Speech by Acting CS at Opening Reception of Hong Kong Book Fair
Following is the speech by the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, at the Opening Reception of the Hong Kong Book Fair today (July 16):
尊敬的馬時亨主席（香港貿易發展局主席）、方舜文總裁（香港貿易發展局總裁）、曹建喜副主任（中央宣傳部機關服務中心副主任）、張靖二級巡視員（中共四川省委宣傳部二級巡視員）、劉震副局長（文化體育及旅遊局副局長）、各位嘉賓、各位朋友：
大家好！很榮幸出席由香港貿易發展局舉辦的第35屆香港書展的開幕禮。作為一名書迷，書在我來說如師如友，陪伴成長，增進知識，陶冶性情，啓發思想。雖然現今已是數碼年代，我仍是喜愛實體書，書本的文字、睿智、圖片，書的質感和書香，怡情養性，令人心靈格外平靜，正是「腹有詩書氣自華，最是書香能致遠」。
香港書展自一九九○年起舉辦，今年已是第35屆。悠長歷史加上豐富的內容，香港書展早已成為香港市民的年度盛事。香港書展是香港貿易發展局主辦的旗艦活動之一，連同香港運動消閒博覽以及零食世界，三大文化消閒盛事去年吸引接近100萬人次入場。
香港書展是今年七月的焦點盛事及旅遊推廣項目「香港．盛夏派對」節目之一，透過三大門票及禮品優惠，吸引旅客和市民投入這場文化盛宴。
今屆書展的主題是「飲食文化•未來生活」，結合飲食與閱讀兩大文化載體，以飲食文學切入，推動香港這個美食天堂的中外文化交流。今年書展繼續設有內地展館，以四川為主題，透過川菜、川劇、川繡等元素，傳播中華文化。
政府的文創產業發展處（文創處），今年再次資助書展的世界文化藝術廊，以藝術視角呈現世界飲食傳統及特色，展出多間駐港總領事館的餐具作品等，扣應飲食主題，促進中外文化藝術交流。
由文創處資助的「出版3.0+」項目今日亦在書展場內正式啓動，是二○二二年「出版3.0」項目的延伸，鼓勵業界善用人工智能，將紙本中文書翻譯成更多語言，及轉換成電子書和有聲書，促進香港發展成電子書及有聲書的區域版權貿易中心。
香港書展的成功，同時標誌着會議及展覽（會展）業對香港作為國際貿易中心的重要性。香港每年均舉辦多場大型國際會展活動，涵蓋不同行業和主題，包括電子、珠寶、禮品、鐘表、燈飾等。這些會展活動為香港經濟帶來重大貢獻：一方面吸引高消費的過夜商務旅客訪港，帶動旅遊、零售、餐飲、娛樂等經濟活動，為相關行業創造就業機會，同時讓本地中小企業聯繫國際買家和供應商，開拓市場和發掘商機。
為進一步推動會展業發展，特區政府剛於七月一日推出定期展覽獎勵計劃2.0，聚焦支持新設及定期的大型國際展覽，以加大力度推動盛事經濟和對香港整體經濟效益。特區政府會繼續透過不同措施，推動香港作為會展樞紐的長遠發展。
最後，我祝今屆香港書展圓滿成功！多謝大家。
Now, I would like to briefly recap my remarks in English. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to be here with you at the Opening Reception of the Hong Kong Book Fair. This year, we celebrate the 35th anniversary of this flagship event organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. With "Food Culture • Future Living" as the theme of the year, the Book Fair will present a curated selection of books related to food culture. With Hong Kong famous for culinary delights, this will serve as a good starting point to further international cultural exchanges. I am also excited to see that the theme of this year's Mainland China Pavilion is "The home of pandas – Sichuan", which would help to promote our Chinese culture to a global audience. The success of the Hong Kong Book Fair every year has indeed demonstrated the importance of the conference and exhibition industry to Hong Kong's role as an international trade centre. In fact, the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government has just launched an Incentive Scheme for Recurrent Exhibitions 2.0 on July 1, which supports new and recurrent large-scale international exhibitions to boost the mega-event economy. I hope that this year's Book Fair will continue to amaze you with its diverse collection of literary works and activities. I wish the Book Fair great success, and all of you a great evening.
Speech by Acting CS at Opening Reception of Hong Kong Book Fair Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Speech by Acting CS at Opening Reception of Hong Kong Book Fair Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
EDB reminds parents to choose primary schools under Central Allocation process for their children
The Education Bureau (EDB) today (January 12) reminded parents that children who have joined the Primary One Admission (POA) System for 2026 but have not yet secured a discretionary place can take part in the Central Allocation process for a Primary One (P1) place in a government or aided primary school. Parents concerned should make their choice of schools within the period from January 19 to 25.
Digitalisation of POA
---------------------------
In line with the Smart Government strategy, the EDB has fully implemented digitalisation of the POA. Parents who have registered as POA e-Platform (ePOA) users and have bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may submit the Choice of Schools Form for Central Allocation from January 19 to 25 through the ePOA. Please refer to the related videos and Parent's Guide on the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/poa_eplatform/index.html) for details of the procedures for activating and logging into an ePOA account and for making school choices for the Central Allocation of POA via the e-Platform.
Making school choices at Central Allocation Centres
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The EDB will send letters to parents on January 14 inviting them to make their choice of schools. To cater for the needs of different parents, parents can still submit the Choice of Schools Form in paper form by visiting the designated Central Allocation Centre at the suggested time slot (i.e. 9.30am to 12.30pm or 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 24 (Saturday) or 9.30am to 12.30pm on January 25 (Sunday)) stated in the letter.
Parents who are ePOA users may choose to submit the Central Allocation Application via the ePOA or in paper form to the Central Allocation Centre but should not submit duplicate applications. Parents who have not yet received the letter by January 19 should call the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB (Hotline: 2832 7700) as soon as possible.
Only one parent of an applicant child is required to complete the school choice-making procedures. Parents are advised not to take their children to the Central Allocation Centre if possible. Parents who cannot make school choices within the suggested time slot can go to the designated Central Allocation Centre from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on January 25. The Choice of Schools Form will be sent together with the letter to parents who have submitted a paper Application Form at the Discretionary Places stage for filling out in advance.
In the event of adverse weather or other special conditions on any day during the period of making school choices, please pay heed to radio or television announcements on the relevant special arrangements.
Unable to submit application within specified choice-making period
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For individual parents who are unable to use the ePOA or go to the Central Allocation Centre to make school choices, they can authorise in writing a representative to bring the completed Choice of Schools Form and their signed Letter of Authorisation to the Central Allocation Centre to proceed with the related procedures.
To apply for POA 2026 for their children after January 25, parents need to complete necessary procedures with the School Places Allocation Section, which will separately arrange P1 places for the applicant children in June.
Change of residential address
--------------------------------------
An EDB spokesman reminded parents that, if they have recently moved their residence or have such plans in the near future, they are required to inform the School Places Allocation Section as soon as possible so that they can make school choices in the POA School Net where their new home is located. Parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If they provide a false address for securing a P1 place, the POA application of their child will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn.
The EDB has put in place a monitoring mechanism to verify the residential addresses of applicant children as given by the parents. Random checks have also been stepped up. The public may call the School Places Allocation Section to report suspected cases of using a false address by parents for their children's POA application. The EDB will take action against false address cases.
Mechanism of Central Allocation
----------------------------------------
Central Allocation is composed of two parts. Part A, which takes up 10 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation, is for unrestricted school choices. Parents can choose up to three government or aided primary schools in any school net. Part B takes up the remaining 90 per cent of the P1 places earmarked for Central Allocation. Parents of applicant children residing in the school net concerned are to select schools from the "Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (Primary One Admission 2026)" of their school net, while parents of applicant children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong are to select schools from the "2026 Choice of Schools List for Central Allocation (For Applicant Children who intend to commute daily to schools in Hong Kong)". Parents should fill in the Choice of Schools Form in the order of their preference.
The mechanism of the Central Allocation is based on parents' choices in general. The computer-programmed allocation will first process the school choices in Part A and then the school choices in Part B. For oversubscribed schools, the order of priority in allocating places will be determined by random numbers generated by the computer for individual applicants to ensure fairness.
For information about the procedures for Central Allocation, please call the EDB's 24-hour automatic telephone enquiry service at 2891 0088.
Release of Central Allocation results
----------------------------------------------
For parents who have already activated their ePOA account via "iAM Smart" or "iAM Smart+", they will receive their Central Allocation results through the ePOA from 10am on June 3. Parents who wish to receive the allocation results via SMS on June 3 may choose such an option in the Choice of Schools Form. In addition, the allocation results will be sent to parents by post on June 3 and 4.
Source: AI-found images
