This is the 1700th issue of "Hong Kong One Day".
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policy Heng Swee Keat paid a six-day official visit to China from April 7 to April 12, his second visit to China in five years.
Source: Heng Swee Keat social media
Today (April 12), Heng Swee Keat returned to Singapore after a visit to Hong Kong. He posted on his social media platform that he was happy to meet John Lee, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As both global cities and financial centres, Singapore and Hong Kong share many similarities and common challenges. "We can do more in areas of mutual interest, such as trade and investment, innovation and research, and solve issues that are important to both sides."
Mr Wong Swee Keat said: I am full of confidence that Hong Kong will continue to prosper and develop under the "one country, two systems" framework. I look forward to maintaining the good momentum of bilateral exchanges and further promoting mutually beneficial cooperation.
Source: HKSAR Government website
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said he was pleased to meet with Swee Keat Ong again in Hong Kong after his visit to Singapore in July last year. He said that Hong Kong and Singapore have close relations, and Singapore has always been Hong Kong's largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with bilateral trade in goods amounting to HK$394.7 billion last year. Hong Kong will continue to make every effort to strengthen its diversified co-operation with Singapore, especially in the areas of green and digital economy, as well as other emerging industries.
Mr Lee also thanked Singapore for its continuous support for Hong Kong's accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as soon as possible, so as to make greater contributions to regional co-operation and add momentum to Hong Kong's development.
Lee noted that the bilateral relationship between China and Singapore was upgraded to a "forward-looking partnership of all-round quality and quality" last year. Under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, Hong Kong has the unique advantage of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world, and will play its role as a "super-connector" and a "super value-added person" to help the country and Singapore promote mutually beneficial and win-win economic growth.
A deadly fire that burns the black hole of firefighting
The Hong Kong Fire Services Department confirmed today (12th) that a total of 11 floors of the Wah Fung Building on Jordan Road, where a major fire broke out recently, were damaged. Moreover, the fire service installations and equipment of the building do not have a valid annual inspection certificate.
Interior view of Huafeng Building, some owners revealed that fire escapes and stairs are often filled with domestic garbage. Source: Hong Kong 01
Wah Fung Building Tin Tai has also been converted into a number of subdivided units. Source: Hong Kong 01
Meanwhile, the Fire Services Department (FSD) said that as at the end of last month, the FSD and the BD had inspected a total of 10,900 old composite buildings. The FSD issued more than 290,000 Fire Safety Directions to the owners and occupiers of 10,400 of the target buildings, but nearly 180,000 of them were not implemented.
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It is learnt that the Hong Kong Buildings Department issued a fire safety directive to Wah Fung Building as early as 2008, but has not yet complied with it.
Statistics from the Buildings Department (BD) show that as at the end of 2023, there were 9,578 buildings in Hong Kong that had not complied with the Fire Safety Directions, mainly in Yau Tsim Mong District, Sham Shui Po District and Central and Western District, with 1,843, 1,267 and 1,076 buildings respectively.
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"Fire Safety Direction" means directing an owner to improve the fire safety standards of his premises or building within a specified period of time in accordance with the fire safety construction measures prescribed in the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance, the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance and the Fire Safety (Industrial Buildings) Ordinance. For buildings that have received a "fire safety directive" but have not implemented it, it means that they do not meet safety standards in terms of fire protection.
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According to the BD, if the owner fails to comply with the directions and there is no reasonable explanation, the department will take enforcement measures under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance as appropriate, including issuing warning letters and prosecuting the defaulting owner. In addition, the HKSAR Government is proposing to amend the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance to empower the relevant departments to carry out fire safety renovation works on behalf of owners of old target buildings who fail to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance and recover the relevant costs upon completion.
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Yau Tsim Mong District Councillor Yip Ao-dong said that many owners will encounter the problem of "difficult and expensive bidding" when carrying out fire safety improvement projects. Therefore, he suggested that the Government should assist the owners in inviting tenders within a specific area, so that the contractors could carry out the construction of two to three buildings in a unified manner, so as to reduce part of the costs incurred by the owners.
Legislative Council member Leung Man-kwong suggested that the HKSAR Government should first understand the reasons for the failure to comply with the "Fire Safety Directions" before prescribing the right remedy. If deliberate delay is found, a criminal investigation shall be initiated.
"Three Links, Two Links, One Bay Area", and the Action Plan for the Construction of the Rule of Law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was promulgated
The Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (12th) released the "Action Plan for the Rule of Law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" (hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"), which sets out the basic principles, development paths and specific policy measures for the future construction of the rule of law in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC (right), and the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan (left), hold the newly released Action Plan. Source: Hong Kong Government
The Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government, Mr Paul Lam Ting-kwok, introduced that the Action Plan has two key points: establishing the basic policy of "three links, two links and one bay area", and strengthening collaboration with the industry and other stakeholders to effectively implement the policy measures set out in the Action Plan.
According to Lin Dingguo, the "Program of Action" has two key points. Source: Point News
Regarding the specific measures of the "Three Links", the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said that in terms of mechanism docking, the Department of Justice will actively promote the establishment of a high-level regular docking platform in the Greater Bay Area with the Supreme People's Court, and will also promote the establishment of an information platform for legal and dispute resolution services in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area The scope of application of the measures is to promote the formulation of best practices in the Greater Bay Area Alternative Dispute Resolution Rules, plan to hold a training course for mediators in the Greater Bay Area in Hong Kong, set up an online dispute resolution platform in the Greater Bay Area, and continue to actively support Hong Kong mediation institutions to participate in commercial mediation cases in the Mainland courts of the Greater Bay Area in the form of specially invited mediation organizations;
Mr Lam said that the DoJ's release of the Action Plan for the first time demonstrated the importance it attaches to the development of the Greater Bay Area and its positive and pragmatic attitude. In the future, we will take action as the means, take the results as the goal, implement the Action Plan in the spirit of seeking truth from facts, and help build the "rule of law Bay Area" with tangible results.
The "Snow Dragon 2" returned to Shanghai after completing its visit to Hong Kong
The mainland's first self-built polar research icebreaker "Snow Dragon 2" ended its five-day visit to Hong Kong and set off today (12th) to return to the Shanghai base for replenishment and prepare for the next polar scientific research expedition.
Source: Hong Kong Wireless News
At the farewell ceremony held at the Tsim Sha Tsui Marine Terminal, the Chairman of the Organising Committee for the Visit of the Snow Dragon 2, Mr Ma Fung-kwok, and the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Wong Suk-han, saw them off. The representatives of the "Snow Dragon 2" waved goodbye to everyone on the deck. At around 2 p.m., the "Snow Dragon 2" set sail and left the dock, escorted by a fleet composed of the SAR government and non-governmental organizations.
During the "Snow Dragon 2" in Hong Kong, nearly 7,200 citizens boarded the ship to visit, and it is estimated that about 100,000 people participated in the lectures, cultural performances, exhibitions and other activities.
Ma Fengguo said: The "Snow Dragon 2" visit to Hong Kong has been successfully concluded. He thanked the state for its support, led by the Chief Executive, John Lee, and with the cooperation of the academic, business and non-governmental sectors, so that the message of "understanding, protecting and utilizing the polar regions" could reach all levels of society. He hopes to take this as an opportunity to encourage more citizens to care about climate change and inspire more young people to participate in polar expeditions.
Hong Kong sent a number of ships to escort the Snow Dragon 2 away. Source: Sing Tao Daily
According to the organizing committee of the event, the five-day visit of the "Snow Dragon 2" to Hong Kong attracted nearly 7,200 citizens to visit the ship and nearly 5,000 people to communicate with scientists. Ma Fengguo revealed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been actively discussing with relevant departments and hopes to secure quotas for young Hong Kong scholars and students to participate in future scientific research expeditions, especially in the polar regions.
Author丨Guo Yongji, chief writer of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News