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Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival dazzles New York

The largest multicultural festival in New York, the 2024 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, was successfully held on Aug 3-4 with the participation of close to 200 teams from corporations, non-profit organisations and New York City government departments, 2,000 paddlers and 40,000 spectators. Founded and sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (HKETONY) since 1990, the festival ranks among the biggest dragon boat festivals in the United States. Officiating at the opening ceremony, Director of HKETONY Maisie Ho said the festival embodies strength, endurance and teamwork, while promoting inclusivity and cultural exchanges. This year, "Hong Kong Food Street" was introduced for the first time, offering New Yorkers a taste of Hong Kong's culinary delights, including curry fishballs, egg tarts, bubble waffles and Hong Kong-style milk tea. Recognising the festival for promoting athletic spirit and fostering cultural exchange, the New York Stock Exchange invited the organising committee to ring the closing bell on Aug 2. 

(Closing bell image courtesy of NYSE Group. NYSE does not recommend or endorse any investments, investment strategies, companies, products or services.)

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In stars welcomed by New York

Following its resounding success in Cannes and record-breaking box office performance in Hong Kong, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In had its North American premiere as the closing film of the 23rd edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) on Jul 28 attracting a full-house at SVA Theater. Film producer John Chong and actor Philip Ng introduced the film and participated in the post-screening questions-and-answers session. The film was one of 11 Hong Kong films featured at this year’s NYAFF under the Hong Kong Panorama banner, supported by the HKETONY. On Jul 29, the HKETONY hosted a fireside chat with both stars, organised by Hong Kong Association of New York. Participants had an intimate exchange about Hong Kong films and the future of Hong Kong cinema. The movie will hit the theatres across US on Aug 9. 

Award-winning pianist with disabilities Anson Tang visits HKETONY

Director of HKETONY Maisie Ho welcomed (Aug 2) Hong Kong pianist and wheelchair user Anson Tang to New York, following his remarkable performance as one of four young musicians at the 2024 Access/VSA International Young Musicians Award Winners in Concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on Jul 27. Tang is the first wheelchair user to join London’s Royal College of Music’s keyboard faculty. His journey, from studying under Professor Nigel Clayton to collaborating with world-renowned artists, continues to inspire and uplift. Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong’s Programme Manager Miller Cheung shared the organisation's work to promote art accessibility and to advocate inclusive society through the arts in Hong Kong. 

Two fencing golds and two swimming bronzes for Hong Kong

Hong Kong athletes clinched two golds and two bronzes in the first week of competition at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Fencer Vivian Kong won her first Olympic gold medal in the women’s epee and claimed Hong Kong’s first gold of the 2024 Games. Her teammate Cheung Ka-long successfully defended his Olympic title in the men’s foil. Cheung created history by being the first Hong Kong athlete to win gold medals in two consecutive Games and the third fencer in Olympic history to have successfully defended his title in the event. Swimmer Siobhán Haughey won two bronze medals in the women’s 100-metre and 200-metre freestyle. Haughey is now the most decorated Hong Kong Olympian with four medals to her name, following the two silvers at the Tokyo Games. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee congratulated the athletes on their outstanding achievements. He also recognised and appreciated the efforts and dedication of all Hong Kong athletes at the Games.



(Photo credit: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China)

Hong Kong’s economy grows 3.3%

Hong Kong’s economy grew 3.3% in the second quarter of 2024 over the same period a year earlier, an uptick from the 2.8% increase in the first quarter, according to the advance estimates on GDP for the second quarter of 2024.  Hong Kong’s economy continued to record moderate growth in the second quarter and with total goods exports continuing to register strong growth thanks to the sustained external demand. Looking ahead, the economy should continue to grow in the remainder of the year, but performance of different economic segments may vary amid uncertainties on various fronts.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced the reappointment of Eddie Yue as Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Chief Executive for a term of five years, with effect from Oct 1. Mr Chan stressed that stability has been maintained in Hong Kong’s money market and banking system throughout Mr Yue’s first term, with the city experiencing the impact of “black-clad violence” and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as geopolitical challenges. The HKMA has also made great strides in promoting the development of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. Mr Yue said he is honoured to be reappointed and thanked Mr Chan for the confidence and trust placed in him. “Looking ahead, the macroeconomic environment, the international financial landscape, and geopolitics are likely to remain complex and uncertain for some time,” Mr Yue said.

Framework agreement for Cross-boundary payment signed

Top officials of the HKMA and the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) discussed (Aug 2) the linkage of fast payment systems between Hong Kong and the Mainland along with other topics of mutual interests such as financial cooperation. The Deputy Governor of the PBOC Lu Lei, and Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA Howard Lee also signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the PBOC and the HKMA on Cross-Boundary Linkage of Payment Systems between the Mainland and Hong Kong, establishing a cooperation framework for the linkage.

International AI research centre set up in HK

Renowned Hollywood visual effects studio Digital Domain will set up an international artificial intelligence (AI) research centre in Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, marking a significant milestone in digital entertainment and advances the creative frontier. The centre will serve as a hub for collaboration, attracting top talent from around the globe and fostering partnerships with leading academic institutions, industry experts, and technology innovators, shaping the future of digital entertainment, life and culture, as well as innovation and technology industries, and advancing the creative frontier through uniting diverse expertise and cutting-edge technology. 

Hong Kong students excels in Physics and Maths Olympiads

Two teams of Hong Kong students achieved outstanding results in the 8th European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO 2024) and the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO 2024) by winning a total of four gold medals, six silver and one bronze in the two events. A total of 256 students from 54 countries or regions took part in the EuPhO 2024 (Jul 15 – 19), hosted by Georgia while the IMO 2024 (Jul 11 – 22) was held in the UK with 609 participating students from 108 countries or regions. Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin said the Education Bureau and different stakeholders will continue to promote science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education in primary and secondary schools, and encourage the setting up of school-based talent pools to identify and nurture more STEAM talent and help them unleash their potential.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said (Jul 31) it strongly disapproves of the remarks on Hong Kong’s situation made by US Consul General to Hong Kong Gregory May in a media interview. The Government highlighted in a statement that the HKSAR is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, adding that the city is a local administrative region that enjoys a high degree of autonomy under “one country, two systems”.

Separately, the HKSAR Government strongly rejected (Aug 1) a commentary published on the Forbes Magazine, saying that Hong Kong has all along been implementing fully the sanctions imposed by the UNSC pursuant to the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fulfil its international obligations. It also has a robust system to implement those sanctions, along with vigilant investigation efforts. All these are conducive to prevent attempts to make use of Hong Kong as a base to violate UNSC sanctions, and hence safeguarding the international reputation of the city.

The Basic Law (BL) is the constitutional document of the HKSAR. It provides the guarantees to maintain our existing way of life, including socio-economic development, the rights and duties of Hong Kong people, the rule of law and other areas. Article 23 of the BL stipulates that the HKSAR shall enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People’s Government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organisations or bodies from conducting political activities in the HKSAR, and to prohibit political organisations or bodies of the HKSAR from establishing ties with foreign political organisations or bodies.

Q: Has reference been made to the laws on safeguarding national security in foreign countries?

A: Many common law jurisdictions, including western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and Singapore have enacted various laws to safeguard national security. Appropriate reference have been made to the legislative experience of other countries, based on the practical need of the HKSAR to cope with the past, present and future national security risks that can be foreseen.