Month: June 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Lam San-keung and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-san, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):

Question:

It is learnt that at present, there are stops at the Tai Lam Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange (the Interchange) for most of the bus routes running from the Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai areas to various places on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon via the Tai Lam Tunnel (TLT) to facilitate transfer to other bus routes. There are views that with the gradual completion of a number of development projects in Yuen Long, the passenger and bus flows at the Interchange are expected to increase continuously, causing traffic bottleneck and congestion problems. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has estimated the number of bus routes using the Interchange in the next five years;

(2) whether it has studied converting the toll plaza of TLT into a major transport node to facilitate transfer to various modes of public transport for travelling to and from various districts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it has plans to construct a large car park (with motorcycle parking spaces) and cycle parking area in the vicinity of the Interchange to facilitate transfer to public transport, thereby reducing the vehicular flow of TLT?

Reply:

President,

In respect of the questions raised by Hon Lam San-keung about the Tai Lam Tunnel Bus-Bus-Interchanges (TLTBBIs), having consulted the Transport Department (TD), my reply is as follows.

(1) There are over 50 franchised bus routes observing the TLTBBIs. In the coming two years, two more franchised bus routes are expected to be introduced, and they will also observe the TLTBBIs for the convenience of passengers. TD and franchised bus operators will continue to closely monitor the actual usage of the TLTBBIs arising from changes in population in North West New Territories, and review the arrangements in a timely manner to meet the travelling needs of passengers.
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(2) and (3) The Government has all along been promoting the provision of park-and-ride facilities at suitable railway stations or nearby locations to encourage drivers to park their vehicles and switch to public transport, thereby reducing the flow of vehicles entering congested areas. Currently, there are approximately 590 parking spaces outside the Kam Sheung Road MTR Station near the TLTBBIs, offering park-and-ride discounts. There are also motorcycle and bicycle parking spaces next to the Station. Also, private car and motorcycle parking spaces are available near the TLTBBIs, facilitating the residents of Yuen Long and the North District in transferring to public transport for travel to urban areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

The proposed development of a large-scale transport hub, parking facilities and bicycle parking as mentioned in the question requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors, including seamless public transport transfers, connectivity to nearby roads and cycling networks, and whether there are other development opportunities that make the proposal more cost-effective and financially sustainable. As part of the Traffic and Transport Strategy Study, the Government is exploring the concept of a new generation of Transport Interchange Hub (TIH) under the “single site, multiple use” principle. This initiative aims to suitably provide park-and-ride facilities, bicycle parking spaces and storage facilities for electric mobility devices at TIHs. The TD is looking into suitable locations, including New Development Areas, for implementing the TIHs.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, yesterday (June 3) began his visit to Changchun, Jilin Province, to tour the China FAW Group Corporation (FAW Group) and learn about the development of the advanced manufacturing industry there.

     Upon arriving in Changchun yesterday afternoon, Professor Sun held an engagement session with the management of the FAW Group. He was briefed on the Group’s developments, especially in enhancing innovation capabilities and research on core technology when promoting the development of its own brands.

     Professor Sun visited the China FAW NBD Headquarters research and development institute, prosperity factory and Cultural Exhibition Hall today (June 4) to study the Group’s technological breakthroughs of its Hongqi brand in the areas of new energy vehicle models, advanced manufacturing technologies and processes, and autonomous driving systems as well as learning about the innovative achievements of the FAW Group as a state-owned mega automobile enterprise and a leading corporation of China’s automobile industry.

     Professor Sun said, “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has clearly stated in the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint that the development of advanced manufacturing and new energy is one of the strategic technology industries, and is actively promoting new industrialisation in Hong Kong. Under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, Hong Kong has the unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the country and being closely connected to the world. It is a two-way gateway for attracting overseas enterprises to Hong Kong and helping Mainland enterprises go global, as well as an ideal platform for Mainland enterprises to venture overseas markets.” He said he looked forward to Hong Kong’s new contributions to the innovative development of the country’s new energy automobile industry chain.

     Professor Sun also noted that the 2025 International Automotive Supply Chain Expo (Hong Kong) will be held from June 12 to 15 at AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong. The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, as the advising organisation, hopes that Hong Kong can serve as an exchange platform for the global automobile industry supply chain via the Expo, and that new industrialisation in Hong Kong can be promoted at the same time, while showcasing cutting-edge technologies and the latest achievements of the new energy automobile industry of the Mainland.

     The Commissioner for Industry (Innovation and Technology), Dr Ge Ming, also joined the visit.

     Professor Sun returned to Hong Kong this afternoon after the visit.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today welcomed the Legislative Council’s passage of the Banking (Amendment) Bill 2025, which enables sharing of account information among banks under specified conditions in order to facilitate the detection and prevention of crime in Hong Kong.

The amendment ordinance introduces a voluntary mechanism allowing banks and law enforcement agencies to share information with each other – swiftly and safely, via secure platforms designated by the Monetary Authority – relating to corporate and individual accounts, when banks become aware of suspected activities such as money laundering, or the financing of terrorist activities or of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The bill also provides legal protection for banks that disclose relevant information.

The mechanism will enable banks and law enforcement agencies to act swiftly to intercept illicit funds and expedite intelligence gathering with a view to protecting the public from fraud and associated money laundering activities.

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui said the new mechanism not only enhances Hong Kong’s ability to combat fraud and associated money laundering activities, thereby providing better protection for citizens, but also helps maintain the stability of Hong Kong’s banking system and underscores the city’s efforts, as an international financial centre, to combat illegal activities.

The amendment ordinance will come into effect this year. The commencement date will be announced separately.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Following the election victory and inauguration of Mr. Lee Jae-myung as the 21st-term president of the Republic of Korea, Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) on June 4 stated that President Lai Ching-te extends sincerest congratulations to the people of the Republic of Korea and President Lee on behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Spokesperson Kuo stated that Taiwan and Korea share the values of freedom and democracy. Over many years, she said, the two sides have engaged frequently across various fields such as the economy, trade, and culture, with increasing people-to-people exchanges, making Korea an important partner of Taiwan. The spokesperson stated that President Lai looks forward to the well-being of the people of Korea being further enhanced under the leadership of President Lee. The spokesperson then shared President Lai’s hope that through joint efforts, exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and Korea in areas such as the economy and trade, technology, education, and culture will continue to expand. The president also expressed hope that upon our strong existing foundations, both sides will engage in mutual assistance for mutual benefits, deepen bilateral relations, and jointly help contribute to democracy, peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Details
2025-06-03
President Lai welcomes President Hilda C. Heine of Republic of the Marshall Islands with military honors  
President Lai Ching-te welcomed President Hilda C. Heine of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and her husband on the morning of June 3 with full military honors. In remarks, President Lai thanked President Heine and the people and government of the Marshall Islands for demonstrating such high regard for our nations’ diplomatic ties. The president said that over our 27 years of diplomatic relations, our cooperation in healthcare, agriculture, fisheries, education and training, and climate change has yielded many positive results. And moving ahead, he said, Taiwan will continue to deepen collaboration across all domains for mutual prosperity and growth. The welcome ceremony began at 10:30 a.m. in the plaza fronting the Presidential Office. President Lai and President Heine each delivered remarks after a 21-gun salute, the playing of the two countries’ national anthems, and a review of the military honor guard. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), it is a great pleasure to welcome President Heine, First Gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr., and their delegation with full military honors as they make this state visit to Taiwan. When I traveled to the Marshall Islands on a state visit last December, I was received with great warmth and courtesy. I once again thank President Heine and the people and government of the Marshall Islands for demonstrating such high regard for our nations’ diplomatic ties. Taiwan and the Marshall Islands share Austronesian cultural traditions, and we are like-minded friends. Throughout our 27 years of diplomatic relations, we have always engaged with each other in a spirit of reciprocal trust and mutual assistance. Our cooperation in healthcare, agriculture, fisheries, education and training, and climate change has yielded many positive results. This is President Heine’s first state visit to Taiwan since taking office for a second time. We look forward to engaging our esteemed guests in in-depth discussions on issues of common concern. And moving ahead, Taiwan will continue to deepen collaboration with the Marshall Islands across all domains for mutual prosperity and growth. In closing, I thank President Heine, First Gentleman Kijiner, and their entire delegation for visiting Taiwan. I wish you all a pleasant and successful trip.  A transcript of President Heine’s remarks follows: Your Excellency President Lai Ching-te, Vice President [Bi-khim] Hsiao, honorable members of the cabinet, ambassadors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: It is my pleasure to extend warm greetings of iokwe on behalf of the people and the government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. I wish to also convey my appreciation to Your Excellency President Lai, for the hospitality and very warm welcome – kommol tata. This visit marks my seventh official state visit to this beautiful country. It’s a testament to my strong commitment to further deepening ties between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of China (Taiwan). During this visit, I look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions with Your Excellency President Lai to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between our two nations and our peoples.  For over a quarter-century, Taiwan has been a strong ally and friend to the Marshall Islands. Our partnership has thrived across many sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development. Through Taiwan’s generous support and collaboration, we have made significant progress in improving the lives of our people, empowering our communities, and fostering sustainable growth. The Marshall Islands deeply values our partnership with Taiwan and appreciates Taiwan’s support over the years. Despite our small size and limited voice on the global stage, the Marshall Islands deeply cherishes our friendship with Taiwan, and to that end, I wish to reaffirm my government’s commitment to Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations system. Taiwan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. In light of current constraints in global affairs, it is now more urgent than ever that the international community of nations recognize the fundamental rights of the 23 million Taiwanese people and recognize Taiwan’s aspiration to engage fully in global affairs. It is with this in mind that I wish to reiterate to Your Excellency President Lai, the Taiwanese people, and the world that under my government, Marshall Islands will continue to acknowledge Taiwan’s contribution on the global stage and urge like-minded countries to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful engagement in the international arena. In closing, may I once again extend our sincere appreciation to Your Excellency President Lai, the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), for your warm welcome.  Also in attendance at the welcome ceremony were Charge d’Affaires a.i. Anjanette Davis-Anjel of the Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman, and members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Taiwan.  

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2025-05-29
President Lai attends 2025 Europe Day Dinner
On the evening of May 29, President Lai Ching-te attended the 2025 Europe Day Dinner. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan looks forward to further establishing institutionalized mechanisms with Europe for our trade and investment ties and hopes to take an innovative and diverse approach to sign an economic partnership agreement with the European Union, to provide a more transparent, stable, and predictable business environment for our enterprises. The president said that Taiwan will actively work alongside other democracies, including those in Europe, to jointly build resilient, promising non-red supply chains, and noted that Taiwan and Europe have endless potential for collaboration, whether it is in safeguarding freedom and democracy or advancing our economic and trade relationship. He expressed hope to further strengthen our partnership and work together toward global peace, stability, and prosperity. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: Chairman [Henry] Chang (張瀚書), thank you for the invitation, and congratulations on your second term. I’m confident that under your leadership, the ECCT [European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan] will build even more bridges for cooperation between Taiwan and Europe. I would also like to thank EETO [European Economic and Trade Office] Head [Lutz] Güllner and all the European country representatives stationed in Taiwan. Your hard work over the years has helped deepen Taiwan-Europe relations and brought about such fruitful cooperation. Thank you. This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. In 1950, then-French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed to create a European federation dedicated to preserving peace. The declaration symbolized a new flowering in the post-war era of democracy, unity, and cooperation. As we face the geopolitical challenges and drastic economic changes of today’s world, the Schuman Declaration still speaks to us profoundly. This year is also the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to advance cooperation with our democratic partners, and will join hands with Europe to build a partnership of even greater resilience and mutual trust. Europe is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner. It is also Taiwan’s largest source of foreign direct investment. Last year, bilateral trade between Taiwan and Europe totaled US$84.7 billion. This demonstrates our vibrant economic and trade ties and reflects the high levels of confidence our businesses have in each other’s markets and systems. We look forward to Taiwan and Europe further establishing institutionalized mechanisms for our trade and investment ties. And we hope to take an innovative and diverse approach to sign an economic partnership agreement with the EU, to provide a more transparent, stable, and predictable business environment for our enterprises. Today’s Taiwan has an internationally recognized democracy and a semiconductor industry vital to global security and prosperity. This enables us to play a key role in restructuring global democratic supply chains and the economic order. In particular, we see supply chains dominated by a new authoritarian bloc expanding their influence through non-market mechanisms, price subsidies, and monopolies on resources, as they seek global control of critical technologies and manufacturing capabilities. Their actions not only distort principles of market fairness, but also threaten the international community’s basic expectations for democracy, the rule of law, and corporate responsibility. In response, Taiwan will actively work alongside other democracies, including those in Europe, to jointly build resilient, promising non-red supply chains. We will also introduce an initiative on semiconductor supply chain partnerships for global democracies. This is more than a proposal for economic cooperation; it is an alliance of shared values and advanced technology. Security in the Taiwan Strait and regional peace and stability have always been issues of mutual interest for Taiwan and Europe. So here today, on behalf of all the people of Taiwan, I would like to thank the EU and European nations for continuing to take concrete actions in public support of peace and stability across the strait. Such actions are vital to regional security and prosperity. Taiwan will continue to bolster itself to achieve real peace through strength, and will work with democratic partners to safeguard freedom and democracy, thereby showing our determination for regional peace. At this critical time, Taiwan and Europe have endless potential for collaboration, whether it’s in safeguarding freedom and democracy or advancing our economic and trade relationship. I look forward to our joining hands at this strategic juncture to further strengthen our partnership and work together toward global peace, stability, and prosperity. Also in attendance at the event was British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones.

Details
2025-05-28
President Lai meets US delegation led by Senator Tammy Duckworth
On the afternoon of May 28, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by United States Senator Tammy Duckworth. In remarks, President Lai thanked the US Congress and government for their longstanding and bipartisan support for Taiwan. The president stated that Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with the US and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. He pointed out that the Taiwan government has already proposed a roadmap for deepening Taiwan-US trade ties and will encourage mutual investment between Taiwanese and US businesses. He then expressed hope of deepening Taiwan-US ties and creating more niches for both sides. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome this delegation led by Senator Duckworth, a dear friend of Taiwan. Senator Duckworth previously visited in May last year to convey congratulations after the inauguration of myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. Your bipartisan delegation was the first group from the US Senate that I met with as president. Today, you are visiting just after the first anniversary of my taking office, demonstrating the staunch support of the US and our deep friendship. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincere appreciation and greetings. And I invite you to come back and visit next year, the year after that, and every year. Taiwan and the US share the values of democracy and the rule of law and believe in free and open markets. Both sides embrace a common goal of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. I thank the US Congress and government for their longstanding, bipartisan, and steadfast support for Taiwan. In 2021, to help Taiwan overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Duckworth made a special trip here to announce that the US government would be donating vaccines to Taiwan. In recent years, Senator Duckworth has also promoted the TAIWAN Security Act, STAND with Taiwan Act, and Taiwan and America Space Assistance Act in the US Congress, all of which have further deepened Taiwan-US cooperation and steadily advanced our ties. For this, I express my deepest appreciation. I want to emphasize that the people of Taiwan have an unyielding determination to protect their homeland and free and democratic way of life. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience. The government is committed to reforming national defense, and it has proposed prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP. This will continue to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with the US. In addition to jointly safeguarding regional peace and stability, we also aspire to deepen bilateral trade and economic ties. At the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, earlier this month, Taiwan’s delegation was once again the biggest delegation attending the event – proof positive of our close economic and trade cooperation. We have already proposed a roadmap for deepening Taiwan-US trade ties. We will narrow the trade imbalance through the procurement of energy and agricultural and other industrial products from the US. We will encourage mutual investment between Taiwanese and US businesses to stimulate industrial development on both sides, especially in such industries as national defense and shipbuilding. We therefore look forward to Congress passing the US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act as soon as possible, as this would deepen Taiwan-US trade ties and create more niches for business. In closing, I once again thank Senator Duckworth for making the trip to Taiwan. Let us continue to work together to elevate Taiwan-US ties. I wish you a pleasant and successful visit. Senator Duckworth then delivered remarks, saying that she is happy to be back in Taiwan and that she wanted to make sure to come back just after President Lai’s one-year anniversary of taking office to show the dedication and the outstanding friendship that we have. She noted that because no matter who is in the White House, no matter which political party is in power in Washington, DC, she has always believed that if America wants to remain a leader on the global stage, it has to show up for friends like Taiwan.  Senator Duckworth mentioned that in the years that she has been coming to Taiwan since pre-COVID times, she has seen a remarkable increase in participation in its defense and the support of the Taiwanese people for defending the homeland. She then thanked Taiwan for making the commitment to its self-defense, and also for being a partner with other nations around the world.  The STAND with Taiwan Act, the senator noted, is so named because the US wants to stand side by side with Taiwan. Pointing out that Taiwan is an important leader in the Indo-Pacific and on the global stage, she reiterated that there is support on both sides of the aisle in Washington for Taiwanese democracy, and added that the people of Taiwan are showing that they are willing to shore up their own readiness. Senator Duckworth said that whether it is delivering vaccines to Taiwan or making sure that the US National Guard works with Taiwan’s reserve forces or even with its civilian emergency response teams, these are all important components to the ongoing partnership between our nations.  Senator Duckworth indicated that there are many great opportunities moving forward beyond our military cooperation with one another. Whether it is in chip manufacturing, agricultural investments, shipbuilding, or in the healthcare field, those investments in both nations will facilitate stability and development in both our nations. She said that is why she wants to continue the Taiwan-US relationship, underlining that they are in it for the long haul. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

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2025-05-27
President Lai meets delegation led by US House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman
On the afternoon of May 27, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Chair of the Natural Resources Committee of the United States House of Representatives Bruce Westerman. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan and the US enjoy close industrial exchanges and continue to explore new opportunities for investment and collaboration. The president said that Taiwan will continue to increase purchases from and together build non-red supply chains with the US, expressing hope that economic and trade relations grow even closer and that both work together to jointly safeguard peace and stability throughout the region. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet and exchange views with members of the US House Committee on Natural Resources today. Chair Westerman, the leader of this delegation, is an old friend of Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a very warm welcome to the delegation. I also want to thank you all for your long-term close attention to Taiwan-related affairs and your strong support for Taiwan. Taiwan and the US enjoy close ties and share ideals and values. There is an excellent foundation for cooperation between us, particularly in such areas as energy, the economy and trade, agriculture and fisheries, environmental protection, and sustainable development. In recent years, Taiwan-US ties have grown closer and closer. The US has become Taiwan’s largest destination for overseas investment, accounting for over 40 percent of Taiwan’s outbound investment. Taiwan is also the seventh largest trading partner of the US and its seventh largest export market for agricultural products. The SelectUSA Investment Summit held in Washington, DC earlier this month was the largest in its history. Taiwan’s delegation, representing 138 enterprises, was once again the biggest delegation attending the event. This shows that Taiwan and the US enjoy close industrial exchanges and continue to explore new opportunities for investment and collaboration. Looking ahead, with the global landscape changing rapidly, Taiwan will continue to increase purchases from the US, including energy resources such as natural gas and petroleum, as well as agricultural products, industrial products, and even military procurement. This will not only help balance our bilateral trade, but also strengthen development for Taiwan in energy autonomy, resilience, the economy, and trade. Taiwan and the US are also well-matched in such areas as high tech and manufacturing. As the US pursues reindustrialization and aims to become a global hub for AI, Taiwan is willing to take part and play an even more important role. We will strengthen Taiwan-US industrial cooperation and together build non-red supply chains. In addition to bringing our economic and trade relations even closer, this will also allow Taiwanese industries to remain rooted in Taiwan while expanding their global presence, helping bolster the US, and marketing worldwide. As for military exchanges, we are grateful to the US government for continuing its military sales to Taiwan and backing our efforts to upgrade our self-defense capabilities. Taiwan will continue to work with the US to jointly safeguard peace and stability throughout the region. In closing, I thank our guests once again for making the long journey here, not only offering warm friendship, but also demonstrating the staunch bipartisan support for Taiwan in the US Congress. Chair Westerman then delivered remarks, saying that it is an honor for him and his colleagues to be in Taiwan to talk about the strong relationship between the US and Taiwan and how that relationship can continue to grow in the future. The chair pointed out that natural resources are foundational to any kind of economic development, whether it is energy, which is key to manufacturing, or whether it is mining, which provides rare earth elements and all the minerals and metals needed for manufacturing. He said that as for natural resources including fish, wildlife, or timber, all are foundational to any society, but this is especially so for agriculture, noting that the US produces a lot of food and fodder and is always looking for more friends to share that with. Chair Westerman indicated that they are excited about opportunities to work with Taiwan, adding that Taiwan’s investments in the US have been greatly appreciated. He said they also are excited about the talks with the Trump administration and the future going forward on how we can have a stronger trade relationship, a stronger bilateral relationship, and how we can work with each other to help both economies grow and prosper. Chair Westerman concluded his remarks by expressing thanks for the opportunity to visit, saying that they treasure Taiwan’s friendship and our long-term relationship, and are very excited to be able to discuss in more detail how our two countries can work together. The delegation also included US House Natural Resources Committee Representatives Sarah Elfreth, Harriet Hageman, Celeste Maloy, and Nick Begich. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.  

Details
2025-05-27
President Lai meets and hosts luncheon for delegation led by Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero of Guam
On the morning of May 27, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Governor Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero of Guam and her husband, and hosted a luncheon for the delegation at noon. In remarks, President Lai noted that this is the governor’s first trip to Taiwan, fully demonstrating the Guam government’s support and high regard for Taiwan. The president said that Guam, being the closest United States territory to Taiwan, is an important bridge for collaboration between Taiwan and the US. He stated that aside from promoting tourism, we can also explore even more opportunities for collaboration in other areas to further advance industrial development for both sides. He said that, as we begin a new chapter, we look forward to working together to generate even more momentum in bilateral cooperation and exchanges. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to Governor Leon Guerrero and her delegation. Last year, I transited through Guam en route for visits to Taiwan’s diplomatic allies in the Pacific. The enthusiastic reception I received from the government, legislature, people, and members of our overseas community in Guam was very touching and left me with a deep impression. During the morning tea reception hosted by Governor Leon Guerrero, we joined in singing our respective national anthems, as well as the Fanohge CHamoru. I also received at the Guam Legislature a copy of a Taiwan-friendly resolution it passed on behalf of the people of Taiwan. And I still remember to this day the striking scenery of the governor’s house and the warm reception I received there. It is therefore a great pleasure to meet with all of you today here at the Presidential Office. This is Governor Leon Guerrero’s first trip to Taiwan. Your visit fully demonstrates the Guam government’s support and high regard for Taiwan. As we begin a new chapter, we look forward to working with you to generate even more momentum in bilateral cooperation and exchanges. Taiwan and Guam are like family. We share the Austronesian spirit and culture. Our wide-ranging and mutually-beneficial collaboration is very fruitful. And now, we are facing the challenges of climate change, public health and medicine, and regional security together. The world is rapidly changing and tensions in the Indo-Pacific continue to rise. But if we combine our strengths, come together as one, and enhance cooperation, we can maintain regional peace, stability, and prosperity. Last Tuesday, I delivered an address on my first anniversary of taking office. I mentioned that for many years, Taiwan, the US, and our democratic partners have actively engaged in exchange and cooperation. Taking a market-oriented approach, we will promote an economic path of staying firmly rooted in Taiwan and expanding the global presence of our enterprises while strengthening ties with the US. Guam is the closest US territory to Taiwan. It is an important bridge for collaboration between Taiwan and the US. Last month, we were pleased to see United Airlines officially launch direct flights between Taipei and Guam. I believe this will benefit tourism and economic and trade exchanges for both sides. In the area of health care, many hospitals in Taiwan already offer referral services to patients from Guam. Both Governor Leon Guerrero and I have backgrounds in medicine. It is my hope that Taiwan and Guam can continue to work hand in hand to create even more positive outcomes from cooperation in public health and medical services. During the governor’s visit, aside from promoting tourism, we can also explore even more opportunities for collaboration in other areas. There is potential for more exchanges in aquaculture, food processing, hydroculture, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and recycling. This will further advance industrial development in Taiwan and Guam. In closing, I thank Governor Leon Guerrero and all our distinguished guests for backing Taiwan. I wish you all a smooth and successful visit.  Governor Leon Guerrero then delivered remarks, saying that she is very happy to come to Taiwan. She said that after learning during President Lai’s visit to Guam last year that he is a medical doctor, she felt more relaxed because healthcare colleagues are one in their endeavor to help enhance the health and well-being of people. She then expressed her heartfelt appreciation for the invitation to Taiwan.  Governor Leon Guerrero said that as they learn more about opportunities for collaboration with Taiwan, they are humbled by the hospitality they have experienced. In both of our islands, she said, hospitality is more than just a custom – it forms a part of our identities. She noted that despite being nearly 2,000 miles apart, we are connected by the Pacific Ocean and common roots, and our ancestors both value family, community, and tradition. That is why being here today, she said, she feels a strong sense of familiarity, like reconnecting with old friends. The governor remarked that Taiwan has evolved so quickly in all areas of essential life, sustenance, economy, and prosperity, adding that Taiwan’s resources in such areas as health, education, data, AI, advanced technology, aquaculture, agriculture, and commerce enhance our economic stability. She stated her belief that in collaboration and support, and working with each other, we can gain prosperity, maintain freedom and democracy, and live in peace.  Governor Leon Guerrero stated that their delegation is here to see how they can partner with Taiwan to help raise the quality of life for both our peoples, mentioning that one special concern of theirs is tourism. Tourism, she said, is the most influential engine and driver for the economy and quality of life in Guam, but they cannot have a vibrant economy and tourism without air connectivity. She added that they are prepared to help in any way to provide incentives and low-cost fees so that they can get more airlines from Taiwan to establish permanent flight schedules to Guam, so as to drive development in Guam’s tourism industry. Governor Leon Guerrero then proceeded to introduce each of the members of her delegation before remarking that while they have been very busy on this visit they are always reminded of the freedom and democracy that the people must protect. She said she looks forward to a great, strong relationship between Taiwan and Guam in cooperation on social and economic issues, in culture, marketing, tourism, and freedom and democracy. Among those in attendance were First Gentleman Jeffrey A. Cook, Chief of Staff Jon Junior Calvo, Director of the Department of Administration Edward Birn, General Manager of the Guam Visitors Bureau Regine Biscoe Lee, Deputy Executive Manager of the Guam International Airport Authority Artemio “Ricky” Hernandez, Board of Directors Chairman of the Guam International Airport Authority Brian J. Bamba, Deputy General Manager of the Guam Economic Development Authority Carlos Bordallo, Director of Landscape Management Systems Guam Bob Salas, Chairperson of the Guam Chamber of Commerce Tae Oh, President of the University of Guam Anita Borja Enriquez, and Director of the Guam Taiwan Office Felix Yen (嚴樹芬). After the meeting, President Lai, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, hosted a luncheon for Governor Leon Guerrero, her husband, and the delegation.

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2025-05-20
President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip and a reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):
 
Question:

     It is learnt that the Government, public organisations and some private enterprises have set biliteracy and trilingualism (i.e. the ability to write Chinese and English fluently along with an excellent command of spoken Cantonese, Putonghua and English) as the language proficiency requirement for recruitment. However, there are views pointing out that such requirement makes it impossible for talents with exceptional qualifications but uneven levels of biliteracy and trilingualism, or those who are proficient in specific languages and possess specific expertise to be recruited, and this may affect the talent diversity and competitiveness of Hong Kong in the long run. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):

Question:

     It has been reported that the Hospital Authority (HA) will handle cases of medical incident claims by such means as compensation and mediation, including the handling of compensation matters through the medical incidents insurance scheme of HA (the scheme). Regarding the complaints and medical incident claims handled by HA, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

(1) the administrative expenses (including insurance and legal costs, etc.) incurred by HA in respect of the scheme in each of the past five years;

(2) the number of cases of medical incident claims received by HA in each of the past five years; the total amount of compensation paid in such cases and, among them, the respective amounts of compensation borne by insurance companies and HA;

(3) the number of cases of medical incident claims in the past five years in which HA had reached settlements with the complainants before proceeding to legal proceedings; the total amount of compensation paid in such settled cases and, among them, the highest and lowest amounts of compensation paid;

(4) the number of medical complaints or cases of medical incident claims in the past five years in which HA had taken the initiative to pay compensation without going through legal proceedings because the responsibility was clearly established; the amounts of compensation paid in such cases; and

(5) in respect of the medical service-related complaints received by HA in each of the past five years, the average time taken from the receipt of a complaint to the completion of its handling; given that according to HA’s complaint handling mechanism, the target response time for first-time complaint cases is six weeks (three months for complex cases), the number of first-time complaint cases which could not be responded to within the target time in the past five years?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan is as follows:

     Upon receipt of a case of claim arising from a medical incident, it is the usual practice of the HA to conduct an investigation, consider medical opinions and seek legal advice before responding and explaining its stance on the claim to the patient or his/her lawyer. The nature of healthcare services involves various known and unknown risks that reflect the actual situations of medical practice. Depending on the circumstances of individual cases, the HA will appoint a loss adjuster or lawyer to conduct negotiation for settlement of the case. In the event that court proceedings have been commenced, the HA will appoint a lawyer to file a defence, collect medical and factual evidence, conduct mediation and negotiate a settlement, etc in light of the circumstances and development of individual cases. For cases of claims received by the HA, some of the claimants may, after learning the explanation from the HA or considering various factors, stop pursuing their claims further.

     The HA attaches great importance to service quality and patient safety. It has put in place mechanisms and guidelines for management and monitoring of medical incidents in public hospitals. Subject to the circumstances of individual cases, the HA will appoint an expert group (such as Root Cause Analysis Panel or Clinical Co-ordinating Committee/Central Committee) as necessary to conduct detailed analysis, identify the possible causes of the incident, study and formulate improvement measures or optimise clinical practice standards and guidelines to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future. Each year, the HA Head Office will submit to the HA Board a report of sentinel and serious untoward events, which will also be released to the public. The HA will continue to review the relevant mechanisms and arrangements from time to time and make suitable adjustments when necessary. 

     In addition, in response to systemic issues and the need for reform in the management of public hospitals, the HA set up a review committee on July 2, 2024, to conduct an in-depth review on various fronts. The scope of the review was comprehensive, covering areas of governance, appraisal, accountability, operations, risk control, and procedural compliance, etc and touching upon various levels, including the HA Head Office, hospital clusters, hospitals, service units/teams and staff. After detailed deliberations, the review committee consolidated its observations and made a total of 31 improvement recommendations in five areas, namely governance and accountability, safety culture, compliance and monitoring, incident management and enabling factors of the HA. The HA announced the review committee’s report on November 22, 2024. The HA is implementing various improvement measures in an orderly manner and monitoring the implementation progress and effectiveness on an ongoing basis, while submitting progress reports to the Health Bureau on a regular basis.

(1) to (4) During the process of mediation and settlement negotiation on medical incident claims, the HA takes into account the litigation risk apart from considering whether medical error and legal liability are involved. The agreement of out-of-court settlement without adjudication by court comes as a result of settlement negotiation between two parties after weighing various considerations and negotiation. The table below sets out the statistics on claims received by the HA in respect of medical incidents from 2022 to 2024 (as at early March 2025):
 

Year in which claims were reported (Note 1)	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
Number of claims	97	105	94	105	81
Number of claims for which compensation was paid (Note 2) (Among them, number of claims settled before commencement of court proceedings)	25 (16)	18 (15)	12 (10)	15 (15)	4 (3)
Total amount of compensation paid in respect of claims settled out of court (Note 3) (Among them, total amount of compensation for claims settled before commencement of court proceedings)	Figures in million dollars
	23.75 (7.28)	10.38 (8.22)	5.94 (4.38)	10.09 (10.09)	3.21 (0.21)

Note 1: Claims reported refer to those reported under the medical incidents insurance scheme of the HA.

Note 2: All cases were out-of-court settlement cases.

Note 3: A claim may only be received by the HA after a period of time following the medical incident. Moreover, the duration taken for reaching an out-of-court settlement depends on the nature and complexity of each claim. For example, out of the claims reported in 2024, only four claims were settled out of court as at March 6, 2025. On the other hand, according to the information available, the HA, in 2024, reached out-of-court settlements for 28 claims, covering reporting years from 2016 to 2024.

     Compensation for the above claims was paid by the HA. As the HA is required to keep the settlement details of each claim confidential, the maximum and minimum compensation amount cannot be provided. The amount of compensation for such cases ranged from a few thousand dollars to several million dollars. Apart from the premiums paid to the insurance companies, there are no other administrative expenses for the medical incidents insurance scheme of the HA. As premiums involve commercially sensitive information, they cannot be disclosed.

(5) The HA attaches great importance to the opinion and enquiries of the public and has in place a two-tier system to handle complaints from patients and the public. All the initial complaints regarding services of public hospitals (including HA’s clinics) will be referred to the relevant hospitals for follow-up and reply. The HA has set the target response time for initial complaints at six weeks, while complex cases may take up to three months. The HA is actively implementing measures, including setting up Cluster Patient Relations Offices, standardising the complaint handling workflow with a view to shortening the response time for complaints. The statistics on the handling of healthcare service complaints by the HA in the past five years are as follows.
 

Year	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Number of complaints related to healthcare services	1 133	920	968	1 242	1 135
Among them, number of complaints completed beyond target response time (Note 4)	128	92	136	51	3
Average response time of cases	60 days	56 days	64 days	38 days	31 days

Note 4: As each complaint case varies in complexity, the time required for handling individual cases will be different. For some of the complaint cases that cannot be concluded within the target response time, it may be due to the case involving several hospitals or several departments within a hospital, necessitating repeated clarification or collection of evidence during the handling process; or involving complex clinical management requiring advices from independent medical experts. In addition, with the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic from 2020 to early 2023, healthcare staff needed to focus the manpower on clinical duties and patient care; other staff including Patient Relation Officers might be temporarily deployed to support the logistic work in the fight against the epidemic; and some of the staff members who were confirmed cases were not able to return to the hospitals to work, resulting in handling of some of the healthcare service complaints not being completed within the target response time.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Following is a question by Dr the Hon Starry Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):
 
Question:
 
In April this year, the Government published a consultation paper on the regulatory regime on basketball betting. There are views pointing out that while the regime aims to combat illegal gambling activities, the community is generally concerned about possible intensification of the gambling craze upon regulation of basketball betting, particularly the negative impact on youths. In addition, it has been reported that the average age of participants in basketball betting is younger than the corresponding figures in horse racing and football betting, and statistical data from gambling counselling organizations also indicate a deteriorating trend in the gambling problem among young people. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as the aforesaid consultation paper has pointed out that the regulation of football betting since 2003 has generally been effective in channelising illegal betting demand to the legal channel, whether the Government has compiled statistics on the changes in betting turnovers of legal and illegal gambling, as well as the number of help-seeking cases from pathological gamblers and the age distribution trend of those help-seekers, since the regulation of football betting; whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the existing betting regulatory regime in reducing youth gambling participation;
 
(2) of the following information on the assistance provided by the Ping Wo Fund to help youths quit gambling in the past five years: the number of youths assisted, the expenditure on the relevant publicity and education activities and the number of people covered, and the percentage of help-seeking cases from youths involving basketball betting;
 
(3) whether it will, upon implementation of the regulatory regime on basketball betting, require basketball betting operators to submit data on young bettors on a regular basis; whether it has assessed the adequacy of the existing measures to curb underage betting, including whether it will further restrict advertising targeted at youths;
 
(4) as there are views in the community that the authorities should consider setting up a dedicated committee to monitor the impact of basketball betting on youths, and strengthening the use of the Ping Wo Fund to take forward anti-gambling education (especially publicity efforts targeting young groups), whether the authorities will study the relevant proposals; and
 
(5) whether it has studied if implementation of the regulatory regime on basketball betting will result in a lower age range of gamblers; whether it will make use of technology to enhance the monitoring of gambling activities (such as using artificial intelligence to identify abnormal betting patterns), so as to prevent youth gambling addiction?

Reply:
 
President,

As a matter of policy, the Government does not encourage gambling. To address the possible problems brought by gambling, the Government adopts a multi-pronged strategy including law enforcement against illegal gambling activities, public education on the harms of gambling addiction, provision of counselling and support services to people in need and regulation over gambling activities through legislation.
 
The Government’s consolidated reply to Dr the Hon Starry Lee’s question is as follows:

Combatting illegal gambling activities
 
On law enforcement against illegal gambling activities, the existing Gambling Ordinance explicitly stipulates that all unauthorised gambling activities, apart from those situations stated in the ordinance, constitute an offence. The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) has put in place strategies to combat illegal gambling activities, especially those involving triad-related or organised crimes, in four aspects, namely prevention, education, intelligence gathering and law enforcement. The HKPF will continue to closely monitor the illegal gambling trend, take appropriate intelligence-led law enforcement actions and strengthen the promotion against these illegal gambling activities. It is worth noting that according to the Gambling Ordinance, participating in illegal gambling (such as betting with an illegal bookmaker) is also an offence. Upon conviction, an offender is liable to a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine and imprisonment for nine months.
 
Public education and provision of counselling and support services
 
The Government attaches great importance to preventing gambling-related problems, particularly among youth. The Government established the Ping Wo Fund (PWF) in 2003 to finance both preventive and remedial measures to address the gambling-related problems. The Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee (PWFAC) was also established to provide advice to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs on the use and application of the PWF.
 
The PWF provides appropriate counselling, treatment and other support services to individuals affected by gambling as well as their family members. The PWF will also launch targeted public education and publicity campaigns to raise public awareness (particularly among young people) on the harms of gambling addiction, thereby mitigating its associated negative consequences.
 
The PWF has consistently prioritised public education and awareness campaigns to raise public awareness on the harms of gambling addiction, and to increase public knowledge of the services available, enabling those in need to seek help at an early stage. These public education measures include providing financial support for non-governmental organisations and schools to organise public education programmes aimed at preventing and alleviating gambling-related problems, a publicity truck programme and other promotional efforts on traditional media and online platforms.
 
The PWF’s funding support on public education and other publicity campaigns aimed at preventing and alleviating gambling-related problems has more than doubled over the past five years. Detailed figures are set out in the Annex.
 
In the past five years, service-seekers aged 18 or below constituted 1-2 per cent of the total number of persons receiving counselling or treatment services from the four counselling and treatment centres funded by the PWF. These data indicate that there has been no substantial change in the prevalence of gambling among young people. Relevant data (including variation in other age groups) are set out in the Annex. Separately, according to the information from The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the proportion of bettors in the 18-21 age group has consistently remained below 2 per cent in the past five years.
 
We do not maintain a separate breakdown on individuals receiving counselling and treatment services due to illegal basketball betting.
 
We will review the work of the PWF from time to time, with particular focus on young people, to enhance measures for preventing and alleviating gambling-related problems. The HKJC has also committed to donate to the PWF over a four-year period starting from 2023/24, with contributions set at $45 million per annum for the first two years and $50 million per annum for the subsequent two years.
 
Regulations
 
The Government currently regulates the HKJC’s betting activities through the Betting and Lotteries Commission (BLC). Restricting betting activities to a limited number of authorised and regulated outlets is to address the actual and persistent public demand for certain gambling activities which is being satisfied by illegal means and the issue cannot be tackled by law enforcement alone.
 
According to the HKJC, the amount of football betting turnover ranged from $92.5 billion to $160.3 billion in the past five years. In addition, since the legalisation of football betting in 2003, it has diverted back to the legal channel over $1,581 billion of turnover, which would have continued to flow into the unregulated and illegal gambling market without the regulation.
 
Under the existing mechanism, the Government requires the HKJC to submit regular work reports for review by both the Government and BLC. The HKJC is also required to meet with the Government and BLC on a regularly basis to report on its progress and plans, ensuring compliance with all licensing conditions and facilitating the review of current betting-related measures. The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau will continue to work closely with BLC to ensure that authorised betting activities are properly regulated.
 
At present, a number of conditions have been imposed under the licences of horse race betting, football betting and Mark Six Lottery issued to the HKJC to require its adoption of measures to minimise the negative impact of gambling on the public, especially on young people. These conditions include that the HKJC:
 

1. shall not accept bets from juveniles;
2. shall not accept credit betting;
3. shall display notices reminding the public of the seriousness of excessive gambling and provide information on the services available for those with gambling disorder; and
4. shall not, in conducting any promotional activities, target juveniles, etc.

 
As stated in the consultation document on the regulatory regime on basketball betting, the above stringent legal and regulatory restraints will continue to be put in place in the proposed basketball betting regime.
 
We will continue to closely collaborate with the PWFAC and the BLC, observe the prevalence of gambling activities among Hong Kong people, maintain communication with relevant departments, and proactively enhance our efforts to prevent and alleviate problems relating to gambling. As mentioned above, the HKJC has committed to donate to the PWF over a four-year period from 2023/24. If it is decided to implement the proposed regulatory regime for basketball betting, the Government will request the HKJC to further increase the donation to the PWF for stepping up public education programmes, as well as enhancing counselling and support services.     

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by Professor the Hon Priscilla Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):
 
Question:
 
     It is learnt that the Housing Department is actively promoting smart estate management, including employing drones to inspect lift shafts, external walls of buildings and pipes located beneath higher ceilings, utilising LiDAR-based localisation to capture images and analysing the images with artificial intelligence and thermal imaging technology to identify problems with the buildings, thereby reducing the risks of working at height and enhancing work efficiency. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of public housing estates (PHEs) where drone technology is applied in day-to-day management at present, and its percentage in the total number of PHEs in Hong Kong; whether it has compiled statistics on the specific effectiveness of the authorities in enhancing maintenance efficiency and reducing incident risks (e.g. ‍the time saved or the reduction rate of untoward incidents) since the implementation of smart estate management;
 
(2) as it is learnt that, prior to using drones for inspections, the management offices of the relevant PHEs will notify households in advance, and the system will automatically blur faces to protect household privacy, of the standard procedures for notifying households (e.g. the number of days of advance notification and the means by which the notification is made) and the operational details of the automatic face blurring technology; how the authorities will handle privacy-related complaints from households arising from drone inspections; and
 
(3) of the plans in place to further promote the application of drone technology and other innovative technologies in the management of PHEs (including the implementation timetable, the number of estates where such technologies will be applied, as well as an overview of the estimated expenditure and resource allocation)?
 
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is actively promoting smart estate management through innovative technologies to enhance management efficiency and service quality; expedite the handling of maintenance of public facilities; strengthen hygiene and cleanliness; and enhance the sense of well-being and belonging among public rental housing (PRH) residents. In 2024, the HA selected ten public housing estates as pilot projects to proactively introduce suitable innovative technologies for smart estate management, such as the use of Internet of Things sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), mobile devices, and robots. In response to the questions raised by Professor the Hon Priscilla Leung, the reply is as follows:
 
(1) and (3) In the past, inspections of building facades or lift shafts required work staff to perform on-site work, with the former involving working at height and the latter involving enclosed spaces, which are relatively high-risk types of work. With the advancement of technology, the HA has introduced the use of drones to assist in estate maintenance works in PRH estates since 2023. Compared with the traditional long-distance visual inspections, the use of drones for inspections of building facade not only reduces the risks of working at height for works staff, but also provides clearer, quicker, and safer results. As for the use of drones for lift shaft inspections, compared with the traditional method of scaffolding or setting up work platforms inside the lift shafts for manual survey, use of drones not only reduces the risks of works staff entering and leaving the lift shafts, but also gains a more precise understanding of the issues, and shortens lift suspension time significantly, thereby minimising the impacts and inconvenience to the residents. Drone inspections also make it feasible to survey in high-level and enclosed lift shafts.
 
     For building facade inspections, the HA’s drone inspection contract covers all PRH estates in Hong Kong. To date, the service providers have completed the required facade inspections for about 20 PRH estates, with inspections in others are ongoing.
 
     For lift shaft inspections, the HA has earlier successfully completed a trial use of drone inspections of lift shafts. Utilising the Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) positioning technology, the drone can be used by the site staff to conduct clear preliminary inspections and identify the necessary repairs at an early stage, such as concrete spalling and defects in electrical devices, and all can be more accurately displayed. Starting from early 2025, the HA has incorporated drone-based lift shaft inspection requirements in the consultancy contracts for lift modernisation projects. The HA also monitors the effectiveness of these inspections in improving maintenance efficiency and reducing accident risks, as well as collect the relevant data as the basis for further advancement in the future. The cost of drone inspections constitutes only a small portion of the overall estate maintenance and improvement works expenditures. Using drones to collect images and three-dimensional data can create detailed models, together with the AI algorithms, it allows a more precise identification of hard-to-reach defects. This enables works staff to co-ordinate the project and procure necessary materials more effectively, thus enhancing project efficiency. Additionally, using drones for inspections eliminates the need for scaffolding; shortens the inspection time and reduces the inconvenience caused by the works to the residents. At the same time, site staff does not need to enter high-rise enclosed space to check various equipment conditions, which can improve workplace safety management and make the overall process more time-efficient and effective.
 
     To further promote the application of innovative technologies in PRH estate management, the HA has established a dedicated co-ordination team to oversee the trial of various technologies across different management functions and review operational models, including updating workflows and manuals as well as providing appropriate training to staff. The HA will also launch a centralised property management platform within this year to optimise estate management operations through data analysis, so as to enhance management efficiency and improve service quality. The HA will closely monitor relevant technological developments and introduce more innovative technologies as appropriate to optimise estate management works.
 
(2) Drones used for facade inspections are normally equipped with cameras, infrared detection lenses, and range finders, performing tasks such as capturing images, recording videos, and/or measuring specific targets during flight of designated routes. Through the images collected by the drones, together with AI technology, it helps identify areas of concern for repairs. The estate offices usually issue notices to the residents concerned 14 days before the filming takes place, advising them to close windows and draw curtains during the filming period, so that the residents can be informed of the arrangement and prepared in advance.
 
     Regarding the arrangement for using drones to inspect building facades, the HA has consulted the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD). The PCPD advised that drone operations in Hong Kong involving the collection, holding, processing, or use of personal data must comply with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) and the relevant guidelines issued by the PCPD. In this connection, the HA has requested the service providers to formulate and strictly implement measures to protect residents’ privacy in accordance with the PCPD’s guidelines. Currently, service providers use AI to automatically detect and blur the portrait of a person, and ensure that no records containing identifiable images are retained, thereby safeguarding residents’ privacy. Furthermore, these processes must be irreversible, and the system must not retain unprocessed original images.
 
     The HA will endeavour to protect residents’ privacy. If any related complaints are received, the Housing Department will handle them in accordance with established procedures.