SLW continues calls on central ministries during Beijing visit (with photos)
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     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, today (May 9) continued his visit in Beijing.

     Mr Sun called on the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, in the morning. Mr Sun reported the latest labour and welfare initiatives and their way forward, including the work progress of various measures to improve people's livelihoods. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems" and further improve governance. The Labour and Welfare Bureau will strive to do its best in attracting talents to enhance competitiveness, and take care of the underprivileged to build a caring and inclusive Hong Kong.

     In the afternoon, Mr Sun and the delegation paid a courtesy call on Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Mr Yu Jiadong, and senior officials. They held a meeting on issues of mutual concern, including the HKSAR Government's talent attraction and labour policies as well as issues on the International Labour Organization. Mr Sun said that the global competition for talents and manpower shortage has escalated after COVID-19. As the gateway for talents from both the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and overseas, the HKSAR Government will enhance a diversified talents exchange with the Mainland, with a view to expediting the establishment of a GBA talent hub and promoting high quality development in the region and the whole nation.

     In addition, Mr Sun and his team visited an occasional child care facility in Beijing to keep abreast of local infant and child care services. Mr Sun said that the Mainland's quality child care service model serves as a valuable reference for Hong Kong to improve its child care service quality and quantity, and unleash the potential of the female labour force. Mr Sun attended a live dialogue hosted by Liepin, one of the Mainland's biggest online service platforms for talents, in the evening and introduced Hong Kong's talent attraction policy initiatives and unique advantages. He has taken a close look at how it conducts job matching, especially trawling for top and overseas talents, to meet the development needs of various sectors in his visit.

     Prior to its departure, the delegation will visit a residential care area for the elderly tomorrow (May 10) to learn more about how health-and-aged care facilitates ageing in place, and meet with representatives of the China Enterprise Confederation to thank enterprises providing diversified and quality job opportunities under the GBA Youth Employment Scheme of the HKSAR Government. Mr Sun and the delegation will arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow evening.

Ends/Tuesday, May 9, 2023
Issued at HKT 20:00

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