Month: June 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

May was drier than usual, with a monthly rainfall 81.6mm, which was only about 28% of the norm, the Hong Kong Observatory said today.

The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first five months of the year was 207.1mm, about 35% of the norm for the same period and the eighth lowest on record for the same period.

Moreover, the month was hotter than usual. The monthly mean minimum temperature of 25.5 degrees Celsius, monthly mean maximum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius and monthly mean temperature of 27.2 degrees Celsius were above their corresponding norms and were respectively one of the eighth, the ninth and the 10th highest on record for May.

The spring of this year from March to May was also warmer than usual. The mean maximum temperature of 26.7 degrees Celsius and mean temperature of 23.7 degrees Celsius were one of the fifth and one of the eighth highest on record for the same period.

A cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong and the temperature in the city dropped to 21 degrees Celsius on May 11, the lowest of the month. Temperatures rose to a maximum of 33 degrees Celsius on May 22, the highest of the month, under the influence of an anticyclone.

There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in May, the observatory added.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government today (June 3) hosted the Forging a National High-calibre Talent Hub Symposium, which gathered about 150 representatives from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong Province, the nine Mainland cities and four major co-operation platforms of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Macao SAR, as well as 23 renowned universities on the Mainland and five of the world’s top 100 universities in Hong Kong.

     The symposium was themed “Regional Collaboration, Empowerment through Science and Education, Global Talent Attraction”. Through keynote speeches and thematic panel discussions, participants exchanged views on promoting regional collaborative ties on talent work and the strategic development of a national high-calibre talent hub.

     In delivering his welcome remarks, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, said that education, technology and talent form the critical foundation for developing new quality productive forces and enhancing high-quality development. The Committee on Education, Technology and Talents of the Hong Kong SAR Government is targeting the manpower demand of Hong Kong’s strategic positioning of “eight centres” and co-ordinating the promotion of integrated development of education, technology and talent to build Hong Kong as an international hub for high-calibre talent.

     Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Mr Yu Jiadong stated in his video address that talent serves as a strategic pillar for advancing Chinese modernisation. Building a national high-calibre talent hub requires integration of education, technology and talent, while establishing an environment for talent development with global competitiveness needs reform and innovation of the talent system and mechanism from a global perspective, thereby creating new opportunities and impetus for achieving high-quality development.

     The Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Richard Wong, and the Vice-President (Talent and International Strategy) of City University of Hong Kong, Professor Li Wen-jung, delivered keynote speeches at the symposium, discussing how higher education institutions in Hong Kong can nurture talent for integration with regional and industry development.

     The symposium featured two thematic panel discussions. The first discussion, joined by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun; the Director of the Beijing Municipal Talent Work Bureau, Mr Zhang Ruobing; the Director of the Shanghai Municipal Talent Work Bureau, Mr Pan Xiaogang; the Deputy Director of the Talent Work Leading Group Office of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Mr Man Xincheng; and the Secretary-General of the Talent Development Committee of the Macao SAR Government, Mr Chao Chong-hang, explored ways to synergise regional strengths in building the talent hub. The second discussion, with representatives from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Harbin Institute of Technology and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, examined the new talent cultivation models in innovative education.

     Witnessed by Mr Sun, the Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, Mr Anthony Lau, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Shenzhen Qianhai Cooperation Zone, Ms Liang Ke, and member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Talent Work Leading Group Office of the CPC Guangzhou Nansha District Committee, Mr Zhang Jiabing, respectively, deepening collaboration in talent recruitment, services, employment and development between Hong Kong and the two regions.

     In his closing remarks, Mr Sun highlighted Hong Kong’s various advantages in attracting global talent and the need to collaborate with different regions across the country through interdependence and mutual reinforcement, thereby accelerating the development of the national high-calibre talent hub. He expected that the symposium, together with the second Global Talent Summit · Hong Kong scheduled for early next year, would bring together valuable experiences from various regions in talent attraction, retention, nurturing and recruitment, to inject new impetus into high-quality development and achieve the vision of developing a national quality workforce.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Land Registry logged 6,442 sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in May, down 10.9% compared with April and 12.5% lower year-on-year.

The total consideration for such agreements in May dropped 0.5% from the previous month to $49.8 billion, representing a 20% year-on-year decrease.

Of the agreements, 5,105 were for residential units, amounting to a 10.3% decrease from April and an 8% drop from a year ago.

The total consideration for residential units was $38.2 billion, down 9.4% compared with April and 28.3% lower year-on-year.

There were 403,745 land register searches last month.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun will depart for Geneva, Switzerland, tonight to attend the 113th Session of the International Labour Conference, before heading to Munich, Germany, to continue his visit.

Mr Sun will attend the conference as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) delegation. Commissioner for Labour May Chan, as well as Labour Advisory Board employee and employer members will join him.

While in Geneva, Mr Sun will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials of the International Labour Organization and leading figures of international organisations attending the conference.

He will also meet government, employer and employee representatives of the PRC delegation, as well as representatives from the Permanent Mission of the PRC to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organisations in Switzerland.

On June 7, Mr Sun will leave for Munich, Germany, for the second leg of his visit.

Joined by Hong Kong Talent Engage Director Anthony Lau, the labour chief will meet young entrepreneurs and talent to exchange ideas and introduce the latest developments in manpower policies in Hong Kong.

Mr Sun will arrive in Hong Kong on June 9. During his absence, Under Secretary for Labour & Welfare Ho Kai-ming will be Acting Secretary.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (June 3) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the first quarter of 2025.
 
     In the first quarter of 2025, total port cargo throughput decreased by 3.9% to 41.1 million tonnes over a year earlier. Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 10.8% to 24.5 million tonnes, while outward port cargo increased by 8.6% to 16.6 million tonnes.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput increased by 2.6% in the first quarter of 2025. Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 1.3% compared with the preceding quarter, while outward port cargo increased by 8.9% compared with the preceding quarter. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends.
 
Port cargo
 
     In the first quarter of 2025, within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 3.7% and 4.2% to 25.9 million tonnes and 15.2 million tonnes respectively over a year earlier.
 
     Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, a double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Chile (+33.3%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Vietnam (-30.6%), Taiwan (-23.9%), Malaysia (-21.6%), Thailand (-21.4%), Korea (-18.5%), Japan (-13.8%) and the mainland of China (-13.2%). For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Australia (+28.3%), Taiwan (+22.8%) and the mainland of China (+22.5%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the United States of America (-31.9%), the Philippines (-30.6%), Malaysia (-27.8%), Thailand (-25.9%), Japan (-21.5%) and Vietnam (-18.1%).
 
     Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+24.9%), “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-15.0%) and “stone, sand and gravel” (-37.7%). As for outward port cargo, triple-digit or double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel” (+122.9%), “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+15.6%) and “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-20.6%).
 
Containers
 
     In the first quarter of 2025, the port of Hong Kong handled 3.37 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, representing an increase of 1.6% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden containers decreased by 3.3% to 2.58 million TEUs, while empty containers increased by 21.2% to 0.80 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 2.9% and 3.6% to 1.39 million TEUs and 1.19 million TEUs respectively.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput increased by 1.6% in the first quarter of 2025. Within this total, inward laden containers increased by 3.3%, while outward laden containers decreased by 0.4%.
 
     In the first quarter of 2025, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 3.3% and 3.2% to 1.82 million TEUs and 0.76 million TEUs respectively over a year earlier.
 
Vessel arrivals
 
     Comparing the first quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals decreased by 1.1% to 4 506, with the total capacity also decreasing by 3.8% to 70.8 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 0.7% to 19 800, while the total capacity increased by 22.6% to 23.1 million net tons.
 
Further information
 
     Port cargo and laden container statistics are compiled from a sample of consignments listed in the cargo manifests supplied by shipping companies and agents to the C&SD. Vessel statistics are compiled by the Marine Department primarily from general declarations submitted by ship masters and authorised shipping agents. Pleasure vessels and fishing vessels plying exclusively within the river trade limits are excluded.
 
     Table 1 presents the detailed port cargo statistics.
 
     Table 2 and Table 3 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by main countries/territories of loading and discharge.
 
     Table 4 and Table 5 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by principal commodities.
 
     Table 6 presents the detailed container statistics.
 
     Table 7 presents the statistics on vessel arrivals in Hong Kong.
 
     More detailed statistics on port cargo, containers and vessels are published in the report “Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, First Quarter 2025”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020008&scode=230).
 
     For enquiries about port cargo and container statistics, please contact the Electronic Trading Services and Cargo Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 2126 or email: shipping@censtatd.gov.hk). For enquiries about vessel statistics, readers may contact the Statistics Section under the Planning, Development and Port Security Branch of the Marine Department (Tel: 2852 3662 or email: st-sec@mardep.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today announced that Oscar Wong will assume the post of District Officer (Sham Shui Po) on June 20.

Mr Wong joined the Administrative Service in 2015. He has served in the then Home Affairs Bureau and the Financial Services & the Treasury Bureau.

He is currently a Senior Administrative Officer (Tourism) at the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

In response to global climate change, countries worldwide are actively implementing carbon reduction policies. Within the aviation sector, the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has become a key strategy in advancing low-carbon transportation. To align with national aviation policies and meet the growing demand for SAF, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) has established national standards for SAF and requires that SAF be subject to mandatory inspection. These measures ensures compliance with quality specifications and contribute to the aviation industry’s efforts to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

According to the BSMI, the Executive Yuan has designated SAF as a key initiative under Taiwan’s national carbon reduction policies. In alignment with the policies implementation timeline, BSMI has adopted relevant international standards-ASTM D7566 and ASTM D1655-as the reference for establishing and revising the national standards CNS 16221 “Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons” and CNS 2558 “Aviation Turbine Fuel.” These standards define the quality requirements-such as total sulfur content, distillation characteristics, copper strip corrosion, and thermal stability-as well as the corresponding test methods for SAF produced through various processes, serving as regulatory guidance for the domestic aviation fuel manufacturing industry.

BSMI further stated that SAF is primarily produced from non-petroleum-based feedstocks, such as used waste cooking oil. Compared to conventional petroleum-derived aviation fuels, SAF offers significant carbon reduction benefits. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications has set a target for SAF to account for 5% of total aviation fuel consumption by 2030. In addition to advancing carbon reduction goals, ensuring fuel quality is critical. To this end, BSMI has included SAF within the scope of mandatory inspection. All SAF products-whether imported or domestically produced-must comply with national standards CNS 16221 or CNS 2558. This measure ensures that all SAF supplied within the aviation fuel supply chain meets national regulatory requirements.

The relevant CNS national standards are available through the BSMI “CNS Online Service System” (website: http://www.cnsonline.com.tw).
Information on SAF-related inspection requirements, following its inclusion in the list of commodities subject to mandatory inspection, can be found on the BSMI website (http://www.bsmi.gov.tw) under “Focus News” > “Business Announcements.”

The public is welcome to visit the websites or call the toll-free service line at 0800-007123 for further information.

Responsible Division: Inspection Administration Division
Contact Person : Cheng, Ching-Hung., Deputy Director
Tel. (O):+886-23431700#1221
Email: ch.cheng@bsmi.gov.tw

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, vibrant holiday shopping scenes are emerging across Taiwan. To ensure accurate weight measurements during transactions, the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection (BSMI) has completed a nationwide inspection of weighing scales used in markets ahead of the holiday. The results showed a 99.99% compliance rate, assuring consumers of a fair and reliable shopping experience during the festive season.

The BSMI conducted targeted inspections at 168 locations, including traditional markets, supermarkets, and hypermarkets in various cities. A total of 6,976 weighing scales were examined, of which 6,975 passed and only one was found non-compliant. The non-compliant scale was immediately labeled “Suspended” and was subject to follow-up monitoring. Vendors using the failed scales face fines ranging from NT$15,000 to NT$75,000 under the “Weights and Measures Act” if they continue their use.

The BSMI emphasized its commitment to ongoing vigilance by conducting year-round inspection projects to monitor the accuracy of weighing scales in transactions. Consumers are encouraged to report any scales that do not bear the verification mark (Picture as attachment file) or those they suspect of being inaccurate. Reports can be made by calling the BSMI at 02-23434567. Investigations will be carried out to protect the interests of both buyers and sellers, ensuring a fair and reliable marketplace.

This initiative made by the BSMI not only safeguards consumer rights but also promotes trust and transparency in the market during this significant cultural celebration.

Responsible Division: Metrology Technology Division
Contact Person: Chen, Horng-Lin, Deputy Director
Telephone No.: +886-2343-4567#5211
Email: hl.chen@bsmi.gov.tw

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Land Registry today (June 3) released its statistics for May 2025.
 
Land registration    
——————-
*   The number of sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in May was 6 442 (-10.9 per cent compared with April 2025 and -12.5 per cent compared with May 2024)
 
*   The 12-month moving average for May was 5 643 (1.3 per cent below the 12-month moving average for April 2025 but 17.1 per cent above that for May 2024)
 
*   The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements of building units in May was $49.8 billion (-0.5 per cent compared with April 2025 and -20.0 per cent compared with May 2024)
 
*   Among the sale and purchase agreements, 5 105 were for residential units (-10.3 per cent compared with April 2025 and -8.0 per cent compared with May 2024)
 
*   The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements in respect of residential units was $38.2 billion (-9.4 per cent compared with April 2025 and -28.3 per cent compared with May 2024)
 
Statistics on sales of residential units do not include sale and purchase agreements relating to sales of units under the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Tenants Purchase Scheme, etc, unless the premium of the unit concerned has been paid after the sale restriction period.
 
Figures on sale and purchase agreements received for the past 12 months, the year-on-year rate of change and breakdown figures on residential sales have also been released.
 
As deeds may not be lodged with the Land Registry until up to 30 days after the transaction, these statistics generally relate to land transactions in the previous month.
 
Land search    
————-
*   The number of searches of land registers made by the public in May was 403 745 (+9.6 per cent compared with April 2025 but -0.3 per cent compared with May 2024)
 
The statistics cover searches made at the counter, through the self-service terminals and via the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services.