This is the 1704th issue of "Hong Kong One Day".
Li Jiachao talks about Xia Baolong's speech "five-point comprehension"
Source: Hong Kong 01
Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee said at a meeting with the media before the Executive Council on the 16th that yesterday (15th) was the National Security Education Day, and Xia Baolong, director of the Central Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, led the leadership team of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office to attend online and deliver a speech, for which he expressed his gratitude. Li Jiachao said that he had five points to understand Xia Baolong's speech-
First, Director Xia Baolong's earnest remarks are addressed to the whole of Hong Kong. To this end, the SAR Government should first do a good job in high-quality development, eliminate all difficulties and interferences, and firmly set development goals; the business community should conform to the general trend of development, stimulate innovation and creativity, and explore new industries and new business forms; all sectors of Hong Kong society should unite and work together to build a better homeland and contribute to Hong Kong; and the vast number of young people should combine reading 10,000 books with traveling 10,000 miles, chasing their dreams, working hard, and writing a wonderful life.
Second, Hong Kong is experiencing a new period of economic development. Hong Kong has experienced different periods of economic transition in the past, and Hong Kong people should understand and face the changes of this general trend, and do the same as in the past economic transition period, do not complain, do not care about others, act actively, innovate, create, adapt and understand changes.
Third, the whole of Hong Kong should give full play to the "Lion Rock Spirit", unite and work hard, forge ahead, and strive for self-improvement, so as to write a new legend.
Fourth, actively integrating into the overall development of the country will bring the most direct and abundant business opportunities to Hong Kong. With a population of 1.4 billion, the country is the second largest economy in the world and a market that the world wants to tap into. Hong Kong is close to the water, and the business opportunities are limitless.
Fifth, the country is the strongest backing for Hong Kong and will continue to roll out policies to benefit Hong Kong. Hong Kong should make unremitting efforts, strive for progress and strive for self-improvement, seize the opportunities and advantages, and create new heights.
In the "12 Hong Kong people case", Tang was sentenced to 46 months in prison
One of the defendants in the "12 Hong Kong People Case", Tang Yiran, pleaded guilty to planning to manufacture petrol bombs and absconding, and was sentenced to 46 months' imprisonment for the two crimes.
On the evening of September 30, 2019, Tang was stopped by police officers after entering the ground floor lobby of Kam Lok Building in Wan Chai, and the police entered the unit involved in the case and found that some half-made petrol bombs and materials for making petrol bombs were stored, and the mobile phone showed that the group members planned to make petrol bombs in the "safe house" in early September, and planned to use them in a public event on October 1. In August 2020, "12 Hong Kong people", including Tang Yiran, attempted to abscond to Taiwan on a speedboat, and were arrested and interrogated in mainland waters. Tang Yiran, who was responsible for driving the speedboat, was convicted of organizing others to illegally cross the border and was sentenced to three years in prison, the heaviest of the defendants.
In August last year, Deng completed his sentence and handed over to the Hong Kong police. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to destroy or damage property and perverting the course of justice. The judge said that the two cases involved independent charges and the sentences were to run consecutively, with a total of 46 months' imprisonment.
In sentencing, District Court Judge LIN Kam Hung pointed out that Tang had played a leading role in the petrol bomb case, with a planned deployment and precise division of labor, and as for the absconding plan, the judge considered that Tang had also led the entire process, including the purchase and routing of the ship, and had rushed to sea with no sailing experience, posing danger to his own life and other vessels.
The judge held that the defendant's imprisonment in the Mainland for 3 years was self-inflicted and there was no reason for the sentence to be commuted, but it could not be ruled out that the defendant had made an erroneous decision in the hot social atmosphere, and was sentenced to 34 months and 12 months' imprisonment respectively for the two charges, to be served consecutively, for a total of 46 months' imprisonment.
Among the other 11 defendants in the "12 Hong Kong people case", Li Yuxuan faced national security charges and became an accessory witness, and the remaining 10 defendants were all charged with perverting the course of justice, of which Qiao Yingyu was sentenced to the heaviest sentence, together with the manufacture and possession of explosives, a total of 61 months' imprisonment for the three charges, and the sentence is scheduled for appeal.
As for the petrol bomb charges, the remaining four persons in the same case were sentenced to 27 to 38 months' imprisonment.
Brilliant fireworks will reappear in the sky over Victoria Harbour on May Day
Source: Hong Kong Tourism Board
The Hong Kong Tourism Board announced on the 16th that preliminary statistics show that the number of visitors to Hong Kong in the first quarter of 2024 will be 11.23 million, a year-on-year increase of 1.5 times. This represents a 5% increase compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. According to the HKTB, the data reflects the continued gradual growth of visitor arrivals.
According to the data, the preliminary number of visitor arrivals to Hong Kong in March was about 3.4 million, an increase of nearly 40% over the same period last year. Among the visitor arrivals in March, over 2.46 million were from the Mainland, up by 25.4% year-on-year. Non-Mainland visitors exceeded 930,000, up by 92.1% year-on-year.
The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee, said that the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has held a co-ordination meeting for the May Day holiday in the mainland and actively deployed measures to attract tourists.
It is understood that Hong Kong's tourism industry has been preparing a variety of activities. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has announced that starting from May, it will regularly launch fireworks or drone shows at sea in conjunction with festivals or large-scale events. Among them, the first fireworks display at sea will be staged in Victoria Harbour on the evening of May 1, kicking off the "May Day" Golden Week. The first drone show will decorate the night sky of Victoria Harbour on 11 May and add to the festive atmosphere with the theme of traditional festivals, aiming to attract more visitors to Hong Kong.
Mr Lee expressed his pride in the active preparations of Hong Kong's tourism industry and hoped that these activities would attract more Mainland visitors to Hong Kong and promote the recovery and development of Hong Kong's tourism industry. The HKSAR Government will also continue to roll out various measures to enhance Hong Kong's tourism attractiveness and competitiveness, and provide visitors with a better travel experience.
Author丨Qiu Yatong, the chief writer of Shenzhen Satellite TV Direct News