The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (July 21) met with the Vice-Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr Zhang Xu, at Government House. Also present were the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, and the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu.
 
     Welcoming Mr Zhang's visit to Hong Kong, Mrs Lam said that she was pleased to attend with him a summit on developing Hong Kong into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world, organised by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Hong Kong Member Association this afternoon. She thanked the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for its long-standing support to Hong Kong's art and cultural development, including its participation in the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the establishment of the Hong Kong Palace Museum as well as its promotion of art and cultural exchanges and co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Mrs Lam said that the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035" approved in March this year has included, for the first time, Hong Kong's cultural status in the national plan and mentioned its support for Hong Kong to develop as a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. It is a recognition of the city's cultural achievements, and provides a shot in the arm for the cultural sector. She noted that the HKSAR Government was deeply encouraged and will continue to make efforts on various fronts to achieve the goal of developing into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. This includes setting up world-class cultural facilities and spaces for diversified culture, establishing close ties with renowned overseas cultural institutions, continually promoting cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland, making good use of innovation and technology as well as nurturing talents.
 
     On tourism, Mrs Lam pointed out that amid the COVID-19 epidemic, cross-boundary travel around the world has been ground to a halt, and that tourism and other related industries in Hong Kong have been dealt a heavy blow. She said that Hong Kong is putting in place stringent measures to control the epidemic and is striving to enhance the vaccination rate to create a favourable condition for the resumption of cross-boundary people flow between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Various support measures have also been rolled out to tide the sector over the difficult time. She expressed her gratitude to Mr Zhang for taking the time to meet the local tourism sector during his stay in Hong Kong to learn more about its situation. She said that she hopes to collaborate with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to relaunch cross-boundary travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong after the stabilisation of the disease in the future.

Ends/Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Issued at HKT 20:33

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