Category: Hong Kong Information Services

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee led a delegation on a visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates two years ago. The trip had a significant impact on a member of the delegation who subsequently began doing business in the Middle East region.

Public transport company Chairman Cliff Zhang said that just a few months after joining the Chief Executive’s delegation in early 2023, his firm had already supplied three hydrogen buses to Abu Dhabi by November.

“The three hydrogen buses consist of a double-decker, a single-decker and a coach. We are continuously working very closely with the Integrated Transport Centre, which is the Transport Department equivalent in Abu Dhabi, to continue to work with them and collaborate on their green bus programme. And we expect that after the trial is finished later this year, then there will be an official launch of a bigger green bus programme.”

The Chief Executive will lead a delegation to Qatar and Kuwait this weekend and Mr Zhang will once again be part of the delegation.

He has high expectations for the upcoming trip, which he believes will be beneficial and valuable for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in seeking new markets for Hong Kong businesses.

The aim of the Chief Executive’s trip is to further cement the message that Hong Kong stands ready to do business with nations in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and that support for such endeavours comes from the Hong Kong SAR Government directly, Mr Zhang stated.

“I think the utmost significance is really to deliver that message, that Hong Kong is serious and very keen in terms of continuing to deepen the ties and collaboration with the region.

“Thanks to the Chief Executive’s invitation for us to be on that first trip, I think it certainly opened a lot of doors, but I think at the same time, it is really up to each of the enterprises and businesses to go back and to visit, and to try to do business and to have something being signed and delivered.

“We now have a lot of business partners and a lot of collaboration ongoing in the region with different countries and different parties.”

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Transport Department today iterated that the Government will always listen to the views of the taxi trade, as it announced a meeting is being arranged with a view to enhancing service quality in the sector. 

The department stressed that the Government’s policy objectives are clear: taxi services must be improved; online car hailing platforms must be regulated; and illegal hire car services must be combated in accordance with the law.

It added that the Government will maintain liaison with the taxi trade, joining hands to work on enhancements. In recent years, the Government has enacted various measures, including introducing systematic management and technology under the taxi fleet regime, a Taxi-Driver-Offence Points system, and a two-tier penalty system.

The department said that while the Government is open-minded on the use of online or mobile applications to obtain personalised point-to-point transport services, it is imperative to ensure that passenger transport services supported by the use of such platforms comply with laws and regulations.

The Government will this year formulate legislative proposals for the regulation of online car hailing platforms, the vehicles that provide associated services, and licensing requirements for drivers.

Police have been gathering intelligence via different channels in relation to the illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward. If sufficient evidence is discovered that proves vehicles without the necessary permits are being used for such carriage, Police will take appropriate enforcement actions.

The Government is studying further improvements to the relevant legislation to strengthen efforts to combat illegal carriage, including disqualifying the drivers concerned.

Where sufficient evidence is available to show that a vehicle has been involved in the offence of illegal carriage of passengers for hire or reward, it may be impounded even if the identity of the driver cannot be confirmed.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Lands Department (LandsD) today posted a third batch of notices for the resumption of 18 private lots, comprising a total area of about 19,200 sq m, for the second phase of development at the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (NDA).

The 18 private lots to be resumed include part of the sites previously opened for in-situ land exchange application but eventually did not receive any application, and a site with unsuccessful completion of in-situ land exchange application as the application was deemed withdrawn. The land concerned has to be resumed to allow the Government to carry out works.

The private lots will revert to the Government on August 9 and it will release ex-gratia land compensation to the relevant land owners following the land reversion.

The Government estimates that the affected households and business undertakings will have to move out as early as December this year.

The LandsD is handling the compensation and rehousing matters of the affected people and will try to arrange rehousing for or release compensation to eligible people before the departure deadline.

The department and its appointed Community Liaison Service Team will maintain communication with the affected households and business undertakings, and provide updated information as necessary.

About 176 hectares and 17.7 hectares of land, announced in the first two batches of resumption notices for the second phase development of the NDA reverted to the Government on August 31 and December 20, 2024.

The land is gradually being handed over to the Civil Engineering & Development Department for site formation and engineering infrastructure works.

Upon full development, the NDA will provide about 66,700 additional housing units, accommodating a new population of about 184,000 and create about 150,000 job opportunities.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

As drone technology continues to advance, its application is expanding across various sectors, including logistics, aerial photography, industrial inspections and more.

In response to the growing potential of the low-altitude economy (LAE), the Government has established the Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy to formulate development strategies and inter-departmental action plans regarding the trend.

The Government announced the first batch of 38 low-altitude economy Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects earlier and some of them are commencing progressively. They cover various fields and application scenarios such as emergency and rescue, drone delivery, inspection and safety maintenance, surveillance and low-altitude infrastructure.

Business springboard

Kun Li’s company is one of the participants in the first batch of pilot projects. It set up a branch in Hong Kong last year, focusing primarily on the application of drone technology in areas such as urban management and inspection. Their flagship product is a self-docking and charging drone station. The company hopes it can be used by all kinds of drones in the future.

As part of the pilot project, the company joined forces with a construction company to apply drone inspections for site safety.

Mr Li pointed out that Hong Kong, with its unique combination of rich natural landscapes and high-density urban development, offers diverse scenarios for testing drone technology. He also believes Hong Kong’s status and function as an international financial centre, provides exceptional avenues for financing and a springboard for promoting their products to overseas markets.

Nonetheless, Mr Li acknowledged there are challenges for drone technology development in the city, including relevant policies and regulations.

Industry facilitation

Invest Hong Kong Head of Innovation & Technology Andy Wong believes that developing a low-altitude economy will bring significant benefits to Hong Kong’s society and economy, including enhanced smart city management, and promoting innovation and technology development. He also noted that as an emerging industry, low-altitude economy-related business will create employment opportunities, such as for drone operators in the city.

In addition, Mr Wong highlighted that Hong Kong has a rich talent pool and a robust and efficient financial market which are the key advantages that attract low-altitude economy firms to set up operations in the city. Moreover, Invest Hong Kong has been providing platforms for companies to explore business opportunities.

Invest Hong Kong will hold a low-altitude economy seminar on June 27, inviting industry representatives and professionals to share their latest insights.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Land Registry announced today that compact discs for the 57th edition of the Index of Streets, House Numbers & Lots in Hong Kong, Kowloon & New Kowloon, and the 26th edition of the New Territories Lot/Address Cross Reference Table, have been released.

The latest street index features 370 amendments to the last edition, with six new streets and 25 new lots/sections/subsections added.

Meanwhile, 1,761 amendments have been made in the updated cross reference table and seven new streets and 991 new lots/sections/subsections have been added.

The new editions of the street index and cross reference table compact discs cost $370 each. Licences for using them on computer networks are also for sale. The respective licence fees are $2,960 for a computer network linked to less than 50 terminals and $5,920 if linked to 50 terminals or more.

An online version of the new street index and cross reference is also available for free browsing on the Land Registry’s website or on the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

April was drier than usual, with the monthly mean relative humidity at 74%, the second lowest on record for April since 1947, the Hong Kong Observatory said today.

Total rainfall in the month was 57.1mm, only about 37% of the norm of 153mm.

The observatory added that the accumulated rainfall in the first four months of the year was 125.5mm, about 42% of the norm of 300.4mm for the same period.

April was also warmer than usual, with a mean temperature of 23.7 degrees Celsius, 0.7 degrees above the norm of 23 degrees.

With plenty of sunshine and weaker winds on April 15, the temperatures at the observatory soared to 33 degrees Celsius that afternoon, the highest of the month. It also marked the earliest occurrence of very hot weather in a year and the second highest maximum temperature for April on record.

On April 20, the maximum temperature logged at the observatory was 30.6 degrees Celsius, making it one of the warmest Easter days on record.

There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in April.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today announced the appointment of two new members to the Endangered Species Advisory Committee through the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth.

The newly appointed members are Chan Kwan-yee and Zhu Huiling. Their term will end on September 30, 2026, the same end date as that of the current term of other existing members.

The committee was established to advise the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation on the administration of the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals & Plants Ordinance.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee met Qatar’s leaders and government officials and learnt about the latest developments of the country’s sovereign wealth fund on the first day of a visit to Qatar.

Leading a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises, Mr Lee in the morning, met respectively the Amir, head of state of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Minister of Communications & Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai to exchange views on strengthening bilateral relations and economic co-operation between Hong Kong and Qatar.

The Chief Executive said that Qatar and Hong Kong are economic powerhouses in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region respectively. Noting that Qatar is Hong Kong’s third-largest trading partner in the Middle East with bilateral trade in goods worth US$1.6 billion last year, Mr Lee said that there is plenty of room for further growth in trade and business between the two places.

He also expressed his anticipation that during this visit, multiple memoranda of understanding and agreements will be made between Hong Kong and Qatar, covering various areas including trade and investment promotion, financial services, innovation and technology (I&T), and cultural tourism, with a view to further enhancing co-operation among the governments and institutions of the two places.

Mr Lee noted that Hong Kong, as a functional platform of the Belt & Road Initiative, is committed to deepening international exchanges and co-operation and leveraging its strengths as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to facilitate and add value to government and business projects along the Belt & Road through the city’s world-class professional services.

He also said that the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Belt & Road Initiative align in their values and aspirations for achieving high-quality development through all-round co-operation, embracing economic diversification and innovation, as well as fostering friendship and facilitating exchanges.

The Chief Executive supplemented that both Hong Kong and Qatar attach great importance to technological development and regard artificial intelligence as an engine of new economic development, and that he hoped Hong Kong and Qatar would enhance collaboration through joint research and exchanges, joint ventures, and cross-border investments to achieve mutual benefits.

In addition, Mr Lee visited the Qatar Investment Authority to learn about the development of Qatar’s financial sector. Established in 2005, the authority is Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. It manages and grows Qatar’s financial assets, with an aim to diversify Qatar’s economic development and ensure the country’s long-term financial sustainability. Mr Lee received an in-depth briefing on the operation and investment strategies of the sovereign wealth fund, and explored with the authority the development and co-operation opportunities for both sides in finance and the economy.

In the afternoon, he attended a luncheon hosted by an international financial group, where he gained insights into the group’s analysis of Qatar’s banking and financial services industry, as well as its capital markets.

Pointing out that Hong Kong is an international financial centre now moving towards also becoming an international green finance hub, Mr Lee said that last year the total amount of green and sustainable debt issued in Hong Kong exceeded US$84 billion, with green and sustainable bonds accounting for approximately US$43 billion. It captured around 45% of the total Asian market, ranking first in the region for seven consecutive years. He highlighted that under the principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises complement each other’s strengths, and that Hong Kong would give full play to its bridging role in attracting international investments to China and “going global” with Mainland enterprises. He welcomed Qatari enterprises to leverage Hong Kong’s broad and deep capital markets, professional financial services and seamless connectivity with the Mainland market to raise international funds for their sustainable infrastructure projects.

Afterwards, Mr Lee led the delegation to visit Lusail City, the second-largest city in Qatar, to understand how the city integrates I&T with urban planning and infrastructure development. Lusail City is one of Qatar’s flagship smart cities, focusing on information and communication technology, with the aim of developing into a model for intelligent living, urban evolution and diverse cultural landscapes. He noted that Hong Kong, as the world’s third-largest financial centre, offers world-class professional services that can support Qatar’s investment needs, adding that Hong Kong and Qatar can explore co-operation and exchanges in areas such as sustainable urban development.

Next on the itinerary is a visit to the National Museum of Qatar to learn about the country’s history and cultural heritage, as well as a dinner hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Qatar Cao Xiaolin.

The Chief Executive and his delegation will continue their visit to Qatar tomorrow by meeting local political and business leaders before departing for Kuwait.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Since 2024, the Police Force has partnered with three post-secondary institutions to offer the Diploma of Applied Education – Police Cadet Training Programme. Through classroom learning, physical training and outdoor experiences, the programme aims to better prepare young people who aspire to join the force.

Personal growth

One such trainee is Park Hae-jun, a 27-year-old born in Hong Kong to Korean parents. Before joining the programme, he voluntarily returned to Korea to complete his military service, hoping to build discipline and confidence.

“I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and I consider Hong Kong my home – that is why I chose to come back,” he said.

He shared that the programme offered far more than textbook knowledge. Instructors taught him how to manage conflict and overcome challenges.

“When we face stress or setbacks, most of us want to give up. But here, we are trained to solve problems. The perseverance we have learned will not only help us in our careers but also in life.”

Hands-on learning

 Another trainee, 19-year-old Sae-ung Wing-man, described the field trips as being the most valuable part of the programme.

“They helped me to understand the work of the department I want to join, and how officers deal with different situations every day.” .

Wing-man has long aspired to join the force in order to support the public.

“The job is meaningful. It helps citizens solve problems. I want to be someone people can rely on.

“In preparation, I will further improve my physical fitness, stress management, legal knowledge and communication skills.”

Preparatory training

The Police Cadet School was established in 1973 and fulfilled its historical mission by 1990. Chief Inspector Wong Tak-choi, now responsible for physical and experiential training at the Police College, was once a cadet himself.

He hopes that the trainees of the Police Cadet Training Programme can carry forward the spirit of the Police Cadet school.

“Training methods may have changed, but our purpose remains the same – we want to nurture passionate young people who are ready to serve the community,” he said.

He also noted that many who fail to complete police training often lack physical or mental preparation – areas the cadet training programme addresses directly.

Course structure

The Police Force has co-organised this one-year training programme with the Caritas Institute of Community Education, the Hong Kong College of Technology, and the Hong Kong Institute of Technology.

Apart from core and supplementary subjects, the curriculum includes a 180-hour elective cluster titled “Police Cadet Training”, which is composed of “Police Studies”, “Police Recruit Preparatory Training” and “Physical & Mindset Development”.

Upon graduation, the trainees can attain a qualification equivalent to Level 2 in five Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education subjects, meeting the academic requirement for police constable recruitment. 

Final challenge

 After completing 22 weeks of police cadet training, the cadets took part in a passing-out parade. The event was inspected by Commissioner of Police Chow Yat-ming, who witnessed their growth and expressed his high expectations for their future success.

He highlighted that the final challenge includes a five-day, four-night “hell week” involving outdoor endurance tasks similar to the Outward Bound adventure training. Mr Chow joined cadets on the final early morning hike to Tai Mo Shan and expressed that he was impressed by how spirited they were.

“Some cadets had been injured earlier and could not complete the whole week, but they still tried to take part. Others felt exhausted, but they would still hold their heads up and pressed on.”

During a sharing session on the mountain, cadets reflected on their experiences and Mr Chow shared his own.

“The police career is long. Sometimes it feels lonely or dark – like the weather that day. But when you work as a team, someone will lead, and soon you will see the sunshine.”

Future vision

Mr Chow revealed that the cadet programme took more than three years to develop. He acknowledged the challenges, but praised his team for their dedication.

“It was like witnessing the birth of a child,” he stated.

In addition to preparing future officers, Mr Chow stressed that he hopes the programme will revive the spirit of the former cadet school, whose graduates served with distinction across the force.

“They lived by the values of wisdom, courage, integrity and perseverance. I hope this new generation will carry that torch forward.”

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun said today the Government’s top priority is to help the workers of Ocean Empire Food Shop get back their unpaid salaries, leave and severance pay following the shop’s closure.

Mr Sun told reporters this morning that about 100 workers – both local and imported – are being assisted in applying for support under the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund, against insolvency and wage default.

He said: “It takes a bit of time, but they do not have to worry. Right now, under the fund, be it unpaid salaries, unpaid leave as well as severance payment, there is a well-established mechanism for them to get back money that is owed to them.

“In Hong Kong we have very elaborate labour laws providing much needed and necessary protection for our workers, and such protection applies to both local and imported workers.”

Mr Sun added that the Labour Department is working closely with the employers whose help could speed up the whole process.