Top civil servants get big picture on national front

The first batch of 23 directorate-level civil servants last week attended a seven-day national training program to study the country's policies on governance and major strategies in Beijing, the country's modern history as well as science and technology developments in Shanghai.

Participants came away with the understanding that the country's situation was important for the SAR to actively integrate into the overall development and were left impressed by the rapid development of the country compared with 10 years ago when they attended similar programs.

The first of five lectures they took at National Academy of Governance last Monday was given by Xie Chuntao, executive vice president of the academy in charge of daily operations, which Arsene Yiu Kai-cheuk, Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Environmental Hygiene) said, reflected the importance the academy attached to this study program.

In addition to the constitution of the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong's Basic Law and the Chinese-style modernization, they also learned how to improve their ability to deal with emergencies while having lively exchanges with the speakers.

They also visited the Hong Kong and Macau work office, where they met Wang Linggui, deputy director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office.

The 23 articipants departed for Shanghai on June 7 in the afternoon by high-speed train, where they visited aircraft manufacturing and high-technology industries.

"We learned the country has a strong theoretical foundation in governance, and that it's crucial to understand not only our own system, but also the nation's system to take the advantage of one country, two systems," Yiu said.

Eve Tam Mei-yee, Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Culture), said she learned of the environmental problems the nation was facing in 2013 during a training in Beijing, and was "impressed to see how much progress can be made within 10 years on such a tough issue" when seeing the clean streets and blue skies 10 years later.

Choi Shu-keung, the director of investigations in the private sector at the Independent Commission Against Corruption, added they also needed to write an assignment to reflect their feelings and gains.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu met Xie at the central government offices in Tamar yesterday.

They witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Civil Service Bureau and the academy on the national studies program for senior directorate-level civil servants, marking a new stage of cooperation between the SAR government and the academy.

Xie also delivered a talk to about 350 senior officials, including department secretaries, bureau directors, and other politically appointed officials.

"The talk enabled senior government officials and civil servants to have a deeper understanding of the governance philosophy and mission of the CPC, and to have a more accurate appreciation of the country's policies of governance, so that the SAR government can play a more active role in supporting the overall development of the country," Lee said.

Lee thanked the academy for its support in training the SAR government and hoped officials would serve Hong Kong better and leverage the distinctive advantages of Hong Kong under one country, two systems and its unique advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, and contribute to the realization of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.