CE meets Governor of Hainan Province
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (June 17) met with the Governor of Hainan Province, Mr Liu Xiaoming, at Government House to exchange views on further deepening co-operation between Hong Kong and Hainan. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip, also attended the meeting.
Mr Lee welcomed Mr Liu and his delegation to Hong Kong for a Hainan Free Trade Port tourism and culture promotion event. Mr Lee said he was delighted to meet Mr Liu again following the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan this March. Hong Kong has long been the major source of external investment in Hainan and an important trading partner. The Memorandum of Cooperation signed between the two sides last year covers five areas, namely trade and investment, finance, safe and orderly flow of data, tourism and talent exchanges, which have taken co-operation between the two places to a new level. Mr Lee noted that with the full implementation of the island-wide special customs operations at the end of last year, the Hainan Free Trade Port has rolled out free and facilitative measures for cross-border flows. As both Hong Kong and Hainan are free trade ports, he said he looks forward to further leveraging their complementary advantages and promoting synergistic development, thereby contributing to the country's high-level opening up.
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong enjoys the unique advantages of having strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, ranking No. 1 globally in economic freedom. Hong Kong has risen to become the world's largest cross-boundary wealth management centre, and is also the world's largest offshore Renminbi (RMB) business hub. The Hainan Provincial People's Government has issued offshore RMB bonds in Hong Kong multiple times since 2022, and a Hainan enterprise was listed in Hong Kong last year. These fully demonstrate Hong Kong's advantages in fundraising and financing as an international financial centre. Mr Lee welcomed more Hainan companies to make good use of Hong Kong's capital market, and professional and high value-added services for fundraising and business expansion. Hong Kong plays its roles as a "super connector" and "super value-adder", and is proactively supporting Mainland enterprises, including those in Hainan, in going global and attracting overseas capital through the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global, to jointly contribute to regional economic prosperity and better integrate into and serve the overall national development.
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is committed to developing itself into an international tourism hub and a core demonstration zone for multi-destination tourism, capitalising on its position as an East-meets-West centre for international arts and cultural exchanges to build a city offering high-quality tourism experiences. With rich tourism resources in both places, Hong Kong and Hainan can jointly develop a wider array of tourism products. Mr Lee said he looks forward to attracting more high-value-added international visitors to travel to both places through multi-destination itineraries, and joining hands to contribute to the country's goal of building a tourism powerhouse.
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (right), meets with the Governor of Hainan Province, Mr Liu Xiaoming (left), at Government House today (June 17). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DH reminds public to take precautions against heat-related illnesses during very hot weather
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (June 22) reminded members of the public to take appropriate precautions against heat-related illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, during very hot weather.
In a high-temperature environment, excessive sweating and difficulty in heat dissipation can cause stress to the body. Members of the public should take the following precautions:
- Hydrate in a timely manner to prevent dehydration;
- Wear light-coloured, loose-fitting and breathable clothing to minimise heat absorption and facilitate perspiration and heat dissipation;
- Keep indoor areas well ventilated and maintain appropriate temperature and humidity, e.g. by opening windows or using a fan or air-conditioning;
- Avoid strenuous exercise and prolonged activities such as hiking or trekking;
- Arrange outdoor activities in the morning or the late afternoon, if possible, and bring enough water; and
- Avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcoholic beverages, which may speed up water loss through the urinary system.
In addition, infants and children, the elderly, pregnant women, individuals with chronic illnesses such as heart disease or high blood pressure, overweight people and outdoor/manual workers are more susceptible to heat stroke. These groups should pay special attention to the following:
- Infants and young children: Avoid going outside when the temperature is high. If they must go outside, adults should ensure they stay in places with moderate temperatures and good ventilation or air-conditioning. Infants and young children should never be left unattended in a confined space such as a vehicle;
- The elderly, pregnant women, individuals with chronic illnesses and overweight people: Pay close attention to health conditions and seek help as soon as possible if experiencing any abnormalities in health indicators such as blood pressure, heart rate, etc or if there are fluctuations in health conditions. Avoid going out when the temperature is high. Make sure there is good ventilation, or turn on a fan or air-conditioner to keep an appropriate temperature indoors. High temperatures can also worsen the condition of people with chronic illnesses (such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases). Therefore, they should have an ample supply of their usual medication and keep in contact with family members, neighbours and the community. People should seek immediate help if they feel unwell.
- Outdoor/manual workers: Reschedule work to cooler hours as far as feasible. If working in a hot environment is unavoidable, provide shade where practicable and use ventilation and heat dissipation equipment. Once work has begun, gradually adjust the pace of work and take breaks in the shade to regain strength.
The DH reminded the public that heat stroke is one of the most common health risks in hot weather. Over the past five years, there have been over 200 hospital admissions due to heat stroke each year in Hong Kong, with two to five fatal cases occurring mainly during the summer months from May to September. Vulnerable groups are more susceptible to heat stroke. Symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion. In severe cases, patients may suffer from convulsions or become unconscious, which can be life-threatening if they are not cooled down and resuscitated in a timely manner.
Members of the public are also advised to pay attention to the latest weather, as well as the real-time and forecasted ultraviolet (UV) index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV index is high (6 or above), the public should note the following:
- Avoid direct sunlight exposure to the skin and the eyes;
- Apply broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen liberally, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 or higher, when participating in outdoor activities. Reapply every two hours if staying outdoors for long periods, or after swimming, sweating or towelling off;
- While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen before insect repellent;
- Seek shade;
- Wear UV-blocking sunglasses;
- Wear loose-fitting clothing with long-sleeves; and
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella.
If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.
For more health information, the public may visit theCHP's heat strokepage andUV radiation page; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200),latestweather report and forecast,UV Indexand weather information forhiking and mountaineering; andpress releasesof the Labour Departmenton precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Heat Stress at Work Warning is in force.
Source: AI-found images
