New youth facility 'to promote global exchanges'
New youth facility 'to promote global exchanges'
Alice Mak says the new Kai Tak facility, transformed from Covid-19 isolation camps, aims to attract overseas youths. File photo: RTHK
Home and youth affairs minister Alice Mak said on Sunday that a new youth facility in Kai Tak will offer an exchange platform for youngsters from around the world.
The setting up of the "Youth Post" hostel and spaces for cultural and arts exchanges was first laid out by Chief Executive John Lee in his policy address last October.
The facility, which was transformed from Covid-19 isolation camps, will be in operation from October.
Its operator has promised to host 14 public activities per year, and a bazaar each month in its first year.
Speaking on a TVB programme, Mak said the new venue aims to attract young people from overseas.
"When we speak to youths from different places, they often say it is difficult to find a place to live in Hong Kong," she said.
"So we hope by building the hostel for them, we could encourage and invite youths to come to Hong Kong, fostering more exchanges."
She pointed out that the facility, along with the cruise terminal and Sports Park nearby, could jointly hold activities to attract visitors to the area.
Separately, Mak said her bureau has been preparing for different activities throughout the year for the "Night Vibes" campaign.
She said there has been a good response since the project was rolled out last year, with businesses saying they recorded a 30 percent increase in sales during the Songkran festival last month in Kowloon City.
Mak added that the campaign not only encourages people to stay in the city, but also strengthens their sense of belonging to their community and coordinates the use of community resources.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
3 hours ago
- RTHK
'More mainland listings set in unstoppable trend'
'More mainland listings set in unstoppable trend' Paul Chan believes the stock market will stay strong this year. Photo: RTHK The financial secretary said on Wednesday more mainland firms are expected to get listed in the SAR this year. Paul Chan's remarks came after mainland battery giant CATL made its debut on the Hong Kong stock market last month, when it raised at least HK$35 billion in the world's largest initial public offering this year. Speaking at the Bloomberg Invest event in Admiralty, Chan said the central government has been encouraging companies to expand globally and that the current geopolitical situation has made it more difficult for tech stocks to go to the United States to get listed. "This outbound [expansion] of mainland companies, this is a trend, unstoppable, and I think this is good also for the region, because by realigning their industry chain, the supply chain, they will also stimulate the growth of the region," he said. "And Asia, as you know, particularly this part of Asia, is a major global engine for growth, given the Chinese economy, growing steadily on a sustained basis, also becomes a stabilizer in terms of the current sometimes pretty uncertain and volatile global market." Chan also expects the stock market to stay strong this year, which, he said, will also support the domestic consumption market. Separately, Chan said the government will not intervene in the market amid a weakening of the US dollar. Given that the direction of capital flow can change quickly, he said, it is crucial to ensure financial security. "At the moment, with this influx of capital, the interest rate is indeed very low," Chan said, which is "good for our homeowners and good for businesses as well. "So I think put the seatbelt on but, at the same time, take advantage of this ample liquidity."
RTHK
3 hours ago
- RTHK
'HK in talks with mainland to expand data exchanges'
'HK in talks with mainland to expand data exchanges' Sun Dong said the government is committed to developing the SAR into a global data hub. Photo: RTHK Hong Kong is in talks with mainland authorities to push data exchanges and mutual recognition as the SAR aims to develop into a global data hub, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said. Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme, Sun said data plays a crucial role in promoting the development of both artificial intelligence and the digital economy. "We are committed to building Hong Kong as an international data hub," Sun said. "We need to maintain an accommodative and free business environment so that overseas data will continue to enter the city in confidence. On the other hand, we also hope mainland data, especially sensitive data, could cross the border to Hong Kong." With the mainland's support, personal data from the Greater Bay Area can already come to the city, Sun said. He said Hong Kong is now in talks with the mainland for a new policy, allowing cross-boundary data flow from other parts of the mainland, such as Shanghai. Hong Kong and the mainland are also working on mutual recognition of data, he added. Sun also said the government aims to boost artificial intelligence development in Hong Kong. To achieve this goal, the government has proposed establishing a data centre at Sandy Ridge in North District which is expected to boost the city's computing power, he said.
RTHK
6 hours ago
- RTHK
Local, mainland stocks edge higher
Local, mainland stocks edge higher Hong Kong stocks are up slightly after US and China wrap up trade talks in London. File photo: RTHK The Hang Seng Index rose 28 points or 0.12 percent to open at 24,191 points on Wednesday. Mainland stocks also opened higher, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.02 percent to open at 3,385 points. The Shenzhen Component Index opened 0.14 percent higher at 10,176 points. (Xinhua)
