Month: May 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (May 22) detected a suspected money laundering case involving about $61 million in crime proceeds subsequent to a follow-up investigation of a dangerous drug case identified last year. Two local women and one local man suspected to be connected with the case were arrested.
 
In October last year, Customs detected a dangerous drug case involving about $1.9 million worth of drugs and arrested two local persons suspected to be connected with the case. A subsequent financial investigation and fund-flow analysis revealed that there were numerous suspicious transactions, which were suspected to be crime proceeds, in the personal bank accounts of one of the arrestees. Meanwhile, the investigation also revealed that a 55-year-old local woman and a 30-year-old local man transferred or received the suspected crime proceeds. During the period between January and December 2024, the total amount of the suspicious transactions handled by the three arrestees reached about $61 million.
 
Upon further investigation, Customs arrested the 55-year-old local woman and 30-year-old local man yesterday for “dealing with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offenses” (commonly known as money laundering) under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO) and searched their residential premises in Ho Man Tin and Tung Chung. Three mobile phones were seized in the operation. On the same day, Customs officers also further arrested a 63-year-old local woman who has been remanded due to the related drug trafficking case, for money laundering.
 
Two of the arrested persons have been released on bail pending investigation, while one arrested person continues to be remanded in custody. The investigation of the case is still ongoing, and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
 
Under the OSCO, a person commits an offence if he or she deals with any property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that such property, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of an indictable offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 14 years while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.
     
Members of the public may report any suspected money laundering activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Highways Department (HyD) today (May 23) invited tenders for a four-year term contract for the management, operation, installation and maintenance of the public lighting system in Hong Kong Island and Islands (Contract No. 01/HY/2025) from October 2025 to September 2029.
 
     The contract, which will be supervised by the Lighting Division of the HyD, covers the design, management, operation, installation and maintenance of the public lighting system in Hong Kong Island and Islands. The public lighting system generally consists of conventional road lighting, village lighting, gantry sign lighting, roadside directional sign lighting, public transport interchange lighting, underpass lighting and the associated cables, ducts, peripheral items and system. Within the designated contract area, there are about 31 400 road and village lighting points and about 900 lighting installations on illuminated gantry signs and roadside directional signs.
 
     Tenderers shall submit completed tenders in electronic format via the Electronic Tendering System for works contracts. In addition to the electronic submission, tenderers may opt to submit its tender in hard copy. Submission in hard copy is optional and it will not be used unless falling within the exceptions stated in the conditions of tender. The hard copy of the tender submission must be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box located at the lobby of the Public Entrance on G/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong. Submission of tenders will close at noon on July 4, 2025 (Friday).
 
     For enquiries, please call the Chief Engineer/Lighting of the HyD at 3903 6550.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Opening Ceremony of HK Tech 300 Expo today (May 23):
 
Chairman Ngai (Chairman of the Council, City University of Hong Kong (CityU), Mr Michael Ngai), President Boey (President and University Distinguished Professor of CityU, Professor Freddy Boey), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you today at the opening ceremony of the HK Tech 300 Expo and the launch ceremony of the HK Tech 300 International Start-up Competition.
 
I would like to first commend City University of Hong Kong and its partners for their instrumental role in supporting young talent and nurturing deep-tech start-ups in our community. Today at the Expo, I am delighted to see approximately 300 innovative start-ups and projects incubated by the HK Tech 300 programme. These initiatives demonstrate their success in translating research and innovative ideas into practical applications. I am particularly encouraged to see the programme expanding its footprint into Mainland China, Southeast Asia, and beyond.
　　
Over the years, the Government has implemented various policies and made significant investments to nurture and enhance support for start-ups. For example, the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme was launched in 2023 to fund, on a matching basis, research teams from universities with good potential to become successful start-ups to transform and commercialise their R&D (research and development) outcomes. I am pleased to see that several awarded CityU projects have already shown promising development and I look forward to seeing their research results in successful market applications.
 
To attract more venture capital to co-invest in local I&T (innovation and technology) start-ups, we launched the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund enhanced scheme recently by redeploying up to $1.5 billion to set up funds jointly with the market, also on a matching basis, to invest in start-ups of strategic industries, thereby empowering start-ups with more financing support. We are also preparing for the launch of the Pilot I&T Accelerator Scheme to attract professional start-up service providers with proven track records in and beyond Hong Kong to set up accelerator bases in Hong Kong to foster the robust growth of start-ups and enhance the I&T ecosystem.
 
As I always emphasise, interactive collaboration between the Government, industry, academia, research and investment sectors is essential for Hong Kong’s I&T development. CityU and the HK Tech 300 programme play a crucial role in this, creating a vibrant ecosystem that fosters cross-disciplinary, cross-sector and cross-industry collaboration. We must continue our efforts to work together to support our young entrepreneurs, providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship and opportunities they need to turn their ideas into impactful solutions, further bolstering the development of Hong Kong as an international I&T hub.　
   
The start-up journey is undoubtedly challenging, but with the right direction and enthusiasm, even a small idea can have a significant impact and benefit society. I encourage all of you to stay creative and innovative, and I look forward to witnessing our start-ups to grow into gazelles, unicorns or even industry giants in the near future.
 
In closing, may I wish you a fruitful and inspiring experience over the next two days at the HK Tech 300 Expo. Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government published in the Gazette today (May 23) The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong Ordinance (Ordinance), which takes effect on the same day. The Ordinance aims to protect the exclusive right to use the titles of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) and make technical amendments to other relevant enactments that are generally applicable to public hospitals or private healthcare facilities (PHFs), enabling these relevant provisions to apply equally to CMHHK under the same circumstances, thereby ensuring the smooth operation of CMHHK.

     CMHHK is scheduled to commence services in phases starting from the end of this year, marking an important milestone in the development of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong. As a flagship CM institution in Hong Kong, CMHHK will undertake five key missions of development, namely the provision of government-subsidised and market-oriented healthcare services, training and education, research, collaboration, and creation of health values. CMHHK will also serve as a change-driver in close collaboration with the CM sector and stakeholders to drive the overall development of CM in Hong Kong, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the international community. 

     As a hospital controlled by the Health Bureau, CMHHK is neither a public hospital managed by the Hospital Authority under the Hospital Authority Ordinance (Cap. 113) nor a PHF specified under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633). References to “hospitals” in the existing legal provisions generally only include public hospitals or PHFs and therefore may not be applicable to CMHHK. In this connection, a number of technical amendments have been made to the Ordinance to ensure that other relevant enactments generally applicable to public hospitals or PHFs are also equally applicable to CMHHK under the same circumstances, meeting the practical operational needs of CMHHK.

     The Ordinance also specifies and offers protection for the Chinese title 香港中醫醫院 and the English title “The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong” of CMHHK, located at 1 Pak Shing Kok Road, Tseung Kwan O in the New Territories, with the titles intended for exclusive use by CMHHK. Any person who is involved in the unauthorised use of or unauthorised association with these titles commits an offence and is liable to a fine at level 3 ($10,000) upon conviction.

     To complement the implementation of the Ordinance, the Government and the operator of CMHHK will implement a series of support measures, including establishing a notification mechanism between the Health Bureau and the Companies Registry to refuse registration of company names with unauthorised association with CMHHK; conducting a series of promotional activities by the Health Bureau and the operator before CMHHK commences services in phases; uploading information about its partner organisations, among others, by CMHHK to its official website for public access; and the Health Bureau and CMHHK will immediately issue public announcements for clarification in case of suspicious cases of misleading or misappropriation of titles and will consider if enforcement action is required on a case-by-case basis; as well as reviewing the relevant penalties in a timely manner.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 23) said that, to facilitate the holding of concerts at the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) on May 24 and 25 (hereunder referred to as event dates), special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented to provide convenience for spectators to travel to and from the KTSP. Cross-boundary travellers are urged to plan their journeys early and those who plan to return to the Mainland using cross-boundary coach services should purchase tickets in advance.

     As the traffic in the vicinity of the KTSP is expected to be heavy, concertgoers should opt for public transport and avoid driving. There will be no private car pick-up/drop-off area (PUDOA) for public use at the KTSP during the event period.

     For public transport services, the TD has co-ordinated with local and cross-boundary public transport operators to strengthen their services during the dispersal period on the event dates. The MTR will enhance the interval between trains of the Tuen Ma Line. Franchised bus companies will provide a total of 11 special bus routes at the Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA to Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) Public Transport Interchange (PTI), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port/Airport and major districts across the territory.

     In addition, the KTSP will arrange cross-boundary coach services during the dispersal period to facilitate travellers’ return to the Mainland via the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang (LMC/HG) Port. Passengers should purchase tickets in advance. On-site ticket sales will not be available during dispersal. They should refer to the operators’ website (Eternal East Bus: www.myeebus.com/eebusfans; CTG Bus: m.hkctgbus.com/#/layout/home) for the latest ticket information.

     For taxi services, the Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA will be opened from 3pm to midnight for taxi pick-up/drop-off on the event dates. The waiting time will be longer amid an outflux of spectators during dispersal and passengers’ patience is appreciated.

     Of note, cross-boundary travellers should pay special attention that, according to the event organiser, this concert is expected to start and end slightly later than past events, and the last MTR train to Lo Wu Station via interchanging at Tai Wai Station on the East Rail Line (ERL) will depart from Sung Wong Toi Station at 10.59pm and Kai Tak Station at 11.01pm respectively. Those who opt for railway services should plan their journeys ahead and arrive at the station platform in advance. Travellers may also take the ERL to Sheung Shui Station and then the KMB route No. 276B or N73, or take the special bus route No. SP12 directly at the Sung Wong Toi Road PUDOA to the Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) PTI, and transfer to the LMC-HG cross-boundary shuttle bus (Yellow Bus) for their journey to the Mainland. As a large number of travellers may use the LMC/HG Port after the concert, it is expected to be very busy and the clearance time will be longer. Temporary traffic arrangements will be implemented along roads to the LMC/HG Port when necessary to ensure the smooth operation of public transport services. The TD has steered operators to reserve standby vehicles and manpower to meet passengers’ demand.

     Spectators are advised to heed the real-time information via the on-site broadcast and the “Easy Leave” platform (easyleave.police.gov.hk) as well as the latest traffic news through the TD’s website (www.td.gov.hk), the “HKeMobility” mobile app and radio and television broadcasts.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government today (May 23) gazetted the Rules of the High Court (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2025, the Patents (General) (Amendment) Rules 2025, the Registered Designs (Amendment) Rules 2025 and the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 2025 to streamline the intellectual property (IP) litigation processes in the High Court and the proceedings before the statutory registries of the Intellectual Property Department (IPD).
 
     The three statutory registries of the IPD are responsible for registration matters of patents, registered designs and trade marks. The proceedings before and the operation of the registries are governed by the relevant IP subsidiary legislation. The amendments to the subsidiary legislation introduce provisions on the reference of proceedings to the court for determination, and enhance other proceedings before the registries and their operational arrangements.
 
     In addition, the Rules of the High Court (Amendment) (No. 2) Rules 2025 repeal the existing Orders 100 and 103 of the Rules of the High Court, substitute new Orders 100 and 103 and introduce a new Order 122. The new Orders respectively govern trade marks, patents and registered designs litigation processes in the Court of First Instance of the High Court, enabling more effective management and handling of cases by the High Court.
 
     “Establishing legal rights in IP through registration and enforcing such rights through litigation in court are essential elements of the IP system. The legislative amendments will further enhance Hong Kong’s IP legal framework, aligning with the national strategies of building an IP powerhouse and developing new quality productive forces. The legislative exercise is also one of the policy measures under the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a regional IP trading centre,” a spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said.
 
     The above amendments to the subsidiary legislation will be tabled at the Legislative Council on May 28 for negative vetting. Subject to the completion of the necessary legislative process, they will come into effect on October 1 this year.