Month: August 2025

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA thanks Philippine President Marcos for conveying concern over regional peace and stability

Date：2025-08-07
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

August 7, 2025 
No.280 

During a recent interview with an Indian media outlet, President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. reiterated the responsibility of the Philippines regarding regional peace, stability, security, and humanitarian issues. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sincerely appreciates these sentiments.
 
In the interview, President Marcos stated that if there was a confrontation across the Taiwan Strait, it would be impossible for the Philippines to stay on the sidelines given its geographic proximity to Taiwan. He stressed that the Philippines had a responsibility to defend its territory and its sovereignty. He also expressed strong concern for the safety of the large number of Philippine nationals living and working in Taiwan.
 
As President Marcos has repeatedly emphasized, peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are a priority, while regional peace, security, and stability are relevant to all nations. MOFA extends deep appreciation and respect to President Marcos for once again stressing the importance of regional peace and showing a deep regard for humanitarian values.
 
MOFA will continue to remain in close contact and coordinate with the government of the Philippines to ensure the safety and welfare of Philippine nationals in Taiwan. It will also strive to strengthen the partnership between the two countries in such areas as security, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and ensuring the welfare of the overseas Taiwanese community. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

irector General David Cheng-Wei Wu welcomed the National Dong Hwa University dream team led by President Dr. Hui-Mi Hsu, and shared NDHU’s vision for development along with TECO Sydney’s onsite observations.
Located in eastern Taiwan’s pristine natural environment, NDHU is not only a key hub for Indigenous studies, but also ranks in the global 201–260 band for Art and Design in the QS World University Rankings. In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for UN Sustainable Development Goals, it consistently ranks among the top three universities in Taiwan. Among its 10,000+ students, 13.7% come from 57 countries.
We look forward to working closely with NDHU to promote internationalization in higher education in Taiwan, and to bring the world into Taiwan.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Department of Health today said it is investigating an incident involving a private doctor administering COVID-19 vaccines that exceeded the recommended use-by date to seven residents of a residential care home for persons with disabilities (RCHD).

None of the affected people reported feeling ill, the department noted.

It explained that while reviewing the vaccine orders and vaccination records, it found that the doctor concerned, who participates in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, visited Hong Chi Fanling Integrative Rehabilitation Complex, an RCHD in Fanling, on May 22 to provide vaccination services.

During the visit, he administered Spikevax JN.1 COVID-19 vaccines that were beyond the recommended use-by date to seven residents.

The department is highly concerned about the incident and has taken immediate action to follow up on the health conditions of the people affected.

The relevant COVID-19 vaccines have not exceeded their expiry dates. Taking into account the affected people’s history of COVID-19 vaccination and infection, the department advised that there is no need for them to be revaccinated.

Furthermore, the department has inspected the RCHD to check the storage of vaccines and vaccination procedures. Staff are requested to follow the requirements of regular checking of the vaccines and timely disposal of expired vaccines in accordance with the guidelines of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.

The doctor’s vaccination service under the Vaccination Schemes has been suspended.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Department of Health’s Centre for Health Protection announced that one new imported case of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded as of 5pm today.

 

The case involves a 31-year-old man with good past health, living in Kwai Tsing District. The patient travelled to Foshan in Guangdong between August 1 and 3, and could not confirm whether he had been bitten by mosquitoes during his stay.

 

The man experienced a fever, rash and joint pain on August 8. He travelled to Shenzhen on August 9 and attended a hospital there the next day. He was not admitted and returned to Hong Kong the same day.

 

He went to Yan Chai Hospital’s accident and emergency department yesterday and was admitted for treatment in a mosquito-free environment. He tested positive for the CF virus and is now in a stable condition.

 

The patient has no travel collaterals. His household contacts are currently asymptomatic and under medical surveillance.

The centre has reported the case to Guangdong’s health authorities.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau led a delegation to Singapore to commence their visit today. He met Chinese Ambassador to Singapore Cao Zhongming and engaged in discussions with the Consortium for Clinical Research & Innovation, Singapore (CRIS).

 

During the meeting with Mr Cao, Prof Lo introduced him to the latest healthcare developments in Hong Kong.

 

Prof Lo said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is pressing ahead with the healthcare reform and incorporating the concept of co-ordinated development of healthcare services, healthcare protection and drugs into the reform framework to tie in with the national healthcare reform direction.

 

“On healthcare services, we are committed to advancing the primary healthcare development, as well as reforming the governance and structure of the Hospital Authority to enhance the quality and efficiency of public healthcare services.

 

“On drugs, we have put forward the vision of moving towards primary evaluation through reforming the approval and registration mechanism for drugs and medical devices.

 

“To this end, we have implemented the ‘1+’ mechanism for approval of new drugs and enhanced the arrangements for introduction and procurement of drugs and medical devices for public healthcare.”

 

As for healthcare protection, he noted that the Public Healthcare Fees & Charges Reform jointly announced by the Health Bureau and the Hospital Authority in March this year will not only restructure the subsidisation levels for various services in a precise manner but also enhance healthcare protection, thereby providing Hong Kong citizens with a larger, more stable, thicker and denser public healthcare safety net.

 

The delegation then met the CRIS. Prof Lo said that the Chief Executive announced relevant strategies to develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub in his 2023 and 2024 Policy Addresses.

 

“The Hong Kong SAR Government will leverage the advantages of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science & Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, and jointly establish a one-stop clinical trial collaboration platform through the synergistic collaboration between the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute located in the Hong Kong Park and the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center located in the Shenzhen Park.

 

“Furthermore, the Hong Kong SAR Government will establish the Real-World Study & Application Centre by the end of this year to provide real-world data support for the approval of drugs and medical devices.”

 

He added that the Hong Kong SAR Government will also establish the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation by the end of 2026 and implement ‘primary evaluation’ for new drug registration in phases beginning next year.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​The Department of Health (DH) today (August 12) is investigating an incident involving a private doctor participating in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme who administered COVID-19 vaccines that exceeded the recommended use-by date to seven residents of a residential care home for persons with disabilities (RCHD). The relevant COVID-19 vaccines have not exceeded their expiry dates, and none of the affected individuals reported feeling ill. The DH has requested that the affected institution and doctor concerned to take immediate remedial action to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents and to closely monitor the health conditions of the affected persons. The concerned doctor’s vaccination service under the Vaccination Schemes has been suspended.
 
Upon reviewing the vaccine orders and vaccination records, the DH found that the doctor concerned administered Spikevax JN.1 COVID-19 vaccines that were beyond the recommended use-by date to seven residents at Hong Chi Fanling Integrative Rehabilitation Complex, an RCHD in Fanling, on May 22. While the COVID-19 vaccines concerned have not exceeded their expiry dates, they should be stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius after thawing and used within 30 days, according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.　 　　
 
The DH is highly concerned about the incident and has taken immediate actions to follow up on the health conditions of the affected persons. It has been confirmed that none of the affected residents suffered from adverse events as a result of the vaccination. The DH has sought information from the vaccine manufacturer on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine under the above circumstances. Taking into account the history of COVID-19 vaccination and infection of the affected persons, the DH advised that there is no need for the affected individuals to be revaccinated. The DH has instructed the doctor in question to monitor the health conditions of the affected residents. At the request of the DH, the visiting doctor will explain the incident to the affected persons or their relatives and discuss subsequent arrangements.　 　　
 
Meanwhile, the DH has inspected the RCHD concerned to check the storage of vaccines and vaccination procedures. To avoid the recurrence of similar incidents, the staff have been urged to follow the requirements of regular checking of the recommended use-by date of the vaccines, separate storage of vaccines with different recommended use-by dates, and timely disposal of expired vaccines in accordance with the guidelines of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.
 
The DH has suspended the vaccination service of the doctor concerned under the Vaccination Schemes and will continue to follow up on whether the institution concerned have complied with the relevant guidelines of the DH.
 
To remind private doctors and residential care home staff how to properly store and administer COVID-19 vaccines to the public, the DH conducted three briefing sessions for the industries in late July and early August. Participants included doctors participating in the Programme, staff members of RCHDs and residential care homes for the elderly. They were reminded of the key points to note when administering COVID-19 vaccines. The DH also stressed that the recommended use-by date must be checked before administering the vaccines for the public.
 
In response to this incident, the DH will send letters again to remind doctors participating in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme to strictly adhere to all procedures recommended by the DH when providing vaccination services.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Security Bureau’s Narcotics Division has written to schools to confirm the inclusion of etomidate in voluntary drug testing under the Healthy School Programme in the 2025-26 school year.

The Narcotics Division today met non-governmental organisations that administer the drug tests to work out details of etomidate testing under the programme.

Procedures for etomidate testing will follow that of other drugs, under which participating schools can opt for rapid urine tests or hair tests, and testing will only be conducted after receiving a student’s consent.

Personal data collected during voluntary testing are protected under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. The testing procedures and implementation details are contained in the updated “Reference Protocol for the School Drug Testing Scheme“.

The Healthy School Programme, supported by the Beat Drugs Fund, comprises diversified personal growth activities and voluntary school drug testing for students to enhance their resolve to stay away from drugs and encourage those in need to seek help.

More than half of Hong Kong’s secondary schools take part in the programme. Apart from etomidate, voluntary school testing covers drugs including ketamine, ecstasy, methylamphetamine, cannabis and cocaine.

Comprehensive support is incorporated into the programme, including counselling, treatment, rehabilitation and referral services to handle and follow up on relevant cases.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Digital Policy Office (DPO) yesterday, on the occasion of 90 days before the 15th National Games (NG), reported to Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong on the preparatory work for the information technology (IT) infrastructure of the Hong Kong competition region for the 15th NG, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games.

 

With the goal of achieving “zero cybersecurity risk and zero interruption to the operation of events”, the DPO stressed that it will fully support the secure and stable operation of the relevant information systems, ensuring the smooth operation of the games.

 

It also emphasised that it has been providing IT support to the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) in planning and building the core IT systems and network infrastructure.

 

Starting from August, the DPO will launch multiple rounds of joint system testing and live exercises with its Guangdong and Macau counterparts to ensure seamless system connectivity, smooth network operation and steady data flow across the three places.

 

Additionally, it will enhance cross-boundary co-ordination and emergency response capabilities in system operations and cybersecurity.

 

After Prof Sun was briefed on the progress in system development, cybersecurity protection and contingency exercises during a meeting with the DPO, he pointed out that the application of innovation and technology is key to raising the operational standards of large-scale sports events in the face of increasingly severe cybersecurity challenges.

 

Moreover, he encouraged the team to press ahead with the goal, in particular refining various contingency plans, to provide stable, efficient and secure technical support to the games.

 

Commissioner for Digital Policy Tony Wong said that drawing on the experiences of the Asian Games and the Asian Winter Games, the IT infrastructure adopts the principle of “respond instantly, recover rapidly” and combines multi-layered cybersecurity protection and monitoring with a comprehensive contingency plan to ensure zero interruption to the games.

 

The development of the relevant IT systems was completed in June, and work including high-intensity stress tests, security tests, red team exercises and emergency response drills is underway to ensure the safe and smooth operation of the systems, he added.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau today arrived in Auckland, where he met representatives of the business sector, including the wine trade, as he continued a visit to New Zealand. 

At a lunch meeting with representatives of the industry body New Zealand Winegrowers, Mr Yau learnt about developments in the local wine industry, and discussed ways of enhancing collaboration between Hong Kong and New Zealand with regard to wine and liquor.

He briefed the representatives on Hong Kong’s advantages as a wine and liquor trading hub, and its recent reduction of liquor duty to encourage the trade and auctions of high-end liquor.

The commerce chief said that thanks to Hong Kong’s strategic location and unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle, the city is the best two-way platform for New Zealand’s wine and liquor trade to tap into the fast-growing Mainland and wider Asian markets.

In the afternoon, Mr Yau met representatives of the New Zealand China Council and the Auckland Business Chamber respectively. He updated them on developments in Hong Kong, including the Northern Metropolis development, and initiatives to attract enterprises and investment around the globe.

The two sides also exchanged views on forging greater business co-operation between Hong Kong and New Zealand, and using Hong Kong as a gateway to explore the vast Greater Bay Area market.

In the evening, Mr Yau attended a Hong Kong Dinner co-hosted by the Hong Kong Economic & Trade office, Sydney and the Hong Kong New Zealand Business Association.

Speaking at the dinner, Mr Yau said the synergy between Hong Kong’s service-oriented economy and New Zealand’s world-renowned expertise in food and agriculture presents opportunities that go far beyond simple imports and exports, and that the two-way relationship will continue to evolve and thrive.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to Singapore to commence their visit today (August 12). He met with the Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, Mr Cao Zhongming, and engaged in discussions with the Consortium for Clinical Research and Innovation, Singapore (CRIS).

During the meeting with Mr Cao, Professor Lo introduced him to the latest healthcare developments in Hong Kong. Professor Lo said, “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is pressing ahead with the healthcare reform and incorporating the concept of co-ordinated development of healthcare services, healthcare protection and drugs into the reform framework to tie in with the national healthcare reform direction.

     “On healthcare services, we are committed to advancing the primary healthcare development, as well as reforming the governance and structure of the Hospital Authority (HA) to enhance the quality and efficiency of public healthcare services. On drugs, we have put forward the vision of moving towards ‘primary evaluation’ through reforming the approval and registration mechanism for drugs and medical devices. To this end, we have implemented the ‘1+’ mechanism for approval of new drugs and enhanced the arrangements for introduction and procurement of drugs and medical devices for public healthcare. As for healthcare protection, the Public Healthcare Fees and Charges Reform jointly announced by the Health Bureau and the HA in March this year will not only restructure the subsidisation levels for various services in a precise manner but will also enhance healthcare protection, thereby providing Hong Kong citizens with a larger, more stable, thicker and denser public healthcare safety net.”

The delegation then met with the CRIS. Professor Lo said, “The Chief Executive announced relevant strategies to develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub in his 2023 and 2024 Policy Addresses. The HKSAR Government will leverage the advantages of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, and jointly establish a one-stop clinical trial collaboration platform through the synergistic collaboration between the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute located in the Hong Kong Park and the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center located in the Shenzhen Park. Furthermore, the HKSAR Government will establish the Real-World Study and Application Centre by the end of this year to provide real-world data support for the approval of drugs and medical devices. The Government will also establish the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation by the end of 2026 and implement ‘primary evaluation’ for new drug registration in phases beginning next year.”

Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, and Deputy Secretary for Health Ms Elaine Mak. They will continue their visit to Singapore tomorrow.