HKETO Newsletter May 2021
Dear friends,
We have been fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year now. It seems a distant past when we used to gather at our annual Chinese New Year receptions across Europe, meet in person and discuss issues of common interests, and even stage performances with talents from Hong Kong. These have not been possible given the current pandemic situation in Europe. Yet we remain in touch with you by going more digital, inviting you to our online events, and increasing our presence via social media channels. The virtual event “Direct Dialogue with Mrs Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of the HKSAR” held on February 5, 2021 was a case in point. Moreover, this year we welcomed the Chinese New Year in a different way than we used to. I hope you have enjoyed the special greetings together with the festive music from Hong Kong all through in my video address. Let me take this opportunity to renew my wish for you to have a happy, healthy and rewarding Year of the Ox.
On a positive note, the world is making progress with the help of the roll-out of vaccines. The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme in Hong Kong started on February 26, 2021, and more than 1.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to the public by the end of April. The number of new cases per day remained at single-digit or low double-digit levels throughout the past few months. With the fourth wave of the epidemic under control, the HKSAR Government has adopted four “Rs” in our new direction in fighting the pandemic: Return to normality, Refrain from “stop and go” approach, Reinforce infection control measures in a targeted manner and Reiterate the need for concerted community efforts.
On the other hand, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, has presented his 2021-22 Budget and unveiled a host of measures to revive Hong Kong's economy and help people overcome financial difficulties amid the COVID-19 pandemic. You will find the highlights and insights on the 2021-22 Budget in this newsletter.
Another important development is the passage of the Decision on improving the electoral system of the HKSAR on 11 March 2021 at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Having considered the actual situation in Hong Kong, the Central Authorities have taken the initiative from the national level to improve the electoral system of Hong Kong, aiming to ensure that Hong Kong can stay true to the original aspiration in implementing the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" and get Hong Kong back on the right track.
Subsequently, pursuant to the NPC’s authorisation, the Standing Committee of the NPC (NPCSC) adopted the amended Annex I to the Basic Law on Method for the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Annex II to the Basic Law on Method for the Formation of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its Voting Procedures on March 30, 2021. Looking ahead, the Election Committee Election will be held on September 19, 2021 and the Legislative Council Election will be held on December 19, 2021. The Chief Executive Election will be held on March 27, 2022.
Last but not least, we are proud to share that our network of followers on social media has been constantly growing and we have reached the milestone of 1 000+ connections on our LinkedIn page in March. So before you start reading our newsletter, don’t forget to join us on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest news from Hong Kong as well as updates on the activities of my Office!
Enjoy reading,
Bill C P Li
Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin