This photo taken from the official Facebook page of Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan, secretary for the civil service of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, shows Yeung (11th left) and senior civil servants posing for a photo before their flight at the Hong Kong International Airport on June 25, 2023.

HONG KONG - Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan led on Sunday over 20 permanent secretaries and heads of departments to Beijing and Zhejiang province for a study program and duty visit.

In a statement, the Civil Service Bureau said the group study activity, which has the largest number of participants ever, is of great significance and sets a good example to the civil service of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government in attaching great importance to national studies.

The delegation will take up national studies at the National Academy of Governance in Beijing, then proceed to Zhejiang province for a duty visit on June 27

“The trip aims to enable the most senior colleagues in the civil service of the HKSAR government to reinforce their understanding of the country’s important policies and future development strategies through the study program and duty visit,” the statement reads.

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The program and visit will also help them formulate and implement policies and initiatives to foster Hong Kong's integration into national development, it added.

The delegation will take up national studies at the National Academy of Governance (NAG) in Beijing, then proceed to Zhejiang province for a duty visit on June 27 to obtain a deeper understanding of the practical experience of grassroots governance and common prosperity as well as the preparatory work for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games.

The delegates will return to Hong Kong from Hangzhou on June 30, the statement added.

The CSB and the National Academy of Governance signed on June 15 the Agreement on the Dedicated National Studies Program for Senior Directorate Civil Servants.

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The dedicated program aims to enhance participants' knowledge about the country's policies of governance, deepen their understanding of the country's political system and formulation of important policies, and strengthen their communication and contact with senior mainland officials for further mutual exchanges.

The program includes lectures and site visits, with contents covering the Constitution, the Basic Law, safeguarding national security and the country's latest policies and developments.