Month: May 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will lead a business delegation to visit Qatar and Kuwait on May 10. The visit aims to further strengthen exchanges and connections with the Middle East region in areas such as finance, trade, investment, and innovation and technology (I&T), and to promote the latest advantages and opportunities in Hong Kong to local political and business communities.
 
Noting that the Middle East region is experiencing rapid development with abundant capital, Mr Lee said the region is actively seeking to diversify risks, particularly by channelling investments into China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region(HKSAR), aligning with the global economic shift towards the East. Qatar and Kuwait are both economically vibrant and fast-growing countries in the Middle East region. Qatar boasts the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita among the member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and serves as a crucial aviation hub in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Kuwait, currently the rotating President of the GCC, ranks third in GDP per capita among GCC member states and possesses one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.
 
He highlighted that this marks his first time leading Mainland enterprises in addition to leaders from industry and commerce and professional sectors of Hong Kong in an outbound mission, aiming to leverage Hong Kong’s strengths under the “one country, two systems” principle in connecting the Mainland and the world. It also aims to give full play to Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder” by deepening international exchanges and co-operation, acting as a bridge to serve enterprises in going global and attracting external investment. At the same time, it also demonstrates the complementary advantages of co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises, creating synergies and providing comprehensive supply chain services.
 
The HKSAR Government officials joining the Business Delegation from Hong Kong and the Mainland led by the Chief Executive of the HKSAR include the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip; the Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho; and the Director of Information Services, Mrs Apollonia Liu.
 
Members of the delegation include more than 50 representatives from the business community of Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises. This includes over 30 leaders from industry and commerce and professional sectors of Hong Kong and over 20 entrepreneurs from Mainland provinces such as Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong. The delegation spans fields including finance, industry and commerce, trade, infrastructure, I&T, energy, and transport and logistics.
 
Mr Lee will visit Qatar on May 11 and 12 and depart for Kuwait on the evening of May 12. During the visit, he will meet with local government leaders to enhance communication and establish collaborative consensus, enabling businesses to clearly understand the policy directions of co-operation between the HKSAR Government and the governments of both countries, and leading the promotion of cultural exchanges. He will also lead the delegation to visit facilities and enterprises to gain insights into the latest developments in such areas as finance, trade, and I&T, exploring new opportunities. He will also attend exchange events to introduce Hong Kong’s advantages and investment opportunities to the local business community.
 
Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong on May 15. During his absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will be the Acting Chief Executive.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Ngan Man-yu and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

Question:

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that the project of the new Huanggang Port building is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Upon commissioning, the new Huanggang Port will implement the “co-location arrangement”, and the time for immigration clearance will be shortened from the current 20 ‍minutes to 5 minutes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has discussed with the Shenzhen Municipal Government the commissioning date of the new Huanggang Port, and of the progress of the preparatory work for the commissioning of the port;
 
(2) given that, according to Government information, the new Huanggang Port will have a design flow of approximately 200 000 ‍passenger trips and 15 000 cross-boundary vehicle trips per day, whether the authorities have estimated the daily passenger and vehicle flows in the initial period after the new Huanggang Port is commissioned;

(3) as it has been reported that the new Huanggang Port will be connected to five rail lines, including the Shenzhen Metro Line 7 and the MTR Northern Link (NOL) Spur Line, and the Government indicated in its paper submitted to the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways of this Council on March 31 this year that it was actively discussing with the MTR Corporation Limited for commissioning the NOL Main Line and Spur Line together by 2034 or earlier, of the progress of the discussions; and
 
(4) of the arrangements for public transport services, such as franchised buses, minibuses, taxis and cross-boundary coach services, upon the commissioning of the new Huanggang Port; as it is learnt that 24-‍hour clearance will be implemented at the new Huanggang Port, whether the authorities will allow public transport operators to operate overnight bus routes providing services between the new Huanggang Port and Yuen Long, Sheung Shui and urban Kowloon; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,

     The Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government have obtained the Central Government’s support for the implementation of co-location arrangement at the redeveloped Huanggang Port to provide greater convenience for cross-boundary passengers. The new Huanggang Port building will be a multi-storey building with customs, immigration and quarantine clearance facilities and public transport interchanges for the Mainland and Hong Kong set up on different floors, laying the foundation for implementing the co-location arrangement at the new port. The new Huanggang Port will also adopt the new clearance mode of collaborative inspection and joint clearance to further enhance passenger clearance efficiency.

     In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the reply to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Lau is as follows:

(1) The superstructure of the new Huanggang Port building is currently under construction and the target is to strive for basic completion of the new port building by end-2025. The arrangements and timetable for the commissioning of the port are subject to further discussions by the two governments.

To promote the progress of the Huangguang Port redevelopment project from multiple perspectives, the two governments have set up various task forces which are actively working together to take forward the tasks on various aspects, such as design and construction, clearance arrangements and cross-boundary transport. In addition, the task force for collaboration on planning and development of Hong Kong-Shenzhen control points co-chaired by the Secretary for Security of the HKSAR Government and the Vice Mayor of the Shenzhen Municipal Government holds regular meetings to oversee the planning and development of various boundary control point projects, including the works and progress related to the redevelopment of the Huangguang Port.

Regarding the financial arrangement for the redevelopment of the Huanggang Port, the Shenzhen Municipal Government has agreed in principle to bear the design and construction costs of the entire project (including the Hong Kong Port Area (HKPA)). The HKSAR Government will bear on its own the costs of other items for the HKPA other than basic construction works, such as furniture and equipment required by various departments and the information systems necessary for the operation of the control point. The HKSAR Government will seek funding for the related items from the Legislative Council at a suitable juncture.
 
(2) The design flow of the redeveloped Huanggang Port is about 200 000 passenger trips per day, which can be increased to about 300 000 upon the commissioning of the Northern Link (NOL) Spur Line of the MTR, while the design flow of cross‑boundary vehicles is about 15 000 vehicular trips per day. The above design flow will be sufficient to meet the estimated demand of passenger and vehicular traffic during the initial period after the commissioning of the port.

After the two governments have reached a consensus on the specific arrangements regarding the commissioning of the port (including the estimated passenger and vehicle flows in the initial period), advance arrangements for manpower deployment will be made. The HKSAR Government will, as always, closely monitor the actual clearance traffic during the initial commissioning of the port, flexibly allocate manpower and utilise innovative technology to meet the service demands at the port.

(3) The governments of Shenzhen and Hong Kong are jointly taking forward the NOL Spur Line project through the Task Force for Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation on Cross-Boundary Railway Infrastructure. The detailed planning and design are anticipated to commence this year. The HKSAR Government will strive to implement the NOL Main Line and Spur Line projects simultaneously. The target is to advance the NOL Spur Line for commissioning with the NOL Main Line concurrently by 2034 or earlier.

(4) The co-location arrangement will be adopted at the new Huanggang Port. A public transport interchange will be set up in the HKPA of the new port for use by local public transport and cross-boundary transport services.

With reference to the case of the Shenzhen Bay Port, the Transport Department (TD) will arrange various local public transport services (including franchised buses, green minibuses and taxis (including urban, New Territories and taxi fleet taxis)) to meet the transportation needs of passengers traveling to and from the new port. The TD will announce details of the relevant services in due course.

As for cross-boundary transport services, the TD has been liaising with the relevant Mainland authorities on providing appropriate and adequate cross-boundary passenger transport services (including cross-boundary coach and cross-boundary hire car) with a view to meeting the travel needs of the public.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by Professor the Hon Chow Man-kong and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

Question:

​It has been reported that a major air disaster occurred in South Korea in December last year, killing 179 passengers and crew members on board an aircraft, raising global concern about aviation safety. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as it has been reported that Boeing 737-800, the model of the aircraft involved in the aforesaid air disaster, accounts for approximately 15 per cent of the world’s passenger aircraft in service, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the respective numbers of passenger aircraft of this model owned by the various airlines currently using Hong Kong as an operating base, and the specific information thereof (including the years of service of each aircraft, whether there have been any incidents on flights in the past, and whether safety inspections have been stepped up recently);

(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of bird strike warnings issued by the air traffic control towers of the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) in each of the past three years, as well as the number of reports received from flight crews regarding bird strike encounters or potential bird strike encounters; if so, of the details of each bird strike warning or report;

(3) as it is learnt that the aforesaid air disaster has aroused grave public concern about the impact of birds on the landing and take-off of passenger aircraft, what measures are currently being taken by the Airport Authority Hong Kong and the CAD to reduce the impact of birds on the aviation safety in Hong Kong’s airspace; whether the authorities and relevant departments will strengthen the existing preventive measures against bird strikes on aircraft, so as to further reduce the risk of bird strikes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) as it has been reported that a concrete wall located about 250 metres from the end of the runway at the airport concerned might have been one of the causes contributing to the eventual crash of the aircraft in the aforesaid air disaster, whether the authorities will consider conducting a comprehensive inspection of the runways at Hong Kong International Airport for the existence of similar potential safety hazards; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) as it has been reported that the aircraft involved in the air disaster had operated 13 flights in 48 hours prior to the incident, arousing public concern about whether airlines have sufficient time to conduct routine inspections and maintenance on their aircraft, whether the authorities will formulate measures to step up the monitoring of flight safety for flights to and from Hong Kong, and to ensure that the necessary safety inspections are properly conducted before each flight operation, so as to minimise navigational risks and allay passengers’ concerns about aviation safety; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

As the regulatory body of civil aviation affairs, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) has been strictly regulating the operational safety and airworthiness of all aircraft registered in Hong Kong in accordance with the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap. 448C) and the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In consultation with the CAD and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), the reply to Professor the Hon Chow is as follows:

(1) and (5) Every aircraft registered in Hong Kong is required to comply with the safety and design standards of the ICAO and the civil aviation authority of the State of Design, and must also comply with Hong Kong’s airworthiness standards in accordance with Cap. 448C and those issued by the CAD. These include relevant maintenance and operational records. 

Currently, there are eight Boeing 737-800 aircraft registered in Hong Kong. To ensure the safe operation of all aircraft registered in Hong Kong, including the Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the CAD will continue to monitor incidents involving various aircraft models, assess the latest developments, and take appropriate follow-up measures in a timely manner.

In addition, in order to strengthen the safety oversight of foreign-registered aircraft, the CAD will continue to conduct safety assessment inspections on foreign-registered aircraft under a risk-based principle to ensure that aircraft operating at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) comply with international safety standards.

(2) and (3) The AAHK and CAD have been closely monitoring bird strike reports and trends at HKIA. According to the Aerodrome Licensing Requirements Document, the AAHK is required to formulate procedures for bird strike hazard assessment at HKIA and implement corresponding control measures. The major bird control measures implemented by the AAHK include:
 

• a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan has been developed specifically for HKIA based on the ICAO guidelines to control safety risks posed by wildlife (including birds) at the airport. The AAHK also hires bird experts to regularly observe bird activities within the airport and nearby areas, collect and analyse relevant data, and assist in formulating bird control measures to reduce the risk of bird strikes;
• the Bird Control Unit has been established to implement bird control measures, including patrolling the runways and apron every day to ensure that there are no bird activities on the runways and apron and there are no creatures or objects that may attract birds. If Bird Control Unit officers find any bird near the runways or taxiways, they will drive away the birds by means of using horn, emitting strong light, firing crackers, etc. The Bird Control Unit also extends patrol hours during bird migration seasons to strengthen bird control;
• with regard to plantation species and plant maintenance, the AAHK will only grow plant species that are less attractive to birds in the airport area, and will limit the grass height within the airfield area to between 100 millimetres and 200mm to avoid attracting birds;
• contractors have been hired to clean up the garbage in the airfield area from time to time and conduct pest control regularly to avoid attracting birds to enter the airport area;
• bird scaring and deterrent devices have been installed on all runways at HKIA; and
• procedures have been established such that when air traffic controllers or airport staff receive bird strike reports, they will immediately notify relevant parties and personnel.

According to the record in the past three years (i.e. from 2022 to 2024), there was an average of only approximately one bird strike report for every 10 000 aircraft movements each year at HKIA, and none of these reported events had caused serious damage to aircraft. It demonstrated that the above measures are effective in mitigating safety risks. The CAD will continue to review the AAHK’s bird control measures to ensure their effectiveness. 

(4) The design of HKIA and its operations comply fully with ICAO runway design standards, including equipping each end of the runways with a runway end safety area, and there are no physical barriers near the runways. The AAHK has reviewed the equipment and installations at the runway end safety area and its extended area of HKIA, and confirmed that there are no concrete barriers in place. As for the navigation equipment and essential installations (such as meteorological instruments) that must be installed on the runways and in adjacent areas, they were designed and installed in accordance with the relevant guidance of the ICAO. The structure meets the frangibility requirement to reduce flight safety risks. The AAHK will continue to closely monitor the runways and their surrounding areas, as well as carry out maintenance works as necessary, to ensure that the pavement and surface remain smooth.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Siu-hung and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

Question:
 
     The Environment and Ecology Bureau implemented the first phase regulation on disposable plastic products (the Regulation) in late April last year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of verbal warnings issued and prosecutions initiated to catering premises violating the Regulation to date;
 
(2) given that some catering premises have reportedly purchased through online shopping platforms products claimed to be paper straws and paper tableware for use in their premises, but it is difficult to tell simply by visual inspection whether such products contain plastic components or other impurities, how the authorities ensure that the tableware used by these catering premises is in compliance with the “plastic-free” requirement of Hong Kong;
 
(3) as there are views pointing out that replacing plastic tableware with paper tableware may result in waste diversion, and it is learnt that paper tableware can be recycled into paper hand towels after proper cleaning, whether the authorities have plans to step up efforts to promote the clean recycling of paper tableware, and provide appropriate support to reduce the cost burden on the industry; and
 
(4) given that the Government advised in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the 16th of last month that before implementing the second phase of the Regulation, it would thoroughly consider the maturity, availability, and affordability of the non-plastic alternatives and would consider the programme of further regulation in light of the prevailing circumstances, of the current progress of the Government’s evaluation of such alternatives, and the estimated timeline for implementing the second phase of the Regulation?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The regulation on disposable plastic products (the Regulation) commenced its first phase on April 22, 2024. It regulates the supply of disposable plastic tableware and other plastic products and encourages the public to go “plastic-and-disposable-free”. Since the implementation of the Regulation, the trades have actively complied with the Regulation by stopping the sale or provision of regulated disposable plastic products. The public’s habit of using relevant products in their daily lives has also changed, with “bring your own reusable tableware” and “plastic-free” cultures being developed gradually in the society, resulting in effective waste reduction.
 
     The reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Siu-hung is as follows:
 
(1) Since the implementation of the Regulation, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has arranged for staff to inspect about 48 000 catering premises, retail stores, hotels and guesthouses in Hong Kong. As at April 22, 2025, the EPD issued a total of 144 written warnings to cases of suspected violations, requiring the persons-in-charge to make improvements within 10 working days; otherwise, a fixed penalty notice would be issued. The EPD has followed up all the cases, of which 21 premises being persistently incompliant after receiving written warnings were issued with fixed penalty notices of $2,000 by the EPD staff. The incompliances have then been corrected.
 
(2) According to the Regulation, should relevant disposable tableware be wholly or partly made of plastic (including plastic lining), it will be regarded as regulated disposable plastic tableware. Testing or material analysis could determine whether or not a product contains plastic content. The EPD had engaged the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency to establish the Green Tableware Platform (the Platform) (www.greentableware.hk) in January 2022. Currently, the Platform has enlisted more than 170 tableware suppliers and more than 2 000 non-plastic disposable tableware products for the catering trade’s reference. We encourage the catering trade to use the Platform to source non-plastic alternatives (such as paper straws and paper spoons) which meet their operational needs in terms of quality and functionality, or to contact the EPD for enquiries through the hotline at 2838 3111. 
 
     The EPD will also continue to monitor the latest development of the non-plastic alternatives market and identify alternatives which meet the needs of the trades and the public. If a paper tableware is suspected of containing plastic content during our inspections, the EPD will collect samples for testing and notify the relevant persons-in-charge of the result for switching to an alternative fulfilling the requirement of “plastic-free”.
 
(3) As mentioned above, the primary objective of the Regulation is to reduce the use of plastic at source with a view to minimising the harm brought by waste plastics to the environment and human health. As such, we encourage the public to reduce waste at source by bringing their own reusable tableware and avoiding the use of any disposable tableware. Only if the use of disposable tableware is unavoidable should non-plastic tableware be used, rather than a mere waste diversion.
 
     Paper-based disposable tableware is one of the common types of non-plastic alternative tableware nowadays. Given that used paper-based disposable tableware is likely to have residual grease or oil and is prone to mould growth in case they are not dried after washing, it would cause potential contamination of other waste papers (such as cardboard, office paper or newspapers) during the recycling process, thus affecting the recovery process and quality. We therefore do not recommend the recycling of the relevant paper-based disposable tableware. 
 
     In fact, since the commencement of the first phase of the Regulation on disposable plastic tableware, the public has progressively switched to reusable tableware. Some businesses reported that a surging number of customers not requiring disposable cutlery when ordering takeaways, indicating that the society has begun to accept and develop the habit of using reusable tableware which is conducive to the environment in the long run. The EPD will continue to strengthen publicity and education, and encourage the members of the public to use reusable tableware.
 
(4) Since March 2025, the EPD has been meeting with various catering trade associations to gather their views and concerns regarding the second phase of the Regulation, as well as to exchange on the latest development of non-plastic alternatives. While there are currently several alternative options available in the market with steady reduction in prices, the diverse range of food items provided by the catering industry necessitates varying requirements for food containers. As the second phase of the Regulation would cover soup containers and plastic lids etc., some members of the trade reflected that such takeaway containers used for serving items like sauces, soups and beverages require a higher standard of safety and sealing performance, and thus requiring identification of suitable and practical alternatives. The Government will continue to actively collaborate with the suppliers of non-plastic alternatives to explore ways to enhance the quality of their products, accommodating the practical needs of the catering trade. We expect to partner with some large chain restaurant groups to conduct testing of various alternatives available in the market in mid-2025, and review the testing outcomes afterwards. 
 
     Before implementing the second phase of the Regulation, the Government will thoroughly consider the maturity, availability and affordability of the relevant non-plastic alternatives with a view to striking a balance between environmental protection and sustainable development of the trades. While there is no implementation timetable at the moment, we will consider the progress of further regulation in light of the prevailing circumstances. The Government will continue to promote going “plastic-and-disposable-free” and join hands with different sectors of the community to promote a culture of green and low-carbon living in Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Professor the Hon William Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):

Question:

     In the country’s Report on the Work of the Government this year, the Central Government for the first time highlights the need to support the development of gazelle enterprises. Gazelle enterprises refer to high-growth small and medium-sized scientific and technological enterprises characterized by strong innovation capabilities, new fields of expertise and great development potential. It is learnt that a number of Mainland provinces and municipalities have introduced preferential measures such as incentive subsidies and interest-free loans to accelerate the development of gazelle enterprises. In particular, Hangzhou implemented support policies for eligible gazelle enterprises as early as 2020, encouraging them to collaborate with higher education institutions and scientific research institutes on research and development. This, complemented by other innovation and technology (I&T) support, has fostered a robust innovation ecosystem in Hangzhou, thereby nurturing a number of I&T enterprises, among which the six companies collectively known as Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons” are particularly outstanding. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will set a definition for gazelle enterprises in Hong Kong and compile statistics on the number of gazelle enterprises in the territory;

(2) whether it has studied the provision of targeted policy support for gazelle enterprises; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will conduct a study; and

(3) as it has been reported that Hangzhou’s “Six Little Dragons” are interested in strengthening cooperation with Hong Kong, and the Chief Executive has also indicated that assistance will be provided to them, whether the Government will take the initiative to liaise with and invite such enterprises to establish a presence in Hong Kong, so as to inject new momentum into the I&T ecosystem?

Reply:

President,

     Thank you Professor the Hon Wong Kam-fai for the question. My consolidated reply is as follows.

     The National “Government Work Report” of this year strongly supports the development of innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises of all development stages, comprehensively planning to accelerate the growth of emerging and future industries. To proactively align with the national development strategy and to promote technological and industrial innovation, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been adopting a multi-pronged strategy under the overarching framework of the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint over the past two years. On one hand, we are striving to nurture local I&T start-ups; on the other hand, we are actively attracting enterprises to set up businesses in Hong Kong. This fully leverages our unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle, that is, enjoying strong support from the Motherland and being closely connected to the world, with a view to seizing the historic opportunity of this new round of technological innovation and industry transformation.

     On nurturing Hong Kong’s I&T start-ups, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) has provided a full range of support services to start-ups through the two Hong Kong I&T flagships, namely the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC) and Cyberport. The HKSTPC has been committed to providing support for entrepreneurial technology talent through various incubation programmes, including the provision of research and development (R&D) space and supporting facilities, funding, technical and management assistance, investor matching, mentorship support, promotion and business development support. Meanwhile, Cyberport has provided different financial and professional support through various public mission-driven incubation, accelerator, and support programmes tailored to the different development stages of start-ups. Also, with the imminent opening of the Hong Kong Park in the Loop within this year, the HSITPL (i.e. the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Parks Limited) will also launch an incubation programme to provide funding support and comprehensive support services to start-up teams and enterprises in the Park that have development potential and are engaged in life and health technologies. The number of start‑ups in Hong Kong surged from around 1 000 in 2014 to around 4 700 in 2024, reflecting the increasingly vibrant I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong. Our policy objective is to nurture I&T start-ups with independent R&D capabilities which can make substantive contributions to the economy and society, with a view to fostering the high-quality development of Hong Kong’s economy.

     We also recognise the importance of and the long-term need for supporting the development of start-ups as well as the necessity to keep abreast of the times in our policy initiatives. In recent years, the ITIB and the Innovation and Technology Commission have introduced and implemented a number of policies to enhance support for start-ups at various development stages, including the nurturing of start-ups. For example, the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme was launched in 2023, which aims 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 outcomes.  To attract more venture capital to co-invest in local I&T start-ups, we launched the Innovation and Technology Venture Fund enhanced scheme in end-2024 by redeploying up to $1.5 billion to set up funds jointly with the market, on a matching basis, to invest in start-ups of strategic industries, thereby empowering start-ups with more financing support.

     Furthermore, we are preparing for the launch of the Pilot I&T Accelerator Scheme, which aims 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.

     Apart from nurturing Hong Kong’s I&T start-ups, we have also taken the initiative to assist Mainland enterprises to “go global” and attract overseas resources, and strive to play the roles of “super connector” and “super value-adder”, thereby bringing new opportunities and opening up new horizons for Hong Kong’s I&T development. As at April 2025, in collaboration with other government departments, the ITIB has negotiated with more than 200 high-potential or representative enterprises to set up or expand their businesses in Hong Kong. During his recent visit to Zhejiang, the Chief Executive invited I&T enterprises such as “Hangzhou’s Six Little Dragons” to set up businesses in Hong Kong, encouraging them to make use of Hong Kong’s strengths to actively expand their business overseas. The ITIB is following up on these co-operation opportunities with a view to bringing them to fruition as soon as possible. We believe that the establishment of more I&T enterprises in Hong Kong will further promote the vibrant development of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, bring new impetus to the local I&T ecosystem, and further enhance the development of related industries.

     We will continue to strengthen our I&T ecosystem in the following ways: first, continue to optimise our existing policies to enhance our support for I&T start-ups; second, facilitate more I&T enterprises in strategic industries to set up their businesses in Hong Kong; and third, engage with enterprises through various channels to understand their needs timely, dynamically adjust relevant policies and roll out new initiatives so as to ensure that our support measures align with industry needs to accelerate Hong Kong’s I&T development.

     Thank you.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Fok and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (May 7):
 
Question:
 
The Government in the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development (the Blueprint) published in November last year explicitly proposed that Hong Kong should be developed into a “capital of pop culture”. Measures include promoting the development of the pop culture industry, supporting the innovative development of pop culture, and promoting the organisation of more events such as concerts and music festivals. However, some members of the industry have relayed that the existing measures on venue provision, ancillary support and talent nurturing are not in line with the policy objectives, which affect the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s pop culture. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the details of the use of the venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) for organising pop culture activities in the past three years, including the venues involved, the number of sessions of the programmes held, the types of activities, the number of participants and the utilisation rates of seats (set out in a table);
 
(2) as some members of the industry have relayed that it is difficult for emerging artists and independent groups to be allocated time slots in LCSD venues, whether the Government will review the existing venue allocation mechanism and scoring criteria, so as to address the industry’s demand for small and medium-sized commercial performance venues; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) given that the 2022 Policy Address has proposed to increase the number of seats at performance venues by about 50 per cent, of the number of newly-built or converted venues and the number of additional seats at present, and whether it has reviewed if the progress of work in achieving this policy objective is in line with expectations;
 
(4) whether the authorities will comprehensively enhance the relevant measures to solve the problem of insufficient performance venues for the pop culture industry (including reviewing the Venue Partnership Scheme to increase the quota for small and medium-sized performing groups; enhancing the transparency of the scoring criteria for booking LCSD venues; relaxing the restriction on the use of some government venues (e.g. sports grounds and vacant school premises) for performances; and studying the provision of dedicated venues for pop culture); if so, of the specific plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(5) given that the Blueprint has proposed to promote the private sector to organise more pop culture events in Hong Kong, of the authorities’ specific plans in place to encourage enterprises and investors to support the development of local pop culture, and whether it will provide incentives to attract more market resources, so as to assist the industry in exploring commercial performance opportunities and support the nurturing of talents for the industry?
 
Reply：
 
President：
 
Hong Kong’s unique pop culture is an important brand of our culture. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region  Government endeavours to promote the development of pop culture, with a view to developing Hong Kong into the “capital of pop culture”, in accordance with the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development (the Blueprint), consolidating Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West Centre for international cultural exchange.
 
In consultation with the Development Bureau, my reply to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Fok is as follows:
 
(1) The number of performances and attendance of pop culture activities held at the performance venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) in the past three years are tabulated as follows (with numbers of attendance in parenthesis):
 

Venue / Year	2022 (Note 3)	2023	2024
Stadia (Note 1)	90 (667 954)	114 (803 632)	117 (938 522)
Performing arts venues (Note 2)	420 (82 562)	607 (125 764)	721 (133 318)

 
Note 1: Stadia include the Hong Kong Coliseum and the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
Note 2: Performing arts venues include the Hong Kong Culture Centre, the Hong Kong City Hall, the Sheung Wan Civic Centre, the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre, the Ko Shan Theatre, the Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, the Sha Tin Town Hall, the North District Town Hall, the Tsuen Wan Town Hall, the Kwai Tsing Theatre, the Tuen Mun Town Hall and the Yuen Long Theatre. The Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre was closed for the renovation and improvement project since April 2022.
Note 3: Owing to COVID-19, all performance venues were closed for 104 days in 2022.
 
(2) to (4) The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the LCSD and the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) etc., endeavour to provide venues for various arts and culture activities. We are aware that there has been a strong demand for performance venues from the public as well as the arts and culture sectors. Therefore, we have been building new performance venues and upgrading existing facilities over the past few years. The newly built East Kowloon Cultural Centre and the upgraded Tai Po Civic Centre and Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre are expected to open in full this year; The WestK Performing Arts Centre is expected to be completed in 2026; and we are also building the New Territories East Cultural Centre. A total of around 8 300 seats will be available at these performance venues. Besides, the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) officially commissioned on March 1, 2025, providing venues for hosting large-scale pop culture events.
 
Since its full commissioning in March 2025, the KTSP has provided an option of a brand-new and attractive venue for sports and cultural mega events in Hong Kong, including concerts and pop culture events. The KTSP features a 50 000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, a 10 000-seat Kai Tak Arena, a 5 000-seat Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground and other ancillary facilities. In the past two months, various large-scale concerts of various renowned international, Asian and local bands and singers took place at the Kai Tak Stadium and Kai Tak Arena.
 
The Government has also been supporting small and medium-sized arts groups and emerging artists through various measures, such as providing funding support for large-scale and cross-year arts and cultural initiatives/activities through the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme. Programme offices of the LCSD also provide support to local small and medium-sized arts groups and emerging artists through different modes of collaboration to promote continuous innovation and development of arts groups in Hong Kong.
 
We are reviewing the usage and hiring arrangements of our venues (including reviewing the Venue Partnership Scheme), with an aim to make more effective use of venues resources, offer more booking slots for use of different arts groups and cater for the needs of the arts and culture sectors, thereby building a vibrant, diverse and flourishing ecosystem. On setting up of a dedicated venue for pop culture, the LCSD is currently identifying a suitable site for the Pop Culture Centre, and will discuss with and consult various stakeholders and expert advisers on related matters, such as the long-term planning and facilities of the Pop Culture Centre etc., with a view to formulating appropriate plans for developing it into a cultural landmark and tourism hotspot.
 
The public pleasure grounds under the LCSD have all along been open to applications for non-designated uses, such as charitable activities or festive celebrations. When processing relevant applications, the LCSD will consider factors such as the proposed duration of hire, the area to be hired, as well as the purpose and nature of the activity. Given the very keen public demand for sports facilities, the LCSD will strive to strike a balance to meet the needs of different venue users.
 
On the use of school venues, the Government has launched the Pilot Scheme on the Use of School Venues by Arts Groups in 2024 to open up parts of school venues for rehearsals by arts groups after school hours on a pilot basis. Any organisation/institution that wishes to use vacant school premises (VSP) for long-term or short-term uses could liaise and seek support from the relevant policy bureau(s) for its application of using the VSP.
 
(5) On promoting the development of local pop culture and industries, LCSD has been collaborating with the sector to organise the annual Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival (PCF) since 2023. The first two editions of PCF attracted about 530 000 and over 640 000 participants respectively. The third edition of PCF is being held from April to July 2025 with the theme “More Than Joy” to promote Hong Kong’s unique comedy. PCF offers rich and diverse activities, supports local young artists and emerging art groups, and promotes cross-generation and cross-genre collaboration. We will step up the promotion of pop culture programmes to the Mainland and overseas facilitate Hong Kong’s pop culture to “go global”, thereby establishing overseas collaboration networks for local artists and the brand of PCF.
 
The CSTB has been supporting mega arts and cultural events organised by the private sector or non-governmental organisations in Hong Kong through the Mega Arts and Cultural Events (ACE) Fund, including mega events on pop culture such as ComplexCon Hong Kong 2025 and Hypefest Hong Kong 2024. The Mega ACE Fund has enhanced its operation since January 1, 2025. To enhance the level of participation of commercial organisations, matching grant has been introduced in the new application mechanism. The initiative aims to encourage the event organisers to solicit commercial sponsorship, thereby boosting the market feasibility and business potential of events and to follow the over-arching principle of industry building.
 
Besides, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) actively makes use of its museums, performing arts venues and public spaces to promote pop culture through various cultural and artistic programmes. For example, the WKCDA held “WestK POPFEST” in 2023 and 2024, which has been sponsored by private enterprises for two consecutive years, has brought together local young singers and groups, blending pop culture with artistic creation. The events were well-received by music fans, attracting over 60 000 participants in 2024, breaking the attendance record for different types of music festivals held in the WKCD over the years.
 
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) continues supporting the co-production of television variety programmes by local television stations with their counterparts in the Mainland and Asia through the CreateSmart Initiative, so as to help the industry explore business showcasing opportunities in the Mainland and overseas, uplift the soft power of Hong Kong pop culture and enhance economic benefits. The scheme has so far accepted two rounds of applications. Eight project had been approved, among which five were broadcast.
 
On talent nurturing, sponsored by the CCIDA, the “Make Music Work – Music Creation and Production Talents Nurturing Scheme” was launched in 2019 to support the development of emerging local music talent. In the latest edition, 12 units each comprising a composer, lyric writer and arranger were matched with experienced music producers and singing units for a series of support and training to produce original songs, and were provided with a platform and live concert to release and perform their original songs, so as to promote local original music development. 
 
We will continue to foster the industry to explore private market and investment actively, as well as exploring business showcasing opportunities and support talent nurturing of the industries, so as to align with the strategic directions of the Blueprint.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Hongkong Post announced today (May 7) that a set of special stamps and associated philatelic products on the theme of “Victoria Harbour Promenades” will be released for sale on May 22 (Thursday).
 
Victoria Harbour is a world-famous natural harbour recognised as an icon of Hong Kong. The Government and the Harbourfront Commission have been committed to enhancing the harbourfront of Victoria Harbour for the past 20 years, with a view to creating an attractive, vibrant, accessible and sustainable harbourfront. Hongkong Post will release a set of four stamps, a stamp sheetlet and associated philatelic products themed on “Victoria Harbour Promenades”, which feature the scenic waterfronts on both sides of the Harbour. The stamps showcase the stunning harbour views by day and night and highlight the achievements in enhancing the promenades, thereby encouraging the public to appreciate and enjoy the quality and diversified harbourfront spaces.
 
To enhance youth participation, the design of the $10 stamp sheetlet is based on the winning entry of the Student Group in the Victoria Harbourfront Photo and Short Video Competition jointly organised by the Harbourfront Commission and the Harbour Office of the Development Bureau in 2023. The award-winning photograph captures Victoria Harbour at sunset, with the sun casting glowing beams between the skyscrapers, illuminating a boat on the water and showcasing the stunning sunset view of Victoria Harbour.
 
Official first day covers for “Victoria Harbour Promenades” will be on sale at all post offices and Hongkong Post’s online shopping mall ShopThruPost (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) from tomorrow (May 8). This set of special stamps and associated philatelic products will be on sale at all post offices and ShopThruPost from May 22, while serviced first day covers affixed with the special stamps and postage prepaid picture cards (air mail) will be available at philatelic offices only.
 
A hand-back date-stamping service will be provided on May 22 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address.
 
Information about this set of special stamps and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced today (May 7) that a tender of 10-year RMB Institutional Government Bonds (Bonds) under the Infrastructure Bond Programme will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, for settlement on Thursday, May 15, 2025.
 
A total of RMB1.0 billion 10-year RMB Bonds will be tendered. The Bonds will mature on May 15, 2035 and will carry interest at the rate of 2.29 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear.
 
Tender is open only to Primary Dealers appointed under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Anyone wishing to apply for the Bonds on offer can do so through any of the Primary Dealers on the latest published list, which can be obtained from the Hong Kong Government Bonds website at www.hkgb.gov.hk. Each tender must be for an amount of RMB50,000 or integral multiples thereof.
 
Tender results will be published on the HKMA’s website, the Hong Kong Government Bonds website, Bloomberg (GBHK ) and Refinitiv (IBPGSBPINDEX). The publication time is expected to be no later than 3pm on the tender day.
 
HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Information

Tender information of 10-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
 

Issue Number	:	10GB3505001
Stock Code	:	85024 (HKGB2.29 3505-R)
Tender Date and Time	:	Tuesday, May 13, 2025 9.30am to 10.30am
Issue and Settlement Date	:	Thursday, May 15, 2025
Amount on Offer	:	RMB1.0 billion
Maturity	:	10 years
Maturity Date	:	Tuesday, May 15, 2035
Interest Rate	:	2.29 per cent p.a. payable semi-annually in arrear
Interest Payment Dates	:	May 15 and November 15 in each year, commencing on the Issue Date up to and including the Maturity Date, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Institutional Issuances Information Memorandum of the Infrastructure Bond Programme and Government Sustainable Bond Programme (Information Memorandum) published on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website.
Method of Tender	:	Competitive tender
Tender Amount	:	Each competitive tender must be for an amount of RMB50,000 or integral multiples thereof. Any tender applications for the Bonds must be submitted through a Primary Dealer on the latest published list.
Other Details	:	Please see the Information Memorandum available on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website or approach Primary Dealers.
Expected commencement date of dealing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited	:	Friday, May 16, 2025
Use of Proceeds	:	The Bonds will be issued under the institutional part of the Infrastructure Bond Programme. Proceeds will be invested in infrastructure projects in accordance with the Infrastructure Bond Framework published on the Hong Kong Government Bonds website.