicles for the first time in a single month, an increase of 17 times compared with the first month of policy implementation. As of July 1, it has maintained a high monthly traffic of more than 120,000 vehicles for three consecutive months. The rapid growth of data has witnessed a double leap in the popularity and actual benefits of the "Hong Kong cars going north" policy.
At the same time, the "weekend fever" and "holiday fever" at the port have become a prominent feature of the trend of "Hong Kong cars going north". This year, the average daily customs clearance volume of single-plate vehicles entering and exiting Hong Kong and Macao at ports of entry and exit reached 12,000 on weekends and holidays, of which the average daily traffic of single-plate vehicles in Hong Kong reached 7,000, and the single-day peak traffic during the Qingming holiday reached an unprecedented 8,700 vehicles, further demonstrating the positive role of the "Hong Kong cars going north" policy in promoting the in-depth integration and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Author丨Lai Chenlu, the chief writer of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News