HONG KONG means BUSINESS

17 APRIL 2019

MARKET SPOTLIGHT Hunt is on for InnoStars Our Hong Kong Foundation puts innovation in spotlight with awards recognising high-achievers. The Our Hong Kong Foundation, noting the need for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to develop a long-term strategy and take a holistic approach in driving innovation and technology, made several recommendations in its landmark report on the issue.  More US Trade First batch of Section 301 product exclusions announced US Trade Representative announced the first batch of products to be excluded from the additional 25% duty imposed under Section 301 which affects about US$34 billion worth of imports from Mainland China. The exclusions, covering 984 separate requests, are retroactive to 6 July 2018 and remain in place until 27 Dec 2019. FIRST PERSON A toast to Hemingway Following their success in the trendy Soho bar-and-restaurant area in Hong Kong, three cocktail aficionados take their author-inspired bar theme to the tranquil yet up-and coming Sheung Wan district. INSIDE CHINA Russian import regime could boost Hong Kong exports The city is exempt from greater enforced transparency governing China-Russia cross-border e-commerce deliveries. HEADS-UP Seminar on ‘New Markets, New Channels: Meeting the Challenge of ASEAN’s Economies’ Find out how to seize the business opportunities offered by this nearby, fast-expanding and plugged-in region. VENTURE HONG KONG Gauging pulse of marketing world Industry’s leading lights chart the way through a rapidly evolving environment. LIFE & STYLE Home front prospers Fairs focused on household goods offer a massive marketplace for buyers and sellers. UPCOMING EVENTS 27-30 April HKTDC Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair 2019 27-30 April Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair 2019 14-16 May HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair 2019 FIND AN EVENT   MULTIMEDIA SEE THIS Fostering Co-productions in the Greater Bay Area – FILMART 2019 HEAR THIS Russian Far East Investment Opportunities MORE MULTIMEDIA   RESEARCH Opportunities in Qingdao’s Modern Logistics Sector Saudi Arabia: On the Road to Reform Hainan Free Trade Zone (3): The Burgeoning Medical Tourism Sector MORE RESEARCH

AHEPA:Greek Independence Day Parades in NYC, Detroit

Greek Independence Day Parades in NYC, Detroit Celebrations for the 198th Anniversary of Greek Independence concluded over the weekend with parades in New York City and Detroit, April 14. Supreme President George E. Loucas led the AHEPA family's participation at New York City's parade, which was organized by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York. Loucas served as an Honored Guest and addressed audiences at a pre-parade gathering and a dinner hosted by the Federation, April 13. Congratulations to Ahepan George Marcus, Chapter 251, San Jose, Calif., who served as Grand Marshal. The District 10 AHEPA Family of Michigan battled the elements and marched in the parade held in Detroit. We're proud to share a few highlights in our updated photo gallery ICYMI | AHEPA Family Capitol Hill Day a Success The AHEPA family brought its public policy priorities to the attention of congressional legislators and their staffs, April 10, 2019, during its Capitol Hill Day, an annual event since 2006.  "Our mission guides our public policy priorities," Supreme President George E. Loucas said.  "As such, we have a diverse set of legislative interests, both foreign and domestic, that reflect our programs and initiatives that serve our mission." read the news release | Hellenic News of America coverage See if your U.S. representative is a member of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus.  Email admin@ahepa.org to help grow the caucus. Our Seasonal Greetings To everyone who is celebrating this Sunday, we wish you a Happy Easter! Happy Palm Sunday and a blessed Holy Week to the Orthodox Faithful. We also wish Happy Passover to our Jewish friends.

"Το παράδειγμα του Νετανιάχου" Ναπολέων Λιναρδάτος

Το παράδειγμα του Νετανιάχου
Ναπολέων Λιναρδάτος 

Ο Μπενιαμίν Νετανιάχου φαίνεται ότι έχει κερδίσει μια πέμπτη συνεχή θητεία ως πρωθυπουργός του Ισραήλ. Για τα ελληνικά δεδομένα είναι κάπως δύσκολο να καταλάβουμε πώς κάποιος επανεκλέγεται συνεχώς από το 2009 σε μια σύγχρονη δημοκρατία. Εμείς έχουμε αλλάξει 4 πρωθυπουργούς την ίδια χρονική περίοδο. Ο τελευταίος πρωθυπουργός που κατάφερε να επανεκλεγεί ήταν ο Κώστας Καραμανλής, πριν από σχεδόν 12 χρόνια. 

Ο Νετανιάχου, αντίθετα από την κυρία Μέρκελ, έχει απέναντί του την πλειονότητα των ΜΜΕ και του ισραηλινού κατεστημένου. Εχει επίσης απέναντί του τη διεθνή κοινότητα - και χρησιμοποιώντας τον όρο «διεθνή κοινότητα» εννοούμε τον περιοδεύοντα θίασο γραφειοκρατών, διεθνιστών δημοσιογράφων και πεφωτισμένων πολιτικών που προσπαθεί να καθορίσει το μέλλον των εθνών.

Ο κ. Νετανιάχου έχει επιτύχει 10 χρόνια συνεχούς οικονομικής ανάπτυξης. Μια σειρά οικονομικών μεταρρυθμίσεων, ειδικά στα πρώτα χρόνια, έχουν αποφέρει καρπούς. Εμείς προσπαθούμε να καταφέρουμε να πετύχει ο κρατισμός αλλάζοντας πρωθυπουργούς.

Αλλά εκεί που έχει κάνει τη μεγάλη διαφορά ο Νετανιάχου είναι στο ότι έχει κατανοήσει τις πραγματικές προθέσεις και τα κίνητρα των αντιπάλων του Ισραήλ. Θα μπορούσε να πηγαίνει από συμφωνία σε συμφωνία με τους Αραβες, κάτι που θα είχε μοναδικό αποτέλεσμα τη σταδιακή αποδυνάμωση του Ισραήλ και τη διαρκή ενδυνάμωση μια αδιάλλακτης παλαιστινιακής πλευράς, η οποία έχει ως τελικό σκοπό την εξαφάνιση του Ισραήλ.

Αυτός ο ρεαλισμός στην κατανόηση του αντιπάλου έχει δημιουργήσει τις διαχωριστικές γραμμές στην ισραηλινή πολιτική σκηνή. Ενα από τα αποτελέσματα αυτής της στρατηγικής είναι η εκλογική εξαφάνιση της ισραηλινής Αριστεράς. Οταν δόθηκε η ευκαιρία στους Ισραηλινούς να επιλέξουν μεταξύ μιας δεξιάς και μιας αριστερής θεώρησης των πραγμάτων, η επιλογή φάνηκε ότι ήταν κάτι παραπάνω από εύκολη και ιστορικά γρήγορη.
Πλέον, στο Ισραήλ οι κύριες επιλογές είναι μεταξύ δεξιών και κεντρώων.

Ολα τα παραπάνω έχουν ιδιαίτερη αξία για εμάς. Η δική μας «Δεξιά» είναι ενοχική και φοβισμένη. Προσπαθεί πάντοτε να γίνει αρεστή στην Αριστερά και στο μεταπολιτευτικό κατεστημένο που έχει δημιουργήσει αυτή η Αριστερά. Ετσι, καταλήξαμε σήμερα να κυβερνά την Ελλάδα μια συμμορία ανειδίκευτων γκρουπούσκουλων της άκρας Αριστεράς. Δείτε τι συμβαίνει στη Βρετανία, όπου μια «Δεξιά» πάλι, η οποία μπορεί να δράσει μόνο ως μια ελαφρύτερη έκδοση των Εργατικών, κοντεύει να φέρει στην εξουσία έναν Βρετανό συριζαίο.

Οι πολίτες προτιμούν να έχουν επιλογές στην πολιτική, όπως και σε όλους τους άλλους τομείς της ζωής. Ειδικά τελευταία, όταν μεταξύ αυτών των επιλογών έχουν και μια συντηρητική Δεξιά, αυτή η συγκεκριμένη επιλογή είναι η περισσότερο δημοφιλής. Το φαινόμενο αυτό είναι παγκόσμιο, και οι μόνοι που δεν το βλέπουν είναι αυτοί που ακόμα και σήμερα διακατέχονται από ενοχικά και εαυτοφοβικά σύνδρομα. Το αποτέλεσμα είναι να ενδυναμώνουν τους αντιπάλους τους και να ζημιώνουν την πατρίδα. 

THE WHITE HOUSE's interesting latest news

The White House • April 15, 2019 Happy Tax Cut Day from President Trump! April 15 is a date Americans often dread. But this year, as millions of families finished filing their taxes, most were in for a pleasant surprise: a much lower bill from Uncle Sam. Today marks the first “Tax Day” under President Donald J. Trump’s new, simplified tax code. “When government loosens its grip, there is no summit we cannot reach,” the President said before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed into law in 2017. He promised that historic tax cuts would “breathe new life into the American economy.” He was right. Here are some of the big wins for working families under the new code: A doubled Child Tax Credit—from $1,000 to $2,000 per child A nearly doubled Standard Deduction More than $2,000 in savings for an average family of four earning $75,000 $5.5 trillion in total tax cuts, nearly 60 percent of which goes to families   Just as important, President Trump fixed the business tax code to put American companies—and our workers—on a level playing field with the rest of the world. In addition to lowering our sky-high statutory corporate tax rate, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also allowed businesses to immediately deduct expenses to invest in growing their companies. America is open for business again as a result of those reforms: Real GDP growth hit 3 percent recently for the first time since 2005 Half a trillion dollars in investment poured back into the U.S. in 2018 alone For the first time ever, there are more job openings than unemployed workers Small business optimism soared to a record high in 2018   The middle class is thriving thanks to President Trump’s tax cuts. More: How tax reform is helping American families get ahead A few of the best tax cut myths Congressional Democrats have had a rough year in making predictions, to say the least. Fortunately, when it comes to tax cuts, there’s plenty of real evidence to counter the political spin and deception being thrown at President Trump. Here are just a few of the best examples: “This is Armageddon,” then-House Minority Leady Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on the tax cut bill. “It is the end of the world.” Fact check: We’re all still here.   Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed that “what has been sold as a job creator and wage booster will, of course, do little of either.” In the first 3 months of 2018, nominal hourly pay for workers grew at its fastest rate in at least a decade.   Clinton Administration economist Larry Summers boldly proclaimed that about 10,000 people would die every year from tax reform if passed into law.   One after another, Democrats lined up to make increasingly unhinged claims about something as simple as reforming America’s tax code. None of it was grounded in fact; all of it was built on hysteria. But once again, President Trump challenged the do-nothing status quo of Washington, and once again, his promises proved to be exactly right. “The vast majority of people did get a tax cut,” tax expert Nathan Rigney told The New York Times this week. That’s actually been clear all along, he said—“just now we have real data to back that up.” Rep. Kevin Brady: Democrats, as usual, were wrong on Trump’s tax cuts Video of the Day This afternoon, President Trump visited with small business owners in Minnesota to discuss the impact of tax cuts on their companies. “Today I am proud to announce . . . that we'll be offering 401(k)s to all of our employees tomorrow,” said Carlos Gazitua, president of Sergio’s Family Restaurants. “We are doing what the tax cuts were meant to do as a small business to compete against big business: invest in our people, invest in growth.”

Strong Jobs Market Spurs Bigger Salary Offers

CANADA latest news

Prime Minister announces appointment of new Chief Justice of Nova Scotia

April 17, 2019
Ottawa, Ontario 

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the appointment of the Honourable Michael J. Wood, a judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, to the position of Chief Justice of Nova Scotia.

He replaces the Honourable J. Michael MacDonald, who retired effective February 1, 2019, after more than 24 years of distinguished service as a judge.

Quote

“I am happy to announce the appointment of Michael J. Wood as Chief Justice of Nova Scotia. Chief Justice Wood brings almost 30 years of experience practicing law in Halifax, and, more recently, nearly eight years as a judge on the province’s Supreme Court. I know his experience and expertise will be a great asset to the province’s Court of Appeal.”
—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION latest

PRESS

European Council     17/4/2019 Letter of congratulations from President Donald Tusk to Jüri Ratas on his re-appointment as Prime Minister of Estonia Allow me to congratulate you upon taking up your second term as prime minister, following parliamentary elections last month. With its record e-voting numbers, Estonia has once again demonstrated that it is a leader in all things digital. I am happy to learn that your coalition intends to follow the same trajectory in European, foreign and security policy that Estonia has been on for many years now. This path has served Estonia and the European Union well. I count on your continued and excellent contribution to the work of the European Council. Looking forward to seeing you in Sibiu. Letter of congratulations from President Donald Tusk to Prime Minister Jüri Ratas European Council     16/4/2019  Update: Report and concluding remark by President Donald Tusk to the European Parliament on the Special European Council (Art. 50) meeting on 10 April

κ. ΚΩΣΤΑ ΖΑΧΑΡΙΑΔΗ,Διευθυντή ΚΟ ΣΥΡΙΖΑ,πρόσκλησις

Ανοιχτή εκδήλωση αυτή την Κυριακή 21 Απριλίου στις 18.00 στο Μαρούσι, Λεωφόρος Κηφισίας 207