Month: May 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Tang Fei and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 21):
 
Question:
 
According to a research publication released by the Legislative Council Secretariat last month, the number of research and development (R&D) personnel per million population in Hong Kong is significantly lower than that of neighbouring regions, and the proportion of local research postgraduates is continuously declining. There are views that research postgraduates also face multiple challenges in employment and the transformation of research outcomes. If such issues are not addressed in a timely manner, Hong Kong’s future innovation development and economic restructuring will be affected. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that according to the aforesaid research publication, Hong Kong currently has only 4 809 researchers per million population, lagging far behind Singapore and South Korea, whether the Government has drawn up specific measures to attract and nurture local R&D talent, particularly in STEM fields; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it has set specific targets and timelines to increase the number of local R&D personnel in the next three years;
 
(2) given that according to the aforesaid research publication, in the 2022-2023 academic year, only 63 per cent of research postgraduates from universities funded by the University Grants Committee secured full-time employment within six months after graduation, and only 11.6 per cent of graduates could manage to find jobs directly related to their studies, whether the Government has tailor-made support measures to address the employment challenges faced by research postgraduates, so as to help them maximise their potential and meet the needs of the local R&D industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) as there are views pointing out that while Hong Kong’s R&D outcomes reach international standards, they fall short in terms commercialisation and industrialisation, whether the Government will strengthen efforts to promote industry-academia-research collaboration to enhance the industrialisation of R&D outcomes and foster the development of an innovative economy; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
The Government has all along been dedicated to promoting the development of innovation and technology (I&T), with a view to driving economic restructuring and more diversified development. Apart from the nation’s clear support for Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T hub under the 14th Five-Year Plan, the recently promulgated 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education also proposed to establish an integrated co-ordinating mechanism for education, technology and talent, strengthening the supportive role of education for science and talent, closely tying in with the development of technological innovative centres in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the development of a highland for high-level calibre and platform for attracting talent, and enhancing the overall efficacy of the innovation system.
 
The replies from the Education Bureau and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau to the Hon Tang Fei’s question are as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The Government has been expanding the local research and I&T talent pool through a multi-pronged approach. On the front of nurturing talent, the Government guides the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities to align their planning with the nation’s strategy of invigorating China through science and education, and support the goal of developing Hong Kong into an international I&T hub, including setting the key performance indicators in the 2022 Policy Address with 35 per cent of the students pursuing UGC-funded programmes to study in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) subjects. In addition, publicly-funded research postgraduate (RPg) places have been gradually increased from 5 595 in the 2022/23 academic year to 7 200 places in the 2024/25 academic year. Together with the gradual uplift of the over-enrolment ceiling from 70 per cent in the 2021/22 academic year to 100 per cent, institutions could flexibly enrol 14 400 RPg students at most, which is an increase of more than half, to constantly expand the I&T and research talents of Hong Kong.
 
Additionally, the STEM Internship Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) subsidises undergraduates and postgraduates taking full-time STEM-related programmes to enrol in short-term internships, so as to foster their interest early in pursuing careers in I&T after graduation. The Research Talent Hub under the ITC also provides funding support for eligible companies or organisations to engage university graduates to conduct research and development (R&D) work.
 
For attracting talent front, the InnoHK Research Clusters has successfully attracted R&D talents from all over the world to Hong Kong, with over 2 500 local, overseas and Mainland researchers involved, and has provided training for over 1 200 PhD students. The ITC will launch the Frontier Technology Research Support Scheme, with a view to attracting international top-notch talents to conduct basic research in frontier technologies in Hong Kong and nurture local researchers.
 
According to the report “Hong Kong Innovation Activities Statistics 2023” released by the Census and Statistics Department in December 2024, the number of R&D personnel has reached 43 403 in 2023, which has increased steadily over the years.
 
(3) With an aim to enhance the I&T ecosystem and Hong Kong’s competitiveness on the I&T front, the Government has been promoting collaboration among the industry, academic and research sectors through various measures, and adopting a multi-pronged approach to support commercialisation of R&D outcomes of local universities. For example, the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) funds, on a matching basis, research teams from universities with good potential to become successful start-ups to transform and commercialise their R&D outcomes, while industry sponsorship is a mandatory requirement. Furthermore, the ITF will continue to provide annual funding to the Technology Transfer Office of each of the eight UGC-funded universities, thereby supporting the development of innovative ideas and R&D outcomes into new products or services. The R&D centres set up by the Government have also been taking forward industry-driven applied R&D work that suits market needs and transferring technologies to the industries through contract researches, licensing arrangements, etc to commercialise their R&D outcomes. Meanwhile, the Government facilitated the establishment of the Hong Kong New Industrialisation Development Alliance. Pooling together talent and resources from various fields, the Alliance aims to serve as a platform for collaboration among the Government, industry, academia, research and investment sectors. With a view to promoting co-operation among enterprises and organisations, we believe that the Alliance will also be conducive to the promotion of transformation and commercialisation of R&D outcomes.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the LME Asia Metals Seminar 2025 today (May 21):

Carlson (Chairman of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), Mr Carlson Tong), Bonnie (Chief Executive Officer of the HKEX, Ms Bonnie Chan), John (Chairman of the London Metal Exchange (LME), Mr John Williamson), Matthew (Chief Executive Officer of the LME, Mr Matthew Chamberlain), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, continued to attend the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 20, Geneva time). He also took the chance to meet with other participants and WHO officials to tell the world good stories of Hong Kong and the country.
 
As members of the Chinese delegation, Professor Lo and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, continued to attend the plenary session on the second day of the WHA.
 
In the morning, Professor Lo and Dr Ronald Lam listened to the remarks made by Vice Premier of the State Council Mr Liu Guozhong at the High Level Segment.
 
Professor Lo said, “Following the presentation of national positions by the Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, Mr Chen Xu, on Taiwan-related proposal, COVID-19 origins tracing and China’s promotion of co-operation and exchange on global health on the first day of the Assembly, Vice Premier of the State Council Mr Liu Guozhong also delivered remarks at the High Level Segment today. As our country has been actively involving in global health cooperation and exchanges, including deploying healthcare rescue teams to many countries and regions over the years, as well as providing over 500 billions of personal protection items and 2.3 billion doses of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemics, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government spares no efforts to complement the nation’s strategies to contribute to the building of a global community of health for all.”
 
Professor Lo and Dr Lam also attended a thematic side event hosted by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NATCM) and cohosted by the health authorities of Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Seychelles. The side event, themed “Improving Universal Health Coverage through the implementation of WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025-2034”, was moderated by the Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health of Tsinghua University, Professor Margaret Chan, and the Director of the Institute for Global Health of Peking University, Professor Ren Minghui. The Commissioner of the NATCM, Professor Yu Yanhong, also delivered a keynote speech at the side event.
 
During the panel discussion, Professor Lo shared the implementation experiences in promoting high-quality and high-standard development of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong on all fronts. He said, “The HKSAR Government will leverage Hong Kong’s strengths in its healthcare system, regulatory framework, standard-setting, clinical research, trade, and more to develop the city into a bridgehead for the internationalisation of CM. In terms of CM practice, the Hospital Authority has accumulated extensive experience through its integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) services over the years. The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong will further develop the ‘Hong Kong model’ for pure CM, CM-predominant, and ICWM clinical services, with a view to promoting CM service, management standards and system development at the international level. As regards CM drugs, the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute is actively advancing the work on scientific research, education and promoting international exchanges on CM drug testing, including developing a series of internationally recognised reference standards and testing methods for CM drugs and their products, and promoting the commercial application of these methods in the sectors through training and technology transfer programmes, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for CM testing and quality control.”
 
During their visit to Geneva, Professor Lo and Dr Lam also met with the Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety of the WHO, Dr Luz María De Regil, to discuss the strategies and interventions for obesity and weight management. Professor Lo emphasised, “Like many other regions and countries, Hong Kong is facing the challenges posed by the increasing prevalence of obesity. The HKSAR Government has long been attaching great importance to the prevention and control of obesity and will strive to halt the rise of obesity by adopting life-course interventions.”
 
The delegation will depart for Hong Kong today (May 21, Geneva time) and arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow (May 22, Hong Kong time).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said it will make full preparations for the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of The International Organization for Mediation to be held in the city on May 30.

Nearly 60 countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, and about 20 international organisations including the United Nations will send senior representatives to attend the signing ceremony for the convention.

A global forum on international mediation will be held in the afternoon to discuss topics such as mediation of disputes among countries and mediation of international investment and commercial disputes.

In 2022, China and nearly 20 like-minded countries jointly initiated the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed). The negotiations on the convention have successfully concluded and a unanimous consensus has been reached to establish the IOMed headquarters in Hong Kong.

The IOMed will be the world’s first intergovernmental international legal organisation dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation, and will be an important mechanism for upholding the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is collaborating with the Hong Kong Comics & Animation Federation to present the “Comic Fun for All: The Magic of Hong Kong Comedy Comics” exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM), with funding support from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency. The exhibition will run from tomorrow (May 21) to March 9 next year, with free admission. By presenting manuscripts, comic books, comic byproducts, art installations and multimedia programmes associated with Hong Kong comedy comics, the exhibition will demonstrate to the audience the inspiration of local comic artists and their artistic features, and revisit the important comedy comic works that accompanied readers throughout their formative years, from the 1950s to the present.
 
     Addressing the opening ceremony today (May 20), the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan, said that Hong Kong, as a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures and with a vibrant city life, provides a wide variety of themes and topics for comics. Hong Kong comedy comics are unique and well received by readers in the city and worldwide. Cultural and creative products, such as films, toys, stationery, and figures inspired by Hong Kong comics, are the best testimonies that demonstrate Hong Kong’s soft cultural power.
 
     The Chairman of the Hong Kong Comics & Animation Federation, Mr Tony Wong, added that, this exhibition is a testimony to the inheritance of Hong Kong comics pop culture. Hope that through this exhibition, Hong Kong’s unique sense of humor can continue to be spread and promoted, allowing more people to feel the charm of Hong Kong comics.
 
     Other officiating guests included the Head (Multi-media) of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, Mr Alex So; the Chairman of the History Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Joshua Mok; and the Museum Director of the HKHM, Mr Brian Lam.
 
     Various photo-taking spots are set up in the exhibition gallery and at different locations in the museum, where the public can take photos with 11 comedy comic characters from different eras, namely Old Master Q, My Boy, Sau Sing Chai, Buck Teeth Jane, Q Boy, Old Girl, Din-Dong, Ding Ding Penguin, Taimasing, IT Guy & Art Girl, and Dada & Siumui. The audience can also experience the magic of comedy comics through meticulously designed interactive exhibits, namely the Digital Caricature, the Funny Comics Mirror and the Comics Photo Booth.
 
     Other must-see exhibits include precious manuscripts, comic books and comic byproducts by Hong Kong comic artists from different periods, as well as rarely seen comedy comics manuscripts from comic masters such as Ma Wing-shing, Lee Chi-ching and David Ki, some of which are on display for the first time. A Comics Reading Zone is set up in the exhibition gallery to feature a curated selection of comics collections of the Hong Kong Public Libraries, allowing visitors to rekindle the joy of reading comics.
 
     During the exhibition period, the HKHM will organise a series of free special programmes, such as a series of lectures, film screenings, caricature drawings and workshops. For details, please visit
hk.heritage.museum/en/web/hm/exhibitions/data/comic_fun.html, or call 2180 8188 for enquiries.
 
     The exhibition is one of the programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2025. This year, the LCSD presents the third Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival, themed “More Than Joy”. For more information, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing announced today that nine projects will be implemented by the Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots with the aim of bringing economic benefits, boosting consumption sentiment and stimulating the economy.

 

Mr Cheuk explained at a press conference this afternoon that new travel patterns and tourists’ preferences increasingly value hotspots with unique features that are part of the flavour of Hong Kong.

 

He pointed out that as there are many treasured tourist attractions in Hong Kong, the Government considers that in addition to creating new hotspots, current tourism resources should be consolidated and enriched to maximise the value of such hotspots and create attractions that tourists cannot miss.

 

Hong Kong Industrial Brand Tourism is one of the projects to be implemented. Given that Hong Kong’s industrial story fully embodies the spirit of the Lion Rock, the tourism industry is forming groups to develop “Made in Hong Kong” industrial tourism, creating hotspots for visitors to tour, experience and shop.

 

Industrial brands that can be visited include Lee Kum Kee, Kee Wah, Pat Chun and Yakult. A trial launch is expected in the third quarter.

 

Meanwhile, a Victoria Park Bazaar will be implemented in the fourth quarter. Some 30 stalls with themed activities will be set up at Victoria Park on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

 

Another project calls for creating a Pink Trumpet Tree Garden, with pink trumpet trees and bougainvillea extensively planted near the habourfront of Tamar Park to create a colourful viewing area that brings synergy with the Central harbourfront. The planting work is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

 

The working group has also selected two featured communities for in-depth tourism, one in Central and the other in Kowloon City.

 

In view of the fact that Hong Kong’s disciplinary services enjoy international acclaim among tourists from the Mainland and overseas, disciplinary services pioneer tours will be launched in the second quarter.

 

The Police Museum, the Correctional Services Museum and the Fire & Ambulance Services Education Centre & Museum will, in collaboration with the tourism sector, develop and launch tourism products.

 

Moreover, the former Yau Ma Tei Police Station will be partially opened to tourists who can see for themselves the layout and atmosphere of an old police station, which has served as a famous setting for police movies and dramas.

 

By the fourth quarter, the ground floor will be opened to the public, featuring a replica report room, cellblocks, additional photo booths employing augmented reality technology and more.

 

The projects selected also cover green tourism – “Four Peaks” Tourism. The four peaks for development include the Peak, Lantau Peak, Sai Kung Hoi and Tai Mo Shan. Considering the popularity of hiking trails, touring across the four selected peaks will be characterised by their unique scenery, easy and short routes, convenient transportation and comfort for travellers.

 

The remaining project involves revistalising the former Hung Hom Railway Freight Yard Pier. The yard will be developed into a character-filled space for organising different activities so that the public can take pictures and appreciate the panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. The target opening date will be the first quarter of next year.

 

Mr Cheuk said that these particular hotspots span across the city, underlining the concept of “tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong”.

 

The Government will engage the trade proactively, making good use of various resources for marketing and promotions, creating innovative travelling routes and new products for tourist groups.

 

The Deputy Chief Secretary emphasised that he firmly believes Hong Kong’s tourism industry will attain a new level of prosperity.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, held a press conference today (May 20) on projects to be implemented by the Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots together with the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Under Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk; the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung; the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Under Secretary for Development, Mr David Lam; and the Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs Angelina Cheung. Following are the remarks by Mr Cheuk and Mrs Cheung at the question and answer session:
 
Reporter: Given the popularity since the 2023 border reopening, why is the development of a hotspot like Kowloon City and Yau Ma Tei Police Station proceeding so slowly, particularly in light of the rapid emergence of new attractions favoured by Mainland netizens? And the second question is, are our licensed tour guides currently equipped to lead tours for the new plans, including the Four Peaks, museums, and the industrial brands? Does the Government anticipate a need of more guides, and what measures are in place to address this? And finally, can you please provide an estimate of the visitor arrival increase following the implementation of the nine plans? Thank you.
 
Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration: I will take your last question first. I have answered this question in Chinese, but I don’t mind repeating this in English. We are quite confident that the nine projects to be implemented will bring in a considerable number of visitors to Hong Kong, but I think you would understand that it is difficult to quantify this and put a figure on what additional number of visitors will come as a result of these nine projects. I think common sense will tell you that, these nine projects, seven of which will be implemented by the end of this year, will together considerably add to the overall appeal of Hong Kong as a tourist destination to overseas visitors and also visitors from the Mainland. I think in that sense, the projects will result in economic benefits to Hong Kong and will also benefit the industries involved, like the hotel industry, the catering industry, the retail sector, and the transportation sector as well.
 
     As regards whether we are acting too slowly to put together some of these projects, I would like to remind you that the purpose, the role of our working group is really to co-ordinate the different new hotspot projects in Hong Kong, and co-ordination is not just assigning which department or which bureau to do what. Actually, it involves a lot of discussion, removal of obstacles. For example, the industrial brand visit – if you are in Hong Kong long enough, you know that hitherto there is no such visit in the industrial estates. We come up with this idea, and we have to make sure that the proposal sits well with the planned land use and the lease terms. Also, we have to get the support of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. Also, we have to identify and get the agreement of the manufacturers who are interested, who are willing to join our scheme, and we also have to believe these manufacturers and the products are of interest to tourists. So actually, the co-ordination involves a lot of work. Also, after identifying a certain project, we need to go on a site visit and look at the feasibility of the site, whether including it as a tourist hotspot would involve an unduly long period of time, and whether the hotspot identified will suit the new pattern of travelling and the individual preferences of travellers. A lot of work is involved, so we certainly don’t think that implementing these projects – as I mentioned, seven of which will be rolled out by the end of this year – is taking too long a time.
 
     As regards the other question about whether more tour guides will be required, I think some of the projects would involve the trade. For example, there is potential for the trade to provide local tours for the exploration of Central, the exploration of Kowloon City. Whether they need more guides, I think, really depends on how good the business is. I don’t know whether the Commissioner for Tourism has anything to supplement.
 
Commissioner for Tourism: Thank you. We are working closely with the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) and they are very supportive and interested in liaising with the tourist companies, and travel agencies to arrange tours. As regards the number of tour guides, we have about 5 000 registered tour guides now.
 
     For the TIC, they are also actively liaising with the tertiary institutions to encourage more young people to join the trade. In addition, we are working as stated in the Blueprint 2.0 (Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0) that we are planning to introduce a scheme for special licences for those people who are not really doing the full tour guide job, but they are specialising in like eco-tourism or cultural tourism. For these tour guides, we are planning to introduce a special scheme and we are working with the TIC to work out the parameters. In addition, we learned from the travel trade that there may be a shortage of tour guides (who can speak) foreign languages, not just English or Putonghua, but foreign languages like Spanish or German or all these kinds of foreign languages. We have already worked with the TIC to introduce a scheme to let these people who know about the foreign languages to have a short tour guide licence. This scheme is very effective and we will continue to implement the scheme so as to increase the supply of foreign language tour guides for the trade.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)