新民黨 譴責美方肆意詆毀香港法庭裁決
日期︰2024 年 11 月 21 日
對於美國政府藉著近日「串謀顛覆國家政權案」(民主派初選案)的判刑,大肆譴責及抹黑香港及特區政府,並且提出會向香港特區人員施加「簽證限制」,新民黨認為全無理據,予以強烈譴責。
是次「串謀顛覆國家政權案」情節嚴重,法庭依據香港法律及普通法原則作出裁決,公平公正公開,判刑寬嚴有度,彰顯司法獨立,體現法治精神,新民黨表示認同及堅定支持。新民黨強調,《香港國安法》的訂立及實施,是為了堵塞香港特區在維護國家安全方面的法律漏洞,維護國家安全,確保「一國兩制」行穩致遠。
對於美西方經常肆意抹黑、詆毀及干預香港司法,新民黨認為是赤裸裸的雙標及霸權行徑,用心險惡,予以強烈譴責。
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Worst may be over for HK
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Regina Ip says the economy is bouncing back and Hong Kong has regained leading rankings in many global financial and competitiveness surveys, but the government must pursue technological and political innovation to see the city thrive
In the Year of the Snake, Hong Kong enters a world that is more perilous than ever, with US President Donald Trump threatening tariffs against key trading partners and intensifying technological competition with China. Comments from Chinese officials that there are “no winners” in a trade war drop strong hints that China would not hesitate to retaliate if it is targeted.
Hong Kong is powerless to put brakes on a trade or tech war, but when it comes to troubles roiling the city, the worst might be over.
Top on the list is the controversy over national security. Although Hong Kong is constitutionally required to implement national security legislation, the national security law Beijing enacted for Hong Kong in 2020 sparked a spate of sanctions, travel warnings and a precipitous plunge in Hong Kong’s relationship with the West.
Nearly five years after the enactment of the law, Hong Kong could be close to turning the corner. “National security first” remains the government’s credo, but hints of change could be seen in Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung’s letter to The Wall Street Journal on comments former US vice-president Mike Pence made at a business conference in Hong Kong last month.
After complaining about Pence’s “despicable” attempt at “political manipulation”, Tang concluded by saying, “The above notwithstanding, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government always strengthens ties and exchanges with different countries, including the US.
“Indeed, despite political differences in recent years, Hong Kong and the US continue to enjoy mutually respectful and beneficial business and social ties. Our city will continue to serve as the most effective bridge linking our motherland with the rest of the world for years to come”. This is a significant change in tone portending a more nuanced strategy towards the city’s critics.
On the economic front, Hong Kong is on the mend. The stock market is bouncing back. According to Bonnie Chan Yiting, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, a pipeline of 100 companies are waiting to be listed. Visitor arrivals are up more than 30 per cent compared to 2023, and various schemes have helped to fill Hong Kong’s talent gap. In addition, Hong Kong has regained leading rankings in many international financial and competitiveness surveys.
The government has invested billions into research and innovation to jump-start its technological development. The high costs and many hurdles are to be expected given the late start. There are three areas the government must prioritise to catch up with global developments.
First, priority must be accorded to the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in and outside government. As AI applications thrive on open data and algorithms, the government should accelerate the implementation of its open data and cross-boundary data transfer policies agreed with the rest of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, to enable promising sectors such as healthcare and finance to flourish.
Second, to fortify Hong Kong’s position as a global financial centre, Hong Kong must not lose out in financial innovations, especially in digital finance. As the only part of China authorised to trade, invest and manage digital assets, Hong Kong should make full use of its mandate to play a greater role in stimulating the cryptocurrency industry.
One million cryptocurrency tokens are created every week, according to Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. The frenzy around cryptocurrency shows no sign of abating despite its risks. The government needs to push ahead with suitable relaxation of its regulatory regime to protect investors as well as attract more blockchain talent and cryptocurrency start-ups to Hong Kong.
Finally, innovation is not possible without the necessary talent. The government has tried to bring in talent with more diverse skills since the introduction of an accountability system for key government officials in 2002.
Yet despite further development through creating new positions of deputy directors of bureau and political assistants in 2008, the accountability system has failed to live up to expectations.
Part of the problem stems from the concession the government made to the civil service to preserve their grip on power when the accountability system was expanded in 2008. A 2007 consultation paper states squarely that the new deputy directors and political assistants “have no direct line of command vis-a-vis the permanent secretaries”. They were intended to assist bureau directors in the discharge of political duties, seen at that time as comprising mainly lobbying for legislative support, handling the media and attending events on behalf of bureau directors.
Because of this limitation, many deputy directors were unable to pick up more knowledge of government business or exert control over departments. Those who joined without the relevant professional knowledge or background were particularly weak and disadvantaged.
The world is changing so rapidly that more forward-thinking leaders with up-to-date technological know-how, international experience and political skills are necessary to assist the chief executive to implement reform and stay competitive. All governments need reinforcement and, from time to time, a shake-up.
While a sweeping, Trump-style Department of Government Efficiency might be counterproductive, an appropriate dose of creative disruption at this critical time would do the government much good.
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香港發展醫療產業有優勢嗎?(二)/ Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 2)
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我在去年12 月到泰國旅遊, 同行的年輕人在旅遊途中進行了一次體檢。她在Instagram 上看到泰國康民國際醫院(Bumrungrad International Hospital)的資訊,說是設備完善的龍頭醫院,體檢套餐只需約22,300 泰銖(大約5000 港元),相比起香港同類的體檢大約要花費13,000 港元,泰國便宜得多,因此,「旅遊體檢」在泰國相當受歡迎。
泰國康民國際醫院是由我的行會前同僚陳智思先生的家族經營。體檢當天,他安排醫院同事帶我參觀這家佔地70,262 平方米的醫院,分別提供門診、住院治療、專科及手術等不同服務。我留意到,這家醫院的顧客來自世界各地。為了便利來自世界各地的顧客,醫院僱用了超過100 位專職國際語言的翻譯人員,並且與泰國移民局合作,每周都會有官員到醫院為持有醫生醫療證明的病人和家屬辦理簽證延期。膳食方面,醫院提供各種菜式,醫院附近亦有不少清真餐廳供中東顧客選擇。
回說香港,香港因為土地昂貴,難以興建像泰國康民國際醫院那樣的大型醫院。雖然特區政府曾於2009 年預留4 幅土地用於發展私營醫院,但也只有兩幅土地成功建成港怡醫院及香港中文大學醫院。
中文大學醫院行政總裁馮康醫生曾向我表示,他期望該院能夠提供廣大市民可負擔的中價醫療服務,藉以減輕公營醫療體系的負擔。聽起來這是很好的模式,可是新冠疫情對該院構成沉重的財政壓力,3 年來求診人數低迷。在醫療成本高、使用率低的困局下,中文大學醫院至今未能向特區政府償還數十億的貸款,可見要在土地供應不足、營運成本昂貴的香港發展醫療產業,相當困難。
Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 2)
During my trip to Thailand in December last year, one of the young people in my group underwent a medical check-up while traveling. She came across information about Bumrungrad International Hospital on Instagram, describing it as a well-equipped leading hospital where a medical check-up package costs only about 22,300 Thai Baht (approximately 5,000 Hong Kong dollars), which is much cheaper compared to similar check-ups in Hong Kong, which cost around 13,000 Hong Kong dollars. Therefore, "tourist check-ups" are quite popular in Thailand.
Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand is operated by the family of my former colleague, Mr. Bernatd Charnwut Chan. On the day of the check-up, he arranged for a hospital staff member to give me a tour of this hospital spanning 70,262 square meters, offering various services such as outpatient care, inpatient treatment, specialties, and surgeries. I noticed that the hospital's clientele comes from all over the world. To facilitate customers from around the globe, the hospital employs over 100 full-time international language translators and collaborates with the Thai Immigration Bureau, with officials visiting the hospital weekly to assist patients and their families holding medical certificates with visa extensions. Regarding meals, the hospital offers a variety of dishes, and there are also many Halal restaurants near the hospital for Middle Eastern customers to choose from.
Speaking of Hong Kong, due to expensive land prices, it is challenging to build large hospitals like Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand. Although the SAR government reserved four plots of land in 2009 for the development of private hospitals, only two plots have been successfully developed into Hong Kong Baptist Hospital and the Chinese University Hospital.
Dr. Fung Hong, the CEO of the Chinese University Hospital, once told me that he hopes the hospital can provide affordable mid-priced medical services to the general public to alleviate the burden on the public healthcare system. While this sounds like a good model, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant financial pressure on the hospital, with low patient numbers over the past three years. In the face of high medical costs and low utilization rates, the Chinese University Hospital has yet to repay the tens of billions in loans to the SAR government. It is evident that developing the medical industry in Hong Kong, with limited land supply and high operating costs, is quite challenging.
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香港發展醫療產業有優勢嗎?(一)/ Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 1)
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香港目前的經濟增長未如理想,政府去年10 月公布,2024 年首三季合計的本地生產總值較2023 年同期僅實質上升2.6%;而近日財政司長則公開表示,財政赤字近1000 億元,有專家指出,若非計入發行了1300 億的債券,財赤其實達2300 億。
經濟學家經常提及推動本港經濟有「三頭馬車」(即出口、消費額、整體投資),雖然香港整體的貨物出口量及整體投資開支都有所增長,但消費額卻持續下跌。要實現收支平衡,特區政府既需採取果斷措施「滅赤」,也要妥善運用現有資源推動經濟發展,刺激消費,特區政府大力推動盛事經濟及爭取中央重新啟動內地居民「一簽多行」,的確令人流有所增長。
1997 年,香港遇上亞洲金融風暴,經濟低迷,特區政府一度考慮推動醫療產業來刺激經濟。2009 年,特區政府更把醫療產業納入「六大優勢產業」,但多年來未見有顯著的實際發展。
理論上,香港是有條件發展醫療產業的。香港中文大學和香港大學的醫學院均於全球醫學領域享有較高名次(排名28 及31);同時擁有不少研發專家和人才;在一些專科領域,香港的診治技術更是世界一流。
2009 年,特區政府預留4 幅分別位於黃竹坑、將軍澳、大埔及大嶼山的土地用於發展私營醫院。其中,位於黃竹坑的港怡醫院及在馬料水的香港中文大學醫院均已落成並投入服務。不過,香港中文大學醫院因營運收益未如理想,已向特區政府申請延遲償還政府貸款。
我的行會同僚陳智思曾向我提及,他的家族在泰國經營的泰國康民醫院(Bumrungrad International Hospital),相當成功,有「泰版養和醫院」之稱。他認為香港缺乏土地及醫護人手,較難像泰國那樣發展醫療產業。至於泰國為何能蓬勃發展醫療產業,讓我們下回分解。
Does Hong Kong Have Advantages in Developing the Medical Industry? (Part 1)
Hong Kong's current economic growth has not been as ideal. The government announced last October that the GDP value for the first three quarters of 2024 had only increased by 2.6% compared to the same period in 2023. Recently, the Financial Secretary publicly stated that the fiscal deficit is close to 100 billion Hong Kong dollars. Experts have pointed out that if the issuance of 130 billion in bonds is not taken into account, the actual deficit would be 230 billion.
Economists often mention the three pillars for driving the local economy, namely exports, consumption, and overall investment. While Hong Kong has seen growth in both total merchandise exports and overall investment spending, consumption has continued to decline. To achieve fiscal balance, the SAR government needs to take decisive measures to address the deficit and effectively utilize existing resources to drive economic development and stimulate consumption. The SAR government is vigorously promoting event-based economics and striving for the re-initiation of the "multiple entry permit" for mainland residents, which has indeed led to an increase in visitor numbers.
In 1997, Hong Kong faced the Asian financial crisis, which led to an economic downturn. The SAR government once considered promoting the medical industry to stimulate the economy. In 2009, the SAR government even included the medical industry in the "six major advantageous industries," but there has been no significant practical development over the years.
In theory, Hong Kong has the conditions to develop the medical industry. The medical schools at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong both enjoy high rankings in the global medical field (28th and 31st, respectively). Hong Kong also has many research and development experts and talents, and in some specialized fields, its diagnostic and treatment techniques are world-class.
In 2009, the SAR government reserved four plots of land in Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O, Tai Po, and Lantau Island for the development of private hospitals. Among them, the the Gleneagles Hospital in Wong Chuk Hang and the Chinese University Hospital in Ma Liu Shui have been completed and put into service. However, the Chinese University Hospital has applied to the SAR government for a delay in repaying government loans due to lower-than-expected operational revenue.
My colleague, Bernard Charnwut Chan, once mentioned to me that his family operates the Bumrungrad International Hospital in Thailand, which is quite successful and known as the "Thai version of Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital." He believes that Hong Kong lacks land and healthcare personnel, making it more challenging to develop the medical industry like Thailand. As for why Thailand has been able to thrive in developing the medical industry, let's delve into that next time.
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