Paul Chan Advocates Infrastructure Financing and Digital Development at AIIB Meeting in Doha, Qatar.

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video)

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, continued his visit to Doha, Qatar, yesterday (September 28, Doha time), attending activities related to the 11th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). He also met with representatives from various countries and organisations to explore issues including infrastructure financing, digital public infrastructure, investment and economic co-operation.

Mr Chan attended the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting yesterday and participated in the official session of the AIIB Board of Governors and the Governors' Business Roundtable. At the roundtable, he spoke on how the AIIB could deepen and broaden its support for member economies. He said that strengthening climate resilience and developing digital infrastructure were becoming increasingly urgent priorities for economies. Translating these development needs into concrete projects requires not only financial support but also the capacity to plan and implement projects throughout their life cycle. Alongside providing financing, the AIIB could further promote knowledge and experience sharing among members, strengthen support for project planning and preparation, and help members enhance their project management and implementation capabilities to bring infrastructure projects to fruition.

Mr Chan said that Hong Kong, China, would continue to support the AIIB in helping members undertake preparatory work for infrastructure projects, creating favourable conditions for financing and smooth implementation to achieve development goals. He also welcomed the AIIB's establishment of an office in Hong Kong, saying that Hong Kong would actively support its work and leverage its strengths as an international financial centre and a provider of professional services to advance regional infrastructure and sustainable development.

Mr Chan also delivered a keynote address yesterday at a seminar entitled "Digital Public Infrastructure as an Enabler of Resilient Economies". He said that digital public infrastructure provides essential services such as identity verification, secure data exchange and convenient payments, enabling people to access public and commercial services more safely and conveniently while helping businesses expand and obtain financing. Citing Hong Kong's "iAM Smart", Faster Payment System and Commercial Data Interchange as examples, he explained how digital infrastructure could improve the efficiency of public services, facilitate payments and cross-border transactions, and help small and medium-sized enterprises make better use of data to obtain trade financing.

He also noted that the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) was creating new opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of digital public infrastructure. Hong Kong, China, is promoting the application of AI in public services and across different sectors of the economy, while supporting innovation by strengthening computing power, data and digital infrastructure, and enhancing AI literacy across the community. At the same time, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will strengthen cybersecurity, safeguard data privacy and improve AI risk governance, enabling the public and businesses to adopt new technologies with confidence and share in the benefits of the digital economy.

During the Annual Meeting, Mr Chan met with Uzbekistan's Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Mr Laziz Kudratov, to exchange views on strengthening co-operation between the two places in areas including trade, investment, finance and infrastructure development. Mr Chan said that Hong Kong attached great importance to its economic and trade relations with Uzbekistan and looked forward to further deepening mutually beneficial co-operation. He noted that Uzbekistan's Prime Minister, Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, had visited Hong Kong twice this year, fully demonstrating Uzbekistan's commitment to advancing co-operation between the two places. He welcomed Uzbek enterprises to make full use of Hong Kong's international financing platform and professional services, including exploring opportunities to list exchange-traded products and real estate investment trusts in Hong Kong.

Mr Chan also met with the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Development Bank, Mr Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi, to explore joint efforts to promote bilateral trade, support the development of start-ups in both places, and strengthen investment co-operation in venture capital. In addition, he met with HSBC's Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Finance and Sustainability, Sir Danny Alexander, to discuss infrastructure financing and related opportunities for co-operation.

In the evening, Mr Chan attended the AIIB Annual Meeting Members' Dinner hosted by Qatar, where he exchanged views with representatives of governments, multilateral development organisations, financial institutions and the business community from around the world.

Mr Chan concluded his visit and departed for Hong Kong late last night (September 28, Doha time). He will arrive in Hong Kong this afternoon (September 29, Hong Kong time).

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

FS attends AIIB Annual Meeting in Qatar (with photos/video) 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 (September 29) 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