Go to content

LATEST NEWS

News Releases

4th Anniversary of the Maritime Silk Road Society and “Operation Zhang Qian 2019” Sharing Session

2019-09-21

The Fourth Anniversary of the Maritime Silk Road Society (MSRS) and “Operation Zhang Qian 2019” Sharing Session were held on 21 September at Holiday Inn Golden Mile to celebrate the special occasion of the Society and to invite student interns to share their fruitful work experiences with guests attending the ceremony.

Mrs Cherry Tse, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs, and Mr Zhang Zhao, Deputy Director of Department of Social Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, officiated at the ceremony.

About two hundred guests were present at the ceremony, including Honorary Advisors, Office-bearers and Members of the MSRS; representatives of hosting organizations and participating institutions, and interns under “Operation Zhang Qian – Undergraduate Summer Internship Programme 2019”.

In addition, student participants of the Belt and Road Guangxi Cultural Tour held in August also joined in the ceremony to share what they have learned about Guangxi.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Regina Ip, Co-Chair of MSRS took the opportunity to express her vote of thanks to the Home Affairs Bureau and Youth Development Commission for providing funding support to “Operation Zhang Qian 2019” and the Belt and Road Guangxi Cultural Tour.

“Over the past year, MSRS has organized or participated in more than 20 events, including forums, visits and cultural exchanges. Embarking on its fifth year of service, MSRS will continue to organize more diversified and interesting activities, and to provide opportunities for young people and educate them on the Belt and Road Initiative,” Mrs Ip said.

“I am pleased to announce that MSRS, based on ‘Operation Zhang Qian’, will launch the ‘New Youth Management Trainee Programme’ (New Youth Programme). The programme will provide one-year full-time jobs for Hong Kong young people aged 18-35 to work in the ‘Belt and Road’ countries and the Mainland,” she said.

A steering committee will be set up under the MSRS’s Youth Opportunities Committee, which will guide and monitor the implementation and development of the New Youth Programme.

Ms Fu Wenjing, the President of the Hong Kong Wenchang Natives Association, was appointed as the Chairman of the Steering Committee with support from the MSRS Secretariat. MSRS will make an announcement for the details of the programme.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr Roland Wong, Vice-Chair (Development) of YOC said, “As always, ‘Operation Zhang Qian’ receives tremendous support from the host organizations. This year, 19 sponsoring organizations have offered a total of 205 internship places for Hong Kong students to work in the Mainland, ASEAN countries, Belt and Road regions, Greece and Sri Lanka.”

“Operation Zhang Qian” was launched by MSRS in 2016. So far, about 300 university students have successfully completed their internship programme,” Mr Wong added.

The Belt and Road Guangxi Cultural Tour held during the summer holiday was funded by the Youth Development Commission. Forty-one university, secondary and primary students joined the tour.

This year’s host organizations of “Operation Zhang Qian” are Business Big Data, Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, Chatrium Hotels and Residences, Chimelong Resorts, China Construction Bank (Asia), China Merchants Group, China National Travel Service Group Corporation, CLP Holdings Limited, CR Group, Euroterra Capital, Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jardine Matheson Limited, Jiang Xi Mei Fan Technology Co., Ltd, K. Wah Construction Materials, Lan Kwai Fong Group, Sinotrans Chang Jiang Co., Ltd. Nantong Branch, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited and The Hong Kong Subsidiary of Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Institutions participating in the internship programme include: City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong College of Technology, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Lingnan University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong, The University of Hong Kong and the Vocational Training Council.

Internship reports deserving honourable mention have been uploaded on the MSRS website (www.maritimesilkroad.org.hk). Members of the public are also able to view the interns’ snapshot on the following channels:

MSRS website (www.maritimesilkroad.org.hk)

Facebook (www.facebook.com/maritimesilkroad)

Instagram (www.instragram.com/maritimesilkroad)

(Click here for viewing Sharing Session video)

(Click here for viewing Maritime Silk Road Society 4^th Anniversary Brochure)

(Click here for viewing Maritime Silk Road Society 4^th Anniversary video)

(Click here for viewing “Belt and Road Guangxi Cultural Tour” video)

1. Mrs Regina Ip delivering her remarks at the ceremony.