Month: May 2025

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu and Mrs. Wu were honoured to attend the charity ball hosted by the Sydney Chapter of the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women (GFCBW). The event brought together 30 GFCBW members from Taiwan led by Global Chairwoman Ms. Shu-Min Lin, along with Taiwanese community leaders in Sydney and NSW dignitaries, including the Hon. Anthony Roberts MP, Dr. Hugh McDermott MP, the Hon. Scott Farlow MLC, Tim James MP, Monica Tudehope MP, Clr. Michelle Chuang of Willoughby, and Clr. Barbara Ward of Ku-ring-gai—all united in support of efforts to combat domestic and family violence.
In his speech, DG Wu commended the GFCBW Sydney team for their longstanding commitment to empowering women and advancing gender equality through leadership and entrepreneurship. He highlighted that Taiwan enacted the Domestic Violence Prevention Act in 1998, becoming the first country in Asia to provide comprehensive legal protections against domestic violence. Taiwan is eager to work with Australia to strengthen joint efforts in prevention and support.
All proceeds from the charity ball were donated to Women’s Community Shelters (WCS), supporting their life-saving work with women and children impacted by domestic and family violence. Chair of the NSW Parliamentary Taiwan Friendship Group, the Hon. Anthony Roberts, praised the Taiwanese community as true “winter friends.” Representing the NSW Premier, Dr. Hugh McDermott—Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General and Co-Chair of the Friendship Group—called for greater attention and action to address domestic and family violence issues.
The charity ball is a big success, and once again highlights the Taiwanese community’s strong commitment to giving back to Australian society. It also reflects Taiwan’s dedication to being a global force for good.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) Volunteer Team and the Digital Policy Office Volunteer Team today (May 17) visited an elderly activity centre in To Kwa Wan, and assisted the elderly to learn how to use smartphones and mobile applications. They also had fun from gerontechnology through interactive activities and integration of technology into daily lives.

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung; and the Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, joined the civil service volunteers to participate in volunteer service under the “Smart Silver” Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders at the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Lok Man Alice Kwok Integrated Service Centre. With the help of the volunteers, the elderly learned how to use the “iAM Smart” mobile app to access useful information such as weather conditions, the use of Scameter, and the waiting time at accident and emergency departments, etc.

     Apart from answering their questions on the use of smartphones, the civil service volunteers also let the elderly experience the benefits of digital technology through various games, including doing physical exercises by making use of an AI application developed by the centre for people with knee problems in the community, which allows users to adjust the exercise intensity and movement according to their own physical conditions. In addition, the elderly also participated in games for sensory integration training and cognitive training to help enhance their responsive abilities.

     At present, more than 70 civil service volunteer teams have been set up across different government bureaux and departments, providing more diversified types and forms of services ranging from life planning and mentoring services for youth, interest classes, first aid seminars, residential care home visits and home visits to cleaning and maintenance services. In 2024, the volunteer teams organised or participated in around 2 040 volunteer activities, while the attendance of participating volunteers and hours of volunteer service were about 23 500 and over 111 700 respectively, representing an increase of more than 400 volunteer activities and 22 400 hours of service, or 25 per cent for both figures when compared to those of 2023.

Mrs Yeung encouraged civil servants to make use of their knowledge and skills, as well as their rich life experience, to contribute to the community in their spare time, and to demonstrate the civil servants’ care for the society and dedication to serving the community. 

A fresh round of the Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme has commenced to commend departmental volunteer teams and individual volunteers with high accumulated service hours, as well as individual volunteers who demonstrated outstanding leadership in organising volunteer services. In addition, among the numerous volunteer services or activities organised by departmental volunteer teams, the CSB will select volunteer service projects that are the most distinctive and best showcase civil servants’ active collaboration with the community, as well as their effective use of innovative technologies and their own expertise for awarding the Meritorious Volunteer Service Award. The list of award winners is expected to be announced in the third quarter of this year.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at Family Education and Legacy Forum 2025 today (May 17):

Yanice (Chair of the Family Education and Legacy Forum 2025, Ms Yanice Mak), Enoch (Vice President of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Hong Kong Association, Professor Enoch Young), Joseph (the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to join you all at the Family Education and Legacy Forum 2025.
 
Today, we bring together family business leaders, academics and thought leaders to explore a topic that is both timely and timeless: sustainable family wealth succession. It is a subject that goes well beyond financial continuity. It encompasses values, responsibility and intergenerational purpose.
 
Let me begin by extending a very warm welcome to Dr Josh Baron from Harvard Business School. Your presence here adds intellectual strength to the dialogue. And if I may take the opportunity of this occasion, held at a time when the world is facing protectionism and unilateralism unseen for decades, to highlight a few Chinese values that I believe are highly relevant when navigating the uncertainties of our time, that is our emphasis on harmony, consensus building, shared progress and common prosperity.
 
Coming back to the Forum today. The lineup of speakers is indeed impressive. I am sure their insights will be enlightening and inspiring, providing useful advice for family businesses and their owners in a world that is undergoing rapid transformation.
 
Allow me to share a few personal reflections as morsel to your ensuing discussions. As some of you may know, before entering public service in 2012, I worked in the private sector and had the privilege of attending Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Programme. These reflections come from my years of knowledge of and experience in both the public and private sectors.
 
The first point is about financial sustainability.
 
Family businesses often start with great success by their founders. Yet it is indeed not uncommon for second or third-generation owners to have vastly different ideas or aspirations than those of their parents. While pursuing one’s dreams and being open to new opportunities, one must manage their risk exposure, in particular liquidity and leverage level.
 
The second point is about recognising the mega trends and the associated opportunities and risks. In my view, a few forces will define the coming decade. 
 
First, geopolitics. We must recognise that strategic competition among major powers will likely persist. The days of seamless globalisation are giving way to geo-economic fragmentation, marked by tariffs, technology barriers and polarisation of international politics. 
 
Going forward, three regional blocs may emerge: first, the Asia-Pacific; second, India, the Middle East and Europe; and third, the Americas. Within a region, there will be more collaboration and partnership; but between regions, competition will be more intense.  For family business owners, this means recalibrating strategies, managing risks across jurisdictions, and identifying new regional opportunities.
 
Second, artificial intelligence (AI). AI is already transforming the way we work and do business. The “AI+ era” is unstoppable. AI is deeply integrated across sectors, from manufacturing, logistics and city management to hospitality, games and household appliances. 
 
To embrace it is not only about resources and investments, but more importantly, a shift in mindset. 
 
Third, green transformation. Around the world – with only a few exceptions – green is high on the agenda of consumers, investors and governments.
 
Family businesses will need to respond to higher demands on sustainability. But more than that, I believe family capital can and should play a catalytic role in this transformation, by scaling up green solutions and supporting systemic change.
 
The third point is about creating a legacy. Knowing many family business leaders in person, I understand you do care about the collective good of our community and the world. But my point is not exactly philanthropy, but the well-being of the people, which must be embedded as a core value of businesses.
 
Consider the stories of the Six Little Dragons of Hangzhou like DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics. While people often focus on their technological prowess, I believe the success of these companies is also driven by the aspiration, deep in their hearts, that innovation should be affordable, accessible and inclusive. 
 
There are similar examples here in Hong Kong. For instance, a surgical robot company born out of the Chinese University of Hong Kong is producing affordable surgical robots for broad applications in Hong Kong, the Mainland and beyond, benefiting thousands of patients with limited means. On the other hand, several fintech firms are exporting innovative financial solutions to Southeast Asia, making credit and financial services more accessible to underserved communities. The founders of these companies, whom I know personally, share the same vision of inclusiveness. 
 
These examples remind us that legacy is not only about what we build, but also who we build it for.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot better conclude by making one final point: the most valuable inheritance we can pass on is not wealth, but wisdom. Let us not forget the importance of providing the best education for our next generation, an education that nurtures compassion, resilience, cross-cultural understanding and a strong sense of global citizenship. One that equips our children not only with knowledge, but with the moral compass and courage to face uncertainty, uphold values and lead with purpose.
 
My sincere thanks to the UNESCO Hong Kong Association and the Harvard Business School Association of Hong Kong for convening this meaningful exchange. I look with anticipation to the wisdom and impactful initiatives that will emerge from today’s dialogue. I wish you all the best of health and business in the time ahead. Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a detached house in Sheung Shui yesterday’s afternoon (May 16), in which a male worker fell from a canopy while working thereon. He was certified dead later in hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.

The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and have issued suspension notices to the contractors concerned, suspending the work on the canopy of the detached house concerned. The contractors cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that suitable measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken.”

The spokesman added, “We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the relevant duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”

To prevent workers from falling while working at height, the LD reminds contractors to take suitable safety measures, including installing guard-rails and toe-boards at the edges of workplaces, providing workers with suitable working platforms and, in exceptional circumstances, providing workers with fall arresting equipment, as well as ensuring the proper use of such equipment by the workers throughout the work.

The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years.

In regard to yesterday’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its mobile application “OSH 2.0”, website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.

The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region