Month: June 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 19) launched a new edition of antimicrobial guidelines entitled the Interhospital Multi-disciplinary Programme on Antimicrobial ChemoTherapy (IMPACT) Guidelines. These guidelines serve as a reference for doctors when prescribing antimicrobial drugs for inpatients, aiming to prevent overuse which may aggravate antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
 
“In view of the evolving AMR situations, the CHP in collaboration with experts updated IMPACT based on local AMR data and the latest international and local literature for reference of doctors so that antimicrobials can be prescribed in a more accurate manner. The CHP organised a forum today to introduce the major updates of the guidelines, including the empirical therapy of common infections, antimicrobials for known pathogens and recommendations for surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis to over 150 participating healthcare professionals from the public and private sectors. Recommended dosing and adverse reactions for certain antimicrobials are also set out in the updated guidelines,” said the Consultant (Antimicrobial Resistance) of the Infection Control Branch of the CHP, Dr Edmond Ma.
 
In addition to the forum for the medical field, the CHP also issued a Letter to Doctors today, urging them to refer to the new guidelines and prescribe the appropriate antimicrobials to patients in need. This will help curb the spread of drug resistance and safeguard the effectiveness of existing treatments.
 
Dr Ma added, “AMR occurs when microorganisms (such as bacteria and viruses) evolve and become resistant to previously effective medications. When patients are infected with drug-resistant bacteria, their illness may be prolonged, and their risk of death may even increase. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics are the major drivers of drug-resistant bacteria. Since the first edition of the IMPACT Guidelines was launched in 1999, it has become an important reference for healthcare professionals, helping to minimise unnecessary or inappropriate prescribing of antimicrobials. At the same time, it has become a key foundation for launching the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme in public hospitals and will facilitate the enhancement of relevant measures in private hospitals in the future. According to the latest surveillance data, the proportion of antimicrobials in the Watch category (i.e. antimicrobials considered by the World Health Organization to be at a higher risk of developing drug resistance) in the total supply of antimicrobials in Hong Kong decreased from 40.3 per cent in 2016 to 34.6 per cent in 2024, indicating that doctors are prescribing relatively fewer broad spectrum antibiotics to help combat AMR.”
 
The Government has been placing great importance on addressing the necessity of combating AMR. In 2022, the Government published the second Hong Kong Strategy and Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (Action Plan), outlining strategies to tackle the threat of AMR from 2023 to 2027. The measures include reviewing and updating IMPACT, and reminding doctors to prescribe antimicrobials to patients in accordance with guidelines and scientific evidence.
 
The IMPACT set of guidelines, now in its 6th edition, are a collaborative effort among the CHP, the Hospital Authority, the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong, the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Medical Association and the Hong Kong Private Hospitals Association. The CHP would like to express its sincere gratitude to the Editors, Dr Ho Pak-leung, Dr Wu Tak-chiu, and the other members of the Editorial Board.
 
The CHP also urged members of the public to work with healthcare professionals to eliminate AMR by observing the following:
 

• Consult a doctor when having a cold, flu or COVID-19. Do not buy antibiotics without a prescription at community pharmacies;
• Do not demand antibiotics from doctors. Only take antibiotics when advised by doctors and complete the whole course of treatment even if symptoms have improved;
• Follow health advice stated on the prescription bag and adopt appropriate infection control measures such as maintaining hand hygiene, wearing a surgical mask when having respiratory symptoms, and disinfecting and covering all wounds properly to prevent person-to-person spread of resistant bacteria when taking antibiotics;
• Receive seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines as effective means to prevent secondary bacterial infection, hence reducing the use of antibiotics and occurrence of AMR;
• Be aware of the risk of acquiring resistant bacteria from ready-to-eat (RTE) food. People taking antibiotics or antacids, and high-risk populations (such as pregnant women, infants and young children, the elderly and people with weakened immunity) are of higher risk and should avoid eating raw or undercooked RTE foods; and
• Observe good hygienic practices in the kitchen when handling food to minimise the risk of cross-contamination by resistant bacteria.

For details of the IMPACT Guidelines, please visit the IMPACT webpage (impact.chp.gov.hk/). For more information about AMR, please visit the CHP website.

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

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (June 19) the preliminary figures of chain volume measures of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by economic activity for the first quarter of 2025.
 
     GDP figures by economic activity show the value of production in respect of individual economic activities. The value of production is measured by value added or net output, which is calculated by deducting intermediate input consumed in the process of production from the gross value of output. Volume measures of GDP by economic activity, expressed in terms of chain volume measures net of the effect of price changes, enable analysis of the output growth profiles of individual economic sectors in real terms.
 
     According to the preliminary figures, overall GDP increased by 3.1% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the 2.5% increase in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Analysed by constituent services sector and on a year-on-year comparison, value added in respect of all the services activities taken together increased by 2.6% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the growth of 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the import and export, wholesale and retail trades sector increased by 4.2% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, as against the decrease of 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the accommodation and food services sector decreased by 1.8% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 from a year earlier, as against the growth of 2.6% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the transportation, storage, postal and courier services sector increased by 2.9% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 6.8% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the information and communications sector increased by 1.3% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the rise of 1.5% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the financing and insurance sector increased by 4.4% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 1.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the real estate, professional and business services sector registered a decrease of 0.3% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 from a year earlier, as against the rise of 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the public administration, social and personal services sector rose by 1.7% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 3.0% the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     As for sectors other than the services sectors, value added in the local manufacturing sector increased by 0.7% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 1.0% in the fourth quarter 2024.
 
     Value added in the electricity, gas and water supply, and waste management sector decreased by 1.4% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 from a year earlier, as against the increase of 3.0% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
     Value added in the construction sector decreased by 1.9% in real terms in the first quarter of 2025 from a year earlier, after the decrease of 4.7% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
Further information
 
     The year-on-year percentage changes of GDP by economic activity in real terms from the first quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025 are shown in Table 1. More detailed statistics are given in the report “Gross Domestic Product by Economic Activity”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1030004&scode=250). For enquiries about statistics on GDP by economic activity, please call the National Income Branch (2) of the C&SD at 3903 7005.
 
     Figures of chain volume measures of GDP by economic activity for the first quarter of 2025 are only preliminary at this stage. When more data become available, the preliminary figures will be revised accordingly and can be found at the C&SD website (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode250.html).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, attended the 2025 Lujiazui Forum and related events in Shanghai yesterday (June 18) and today (June 19). Addressing a seminar titled “Collaborative Development of Shanghai and Hong Kong International Financial Centres” today (June 19), he said that Hong Kong and Shanghai are unlocking many more new opportunities for collaborative development with their positions as the country’s “dual engine” financial centres, providing strong support for the country’s “dual circulation” strategy. Mr Hui also met with relevant heads of financial institutions during his stay in Shanghai.
 
This year’s Lujiazui Forum is themed “Financial Opening-up and Cooperation for High-Quality Development in a Changing Global Economy”. Mr Hui attended the opening ceremony and plenary session of the Forum yesterday and addressed today’s seminar where the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council and the Shanghai Research Center for Financial Stability and Development jointly released a research report on the “Synergistic Development of Shanghai and Hong Kong as International Financial Centres in the New Era”.
 
Speaking at the Plenary Session IV titled “Deepening the Cooperation between Shanghai and Hong Kong as International Financial Centers” yesterday, Mr Hui said, “Riding on the solid foundation of Stock Connect, mutual-market access between financial markets on the Mainland and Hong Kong has been expanding in scope and capacity. Programmes such as Bond Connect, the inclusion of Exchange Traded Funds into Stock Connect, and Swap Connect have been implemented. These programmes enhance not only the product offering for domestic and foreign investors but also the attraction for more capital influx into the capital markets of the two places, promoting long-term development of the markets.
 
“At the same time, Hong Kong needs to further enrich the offerings of its offshore Renminbi (RMB) market to facilitate the adoption of RMB by global market participants. To this end, we will step up efforts in four areas, namely enhancing offshore RMB liquidity, increasing products, improving infrastructure, and expanding new markets.”
 
When talking about stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), Mr Hui pointed out that by utilising the innovative capabilities of private institutions, stablecoins are meant to create and implement new use cases for the digital economy with the integration of the financial system with the real economy. Hong Kong’s stablecoin regulatory framework takes into account both innovation and systemic risk prevention, covering the establishment of a transparent reserve asset system, the introduction of independent third-party institutions for regular audits, and the establishment of risk assessment mechanisms. Separately, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is currently engaging the industry to carry out initial exploration on wholesale CBDCs.
 
“In future, we anticipate closer collaboration with Shanghai in areas such as financial innovation and green finance to achieve synergy effects.”
 
Yesterday morning, Mr Hui signed the Action Plan for Collaborative Development of Shanghai and Hong Kong International Financial Centres on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government with Shanghai to promote collaborative development, with a view to further forming a “dual hub” landscape of the two financial centres of Shanghai and Hong Kong, for better promotion of the internationalisation of RMB, thus contributing to a joint effort to building the country into a financial powerhouse. The Action Plan covers a number of measures, including supporting the Shanghai Clearing House (SHCH) to strengthen co-operation with Hong Kong banks and offshore Chinese banks in Hong Kong, supporting Mainland banks and financial institutions headquartered in Shanghai to set up regional headquarters in Hong Kong, and pressing ahead with the linkage of the Faster Payment System in Hong Kong with the Internet Banking Payment System on the Mainland.
 
During his stay in Shanghai, Mr Hui also visited several financial institutions, including the Shanghai Gold Exchange, the SHCH, and the Shanghai Futures Exchange, and met with Deputy Chief Executive of the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Mr Wang Huabin, and the President of Bank of Communications, Mr Zhang Baojiang, to discuss and exchange views to explore opportunities and models for co-operation regarding matters such as promoting gold market development in Hong Kong, enhancement to the offerings of the offshore RMB centre, and fostering collaborative development with the Mainland in financial derivatives and futures markets.
 
Mr Hui will return to Hong Kong this afternoon.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taisugar) convened its 2025 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting at 10 a.m. today (June 12) at the Tainan Head Office. According to reports presented at the meeting, Taisugar recorded NT$31.435 billion in operating revenue and NT$2.941 billion in operating profit for 2024, exceeding budgeted figures by NT$1.641 billion and NT$1.363 billion, respectively. Taisugar successfully achieved its financial targets and approved a cash dividend of NT$0.9 per share for the fiscal year.

Taisugar stated that in response to changes in the market environment, it continued to refine its business operations and implement goal-oriented management, resulting in steady growth in revenue and profit. In support of the government’s net-zero carbon policy, Taisugar had installed a total of 543.64 MW in solar photovoltaic facilities by the end of 2024. Additional initiatives include forest carbon sink projects, international smallholder carbon farming projects, conversion of factory boilers to natural gas (reducing annual carbon emissions by more than 20,000 tCO2e), and a sugar mill biomass carbon capture and utilization project. Taisugar is also accelerating the modernization of eco-friendly pig farms to advance its low-carbon transformation goals. Moreover, Taisugar continues to make land available to support the development of social housing and long-term care services in line with government policies. Six educational campuses under its administration have been converted into social housing units, addressing the housing needs of youth and underprivileged groups.

Taisugar also reported strong performance over the past year in both sustainability and product and service excellence. The company received numerous honors, including the Taiwan Top 100 Sustainability Exemplary Enterprises Award, the TSAA Sustainability Action Award, the National Enterprise Environmental Protection Silver Award, an award at the Taiwan International Orchid Show, the Eco-Friendly Hotel Certification, the ITI Superior Taste Award-often referred to as the “Michelin Guide of the food industry”-and the Gold Award for Excellence in Occupational Safety and Health Engineering. In terms of innovation, Taisugar received the Agri-Tech Startups Award. In collaboration with the National Kaohsiung. University of Hospitality and Tourism, the company developed terroir-inspired rhum agricole using fresh sugarcane juice . After winning recognition at the World Spirits Competition in both 2023 and 2024, the rum once again shone this year, receiving two Grand Gold Medals at the Vinalies Internationales Competition in France. Taisugar also teamed up with Michelin-starred restaurants to launch curated food and rum pairing events, fully showcasing the achievements of local food and beverage innovation through industry-academia collaboration.

Taisugar stated that these awards are not only a form of recognition but also a source of motivation. Looking ahead, the company will continue to strengthen corporate governance, fulfill its corporate social responsibilities, and stay committed to its sustainable net-zero goals. This year, under the theme of “Safe to Eat, Fun to Explore, and Green Living, ” Taisugar has thoughtfully curated a set of shareholder gifts that are both practical and aligned with sustainability values. The gift set includes one pack each of Taisugar’s “Tang Gan Mi Tian” organic white rice and brown rice (900g per pack), two one-way 50% discount coupons for the Chiayi Suantou Sugar Factory Cultural Park’s vintage narrow-gauge train ride to the Southern Branch of the National Palace Museum, and a reusable canvas tote bag featuring the “Xun Mi Narrow-Gauge Train” as its key visual. This well-rounded and distinctive selection reflects Taisugar’s corporate culture and brand philosophy. With these gifts, shareholders can enjoy premium, safe, and chemical-free organic rice; experience a nostalgic journey on the vintage narrow-gauge train celebrating a century of sugar history and millennia of cultural heritage; and embrace eco-friendly habits by using the canvas tote bag in daily life-collectively supporting a greener and more sustainable lifestyle.

TSC News Contact Person:
Chang Mu-Jung
Public Relations, Department of Secretariat, TSC
Contact Number: 886-6-337-8819 / 886-920-636-951
Email:a63449@taisugar.com.tw

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau today welcomed the Consumer Council’s appointment of Alaina Shum as its Chief Executive from August 21.

The appointment was made following an open recruitment and selection process.

Mr Yau said Ms Shum is well placed to lead the Consumer Council due to her extensive management experience in public organisations.

Ms Shum is currently Vocational Training Council Deputy Executive Director, responsible for strategic development work on the Mainland and overseas, and for the promotion of collaboration among various stakeholders.

“I hope that the Consumer Council, under Ms Shum’s leadership, will continue to join hands with various sectors to further enhance the protection of consumer rights and interests,” Mr Yau added.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

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

In response to media enquiries on the three public housing projects, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) today (June 18) gave the following response:

The HA noted the decision of the Court of First Instance of the High Court in favour of Aggressive Construction Company Limited (ACCL)’s application for an interim stay of the execution of the Building Department’s decision to remove ACCL from the register of general building contractors, and the Building Department’s follow up actions regarding this decision. In light of the latest developments, the HA is actively reviewing for practical arrangements and procedures to complete the remaining works, so that citizen in need can move into the public housing units at the earliest possible and minimise the impact on the waiting time for public rental housing.