Month: July 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Companies Registry today announced that 84,293 local companies were newly registered during the first half of 2025, bringing the total number of registered local companies to an all-time high figure of 1,494,806.

Meanwhile, 761 non-Hong Kong companies have newly established a place of business in the city and were registered under the Companies Ordinance. The total number of registered non-Hong Kong companies reached 15,509 as at the end of June, which is also a record high.

In line with the Government’s policies on facilitating business as well as attracting enterprises and investments, two improvement measures for the Companies Ordinance came into operation during the first half of 2025.

The first measure enabled listed companies incorporated in Hong Kong to hold shares bought back in the treasury and dispose of them. The second one introduced a company re-domiciliation regime in Hong Kong, offering non-Hong Kong corporations a simple and cost-effective route to re-domicile to the city while preserving their legal identity and operational continuity.

From January to June, the number of charges on properties of companies received for registration was 5,970, while the number of notifications of payments and releases was 9,915. There were also 1,678,809 documents delivered to the registry for registration.

For electronic search services, 2,615,652 searches of document image records were carried out.

As for the licensing of trust or company service providers, 350 licences were granted, resulting in 6,971 licensees up to mid-2025.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government announced today (July 18) that the next round of recruitment exercises for the posts of Administrative Officer (AO), Executive Officer II (EOII), Assistant Labour Officer II (ALOII), Assistant Trade Officer II (ATOII) and Management Services Officer II (MSOII) will begin in September 2025.

     As part of the entry requirements, applicants for these posts will need to attain: 

(a) Level 2 in the two language papers (Use of Chinese and Use of English) in the Common Recruitment Examination (CRE) or other results which are accepted as equivalent;
(b) a pass result in the Aptitude Test paper in the CRE; and
(c) a pass result in the Basic Law and National Security Law Test (BLNST) (Degree/Professional Grades).

Candidates who wish to apply for the posts mentioned above but have not attained the requisite results in CRE should apply through an online application system on the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) website from tomorrow (July 19) to August 1 to take the relevant paper(s) in the CRE tentatively scheduled to be held on September 27 in Hong Kong in order to be considered for appointment. Details and the online application system will be made available on the CSB website at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/cre.html during the application period.

With the launch of Digitalised BLNST (Degree/Professional Grades) this year, which accepts applications year-round, candidates who are interested in applying for the above vacancies but have not attained a pass result in the BLNST must separately apply for Digitalised BLNST (application details are available at www.csb.gov.hk/eng/dblnst.html) and obtain a pass result before the specified date (i.e. November 29) in order to be considered for appointment.  

Candidates located outside Hong Kong can still apply for the CRE and the BLNST (Degree/Professional Grades) tentatively scheduled to be held in Beijing, Shanghai, London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney on November 29. Application details will be announced in September.

Students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, and graduating in the years of 2025-26 or 2026-27 academic years are also eligible to apply for the posts and/or apply to take the CRE and the BLNST.

Details of the 2025-26 AO, EOII, ALOII, ATOII and MSOII recruitment exercises will also be announced in September.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA sincerely thanks Pope Leo XIV for publicly extending sympathies to Taiwan over losses caused by Typhoon Danas

Date：2025-07-17
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

July 17, 2025No. 247On July 16, Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni stated that after learning about the casualties and severe damage caused by Typhoon Danas in Taiwan, Pope Leo XIV had been praying for those affected by the disaster and had instructed the Office of Papal Charities to provide concrete aid to the people of Taiwan.On behalf of President Lai Ching-te, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks Pope Leo XIV for expressing concern over losses caused by Typhoon Danas and offering prayers for those affected in the spirit of God’s love for all people. Moving forward, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to cooperate with Pope Leo XIV to promote related humanitarian assistance and charity work, thereby jointly advancing the universal values shared by all humankind. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA sincerely thanks Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba for publicly extending sympathies to Taiwan over losses caused by Typhoon Danas

Date：2025-07-13
Data Source：TAIWAN-JAPAN RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

July 13, 2025 
No.241 

In the evening of July 12, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba posted a message on social media platform X extending sympathies to Taiwan over the losses caused by Typhoon Danas and expressing the hope that all those affected would be able to resume their normal lives as soon as possible. 
 
Both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan immediately extended appreciation to the government of Japan for the thoughtful message. 
 
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Kazuyuki Katayama; Mrs. Akie Abe, widow of late Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe; and many Japanese parliamentarians friendly to Taiwan from across the political spectrum also openly and promptly expressed empathy. These gestures fully demonstrate the mutual concern and genuine friendship between Taiwan and Japan. 
 
Taiwan and Japan are both situated in areas that frequently experience typhoons and earthquakes. Whenever a natural disaster strikes, Taiwan and Japan can count on each other for assistance to overcome related impacts. Indeed, the cordial and cooperative relations between Taiwan and Japan serve as an important asset and model for the international community. Immediately after the occurrence of the typhoon, the people and government of Taiwan fully embarked on disaster relief. Taiwan will continue to maintain close contact with Japan on these efforts. 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung once again sincerely thanks the people and government of Japan for their warm sentiments and assistance. He hopes that in the future Taiwan and Japan will continue to engage in extensive and substantive collaboration and exchanges in all areas, including natural disaster prevention and mitigation, so as to bolster the resilience of their societies and develop an even stronger, closer, and more robust bilateral partnership. (E) 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

July 13, 2025No. 240During his extensive trip to Paraguay, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung visited the Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park in Ciudad del Este on July 12. He was accompanied by Paraguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Minister of Industry and Commerce Javier Giménez García de Zúñiga, Minister of Information and Communication Technologies Gustavo Villate, Executive Secretary of the Office of the President Marianna Saldívar Gadea, Deputy Minister of Public Works Emiliano Fernández, Governor of Alto Paraná César Landy Torres, President of the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University Jorge Daniel Duarte Rolon, and other officials.
 
The technology park originates from a commitment made by President Lai Ching-te to assist Paraguay with economic development and job creation. Then Vice President Lai made the pledge in August 2023 while visiting Paraguay as a special envoy to attend the inauguration of President Santiago Peña Palacios.
 
When Minister Lin took office on May 20 last year, he held in-depth talks on the project—which would have a profound impact on Paraguay—with President Peña, who was visiting Taiwan to attend President Lai’s inauguration. The two agreed that Taiwan and Paraguay would work together to make Paraguay a South American base for the smart technology industry and talent incubation.
 
During his visit to the park, Minister Lin remarked that promotion of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project in Paraguay followed a comprehensive plan led by a national team of businesses from Taiwan. He said that the project integrated civil engineering, private 5G network architecture, and smart applications. Minister Lin added that the initiative would not only create favorable conditions for Taiwanese enterprises investing in Paraguay, but that it would also bring substantial industrial development and employment opportunities to Paraguay. He noted that the process of building the park had been a team effort. Although there had been challenges along the way, Minister Lin said that the difficulties were a source of strength for today. He stated that the newly revitalized Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park would offer Taiwanese companies the same 006688 land rental incentive provided by special zones in Taiwan. (The 006688 plan offers free rent in years one and two, a 40 percent discount in years three and four, and a 20 percent discount in years five and six.) This is the first time that the preferential policy has been made available to Taiwanese enterprises overseas. Paraguay is also the first country outside Taiwan to apply the incentive. Minister Lin said that he had long advocated for the strategy of larger enterprises guiding smaller ones, combining soft and hard tactics, promoting public-private cooperation, and facilitating internal-external exchanges. He explained that the integration of various technological, financial, and human resources would help Taiwanese industries deploy investments in Paraguay. Minister Lin indicated that Paraguay’s stable economy, abundant and cheap supplies of water and electricity, and convenient business environment could make it a base for Taiwanese enterprises entering the South American market. 
 
For the trip, Minister Lin extended special invitations to prominent manufacturers from all areas of the supply chain to join the delegation, tour the technology park, and explore business opportunities in Paraguay. The group included representatives from the semiconductor, AI applications, smart manufacturing, smart transportation, animal husbandry, cold chain logistics, and food processing industries. It is hoped that the companies will establish a presence in Paraguay as a joint fleet, joining forces in a new flying geese pattern of development and creating a Taiwan+n model of global industrial deployment. Taiwan will work together with Paraguay to create mutual prosperity and well-being, realizing President Lai’s policy vision of making Taiwan a global economic powerhouse.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

July 13, 2025No. 239
After arriving in Paraguay in the evening of July 10, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung visited the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the morning of the following day to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Rubén Ramírez Lezcano. The two reviewed progress made on key components of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, which is being implemented by the government of Taiwan under the policy framework of integrated diplomacy. Based on mutual trust and mutual benefit, Taiwan and Paraguay are jointly promoting exchanges in economics, trade, investment, infrastructure, smart medicine, technology, education, and smart transportation. Cooperation has brought prosperity to both countries and benefited the Taiwanese and Paraguayan people.
 
Speaking at a joint press conference with Minister Ramírez after the meeting, Minister Lin said that Taiwan and Paraguay shared the core values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. He affirmed that the bilateral diplomatic relationship was rock-solid. Looking ahead, Minister Lin pledged that both countries would continue to work together to deepen interactions and collaboration in various fields and jointly enhance the well-being of their people. Minister Lin noted that this demonstrated Taiwan’s policy of values-based diplomacy was steadily developing into value-added diplomacy, showing the world that Taiwan-Paraguay ties were a model of successful cooperation.
 
In the evening, Minister Lin and Minister Ramírez cohosted a reception celebrating the 68th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Republic of Paraguay. The event was attended by over 250 guests, including Paraguayan Supreme Court President César Diesel, Chamber of Deputies Speaker Raúl Latorre Martínez, other deputies and senators, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the overseas Taiwanese community. In his remarks, Minister Lin commended the fruitful outcomes of the long-term and close partnership between Taiwan and Paraguay. He said that recent benchmark initiatives such as the Taiwan-Paraguay Smart Technology Park, the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University, the Health Information Management Efficiency Enhancement Project, and an electric bus pilot program were steadily yielding results. Noting that Taiwan was a vital link in global supply chains, Minister Lin said that Taiwan was willing to use its advantages in ICT to further deepen cooperation with Paraguay on comprehensive technological development. Minister Lin added that Taiwan was ready to assist its fraternal ally Paraguay in achieving its national blueprint for development and transformation, jointly realizing the vision of sustainability and prosperity.
 
In his address, Minister Ramírez thanked Taiwan for its long-term assistance in promoting the development of agriculture, livestock, public health, medicine, education, innovation, and infrastructure in Paraguay. He said that cooperation had targeted the sectors of society that were most in need, benefiting farming communities and young students. Praising the Taiwan-Paraguay Polytechnic University as a landmark bilateral cooperation project, Minister Ramírez said that more than 170 engineers had already been trained. He noted that the two countries were working together to construct campus buildings, representing their shared commitment to investing in knowledge and talent. Minister Ramírez added that Taiwan and Paraguay were jointly creating a future for the next generation by incorporating smart industries and global supply chain integration into their cooperation projects. 
 
Paraguay is an important diplomatic ally of Taiwan. A mutual agreement on visa-free entry for ordinary passport holders between the two countries that will come into effect on July 25 is expected to further advance exchanges among the people of Taiwan and Paraguay and make investment by Taiwanese companies in Paraguay more convenient. The two nations will continue to deepen cooperation in all spheres and jointly inject new momentum into their democratic partnership.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, leading 75 members of the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum – along with others from its partners, Shenzhen University and the youth groups of Macau’s public security forces – today continued on a six-day study tour of Jiangsu.

This morning in Nanjing, they visited Dr Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum and the Nanjing Yunjin Brocade Museum.

In the afternoon, Mr Tang led the group on a visit to the “Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders”, where they paid their respects to the victims by participating in a worship ceremony.

In the evening, Mr Tang and the group met CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee Standing Committee Member and CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee Political & Legal Commission Secretary Li Yaoguang. Mr Tang thanked provincial and municipal leaders for their strong support for the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum and the work done to make arrangements for the visit. He said members had been able to experience Jiangsu’s profound historical and cultural heritage, understand the country’s development from ancient times to the present, and enhance their national identity.

Led by Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk, the group have also visited other notable sites – including Niushou Mountain, Jinling small town, the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Nanjing Museum – as part of the study tour. Yesterday they also attended a thematic seminar at Nanjing University to deepen their understanding of the country’s foreign policies.

Over the next three days, the study group will visit the Nanjing Public Security Bureau’s Qilihe special police training base and the Nanjing Treaty Historical Materials Exhibition Hall. They will then depart for Wuxi, where they will call on the city’s leaders.

In addition to seeing historical landmarks in Wuxi, members will visit the National Supercomputing Center and key enterprises to gain insights into China’s high-tech advancements and development.

Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on Sunday.