Speech by SCST at gala dinner in celebration of Hong Kong Exhibition at Venice Biennale
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the gala dinner in celebration of Hong Kong Exhibition at Venice Biennale on May 8 (Venice time):
Mr Li Xiaoyong (Charge d'Affaires ad interim at the Chinese Embassy in Italy), Dr Ambrosetti (Ambassador of Italy to the People's Republic of China, Dr Massimo Ambrosetti), Ms Bisson (Director of International Relations Department, Veneto Region Government, Ms Annalisa Bisson), Kenneth (Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Mr Kenneth Fok), Nancy (Chairman of the Friends of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Mrs Nancy Lee), distinguished guests, cultural leaders, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. Buonasera. It is a true pleasure to join you here in the heart of Venice, in this magnificent historic building. A very warm welcome in particular to our friends who have travelled from across the globe to be with us tonight.
This evening is a perfect occasion to celebrate cultural friendships - and it reminds me of the many strong and ever strengthening ties between Italy and Hong Kong. We share not only a passion for gastronomy, music, opera, creativity, craftsmanship and elegance; Italy has also been a longstanding partner in the Hong Kong Fashion Fest and the Hong Kong Business of Design Week.
Our collaborations extend deeply into the museum heritage and the arts. Some of our Italian museum collaborators and directors are also here with us today. These past collaborations stand as a testament to more than 55 years of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and Italy. And tonight, we are delighted to celebrate another landmark moment for Hong Kong as we showcase our cultural legacy and creative spirit at the Venice Biennale.
This year's exhibition, "Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice", marks an exciting milestone. It represents a new collaboration between the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. And for the first time, the Hong Kong Museum of Art has been entrusted with curating our presentation. Drawing on over six decades of championing local art, and as the home of prestigious artwork collections and world-class donations of Chinese painting and antiquities - including the largest donation in the world from the 20th-century Chinese art master Wu Guanzhong - our Museum of Art brings a distinctly Hong Kong curatorial perspective to this global stage. The Museum has also been progressively fostering institutional partnerships worldwide. To name just a few recent collaborations: The Capodimonte Museum, the Uffizi Galleries, the Tate, Musée d'Orsay, Guimet, and the Palace Museum. Tonight, we are delighted and truly grateful that representatives from several of these esteemed institutions are here to share this remarkable moment with us. Thank you.
To actively promote art and foster global dialogue, Hong Kong has been forging stronger ties around the world. A recent major achievement is our five-year collaboration agreement with Art Basel, solidifying Hong Kong as the exclusive host city in the region and establishing our city as a global hub for premium arts trading. The Art Month in March in Hong Kong has become a global mega event that no art lover, collector or professional should miss. This year, the five-day event attracted over 91,000 visitors, bringing together hundreds of international galleries and art professionals in Hong Kong. All these milestones align with our country's 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, which aims to facilitate greater arts and cultural exchanges between the Chinese Mainland and overseas countries. To all the international leaders here tonight: we eagerly look forward to exploring more synergies with you.
The success of Hong Kong's vibrant art scene would not be possible without the long-term partnership with major cultural institutions in Hong Kong. And forgive me, I have a long list of people and partners to thank. Firstly, I want to thank the Hong Kong Arts Development Council for your contribution in co-presenting the Hong Kong exhibition at the Venice Biennale since 2001. I must also extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Friends of Hong Kong Museum of Art for their generous support of the Museum throughout the years, and for their great efforts in bringing together ardent art patrons to organise and join this magnificent gala dinner. Special thanks of course go to our Chairlady, Nancy. Your presence here is a sign of true friendship built on our shared commitment to foster a deeper appreciation of visual arts in Hong Kong. Moreover, I understand that over 60 museum directors and professionals are here with us tonight. To all of you, thank you for being part of this memorable moment - the Hong Kong Museum of Art's first presence in the Venice Biennale. Last but not least, I must thank Li Xiaoyong , Dr Ambrosetti, Ambassador of Italy to the People's Republic of China, who come all the way from Beijing to grace our party.
I hope this evening inspires new collaborations and lasting friendships, that together we witness the enduring power of cultural exchange. I wish you all a most enjoyable evening at this magnificent venue.
Thank you and buon appetito!
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, Photo source: reference image
LegCo Secretariat releases Policy Pulse on "Unrivalled connectivity where sea meets sky: Consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre and aviation hub"
The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The "Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China" explicitly supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its role as an international shipping centre and aviation hub. The Legislative Council (LegCo) fully supports the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in formulating Hong Kong's first five-year plan to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Members have long attached great importance to and discussed the ways to enhance Hong Kong's overall competitiveness in its dual-hub role. In this connection, LegCo Secretariat (the Secretariat) today (May 12) released a Policy Pulse on "Unrivalled connectivity where sea meets sky: Consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre and aviation hub" to provide a concise overview of the initiatives on consolidating this dual-hub role. It also summarises the relevant discussions in LegCo and suggestions by Members.
The Policy Pulse points out that the SAR Government is leveraging the dual engines of high-end services and ultra-efficient network to advance the development of the maritime and aviation industries. On maritime, the Policy Pulse details three key strategies adopted by the SAR Government to build Hong Kong as a "global maritime capital": improving the ecosystem for high value-added maritime services, advancing green shipping and accelerating digitalisation.
At present, there are around 1 200 enterprises in Hong Kong providing high-end maritime services such as port and ship management, brokerage, financing, insurance and legal services. The Government plans to introduce a bill into LegCo in the first half of this year to enhance the tax concessions for the maritime service industry and provide half-rate tax concessions for physical commodity trading, with a view to further promoting the development of high value-added maritime services. The Government also plans to allow vessels to hold dual registration, so as to cater for the diverse operating models of international maritime enterprises.
Members suggested that, in addition to striving to put in place reciprocal tax exemption for shipping income with more countries and regions, the Administration should also leverage Hong Kong's existing advantages in arbitration, insurance and professional services to provide one-stop high-end support services (such as technical standard setting, accreditation, carbon finance, etc) for the local green shipping sector. Regarding the development of a smart port, LegCo's Finance Committee approved a funding of $215 million last year for the development and implementation of the Port Community System (PCS) to provide round-the-clock real-time cargo tracking services for industry stakeholders. Currently, more than 5 000 enterprises have registered to use PCS. On the other hand, Members expressed concern about the financial sustainability of PCS and suggested that competitive charging arrangements should be explored. They also stressed the importance of ensuring PCS to align effectively with similar smart port systems around the world and in the Mainland.
On aviation, the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is one of the world's most important aviation hubs. The Policy Pulse details the multiple development strategies formulated by the Administration. These include actively opening up flight destinations and proactively expanding traffic rights, as well as continuing to improve the intermodal network in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and attracting transit passengers, with a view to further strengthening Hong Kong's role as a bridge between GBA and the global aviation network.
Members urged the SAR Government to seek the support of the Mainland authorities for the inclusion of HKIA in the national civil aviation system and development strategy, and enabling Hong Kong to focus on areas such as global transit, high-end services and institutional innovation. Members also suggested that Hong Kong should use its cultural soft power to attract tourists and business travellers to fly via Hong Kong, and urged the Administration to systematically plan for iconic mega-events and cultural programmes with global influence.
In addition, to fully leverage the opportunities brought about by the Three-Runway System, the Airport Authority Hong Kong is taking forward two major development projects, namely the Airport City and the HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park (HKIALP). The Policy Pulse summarises Members' views on relevant projects. On the Airport City, Members suggested that, in addition to strengthening high-end professional services such as aircraft leasing as well as law and arbitration, high value-added ancillary facilities for art and valuables as well as yacht bay should also be further expanded. Meanwhile, the clearance procedures for high-end consumer groups should be streamlined. On the other hand, Members suggested that the Administration should guide various industries in dovetailing with the development opportunities presented by HKIALP, as well as apply its operational experience to more Mainland cities. The Government is also suggested to actively discuss with the Mainland customs authorities to establish fast tracks for clearance.
The detailed content of "Unrivalled connectivity where sea meets sky: Consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre and aviation hub" is available on the LegCo Website. The Policy Pulse, published by the Council Business Divisions of the LegCo Secretariat, covers specific topics and offers a comprehensive overview of related policy developments and summarises key discussions in LegCo.
Source: AI-found images
