Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak today met a Hainan delegation to exchange views on strengthening co-operation with respect to bilateral youth exchanges.

Ms Mak welcomed the delegation led by CPC Hainan Provincial Committee Standing Committee Member Miao Yanhong, who also heads the Hainan committee’s United Front Work Department.

She noted that Hong Kong and Hainan have been working closely in various areas for mutual benefit. The rapid development of Hainan, particularly in tourism and environmental conservation, can provide invaluable exchange and learning opportunities for Hong Kong students.

Ms Mak said the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau had recently promulgated the Youth Development Blueprint outlining the overall vision and guiding principles for the Government’s long-term youth development work.

Among others, it proposed to promote young people’s understanding of the country and to encourage their integration into the nation’s development.

The youth affairs chief emphasised the bureau's effort to enhance Hong Kong young people’s understanding of national affairs by providing them with exchange and internship opportunities on the Mainland, adding that the Government will restart youth exchanges and internship programmes in an orderly manner with the resumption of normal travel between the two places.

“We are also working actively with Hainan over the possible launch of the Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland to provide Hong Kong youths with unique and in-depth internship opportunities.”

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government would be pleased to explore proposals of jointly promoting Hong Kong youth development with Hainan, she added.