Sydney ETO Promotes Hong Kong as East-meets-West Centre for International Arts and Cultural Exchanges in Adelaide

Sydney ETO promotes Hong Kong as East-meets-West centre for international arts and cultural exchanges in Adelaide

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) supported a dinner reception celebrating the co-production of "Hansel and Gretel" in Adelaide, Australia, yesterday (August 25) by State Opera South Australia and Opera Hong Kong. The event showcased the strong cultural ties between Hong Kong and Australia while promoting Hong Kong's role as an East-meets-West centre for international arts and cultural exchanges.

The event was co-hosted by the Sydney ETO, State Opera South Australia, Adelaide Airport and Cathay Pacific. It brought together senior government representatives, business leaders, arts and cultural stakeholders, and community leaders to celebrate the enduring partnership between Hong Kong and South Australia, as well as the collaboration between two leading arts organisations from Hong Kong and Australia.

Speaking at the reception, the Director of the Sydney ETO, Mr Ricky Chong, said that the relationship between Hong Kong and South Australia is underpinned by connections across a wide range of areas, including business, education, tourism and culture.

Mr Chong welcomed the resumption of direct flights between Hong Kong and Adelaide, noting that the renewed air link would bring the two cities closer together and open up more opportunities for people, businesses and creative ideas to move between them.

"Culture is a wonderful way to bring people together. The collaboration between State Opera South Australia and Opera Hong Kong on 'Hansel and Gretel' is a great example. It is especially fitting that this production begins its journey here in Adelaide before travelling to Hong Kong next year, allowing audiences in both cities to share and enjoy the same artistic experience," Mr Chong said.

Mr Chong also highlighted Hong Kong's vibrant arts and cultural scene, world-class events and infrastructure, and encouraged guests to visit Hong Kong to experience its cultural energy.

The co-production of "Hansel and Gretel" brings together the creativity and professional expertise of the arts communities in Hong Kong and Australia, demonstrating the achievements that can be realised through cultural collaboration across borders. Through artistic exchanges and partnership, the two places can strengthen connections, foster mutual understanding, and create new opportunities for the development of arts and culture. The production will have its world premiere in Adelaide in August 2026, before being presented in Hong Kong in 2027.

The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney, Mr Ricky Chong (left), delivered remarks at a dinner reception celebrating the co-production of "Hansel and Gretel" by State Opera South Australia and Opera Hong Kong in Adelaide, Australia, yesterday (August 25), and introduced the latest developments of Hong Kong. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney supported a dinner reception celebrating the co-production of "Hansel and Gretel" by State Opera South Australia and Opera Hong Kong in Adelaide, Australia, yesterday (August 25). The event showcased the strong cultural ties between Hong Kong and Australia while promoting Hong Kong's role as an East-meets-West centre for international arts and cultural exchanges. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) supported a dinner reception in Adelaide, Australia, yesterday (August 25) celebrating the co-production of "Hansel and Gretel" by State Opera South Australia and Opera Hong Kong. Photo shows the Director of the Sydney ETO, Mr Ricky Chong (sixth right); the Premier of South Australia, Mr Peter Malinauskas (sixth left); the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport of South Australia, Mr Joe Szakacs (fifth left); the Minister for State Development, Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy, Minister for Defence and Space Industries and Minister for Veterans Affairs of South Australia, Mr Chris Picton (second right); and the Minister for Tourism and Minister for Climate, Environment and Water of South Australia, Ms Emily Bourke (third left), and other guests at the dinner reception. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCS meets Administrative Service Internship Programme student interns and announces Programme expansion to cover all university students

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, met today (August 26) with over 50 university students participating in this year's Administrative Service Internship Programme, and listened to their sharing of internship experiences and learning outcomes. She encouraged them to apply for civil service positions such as the Administrative Officer (AO) post, where they can leverage their strengths and contribute to society.

She said that the Programme has been well received by university students in recent years, with nearly 600 applications collected over the past year. To enable more young people at different stages of study to learn about public service and plan their career development at an early stage, the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) has decided to expand the eligibility for the Programme to all full-time students pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies, regardless of their year of study, starting from this year's Winter Internship Programme.

At the gathering, Mrs Yeung listened to the interns share their work experiences and proposed policy initiatives. Drawing on her own civil service experience, she shared her insights and encouraged the interns to seize the opportunity to deepen their understanding of public administration, policy formulation and cross-departmental collaboration, with a view to contributing to the development of the country and Hong Kong in the future.

The Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Ms Shirley Lam, and Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service Ms Elaine Mak also joined the gathering and spoke with interns to learn about their internship experiences and views on public policy formulation.

Under the arrangements made by the CSB, the interns were assigned to various bureaux and departments for practical experience and to gain a deeper understanding of government operations. Drawing on their internship experiences, they also took part in group discussions and put forward policy initiatives on a range of social issues, including transport, tourism, green finance, innovation and technology, youth and district affairs, and elderly welfare.

Mrs Yeung added that from their sharing, the interns had brought fresh perspectives to the team. She said AOs are required to develop skills to handle a wide range of matters, respond promptly to emergencies, and deal with issues with flexibility and a holistic perspective. Although the work is challenging, it enables AOs to serve the public and promote the stable development of society. She also took the opportunity to appeal to responsible young people who aspire to serve the community to join the civil service.

AOs are professional public administrators who play a pivotal role in the Government. They are responsible for assisting in the formulation of public policies, co-ordinating and supervising various policy initiatives, managing the use of public resources, promoting district work and publicising Hong Kong externally, etc. To enable AOs to accumulate experience and unleash their potential in different public policy areas, they are posted to various bureaux and departments at regular intervals, thereby broadening their horizons and gaining a fuller grasp of the challenges and opportunities in public administration.

The CSB organises the Administrative Service Internship Programme every summer and winter, offering students who aspire to become AOs opportunities to work alongside serving AOs for around eight weeks. It allows interns to gain practical experience of working in the Government at an early stage, and lay a foundation for their future career development.

The Government will launch a new round of recruitment for the posts of AO, Executive Officer II, Assistant Information Officer (General), Assistant Trade Officer II, Management Services Officer II and Transport Officer II in September this year. Prospective applicants must first take the Common Recruitment Examination and the Basic Law and National Security Law Test, and attain the requisite scores. For the latest recruitment information of the CSB, please refer to the CSB website (www.csb.gov.hk).

Source: AI-found images