Hong Kong Celebrates Success of Inaugural Performing Arts Expo at Gala Dinner

Speech by SCST at Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo Gala Dinner

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, at the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo Gala Dinner today (October 18):

Kenneth (Chairman of Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Mr Kenneth Fok), Wilfred (Chairman of Hong Kong Arts Development Fund Advisory Committee, Dr Wilfred Wong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening.

It is with great pleasure that we gather here this evening to celebrate the immense success and conclusion of the inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX).

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This inaugural Expo was participated by over 1 400 arts leaders and practitioners from around 60 countries and regions. There were over 100 performances, leadership talks, workshops and networking events of HKPAX, cutting across a variety of art forms. The Expo serves as a testament to the city's commitment and efforts to cultivating artistic brilliance, fostering cultural exchange and dialogue, and delivering enthralling collaborative and cross-cultural performances for the delight of all public and visitors. It has also consolidated Hong Kong's status as a global arts hub, further achieving our mission to develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

I am sure that you have had a taste of our unique glamour at HKPAX. Together with the 2024 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival to be kicked off tomorrow, the two mega arts events will complement each other and enable Hong Kong to further give play to its role of "bringing in" different cultures while enabling Chinese culture to "go global". Furthermore, I know some of you will join the tour to Shenzhen and Guangdong. You will be able see for yourself a fast developing cultural landscape with many new infrastructure and collaboration opportunities in the Mainland.

It is also our endeavour to develop our arts infrastructure to bring in more local and international arts productions. Besides the stunning West Kowloon Cultural District and other venues that you have spent time during HKPAX, I am excited to share with you the completion of many more new venues, including the Lyric Theatre Complex in West Kowloon, the East Kowloon Cultural Centre and also a new world-class stadium that can house 50 000 audience in Kai Tak Sports Park in Kowloon. We will be more than delighted to welcome you to Hong Kong again, to experience many more exciting arts and cultural events in these new venues as well as to bring in and stage your incredible productions here.

I hope in addition to experiencing our rich and vibrant cultural offerings, in the past five days you have also made new friends, reconnected with familiar faces, as well as explored exciting opportunities for future collaboration, and on this basis, you will continue to join hands in promoting arts and culture.

Before I close, I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to the success of HKPAX. Your dedication and passion have made HKPAX a remarkable celebration that we all cherish.

And now, I would like to say a few words in Cantonese.

Two incoming air passengers convicted and jailed for importing and dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes

Two incoming air passengers were each sentenced to five months' imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on July 4 for importing and dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) (Cap. 109). One of them was also fined $1,000.

Hong Kong Customs has been mounting a special enforcement operation to combat illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers. The two incoming Mainland male passengers aged 22 and 28, arriving in Hong Kong from Osaka, Japan, were arrested at Hong Kong International Airport on June 24. A total of about 71 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 16 kilograms manufactured tobacco, with an estimated market value of about $420,000 and a duty potential of about $300,000, were seized from their personal baggage.

Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public and travellers that under the DCO, anyone involved in importing, dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080, its dedicated crime-reporting email account(crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Two incoming air passengers convicted and jailed for importing and dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Two incoming air passengers convicted and jailed for importing and dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases