{"total-count": 66, "returned-count": 66, "results": [{"title": "LCQ18: Claims handled by Small Claims Tribunal (21.10.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/21/P2026102100365.htm", "date": "21.10.2026", "description": "Following is a question by the Hon Christine Fong and a written reply by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, in the Legislative Council today (October 21): Questions: The Small Claims Tribunal (the Tribunal) aims to provide a fast track for members of the public to resolve small civil claims without undergoing cumbersome proceedings. Currently, the Tribunal may only handle claims with a value of up to HK$75,000. This limit has remained unchanged for years since it was raised from HK$50,000 to its current level in 2018. There are views suggesting a need to review the aforementioned limit as the sums involved in commercial and civil disputes have risen amid Hong Kong's economic development and changes in property rents and general consumer price index in recent years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the number of claims received by the Tribunal in each of the past three years (2023 to 2025) and the nature of the major claims, broken down by the following claim amounts ((i) HK$25,000 or below, (ii) above HK$25,000 to HK$50,000, and (iii) above HK$50,000 to HK$75,000); (2) of the number of cases over the past three years in which claimants have opted to expressly declare in their claim document that they abandon that part of their claim above the HK$75,000 limit in order to have their cases adjudicated by the Tribunal, given that the Small Claims Tribunal Ordinance (Cap. 338) provides that no claim shall be split or divided and pursued in separate proceedings in the Tribunal for the sole purpose of bringing the sum claimed in each of such proceedings within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal; (3) whether the Tribunal's current judicial resources and staffing are sufficient to cope with the existing caseload, given that the respective average processing times for small claims (from filing of a case to first hearing) over the past three years (2023 to 2025) were 35, 41 and 41 days, according to the information provided by the Judiciary in response to the Finance Committee's examination of the Estimates of Expenditure 2026-2027; (4) given that years have passed since the limit for claims handled by the Tribunal was raised in 2018, whether the Government and the Judiciary have reviewed the Tribunal's claim limit on a regular basis; if yes, when was the most recent review conducted, and what were its findings; if not, whether reconsideration will be given to further raising the claim limit (e.g. to HK$100,000 or higher) in light of the current economic environment and inflation rate, so as to alleviate the caseload of the District Court and provide the public with a more cost-effective channel for claims; and (5) given that the Judiciary is implementing the integrated Court Case Management System by phases, whether the authorities have assessed if full implementation of electronic operations can further enhance the Tribunal's efficiency in case handling, thereby better preparing the technical support for raising the claim limit? Reply: President, Based on the information provided by the Judiciary, the Government’s reply is as follows: (1) and (2) According to the Small Claims Tribunal Ordinance (Cap. 338), the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT) currently deals with monetary claims not exceeding $75,000. The major types of claims handled by the SCT include debts, service charges, damage to property, goods sold, and consumer claims. The respective number of cases filed to the SCT and the breakdown on the claim amount in the past three years (2023-2025) are appended below: Claim Amount (HK$) Number of Cases Filed 2023 (%) 2024 (%) 2025 (%) ≤ 25,000 33 817 (65%) 39 510 (69%) 39 006 (70%) > 25,000 - ≤ 50,000 7 820 (15%) 8 180 (14%) 7 862 (14%) > 50,000 - ≤ 75,000 10 667 (20%) 9 764 (17%) 9 191 (16%) Total 52 304 (100%) 57 454 (100%) 56 059 (100%) The Judiciary does not maintain the other requested statistics. (3) Despite the persistent heavy caseload of the SCT, with over 50 000 cases each year since 2023, the target average waiting time for the SCT has consistently been met. This is mainly attributed to the substantive and dedicated efforts of Judges and Judicial Officers as well as support staff made in encouraging parties to go through alternative dispute settlement mechanism (including mediation and out-of-court settlement) instead of trials. In 2025, over 90 per cent of the cases disposed of in the SCT were settled through alternative dispute settlement mechanism or withdrawal by parties. The current resource provisions are adequate to cope with the workload at the SCT. The Judiciary will continue to closely monitor the situation and flexibly deploy its resources to support the services at the SCT having regard to operational needs. (4) The jurisdictional limit of the SCT was increased from $50,000 to $75,000 with effect from December 3, 2018. The increase was made having regard to a comprehensive and objective review, taking into account a host of factors, including the need to enhance access to justice, impact on demand for and operation of the SCT’s services, changes in economic indicators as well as stakeholders’ views. Since then, the Judiciary has been closely monitoring the caseload of the SCT. According to statistics on cases filed with the SCT involving claim amounts exceeding $50,000, the annual number of such cases from 2020 to 2022 was around 43 per cent lower than that in 2019, due to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on court operations. Although the caseload figures increased from 2023 to 2025, such cases remain around 31 per cent on average below the 2019 level. The percentage share of such cases has fallen considerably from around 26 per cent in 2019 to 20 per cent in 2023 and 16 per cent in 2025. There does not appear to be an imminent need for increasing the jurisdictional limit of SCT to $100,000. Since any further adjustment of the jurisdictional limit of the SCT could have a significant impact on the administration of justice for parties of the affected cases, as well as SCT’s caseload, operation and delivery of its services to court users, the Judiciary considers it more prudent to monitor and collate data over a longer period with a view to assessing the need and timing for any further changes to the jurisdictional limit. (5) The Judiciary has always been committed to enhancing the operational efficiency of the courts through the application of technology. The integrated Court Case Management System (iCMS) was extended to bulk claim cases at the SCT in October 2024, providing court users with one-stop services including electronic filing, electronic payment, electronic document management, and checking case progress. As of September 2026, over 22 700 bulk claim cases have been initiated through the iCMS, accounting for around 74 per cent of the total number of such cases. The Judiciary is planning to further extend the iCMS to non-bulk claim cases and miscellaneous proceedings at the SCT in the first quarter of 2027. The full implementation of electronic operations will not only streamline administrative procedures but also enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the SCT in handling a large volume of cases. Ends/Wednesday, October 21, 2026 Issued at HKT 12:40 NNNN"}, {"title": "Government announces rollout of new batch of signature tourism projects by Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots (16.10.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/16/P2026101600303.htm", "date": "16.10.2026", "description": "The Government announced today (October 16) that the Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots (Working Group), led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will progressively roll out four projects during the next phase starting from the fourth quarter of 2026, to provide visitors with more diversified tourism experiences with Hong Kong characteristics. Mr Cheuk said, \"In response to the growing pursuit of in-depth tourism experiences by visitors to Hong Kong, the Government has been committed to identifying and integrating tourism resources with potential in Hong Kong. Through strengthening cross-departmental co-ordination and leveraging community efforts, the nine tourist hotspot projects rolled out in the first phase have been well received. Starting from the end of this year, the Working Group will roll out tourist hotspot projects covering themes such as industrial brands, miniature art, religious culture and local characteristics in phases, showcasing Hong Kong's unique cultural heritage and city landscape to visitors.\" Details of the four projects are as follows: 1. Phase two of the Hong Kong industrial brand tourism The Hong Kong industrial brand tourism scheme has been well received since its launch. The next phase will further introduce different types of brands to provide visitors with more diversified options. The newly added projects include the depots of Kowloon Motor Bus, the MTR \"Station Rail Voyage: Explorer\" exhibition, and the Beijing Tong Ren Tang's Hong Kong production and research and development base. Visitors can visit the relevant brand facilities through a \"group-in, group-out\" mode to learn about the history of the brands and the production processes of related products. The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong will continue to be commissioned to handle the reservation and co-ordination work of local travel agents. The visit arrangements for the relevant projects are expected to be progressively rolled out from the fourth quarter of this year. 2. Hong Kong Miniature City Exhibition To enrich the tourism experience at the Peak, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong will recreate the \"Hong Kong Miniature City Exhibition\" at the Peak Tower starting from the fourth quarter of this year. The new exhibition will feature exquisite new miniature art exhibits that vividly showcase Hong Kong's landmark buildings, authentic customs and ways of life in three dimensions, allowing visitors to savour the unique charm of Hong Kong while touring the Peak. 3. Promoting immersive religious and cultural tours To enhance tourists' sightseeing experiences through the use of technology, the Chinese Temples Committee is progressively strengthening the digitalisation and cultural promotion measures for its administered temples, such as installing QR code display boards at the temples, and allowing visitors to learn about temple antiquities and redeem cultural souvenirs by mobile application in an interactive manner. The Government will further explore using temples as the core to connect historical buildings and monuments of cultural value across various districts, thereby creating itineraries for \"immersive temple culture tours\". 4. Seasons of Yuen Long district tourism promotion project ​To promote the distinctive cultural landscape of urban-rural integration in Yuen Long, the Yuen Long District Office will collaborate with district organisations to launch the Seasons of Yuen Long project, with a view to encouraging visitors to explore the local characteristics of the district under different themes all year round (for example, viewing the grand parade in Yuen Long town centre during the Tin Hau Festival, and visiting the district’s natural and ecological attractions during autumn and winter to see red leaves and observe migratory birds). The project comprises the production of a tourist map, the development of a thematic website, and the installation of themed information boards near landmarks in the town centre and rural areas of Yuen Long. Deliverables are expected to be rolled out in phases from the fourth quarter of this year to the first quarter of next year. The Working Group expresses its gratitude to the organisations and brands involved in the above projects for their active participation and support. The Government will continue to promote cross-sectoral collaboration and encourage the trade to continuously develop tourism projects that can showcase different characteristics of Hong Kong, enriching visitors' experiences in the city, encouraging them to extend their stays, and attracting them to visit Hong Kong again. Ends/Friday, October 16, 2026 Issued at HKT 11:58 NNNN"}, {"title": "CE attends opening ceremony of Huanggang Port (11.10.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/11/P2026101100371.htm", "date": "11.10.2026", "description": "The redeveloped Huanggang Port will open at 6.30am tomorrow (October 12). The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, officiated at the opening ceremony at the Mainland Port Area of the Huanggang Port today (October 11) alongside the Director of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress, Mr Huang Chuping; the Standing Committee Member of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and the Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Jin Lei; the Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government, Mr Li Yun; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Mr Luo Yonggang; the Director General of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, Ms Zhang Geping; the Director of Bureau III of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zou Jinsong; and the Deputy Director of the Department of Border Security Check of the National Immigration Administration, Ms Mo Haiying. The National 15th Five-Year Plan proposed consolidating and enhancing the role of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an engine for high-quality development, as well as strengthening regional infrastructure connectivity. The redevelopment of the Huanggang Port signifies the proactive alignment of the HKSAR Government with national development strategies, representing a key project through which Hong Kong actively integrates into and serves the overall national development. The Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan announced by the HKSAR Government last month explicitly set out to leverage the strengths of the redeveloped Huanggang Port, implement the co-location arrangement, and adopt the novel \"collaborative inspection and joint clearance\" mode. The official opening of the Huanggang Port signifies a major milestone achieved by Hong Kong and Shenzhen in enhancing the layout of boundary control points, and improving clearance efficiency, and facilitating cross-boundary flow of people. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Lee said that the Huanggang Port redevelopment project is a landmark undertaking built upon the close partnership and concerted efforts between Hong Kong and Shenzhen for joint contribution and shared benefits. The official opening of the redeveloped port reflects that connectivity within the Greater Bay Area has reached a new height, serving as a faithful demonstration promoting \"hard connectivity\" in infrastructure, fostering \"soft connectivity\" of rules and mechanisms, and achieving \"connectivity of hearts\" between the residents of the Mainland and Hong Kong. The redeveloped Huanggang Port is positioned as the most important 24-hour passenger land boundary control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The design flow of the redeveloped Huanggang Port is 200 000 passenger trips per day, and could be further increased to about 300 000 upon the future commissioning of the Northern Link Spur Line of the MTR Corporation Limited. With the staunch support of the Central Authorities, the Huanggang Port implements the co-location arrangement with clearly delineated Hong Kong Port Area and Mainland Port Area. The Huanggang Port is also the first land boundary control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen adopting the \"collaborative inspection and joint clearance\" mode, further enhancing passenger clearance experience and efficiency. Under this new clearance mode, clearance time will be significantly reduced from around 30 minutes at the original Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port, to approximately five minutes. The 23rd Meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) passed the decision to authorise the HKSAR to exercise jurisdiction over the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area and Related Extended Areas (Hong Kong Port Area) on June 26 this year. Subsequently, the State Council issued an Official Reply on July 8, stipulating the specific co-ordinates and area of the Hong Kong Port Area, and agreeing that the Hong Kong Port Area is to be commissioned beginning at 00.00 hours of July 31, 2026, and is to be subject to the jurisdiction of the HKSAR in accordance with the laws of the HKSAR. The Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Ordinance (Cap. 659), together with the relevant subsidiary legislation, came into operation on July 31. Since the establishment of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area on July 31, the HKSAR Government has been pressing ahead at full steam with the various preparatory tasks for the opening of the port, including conducting drills and tests of various scales, as well as continuously enhancing detailed arrangements to prepare comprehensively for the opening of the port. Having confirmed that the port is ready for safe, smooth and efficient operation, Hong Kong and Shenzhen issued a joint statement on October 9, announcing that the redeveloped Huanggang Port will officially open at 6.30am of October 12, 2026, providing 24-hour clearance services for passengers and passenger vehicles. Officials of the HKSAR Government attending the ceremony included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau; the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming; the Director of Immigration, Mr Benson Kwok; the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip. Ends/Sunday, October 11, 2026 Issued at HKT 15:20 NNNN"}, {"title": "Increase in visitor arrivals during Golden Week boosts business across industries (8.10.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/08/P2026100800615.htm", "date": "8.10.2026", "description": "The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (October 8) announced that the seven-day National Day Golden Week of the Mainland (October 1 to 7) concluded smoothly yesterday (October 7). A total of around 1.6 million inbound visitors were recorded. Among them, Mainland visitors accounted for more than 1.41 million, which exceeds the number of Mainland visitors recorded at the eight-day National Day Golden Week of the Mainland last year. The arrangements for the reception of visitors proceeded in an orderly manner, with bustling crowds creating a lively atmosphere in the city that boosted business across various industries. Mr Chan said, \"This year's National Day Golden Week of the Mainland offered a variety of vibrant activities. The National Day fireworks display, the National Day Raceday and other events held on October 1 were well received by members of the public and visitors. At the same time, the Government and different sectors of the community launched a rich array of special offers and activities, covering public transport; culture, arts and leisure; as well as dining and consumption, to celebrate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with the public. These activities effectively attracted crowds and stimulated consumption, with retail sector indicating that consumer spending in various retail categories saw single-digit to double-digit growth year-on-year, while the catering sector also indicated that businesses in tourist areas increased by about 10 per cent. The Government will continue to work hand in hand with the industry to promote diversified tourism products and projects, creating an all-round and in-depth tourism experience for visitors and continuously injecting momentum into the local economy.\" Visitor flow, situation at control points, and traffic and public transport arrangements During the seven-day National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the daily average number of Mainland visitors was around 202 000. The arrival of Mainland visitors peaked on October 1, with around 277 000 visitors. During the Golden Week, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point received the highest number of Mainland visitors, followed by the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point. To cope with the increased passenger flows during the Golden Week, relevant departments deployed additional manpower. The Immigration Department opened additional counters, temporary counters and vehicle clearance kiosks in advance at land boundary control points (BCPs) to facilitate passenger and vehicular flows. The Security Bureau activated the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre during the holidays to closely monitor and co-ordinate public order across various districts, including various BCPs. The overall operation of the control points and traffic were smooth and orderly. The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department (TD) operated round the clock at an escalated tier to holistically monitor traffic and public transport conditions across the city and at BCPs, major stations and various tourist hotspots. The TD steered local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to step up their carrying capacity, including enhancing MTR train services to and from Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau Stations, strengthening Express Rail Link train services to and from Futian, Shenzhenbei and Beijingxi Stations, enhancing cross-boundary coach services, increasing the frequency of bus services connecting land BCPs and increasing the capacity of inner-harbour ferry services for the convenience of residents and visitors. PTOs also deployed additional staff to maintain order and reserved sufficient vehicles and manpower to further enhance services when necessary. Overall traffic conditions were generally smooth during the Golden Week. Mega events and major tourist attractions The National Day Fireworks Display over Victoria Harbour on October 1 attracted over 378 000 spectators. The event concluded with effective crowd control arrangements and was well-received by locals and tourists. The National Day Raceday at Sha Tin Racecourse attracted nearly 30 000 attendees, including over 9 300 tourists. The Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival 2026 and International Lantern Spectacular held at Victoria Park saw an enthusiastic response. The event period was extended twice, drawing a total of around 730 000 visitors. Visitors to Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week were spread across different tourist attractions in the city, including theme parks, the Peak, Ngong Ping, Avenue of Stars, etc. Overall visitor flow was high and crowd management work was smooth and effective. At East Dam of the High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, various departments took measures to control traffic, increase the frequency of minibuses, publish visitor flow information, and strengthen cleaning services as needed according to the plan formulated before the Golden Week. As regards the public transport service, upon the TD's advanced deployment and co-ordination, the operator of Green Minibus route No. 9A enhanced services plying the route between Pak Tam Chung and East Dam of High Island Reservoir in response to passenger demand and traffic conditions during the Golden Week. Overall services were generally smooth. Moreover, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) piloted a reservation system for the Po Pin Chau section and deployed additional staff at the viewing platform, as well as using drones for patrols and public announcements. Visitors complied with on-site staff instructions, and the pedestrian flow was smooth and orderly. As for the campsites at Ham Tin Wan, Sai Wan and Long Ke Wan, the AFCD and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) conducted joint operations to keep the campsites and the Ham Tin Public Toilet clean, and deployed staff to conduct day-and-night patrols, with stationed personnel reminding campers of camping etiquette and regulations. The usage, hygiene and orderliness of the various campsites were generally good. The AFCD also strengthened publicity and education along Sections 1 and 2 of the MacLehose Trail and at designated campsites nearby. At Sharp Island and the Shui Hau sandflat on Lantau Island, the AFCD and other departments strengthened patrols, using drones to assist in monitoring coastal areas. They also conducted public education activities jointly with WWF-Hong Kong and the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation respectively, to promote marine conservation messages to visitors. To strengthen coral conservation at Sharp Island, the AFCD deployed additional staff to remind visitors not to damage, disturb, feed or collect marine life. Snorkelling and kayaking guides were also deployed to patrol nearshore areas and remind snorkellers to enter and exit the water via coral-friendly routes to avoid accidentally stepping on corals. Inbound tour groups and hotel occupancy rates In terms of Mainland inbound tour groups, around 1 140 Mainland inbound tour groups brought over 41 000 visitors to Hong Kong during the seven-day National Day Golden Week, with around 60 per cent engaged in overnight itineraries. The general order was good, and the overall hotel occupancy rate reached 90 per cent. Mr Chan was pleased to note that the series of festive events and special offers in celebration of the National Day were well received. He expressed gratitude to relevant government departments, organisations, and industry partners for their collaborative efforts and close co-ordination in receiving visitors, providing citizens and visitors with a joyful National Day holiday. Ends/Thursday, October 8, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:40 NNNN"}, {"title": "Fourth-term Human Resources Planning Commission convenes seventh meeting (5.10.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/05/P2026100500450.htm", "date": "5.10.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (October 5) chaired the seventh meeting of the fourth-term Human Resources Planning Commission. At the meeting, the Census and Statistics Department briefed members on the latest situation and characteristics of Hong Kong's labour force, employment and population. Under the influence of factors such as population ageing, Hong Kong's overall labour force participation rate has been on a downward trend, which has nevertheless been alleviated by the various talent admission and labour importation measures. Members noted that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased slightly from 3.7 per cent in May-July 2026 to 3.8 per cent in June-August 2026, and that the youth unemployment situation warrants attention. Members understood that the rise in unemployment and the youth employment situation are structural challenges faced by most advanced economies worldwide, and Hong Kong is no exception. They were also pleased to note that the Government continues to invest heavily in education and skills training to enhance the skills and competitiveness of the local workforce, including launching the two-year 30 000 Youth Employment and Internship Programme announced in the 2026 Policy Address to facilitate youth employment and development. The Labour Department will also launch the \"Youth Employment Link\" online service portal to facilitate young people's access to employment information and support services. Looking ahead, the continued expansion of the local economy is expected to underpin overall labour market conditions. The Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) also briefed members at the meeting on the results of the report on the Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection. The report indicates that the overall manpower shortage in Hong Kong has been alleviated, benefiting from the various talent admission and labour importation measures implemented by the Government over the past three years. The overall manpower shortage in 2028 is projected to narrow from the previous projection of approximately 180 000 to some 130 000. The demand for emerging AI experts continues to grow, particularly for \"composite talent\" who possesses both AI application skills and sector-specific knowledge. The Government will formulate corresponding measures in response to the results of the mid-term update, including strengthening local training and enhancing the talent admission measures. Members were pleased to note that the Government will continue to promote \"AI for All\" and support lifelong learning, ensuring that the skills of the labour force remain aligned with Hong Kong's future economy. The Hong Kong's First Five-Year plan promulgated in the middle of last month clearly sets out that, on the premise of protecting local workers, the Government will closely monitor changes in labour supply and demand, and dynamically adjust the types and number of workers to be imported. The LWB will soon commence a new round of review of the Talent List. In the course of the review, reference will be made to the latest developments of various industries and the manpower demand situation as set out in the report, with the addition of more talent categories relating to AI application. Members expressed their views on the review at the meeting and supported the Government in continuing to closely monitor the labour market and in formulating and refining forward-looking manpower policies on a rolling basis, with a view to maintaining manpower supply to support economic development while safeguarding the employment priority for local workers. Members also received a briefing from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau on the latest progress in promoting new industrialisation in Hong Kong, covering the overall strategy and key measures. The briefing set out how Hong Kong will drive industrial transformation and reshape a new industrialisation system with distinctive local advantages through a series of measures to accelerate the translation of mid-stream research outcomes and support downstream industrial development, including sustaining traditional industries through technological upgrading and transformation; cultivating emerging industries to accelerate their integration into and serve the nation's modern industrial system; planning for future industries to seize the first-mover advantage for high-quality development; and strengthening producer services. Members recognised the Government's efforts in promoting new industrialisation, and hoped to see Hong Kong's competitive advantages consolidated and sustainable economic development fostered. Ends/Monday, October 5, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:15 NNNN"}, {"title": "Government holds Learning Outcomes Sharing Session of "Salute to the National Flag" Beijing Visit Delegation to promote outcomes of the activity among young people and all sectors of society (2.10.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/02/P2026100200804.htm", "date": "2.10.2026", "description": "To further consolidate and deepen the educational effectiveness of the \"Salute to the National Flag\" Hong Kong and Macao Youth Flag-Raising Teams' Beijing Visit Delegation, the Education Bureau today (October 2) held a learning outcomes sharing session of the delegation at Kowloon Technical School. About 250 student representatives of the delegation from tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools shared what they had seen, heard and felt during the five-day visit to Beijing, with a view to promote the outcomes of the activity among more young people and various sectors of the society. In particular, the session brought to a wider audience the cordial remarks and exhortations of President Xi and the Central Government to Hong Kong and Macao young people, conveyed by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, Mr Ding Xuexiang, when he received the delegation at the Great Hall of the People, with the aim of continuously promoting patriotic education in schools and the community. The session was officiated by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; the Director-General of the Education and Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Dr Wang Weiming; the Convenor of the Working Group on Patriotic Education, Dr Eliza Chan; the Director of the Association of Hong Kong Flag-guards, Mr Ng Wun-kit; and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association, Dr Bunny Chan, were also in attendance. Speaking at the session, Mr Chan said that the delegation was a high-level \"walking classroom\", enabling students, through the solemn flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square, to feel for themselves the national dignity represented by the national flag and the national anthem, deepen their understanding of the symbolic meaning of the national flag, and strengthen their sense of national identity and patriotism. From the country's millennia-old cultural heritage to the development achievements of the new era, students experienced at first hand our country's journey from arduous struggle to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. He said, \"What is even more remarkable is that the delegation was received in person by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, Mr Ding Xuexiang, and the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, at the Great Hall of the People. Vice Premier Ding conveyed the cordial remarks and exhortations of President Xi and the Central Government to the young people from Hong Kong and Macao, enabling students to feel the care and expectations of the Central Authorities for Hong Kong and Macao young people, and to understand more deeply the important meaning carried by the national flag.\" Mr Chan emphasised that patriotic education has all along been a top priority of the work of the HKSAR Government. Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address, both released in the middle of last month, also list the promotion of patriotic education as a key task. And today's learning outcomes sharing session aims to pass on more widely and further what the students learned in Beijing, so that more young people may gain a deeper understanding of the important meaning of the national flag and feel more deeply our country's care and concern for young people. The Government will continue to join hands with various sectors of the society and, through rich and diverse means, enable young people to build a firm sense of national identity, national confidence and a sense of responsibility through first-hand experience. Today's sharing session began with a flag-raising ceremony. A joint team formed by flag-raising teams of the Association of Hong Kong Flag-guards and the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association, drawing on the experience of exchanges and interaction in Beijing with the People's Liberation Army Ceremonial Escort Battalion, conducted a solemn flag-raising ceremony. Booths were also set up at the session for members of the delegation to introduce their learning experience in Beijing. ​ The \"Salute to the National Flag\" Delegation conducted its thematic activity in Beijing from September 18 to 22. About 1 200 flag-raising team representatives, teachers, students and youth group representatives from Hong Kong and Macao took part. The visit aimed to enable participating students to witness in person the solemn flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square and experience the historical culture of the capital and our country's development achievements, to combine what they felt at first hand with what they had learned in class, to deepen their sense of national identity and patriotism, and to take root the spirit and sentiment of patriotism in the hearts of young people. Ends/Friday, October 2, 2026 Issued at HKT 21:40 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS chairs interdepartmental working group meeting on festival arrangements (23.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/23/P2026092300605.htm", "date": "23.9.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (September 23) chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements to holistically co-ordinate and steer the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland (i.e. from October 1 to 7). The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-sun, and representatives from other relevant government departments also attended. Mr Chan said, \"The number of visitor arrivals is expected to increase during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. The Government will make good preparations for receiving visitors, and maintain close liaison with relevant organisations and the travel trade to prepare well for crowd management, information dissemination and arrangements of public transportation and boundary control points (BCPs), with a view to responding promptly to various kinds of emergencies and ensuring the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving visitors and offering them a high-quality experience.\" Estimated visitor flow and preparatory work According to the Immigration Department (ImmD)'s estimate, around 1.29 million Mainland visitors will visit Hong Kong via various sea, land and air control points during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Compared with last year's National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the daily average visitor arrivals are expected to increase by over five per cent. According to the estimate of the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) and the trade, it is anticipated that about 1 180 inbound tour groups will visit Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. The TIA has reminded travel agents receiving Mainland inbound tour groups to stagger arrival times as far as possible. The TIA will co-ordinate with relevant agencies such as tourist spots operators to adopt appropriate diversion measures to enable proper management of visitor flows and tour buses, with a view to offering visitors a pleasant travel experience. Major tourist spot operators have also formulated special arrangements to handle the estimated increase in people flows. The Hong Kong community is expected to become more vibrant due to the visitor influx during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, bringing opportunities to various sectors. District offices will also closely monitor the flow of visitors within their respective districts and notify relevant departments having regard to the actual circumstances with a view to strengthening management of the relevant spots. Co-ordinate control points, traffic and public transport facilities Relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers to enable flexible deployment of manpower and the operation of additional counters, temporary counters and channels, with a view to diverting passenger and vehicular flows. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Police, the ImmD, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), and other relevant departments will be activated from October 1 (Thursday) to October 7 (Wednesday) to monitor the real-time situations at various control points. The Joint Command Centre will maintain close liaison with the Mainland port authorities through the established port hotlines and real-time notification mechanism, and take timely contingency actions as necessary to flexibly deploy manpower at BCPs to ensure smooth operation of the land control points. The Security Bureau (SB) will activate the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland to closely monitor and co-ordinate the public order situation at various BCPs and facilitate interdepartmental follow-up actions where necessary to respond promptly to various kinds of emergencies. For public transport arrangements, the Transport Department (TD) has approached various public transport operators proactively to enhance their capacity, and reserve sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet the travel needs of passengers during peak periods. Among them, the MTR Corporation Limited will enhance the service of various railway lines (including the East Rail Line connecting the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Points) at different periods from September 30 (Wednesday) to October 7 (Wednesday) for the convenience of residents and visitors. The TD has also co-ordinated with relevant operators to enhance transportation services connecting various BCPs, including increasing the frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (i.e. Gold Bus and Yellow Bus) during peak hours to about one minute and two minutes respectively at their highest frequencies, as well as increasing the quota of cross-boundary coaches to strengthen services. The TD has also formulated contingency plans with frontline border control authorities to implement special traffic control measures at the HZMB Port, the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang port and the Shenzhen Bay Port as necessary, including providing a dedicated passage for public transport vehicles to ensure smooth public transport services. The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the TD will operate 24 hours a day at an escalated tier during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services in all districts (including tourist hotspots), BCPs, and major stations across Hong Kong, and take prompt measures to address service demands and disseminate the latest traffic updates through various channels. Protection of visitors The Government adopts a zero-tolerance stance towards coerced shopping and will take stringent action against any violations. Travel agents and tourist guides are obliged to ensure the safety and interests of visitors joining inbound tour groups, including protecting them from malpractices such as coerced shopping. The Government urges visitors to patronise licensed travel agents and call the TIA's hotline (3698 5900) to report incidents or contact the Police for assistance if they encounter improper treatment. The TIA will also conduct inspections in districts where relatively more registered shops for inbound tour groups are located, and offer assistance to visitors and tourist guides to protect inbound tour group visitors' rights. Additionally, the Police will continue to step up publicity, education and enforcement actions against the illegal acts of taxi drivers including overcharging and refusing hires. The TD will also step up publicity and education, urging taxi drivers to maintain good service attitudes and proactively assist passengers. The C&ED will step up enforcement and inspection of shops serving visitors to combat unfair trade practices. To ensure smooth traffic flows in tourist areas such as the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the Peak and various BCPs, the Police will step up enforcement actions against offences causing traffic congestion. Illegally parked vehicles that cause serious obstructions or pose an immediate danger will be ticketed and towed away immediately without prior warning. Management of country parks In view of the anticipated large number of visitors to the East Dam of High Island Reservoir and campsites such as Ham Tin Wan during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the Government will enhance management through interdepartmental collaboration. The Police will deploy uniformed officers at strategic locations at Pak Tam Chung, Man Yee Road and East Dam for traffic control during peak visitor arrival and departure periods. The TD has co-ordinated with the green minibus (GMB) operator to enhance the service of GMB Route No. 9A (Pak Tam Chung - East Dam of High Island Reservoir) subject to passenger demand. Furthermore, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will disseminate visitor flow information in the East Dam area via its \"Enjoy Hiking\" website to assist visitors in better planning their trips. The AFCD will continue the online real-name reservation trial arrangement for the Po Pin Chau section at the East Dam of High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung throughout the period of the Mainland's National Day Golden Week and implement crowd control measures at the Po Pin Chau section and viewing platform. For campsites such as Ham Tin Wan, Sai Wan and Long Ke Wan in Sai Kung, the AFCD will deploy additional staff to be stationed there, conduct day and night patrols, and will carry out immediate enforcement action upon detection of violations. A CCTV system will also be used to assist in monitoring the situation at the campsites. AFCD officers will step up on-site publicity to visitors on safe hiking, caring for the environment and animals and plants, maintaining cleanliness, observing camping etiquette and behaviour etc , and will enhance cleaning work around campsites such as Ham Tin Wan. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will also enhance cleaning services at the Ham Tin public toilet. At the same time, the FEHD is constructing an extension to the Ham Tin public toilet to provide additional cubicles and washing facilities, which are expected to be put into service during the Golden Week. Weather forecast A tropical cyclone is expected to edge towards the vicinity of the Luzon Strait and the seas east of Taiwan over the weekend and early next week. However, its subsequent movement remains uncertain with the longer forecast lead time. Meanwhile, a surge of the northeast monsoon will affect southern China in the later part of next week and there will be a few showers over Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) will provide relevant weather information as early as possible. Travellers are advised to check the HKO's nine-day weather forecast and the latest weather information, including special weather tips and weather warnings, before travelling. Information dissemination To assist visitors in planning their itineraries, the Government will strengthen information dissemination including the latest inbound visitor arrivals, the situation at various BCPs, information on events, transport arrangements, latest weather information, etc, to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation. The Hong Kong Tourism Board will launch a dedicated webpage at its one-stop travel information platform \"Discover Hong Kong\", which consolidates useful information during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. The webpage includes information about different celebrations, as well as the opening hours and waiting times of major attractions, public transportation and boundary-crossing services to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries more conveniently. Residents and visitors may visit \"Easy Boundary\" ( www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound ), a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the SB, to obtain useful information in one go, including the respective average waiting time for passengers and private cars at land BCPs, as well as for the HZMB cross-boundary shuttle bus and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus, to plan their trips and save waiting time. Ends/Wednesday, September 23, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:25 NNNN"}, {"title": ""Salute to the National Flag" Hong Kong and Macao Youth Flag-Raising Teams' Beijing Visit Delegation received by state leader (21.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/21/P2026092100749.htm", "date": "21.9.2026", "description": "The \"Salute to the National Flag\" Hong Kong and Macao Youth Flag-Raising Teams' Beijing Visit Delegation, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, was received by Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, Mr Ding Xuexiang, at the Great Hall of the People today (September 21). The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, several guests, primary and secondary students and teachers and post-secondary students from Hong Kong and Macao, as well as representatives from the Association of Hong Kong Flag-guards and the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association, also attended the meeting. Mr Chan expressed deep gratitude to Vice Premier Ding for personally guiding the Hong Kong and Macao youth and even more so to the nation for providing this valuable opportunity for students to take part in the solemn flag‑raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square and experience the historical culture and development achievements of the capital. He said that this was a rare and profound patriotic education experience. During the solemn flag‑raising ceremony, students felt the dignity of the national flag and anthem up close, deepening their understanding of the symbolic meaning of the flag, as well as national situation and development. Through a rich itinerary of visits, the students also gained a genuine appreciation of the challenges and accomplishments of the nation's journey from history to rejuvenation, further strengthening their national identity, the sense of national pride, affection for and sense of belonging to the country. Mr Chan emphasised that the trip is of great significance for promoting patriotic education in Hong Kong's primary and secondary schools. In addition to textbook learning, bringing students into the sites of national history and culture allows them to experience emotions firsthand and deepen their understanding through real stories, which greatly contributes to patriotic education. The delegation's itinerary organically integrated national flag education, history education, cultural education and national development education, making patriotism more concrete, vivid and powerful in the hearts of students, guiding them to consciously safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and aspiring to become a new generation that loves the country and Hong Kong and is willing to take responsibility. Ends/Monday, September 21, 2026 Issued at HKT 20:42 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS to visit Beijing (20.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/20/P2026092000289.htm", "date": "20.9.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will depart for Beijing in the afternoon today (September 20) to attend activities of \"Salute to the National Flag\" Hong Kong and Macao Youth Flag-Raising Teams' Beijing Visit Delegation on September 21. ​Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong on September 22. During Mr Chan's absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. Ends/Sunday, September 20, 2026 Issued at HKT 12:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum holds annual review (19.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/19/P2026091900492.htm", "date": "19.9.2026", "description": "The annual review of the Security Bureau (SB) Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum was held today (September 19). Members from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macao reviewed their experiences and achievements over the course of the year, presented on various topics, and outlined the development of the Leaders Forum for the coming year with its new members. Addressing the ceremony, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attached great importance to youth development. The Chief Executive has announced the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address last Wednesday. It was stated clearly in Chapter 19 of the Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan that diversified platforms would be developed for exchange and practical experience to broaden the horizons of young people. Building on the Youth Development Blueprint, they are provided with broader platforms and more opportunities to grow and thrive, and strive to nurture a new generation of young people with an affection for our country and Hong Kong, global perspective, ambition and a positive mindset. In the Policy Address, a number of measures were proposed to help young people explore new areas, including the introduction of a new thematic finance internship programme in the Mainland; the launch of thematic aerospace training activities in the Mainland; and an increase of thematic internship places relating to high-end scientific research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Mr Cheuk said, \"The Leaders Forum is an important platform for us to implement this grand vision. Over the past year, building on the strong foundation of close co-operation among Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Macao, the Leaders Forum has continued to innovate. During the year of 2025/2026, the Leaders Forum organised more than 30 activities covering national security, patriotic education, frontier technologies and multicultural themes. Our members also took part in national extravaganza such as the 15th National Games, demonstrating the vitality and sense of responsibility of the new generation. It is particularly encouraging that members have continued to go beyond the Greater Bay Area for a broader global stage this year. I encourage members to maintain your innovation and passion, engage in more exchanges and make contributions, develop your skills through serving the community and strive for the future.\" Members from the three places shared their observations and reflections from the activities of the Leaders Forum throughout the past year and their summer internship experiences. Students from Shenzhen University also shared their training experience in Hong Kong. They then delivered topical presentations on various issues related to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, including higher education collaboration, a low-carbon living blueprint, cultural and tourism industry developments, international image building, and a youth entrepreneurship ecosystem. The members received feedback from the guests. The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, expressed his satisfaction at the marked progress shown by members over the past year. He said that 51 members undertook summer internships at 26 renowned enterprises and organisations across cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Macao and Hong Kong. Nine students from Shenzhen University also came to Hong Kong for training at various companies to gain hands-on experience. Since the establishment of the Leaders Forum four years ago, he witnessed that more than 60 per cent of its graduates have joined the Government, taking up positions such as administrative officer and inspectorate officers of disciplinary forces; others have pursued careers in legal, medical care, engineering, finance and other sectors. Mr Tang said the National 15th Five-Year Plan this year has a dedicated section for youth development, while the HKSAR Government also for the first time formulated its own Five-Year Plan, through which the city could actively dovetail with national strategies and better integrate into and serve the overall development of the country. He said that future development opportunities for young people are unlimited and encouraged members of the Leaders Forum to get prepared. The SB established the Leaders Forum in October 2022 to deepen participation in youth work. In the following year, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Shenzhen University, and its students were invited to participate in the activities of the Leaders Forum. Later, the Leaders Forum expanded its network by including youth groups of public security forces of Macao, further promoting youth development and cultural exchanges among Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Macao. Ends/Saturday, September 19, 2026 Issued at HKT 16:05 NNNN"}, {"title": "Government announces Report on Ageing Society Strategies (18.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/18/P2026091800542.htm", "date": "18.9.2026", "description": "The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration (DCS), Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, joined by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare (SLW), Mr Chris Sun, and the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, held a press conference today (September 18) to announce the Report on Ageing Society Strategies (the Report) (see attachment). Mr Cheuk said, \"Hong Kong's society continues to age. It is projected that by 2046, the population aged 65 and above in Hong Kong will increase to 2.74 million, accounting for more than one-third of the total population. By then, approximately one in three Hong Kong residents will be an elder. In view of the challenges brought by an ageing society, the Government and all sectors of society must plan ahead. Since its establishment in November last year, the Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies (the Working Group) has comprehensively reviewed and explored the policies and measures of various bureaux in response to our ageing society, and has submitted the Report to the Chief Executive. The Report puts forward 73 strategic measures, including innovative and new measures as well as enhanced measures, representing the collective effort of cross-departmental collaboration to address the challenges brought by an ageing society.\" The strategic measures cover 11 areas, including elderly health care; elderly residential care services; cross-boundary elderly care; elderly community and living support; leveraging technology for \"smart ageing\"; elderly-friendly urban planning and design; elderly travel, social life and learning; elderly financial security and safety; human resources and public finances; silver economy, industries and opportunities; as well as after-death planning and related services. These multipronged strategic measures not only cater to the needs of the elderly across different aspects, but also comprehensively tackle the challenges spawned by an aging society. Among the measures put forward in the Report, on elderly health care, the Health Bureau (HHB) will strengthen healthcare services, facilities and manpower. It will integrate the services of Elderly Health Centres this year by increasing the number of service points and service capacity, providing more comprehensive health assessments and reducing waiting time with appropriate referrals to the Primary Healthcare Co-care Network for chronic disease management. The HHB will also explore including additional pilot medical institutions under the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme, and facilitate health management and cross-boundary health record sharing through eHealth in an orderly manner. The services of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Services of the Hospital Authority (HA) will also be enhanced, covering diseases common among the elderly. As regards healthcare facilities and manpower, the HHB will take into consideration the service needs arising from an ageing population when reviewing the Second Hospital Development Plan. Moreover, the HHB has commissioned the HA to carry out a new round of the healthcare manpower projection exercise, under which the supply and demand of healthcare manpower will be assessed taking into account factors such as demographic and age structure shifts (including an ageing society). For elderly residential care services and community care services, as announced in the Policy Address, the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) will increase the number of subsidised long-term care places for the elderly by around 3 500 by end 2027. Moreover, the LWB will provide, on a pilot basis, residential care home for the elderly premises newly built by the Government to the industry for self-financed operation to increase the overall capacity of residential care home places and allow service providers greater flexibility to provide diversified elderly residential care services according to market demands. Leveraging technology for \"smart ageing\" is another important aspect. To this end, the LWB will establish the \"welfare information sharing e-platform\" in phases to integrate social welfare data of relevant government departments and non-governmental organisations, as well as utilise AI to facilitate early identification of high-risk individuals or families, so as to enable timely intervention and targeted response. In addition, the LWB will set up an \"AI for Welfare Lab\" to identify pain points and difficulties encountered in social welfare services, as well as fund the development and pilot implementation of AI solutions, with a view to promoting their wide adoption across the social welfare sector. This will help enhance service efficiency and quality, improve resource matching, reduce administrative burdens on organisations and bring more precise and efficient support to groups in need. The LWB and the Social Welfare Department will also encourage the social welfare sector to provide services with innovative approaches, such as providing remote care services through online or hybrid modes so as to provide more flexible and sustainable care options for the elderly and their carers. Tentatively, social welfare organisations will test out such arrangements within 2026. The Government will continue to promote silver economy development. The Office of the Government Economist will analyse the changes in the socio-economic characteristics of the elderly population and consumption patterns, etc, to help formulate silver economy measures in line with market characteristics. In addition, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau will actively expand the certification schemes for elderly products and services and explore with relevant organisations the expansion of the scope of certification to other areas. This includes exploring the formulation of relevant standards for mobility aids, such as walking sticks, wheelchairs and exoskeleton systems, and studying their inclusion in the list of Greater Bay Area Standards. As the Report is forward-looking, the Government will review and update relevant parts based on the latest circumstances and data. For instance, the LWB will, having regard to the results of the 2026 Population Census, review the planning ratios for elderly facilities in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, together with relevant policy bureaux, will closely monitor the impact of the ageing society on public finances and consider the need to formulate appropriate measures in a timely manner. Mr Cheuk added that during the course of deliberation, the Working Group held five consultation sessions to widely listen to the views of the Elderly Commission and relevant industry stakeholders. The Working Group thanked all relevant sectors for providing valuable views, which are conducive to the formulation of measures by the Working Group to effectively respond to the needs of society. Policy bureaux and departments will progressively implement these measures. The Government will continue to join hands with all sectors of society to actively address ageing. The Chief Executive announced in the 2025 Policy Address the establishment of the Working Group, with the DCS as the leader and the SLW as the deputy leader. Members of the Working Group include all 15 policy bureaux and the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit. The full report is available on the website ( www.cso.gov.hk/eng/links/rass.htm ). Ends/Friday, September 18, 2026 Issued at HKT 20:15 NNNN"}, {"title": "Remarks by CE at press conference on Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan and Policy Address (16.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/16/P2026091600716.htm", "date": "16.9.2026", "description": "The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, held a press conference on the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030), and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address today (September 16). The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa also attended. Following are the remarks at the press conference: Reporter: Given that you have presented a detailed five-year plan for Hong Kong's future development, can you share a ballpark figure for the projected economic returns from this plan? And my second question is: In the Policy Address, you proposed 11 measures to boost the birth rate. How likely is it that these measures will become permanent? And what do you think young couples will think of them? Chief Executive: I will answer about what we do to promote fertility, and in regard to the economic projection, I will give it to the Financial Secretary to answer you. In regard to what we do to encourage people to bear a child, they will have to realistically look at their own situation. I basically want to clear as many hurdles as possible for people to bear a child. For those who have made up their mind not to bear any children, I think no matter what we try to help, the effect will not be significant. But for those who are very keen to bear a child, or for those who are thinking about it but having some apprehensions, then these, I think, are the target groups. For those who want to bear a child, but because, first of all, they have medical reasons that they can't, then we'll help them as much as possible using medical means. That is something I have introduced in the 11 measures. So we increase the services for them. And the other thing is, for those who want to bear a child, I think we can help those who have already had one child. Then it will be much easier to encourage them to have a second child. That is why I want to put the resources at the most appropriate place by emphasising the government policy of encouraging a second child. That is why I have raised the allowance from $20,000 to $30,000 for a second child, as well as raising the tax reduction. And also I have given them a $20,000 stamp duty exemption if they buy a flat within three years, one year before and two years after bearing a child, and also for those who are buying our subsidised public housing, then I will raise the mortgage rate to 95 per cent. These measures are basically aiming at people who have no hurdle to bearing a child, and we just want to help them. They want to bear a child, and we encourage them, help them. For those in the middle, and they represent, I think, a big number, as they haven't made up their mind and have some apprehensions, we want to help them to make the decision. So I have to, first of all, assess what are the hurdles, and basically it is sometimes lacking the opportunity to take care of the child when the child is born, and so I'm adding more facilities to take care of them when, say, the parent needs to work and they need to put the child in some caring facilities. That is something that I'm doing now, and also I am, first of all, continuing that $20,000 allowance, which in some way helped them. If you ask for further action to help them, then we will assess it every year. For those who want to have a better living condition after they have a child, so we have made them realise that we are helping them to buy a flat. So we are basically using a bonus, which is in terms of cash, and also making tax concessions so that they will know that when the child is being developed and the Government will try to help them with the tax concession, and will provide facilities for taking care of the children when they need to put their child in places where they can have confidence that the child will be taken care of. We do the best we can, and overall, we create a friendly environment. After all, the decision whether to bear a child is a very critical one for the family. But it is important, first of all, the Government tells them that we encourage them to bear a child. We will try to help with facilities and with some tax concession plus some cash bonus, and when they want to have better accommodation, we will help them to buy flats as much as we can. Basically, it's a package, and we have to be realistic to make our policy according to the local situation. With regard to the economic side, I will ask the Financial Secretary to handle your question. Financial Secretary: Thank you for the question. Talent is the most valuable asset of any economy. Indeed, competition among different economies is determined by the quality of the talent they have. So from Hong Kong's standpoint, we have our strengths, but we are also facing two key issues. One is an ageing population; the other is economic transition. Economic transition calls for the need to develop new sectors, as pointed out by the Chief Executive – technology and innovation for example. For fast tracking this development, we might not be able to groom our own people quickly enough. So, we need to bring in talent from the Mainland and overseas. It is critical that we have people with the qualifications, experience and expertise required to support our economic development. It is difficult to measure their very specific contribution to GDP (gross domestic product), because people will be deployed to different sectors. But indeed, in order to sustain Hong Kong's GDP growth in the coming decade, we need to do the things outlined in the Five-Year Plan and the Policy Address with adequate resources, and such resources certainly include talent. Thank you. Reporter: Just two questions on the major indicators and also on fertility. For the major indicators of the Five-Year Plan, I’m just wondering if there are consequences of failing to meet such targets. Of the binding ones, there are so few. There are very few that are binding. Why is that the case? And why are they primarily environment-focused and not economic? Is that a sign that the Government is being overly cautious? So that's our question on indicators. For fertility, the previous baby bonus a few years back failed to achieve its target, with birth rates hitting another record low. How would you convince the public that it's wise to increase expenditure on this front if the birth rate continues to drop? Thank you. Chief Executive: On indicators, I think the consideration is the same for all governments. When they think of what indicators said, they are binding ones because this means these are the things we must do and we must achieve them. And there are some anticipatory ones, which is something we want to tell the world that this is the target, so that everybody works to achieve the target. So it is not the Government alone. They are not the only factors. There are so many factors. So we want to play a leading role to tell them the target, which is anticipatory, and hope that everybody will join in to make their best efforts. In regard to what indicators we want to make it binding, then of course the most important ones are the things that we believe affect livelihood, which are very critical. Environmental factors are important because, definitely, everyone needs to breathe, right? So we have to ensure that these factors that will affect health so much are something that we must do well to achieve, and this is an area that we will devote all resources and action to do. Obviously, there are so many things we want to do, and we just have to focus on things and where we will go all-out to achieve the binding targets. In regard to encouraging fertility, we do our best. We do our best because every city around the world is facing the same problem. And I think the takeaway from all these measures that we rolled out is that there are structural reasons for all these. So short-term measures can help, but there is a time limit. But we have to continue to do them and try to go to cover them as much as possible, so as to make those who want to bear a child know that the Government supports them. We try our best. I think every government has to be realistic about their own situation, and then roll out measures that will be applicable to their own circumstances. The attitude, I think, is important for people to appreciate that, despite all the constraints and restraints, the Government is trying to do the best. So I am trying to help those who want to bear a child, whether it is because of medical reason. Or since they want to bear a child, I encourage them to have more than one. That's what I want to do. For those who always have apprehension, I would try to remove the apprehension as much as possible with the best effort. I always, when I debate internally, it's like building a very good athletic ground for people. So I build this ground so that people want to really keep fit and do exercise. They do the exercise without any hurdle. But whether he will do exercise or not, whether he will run or whether he will jump really is a choice of their own. So what I try to do is try to remove the hurdles as much as I can. But of course, the Government can only do its best, and that is what I have tried to do with the 11 measures that I rolled out. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.) Ends/Wednesday, September 16, 2026 Issued at HKT 22:12 NNNN"}, {"title": "11th Belt and Road Summit concludes with new heights, opening new avenues for global collaboration (11.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/11/P2026091100795.htm", "date": "11.9.2026", "description": "The 11th Belt and Road Summit organised by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government successfully concluded yesterday (September 10). The two-day event brought together more than 6 200 government and business leaders from over 70 countries and regions, showcasing over 300 investment projects, facilitating more than 800 one-on-one deal-making meetings, and witnessing a record high of over 60 memoranda of understanding (MOUs). The total value of these MOUs, together with new projects and deals finalised before and during the Summit, is over US$3.1 billion. The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, delivered remarks at the opening session. Senior officials over the world joined to share their insights, including the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov; the Vice President of Uruguay, Ms Carolina Cosse; and Deputy Prime Minister of Laos Mr Saleumxay Kommasith proving the Summit's success in promoting government-to-government exchanges and relations with Belt and Road countries. Various new elements were featured in this year's Summit, including think-tank dialogue, enterprises going global, low-altitude economy, media co-operation, Health Silk Road, sovereign wealth funds of Belt and Road countries, and universities, exploring collaborations with Belt and Road partners in new areas, giving full play to Hong Kong's roles as a \"super connector\" and \"super value-adder\" in the global economy. A key highlight was the inaugural \"GoGlobal Chapter\", designed to support the expansion of Chinese Mainland enterprises into overseas markets. This Chapter featured two thematic breakout sessions - one organised by the Department of Justice and another by the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global - with welcome remarks by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau. A new thematic breakout session hosted by the Working Group on Developing of Low-altitude Economy, and addressed by the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, also explored aligning Hong Kong's low-altitude economy with national strategies and Belt and Road synergies. The Summit also introduced a debut Dialogue for Future Session with the theme of \"The Belt and Road Initiative and Asia-Pacific Cooperation in a Changing Global Landscape\", with think tank dialogues on regional co-operation. Day two of the Summit also featured a special address by the Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation, Professor Teresa Cheng, on resolving international disputes through mediation. Echoing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's commitment in expanding our business and trade networks, this year's Summit also featured dedicated elements on Central Asia and the Middle East. Building on the Chief Executive's visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan earlier this year, the Summit introduced a dedicated Central Asia Zone to further business and trade ties with the region. Key development projects, including Kazakhstan's Alatau City and Data Center Valley were featured. The Business Plenary, themed \"Unlocking New Market Opportunities along and beyond the Belt and Road\" focused on the Middle East and African markets, with speakers from Qatar, Oman, South Africa, and Nigeria sharing insights on the potential of these emerging markets. Key development projects including Türkiye's Ankara–Istanbul Super Speed Railway and Istanbul Northern Ring Railway projects were introduced. A newly integrated University Zone showcased Hong Kong universities' research and development strengths and their capabilities in technology commercialisation across the Belt and Road region, consolidating Hong Kong's position as an international education hub. This year's Summit was a huge success, aligning with the five co-operation priorities under the Belt and Road Initiative, namely policy coordination, infrastructural connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bond, while serving as a platform to embark on the new journey for high quality development. Ends/Friday, September 11, 2026 Issued at HKT 23:59 NNNN"}, {"title": "InvestHK and ZIDA seal MOU at Belt and Road Summit (9.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/09/P2026090800598.htm", "date": "9.9.2026", "description": "​Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) today (September 9) sealed a new partnership to drive two-way investment between the two places, with their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on economic and investment co-operation exchanged ceremonially on the main stage of the 11th Belt and Road Summit, witnessed by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. The MOU exchange was conducted by the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, and the Chief Legal Officer of ZIDA, Ms Theresa Muchinguri. Ms Lau said, \"Zimbabwe is an important partner as Hong Kong deepens its engagement with Africa and the Global South under the Belt and Road Initiative. With our international financial centre, deep capital markets, world-class professional services and unique connectivity with the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong is the ideal springboard for African enterprises. Through this MOU, InvestHK and ZIDA will open doors in both directions and help Zimbabwean enterprises carry their ambition into Asia and beyond.\" Ms Muchinguri said, \"Our objective is to create stronger pathways between international investors and viable opportunities in Zimbabwe. Through this co-operation with InvestHK, we can share opportunities more directly, facilitate introductions and support businesses that are considering Zimbabwe as an investment destination. Ultimately, the value of this partnership will be measured by our ability to translate these connections into investments that are implemented on the ground.\" Under the MOU, the two investment promotion agencies will work together to promote inward and outward investment, exchange information on their respective investment environments and opportunities, share investment promotion experience and support companies seeking to establish or expand their operations in either market. The MOU builds on InvestHK's growing ties with African businesses. In May this year, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Ms Loretta Lee led an InvestHK mission to South Africa and Rwanda, meeting with African enterprises, industry bodies and government investment agencies, as well as participating in high-level exchanges at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali. Following the mission, InvestHK organised an African Day networking event to further strengthen relationships with key stakeholders from African companies and organisations in Hong Kong. These initiatives underscore Hong Kong's role as a \"super connector\" and \"super value-adder\" under the Belt and Road Initiative. InvestHK will continue to facilitate two-way investment by connecting African enterprises with Chinese Mainland and Asian markets through Hong Kong, while helping Chinese enterprises explore opportunities in Africa. Ends/Wednesday, September 9, 2026 Issued at HKT 14:25 NNNN"}, {"title": ""She Inspires" Mentorship Programme First Cohort Graduation cum Second Cohort Kick-off Ceremony held successfully (5.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/05/P2026090500368.htm", "date": "5.9.2026", "description": "The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau's \"She Inspires\" Mentorship Programme held its First Cohort Graduation cum Second Cohort Kick-off Ceremony today (September 5). The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, officiated at the ceremony. Mr Chan noted in his speech, \"The achievements of the first cohort had been encouraging. The Chief Executive had therefore announced in last year's Policy Address that the mentee quota would be increased by 50 per cent to 120 in the second cohort, enabling more students to benefit. The second cohort has successfully brought together over 70 women leaders as mentors and received over 430 mentee applications, which fully reflected the recognition of and expectations for the Programme.\" Mr Chan encouraged mentees from both cohorts to dare to dream, dare to try and dare to take on responsibility. He called on them to set goals boldly, explore different industries and opportunities, and embrace their responsibilities towards family and society, so that the power of women can truly shine on the broader stage of Hong Kong's and the nation's development. Miss Mak expressed her heartfelt respect and gratitude to the mentors of both cohorts. She noted that, over the past year, many mentees had shared that the Programme had strengthened their aspirations for career development and helped them rediscover their own potential, which is a true testament to the power of mentorship. Miss Mak stated, \"Despite your busy schedules, you were willing to devote your time to generously sharing with the younger generation the professional knowledge and life experience you have accumulated over the years. This is where the spirit of passing the torch begins, and it lies at the very heart of this Programme.\" She also introduced the Buddy Programme arrangement newly added this year, under which graduates of the first cohort will serve as buddies to the new cohort, with a view to passing on the strength of women from one cohort to another. The Programme matches local female university students with women leader mentors, and provides relevant training and activities to help them enhance their skills, build confidence and network to thrive in their future career, nurturing the future strength that \"hold up half the sky\". For the first cohort of the Programme, 53 women leaders participated as mentors and were matched with more than 80 mentees. The second cohort has brought together over 70 women leaders as mentors and 120 students as mentees. Also officiating at the ceremony were the Chairperson of the Women's Commission (WoC), Dr Eliza Chan, and the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Patrick Li. The Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung, members of the WoC, mentors and mentees participating in the Programme as well as representatives from local universities also attended the ceremony. Ends/Saturday, September 5, 2026 Issued at HKT 13:53 NNNN"}, {"title": "Commission on Children convenes 28th meeting, visits Jockey Club Key House (3.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/03/P2026090300281.htm", "date": "3.9.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (September 3) chaired the 28th meeting of the Commission on Children, and led its members to visit the Jockey Club Key House (Key House) in Shau Kei Wan. SideBySide launched the Jockey Club \"Craft Your Life Together\" Co-living Community Project at the Key House, which is the first service unit in Hong Kong that provides a one-stop accommodation, life planning and diversified social connection support services for youths lacking family support. At the meeting, representatives of the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Centum Charitas Foundation and SidebySide briefed members on the new Centum Youth Power up (Pilot) Scheme which provides transitional support to young people leaving residential child care services but without family support. Members acknowledged the synergy achieved by the tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community in empowering young people with the necessary support. The Pilot Scheme has been launched in line with the policies in relation to strengthening family cohesion and safeguarding children in the Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address. It aims to assist young people who are leaving residential child care services and who may feel lost and helpless as they enter into society, so that they can confidently and more seamlessly transition to an independent new stage of life. Ends/Thursday, September 3, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:20 NNNN"}, {"title": "Seventh-term Commission on Targeted Poverty Alleviation convenes first meeting (2.9.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202609/02/P2026090200274.htm", "date": "2.9.2026", "description": "​The Government announced that starting from today (September 2), the existing \"Commission on Poverty\" will be renamed as the \"Commission on Targeted Poverty Alleviation\". The renaming aims to highlight the Government's strategic direction and firm commitment to advancing targeted poverty alleviation. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the first meeting of the new-term Commission today. He said that the current-term Government is committed to building a comprehensive poverty alleviation system. In addition to providing a safety net through inclusive social services encompassing housing, healthcare, education and social welfare, the Government upholds a people-oriented approach. By identifying specific groups under its targeted poverty alleviation strategy, the Government provides focused and effective support to those most in need. Members noted that the last two terms of the Commission targeted subdivided unit households, single-parent households and all-elderly households. Taking into consideration the characteristics of these groups, the Commission identified their difficulties and pain points. Through tripartite collaboration of the Government, the business sector and the community, the Commission launched a series of targeted poverty alleviation measures tailored to these target groups. The new-term Commission supports that the targeted poverty alleviation strategy should be adjusted in response to changing societal needs, and will review and introduce a new target group in a timely manner so that more people requiring assistance can benefit. Members also noted that the Government is proactively preparing to establish a social welfare project matching platform, aiming to roll out the first round of matching activities this year. This initiative will help institutionalise the tripartite collaborative model, bringing together the Government, the business sector and the community to support the vulnerable, while connecting business resources with community welfare projects to provide innovative and targeted services for those in need. Members also took note of government officials' reports on the work of the Community Care Fund and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund, as well as the progress of various funded assistance programmes. Ends/Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Issued at HKT 16:55 NNNN"}, {"title": "Youth Development Commission convenes 22nd meeting (27.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/27/P2026082700670.htm", "date": "27.8.2026", "description": "​ The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the 22nd meeting of the Youth Development Commission (YDC) today (August 27). At the meeting, members were briefed on the work and progress of the six Action Groups set up under the YDC. Furthermore, the Labour Department introduced various measures to promote youth employment. These included the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme (GBA YES), the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) and the Youth Employment Start. Various enhancement measures have been put in place in recent years, such as relaxing the age limit for participants to 29 or below, increasing the allowances provided for enterprises as well as the attachment training allowances for trainees, and launching the GBA Work Experience Attachment Programme to enable young people to gain a better understanding of the development opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and broaden their career prospects. Mr Chan said, \"The Government has been adopting a multipronged approach to support youth employment, and the various enhancement measures have yielded tangible progress. Among others, the number of job vacancies and employed young people in the GBA YES last year increased by 24.5 per cent and 45.6 per cent respectively, while the number of trainees applying to the YETP in the programme year 2025/26 represented an increase of 23 per cent compared with the same period in the previous year. We will continue to closely monitor the changes in the economic environment and the labour market, and timely review and enhance the various support measures. At the same time, we will strengthen collaboration among policy bureaux to broaden career development opportunities for young people, with a view to helping them unleash their potential and achieve their aspirations, while injecting a steady stream of vitality into Hong Kong's long-term development.\" Ends/Thursday, August 27, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:25 NNNN"}, {"title": "Environment and Ecology Bureau signs Cooperation Arrangement on Ecology and Environment with Department of Ecology and Environment of Qinghai Province (27.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/27/P2026082700562.htm", "date": "27.8.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, met with Vice-Governor of the People's Government of Qinghai Province Mr Liu Tao today (August 27) and exchanged views on strengthening co-operation between the Hong Kong and Qinghai Governments, as well as promoting green development in both places. They jointly witnessed the signing of the Cooperation Arrangement on Ecology and Environment between the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, and the Communist Party Chief of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Qinghai Province, Mr Dong Yuyi, in Hong Kong. The Cooperation Arrangement seeks to deepen the collaboration and technical exchanges between both sides in areas including ecological and environmental protection and the green industry. Mr Chan stated that Qinghai has rich experience in ecological conservation and clean energy, while Hong Kong has an internationalised network and advanced management technologies. The Cooperation Arrangement will help promote the establishment of an all-rounded and regular mechanism for ecological and environmental co-operation between the two places, strengthening experience sharing and exchanges in areas such as policy regulation, solid waste management, promotion of environmental protection, scientific research and innovation, as well as talent nurturing. The Cooperation Arrangement will also actively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and promote high-quality green development in the direction of achieving complementary strengths and mutual benefits. Mr Tse led officials from the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Environmental Protection Department to exchange views with Mr Liu and the delegation of the People's Government of Qinghai Province before the signing ceremony. The two sides had an in-depth discussion on the environmental and ecological co-operation between the two places. The Acting Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Ms Polly Kwok, and the Acting Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Vanessa Au, also attended the meeting and the Cooperation Arrangement signing ceremony. Ends/Thursday, August 27, 2026 Issued at HKT 17:18 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS to visit Beijing (27.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/27/P2026082700381.htm", "date": "27.8.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will depart for Beijing in the evening today (August 27) to attend the opening ceremony of the seventh Ethnic Minority Art Festival of China on August 28, and to take part in a related meeting. Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong on August 29. During Mr Chan's absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. Ends/Thursday, August 27, 2026 Issued at HKT 12:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "Working Group on Patriotic Education holds fourth meeting (26.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/26/P2026082600637.htm", "date": "26.8.2026", "description": "The Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee (CBLPSC) held its fourth meeting today (August 26) to discuss the achievements and progress of the work on patriotic education. The Chairman of the CBLPSC and Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, said, \"The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has always attached great importance to promoting patriotic education and endeavours to building mainstream values characterised by patriotism with affection for our country and Hong Kong and in conformity with the principle of \"one country, two systems\" in the HKSAR. It seeks to strengthen education on our country's history, culture and current affairs on different fronts, thereby promoting patriotism and ensuring its continuity from generation to generation, fostering a sense of patriotism among the public and enhancing national confidence and pride. \"Over the past two years, the HKSAR Government has worked in close collaboration with the Working Group, successfully bringing together patriotic forces from the Government and various sectors of society. The Government and the Working Group have worked hand in hand to carry out a great deal of solid work on patriotic education and achieved fruitful results. I am delighted to see that the spirit of patriotism has now taken root in society and people's hearts, and that the patriotic and Hong Kong-loving atmosphere within the community has also improved significantly.\" Mr Chan said that in the past year, relevant government bureaux and departments, on the one hand, made good use of special festive and commemorative occasions such as the 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang's water supply to Hong Kong and the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, to organise various commemorative and celebration events which were very positive and well received by all sectors of society. On the other hand, the Government has taken forward a number of medium and long-term measures for comprehensive patriotic education in different aspects, namely school education, local community, history, politics, economy and culture, as well as publicity in the media. \"From the second half of this year, there will be a number of special festive occasions, commemorative dates and events, including the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March and the 160th anniversary of the birthday of Dr Sun Yat-sen, and Hong Kong will also mark the 30th anniversary of its return to the motherland next year. Hong Kong's first payload expert is currently participating in the Shenzhou-23 manned spaceflight mission. The HKSAR Government will seize and make good use of these opportunities to launch a series of patriotic education activities. It aims to let Hong Kong citizens gain a deeper understanding of the country's history and present achievements, as well as how Hong Kong can fully integrate into and serve the overall national development, thereby enhancing their sense of national identity and affection for and sense of belonging to the country,\" Mr Chan added. At the meeting, Mr Chan welcomed the new Convenor of the Working Group, Dr Eliza Chan, and the four new members. He also expressed thanks to the former Convenor, Dr Starry Lee, for her contributions to the Working Group. He said, \"I look forward to continuing to work closely with all members to deepen discussions and explore more innovative, diverse and practical proposals for patriotic education that are tailored to Hong Kong's actual circumstances, and to promote the Working Group's efforts to bring together the strengths of the Government and all sectors of society to strengthen patriotic education at various levels and across different fields.\" The Working Group is responsible for advising the Government on the overall programme and strategy for promoting patriotic education, the implementation of related work, co-ordination and collaboration between government departments and non-governmental organisations, as well as other relevant matters. The Working Group comprises the relevant Directors of Bureaux and Heads of Departments and leaders from the relevant sectors of society. In May this year, the Government appointed Dr Eliza Chan as the new Convenor of the Working Group and the four new members, which further strengthened the power of the Working Group and enhanced the connectivity between the Government and all sectors of society. Ends/Wednesday, August 26, 2026 Issued at HKT 20:12 NNNN"}, {"title": "DCS chairs 13th meeting of Task Force on District Governance (25.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/25/P2026082500611.htm", "date": "25.8.2026", "description": "The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the 13th meeting of the Task Force on District Governance today (August 25) to follow up on the initiatives in accordance with the work assigned by the Steering Committee on District Governance. The meeting co-ordinated various departments in formulating specific implementation measures on issues of local concern and continuously reviewed the work progress and performance. Mr Cheuk said, \"The Task Force continues to monitor and steer various departments in their efforts to refine policies and measures addressing district issues of all scales, actively responding to social needs so that district services become more effective and more precisely targeted. All departments will continue to uphold the principle of delivering practical outcomes for the people, striving to resolve various livelihood challenges and enhance the effectiveness of district governance.\" The Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration has formulated strategies for 12 district issues (Note), including various measures to strengthen community support and improve the local environment, thereby responding to citizens' needs and jointly building a quality living environment. At the meeting, the Task Force followed up on the implementation progress and outcomes of relevant initiatives. In terms of community support, as at end-June 2026, the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) in all districts had visited or reached out to over 121 000 singleton and doubleton elderly households, carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities (high-risk households). More than 4 100 households (involving over 4 600 elderly persons or persons with disabilities) were referred by the Care Teams to receive subsidies for installation of the Care-On-Call device. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has installed 50 sets of covered seating at outdoor venues across 18 districts, providing sheltered rest areas for the elderly and helping them to actively engage with the community. In addition, as of June 2026, approximately 220 000 elderly people have been served by the \"Smart Silver\" Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders launched by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) in December 2024. The DPO will strengthen support for ethnic minorities through initiatives such as digital training programmes, outreach campaigns, and the recruitment of ethnic minority volunteers to assist them in understanding and mastering digital technology. As regards the district environment, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has completed toilet refurbishment works at 24 markets or cooked food markets. Improvement works for stalls at the Yue Wan Market Cooked Food Centre are currently underway and are scheduled for completion in December 2026. The stall improvement projects at the Ap Lei Chau Market Cooked Food Centre and the Luen Wo Hui Market Cooked Food Centre were completed in April and July 2026 respectively. The Highways Department (HyD) continues to enhance the safety and usability of the public footpath network. As of mid-August 2026, the HyD has completed the replacement of paving slabs with concrete surfaces at four suitable locations to enhance durability and mitigate problems such as the loosening or fracturing of paving slabs caused by bearing loads, compression or heavy usage. Furthermore, the Transport Department, in collaboration with the HyD, the Architectural Services Department, and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, has completed enhancement works at 14 covered public transport interchanges, which include upgrading lighting fittings and refurbishing walls and ceilings. Mr Cheuk thanked all departments for their dedicated efforts in advancing the above work and achieving notable results in various measures benefitting the public. He urged all departments to continue to closely monitor district concerns, always put the people first, and accurately grasp the actual needs of society, so that the general public can truly experience the warmth and determination of the Government's governance. Note: The 12 key issues are: (1) expanding after-school care and enhancing support for parents; (2) caring for the elderly and enhancing community support; (3) fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work; (4) enhancing public order and combating crimes on all fronts; (5) improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety; (6) enhancing the community environment and strengthening local characteristics; (7) improving the environment of public housing estates and creating comfortable homes; (8) caring for the elderly and promoting digital inclusion; (9) improving the waiting environment at public transport interchanges to enhance the travel experience; (10) combating air-conditioner water dripping to improve community environment; (11) cleaning pedestrian walkways to improve city streets; and (12) strengthening thematic planting. Ends/Tuesday, August 25, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:14 NNNN"}, {"title": "Carnival of Care and Harmony held today (23.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/23/P2026082300409.htm", "date": "23.8.2026", "description": "​The Carnival of Care and Harmony, organised by the Home Affairs Department, was held today (August 23). Through multicultural performances, interactive game booths, and sharing of service users' experiences, the event promoted interaction among people of different ethnicities, and showcased to the community the messages of care and inclusion. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, officiated the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. Other officiating guests included the Director of Home Affairs, Ms Priscilla To. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan said friends from non-ethnic Chinese communities may still encounter challenges in their daily lives in Hong Kong, such as language barriers and cultural differences. Government bureaux and departments are dedicated to providing a wide range of support services to help them integrate more fully into society and realise their potential, so that Hong Kong can truly become a home for all. Mr Chan also said that there are currently 10 Support Service Centres for Ethnic Minorities, located in districts with larger populations of non-ethnic Chinese communities, running a diverse range of services and activities. Among these, a total of 12 \"Ethnic Minority Care Teams\", led by social workers, have been established at each of the Support Service Centres, where they proactively conduct home visits and reach out to ethnic minorities; a \"Youth Network\" and a \"Women's Network\" have also been established at every Support Service Centre, which organise targeted programmes such as career training, exchange visits to the Mainland and health seminars specifically for ethnic minority youth and women, helping them build social connections, integrate into the community, and deepen their understanding of the country's development. At the event, four young service users from the Support Service Centres shared their experiences of participating in the \"Youth Network\" Mainland exchange tours. They visited Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Shenzhen to deepen their understanding of national history and culture, and gained insight into the country's development opportunities through technology park, museum, and space centre visits. The Carnival of Care and Harmony featured performances of different ethnic groups that included dancing and traditional musical instrument performances, as well as interactive booths that allowed participants to learn about Hong Kong's multiculturalism through hands-on activities. The event not only provided a platform for interaction, it also deepened the public's understanding of people from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures, promoting the spirit of care, respect, and inclusion. Ends/Sunday, August 23, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:33 NNNN"}, {"title": "Over 10 000 persons join stress test at Huanggang Port (22.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/22/P2026082200326.htm", "date": "22.8.2026", "description": "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (August 22) conducted the first stress test of passenger and vehicular flows with the relevant units of Shenzhen at the Huanggang Port. Over 10 000 civil servants from over 70 bureaux and departments had been mobilised to participate in the stress test. They were instructed to take different modes of public transport to arrive at the port, then practised immigration procedures before departure. Participants participated in cyclical trials involving more than 400 departures using vehicles dispatched by public transport operators to simulate the flow of people and vehicles arriving and departing from the port. The drill marked the first trial of the \"collaborative inspection\" automated channels for passenger clearance. Participants departed through the \"collaborative inspection\" automated channels or manual counters at the departure hall with their Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (commonly known as the Home Visit Permit), and then returned through the automated channels or manual counters at the Shenzhen side's departure hall with their Hong Kong identity cards. This exercise tested the operation and tuning of the automated channels and related systems, and passenger flow management. The stress test also included a \"crowd concentrated-flow test\". A large number of participants were held on designated floors as instructed, and were subsequently released in several major batches within a short period of time, so as to simulate a situation where a large number of arriving passengers proceed to the public transport interchange during peak hours, thereby testing the management of passenger and vehicular flows, as well as co-ordination of supporting arrangements. Meanwhile, the drill also conducted a vehicle-flow stress test involving nearly 1 000 vehicle trips on the \"joint one-stop\" vehicle lane level, and invited automobile associations to assist in organising private vehicles to participate together. Participating vehicles were instructed to enter the port through the new connecting road in batches. Then, they simulated the process of undergoing risk assessment by the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department at the \"customs front kiosks\", and the process of queuing up to enter the \"joint one-stop\" vehicle lanes for inspection and clearance or going to the inspection area for further inspection, in order to test the vehicular flow management and on-site guidance. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, accompanied by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; and the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, inspected the drill. Mr Chan said that the drill was conducted smoothly, with a large number of passengers and vehicles entering and leaving the port building in an orderly manner and a public transport interchange capable of absorbing substantial passenger flows within a short period of time. He noted that the test closely resembled the situation at the port under high load, effectively testing the emergency coordination capabilities among departments. He hoped that all parties would summarise the experiences from the drill, continue refining details, and work closely with the Shenzhen side to press ahead with the various preparatory tasks at full steam. Upon confirmation by both sides that the port is ready for safe and smooth operation, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will finalise the official opening date of the Huanggang Port and make timely announcements to the public. Representatives from various bureaux, departments and organisations participated in the drill, including the Security Bureau, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, the Department of Health, the Fire Services Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Government Property Agency, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Civil Aid Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service, and various public transport operators. Ends/Saturday, August 22, 2026 Issued at HKT 17:08 NNNN"}, {"title": "Opening ceremony of JPC Summer Camp 2026 held today (18.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/18/P2026081800564.htm", "date": "18.8.2026", "description": "The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Security cum Junior Police Call (JPC) Honorary Chief President, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Commissioner of Police cum JPC Honorary Deputy Chief President, Mr Chow Yat-ming; and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Public Relations) cum Chairperson of the JPC Central Advisory Board, Mr Chan Sze-tat, today (August 18) officiated at the opening ceremony of the JPC Summer Camp 2026 at the JPC Permanent Activity Centre in Pat Heung. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Tang said that the JPC has nurtured generations of young leaders for Hong Kong over the past 50-odd years, instilling in them a sense of social responsibility and proper values. He expressed gratitude to schools, parents, the JPC Central Advisory Board, honorary presidents from various districts and all partners for their support for the JPC. Mr Tang encouraged participants to master three key roles as JPC members through the summer camp activities, namely, \"anti-scam experts\" – to acquire anti-scam knowledge and heighten their awareness of technology crimes through card games; \"anti-drug ambassadors\" – to say \"no\" to drugs and safeguard themselves and people around them; and \"national security pioneers\" – to deepen their understanding of national security and promote the message that safeguarding national security is everyone's responsibility. He said that this year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and that the country's development creates boundless opportunities for young people. Citing the example of Dr Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first payload expert participating in the Shenzhou-23 manned spaceflight mission, Mr Tang encouraged JPC members to seize opportunities, pursue their dreams with courage, and contribute to the country and Hong Kong in different capacities in the future. The annual JPC Summer Camp lasts four days and three nights. More than 200 members are taking part this year. Under the theme \"Exploring a New Chapter\", the camp features diversified activities and training, including competitions incorporated with policing knowledge and investigative elements, as well as adventure-based exercises, with an aim of supporting young participants to achieve breakthroughs and grow, drawing their attention to anti-drug and anti-crime messages, and providing them with positive education to strengthen their teamwork and leadership skills. Ends/Tuesday, August 18, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:35 NNNN"}, {"title": "DPO hosted exchange session on "'AI+' Civil Service: Industry's Role in Reshaping the Government's Approach to Public Service Delivery" (17.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/17/P2026081700344.htm", "date": "17.8.2026", "description": "The Digital Policy Office (DPO) hosted an exchange session themed \"'AI+' Civil Service: Industry's Role in Reshaping the Government's Approach to Public Service Delivery\" at the Smart Government Innovation Lab today (August 17). The event brought together Member of the Legislative Council (Technology and Innovation Constituency), Mr Duncan Chiu, and industry representatives to discuss applications of AI in different public administration procedures, project implementation strategies, and innovative thinking in public services. They also explored how industry experience and technologies could be leveraged to support the digital and intelligent transformation of the Government. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration and Leader of the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team (AIEET), Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, said at the event that since its establishment, the AIEET has focused on optimising the workflow of application and waiting time of government services, expediting vetting and complaint handling by departments, strengthening data analysis, and streamlining paperwork, with a view to enhancing the speed, quantity, efficiency and quality of government work through the use of AI technologies. The AIEET has so far facilitated and taken forward the first batch of 30 efficacy enhancement projects across 13 departments aimed for roll-out this year and next year, demonstrating the Government's commitment and capability in driving digital and intelligent transformation. Mr Cheuk encouraged all departments to continue to promote service innovation and performance improvement by leveraging AI, benefitting the public and the society. The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, said that this exchange session helps strengthen communications between the Government and the innovation and technology sector, enabling departments to have a better grasp of the AI solutions available in the market and the experience and approach of implementation, as well as to inspire departments to reshape public services in a pragmatic manner. The DPO will continue to seize the opportunities brought about by AI development and fully align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and the \"AI+\" initiative, supporting departments in leveraging AI and other technologies, while joining hands with the industry to bring better and more efficient public services to members of the public. Mr Chiu exchanged views with industry representatives from Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud and Huawei Hong Kong & Macau at the event. They shared their experiences in supporting the Government and enterprises in promoting AI adoption and digital intelligence transformation, and introduced use cases across various areas of government services. Participants also had in-depth discussions on real challenges commonly encountered in AI adoption, and explored how suitable AI tools, complemented by technical support, could help departments accelerate the transition from proof-of-concept to practical application. Ends/Monday, August 17, 2026 Issued at HKT 16:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "AI Efficacy Enhancement Team announces implementation of 30 Efficacy Enhancement Projects (17.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/17/P2026081700324.htm", "date": "17.8.2026", "description": "The Government announced today (August 17) that the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team has so far facilitated and implemented the first batch of 30 Efficacy Enhancement Projects (see Annex), which are being rolled out in phases starting from mid-2026. The first batch of 30 Efficacy Enhancement Projects involves 13 departments and includes 10 high-impact flagship projects covering areas closely related to the public and business, such as transport licences, leisure and sports facilities, food business licences, environmental hygiene, complaint handling and environmental protection. These 30 Efficacy Enhancement Projects mainly optimise the workflow of various application processing matters or public service queuing, to make them easier and faster, thereby enhancing users’ experience. For example, the adoption of AI has drastically reduced the processing or waiting time for certain cases by 90 per cent. Meanwhile, some projects have streamlined internal government procedures to improve work efficiency. For instance, through AI technology application and/or process re-engineering, the processing time for certain workflow has been compressed from several days to several hours, while the time required for case triage or analysis has also been shortened by half or more. \"The implementation of these projects resulted from the support and efforts by relevant departments. The Team has also established an AI dedicated task force comprising experts in AI and data science from the Digital Policy Office and the Census and Statistics Department. The task force collaborates with leading AI enterprises to assist government departments in taking forward projects in partnership by using AI technology. This arrangement ensures AI applications match with the actual operational needs of departments and new developments and trends of AI,\" said the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing. \"With the objectives of achieving pragmatic implementation and a swift rollout, we are striving to launch Efficacy Enhancement Projects progressively in 2026 and 2027. Launching these projects within a short period of time reflects the Government’s determination and execution capability in smart transformation. \"The first batch of the projects has also demonstrated the potential in promoting AI across departments. Despite the diverse functions and responsibilities of different departments, there are similarities in daily workplace scenarios, such as online reservations, license applications, audits and assessments, responding to enquiries and environmental monitoring. If a solution could be successfully applied in a pilot department, the relevant experience, technologies and operation models can be extended to other departments and similar work scenarios with suitable adjustments,\" he said. The Government will continue to promote further AI adoption, explore more AI application scenarios, replicate and scale up the successful experience from the first batch of the projects to further improve government operational efficiency and service quality, and continuously optimise public services, so that citizens and enterprises can have a real sense of the convenience and benefits brought by digital intelligence transformation. In the 2025 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced the setting up of the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team to co-ordinate and steer government departments to effectively apply AI technology to their work, explore process re-engineering, and promote technological reform in departments to improve efficacy. The Team is led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, with the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry as well as Legislative Council Member Mr Duncan Chiu as Deputy Leaders. Ends/Monday, August 17, 2026 Issued at HKT 14:42 NNNN"}, {"title": "National Ecology Day 2026 Launching Ceremony cum Symposium held today (15.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/15/P2026081400670.htm", "date": "15.8.2026", "description": "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) held the National Ecology Day 2026 Launching Ceremony cum Symposium today (August 15) at the Hong Kong Science Museum. It invited representatives from the Mainland and HKSAR Governments, and non-governmental organisations, scholars and experts to exchange ideas on ecological civilisation concepts and conservation work, and set the stage for a series of activities related to environmental protection and ecological conservation. The launching ceremony was officiated by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; the Deputy Director-General of the Social Development Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Ye Shuiqiu; and member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress and the President of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Dr Starry Lee. In his opening speech, Mr Cheuk said that August 15 marks both the National Ecology Day and the day on which the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China formally comes into effect. The HKSAR Government attaches great importance to the national initiative on ecological civilisation and is committed to putting into practice the concept of \"lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets\". In 2025, Hong Kong's Mirs Bay was selected by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment as an \"Outstanding Example of Beautiful Bays\" with an excellent overall score, demonstrating that the efforts of the HKSAR Government in ecological and environmental protection have been recognised by the country, and signifying an important achievement of the HKSAR Government in jointly building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a world-class beautiful bay area. The HKSAR is, for the first time, formulating a five-year plan that aligns with the National 15th Five-Year Plan's policy direction to cut carbon emissions, reduce pollution, pursue green development, and boost growth so as to improve ecological environment quality, and steadily pursuing green transition, building a liveable city, and realising a beautiful Hong Kong. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Lee said that a good ecological environment is an important resource and advantage underpinning long-term development, and the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China provides a systematic legal framework for the country's ecological and environmental governance. Ecological protection concerns the daily lives of every member of the public. The Legislative Council will continue to support the HKSAR Government in governing in accordance with the law, rally the strength of all sectors of society to ensure that environmental policies are implemented with greater precision and deliver more effective results. Other attending guests included the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Mr Mickey Lai; the Acting Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Vanessa Au; the Acting Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Vincent Chow; member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development, Dr Lam Ching-choi; Member of the Executive Council and Legislative Council Mr Kenneth Lau; and the Chairman of the Environment and Conservation Fund Committee, Dr Eric Cheng. The Chairman of the LegCo Panel on Environmental Affairs, Ms Judy Chan, and LegCo Members including Mr Yiu Pak-leung, Mr Lothair Lam, and Ms Julia Lau also attended. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in Coral Conservation and Marine Conservation Public Education with the Ocean Development Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality at the launching ceremony to further enhance co-operation in coral conservation and marine conservation public education. This includes building a regular coral conservation collaboration and exchange mechanism, collaborating on research on coral restoration technology and applications, advancing the application of advanced technology in coral conservation, and joint promotion of marine conservation public education. After the launching ceremony, the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Culture and Sustainability Centre, Professor Louis Yu, hosted the symposium. Speakers of the symposium included Professor of the Academy of Arts & Design and Adjunct Researcher of the China Institute for Rural Studies of Tsinghua University, Professor Li Chaoyang; Interim Director of the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Ms Sam Lam; Associate Professor Kingsley Ng from the Hong Kong Baptist University Academy of Visual Arts; Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning) and Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School, Professor Lisa Wan; and the Head of the Countryside Conservation Office (CCO) of the Environment and Ecology Bureau, Professor Stephen Tang. They shared and exchanged practical experiences in integrating arts and culture into countryside conservation and revitalisation. To encourage members of the public to support and participate in National Ecology Day, the HKSAR Government announced earlier that the Government and non-governmental organisations would launch a range of special activities and offers from now until late September. In addition, the Government will hold a National Ecology Day thematic exhibition at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre from September 1 to 6, as well as a sharing session and performance on September 5. Details of various activities and offers for National Ecology Day are available on the website of the CCO ( cco.gov.hk/en/event-calendar/ned ) and the Hong Kong Biodiversity Information Hub of the AFCD ( bih.gov.hk/en/education-programmes/programmes/index.html ). Members of the public may also obtain information on the exhibition, performances and the sharing session through the National Ecology Day thematic webpage at cco.gov.hk/en/news/ned-2026-exhibition . Ends/Saturday, August 15, 2026 Issued at HKT 13:40 NNNN"}, {"title": "Chinese Mainland Premium Agricultural Products "Going Global" Exchange and Matchmaking Event held today (14.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/14/P2026081400742.htm", "date": "14.8.2026", "description": "The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council jointly held the Chinese Mainland Premium Agricultural Products \"Going Global\" Exchange and Matchmaking Event today (August 14). The event aimed to promote the effective use of Hong Kong's international trade platform by Chinese Mainland premium agricultural products to expand into overseas markets. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Mr Zhang Yong; the Director-General of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Mr Peng Tingjun; and the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, attended the event. Around 250 representatives from Mainland provincial and regional governments, enterprises, and Hong Kong industry professionals also attended. In his address, Mr Chan said that for premium agricultural and food products to successfully expand into overseas markets, they require an efficient international trade platform, professional marketing services, and seamless alignment with international standards, all of which are precisely Hong Kong's strengths. He added that Hong Kong serves not only as a \"super connector\" between the nation and the global market, but also as a \"super value-adder\" that creates value for enterprises. By utilising Hong Kong as a platform to \"go global\", enterprises can achieve a multiplier effect, sparing them from having to build their presence in overseas markets from afresh. Mr Tse noted that the Mainland has long been Hong Kong's primary source of fresh food, establishing a deep foundation for co-operation between both sides. He hoped that the matchmaking event would help Mainland enterprises connect with overseas buyers and sales channels, facilitating the transition of more premium agricultural products and food from \"supplying to Hong Kong\" to \"going global via Hong Kong.\" Now in its fourth year, the matchmaking event marks the EEB's debut as a co-organiser, further underscoring Hong Kong's positioning as a food hub. This year's event set records for both scale and outcomes, fully reflecting the immense potential of the global food market and reaffirming the wide recognition of Hong Kong's role as a \"super connector\". The EEB signed Memoranda of Understanding on agricultural and food products co-operation with representatives from Hunan Province, Xizang Autonomous Region and Shandong Province, deepening ties between Hong Kong and the three places. The scope covers facilitating market entry for premium products, enhancing industry and business exchanges, and collectively exploring overseas markets. This marks the first time for the HKSAR Government to sign agreements of this nature with provincial-level governments. ​ In addition, the EEB premiered a promotional video at the event highlighting the advantages and development potential of Hong Kong's food industry. The promotional video has been uploaded to the EEB's website ( www.eeb.gov.hk/food/en ) and will also be broadcast at local and overseas economic and trade promotion events to further promote the \"Food from Hong Kong\" brand and the status of Hong Kong as a food hub. Ends/Friday, August 14, 2026 Issued at HKT 22:50 NNNN"}, {"title": "Inaugural session of Heads of Department Fellowship held (5.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/05/P2026080500257.htm", "date": "5.8.2026", "description": "The Civil Service College (CSC) held the inaugural sharing session of the Heads of Department (HoD) Fellowship today (August 5), with the aim of strengthening leadership mindset and enhancing departmental management capabilities. At the session, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, encouraged HoDs to practise proactive leadership by establishing effective management teams and operating systems, as well as fostering a positive culture of continuous improvement, so as to enhance the governance effectiveness of departments. In his opening remarks, Mr Chan said that HoDs are not only policy implementers and the ultimate parties accountable for departmental performance, but also helmsmen of departments and shapers of organisational culture. HoDs should demonstrate \"proactive leadership\" in all areas of day-to-day management, develop a thorough understanding of operational realities and potential problems, and establish effective feedback mechanisms. They should also ensure that manpower deployment and financial resources are aligned with policy objectives, and take full accountability for their departments' overall performance. He remarked that the success of the HoD Accountability System lies not in the number of investigations activated, but in the continuous enhancement of departments' execution capabilities through the proactive leadership of HoDs, ensuring effective implementation of policy measures and enhancing the overall standard of governance, while delivering tangible benefits to the public. This is the true purpose of the Accountability System. He also encouraged participants to make good use of this exchange platform to share experiences, pool the strength of solidarity and co-operation, uphold their original aspiration of serving Hong Kong, and continue to do their utmost for the public. Addressing the session, Mrs Yeung pointed out that the performance of civil servants is the key to improving governance. HoDs must personally lead human resource management, ensuring that human resource strategies are closely tied to their departments' overall work objectives and development needs. The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) has been actively strengthening relevant measures, including implementing the Performance Appraisal Enhancement Scheme for Civil Servants (Phase 1) in October this year, to more accurately reflect and differentiate the work performance of civil servants. The CSC has also been actively cultivating a culture within the civil service that values training, and launched the GovCPD Scheme last month to set out continuous learning requirements for civil servants. The CSB will continue to support departments in human resource management on multiple fronts, with a view to further enhancing departmental performance and the overall effectiveness of the Government. The HoD Fellowship also serves as a platform for information exchanges, enhancing the exchanges of experiences and exploring and promoting best practices among departments. During the sharing session, the Head of the CSC, Mr Oscar Kwok, invited HoDs to share their experiences and insights on enhancing departmental services. About 140 Permanent Secretaries, HoDs and their deputies from 63 bureaux and departments attended today's sharing session. The Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address announced the establishment of the HoD Accountability System, explaining clearly the concept of administrative accountability on the part of civil servants with managerial roles, especially that of HoDs, and introducing a new Administrative Responsibility Two-tier Investigation Mechanism for handling problems. Ends/Wednesday, August 5, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:40 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS officiates at EMSTF 30th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony (3.8.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202608/03/P2026080300603.htm", "date": "3.8.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (August 3) officiated at the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Ceremony of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund (EMSTF). Held at the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) Headquarters Building, the ceremony was themed \"Intelligent E&M Co-creating Tomorrow\", symbolising the EMSTF’s continuous efforts in driving innovation and technology development and enhancing service quality to forge a better future. Addressing the ceremony, Mr Chan said that over the past three decades since its establishment, the EMSTF has developed from being primarily responsible for maintaining electrical and mechanical (E&M) equipment into the \"guardian of E&M facilities\" and \"innovation facilitator\" for various government departments. It has always played a pioneering role in actively promoting the digital and smart transformation of public services. He encouraged the EMSTF to continue embracing innovation and striving for excellence, assisting government departments in accelerating the adoption of innovative technologies so that members of the public can enjoy higher-quality and more convenient services, while injecting sustained momentum into Hong Kong's high-quality development. The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services and General Manager of the EMSTF, Mr Poon Kwok-ying, said in his speech that the EMSTF will enhance service quality and efficiency through smart E&M technologies, lead industry transformation with I&T, and work closely with various client departments to implement various innovative ideas, achieving higher-quality public services. Afterwards, accompanied by Mr Poon, the guests toured the exhibition to learn about the solutions developed by the EMSD's engineering teams to address daily operational challenges. These solutions include the application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, robotics, and the Internet of Things to strengthen governance, enhance productivity and work safety. Also attending the ceremony were the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Deputy Director-General of the Social Development Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Ye Shuiqiu; and the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky Lau. Ends/Monday, August 3, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:50 NNNN"}, {"title": "2026 youthfest@HK programme officially kicks off (28.7.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202607/28/P2026072800546.htm", "date": "28.7.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (July 28) officiated at the 2026 youthfest@HK (festival) Kick-off Ceremony to unveil a series of exciting and diversified youth activities. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government released the Youth Development Blueprint, clearly outlining the policy goals for the healthy growth and diversified development of young people. Apart from implementing over 160 specific actions set out in the Blueprint, approximately 130 additional measures were introduced in view of the latest situation of society and the needs of young people. This aims to ensure that the Blueprint is progressing with the times. The themes of the festival are \"Nurture Positive Thinking\", \"Promote Innovation\" and \"Inspire Creativity\". Mr Chan said that the numbers of events and participants under the previous three editions of the Youth Festival increased continuously. In the 2025 youthfest@hk, more than 200 events were organised and attracted over 250 000 participants. Special appreciation goes to the Principal Funder, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, for its support. Mr Chan encouraged young people to participate in this year's various festival activities to enrich their knowledge, broaden their horizons and make friends. He also thanked all sectors of the community for their strong support of youth work. Also officiating at the Kick-off Ceremony were the Acting Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung; the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Patrick Li; the Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission, Mr Kenneth Leung; the Convenor of the Action Group on Youth Festival, Youth Development Commission, Mr Victor Pang; and the Deputy Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Lester Huang. Representatives from various festival participating organisations also attended the event. Organisations may submit applications for partner events of youthfest@HK for inclusion of their events in the event calendar and on the official webpage. For the latest updates of the events under the festival programme, please visit the thematic webpage ( www.youthfest.hk ). Ends/Tuesday, July 28, 2026 Issued at HKT 17:12 NNNN"}, {"title": "Steering Committee on District Governance convenes seventh meeting (27.7.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202607/27/P2026072700538.htm", "date": "27.7.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the seventh meeting of the Steering Committee on District Governance today (July 27) to steer and direct various bureaux and departments in formulating strategies on issues of district concern and to follow up on the implementation progress of the 12 key district initiatives identified during the first six meetings. Mr Chan said, \"Since the establishment of the Steering Committee and the Task Force on District Governance three years ago, they have steadfastly adhered to people-oriented principles. Through top-level supervision and interdepartmental collaboration, they have co-ordinated various bureaux and departments to jointly take forward multiple measures closely related to citizens' daily lives. These efforts have enhanced district services, improved environmental hygiene and upgraded community facilities, thereby responding to public needs and translating the achievements of enhanced district governance into tangible community improvements that citizens can see and benefit from.\" At the meeting, the Steering Committee followed up on the work progress of 12 district issues of public concern (Note) identified at previous meetings, and provided directives to relevant bureaux and departments in a wide range of areas covering district services, environmental hygiene, and community facilities, all aimed at creating a better living environment for the public. In terms of district services, as at end-May 2026, the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) in all districts had visited or reached out to over 118 000 singleton and doubleton elderly households, carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. More than 3 900 households (involving over 4 400 elderly persons or persons with disabilities) were referred by the Care Teams to receive subsidies for installation of the Care-On-Call device. The Care Teams have started visiting high-risk households in \"three-nil\" buildings since March this year to help build a more comprehensive community support network. In addition, in the 2025/26 school year, over 10 000 students from 207 primary schools participated in the School-based After School Care Service Scheme (the Scheme), representing an increase of 81 schools compared with the previous school year. The Scheme will continue to have no cap on the number of places in the 2026/27 school year to support more families in need of care services. In terms of environmental hygiene, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has continued to step up its rodent control efforts and make good use of technology. It has fully deployed thermal imaging cameras coupled with artificial intelligence technology to monitor the rodent situation, enabling the department to grasp rodent activity patterns and movement routes at different locations. This allows for flexible resource allocation and the implementation of more targeted rodent control operations. The FEHD has also stepped up enforcement actions to tackle rodent infestations in private premises. Between January and June 2026, it issued a total of 171 Notices of Elimination of Vermin to building management personnel or owners, requiring them to promptly address rodent infestation in their buildings. Furthermore, the FEHD is actively exploring the use of innovative technology to enhance the efficiency of street cleaning services. In May 2026, it expanded the trial of autonomous street cleaning robots to the Kai Tak New Development Area. In terms of community facilities, the Housing Department continues to carry out improvement works for public housing estates and has already completed facade beautification projects for nine housing estates. The Highways Department has resurfaced a total of 80 sections of pavement, measuring more than 26 kilometres in aggregate length, and is now making every effort to advance the pavement and carriageway resurfacing project in the core Lan Kwai Fong area, with the aim of completion before Halloween this year. In addition, the Transport Department (TD) is progressively installing new electronic audible traffic signals (eATs) at signalised junctions across the territory. The new devices incorporate additional functions including voice messages of crossing locations and touchless pedestrian push buttons to better suit the needs of visually impaired persons and other pedestrians. By the end of June 2026, the TD had completed the replacement at more than 600 junctions throughout Hong Kong. In accordance with the overall strategies set by the Steering Committee on District Governance, the Task Force on District Governance, chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will continue to co-ordinate bureaux and departments in taking forward the various district initiatives to respond to citizens' aspirations with concrete results and truly enhance their sense of achievement. Note: The 12 district issues are (1) expanding after-school care services and enhancing support for parents; (2) caring for the elderly and enhancing community support; (3) fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work; (4) enhancing public order and combating crimes on all fronts; (5) improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety; (6) enhancing the community environment and strengthening local characteristics; (7) improving the environment of public housing estates and creating comfortable homes; (8) caring for the elderly and promoting digital inclusion; (9) improving the waiting environment at public transport interchanges to enhance the travel experience of people; (10) combating water dripping from air-conditioners in buildings to improve the community environment; (11) cleaning pedestrian walkways to improve the cityscape; and (12) strengthening thematic plantings. Ends/Monday, July 27, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:25 NNNN"}, {"title": "Government makes full efforts to follow-up work on Tai Po fire (19.7.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202607/19/P2026071900593.htm", "date": "19.7.2026", "description": "A Government spokesman reiterated today (July 19) that the Government is making full efforts to follow up on the work of support for the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po and with empathy as the priority so as to assist the residents to overcome difficulties and move on to rebuild their long-term homes. First, there is no need for the residents of Wang Fuk Court to worry that their personal belongings remaining in the flats may not be retrievable upon transferring titles to the Government. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration together with relevant departments are consolidating the experience drawn from last two rounds of arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents to return to their flats to collect their personal belongings and then decide on the next step of work. The general direction is to provide opportunity for the residents to return to the flats to take their necessary belongings to tie in with their new accommodation arrangements as far as possible. In considering residents' wish to collect more belongings, the Government will make concrete arrangements, having regard to the actual circumstances including the overall condition of the buildings, the safety of residents and working staff, as well as the substantial manpower and logistical support required. Second, the Government has announced earlier a two-year standard rental grant for the owners of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po until December 21, 2027. This arrangement will help them rebuild their long-term homes with greater flexibility. The advantages of the enhanced arrangement are, regardless of which long-term housing arrangement option the owners have chosen, whether they have successfully selected a flat, or even if they do not participate in the long-term housing arrangements, they will receive a rental grant totalling $300,000 over two years from December 22, 2025, to December 21, 2027. In addition, if owners opt to join the Special Sales Exercise, their eligibility for the rental grant will only cease three months after the date of the assignment of the new flat purchased. Rental grants disbursed need not be refunded, but no further grants will be disbursed thereafter. Ends/Sunday, July 19, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:45 NNNN"}, {"title": "Enhanced rental grant arrangement for owners of Wang Fuk Court (17.7.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202607/17/P2026071700337.htm", "date": "17.7.2026", "description": "The Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po announced today (July 17) that, regardless of which option under the Government's long-term housing arrangement plan the owners of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po choose, a two-year standard rental grant will be disbursed to them until December 21, 2027. This arrangement will help them rebuild their long-term homes with greater flexibility. The Government announced in December 2025 that the Support Fund will provide each flat owner at Wang Fuk Court with an annual grant of $150,000 from December 22, 2025, to December 21, 2027. The grant will be disbursed on a half-yearly basis, each with a payment of $75,000. When announcing the long-term housing arrangement plan in February this year, the Government decided that if flat owners just sell their titles and receive the acquisition payment, and choose not to participate in the Special Sales Exercise, their rental grants will be provided up to the date on which cash payments for acquisition are credited to their accounts. This was because flat owners could use the sum to make their own long-term housing arrangements. Under the enhanced measures announced today, regardless of whether flat owners choose to receive cash only; participate in the Special Sales Exercise for purchasing new subsidised sale flats after receiving the payment; or acquire a new subsidised sale flat under the \"Flat-for-Flat\" arrangement, they are eligible to receive their rental grants until December 21, 2027, even if a suitable flat could not be selected in the event under the Special Sales Exercise. The relevant arrangement is also applicable to flat owners who have not signed the \"Letter of Acceptance\". For owners who choose to participate in the Special Sales Exercise (including those who opt for the cash acquisition and those who choose the \"Flat-for-Flat\" arrangement), if the occupation date of their chosen unit is after December 21, 2027, the Support Fund will continue to provide rental grants to owners who have not yet moved into their new units. Considering that owners generally require about three months to renovate their new homes, their eligibility for the rental grant will be maintained for three months after the date of the assignment of the new flat that they have purchased. After this period, no further instalments of the rental grant will be made. Ends/Friday, July 17, 2026 Issued at HKT 12:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "30 secondary students to depart for Mainland to join Young Astronaut Training Camp (16.7.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202607/16/P2026071600264.htm", "date": "16.7.2026", "description": "A send-off ceremony for the Young Astronaut Training Camp 2026 was held at the Hong Kong Science Museum today (July 16). Thirty selected secondary students will set off for Beijing, Jiuquan, and Xi'an from July 23 to July 31 for a nine-day training programme. They will visit key aerospace science and astronomical facilities and have opportunities to meet with aerospace experts and astronauts to learn more about the development of the country's aerospace programmes and its distinguished achievements. Addressing the send-off ceremony, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, said that with the strong support of the country, Dr Lai Ka-ying, the first payload expert from Hong Kong, was selected to participate in the Shenzhou-23 manned spaceflight mission, becoming the first astronaut from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. All Hong Kong citizens and he felt thrilled and proud. Mr Chan encouraged the participants of the Young Astronaut Training Camp to seize this hard-won opportunity, to strive to equip themselves well during this journey, and to one day, in various ways, represent the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in participating in the national space endeavours, thereby applying what they have learned to contribute to the society. ​Officiating guests included the Second-level Investigation and Research Officer of the Education and Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Dr Yan Weizhi; Vice-Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Mr Ricky Tsang; the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau; the Chairman of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Douglas So; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; the President of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, Mr Hsu Hoi-shan; Vice-Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Mr Charles Cheung; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Science Museum, Mr Patrick Lau. Launched in 2009, the Young Astronaut Training Camp has entered its 15th edition, with a total of 420 students participating over the years. The recruitment this year started in March and received an overwhelming response. After three rounds of the selection process, which included a quiz, a three-day training camp and an interview, 30 students from Secondary Two to Secondary Five were selected as Young Astronauts out of around 200 applicants from more than 110 secondary schools. The participants will visit various aerospace and astronomical facilities, including the China Astronaut Research and Training Center and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Students will learn more about the selection and training processes of astronauts, and acquire first-hand experience of astronaut training and aerospace medicine projects. This year's programme marks the first visit to the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology, where participants will look at the research and development of rocket engines. They will also visit the Xinglong Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatories to view large-scale optical telescopes, including the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope, and to have a deeper understanding our country's cutting-edge astronomical research. The training camp is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, in association with the China Space Foundation and the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. It is organised by the Hong Kong Space Museum and sponsored by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. For details of the training camp, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Space Museum at hk.space.museum/en/web/spm/activities/yatc.html . The camp is also one of the programmes under the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. Ends/Thursday, July 16, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:17 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS to visit Beijing (14.7.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202607/14/P2026071400258.htm", "date": "14.7.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will depart for Beijing in the late afternoon today (July 14) to attend the results presentation and unveiling ceremony for the Centre for Hong Kong and Macao Studies organised at the Chinese Academy of Social Science on July 15, and to take part in the relevant meeting. The Head of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit, Dr Stephen Wong, will join him. Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on July 15. During Mr Chan's absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. Ends/Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Issued at HKT 11:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on Mainland and Overseas 2026 officially kicks off (26.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/26/P2026062600823.htm", "date": "26.6.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Patrick Li, and representatives of participating corporates today (June 26) officiated at the kick-off ceremony of the HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas 2026. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan said that the Scheme has benefited over 1 300 Hong Kong youths since its launch in 2018. Over the years, the Government and the business sector have jointly provided Hong Kong young people with internship opportunities at corporates on the Mainland and overseas. The Scheme enables young people to experience first-hand the workplace culture in large corporates, gain hands-on experience, broaden their horizons, and understand national development and global trends, thereby enhancing their competitiveness. Mr Chan added that this year the number of corporates participating in the Scheme and the number of internship placements are the highest on record, encompassing a wider range of industries. In addition to traditional sectors, the Government has extended the coverage of the Scheme to emerging industries such as biotechnology and artificial intelligence. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the participating corporates for their profound engagement, which has become a pivotal force in nurturing local young talent. He also emphasised that the Government is drawing up Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan. Building upon the foundation of the Youth Development Blueprint and fully leveraging Hong Kong's distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, the Government strives to nurture a new generation of young people with an affection for the country and Hong Kong and equipped with global perspectives, an aspiring mindset and positive thinking, who will become the successors of \"one country, two systems\" and integrate into and serve the overall development of the country more effectively and proactively. A total of 29 corporates participate in the Scheme this year (refer to Annex for the list of participating corporates). They provide internship placements covering multiple industries, including financial services, innovation and technology, pharmaceutical, logistics, property development, construction, retail, hospitality, and public utilities, spanning different Mainland provinces and cities, and overseas countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia. The recruited interns will depart from June onwards to undertake internship placements of no fewer than five weeks. Ends/Friday, June 26, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:08 NNNN"}, {"title": "Appointments to new-term Commission on Poverty announced (26.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/26/P2026062600329.htm", "date": "26.6.2026", "description": "The Government today (June 26) announced appointments to the new-term Commission on Poverty (CoP) for a term of two years from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, as the Chairperson of the CoP, expressed his gratitude to all members of the current-term CoP for their efforts and contributions, especially the completion of the Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong within the current term of office. The Report reviews the accomplishments of Hong Kong's poverty alleviation efforts and unveils a new chapter of the support for the underprivileged groups in future. Mr Chan said that over the past few years, with the steadfast support of the CoP, various targeted poverty alleviation measures, including the Strive and Rise Programme, the Pilot Programme on Community Living Room, and the School-based After School Care Service Scheme, have all achieved remarkable results. The Government, jointly with the new-term CoP, will continue to promote tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community, providing targeted assistance to citizens in need and enhancing their sense of achievement and satisfaction. The membership of the new-term CoP is as follows: Chairperson ------------- Chief Secretary for Administration Non-official members ----------------------- Mr Calvin Chan Ming-wai Professor Terence Chong Tai-leung Ms Cecilia Ho Chung-chee* Ms Helen Hsu Siu-man Mr Kan Ming-tung Mr Jimmy Kwok Chun-wah Mrs Patricia Lau Ms Joyce Lee Yuen-sum* Ms Josephine Lee Yuk-chi Dr James Li Tsz-shu Ms Anthea Lo Wing-sze* Ms Loretta Lo Yee-hang Ms Nikki Ng Mien-hua Mr Roger Ngan Chi-wing* Mrs Chandni Rakesh Dr Loletta So Kit-ying Mr So Ping-fai Mrs Mary Suen Choi To-may Mr Augustine Wong Ho-ming Ex-officio members --------------------- Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Chairperson of Community Care Fund Task Force) Secretary for Education Secretary for Health * new members Ends/Friday, June 26, 2026 Issued at HKT 12:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "High-Level Meeting and Fifth Plenary Session of Hong Kong-Fujian Cooperation Conference held in Fuzhou (22.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/22/P2026062200561.htm", "date": "22.6.2026", "description": "The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, and the Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, Mr Zhou Zuyi, leading the delegations of the governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Fujian respectively, held the High-Level Meeting and the Fifth Plenary Session of the Hong Kong-Fujian Cooperation Conference (meeting-and-plenary) in Fuzhou, Fujian, today (June 22). The Director of Bureau III of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zou Jinsong, also attended the meeting-and-plenary. Officials of the HKSAR Government that attended the meeting-and-plenary included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip; the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan; and the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai. Hong Kong and Fujian reached a consensus on the following 11 co-operation areas at the meeting-and-plenary: Finance --------- Support relevant financial institutions in Fujian and Hong Kong to conduct policy training and publicity activities, and assist more eligible Fujian enterprises in listing and issuing bonds in Hong Kong. Promote precise cross-border capital alignment with Fujian's key industries, and help Fujian enterprises broaden their cross-border investment and financing channels. Civil Aviation, Maritime Transport and Logistics ---------------------------------------------------- Jointly establish safe and efficient international logistics corridors that connect both the Chinese Mainland and the world by strengthening port and airport cooperation between Fujian and Hong Kong. Enhance connectivity between ports and their hinterland, support Hong Kong enterprises' investment in port projects in Fujian, and promote intermodal transport modes including \"water-to-water transshipment\" and \"sea-rail transshipment\". Economic, Trade and Investment ------------------------------------- Leverage the roles of platforms including the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global of the HKSAR Government and the \"Fujian Enterprises Going Global\" Professional Services Alliance of the Fujian Province to support Fujian enterprises to go global by making good use of the advantages of Hong Kong professional services. Support relevant authorities or organisations in Hong Kong and Fujian to strengthen co-ordination, thereby recommending Hong Kong professional service providers to Fujian enterprises seeking to establish a presence in Hong Kong, and providing services such as company registration, fund raising, tax compliance, trademarks and patents, legal consultation, brand building, etc. Innovation and Technology ------------------------------ Explore co-operation in areas such as artificial intelligence applications and governance, cross-boundary data flow, digital technology research and development, as well as digital scenario applications. Continuously promote services for the commercialisation of science and technology (S&T) outcomes with reference to the advanced models of professional services (including technology transfer, testing and certification, intellectual property, investment and financing, and legal services) in Hong Kong; encourage research institutions in the two places to explore establishing a mechanism between Fujian and Hong Kong for facilitating the commercialisation of S&T outcomes. Legal and Dispute Resolution -------------------------------- Enhance the full-chain support for cross-border legal services and support the provision of comprehensive legal and dispute resolution services for Fujian and Hong Kong enterprises to go global. Cultural Exchange -------------------- Facilitate close collaboration between Fujian and Hong Kong on such fronts as nurturing of performing arts talents, creation of fine productions, arts promotion, and mutual visits, exchanges and performances. Jointly pursue the inheritance of the fine traditions of Chinese culture through supporting and promoting relevant organisations to host cultural performances and exhibitions on intangible cultural heritage, and encouraging publishers of Fujian to participate in the Hong Kong Book Fair. Education ----------- Encourage and support the joint provision of education services by higher education institutions of the two places. Continue to encourage and assist more secondary and primary schools in the two places to form sister school pairs, and support them in conducting diversified school-based exchange activities in different areas. Youth Development ---------------------- Strengthen two-way exchanges and visits between young people from Fujian and Hong Kong, and effectively take forward programmes such as the Youth Internship Programme at Wuyishan on Biodiversity Conservation. Continue to enhance and expand the various flagship youth exchange and internship programmes, and organise more Hong Kong youth to undertake internships and participate in exchange activities in Fujian. Health and Chinese medicine -------------------------------- Deepen exchange and co-operation between Hong Kong and Fujian in areas such as Chinese medicine (CM) healthcare services, talent cultivation, scientific research and academic exchange, to promote the comprehensive development of CM in both places, and jointly explore international markets. Tourism --------- Support the Department of Culture and Tourism of Fujian Province and the Hong Kong tourism authorities in jointly leveraging the tourism resources of both regions, developing Fujian-Hong Kong multi-destination travel itineraries, and facilitating the two-way flow of visitors. Facilitation measures for Hong Kong people on the Mainland ------------------------------------------------------------------- Expand the scope of application of the Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents to facilitate the living and development of Hong Kong people and enterprises in Fujian. Co-operation memorandum signing ceremony --------------------------------------------------- At the meeting-and-plenary, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and Vice Governor of Fujian Province Mr Zhao Zenglian signed the Co-operation Memorandum of the High-Level Meeting and the Fifth Plenary Session of the Hong Kong-Fujian Cooperation Conference. The document (Chinese only) is in Annex 1. In addition, six co-operation agreements were signed by government departments and statutory bodies of the two places: Agreement on Expanding Cultural and Tourism Exchanges and Co-operation between Fujian and Hong Kong; Agreement on Deepening Youth Exchanges and Co-operation between Fujian and Hong Kong; Memorandum of Understanding between the Fujian Provincial People's Government and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited; Co-operation Agreement on Promoting the International Expansion of Fujian Enterprises; Memorandum of Understanding by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Fuyao University of Science and Technology; and Collaboration Agreement on Jointly Establishing the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Fuzhou) Technology Transfer and Commercialisation Center. The co-operation agreements (i) and (ii) signed by the government departments of the two places (Chinese only) are in Annexes 2 and 3. Ends/Monday, June 22, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:58 NNNN"}, {"title": "Remarks by CS at press conference on Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong (18.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/18/P2026061800953.htm", "date": "18.6.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, hosted a press conference on press conference on Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong today (June 18). Also present were the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, and the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Alice Lau, with members of Commission on Poverty, namely Honorary President of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries Mr Jimmy Kwok; the Chief Executive Officer of St James' Settlement, Ms Josephine Lee; and the Chief Executive of the Tencent Charity Foundation, Dr James Li. Following are their remarks at the press conference: Reporter: First, does the Government have the number of how many people have been lifted out of poverty thanks to the poverty alleviation measures? If no, how can the Government assess the effectiveness of these measures when we are talking about poverty alleviation, and does that mean Hong Kong will no longer have a poverty line? Second, the Government has for the first time adopted the concept of social transfer values in poverty alleviation measurement, which shows the benefits received by households. How does this actually tell the effectiveness of the poverty alleviation efforts? How does the Government assess whether the amounts are enough to help those in need. Does that justify not providing more financial support? Thank you. Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Thank you for your question. As the Chief Secretary has said very clearly, when we talk about targeted alleviation of poverty, it is based on a very comprehensive basic services provided in the fields of social service, medical, education, and also public housing. So all these four areas, you can imagine, provide a very comprehensive basic support for a wide spectrum of people in Hong Kong who are in need of different forms of Government support for them. But on top of that, we are also conscious about the needs of some special groups. They include those living in sub-divided flats, those who are single parent families, and what we call, all-elderly families. They have needs other than what is usually provided through social welfare, medical, education and public housing. Then we designed targeted services. This includes visits by the Care Teams and Community Living Rooms. All these are designed to help different groups. I think the key is to look at the for each individual project, we are more focused on KPIs and whether we have been able to achieve all those pre-set KPIs. It is clearly shown in the report. I think we are more than meeting the KPI requirements. So this all shows that these targeted alleviation projects achieved the stated objectives, by helping all those groups and targeted groups of people whom we believe they need our help. And a part of that, we have provided with new tools, as you have mentioned, the social transfer values. This is an internationally recognised way to monetise, and to give you a value about the services provided by the Government. I think the best way is to visualise the fact, if you turn to page 168 and 169 of the Report, we have given you some very typical examples, including the elderly and families living in a public housing estates, and those receiving elderly services or receiving cash subsidies from the Government, so they show you in a very easily understandable way. So if all the services provided by the Government had to be obtained from the market, of course assuming all these services are available in the market, what would be the value in monetary terms of all these services? To give you an idea about the support provided to all those people who are in need of help, this is the way to look at what we are doing right now about targeted alleviation of poverty. Thank you. Chief Secretary for Administration: I want to supplement that in terms of beneficiaries, and according to our records for the Sham Shui Po Community Living Room as an example, so far there are about 520 000 number of attendance, and for the Strive and Rise programme, we all together have more than 14 000 students, and for the after-school care service, the quota is 10 500. These are the beneficiaries. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.) Ends/Thursday, June 18, 2026 Issued at HKT 20:20 NNNN"}, {"title": "Commission on Poverty releases Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong (18.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/18/P2026061800288.htm", "date": "18.6.2026", "description": "The Commission on Poverty (CoP) released the Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong (the Report) today (June 18). The Report reflects how the Government's major policies help alleviate, combat and prevent poverty, thereby assuming an active role in empowering those who can help themselves and supporting those who cannot. The Report also elaborates on the content and impact of the Government's targeted poverty alleviation measures, and outlines future strategies for supporting vulnerable groups. At the press conference for the Report, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, as the Chairperson of the CoP, said that the title on the Report's cover - \"Collaborate for Greater Impact Envision Targeted Support\", summarises the achievements made by the Government in the past, while demonstrating the Government's commitment to sustaining its efforts in providing targeted support. He further highlighted that the core value enshrined in targeted support lies in synergising collective efforts in addressing people's pressing issues and problems. The Government will continue to work hand in hand with the CoP, the business sector and various sectors of society to foster a greater sense of achievement, belonging and satisfaction among grassroots families. By adopting several innovative elements in the Report, the CoP seeks to present, in an explicit and visual manner, how the Government's allocation of resources improves the living standards of beneficiary households, so that the public could better perceive the direct relevance between the policies and their own interests. For example, this is the first time that the internationally recognised concept of \"social transfer values\" was adopted in the Report to quantify the social resources transferred to households that benefit from regular housing, health, education, and welfare measures. Such an analysis would reflect in a more comprehensive manner the Government's efforts and effectiveness in alleviating poverty. In addition, the Report includes true stories featuring services beneficiaries of targeted poverty alleviation schemes and other regular government measures. It contains 50 written real‑life stories for public perusal as well as experience sharing by 30 beneficiaries that can be accessed in an audio format by scanning the QR codes in the Report. The full Report has been uploaded to the CoP's dedicated website ( www.commissiononpoverty.gov.hk/eng/impactreport.html ). Ends/Thursday, June 18, 2026 Issued at HKT 17:45 NNNN"}, {"title": "CSD holds second Rehabilitation Partners Award Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony to commend organisations and individuals for supporting rehabilitation (17.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/17/P2026061700674.htm", "date": "17.6.2026", "description": "The Correctional Services Department (CSD) today (June 17) held the second Rehabilitation Partners Award Scheme Award Presentation Ceremony to commend 187 non-governmental organisations, charitable institutions, commercial organisations, post-secondary institutions and persons supporting rehabilitation services in recognition of their active support for persons in custody and rehabilitated persons over the past two years, while encouraging various sectors of society to actively participate in this scheme as Rehabilitation Partners and support rehabilitation services. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; and the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, officiated at the ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Cheuk said that the Rehabilitation Partners Award Scheme has been consolidating resources from various sectors of society and working with its partners to support rehabilitated persons to start anew, with a view to helping them transform their lives and contribute to building a better society. This scheme deserves high recognition and commendation. He expressed appreciation for the awardees' full and long-standing support for the CSD's rehabilitation services, and their collaboration with the department in providing persons in custody with holistic rehabilitation services. These services include thematic group counselling sessions, interest classes, religious services, visits by different visitors, and following up on housing, employment, education and family issues of some rehabilitated persons. These acts of support and encouragement are vital for rehabilitated persons' reintegration into society. Mr Cheuk expressed the hope that different sectors of society will continue to work closely and unite with the CSD, with a view to serving as a beacon for these rehabilitated persons and building a more stable, harmonious and better society together. The Rehabilitation Partners Award Scheme gives recognition to organisations and individuals who have been supporting rehabilitation services as well as promoting community engagement in rehabilitation services. The scheme comprises three categories, namely employment, rehabilitation service and donation. It was announced that a total of 36 awardees and 151 awardees were presented with Outstanding Rehabilitation Partners and Rehabilitation Partners respectively today in recognition of their contributions in their respective categories over the past two years. The awardees may display the Outstanding Rehabilitation Partner or Rehabilitation Partner logos in their offices, and on their websites, business cards, etc. The CSD has been working closely with Rehabilitation Partners to provide holistic and appropriate rehabilitation services for persons in custody and rehabilitated persons, so that after their release they will become law-abiding citizens who love the country and Hong Kong. The CSD appeals to various sectors of society to continue to support and participate in rehabilitation services, with a view to building a safer and more inclusive society. For the list of awardees of the scheme and the assessment criteria for Outstanding Rehabilitation Partners or Rehabilitation Partners, please refer to the following website: www.csd.gov.hk/english/reh/reh_overview/reh_overview_partner_award_scheme/pas.htm Ends/Wednesday, June 17, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "Panel of Advisors to Committee on Education, Technology and Talents convenes third engagement session (12.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/12/P2026061200506.htm", "date": "12.6.2026", "description": "The Committee on Education, Technology and Talents (CETT), chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, held the third engagement session with the Panel of Advisors to the CETT today (June 12) to gather views from the Panel of Advisors on the formulation of Hong Kong's first five-year plan. This year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan. The Hong Kong Government will proactively align with the vast opportunities brought by the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and draw up Hong Kong's first five-year plan at full speed. At the engagement session, the Panel of Advisors pointed out that a forward-looking and strategic medium-to-long-term plan could further strengthen policy synergy, driving the integration of education, technology, and talent, and facilitating Hong Kong's better integration into and service of the overall national development. During the engagement session, the Panel of Advisors put forward various suggestions regarding the development of innovation and technology (I&T), education and talent in the five-year plan. The Panel of Advisors supported the Government in accelerating the development of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and the San Tin Technopole. The Panel of Advisors also recommended attracting more quality technology enterprises from the Chinese Mainland and overseas to establish a presence in the parks. This would create a cluster effect, conducive to building a comprehensive I&T industry chain for providing development opportunities for incoming and local I&T talent. The Panel of Advisors fully recognised that the current-term Government has achieved significant success in its talent initiatives. It supported the Government's continued efforts to expand Hong Kong's talent pool through local training and recruiting global elites, while seizing the opportunities brought about by technological advancements at the same time, strengthening the professional development of teachers, enhancing the effectiveness of nurturing local talent to inject new impetus into Hong Kong's high-quality development continually. Participants of the meeting also attached great importance to nurturing diversified talent to meet the needs of Hong Kong's economic and I&T development, and exchanged views on the development strategies for Vocational and Professional Education and Training, as well as that for skills training. The Panel of Advisors also explored the development of local industries, education, and the labour market in response to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence technology. Mr Chan expressed gratitude for the valuable suggestions raised during the engagement session, which would provide an important reference for the Government in formulating the five-year plan more comprehensively. Mr Chan also briefed the Panel of Advisors on the insights gained by the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town during its earlier visits to the Mainland, Korea, Germany and Switzerland to study local higher education and I&T infrastructure. CETT will continue to maintain close communication and co-operation with the Panel of Advisors to formulate strategies for developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre and international hub for high-calibre talent. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun; the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Jeff Sze; Permanent Secretaries or representatives of the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, Education Bureau and Labour and Welfare Bureau attended the engagement session today. Ends/Friday, June 12, 2026 Issued at HKT 20:02 NNNN"}, {"title": "School-based After School Care Service Scheme commendation ceremony and 2026/27 school year launching ceremony concludes (11.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/11/P2026061100399.htm", "date": "11.6.2026", "description": "The commendation ceremony and 2026/27 school year launching ceremony for the School-based After School Care Service Scheme was held today (June 11). The ceremony was held to express gratitude to all schools and operators that have participated in the School-based After School Care Service Scheme (the Scheme) over the past three years. The Holistic Care Award was presented to schools with the most participating students, the Active Participation Award honoured schools that have joined the Scheme since the first year, and a Certificate of Commendation was awarded to all participating schools and operators (details of the awardees are at the Annex). The ceremony was officiated by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun; the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Alice Lau; the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai; and the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Edward To, also attended the ceremony to witness the presentation of awards to the participating schools and operators. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan remarked that the Scheme allows primary students in need to stay after school for care and learning support, thereby giving parents who otherwise need to look after their children as full-time carers the option of taking up employment and hence improving their family's livelihood. Furthermore, with homework being completed at school, the Scheme alleviates the pressure on parents regarding supervision and care, which greatly improves the parent-child relationship and promotes family harmony. Mr Chan also noted in the ceremony that the number of service places under the Scheme will remain uncapped in the 2026/27 school year. He called on all government, aided and Direct Subsidy Scheme primary schools across the territory to participate in the Scheme to support more families in need of care services. The Government has implemented the Scheme since the 2023/24 school year. Under the Scheme, participating schools will provide venues, and the Community Care Fund will provide funding for non-governmental organisations to provide services for students who need to stay at school after school hours for care and learning support. The Scheme was implemented at 59 primary schools in seven districts, offering some 3 000 service places in the 2023/24 school year. It was expanded to 126 primary schools in all 18 districts across the territory, offering about 5 900 service places in the 2024/25 school year, and had its cap on the number of service places removed in the 2025/26 school year, offering over 10 500 service places at 207 primary schools. Ends/Thursday, June 11, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:57 NNNN"}, {"title": "Sixth-term Commission on Poverty convenes seventh meeting (11.6.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202606/11/P2026061100484.htm", "date": "11.6.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the seventh meeting of the sixth-term Commission on Poverty (CoP) this afternoon (June 11). At the meeting, members noted that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is formulating Hong Kong's first five-year plan to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Members offered suggestions on the social welfare development strategies of Hong Kong in the next five years, especially on how to unite the community at large in actively advancing targeted assistance to disadvantaged groups. Mr Chan thanked members for their valuable comments. He also welcomed various sectors of society to draw on the collective wisdom by participating in the formulation of Hong Kong's first five-year plan together. Ends/Thursday, June 11, 2026 Issued at HKT 16:50 NNNN"}, {"title": "Delegation of overseas government officials visits Hong Kong to learn about its strengths and developments (29.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/29/P2026052900544.htm", "date": "29.5.2026", "description": "A delegation of 13 overseas government officials completed its visit to Hong Kong today (May 29), deepening its understanding of the city's advantages and development opportunities under the \"one country, two systems\" arrangement. The visit was arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which invited government officials from 13 countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, namely Bolivia, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Guyana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Republic of the Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Suriname. The visit aims at enhancing exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and these countries, as well as expanding the \"circle of friends\" of Hong Kong. During the delegation's stay in Hong Kong, it met with the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; and the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, to exchange views and learn more about Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying strong support of the country while maintaining unparalleled international connectivity under \"one country, two systems\", as well as its dual gateway role between the Chinese Mainland market and the global market. It also met with the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai; the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan; the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan; and the Deputy Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Mr Philip Har, as well as representatives of a number of relevant institutions. The delegation also visited the International Organization for Mediation, the Hong Kong Science Park and the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Through these meetings and visits, the delegation learned about the city's latest developments and opportunities in education, finance, trade, legal services, innovation and technology, as well as arts and culture. The delegation also visited Shenzhen to learn more about the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Ends/Friday, May 29, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "DCS chairs 12th meeting of Task Force on District Governance (29.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/29/P2026052900585.htm", "date": "29.5.2026", "description": "The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the 12th meeting of the Task Force on District Governance today (May 29) to follow up on the initiatives in accordance with the work assigned by the Steering Committee on District Governance. The meeting co-ordinated various departments in formulating specific implementation measures on issues of local concern and continuously reviewed the work progress and performance. Mr Cheuk said, \"All departments continue to closely monitor various district issues of public concern and formulate appropriate measures according to the directives provided by the Steering Committee. The Task Force will continue to co-ordinate and steer departments in implementing improvement measures in an orderly manner, and making adjustments and enhancements as necessary, with a view to effectively responding to public aspirations. The Task Force will also strengthen the promotion of district governance achievements to enhance citizens' sense of happiness and fulfilment.\" The Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration has formulated strategies for 12 district issues (Note), including various measures to strengthen community support and improve the local environment, thereby building a better community and enhancing the quality of life of the public. At the meeting, the Task Force followed up on the implementation progress and outcomes of relevant initiatives. In terms of community support, about 10 000 students in 207 primary schools have participated in the School-based After School Care Service Scheme; as of March 2026, approximately 190 000 elderly people have been served by the \"Smart Silver\" Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders launched by the Digital Policy Office in December 2024. In addition, as at end-March 2026, the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) in all districts had visited or reached out to over 109 000 singleton and doubleton elderly households, carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities (high-risk households). More than 3 500 households (involving over 4 000 elderly persons or persons with disabilities) were referred by the Care Teams to receive subsidies for installation of the Care-On-Call device. The Government is systematising the Carer Support Data Platform and progressively expanding its coverage. The Care Teams have started visiting high-risk households in \"three-nil\" buildings since March. As regards the district environment, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will conduct enforcement operations from May to September 2026 targeting over 300 blackspots across Hong Kong with more serious problems of dripping air conditioners. Between May 1 and 17, the FEHD had inspected about 1 100 private buildings and housing estates, and issued a total of 239 statutory \"Nuisance Notices\" to owners/occupants of premises where water dripping from air-conditioners caused environmental hygiene nuisance, requiring them to abate the nuisance within a specified period. As of April 30, the FEHD had distributed around 15 000 leaflets and posters covering 390 buildings and housing estates, reminding members of the public to take proactive measures to reduce nuisance caused by air-conditioner water dripping. In respect of enhancing the environment, relevant departments have completed three beautification projects in the first quarter of 2026, including thematic planting in park projects and housing development schemes. In addition, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department is making efforts to create thematic floral gardens across 18 districts, establishing uniquely featured flower and tree viewing spots for each district. Among these, Tseung Kwan O South Park has already completed the planting of pink trumpet trees and Mexican bluebell in January this year. Mr Cheuk thanked all departments for their diligent efforts in carrying out the above work and achieving notable results in various measures benefitting the public. He urged all departments to continue upholding their mission of serving the public and responding flexibly to social changes, so as to make the Government's district services more effective and further enhance the well-being of the public. Note: The 12 key issues are: (1) expanding after-school care and enhancing support for parents; (2) caring for the elderly and enhancing community support; (3) fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work; (4) enhancing public order and combating crimes on all fronts; (5) improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety; (6) enhancing the community environment and strengthening local characteristics; (7) improving the environment of public housing estates and creating comfortable homes; (8) caring for the elderly and promoting digital inclusion; (9) improving the waiting environment at public transport interchanges to enhance the travel experience; (10) combating air-conditioner water dripping to improve community environment; (11) cleaning pedestrian walkways to improve city streets; (12) strengthening thematic planting. Ends/Friday, May 29, 2026 Issued at HKT 17:14 NNNN"}, {"title": "Appointments to Commission on Children announced (29.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/29/P2026052900287.htm", "date": "29.5.2026", "description": "The Government announced today (May 29) the reappointment of 14 incumbent non-official members to the Commission on Children (CoC). Their appointments will take effect on June 1, 2026, for a term of two years. The Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairperson of the CoC, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, welcomed the appointments. He said he looked forward to closely collaborating with them, working together to promote various initiatives conducive to children's development and child protection, as well as safeguarding children's well-being through concerted efforts. He also expressed his appreciation to the outgoing members for their efforts and contributions made to the CoC. The CoC was established on June 1, 2018. Its major functions are to develop policies, set strategies and priorities related to the development and advancement of children, oversee the implementation of relevant policies and services, promote children's rights and fund public educational projects. The membership list of the CoC with effect from June 1, 2026, is as follows: Chairperson ------------- Chief Secretary for Administration Vice-chairperson ------------------ Secretary for Labour and Welfare Non-official members ---------------------- Ms Karin Ann Mr Chan Kin-ping Miss Anna May Chan Mei-lan Mrs Jennifer Cheng Yu Ngar-wing Professor Eric Chui Wing-hong Ms Heidi Hui Sim-kiu Dr Kevin Lau Chung-hang Ms Joyce Lee Yuen-sum Ms Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting Ms Cindy Pun Siu-fung Mrs Chandni Rakesh Dr Tang Chun-pan Mr Tony Tse Tsz-fung Dr Winnie Tso Wan-yee Mr Alan Tsoi Ka-lun Dr Rizwan Ullah Ms Wong May-kwan Ms Grace Yu Ho-wun Ex-officio members -------------------- Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Secretary for Education Secretary for Health Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Commissioner of Police Director of Health Director of Home Affairs Director of Social Welfare Chairperson of Family Council Chairperson of Women's Commission Ends/Friday, May 29, 2026 Issued at HKT 12:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "Government announces appointments to Fight Crime Committee (29.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/29/P2026052800218.htm", "date": "29.5.2026", "description": "The Government announced today (May 29) the appointments of Mr Desmond Yip Koon-shing and Ms Vera Ho Ivy Yuen-wei as members of the Fight Crime Committee, for a term of two years with effect from June 1 and July 15, 2026, respectively. The Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairman of the Committee, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, thanked the outgoing members, Mr Chan Siu-tong and Ms Melody Kwok Sze-wai, for their contributions and dedication to the Committee. He also welcomed the two new members and looked forward to continuing to work closely with all members. The Fight Crime Committee is responsible for drawing up plans to reduce crime, co-ordinating efforts in fighting crime and monitoring the results, and determining ways in which the public can be encouraged to contribute to the fight against crime. Ends/Friday, May 29, 2026 Issued at HKT 11:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS and SCMA to visit Beijing (28.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/28/P2026052800477.htm", "date": "28.5.2026", "description": "​The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa, will depart for a duty visit to Beijing this afternoon (May 28), during which they will call on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. They will return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon (May 29). During Mr Chan's absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. During Miss Tse's absence, the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Clement Woo, will be the Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs. Ends/Thursday, May 28, 2026 Issued at HKT 15:08 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to conclude visit to Germany (21.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/21/P2026052100336.htm", "date": "21.5.2026", "description": "The delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, yesterday (May 20, Heilbronn time) continued its visit to Germany. Presidents of the member institutions of the Alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences, including Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Saint Francis University, the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, and Tung Wah College, also joined the visit yesterday. The delegation visited Bildungscampus Heilbronn, an integrated university town that brings together multiple academic institutions, applied research centres and industrial networks. It serves as an important innovative academic hub in Southern Germany. The delegation toured the campus facilities and visited Campus Founders, a start-up and co-innovation hub, to learn about its successful experience in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem through start-up incubation, networking and interdisciplinary collaboration. The delegation also met and exchanged views with representatives of member institutions of Bildungscampus, including Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and the Technical University of Munich, as well as a representative of the City of Heilbronn government. They discussed the positioning, development strategies, management experience and collaboration models of the institutions in the campus, as well as the local government's involvement in the planning and development of the campus. Mr Chan said that Bildungscampus Heilbronn has grown rapidly since the completion of its first building in 2011, bringing together multiple academic and research institutions. Today, it serves over 8 500 students, researchers, industry experts and entrepreneurs. By deepening industry-academia-research integration, the campus has successfully aligned academic research with regional economic development, offering valuable practical insights for the planning, development and positioning of the Northern Metropolis University Town. He particularly pointed out that universities of applied sciences play a key role in the campus's ecosystem. By balancing curriculum design, cutting-edge research and practical applications in industry, they serve as an important pillar in promoting industry-education integration and cultivating high-quality applied talent. This provides an invaluable international reference for Hong Kong's active development of universities of applied sciences. Mr Chan concluded his visit to Germany and will depart for Hong Kong today (May 21, Heilbronn time). Ends/Thursday, May 21, 2026 Issued at HKT 11:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to continue visit to Germany (20.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/20/P2026052000201.htm", "date": "20.5.2026", "description": "​The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, led the delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to continue its trip to Germany yesterday (May 19, Stuttgart time). The delegation conducted on-site visits to local higher education and innovation and technology infrastructure, with a view to providing solid references for the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). The delegation visited the University of Stuttgart. Founded in 1829, the University of Stuttgart is a leading research-oriented university of technology in Germany, and a member of the TU9, the alliance of leading universities of technology in the country. The university excels in engineering sciences, intelligent systems, energy research, quantum technologies, and architecture, maintaining close co-operation with industry. The delegation toured the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart and the ARENA2036 research campus for automobiles on its campus, and met with university representatives. They gained an in-depth understanding of the university's experience in promoting deep integration and collaboration between academia and industry, accelerating the translation of research outcomes into practical applications, developing innovation campuses and industrial clusters, and facilitating interdisciplinary research and development as well as testing. They also exchanged views on strengthening exchanges in higher education and co-operation in talent cultivation between the two sides. Mr Chan said that the NMUT is not only a cradle for nurturing talent, but also a core engine driving technological innovation and economic transformation. He noted that the University of Stuttgart excels in the deep integration of education, cutting-edge research, and industry development, and has successfully built an industry-led innovation model. He expressed hope that through the visit, the delegation could draw on the university's experience in aligning talent cultivation and academic achievements with market demands, thereby further strengthening Hong Kong's linkages between education, technological innovation and industrial application, facilitating knowledge transfers, and developing the NMUT into a vibrant education and innovation hub, injecting new impetus into Hong Kong's long-term development. Mr Chan and other members of the delegation will proceed to Heilbronn, Germany, on May 20 (Stuttgart time) to continue their visit. Ends/Wednesday, May 20, 2026 Issued at HKT 11:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to commence visit to Germany (19.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/19/P2026051900215.htm", "date": "19.5.2026", "description": "​The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, led a delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to commence a visit to Germany yesterday (May 18, Aachen time). During the trip, site visits to local higher education and innovation and technology infrastructure will be arranged, providing a solid reference for the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). The delegation first visited RWTH Aachen University. Founded in 1870, RWTH Aachen University is the largest technology university in Germany, and a leading institution in engineering and applied sciences in Europe. The university is one of the nine members of the TU9, the alliance of leading universities of technology in Germany, and houses many national research centres, maintaining close ties with industry. The delegation exchanged views with university representatives and stakeholders, and toured campus facilities, including WZL, one of the institutes of the university with the closest co-operation with industry and also one of Europe's largest production technology institutes; and a running demonstration factory that involves industry partners and also serves research and training purposes. They learned about the university's successful experience and practices in campus planning, industry-academia-research integration, innovation ecosystem development, technology transfers and interdisciplinary collaborations, thereby accumulating valuable practical references for the NMUT's campus ecosystem and industry-academia collaboration. Mr Chan said that RWTH Aachen University is widely recognised for its achievement of translating fundamental research into real-world applications through an exceptionally strong industry-led model, and deep collaboration with corporations. He expressed hope to draw on the university's successful experience so that higher education and cutting-edge research can jointly drive technological breakthroughs and industrial advancement at the NMUT. He also expressed hope to learn from RWTH Aachen University's experience in nurturing long-term fundamental research while fostering close industry partnerships in order to further deepen the integration of industry, academia, and research at the NMUT. Mr Chan and other members of the delegation will proceed to Stuttgart on May 19 (Aachen time) to continue their visit. Ends/Tuesday, May 19, 2026 Issued at HKT 11:05 NNNN"}, {"title": "Delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to visit Germany and Switzerland (17.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/17/P2026051600466.htm", "date": "17.5.2026", "description": "​The research task force set up by the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (WG) under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis will pay visits to Europe. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will depart late tonight (May 17) for visit to Germany, while the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, will commence her visit to Switzerland on May 20. They will respectively conduct site visits to local higher education and innovation and technology (I&T) infrastructure, and exchange views with officials, experts and scholars on their successful experiences and development strategies to efficiently advance the construction of the Northern Metropolis University Town. The delegation led by Mr Chan will visit Aachen, Stuttgart and Heilbronn to inspect local higher education campuses and university towns, and exchange views with officials, representatives from higher education institutions, experts and scholars on the operation and development of the campuses, the development of universities of applied sciences and their industry-education collaboration. The delegation will also visit an AI innovation park to learn about its efforts in promoting AI development and nurturing I&T talent. Representatives of the Alliance of Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS Alliance) will join parts of the trip. Dr Choi will visit Bern, Basel and Zurich with representatives of the WG and the UAS Alliance to inspect various local universities, and exchange views with education officials on strengthening collaboration. Mr Chan will conclude his visit to Germany and depart for Hong Kong on May 21, arriving on the morning of May 22. During his absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. Dr Choi will conclude her visit to Switzerland and depart for Hong Kong on May 23, arriving on the morning of May 24. During her absence, the Under Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, will be the Acting Secretary for Education. Ends/Sunday, May 17, 2026 Issued at HKT 9:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS attends launch ceremony of Long March exchange activity series for Hong Kong and Macao youth in Jiangxi (11.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/11/P2026051100488.htm", "date": "11.5.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung, arrived in Ruijin, Jiangxi Province, yesterday afternoon (May 10), and attended the launch ceremony of the Long March exchange activity series for Hong Kong and Macao youth this morning (May 11). Mr Chan said, \"The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has always attached great importance to patriotic education. In particular, we actively encourage young people to participate in exchange activities on the Mainland to fully understand the country's history, culture and latest achievements. The Long March holds great significance in the nation's development history. We hope that young people can gain an in-depth understanding of its history, learn from its spirit of perseverance and solidarity, and grow into a new generation with an affection for the country and for Hong Kong that is equipped with global perspectives. They should seize the immense opportunities arising from our country's new journey and proactively integrate into and contribute to the overall national development.\" During their visit to Ruijin, Mr Chan and Mr Leung also visited the Yeping Revolutionary Sites and the Central Revolutionary Base Area History Museum. These landmarks bear witness to the dedication and sacrifices of the revolutionary forebears, which deeply moved the delegation. Mr Chan expressed the wish to further strengthen co-operation with Jiangxi in patriotic education and organise more in-depth and impactful exchange activities for more Hong Kong youth to visit historical sites and appreciate the national spirit, thereby fostering a deeper identification with the country and Chinese culture, and cultivating their national identity and patriotic sentiment. To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March and to strengthen the national awareness and patriotic spirit of Hong Kong and Macao youth, about 120 youth representatives from Hong Kong and Macao, along with Mainland youth, visited Ganzhou, Jiangxi, from May 8 to 11. They toured memorial museums and historical sites related to the Long March, and visited local research institutes, enterprises and heritage sites. At the launch ceremony, Hong Kong youth representatives shared their experiences and insights gained from retracing the Long March route. Similar visits and exchange activities for Hong Kong and Macao youth will be conducted in other Long March-related provinces progressively. Through first-hand visits to revolutionary sites, young people can gain a deeper understanding of the country's history and culture, enhance their understanding of the country's development journey, and further strengthen their sense of belonging to the nation as well as its culture and history. Mr Chan departs for Hong Kong this afternoon (May 11). Ends/Monday, May 11, 2026 Issued at HKT 15:25 NNNN"}, {"title": "Hospital Authority Convention brings together 9 000 healthcare professionals worldwide to share knowledge on clinical advances (11.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/11/P2026051100175.htm", "date": "11.5.2026", "description": "The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: The Hospital Authority (HA) Convention 2026 begins today for three consecutive days (May 11 to 13) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, in both in-person and online formats. More than 9 000 local, Mainland and overseas healthcare professionals and academics, together with approximately 200 distinguished speakers will exchange professional insights, clinical advances and experience on various healthcare topics, achieving record-high participation levels. The HA Convention this year is focusing on the HA's core values, namely People-centred Care, Professional Service, Committed Staff and Teamwork, with topics on healthcare development and sustainability, chronic disease management, cancer treatment, palliative care and advance directives. Other sessions will include topics on the application of artificial intelligence and robotics in healthcare, personalised medicine, medical training, advance care planning, medical-social collaboration and preparedness for major events, with the aim of promoting modernised healthcare service models and facilitating exploration and discussion of contemporary concepts among healthcare professionals and stakeholders. The convention opening ceremony was officiated this morning by the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau; the HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan; and the HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee. The Deputy Director-General of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, Ms Li Wei, delivered a speech on behalf of Vice-Minister of the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China Professor Zeng Yixin, congratulating the successful convening of the Convention. In his welcome address, Mr Fan said that the HA has committed to maintain sustainability of public healthcare service through reform. Over the past year, the HA has made steadfast progress in taking forward numerous reform initiatives, with the successful implementation of public healthcare fees and charges reform from January 1, 2026 standing as a top priority. The reform has had far-reaching impact by rationalising resource allocation, reducing wastage and misuse, and enhancing support for patients. \"Since the implementation of the public healthcare fees and charges reform, achievements had been made in utilisation of Accident and Emergency (A&E) services and in enhancing patient protection. There has been an overall decrease of about 10 per cent in attendances at the A&E departments, with a significant drop of 22 per cent in non-urgent cases, enabling A&E departments to focus their resources on patients with emergency needs. As of the end of April, the number of patients approved for fee waiver has significantly increased to over 224,000, which is 16 times the annual figure prior to the reform. The annual overall medical expense cap of HK$10,000 introduced by the HA has also received nearly 3 000 applications, demonstrating that the reform has effectively reallocated resources to comprehensively enhance protection for the 'poor, acute, serious and critical' patients.\" Mr Fan said that the HA has made significant progress in promoting \"patient centric\" services. Since the establishment of Task Groups on Enhancing Patient centric Services at each hospital in 2023, every hospital has introduced various initiatives that place patients at the centre of attention. These include the recently announced enhancement to visiting arrangements, under which visiting hours at all rehabilitation and palliative wards of non-acute wards have been extended to nine hours, while all paediatric wards are now open around-the-clock. Eligible patients may even have their pets visit them as well. In addition, the number of HA Go mobile app users has now reached over 3.5 million, enabling more patients and their carers to conveniently access public hospitals services and manage their personal health. Mr Fan continued, \"Apart from 'patient centric' services, the pursuit of service excellence lies at the very core of the HA. To date, four public hospitals have obtained national healthcare standards accreditation, and a total of seven acute hospitals are expected to complete accreditation by next year. The HA is also establishing chest pain centres and stroke centres in accordance with national accreditation standards at public hospitals, with Queen Mary Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and Tuen Mun Hospital taking the lead, in a continuous effort to enhance professional standards and service quality.\" Delivering her keynote address at the opening ceremony, \"Forging a New Era of Service Excellence in Public Healthcare\", Dr Lee shared her vision on realising service excellence and driving the sustainable development of public healthcare services. \"In the face of rapid population ageing and an increasingly complex environment, the Five-Year Plan for 2026 to 2030 – Hong Kong's first aligned with the National 15th Five-Year Plan – provides the HA with a clear strategic coherence. It marks a decisive shift in healthcare service, which is a shift from quantity to quality, and from reactive medicine to proactive health management.\" Dr Lee stated that the mission under this new era must evolve its focus from the mere pursuit of \"clinical excellence\" to the realisation of true \"service excellence\", delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place, grounded in empathy and sustained by efficiency. She added, \"To achieve service excellence, we must redesign healthcare service model. Through three purpose-built pathways, services will be categorised into acute care, high-efficiency procedures, and community-based support, enabling greater seamless integration of healthcare service and ensuring that each patient's needs are met with the right level of precision and support.\" Under the acute care pathway, the HA is scaling specialised centres across clusters to treat patients with acute and critical conditions, and strengthening the \"Golden Hour\" protocols at Chest Pain Centres and Stroke Centres. The newly established Neuroscience Centre will concentrate on managing complex neurological care, ensuring more consistent delivery of optimal care for patients. Under the high-efficiency procedures pathway, the Central Dispensing Hubs are leveraging automation technology to manage high-volume medication packing, streamlining complicated medication dispensing workflows and enabling seamless delivery of medications directly to patients' homes. This allows pharmacists to focus on high-value clinical consultations and patient care. Under the community-based support pathway, the HA is redesigning service models and will collaborate with community partners to prioritise the expansion of community, ambulatory, and home-based support, ensuring seamless continuity of support upon patient discharge. This approach will both free up hospital capacity for acute patients and shorten waiting times for admissions and follow-up appointments. Dr Lee described the HA as moving towards a new era of smart hospitals and digitalisation, necessitating investment in augmented intelligence to improve clinical outcomes. The HA has deployed AI-assisted diagnostics to support radiologists in detecting subtle abnormalities, predictive tools to identify and anticipate patients at risk of clinical deterioration, and surgical planning tools to optimise operating theatre utilisation. In addition, through the integration of HA Go mobile app, Smart Hospital initiatives, and workflow reengineering, the patient journey has been further simplified. From outpatient appointment booking and registration, real-time waiting time tracking, payment, to collecting medications without queuing, and receiving follow-up arrangements and health education information, everything can be easily managed via mobile devices, reflecting the spirit of patient centric service. Dr Lee emphasised that cybersecurity has become a clinical safety imperative in the course of digital transformation, and the HA remains committed to ensuring the rigorous protection of patient data. In support of the Government's initiative to establish Hong Kong as an International Health and Medical Innovation Hub, the HA is strengthening its collaboration with universities to leverage clinical data for medical research. Concurrently, through the Government's new \"1+\" mechanism, the HA is partnering with technology and pharmaceutical sectors to co-develop new drugs, medical devices and care models, while ensuring that affordability and global standards are built into the design of every new treatment. In conclusion, Dr Lee said, \"The measure of our success lies not in how sophisticated our healthcare system is, but in whether patients in the bed feel seen, whether the carers feel supported, and whether our staff take pride in the work they do. This is what true service excellence means. Healthcare is not only science and systems; it is embodied in the spirit of every healthcare professional who is willing to go the extra mile. It is the very spirit that has enabled the HA to build a solid foundation over the past 35 years and to continue moving forward.\" She expressed confidence that with the dedication and commitment of all members of the HA and the support of global partners, the HA will continue to pursue excellence, safeguard public health, and collectively shape a more sustainable future for the public healthcare system. Ends/Monday, May 11, 2026 Issued at HKT 12:12 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS to visit Jiangxi (9.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/09/P2026050800458.htm", "date": "9.5.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will depart for a visit to Jiangxi tomorrow morning (May 10) to attend the launch ceremony of the Long March exchange activity series for Hong Kong and Macao youth in Ruijin city on May 11. Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on May 11. During Mr Chan's absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. Ends/Saturday, May 9, 2026 Issued at HKT 17:00 NNNN"}, {"title": "Increase in visitor arrivals to Hong Kong during Golden Week boosts retail, catering and hotel industries (6.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/06/P2026050600707.htm", "date": "6.5.2026", "description": "The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (May 6) announced that the five-day Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland (May 1 to 5) concluded yesterday, with all aspects of receiving visitors operating smoothly. According to the Immigration Department (ImmD), around 1.19 million visitors arrived in Hong Kong over the Golden Week, representing an increase of 8 per cent over the same period last year. Mainland inbound visitors accounted for around 1.01 million, representing an increase of 10 per cent compared to last year. The increase in visitor arrivals directly boosted local businesses, including retail, catering and hotels, bringing significant economic benefits. Mr Chan said, \"Visitor arrivals surged during this year's Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Popular attractions saw a large number of visitors and a vibrant atmosphere, showcasing the unique metropolitan charm of the city. The growth in visitor arrivals also directly boosted various local industries, including retail, catering and hotels, with significant visitor flows in shopping malls, restaurants and shops bringing significant benefits. Representatives of some shopping malls indicated that consumption in various retail categories saw year-on-year double-digit increases, while the catering sector noted that businesses in tourist areas increased about 20 per cent in the same period, generating considerable economic benefits. These results fully reflected the function of the tourism industry as an important driver of the local economy. The Government will continue to work closely with these industries to promote diversified tourism products and projects, creating comprehensive and immersive travel experiences for tourists while spreading the economic advantages brought by visitor increases to different sectors to benefit the overall economy.\" Visitor flow, situation of control points, and traffic and public transport arrangements During the five-day Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the daily average of Mainland visitors was around 200 000. The arrival of Mainland visitors peaked on May 2, with around 260 000 Mainland visitors arriving in Hong Kong. During the Golden Week, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point received the highest number of Mainland visitors, followed by the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point. To cope with the increased passenger flows during the Golden Week, relevant departments deployed additional manpower and operated additional counters, temporary counters and channels to facilitate passenger and vehicular flows. The Security Bureau activated the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre during the holidays to closely monitor and co-ordinate public order across various districts, including various boundary control points. The overall operation of the control points and traffic were smooth and orderly. The overall traffic conditions were generally smooth during the Golden Week. The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department (TD) operated round the clock at an escalated tier to holistically monitor traffic conditions and public transport services across the territory, including boundary control points, major stations and various tourist hotspots. The TD steered local and cross-boundary public transport operators (PTOs) to enhance their carrying capacity, including enhancing MTR train services to and from Lo Wu/Lok Ma Chau Stations, strengthening relevant Express Rail Link train services to and from Futian, Shenzhenbei and Beijingxi Stations, strengthening cross-boundary coach services and increasing the frequency of bus services connecting land boundary control points for the convenience of residents and visitors. PTOs also deployed additional staff to maintain order and reserved sufficient vehicles and manpower to further enhance services when necessary. Conditions of mega events and major tourist attractions Visitors went to different parts of Hong Kong during the Labour Day Golden Week, with high visitor flows observed at major tourist attractions including the West Kowloon Cultural District, Ocean Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Peak Tram and Ngong Ping 360. Smooth and effective crowd management measures were implemented. Local areas like Old Town Central, Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon City emerged as popular urban walking routes. At East Dam of the High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, various departments took measures to control traffic, increase the frequency of minibuses, publish visitor flow information, and strengthen cleaning services as needed according to the plan devised before the Golden Week. As regards the public transport service for East Dam, upon the TD's co-ordination, the Green Minibus route No. 9A operator enhanced services plying the route between Pak Tam Chung and East Dam of High Island Reservoir in response to passenger demand and traffic conditions. The overall services were generally smooth. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) installed additional railings at the Po Pin Chau viewing platform, deployed additional staff and utilised drones for patrolling and broadcasting safety alerts, and implemented crowd control measures at Po Pin Chau during busy hours. Tourists followed the instructions of the on-site staff, with the pedestrian flow smooth and order well maintained. Incidents where visitors approached dangerous areas or crossed railings had decreased dramatically. As for the campsites at Ham Tin Wan, Sai Wan and Long Ke Wan, the AFCD and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) conducted joint operations to keep the campsites and the Ham Tin Public Toilet clean, deployed staff to conduct day and night patrols and stationed on-site, and remind campers of camping etiquette and regulations according to the plan. The usage, hygiene, and order at various campsites were generally good. The AFCD had strengthened enforcement against illegal activities. During the Golden Week, it conducted publicity and education measures, and issued advisories and warnings along Sections 1 and 2 of the MacLehose Trail and at designated campsites nearby, with a total of 19 enforcement cases against offences of littering, illegal camping outside designated campsites, etc. At Sharp Island and Shui Hau sandflat on Lantau Island, the AFCD deployed staff to patrol along the coastline to remind visitors not to harm, disturb, feed, or collect marine life. Snorkelling guides and kayaking guides were deployed at nearshore waters to remind snorkellers to enter and exit the water by following the coral-friendly routes to avoid accidentally stepping on corals. In addition, the AFCD conducted joint patrols with the Hong Kong Police Force, the Marine Department and the FEHD, and deployed drones to regularly monitor visitors' activities. The AFCD also collaborated with the World Wide Fund For Nature Hong Kong and the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong to conduct public education activities and promote marine conservation messages to visitors. Inbound tour groups and hotel occupancy rate In terms of Mainland inbound tour groups, around 820 Mainland inbound tour groups brought over 32 000 visitors to Hong Kong during the five-day Golden Week, with around 60 per cent engaged in overnight itineraries. The number of tour groups remained similar to the same period last year. During the Golden Week, the Travel Industry Authority proactively co-ordinated the flow and itineraries of inbound tour groups and stepped up inspections and enforcement actions to stringently combat non-compliant activities, including deploying staff daily to major boundary control points, tourist attractions, registered shops and dining venues frequented by Mainland tour groups. The arrangements for tour group flow management and tourism activities during the Golden Week were generally orderly. The overall hotel occupancy rate reached 90 per cent, slightly higher than last year. Hotel prices increased by 10 per cent compared with long holidays in the past. Mr Chan thanked all relevant government departments, organisations, and industries for working together, co-ordinating closely, and properly handling the reception of visitors, creating a welcoming travel experience for them during the Labour Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Ends/Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Issued at HKT 19:42 NNNN"}, {"title": "LCQ18: Measures to expedite the handling of court cases (6.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/06/P2026050600643.htm", "date": "6.5.2026", "description": "Following is a question by the Hon Nick Chan and a written reply by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, in the Legislative Council today (May 6): Question: It has been reported that the problem of long listing time in Hong Kong courts has become increasingly serious in recent years, and the time taken from the institution of legal proceedings to the commencement of court hearings was very long in many cases, leading to delays in judgments, which greatly affect the rights and interests of the parties concerned and the public's confidence in the judicial system. There are views that Hong Kong urgently needs to draw on the experience of other places to promote the modernisation of its judicial system, so as to shorten waiting times. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the respective (a) average, (b) median, (c) shortest and (d) longest time (i) \"from the institution of legal proceedings to the handing down of judgments\", (ii) \"from the institution of legal proceedings to the conclusion of hearings\" and (iii) \"from the conclusion of hearings to the handing down of judgments\" in the Family Court, the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal, the District Court, the High Court and the Court of Final Appeal in each of the past five years and so far this year, as well as the respective numbers of cases heard by these courts each year; (2) of the respective numbers of cases in relevant case types (namely (i) national security and public order, (ii) serious and violent crimes, (iii) cyber and information technology crimes, (iv) corruption and duty-related crimes, (v) financial and economic crimes, (vi) intellectual property, (vii) labour and employment, (viii) minors, and (ix) protection of women, the elderly and persons with disabilities) heard each year by the courts referred to in (1), as well as the following information on these case types: the (A) average, (B) median, (C) shortest and (D) longest time (a) \"from the institution of legal proceedings to the handing down of judgments\", (b) \"from the institution of legal proceedings to the conclusion of hearings\" and (c) \"from the conclusion of hearings to the handing down of judgments\", in each of the past five years and so far this year; (3) to ramp up the efficiency of case hearings, whether the authorities will draw reference from the practices of the following countries: (i) establishing a swift case hearing procedure similar to the Express Track in Singapore to shorten the time from the institution of legal proceedings to hearings; (ii) introducing a pre-hearing unified application mechanism similar to the Single Application Pending Trial mechanism in Singapore, which requires both parties to legal proceedings to consolidate their necessary applications into a single application and submit it for the court's handling; and (iii) drawing reference from the practice of the Docket System in the United States, under which an entire case is handled by a single master or judge; (4) given the view that delays in court work are mainly attributed to the shortage of judge manpower, whether the authorities will draw reference from the experience of the United Kingdom and Ireland to promote a larger number of qualified and seasoned solicitor advocates to Senior Counsels, and include them as candidates for deputy judges; of the respective numbers of solicitors, solicitor advocates, barristers and Senior Counsels appointed as deputy judges or judges in each of the past five years and so far this year; and (5) as it is learnt that courts at various levels currently encourage the use of alternative resolution procedures (i.e. mediation) in cases, of the respective numbers of cases handled through alternative resolution procedures by the Family Court, the Labour Tribunal, the Small Claims Tribunal, the District Court and the High Court in each of the past five years and so far this year, as well as the respective numbers of cases for which settlements were successfully reached; the respective (i) average, (ii) median, (iii) shortest and (iv) longest case handling time from the institution of legal proceedings to the reaching of settlements in such cases? Reply: President, Based on the information provided by the Judiciary, the Government's reply is as follows: The Judiciary is fully committed to upholding the rule of law and judicial independence in Hong Kong through maintaining an efficient and effective judicial system. Notwithstanding that the caseload remained high in the past few years, the Judiciary managed to make pro-active and dedicated efforts to expedite court proceedings through multipronged measures on a continual basis. In overall terms, for civil cases, the majority of the cases across all court levels have been meeting the target waiting times persistently over the past few years. There have also been steady and gradual improvements in the average waiting times for criminal proceedings. There is no indication that the waiting and processing times of court cases have been increasing in recent years. The Judiciary will continue to closely monitor the situation and take appropriate measures having regard to operational needs to ensure and enhance operational efficiency of the courts. The reply to individual parts of the question is set out below. (1) and (2) The court waiting time is an important performance indicator for assessing the administrative efficiency of courts and tribunals in handling cases awaiting trials or other legal proceedings without compromising fairness in administration of justice. Specifically, for civil proceedings, the court waiting time is defined by the number of days between either the date of listing the case for trial or the date of application to fix a date and the date of trial. For criminal proceedings, the court waiting time is counted mainly from the filing of indictment or first appearance in court to the date of hearing. This is generally in line with the definitions of court waiting time in other common law jurisdictions. As a matter of fact, each case has to undergo a series of essential steps/stages before it could be listed for trial and then conclude. The time taken for a case to be ready for listing depends on the time required by the parties to complete these steps (Note 1). While case management measures will be implemented to shorten the time required for these steps where possible and appropriate, many of these steps involved are beyond the control of the court. Similarly, while the court would endeavour to fix the earliest available date for hearing, from operational experience, the earliest available date was not taken up by the parties on many occasions for reasons beyond the control of the court, mainly due to the unavailability of counsel or parties. As a result, the actual hearing date would have to be fixed on a later date, hence lengthening the overall time required for completion of the proceedings. In addition, for civil cases, parties may consider, and are encouraged to consider as appropriate, alternative disputes resolution (ADR) such as mediation to settle their disputes (details are provided in part (5) below). In view of the above, the court waiting time, instead of the time required \"from the institution of legal proceedings to the handing down of judgment\", is generally adopted for assessing operational efficiency of courts. The caseload and average waiting times for different levels of court over the past five years from 2021 to 2025 are at Annex A. For more detailed statistics, please refer to the Hong Kong Judiciary Annual Report 2025 at the following link: www.judiciary.hk/en/publications/annu_rept_2025 . For civil proceedings, the target average waiting times have been achieved persistently in general. In particular, for the Court of First Instance (CFI) of the High Court (HC), the average waiting time for the civil fixture list in 2025 was 151 days, which was the lowest since 2021. For criminal proceedings, the target waiting times have been met in general except for cases in the CFI and the District Court (DC) due to the priority accorded to a considerable number of complicated 2019 anti-extradition amendment bill incidents and national security cases requiring longer trials, as well as the recent surge of cases related to money laundering and fraud in the DC. In May 2022, the Judiciary issued Practice Directions (PDs) 36 and 37 with the aim of ensuring that reserved judgments for the HC, DC, Family Court (FC) and Lands Tribunal (LandsT) are handed down as expeditiously as reasonably practicable having regard to the circumstances of the case, including its nature and complexity, and other commitments of the court. Since the implementation of the relevant PDs, the vast majority (over 90 per cent) of the cumulative total of over 6 600 judgments at these levels of court were handed down within the stipulated timeframes. The Judiciary will continue to closely monitor the court waiting times and make on-going efforts for improvements as far as practicable. (3) The Judiciary has put in place various listing and case management practices and procedures to ensure effective, expeditious and fair disposal of proceedings. For instance, to expedite short and simple trials, the CFI operates a Running List for civil cases with an estimated length of trial of four days or less. Cases in the list will be called up for trial as soon as a judge becomes available. In 2025, the average waiting time (from not-to-be-warned date to the hearing of the trial) for cases in the list is 26 days. In general, the court may also in an appropriate case, having regard to the nature and complexity of the dispute and other relevant circumstances, direct that the proceedings be expedited, and/or list the case for an early trial. With regard to management and disposal of interlocutory applications, for cases in the general civil list in the CFI and DC, the parties are required to file and serve a timetabling questionnaire after close of pleadings, in which they must indicate whether they intend to issue any interlocutory applications, and if so what applications. This will enable the Court to give case management directions, which may include prescribing a timetable for taking out the intended interlocutory applications and the order and manner of their disposal. As for assigning a case to a particular judge or judicial officer, for the special lists in the CFI and DC (Note 2), a judge is assigned to be in charge of the list who will have control of the cases in the list and of the applications in the cases, and will make directions and orders regulating the conduct or trial of the cases in the list. Matrimonial cases in the CFI and the FC are generally docketed with a judge, who will have the conduct of the case until its conclusion. In the CFI, there is also in place a system for the prompt and efficient preparation for and the hearing of trials of cases where the hearing is likely to be lengthy. For a case where the trial is estimated to last for 15 days or more, a trial judge will be assigned to it at an early stage of the proceedings. A trial judge may similarly be assigned to complex cases even if the estimated length of trial is less than 15 days, if it is considered advantageous to the proper conduct of the proceedings. On the operational front, the Judiciary has also been taking a series of multipronged measures and initiatives to expedite court proceedings while steadfastly upholding the principles of justice. The major measures and initiatives include engaging additional judicial manpower, strengthening case management, promoting the wider use of mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution where appropriate, making greater use of technology, and enhancing court facilities. The Judiciary will continue to closely monitor progress and consider taking other appropriate measures having regard to operational needs, with a view to further enhancing the operational efficiency of the courts. (4) To alleviate the shortfall in judicial manpower, in addition to proactively recruiting more Judges and Judicial Officers (JJOs), continual efforts are being made to invite legal practitioners from outside the Judiciary to serve as deputy JJOs at different levels of court so as to meet the courts' operational needs. The professional qualifications for appointment as JJOs at different levels of court are set out in the respective ordinances. These statutory professional qualifications are also applicable to deputy JJOs. In brief, a person shall be eligible to be appointed as a JJO (including deputy JJOs) if he/she is qualified to practise as a barrister, solicitor or advocate in a court in Hong Kong or any other common law jurisdiction, and has met the minimum years of practicing experience since becoming so qualified. The statutory minimum years of post-qualification practicing experience of a Judge of the High Court is 10 years while those of a District Judge and a Magistrate are five years. There is no statutory requirement that the person has to be a senior counsel. In line with the established deputy arrangements, the respective court leaders identify potential legal practitioners from outside the Judiciary and invite them to sit as deputies at different levels of court. As Hong Kong is a common law jurisdiction, the legal practitioners should possess adequate litigation experience in respective courts in order to perform judicial duties competently as a deputy JJO. Their litigation experience should be commensurate with the level of the court which they deputise in. Legal practitioners who meet the professional qualifications stipulated in the relevant ordinances with litigation experience and are interested in serving as deputy JJOs may nominate themselves or be recommended by others to the relevant court leaders. If the relevant court leaders deem them suitable, they may be appointed by the Chief Justice as deputy JJOs in accordance with the established mechanisms to assist in judicial work. As regards the professional qualifications of JJOs over the past five years, the Judiciary does not maintain statistics on deputy JJOs specifically categorised by their professional qualifications as they are appointed from time to time with different appointment periods. As at May 1, 2026, around 80 per cent and 20 per cent of the substantive JJOs at different levels of courts are professionally qualified to practice respectively as barristers (including those JJOs with professional qualification as solicitor as well) and solicitors. As for the substantive JJOs appointed through open recruitment over the past five years and up to now, 31 JJOs and three JJOs have the professional qualification of barrister and solicitor respectively; and 10 JJOs have the professional qualification of both barrister and solicitor. (5) Over the past years, the Judiciary has been making continual efforts in promoting the wider use of mediation at different levels of court to facilitate resolution of disputes for court cases. Apart from saving the time and costs of litigants, mediation also benefits the court in reducing the length and number of trials, bringing about consequential savings on judicial resources otherwise required to handle the cases. Through promulgation of a series of PDs (Note 3), mediation has become an integral part of active case management to assist the court in discharging its judicial duty by encouraging parties to use mediation as an ADR procedure. While mediation is to be conducted on an entirely voluntary basis, according to the relevant PDs, parties have a positive duty to consider the use of mediation as ADR at the relevant levels of court, and the legal representatives must certify that they have duly explained and advised their clients on the use of mediation, and that failure to mediate upon a request by the opposite party without reasonable explanation may attract adverse costs order, i.e. the winning party not being awarded its costs from the losing party. In 2025, more than half of the mediated cases referred by the Judiciary resulted in full or partial settlement. The use of mediation has proved to be effective in reducing the length and number of the relevant trials, bringing about consequential savings on judicial resources otherwise required to handle the cases in court. It should be noted that the majority of cases (over 80 per cent on average) brought before the Small Claims Tribunal, the LandsT and the Labour Tribunal are disposed of without trial through settlement arrangements facilitated by adjudicators/presiding officers or designated court support staff as appropriate. The cases referred to mediation for settlement form only a small portion of these cases. As for the FC, during the past few years, among some 20 000 cases received each year, over 12 000 cases (60 per cent) do not involve disputes or relief claims and need not be referred to mediation. Only a small portion of the remaining around 7 500 (40 per cent) cases involving disputes or relief claims are referred to mediation. Relevant statistics on mediation cases and settlement rates over the past five years from 2021 to 2025 are at Annex B. The above information only covers those cases where the use of mediation and/or mediation service have been reported to and/or referred by the Judiciary. The Judiciary does not maintain statistics on the processing time of these cases or on the mediation service or other forms of ADR privately engaged by parties to the proceedings as enquired in the question. Note 1: For civil cases, these steps include identifying the real issues of the civil action, preparing, filing and serving timetabling and listing questionnaires, attending case management hearings, exchanging pleadings, exchanging witness statement and expert evidence. For criminal cases, these steps include investigation and collection of evidence by law enforcement agencies, defendants' application for legal aid or arrangement for private legal representatives, obtaining evidence from the prosecution, trial preparation by parties, handling case management issues. Note 2: In the CFI, there are at present the Admiralty List, Commercial List, Bankruptcy and Winding-up List, Constitutional and Administrative Law List, Construction and Arbitration List, Family Law List, Intellectual Property List, Personal Injuries List and Probate List. In the DC, there are at present the Employees' Compensation List, Personal Injuries List and Equal Opportunities List. Note 3: PDs include: PD 31 Mediation; PD 15.10 Family Mediation; PD 6.1 Construction and Arbitration List; PD 3.3 Voluntary Mediation in Petitions Presented under Section 724 of the Companies Ordinance, Cap. 622, Section 177(1)(f) of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance Cap. 32; PD 18.1 Personal Injuries List; PD 18.2 Employees' Compensation List; President's Direction LTPD: BM No. 1/2009: Case Management and Mediation for Building Management Cases; President's Direction LTPD: CS No.1/2011 Mediation for Compulsory Sale Cases Under the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance (Cap. 545); and PD 20.2 Probate and Administration of Estate Proceedings. Ends/Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:57 NNNN"}, {"title": "Arrangements concluded for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units in batches (4.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/04/P2026050400744.htm", "date": "4.5.2026", "description": "The 15 days of arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units in batches concluded today (May 4). Among the 1 736 households of the seven blocks, a total of 1 674 households (6 265 persons) have returned to their units. The process was generally smooth and completed in an orderly manner. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, said, \"We are very grateful for the understanding and co-operation of the residents. The vast majority of the residents returned to their units within the 15-day period, while only fewer than 10 households required other arrangements. About 50 households decided not to return to their units. \"There were safety hazards at different parts in the seven blocks after the fire. Arranging safe and orderly access for over 1 670 households was highly challenging. To ensure the safety of residents and working staff, meticulous planning was required, including removing unsafe scaffolding, strengthening building structures, installing window safety nets on damaged windows, clearing piles of rubble and debris from common areas, accompanying residents up to the units, providing emotional support, managing crowds, and deploying a large number of interdepartmental supporting staff.\" Mr Cheuk expressed heartfelt appreciation to all staff involved in the arrangements. The staff worked together as one team, displaying commitment and empathy in supporting residents and attentively escorting residents and assisting in transporting their belongings on their way down. Their dedication helped ensure that the arrangements proceeded smoothly. The Government spared no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deployed over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service (CAS), the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS), the Home Affairs Department (HAD), the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Bureau, and the Housing Department, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams volunteers (Care Team). The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) also activated the \"Government-wide Mobilisation\" mechanism to bring together greater interdepartmental deployment to support residents. The Police were fully engaged in the cross-departmental operation from start to finish. Their roles included traffic management in the vicinity of Wang Fuk Court, crowd management at the registration centre, accompanying residents to and from their buildings and in and out of their units, deploying officers to stand guard at the main lobby of the building and on the floors reopened, handling requests from residents for police assistance,helping residents sift through the rubble and ashes to recover their property, assisting in the opening of safes found in the flats, forming quick response teams to attend to residents who might have felt unwell during their return, and helping residents move their belongings. CAS personnel accompanied and protected the residents when they went upstairs to collect their belongings from beginning to end. CAS tasks included looking after the residents during their time in the buildings as well as assisting them as they went in and out of their units, assisting the elderly and persons with disabilities up and down the stairs, calming their emotions and helping the residents move big and small packages. Fire and ambulance personnel from the FSD were stationed at the highest reopened floors, providing emergency and medical services. If needed, they transported injured persons from upstairs to the ground level where they would be taken to hospital by ambulance. The AMS set up a first aid station on-site to provide first aid and medical services to residents. HAD was responsible for registration of residents at the registration centre at the Kwong Fuk Community Hall. The HAD’s duties included verifying identities, preparing identification badges, and matching staff to support the residents to return to their units, etc. HAD, together with the Care Teams from 18 districts, also distributed protective and lighting equipment (including helmets with hair nets, scratch-resistant gloves, and masks) and hygienic and personal items to residents, disinfected and cleaned helmets and flashlights for reuse, helped take care of accompanying persons in the waiting area, and provided trolleys and helped residents carry their belongings to the waiting area, boarding areas and other destinations. Personnel of the \"one social worker per household\" scheme of the SWD notified households of their arranged dates and time slots, assisted with preregistration of persons returning to the units, and provided relevant guidance notes to residents. Video clips and leaflets produced by the SWD's clinical psychologists were disseminated and explained to residents to better prepare them psychologically by personnel of the \"one social worker per household\" scheme. The SWD deployed over 1 700 social workers under the \"one social worker per household\" scheme to support each household during this operation. Additionally, social workers and clinical psychologists formed specialised teams on reopened floors to provide assistance and accompanied residents with special needs (including family members of the deceased) in returning to their units. Upon completion of this retrieval arrangement, social workers under the \"one social worker per household\" scheme will continue to follow up on residents’ situations, and clinical psychologists of the SWD will also provide counselling service to those in need and help address their emotions. To ensure a safe and smooth process, engineering teams of the Housing Bureau and the Housing Department performed several months of extensive preparatory work. These efforts included dismantling dangerous and seriously damaged bamboo scaffolding, conducting structural safety inspections, strengthening severely damaged units, manually clearing piles of rubble and debris from corridors, repeatedly inspecting the stability of ceilings and walls to ensure structural safety, cordoning off hazardous zones, installing window safety nets on damaged windows, and setting up temporary lighting systems, toilets and covered safety walkways. During residents’ return trips, structural engineers and other engineering staff stationed on the building's floors to provide immediate support. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department deployed staff to carry out mosquito control work, including clearance of stagnant water and potential mosquito breeding places in the estate, setting up mosquito traps, and conducting fogging operations to kill adult mosquitoes. In addition, the department arranged for a number of mobile toilets to be placed on the ground floor of the buildings for the convenience of residents. The Transport Department arranged free shuttle bus services to enable residents travelling between Wang Fuk Court and the Tai Po Market MTR Station. Under the \"Government-wide Mobilisation\" mechanism, the CSB co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form Government Quick Response Units to support these access arrangements. These civil servants came from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Lands Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department. They formed dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide appropriate support according to residents’ needs, such as providing additional nylon bags and surgical masks, providing flashlight illumination while residents did their packing, helping residents move their belongings, and assisting the Police and the CAS in handling emergencies. Ends/Monday, May 4, 2026 Issued at HKT 20:15 NNNN"}, {"title": "Appointments of convenor and members of Working Group on Patriotic Education (4.5.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202605/04/P2026050400609.htm", "date": "4.5.2026", "description": "The Government today (May 4) announced the appointment of Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har as the convenor of the Working Group on Patriotic Education (Working Group) under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee (CBLPSC), and four new members, namely, Mr Chan Yung, Ms Quince Chong Wai-yan, Dr Jane Lee Ching-yee and Mr Ken Lee Kwong-yu. Their terms commence today and are effective until December 31, 2027. The Chairman of the CBLPSC and the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, said, \"Dr Eliza Chan is currently serving as a member of the Executive Council. She has rich experience in public affairs. I trust that under her leadership, the Working Group can further combine efforts of the Government and the community in enhancing the awareness and sense of patriotism among the people of Hong Kong, to take forward patriotic education in an all-round manner. \"The four newly appointed members are leaders from relevant sectors of the society and have ample experience in the school education; local community; history, politics, economy and culture; and media sectors. I sincerely look forward to working with all members of the Working Group to further promote patriotism and ensure its continuity from generation to generation,\" he added. The Working Group is responsible for advising the Government on the overall programme and strategy for promoting patriotic education, the implementation of related work, co-ordination and collaboration between government departments and non-governmental organisations, as well as other relevant matters. Following is the membership list of the Working Group (the terms of all members are effective until December 31, 2027): Convenor ------------ Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har Non-official members -------------------------- Mr Chan Yung Mr Stanley Choi Tak-shing Ms Quince Chong Wai-yan Professor Gu Min-kang Mr Kwok Wing-keung Ms Cally Kwong Mei-wan Professor Lau Chi-pang Dr Jane Lee Ching-yee Mr Ken Lee Kwong-yu Mr Lee Luen-fai Dr James Li Tsz-shu Ms Melissa Kaye Pang Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai Mr Wong Kam-leung Ms Connie Wong Wai-ching Mr Yang Yong Official members -------------------- Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Secretary for the Civil Service Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Secretary for Education Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Secretary for Security Director of Home Affairs Director of Information Services Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Director-General of Trade and Industry Solicitor General Ends/Monday, May 4, 2026 Issued at HKT 17:32 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to conclude visit to Korea (24.4.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202604/24/P2026042400437.htm", "date": "24.4.2026", "description": "​The delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (WG) under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (April 24) continued its visit to Korea. In the morning, the delegation met with the Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of Global City of Incheon Metropolitan City, Mr Shin Jae-kyung, to learn about the city's vision and planning for developing a university town, as well as its multipronged strategies to nurture top-tier talent and support the development of key sectors such as biotechnology, smart cities and advanced manufacturing. Mr Chan said that the higher education sector of Incheon is vibrant, integrating advanced technology and talent cultivation, placing it among the leading cities in Asia. The city has successfully attracted numerous international institutions to set up overseas branch campuses there, and has closely linked the university town with the surrounding business districts and innovation clusters, thereby creating a robust industry-academia-research ecosystem, which provides important references for the planning and construction of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). Afterwards, the delegation visited the Incheon Global Campus (IGC), a university town comprised of various overseas institutions operating under an \"extended campus\" model, where students can be awarded the same degree certificates as those conferred by the main campuses of their respective international institutions. The delegation toured the institutions on the campus and met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Incheon Global Campus Foundation, Mr Byun Ju-young, to exchange views on attracting overseas universities, fostering industry-academia-research collaboration, planning and developing shared campus facilities and nurturing talent in a multicultural context. Mr Chan said that the operating model of the IGC is innovative and highly inspiring. The successful example of the city in bringing together various overseas universities and promoting deep collaboration between academia and industry offers many valuable lessons for Hong Kong. By making references to these experiences, the development of the NMUT can better meet the needs of the times and contribute more to the development of higher education in Asia and the world. He also said that there is a great potential for collaboration between Hong Kong's universities and their counterparts at the IGC in areas such as student exchanges and collaborative research, and that he looked forward to seeing strengthened co-operation between the two places. Mr Chan, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and other members of the delegation concluded their visit to Korea and returned to Hong Kong this afternoon. Ends/Friday, April 24, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to continue visit to Korea (23.4.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202604/23/P2026042300625.htm", "date": "23.4.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (April 23) led the delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to continue its visit to Korea. The delegation conducted on-site visits to universities in Seoul and held meetings with officials, with a view to providing a solid reference for the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). In the morning, the delegation visited Kyung Hee University's Seoul Campus. Established in 1949, Kyung Hee University is a top-tier private university in Korea, renowned for its programmes in humanities, international studies, medicine, hospitality and tourism. The delegation met with the university's president Kim Jin-sang and other representatives to learn about the university's self-financing operation model and experience in achieving financial sustainability. They also visited various facilities on campus, including the start-up centre, and listened to a briefing by the centre's representatives on how it assists high value-added technology start-ups in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biomedicine to develop their businesses through different programmes. Mr Chan expressed hope that Kyung Hee University's successful example of diversifying its operating funds can serve as a reference for self-funded higher education institutions in NMUT, and that its development model, which integrates academic research, innovative thinking, start-up incubation and industry collaboration, can also serve as a useful reference. Afterwards, the delegation attended a luncheon to exchange views with representatives from the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, the Incheon Global Campus Foundation and several top Korean universities, on how to build a university town that deeply integrates higher education, scientific research and industry. Through this visit, they also aimed to promote exchanges and co-operation in the education field. In the afternoon, the delegation met with the Vice Mayor for Political Affairs of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Mr Kim Byung-min, to have in-depth exchanges on government-university collaboration, attracting internationally renowned universities and talent, campus and innovation district planning, as well as future co-operation opportunities between the two places. Mr Chan said that both Hong Kong and Seoul are committed to promoting the deep integration of education, technology, and talent development, and the potential for co-operation is immense. During their recent visits to Seoul and other Korean cities, the delegation exchanged views with representatives from various higher education institutions, research organisations and government departments on the planning and development of university towns. Their extensive experience in campus planning, industry-academia-research collaboration, talent cultivation, and multi-university shared campus models made the discussions highly insightful. He looks forward eagerly to having collaborative projects between Korea's top universities and Hong Kong's institutions in the NMUT, fostering innovative talent with an international perspective. Subsequently, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Mr Dai Bing, to brief him on the planning and development of Hong Kong's NMUT. Mr Chan, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and other members of the delegation will proceed to Incheon tomorrow (April 24) to continue their visit. Ends/Thursday, April 23, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "LCQ16: Promoting development of think-tank community (22.4.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202604/22/P2026042200678.htm", "date": "22.4.2026", "description": "Following is a question by the Hon Hung Kam-in and a written reply by the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, in the Legislative Council today (April 22): Question: There are views suggesting that Hong Kong's think tanks have a distinct advantage and potential in policy research, public governance and external cooperation, which can help further strengthen Hong Kong's position in the overall development of the country. To enable think tanks to play their role more fully, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has introduced a number of support measures in recent years, including the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme and the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it is aware of the following information regarding think tanks in Hong Kong: (i) the number of organisations; (ii) their main areas of research; (iii) the number of annual research reports; (iv) the composition of their funding sources; and (v) their latest rankings among think tanks in Asia and globally; how the Government currently defines, or intends to define formally in the future, the term \"think tank\" (including whether it will establish clear criteria or guidelines, such as non-profit status, independence requirements, and scope of research); (2) whether there are specific plans and policies in place to promote the development of think tanks in Hong Kong, and whether it will consider introducing more targeted measures to further enhance their international influence; (3) whether an assessment has been made regarding the current role, specific work and effectiveness of Hong Kong's think tanks in manpower training for young political talent, nurturing opinion leaders and facilitating the \"revolving door\" mechanism for talent, and whether it will consider providing further support to think tanks in order to strengthen their role as a pool of patriotic political talent with affection for our country and Hong Kong; (4) how does the Government currently evaluate and utilise think tank recommendations to maximise their effectiveness; whether it will consider further optimising mechanisms to facilitate the translation of think tank research findings into actual policies, and strengthen regular communication and co-operation between the Government and think tanks; and (5) as the 1 500 members of the Election Committee (EC) come from different sectors, how will the Government better gather views through them, including whether it will establish an institutionalised mechanism to enable EC members to participate in policy research and external exchanges, and publish relevant views in the form of think tank reports; will the Government further explore developing EC into Hong Kong's \"largest think tank platform\" to strengthen its role in good governance? Reply: President, Regarding the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Hung Kam-in, my consolidated reply, which is based on the information provided by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Chief Executive's Policy Unit (CEPU), is as follows: (1) Think tanks are important partners of the Government in the policy-making process, contributing from policy incubation, conception to formulation, implementation, and review. The Government hence attaches great importance to maintaining connections with think tanks, including research centres in higher education institutions (university think tanks), corporate planning and research centres (corporate think tanks) and think tanks in the community, and continues to facilitate the development of the think tank sector through various channels. The Government currently does not maintain detailed information on local think tanks. Indeed, each think tank has its own positioning with diverse research interests. They also differ in terms of operating objectives, structures, and organisational backgrounds. It is therefore difficult to arrive at a single, unified definition. (2) and (4) Since its establishment, the CEPU has been dedicated to harnessing the policy research strengths of think tanks, drawing extensively on their outstanding research achievements, and translating researches that integrate both local and international perspectives into valuable references for internal policy studies, thereby strengthening knowledge exchange and social participation in the policy-making process. Specifically, the CEPU supports public policy research think tanks by providing funding support through the Public Policy Research Funding Scheme and the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme to encourage university think tanks and think tanks in the community to apply their expertise to conduct evidence-based researches on key public policy issues. Since its establishment, the CEPU has implemented a series of innovative reforms under its funding schemes, aiming to enhance the overall impact of granted projects. Relevant initiatives include inviting representatives from relevant policy bureaux to join discussions, ensuring that research directions align closely with policy priorities. In addition, for the first time, the CEPU has established a dedicated recognition mechanism to recognise the social impact of outstanding researchers and institutions, encouraging more researchers in university think tanks to transform quality foundational researches into practical applied studies. Furthermore, over the past two years, the CEPU has organised nearly 20 policy seminars, workshops, and roundtable meetings for the research projects, inviting participation of representatives from the Government, industries, academia and research institutions. These platforms foster collaboration among the Government and industry, academia and research sectors, enabling research teams to absorb the latest insights and diverse professional perspectives. Separately, the CEPU has established a regular communication mechanism to maintain close ties with think tanks. In addition to roundtable meetings, thematic seminars, visits, and one-on-one meetings to gather views from academia and policy research experts, the CEPU also held dedicated consultation sessions for the 2024 and 2025 Policy Address to gather views and suggestions from the think tank sector. Think tank representatives were also invited to attend other consultation sessions on various policy areas that align with their respective interests and expertise. Looking ahead, the CEPU will continue to maintain close communication with local think tanks, including university, corporate and community think tanks, and actively facilitate the application of policy research findings. Through its funding schemes, the CEPU will continue to act as a catalyst for translating evidence-based researches that integrate both local and international perspectives into valuable references for internal policy studies, fostering a vibrant network of local think tanks. (3) With regard to political talent, the Government implemented the Political Appointment System for Principal Officials in 2002, and introduced the positions of Under Secretaries and Political Assistants in 2008 following a review, providing political talents with a more comprehensive career development pathway. The Government has been actively recruiting suitable talents from various sectors with different backgrounds and professions from both inside and outside the government structure, thereby enabling the Government to be more comprehensive and effective in policy formulation and implementation with the support of the civil service. In fact, the current-term Government's team comprises people from various sectors of the community, including think tanks, meeting the objectives of attracting talents, serving the community and improving governance. (5) The Election Committee is a key part of the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). In accordance with Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law, the HKSAR establishes an Election Committee which is broadly representative, suited to HKSAR's actual situation, and represents the overall interests of the society. It is responsible for electing the Chief Executive designate and some members of the Legislative Council, and nominating candidates for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council. The role and statutory functions of the Election Committee are set out in the Basic Law. While the Election Committee does not have an attached think tank mechanism, Election Committee members have all along proactively put forth their views and suggestions in their respective capacities and through relevant bodies and sectors, as well as engaged in exchanges and collaboration across different sectors to jointly promote Hong Kong's long-term development. Ends/Wednesday, April 22, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:30 NNNN"}, {"title": "CS leads delegation of Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town to continue visit to Korea (22.4.2026)", "link": "https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202604/22/P2026042200618.htm", "date": "22.4.2026", "description": "The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (April 22) led the delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis to continue its visit to Korea. The delegation conducted on-site visits to local universities and held meetings with officials, with a view to providing a solid reference for the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT). In the morning, the delegation visited the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon and toured its campus facilities. They met with Hong Kong students studying there to learn about their studies and the institute's efforts in fostering students' innovation capabilities. The delegation specifically discussed with them student support and ancillary measures on campus, the institute's strategies for attracting international students, and its liaison and co-operation with industry, accumulating practical observations for the NMUT's campus ecosystem and industry-academia collaboration. Afterwards, the delegation met with the Vice Mayor for Political Affairs, Economy and Science of Daejeon Metropolitan City, Mr Choi Sung-ah, to learn about the local development of the institutions and innovation districts, governance and funding models, industry-academia-research integration, and talent attraction. They also exchanged views on deepening co-operation in the education sector between the two places. Mr Chan said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is fully committed to developing the NMUT, with the aim of establishing it as an international education, innovation, and technology hub. He expressed hope that through this visit, the delegation could learn from Daejeon's successful experience in attracting top scientific and research talent, its efficient governance and funding models, and could understand how the city transforms scientific discoveries into industrial applications. In the afternoon, Mr Chan led the delegation to the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) located in the Daedeok Innopolis. Established in 2011, the IBS is Korea's first institute solely focused on basic science. It possesses advanced shared facilities and large-scale scientific research infrastructure. The delegation visited the Science Culture Center there and met with the Acting President, Dr Kim Yeong-duk. They gained an in-depth understanding of the institute's experience in areas such as basic research and applied innovation, as well as talent attraction. Mr Chan said that the IBS is devoted to integrating basic research with applied innovation, and focuses on establishing a vibrant scientific research ecosystem. This experience provides valuable reference for Hong Kong in planning the NMUT. He expressed the hope of learning more about the institute's continuous support for fundamental research and how it facilitates the seamless integration with applied innovation and industry, helping Hong Kong better plan the NMUT, and thereby promoting the transformation of excellent research outputs into impactful scientific discoveries, achieving technological breakthroughs and unlocking potential economic value. Mr Chan, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and other members of the delegation arrived in Seoul in the evening and will continue their visit tomorrow (April 23). Ends/Wednesday, April 22, 2026 Issued at HKT 18:12 NNNN"}]}