Talking points

The Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races kick off in Victoria Harbour. The three-day event, which grew out of a series of races among local fishermen, is now in its 38th year. The races will see more than 5,000 paddlers from 200 teams and 11 countries and regions vie for 20 dragon boat championship titles. A new addition this year is a "celebrity bathtub race" which will see lawmakers and business leaders attempt to row 100 metres in a tub.

Taiwan's top mainland affairs negotiator Lin Join-sane is in Shanghai for his first round of talks with his new mainland counterpart, Chen Deming. The two sides are expected to sign a cross-strait services trade accord during the visit. The agreement is expected to open up cross-strait working for a number of services and professions, though doctors, architects and lawyers are expected to be excluded.