The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (March 6) visited Tsinghua University and the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing and exchanged views with students.
      
     In the morning, Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, visited Tsinghua University and met with the Party Secretary of Tsinghua University, Professor Chen Xu. She delivered a speech to over 300 teachers and students and answered questions from the students. Among those attending the session were dozens of young Hong Kong people studying in Tsinghua University. Mrs Lam spoke with the students about her exchange experience in Tsinghua University during her university years and briefed them on the latest developments in Hong Kong. She said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will leverage Hong Kong's advantages under "One Country, Two Systems" and the city's traditional strengths to enhance the city's competitiveness through boosting its external relations, consolidating the traditional industries and developing the emerging industries. She said that Hong Kong has been focusing on advancing the development of innovation and technology (I&T) and that with the support of the Central Government and measures to enhance Hong Kong's own I&T capabilities, the city will contribute to the development of an I&T hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
      
          In the afternoon, Mrs Lam and other officials visited the CAFA. Accompanied by the Party Secretary of the CAFA, Mr Gao Hong, and the President of the CAFA, Mr Fan Di'an, they visited the museum of the academy's history and the classrooms of the School of Chinese Painting and the School of Plastic Arts. Mrs Lam also viewed the artwork by Hong Kong students of the CAFA and spoke with them at a session. Mrs Lam said she was pleased that through the support of the Ministry of Education, the CAFA will participate in the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions in the 2019/20 school year so that Hong Kong students will be able to submit applications to this prestigious art school with their results in the Hong Kong Diploma Secondary Education Examination and in accordance with the other requirements, providing a valuable opportunity for students who wish to develop careers in fine arts. Mrs Lam expressed her gratitude to the CAFA for its support for Hong Kong students as well as its efforts in promoting arts and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland all along.
      
     Mrs Lam and the other officials also visited the People's Daily New Media Tower in the afternoon and attended a dinner hosted by the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong in the evening. Mrs Lam will return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning (March 7).

Ends/Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Issued at HKT 20:47

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