The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (June 15) met the Executive Vice President of the National Academy of Governance (NAG) in charge of daily operations, Mr Xie Chuntao, at the Central Government Offices and together witnessed the signing of the Agreement on the Dedicated National Studies Programme for Senior Directorate Civil Servants between the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) and the NAG, signifying a new stage of collaboration between the HKSAR Government and the NAG.

     The Agreement on the Dedicated National Studies Programme for Senior Directorate Civil Servants was signed by the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung, and the Director-General of the International and Hong Kong and Macau Training Center of the NAG, Mr Xie Yutong. The dedicated programme aims to enhance participants' knowledge about the country's policies of governance, deepen their understanding of the country's political system and formulation of important policies, and strengthen their communication and contact with senior Mainland officials for further mutual exchanges. The programme to be held on the Mainland includes lectures and site visits, with contents covering the Constitution, the Basic Law, safeguarding national security and the country's latest policies and developments.

     Before the agreement signing ceremony, Mr Lee met with the delegation from the NAG led by Mr Xie, to exchange views on further strengthening collaboration.
 
     Mr Xie was invited by the CSB to deliver a talk on "The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation", reviewing the glorious journey of the CPC which united and led the people in continuous exploration and relentless struggle towards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The talk also introduced the historic achievements and transformation since the 18th National Congress of the CPC as well as a series of strategic plans outlined during the 20th National Congress of the CPC, elaborating the scientific connotation and significant implications of promoting Chinese modernisation in achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
 
     The talk was attended by Mr Lee and around 350 senior officials, including Secretaries of Departments, Directors of Bureaux and other politically appointed officials, as well as Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Departments, and other senior directorate officers of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. 
 
     At the talk, Mr Lee thanked the academy for having long been giving strong support to the HKSAR Government's training work. He said that the talk enabled senior government officials and civil servants to have a deeper understanding of the governance philosophy and mission of the CPC, and to have a more accurate appreciation of the country's policies of governance, so that the HKSAR Government can play a more active role in supporting the overall development of the country.
 
     Mr Lee pointed out that the civil service was a key component of the HKSAR governance system, shouldering the responsibility of implementing the principle of "one country, two systems" and supporting the administration of the HKSAR Government. To effectively perform their duties, civil servants must understand the country, and fully appreciate the leadership role and mission of the CPC in the country. He expected the attending officials to better serve Hong Kong in their respective positions and better leverage the distinctive advantages of Hong Kong under "one country, two systems" and its unique advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, so as to better serve Hong Kong and the country, and contribute to the realisation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. 
 
     Mr Leung said at the talk that the CSB, through the Civil Service College, had been making on-going efforts to enhance civil service training so as to strengthen civil servants' sense of national identity and patriotism, and a shared commitment to serve the country and Hong Kong. The NAG has been a key partner in civil service training for the HKSAR Government. More opportunities will be provided for civil servants at different levels to learn about the journey of the country's development, and appreciate the relationship between the country's achievements and development, and Hong Kong.

Ends/Thursday, June 15, 2023
Issued at HKT 19:34

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