HONG KONG MEANS BUSINESS:update

10 APRIL 2019

MARKET SPOTLIGHT Innovative testing service leverages technology Watching exporters struggle with certification and testing, this entrepreneur offers a one-stop platform. Exports have always been a main sector of Hong Kong and require a range of services – such as auditing, inspection, safety testing and supply-chain management – to ensure product quality meets international standards and destination-market regulations.  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 Taking inspiration from UK design The Great British Design campaign will seek to increase creative collaboration between the UK and Hong Kong. INSIDE CHINA Latin countries take to Belt and Road Spanish-speaking world uses centuries-old links to conduct 21st-century business. HEADS-UP HKTDC Entrepreneur Day 2019 Aspiring start-ups can pitch themselves to a receptive audience at this event, which now runs to two days. VENTURE HONG KONG Innovators light up electronics shows Entrepreneurs have a chance to shine as the world’s electronics and communications industry players converge on Hong Kong. LIFE & STYLE FILMART brings in Tinseltown Spotlight is on OTT as the digital revolution transforms the silver screen.

THE WHITE HOUSE's latest

REAL NEWS PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN'T WANT YOU TO MISS

Happy Tax Day -Washington Examiner “Tax Day is always bad because Americans are overtaxed. But this Tax Day, we can celebrate the fact that an overwhelming majority of people are being taxed less, thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Republicans passed in late 2017,” the Washington Examiner editorial board writes. “No fewer than four out of every five taxpayers saw a reduction thanks to the law.” 🎬  Watch: Ivanka Trump on the newly doubled Child Tax Credit From ‘No Crisis’ to ‘Breaking Point’: Mainstream Media Changes its Tune -Fox News “So let’s stick to one big, basic truth: There is no crisis at the southern border,” The Washington Post editorial board proclaimed after President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address in February. After U.S. officials apprehended or turned away more than 100,000 illegal immigrants crossing our southwest border last month, “the same media outlets are now scrambling to accurately portray the border crisis.” 🎬  Former Obama DHS Secretary: “This is a crisis by any measure.” The Fraying Edges of Universal Health Care -The Washington Times “If you’re wondering what Democrats have in mind when they tout 'Medicare For All,' look no further than England. There are more reports of the U.K.’s National Health System’s collapse, this time featuring horror stories of rationing care for the elderly,” Tammy Bruce writes. Government-run healthcare “is the ultimate in population control.” US Weekly Jobless Claims Drop to the Lowest Level Since 1969 -Reuters Weekly jobless claims dropped to a near 50-year low last week, pointing to America’s continued market strength, Reuters reports. “Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 196,000 for the week ended April 6, the lowest level since early October 1969. Claims have now declined for four straight weeks.” Pence Confronts Venezuelan Ambassador at UN: ‘You Shouldn’t Be Here’ -Fox News “Vice President Pence called out Venezuela's United Nations ambassador to his face while addressing the body's Security Council on Wednesday -- a speech he used to declare it's time for Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro to step down,” Adam Shaw reports. The Vice President said it is time for the United Nations “to stand with the people of Venezuela as they march for freedom.” 🎬 Watch: Vice President Pence calls out Maduro’s representative The Worst Federal Student-Loan Program -The Wall Street Journal “College debt feels out of control. Outstanding student loan-liabilities, almost all from federal loans, have more than doubled since 2009, to $1.57 trillion,” Neal McCluskey and Diego Zuluaga of the Cato Institute write. “Recognizing the ever-increasing burden of student loans, the Trump administration has proposed limiting the amount of money available through PLUS loans . . . That may have the rare feature of being both a step in the right direction and an area of bipartisan agreement.” A Serious Blow to Iran’s Terror Specialists -New York Post “In a bold step, President Trump has formally designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization — a move that carries serious financial implications for Tehran and lengthy prison terms for those who provide material support,” the New York Post editorial board writes. These sanctions are “vital to addressing the key elements that were deliberately omitted from the Obama nuke deal: Iran’s missile program and its fomenting of global terror.” Trump Signs Executive Orders to Fast-Track Oil and Gas Pipelines -The Daily Caller “President Donald Trump signed a pair of executive orders aimed at speeding up oil and gas pipeline permitting, including limiting the ability of activists and states to block key energy projects,” Michael Bastasch reports. “President [Barack] Obama lamented the lack of shovel-ready jobs; President Trump is going straight to the operating engineers who will build our infrastructure to show how he will clean out the stables and make America stronger,” said Dan Kish, senior fellow at the Institute for Energy Research. The White House • April 11, 2019 America stands with Venezuelans. The UN must do the same. Yesterday, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to New York City to represent President Donald J. Trump and the United States before a Special Session of the United Nations Security Council on the crisis in Venezuela. “For six long years, the people of Venezuela have suffered under the heavy hand of oppression,” the Vice President told the Security Council. “The United Nations and this Security Council have refused to act.”    🎬 Watch: Vice President Pence calls out Maduro’s “Ambassador”  America’s message was clear: “This body should revoke the credentials of Venezuela’s representative to the United Nations, recognize Interim President Juan Guaido, and seat the representative of the free Venezuelan government in this body without delay,” Vice President Pence continued. Maduro's socialist dictatorship has turned Venezuela, once one of the wealthiest countries in the Western Hemisphere, into a tragic scene of deprivation. The economy has shrunk by nearly half, leaving 9 out of 10 Venezuelans in poverty. The average citizen there has lost more than 20 pounds from malnutrition, including thousands of children who continue to face starvation. In the midst of this suffering, Maduro has lent no helping hand—just the opposite. When America and its allies sent crucial aid to Venezuela’s people, Maduro’s henchmen blocked and literally burned it, committing violence against any who opposed them. In just 3 months, the regime has thrown more than 1,200 people in jail without due process. At least 40 protesters have been killed. “There can be no bystanders to this history,” Vice President Pence warned. “For the peace and security of our hemisphere, the world and the United Nations must stand with the people of Venezuela.” With that, the Vice President turned to Maduro’s representative before the Security Council. “With all due respect, Mr. Ambassador, you shouldn’t be here. You should return to Venezuela and tell Nicolas Maduro that his time is up. It’s time for him to go.” Vice President calls for restoring democracy in Venezuela More: President Trump says “Socialism is dying” in Venezuela—and America President Trump honors WWII veterans Last summer, when President Trump spoke at the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual convention, he welcomed World War II veteran Allen Jones to join him onstage. “Mr. President, I want to ask you something,” Sergeant Jones said. “I’m going to be 95 years of age April 11th of next year. Hopefully, that you will allow me to bring my family into the Oval Office to meet you.” President Trump readily agreed, telling Sergeant Jones he was welcome anytime. Today, Sergeant Jones got his wish, spending his 95th birthday at the White House with his family. President Trump welcomed three more World War II veterans and their families along with him—each with their own unique story of service and sacrifice. Sidney Walton, a former Army veteran, has been traveling the country on a “No Regrets Tour,” reminding Americans of the sacrifice WWII veterans made to save this country.   Floyd Wigfield didn’t hesitate to serve after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, enlisting in the U.S. Army. On June 6, 1944, he and his fellow soldiers of Company G landed on Utah Beach in what became known as “D-Day.”   Paul Kriner joined the Army at age 24 and fought Axis forces in Italy. Years later, when our Nation was plunged into another war—this time in Korea—he didn’t hesitate to serve again. At 103 years old, Kriner still proudly tells his story. Watch: President Trump grants WW2 veteran’s birthday wish! Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcome President Moon Jae-in and Mrs. Kim Jung-sook of the Republic of Korea to the White House | April 11, 2019 The White House • April 10, 2019 A $32 trillion, socialist takeover of your healthcare “If you like your insurance plan, you will keep it. No one will be able to take that away from you. It hasn't happened yet. It won't happen in the future.” In April 2010, former President Barack Obama famously promised Americans that his government overhaul of U.S. healthcare wouldn’t burden their families: They could keep their plans, keep their doctors, and expect to see large savings in their premiums. Those all proved to be lies. Nearly 5 million Americans were told their healthcare plans were going to be canceled in the first year of Obamacare. Average individual market premiums more than doubled from 2013 to 2017. Average premiums on the Federal exchange rose by $2,600 from 2016 to 2017 alone. And even President Obama himself later admitted that families would have to “make choices” to keep their doctors. Congressional Democrats lied to the American people about healthcare once. Now, they’re prepared to do it again. Today, self-proclaimed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed a total government takeover of American healthcare. Less than a decade after Obamacare was passed, Congressional Democrats are lining up behind this radical vision—a stunning admission of Obamacare’s continued failure to deliver on its core promises to working families. “Medicare for All” is what Democrats call the new plan. It’s a big, messy proposal, but here are the three things that every citizen should know about what it would do: End private insurance as we know it. The core of the Medicare-for-All scheme is to force nearly 180 million Americans with private health insurance onto government-run plans. Families would face the threat of losing their doctors and, indeed, any choice at all in their health care decisions.   Seniors pay the price. America’s seniors have been paying their whole lives into a system that promised to take care of them in their old age. But as seen in European single-payer systems, “Medicare for all” will likely lead to less care for seniors and longer wait times. Twenty million Americans would lose their Medicare Advantage Plans.   Cost $32 trillion. Who pays the exorbitant price tag? Working families. According to the Council of Economic Advisers, the tax increases would lower household incomes by $17,000 annually after taxes and healthcare expenditures.   Democrats are right that Americans need relief from Obamacare. They are wrong that doubling down on its worst mistakes will make our country stronger. No plan that hurts seniors, kicks 180 million Americans off their health plans, and burdens future generations with unprecedented debt is acceptable. Instead, the Trump Administration is working on realistic solutions to provide Americans with the options they want, the affordability they need, and the quality they deserve. Compare Democrats’ socialist plan with President Trump’s real solutions  More: Statement from Press Secretary Sarah Sanders The war on American energy is over President Trump traveled to Houston today, where he signed two important executive orders to continue the revival of American energy dominance. Under the Obama Administration, America had no shortage of energy supply but a huge shortage of the political will to become the world’s energy leader. Instead, crippling regulations stifled production and stalled projects—with the brunt of the pain felt by the workers who lost jobs and the families who were denied affordable electricity and gasoline. President Trump took office with a commitment to responsibly develop our abundant resources and put American energy back on top globally. Now, just two years into his Administration, the United States is the number one producer of oil and natural gas on Earth. Today’s actions continue this upward path by clearing the way for energy infrastructure development. The first order will speed up the approval process for vital energy projects—oil pipelines, roads, and railways—that were frequently blocked by entrenched bureaucrats. The second modernizes outdated regulations for liquefied natural gas export terminals, opening markets for American energy around the globe. Watch: President Trump is making American energy number 1 on Earth Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead President Donald J. Trump salutes as he boards Marine One on the South Lawn | April 10, 2019 The White House • April 9, 2019 The world’s worst immigration laws Time and again, President Donald J. Trump has warned that America’s immigration and border security systems are outdated and at risk of being overwhelmed. Today, nearly 3 years after he first issued a call to action, that is exactly what is happening. The problem begins with a broken patchwork of immigration loopholes and opportunistic court rulings, which President Trump has asked Congress to help him fix for more than a year. The situation only grows worse by the day. “A liberal activist judge in San Francisco ruled the United States and Mexico can’t work together to address asylum issues at the border,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders wrote this morning. Congress chose not to act. So President Trump alone must address the consequences. In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were involved in more than 100,000 border enforcement actions—the highest number for any single month in more than a decade. For context, that figure is up more than 500 percent since March 2017. Behind these numbers is a new story and a new problem. In the past, a large majority of illegal immigrants were single adult males from Mexico who could be returned across the border quickly. Today, the surge comes from “asylum seekers” from Central America, many of whom are coached by smugglers on how to exploit America’s generous system for refugees. The predictable result is a meltdown at our border, as law enforcement resources and personnel are diverted from core responsibilities and stretched far beyond capacity. On Friday, President Trump got a firsthand look at the emergency on our border. There’s no way to prepare for “the amount of people, ‘family units,’ and children, and now organized caravans that are coming across this border today,” Gloria Chavez, Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro Sector, told him. “Our agents are being stretched in so many different directions.” All of this can be fixed by Congress committing to immigration principles that a large majority of Americans agree with. But for now, it is up to President Trump to enforce our laws and close the gaps in our porous border. “It’s sad that Mexico is now doing more to secure our border than Democrats,” Press Secretary Sanders writes. “President Trump will do whatever it takes to keep Americans safe.” Asylum “child cages”—Obama built them. The media just didn’t care.  Statement: Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on district court ruling Real reform for American taxpayers When tax reform was being debated in Washington two years ago, President Trump had a non-negotiable priority: giving working families a fair shake. Because of this commitment, Americans are seeing welcome changes when filing their tax returns this year. One of those changes is a doubled child tax credit. When parents check that box this year, they’ll notice the credit has jumped from $1,000 to $2,000—per child.   🎬  Watch: Ivanka Trump on the new doubled child tax credit   Since its passage, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has helped millions of Americans receive bonuses, wage increases, and other important benefits. With 2019 Tax Day almost here, Americans are beginning to see the full weight of the reform that’s been delivered. See how President Trump’s tax reform is benefitting every community. Photo of the Day Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead President Donald J. Trump meets with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt | April 9, 2019