The HKCSS has signed the Memorandum on a Closer Cooperation between Hong Kong and Mainland China on Social Service in Jan this year. With reference with the framework, Dr. Wang Zhenyao, Director-General of Department of Social Welfare and Promotion of Charities Ministry of Civil Affairs, PRC, led a delegation to take part in the HKCSS’s a series of activities. One of them was “The Sharing session on how to facilitate the development of charity work between the Mainland and Hong Kong” on 26 Mar, 2010. Hong Kong personnel actively expressed their ideas to the delegation on the topics. Dr. Wang summarized several ways of cooperation with the HKCSS in the next stage. They were, 1. Setting up a online perform for an exchange of professional knowledge management; 2. Launching trial social service projects; 3. Publication of a series of practical social services books; 4. Facilitating the cooperation between Hong Kong and Mainland universities in conducting applied research.

To facilitate a better social services development in the Mainland China, the president of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Mr. Bernard Chan, led a delegation to meet Mr. Dou Yu Pei (竇玉沛) of the Ministry of Civil Affairs Bureau, Beijing, further to discuss a closer cooperation between two sides. A memorandum has been signed on 5 Jan 2010. Three areas of consensus are included:

The 5th “2 Shores 4 Places” forum was held in Dongguan, China in November. Social workers, scholars and officials from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan jointly participated the 2-day forum. Practitioners shared their experiences at their work and discussed the importance of community work in social development and found out the possible way-out in the future.

Issues concerning the people's livelihood, social work and social development have become the focus during this year's annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Premier Wen Jiabao also stressed the importance of paying closer attention to social development to ensure the wellbeing of the people and improve their lives in his government work report. He said that Chinese government would continue to give priority to addressing issues and challenges related to education, health care, employment, social security net and the system of low-rent housing.
Under this background, 4 invited speakers (2 deputies to NPC and 2 members of CPPCC) will share their insights and observations from the annual sessions and listen to the feedback from the Hong Kong social service sector. The objectives of the Sharing Session are: 1. Deliver the messages and discussions concerning the national development, people's livelihood, social work and social development during this year's annual sessions of the NPC and the CPPCC. 2. Exchange views with Hong Kong NGOs on national development and social service development in China such as the establishment of social work system.

Under Supplement IV to the CEPA, Hong Kong service providers will be allowed to operate elderly service agencies in the form of wholly-owned private non-government enterprises to provide elderly services in Guangdong Province on a pilot basis starting from January 2008. Our invited speakers both from government and social service sector will examine the relevant liberation measures and share their insights in operating elderly service in Guangdong. Discussion will focus on ways to make the measures workable and feasible for elderly service development in Guangdong.

To facilitate exchange and understanding on social needs in the Guangdong Province, our Council and the Department of Civil Affairs of Guangdong Province are going to organize a study visit to ShaoGuan, Guangdong in April 18-20, 2007.
Flood and tornadoes seriously attacked China last year and caused great damages, causalities and homeless. More than 4 million people suffered from the disasters in the Guangdong Province. The provincial government has spent 2.3 hundred million RMB dollars for disaster relief. ShaoGuan was the most hard hit city in the province, with 20 thousands people became homeless, i.e. one third of those in the whole province.

The delegation will visit households in ShaoGuan that have been hard hit by natural disasters, shelters had been re-built, many of the follow-up services remain greatly needed. The major purpose of the visit is to get to know the social needs of the poor, the disabled, women and children, both in the rural and urban areas, and to understand the relief and development work plan of the civil affairs units in the city. Please visit http://www.hkcss.org.hk/irn/Chi_website/Guangdong%20Visit.doc for detailed information of the event.

The Eleventh Five-Year Plan has just been endorsed in the 10th People's Congress of the nation. Among all the strategic missions mentioned, the so-called "SanNong" Issue (Farming Industry, The Rural, and Farmers) tops the list. The Prime Minister calls for more efforts to pool resources and channel public services for the development of the rural areas and for better livelihood of the farmers.

The Plan and other details and discussions of it can be obtained from China.com.cn