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The Secretary for the Civil Service, Miss Denise Yue, today (May 25) signed the fourth agreement for the exchange of civil servants between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and Guangdong Province.
The agreement was signed by Miss Yue and the Director, Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Guangdong Province, Mr Ou Zhenzhi, at a ceremony held in Hong Kong.
Under the agreement, civil servants from each side will be attached to the Government of the other side for four to eight weeks each year from 2011 to 2013. The staff exchange programme aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and expertise. It also fosters a better understanding and closer partnership between Hong Kong and Guangdong.
The first staff exchange agreement between Hong Kong and Guangdong was signed in December 2004. A total of 93 departments in Hong Kong and Guangdong, and 85 middle or senior ranking civil servants, were involved in the programme from 2005 to 2010.
The scope of exchange has been very extensive, including construction, city planning, environmental protection, landscaping, transportation, public housing, community development, social security, public health, food safety, commodity quality, water supplies, public security, immigration, technological innovation, information technology, intellectual property, education, finance and commerce, and civil service management.
The programme has achieved its objectives in enhancing partnership and communication between the two sides. In addition to Guangdong, the HKSAR Government has made similar exchange arrangements with civil servants in Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou.
Ends/Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Issued at HKT 11:46
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