Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak today attended an opening ceremony for the first batch of seventh-term District Council (DC) members to undertake a training programme at the Shanghai Administration Institute.

The ceremony was overseen by Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Administration Institute Zeng Jun. Deputy Director of the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the State Council Wang Linggui and Vice Mayor of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government Hua Yuan also attended.

Mr Wang stated that the central government is satisfied with the work of the seventh-term DC members since they took office, and urged them to continue it, thereby assisting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to implement its policies.

He added that he hoped the training programme would allow DC members to deepen their understanding of Shanghai. He also listed four expectations of DC members, namely that they should demonstrate a patriotic mindset, serve the people, work to deepen mutual co-operation and learning between Shanghai and Hong Kong, and embrace innovation, so as to advance community-building.

Miss Mak highlighted in her remarks that the seventh-term DCs were formed as a result of improvements to governance at the district level and that DC members are charged with the responsibility of enhancing district governance.

She stressed that DC members should act with an unfailing sense of responsibility at all times and strive to deliver in everything they do.

To enhance DC members' national awareness and their understanding of district governance, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has arranged for them to undertake training and site visits, in batches, in Shanghai and Zhejiang.

The training programme will allow DC members to better understand national developments and experiences in district governance. It is hoped they will put this knowledge into practice in their future work in order to better serve the country and Hong Kong.

Miss Mak encouraged members of the Sham Shui Po and Yuen Long DCs participating in the programme to study diligently with a view to providing better services to people in those districts.

Mr Wang, Mr Hua and Miss Mak separately held a meeting in which they exchanged views on the implementation of measures related to district governance in Shanghai and Hong Kong and ways to strengthen collaboration between the two places.

Miss Mak will return to Hong Kong tomorrow. Members of the Sham Shui Po and Yuen Long DCs will conclude their study and visit programme in Shanghai on July 16.