HONG KONG - China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Netherlands on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mark the establishment of a bilateral Working Holiday Scheme for young people of the two places.The agreement was signed by the HKSAR government's Secretary for Labor and Welfare, Law Chi-kwong, and the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong, Annemieke Ruigrok.Law said, "Apart from broadening their horizons, this scheme provides an opportunity for young people in Hong Kong and the Netherlands to gain living and working experience in a foreign culture."Ruigrok hailed the MoU as a sign of the excellent shape of friendly relations between the Netherlands and Hong Kong. She encouraged young people to make full use of the opportunities provided by the scheme. "This will lead to a deeper understanding of each other's cultures, which will further strengthen our relations, today and in the future," she said.The scheme with the Netherlands is Hong Kong's 13th working holiday scheme. Since 2001, Hong Kong has established working holiday schemes with New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Germany, Japan, Canada, South Korea, France, Britain, Austria, Hungary and Sweden. So far, more than 85,000 Hong Kong youths have benefited from these schemes.The working holiday scheme between Hong Kong and the Netherlands will commence operation on Jan 1 next year. Under the scheme, youths from each side will be able to apply for a visa, which will allow them to stay in the Netherlands or Hong Kong for up to 12 months. During the period, they may work to finance their stay or study short-term courses. There will be an annual quota of 100 from each side. rubber wristbands in bulksilicone wristbandscustom fidgetrubber bracelet makercustom wristbands no minimum
BEIJING - China's growing number of bespectacled youth have caught the attention of national leaders. On Wednesday, the annual National Eye Health Day, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan ordered schools and health departments to do more to prevent shortsightedness among young people. Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the central authorities have crafted measures to deal with this specific problem and strict enforcement at local levels is now needed. Health experts say more than 450 million Chinese suffer from shortsightedness, which occurs more often among children and junior adults. Bad reading habits and overuse of electronic devices are to blame. In Beijing alone, 58.6 percent of students in primary and middle schools suffer from poor eyesight, according to a government survey conducted two years ago. The students' eyesight deteriorates as they advance in their studies, the survey has found. A whopping 89.4 percent of senior high students were found to have eyesight problems. When visiting a primary school in central Beijing, Sun said schools should improve infrastructure to ensure a good learning environment and step up supervision to correct bad habits that harm students' eyesight. She said schools are regarded as the main battlefield to fight shortsightedness because students spend a lot of time on campus. Schools should strictly enforce the twice-a-day eye exercise routine and set aside at least one hour a day for students to do physical activities, Sun ordered. She suggested education authorities add eyesight protection to schools' performance assessments. During her visit to a community health center, Sun urged health workers to set up dossiers to monitor changes in each student's eyesight and intervene as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration, especially acute shortsightedness. We should create a good environment in which the government takes overall charge, departments cooperate, experts give guidance, schools educate, and families pay attention, Sun said. Let every child have a pair of bright eyes for their bright future.
