​The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, attended the closing ceremony of the Fin Society's internship programmes in Beijing today (July 27). He also visited Hong Kong youths participating in the internship programmes of the International Youth Legal Exchange Federation.
 
     Mr Lau said, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government strives to explore diversified development opportunities for Hong Kong youths to realise their goals. One of the key areas of work is to encourage and support young people to join internship programmes on the Mainland. The Government launched the Funding Scheme for Youth Internship in the Mainland in 2014-15."
 
     Since the launch of the Funding Scheme for Youth Internship in the Mainland, it has subsidised 460 projects and about 14 000 Hong Kong youths have benefited from the scheme. The Fin Society has received subsidies from the Funding Scheme for Youth Internship in the Mainland to organise finance-themed internship programmes in Beijing since 2016-17, benefiting more than 150 youths. The International Youth Legal Exchange Federation began organising legal-themed internship programmes this year and more than 100 youths have benefited from the programmes. 
 
     Mr Lau will accompany the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, to watch a children's Cantonese opera performance by the Sing Fai Cantonese Opera Promotion Association from Hong Kong tonight. The performance is part of a Chinese opera show that brings together different local opera performances from across the nation. Mr Lau will return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning (July 28).

Ends/Friday, July 27, 2018
Issued at HKT 17:20

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