Month: September 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     A lighting installation entitled “Flowerworks on the Water”, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is on display from today (September 26) until October 19 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza to celebrate the National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, coinciding with the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG). The installation features the emblem and adorable mascots Xiyangyang and Lerongrong of the 15th NG, NGD and NSOG to create an iconic landmark for check-in photos, offering a visual feast that blends art and sports.
 
     “Flowerworks on the Water”, a lighting installation offering a dynamic visual experience, is designed and created by local multimedia art studio Napp Studio & Architects. With layered sculpturing and vibrant lighting, 13 sport pictograms of the NG, NGD and NSOG shine and dance within circular, triangular, and rhomboid mirrored lightboxes to give a vivid representation of the rhythmic movements and the beauty of dynamism in sports. The installation also transforms torches into huge metallic petals floating on the water, enhanced with lighting effects to resemble brilliant fireworks in the air. In addition, the central emblem and mascots interact with the surrounding lightboxes of dynamic sport pictograms through an interplay of light and shadow, embodying the spirit of “unity, perseverance and celebration”.
 
     The display will be lit from 6.30pm to 11pm daily and extended to midnight on the Mid-Autumn Day (October 6). To avoid overcrowding on the Mid-Autumn Day, members of the public are advised to schedule their visits for other dates during the display period. An inclusive performance titled “We Dance, We Care” will also be held on September 28 at 3pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Foyer.
 
     In addition to “Flowerworks on the Water”, the Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival 2025 will be held at Victoria Park from September 30 to October 7, featuring dazzling lanterns of different themes. There will also be a wide range of activities at the carnival, including an NG Interactive Zone, a Mid-Autumn Market, a fire dragon dance, traditional handicraft demonstrations, self-service lantern riddles and more. For more details, please visit the event webpage: www.cpo.gov.hk/zh-hk/event/tc-mid-autumn-lantern-carnival-2025, or call 2591 1340.

     The Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival 2025 is one of the programmes of the Chinese Culture Festival 2025 and one of the contribution programmes of the 5th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival. 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

The Taiwan Tourism Information Center (TTIC) officially opened at 102/22 Market Street, Sydney CBD. The center will provide Australian friends with the most updated travel information and assistance for visiting TAIWAN.
The unveiling ceremony kicked off with a lion dance performance showcasing Taiwan’s culture, followed by the official plaque unveiling by Deputy Director-General Shih-Fang Huang of the Taiwan Tourism Administration, Ambassador Douglas Hsu, Representative of TECO in Australia, Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu of TECO in Sydney, and Director Paul Shih of the Singapore Office of Taiwan Tourism Administration.
The celebrations also included a media luncheon and an evening promotional event, which were warmly attended by friends from the media and travel industry, highlighting the strong interest in Taiwan tourism within the Australian market.
DDG Huang emphasized that Sydney, as a world-class travel destination, offers TTIC an ideal location near Darling Harbour and the city’s business hub to attract both leisure and business visitors. TTIC will not only serve travelers from Australia and New Zealand but also become a hub for strengthening collaboration with industry partners and media, enhancing Taiwan’s tourism visibility.
Amb. Hsu remarked that Taiwan–Australia exchanges have grown steadily in recent years. The establishment of TTIC will further boost two-way tourism and demonstrate the solid foundation of bilateral cooperation. He hopes TTIC will become a key platform to connect Taiwan and Australia’s tourism industries, helping more Australians discover and fall in love with Taiwan.
DG Wu noted that with Taiwan’s new airport terminals, improved transportation, expanded tourism incentives, and a more welcoming travel environment, Taiwan and Australia’s tourism sectors can serve as a bridge of friendship, encouraging more travelers to visit Taiwan.
DDG Huang also led Taiwan’s tourism promotion team to visit TECO Sydney. Both sides had an in-depth exchange on practical experiences and strategies to attract more Australian travelers to Taiwan.
We welcome everyone to stop by, explore, and celebrate this exciting new chapter for Taiwan tourism in Sydney.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Workshop on Hydrogen for Land Transport of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Energy Working Group was held in Hong Kong today, where over 40 experts and delegates from 10 APEC member economies gathered to explore strategies on the application of green and low-carbon hydrogen in land transport.

In a video welcoming speech, Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan highlighted that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of this era, and underscored Hong Kong’s commitment to four decarbonisation strategies under its Climate Action Plan 2050, with a view to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The four strategies are net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport, and waste reduction, Mr Tse added.

The environment chief said that apart from electric vehicles, hydrogen is a possible alternative for green transportation, particularly for heavy-duty and long-range transport applications.

The Government has set out the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong with a view to creating a local environment conducive to developing hydrogen energy in a prudent and orderly manner.

In order to remove barriers and facilitate commencement of local hydrogen applications, Mr Tse noted, the Government set up the Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel to introduce interim standards for hydrogen applications, and support pilot projects such as hydrogen fuel cell buses, street-washing vehicles and cross-boundary hydrogen transportation.

He also mentioned that Hong Kong is well positioned to serve as a hub for hydrogen technologies, green finance and professional services, while reiterating Hong Kong’s support for APEC’s shared vision of clean energy transition and sustainable growth.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

To facilitate the National Day Fireworks Display on October 1, the Police will implement the following special traffic arrangements in phases on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon that day, until the crowds disperse and the roads are reopened.
 
Hong Kong Island
—————-
 
A. Road closure and traffic diversions
 
Phase I
 
Wan Chai District
—————–
– Expo Drive East outside Golden Bauhinia Square will be closed from 4pm.
 
Phase II
 
The following roads will be closed from 6.30pm onwards:
 
Central-Wan Chai Bypass
————————-
– The exit and entrance connecting Expo Drive and Lung Wo Road will be closed.
 
Wan Chai District
—————–
– Eastbound Fenwick Pier Street;
– Lung King Street;
– Lung Hop Street
– Eastbound Harbour Road;
– Expo Drive;
– Expo Drive Central;
– Expo Drive East;
– Lung Wo Road between Legislative Council Road and Fleming Road;
– Lung Tat Path;
– Convention Avenue;
– Fleming Road flyover;
– Fleming Road between Expo Drive East and Harbour Road;
– Northbound Tonnochy Road between Harbour Road and Hung Hing Road;
– Southbound Tonnochy Road between Hung Hing Road and Gloucester Road;
– Marsh Road between Gloucester Road and Hung Hing Road;
– Marsh Road flyover;
– Marsh Road between Hennessy Road and Lockhart Road;
– Hung Hing Road;
– Hung Hing Road flyover;
– Wan Shing Street; and
– Wan Ying Street.
 
Central District
—————
– Man Kwong Street;
– Man Fai Street;
– Man Yiu Street between Man Kwong Street and Yiu Sing Street; and
– The unnamed road near Lung Wo Road outside the General Post Office.
 
Eastern District
————-
– Watson Road;
– Whitfield Road;
– King Ming Road;
– Electric Road between Watson Road and Gordon Road;
– The slip road leading from eastbound Victoria Park Road to Causeway Bay Promenade; and
– Hing Fat Street northward of Whitfield Road.
 
Phase III
 
     The following roads will be closed from 7.15pm onwards:
 
Central District
————–
– Yiu Sing Street;
– Lung Wo Road;
– Edinburgh Place; and
– Tim Wa Avenue.
 
Wan Chai District
—————–
– Fenwick Pier Street flyover;
– Westbound Fenwick Pier Street;
– Fenwick Street between Harbour Road and Gloucester Road;
– Tonnochy Road flyover;
– Northbound Tonnochy Road between Gloucester Road and Harbour Road;
– Harbour Drive;
– Legislative Council Road;
– Tim Mei Avenue;
– Lung Wui Road;
– The unnamed road between Performing Arts Avenue and Harcourt Road; and
– Performing Arts Avenue.
 
Phase IV
 
     The following roads will be closed from 7.55pm to 8.23pm, except for franchised buses:
 
Eastern District
—————-
– Westbound Island Eastern Corridor (IEC) between Victoria Park Road and Man Hong Street;
– Slip roads leading to westbound IEC from Healthy Street Central, Tong Shui Road and Wharf Road; and
– Entrance of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel westbound from IEC.
 
Wan Chai District
—————–
– Lockhart Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;
– Jaffe Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;
– Southbound Luard Road between Gloucester Road and Jaffe Road;
– O’Brien Road;
– Fleming Road between Hennessy Road and Gloucester Road;
– Stewart Road;
– Tonnochy Road between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road;
– Marsh Road between Gloucester Road and Lockhart Road;
– Canal Road West between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road; and
– Canal Road East between Gloucester Road and Hennessy Road.
 
Central District
————–
– Man Yiu Street between Man Cheung Street and Harbour View Street;
– Man Po Street between Finance Street and Man Yiu Street; and
– Finance Street between Man Yiu Street and Man Po Street.
 
During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:
 
– Rumsey Street between Chung Kong Road and Connaught Road Central will be re-routed to one-way southbound from 6.30pm.
– Traffic along westbound IEC will be diverted to Man Hong Street from 7.55pm to 8.23pm.
– Traffic along eastbound Connaught Road West flyover will be diverted to Finance Street from 7.55pm.
 
B. Suspension of parking spaces
 
     All parking spaces at the following locations will be suspended from 10am to 10pm:
 
– Man Kwong Street;
– Yiu Sing Street;
– Lung Wo Road;
– Lung Wui Road;
– Lung Hop Street;
– Edinburgh Place;
– The unnamed road near Lung Wo Road outside the General Post Office;
– Hung Hing Road;
– Expo Drive;
– Expo Drive East;
– Convention Avenue;
– Wan Shing Street;
– Gloucester Road service road;
– Stewart Road between Jaffe Road and Gloucester Road service road;
– Marsh Road between Hennessy Road and Lockhart Road;
– Jaffe Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;
– Lockhart Road between Percival Street and Luard Road;
– Watson Road; and
– Whitfield Road.
 
C. Suspension of public transport interchanges
 
     The Exhibition Centre Station Public Transport Interchange, Central Ferry Piers Bus Terminus and Whitfield Road Bus Terminus will be suspended from 5.30pm to 10pm.

D. Suspension of car parks
 
     Vehicles in car parks within the above closed areas in North Point, Wan Chai and Central will not be permitted to enter or leave during the road closure period. Depending on the crowd and traffic conditions, the car parks on westbound Gloucester Road between Paterson Street and Percival Street may be closed.
 
Kowloon
——-
 
A. Road closure and traffic diversions
 
Phase I

The following roads will be closed from 5pm:

– Salisbury Road and the Salisbury Road underpass between Cheong Wan Road and Kowloon Park Drive;
– Hung Hom Bypass between Salisbury Road and Metropolis Drive;
–  Hung Hom Bypass between Salisbury Road and Hung Hom Road;
– Chatham Road South between Granville Road and Salisbury Road;
– Southbound Chatham Road South between Cheong Wan Road and Granville Road, except for franchised buses and green minibuses (GMBs);
– Granville Road between Chatham Road South and Science Museum Road, except for franchised buses and GMBs;
– Canton Road between Gateway Boulevard and Salisbury Road;
– Southbound Kowloon Park Drive between Canton Road and Salisbury Road;
– Northbound Nathan Road between Salisbury Road and Austin Road;
– Southbound Nathan Road between Granville Road and Salisbury Road;
– Carnarvon Road between Granville Road and Nathan Road;
– Hong Wan Path;
– Mody Lane;
– Mody Road;
– Mody Square;
– Granville Square;
– Minden Row;
– Hanoi Road;
– Bristol Avenue;
– Minden Avenue;
– Blenheim Avenue;
– Hart Avenue;
– Prat Avenue;
– Humphreys Avenue;
– Cameron Lane;
– Cameron Road;
– Hau Fook Street;
– Middle Road;
– Peking Road;
– Lock Road;
– Hankow Road;
– Ashley Road;
– Ichang Street; and
– Haiphong Road.
 
    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:
 
– Traffic along southbound Hung Hom Road will be directed from Hung Hom Bypass to the Cheong Tung Road roundabout;
– Traffic along eastbound Metropolis Drive cannot turn right to southbound Hung Hom Bypass;
– Traffic along southbound Hung Hom Bypass must turn right to westbound Metropolis Drive;
– Franchised buses along southbound Nathan Road must turn right to westbound Public Square Street or westbound Jordan Road;
– Franchised buses and GMBs along southbound Chatham Road South must turn left to eastbound Granville Road;
– Traffic along southbound Canton Road must make a U-turn to northbound Canton Road outside China Hong Kong City;
– Traffic along northbound Kowloon Park Drive cannot turn left to southbound Canton Road;
– Granville Road between Nathan Road and Carnarvon Road will be re-routed as one-way eastbound, and traffic along southbound Nathan Road will be diverted to turn left onto eastbound Granville Road;
– Traffic along Science Museum Road cannot turn to Mody Road and Granville Road;
– Traffic along southbound Salisbury Road near Hong Chong Road will be diverted to Tsim Sha Tsui East;
– Traffic along westbound Jordan Road cannot turn left to southbound Canton Road.
– Traffic along eastbound Granville Road must turn left to northbound Chatham Road South;
– Traffic along eastbound Salisbury Road must turn left to northbound Kowloon Park Drive;
– Traffic along northbound Kowloon Park Drive cannot turn right to Peking Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Cheong Wan Road leading to Chatham Road South must turn right to northbound Chatham Road South or go straight to westbound Austin Road, except for franchised buses and GMBs.

Phase II

     The following roads will be closed from 5.30pm:

– Salisbury Road between Canton Road and Kowloon Park Drive; and
– Northbound Kowloon Park Drive between Salisbury Road and Canton Road.

Phase III

The following roads will be closed from 6pm:

– Museum Drive;
– Cultural Drive;
– The slip road of eastbound Austin Road West leading to westbound Austin Road West near The Harbourside;
– The slip road of westbound Austin Road West leading to eastbound Austin Road West near the Xiqu Centre; and
– The left lane of westbound Austin Road West leading to the Austin Road West roundabout;
 
    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:
 
– Traffic along both eastbound and westbound Austin Road West cannot enter the slip roads of Austin Road West;
– Traffic along westbound Austin Road West will be directed to the elevated Nga Cheung Road; and
– Traffic along southbound Nga Cheung Road cannot turn to Museum Drive.
 
Phase IV
 
The following roads will be closed from 7.45pm:
 
– Nga Cheung Road between Jordan Road and Austin Road West;
– Canton Road between Austin Road West and Kowloon Park Drive;
– Nathan Road between Austin Road and Jordan Road;
– Bowring Street between Pilkem Street and Nathan Road;
– Tak Shing Street between Nathan Road and Tak Hing Street;
– Southbound Nathan Road between Austin Road and Granville Road;
– Northbound Chatham Road South between Granville Road and Observatory Road;
– Pine Tree Hill Road;
– Hillwood Road;
– Kimberley Road between Nathan Road and Observatory Road;
– Granville Circuit;
– Carnarvon Road between Kimberley Road and Granville Road;
– Kimberley Street;
– Shun Yee Street;
– Granville Road between Nathan Road and Chatham Road South; and
– Austin Road West roundabout between the entrance of Austin Road West and the Museum Drive entrance/exit.

    During the above road closure period, the following traffic diversions will be implemented:
 
– Traffic along southbound Nathan Road must turn right to westbound Jordan Road;
– Traffic along westbound Jordan Road cannot turn left to southbound Nathan Road;
– Traffic along westbound Austin Road and southbound Cox’s Road cannot turn to Pine Tree Hill Road;
– Traffic along Observatory Road cannot turn to westbound Kimberley Street;
– Traffic along northbound Pilkem Street cannot turn right to eastbound Bowring Street;
– Traffic along eastbound Bowring Street must turn left to northbound Pilkem Street;
– Traffic along westbound Austin Road West must go straight to the elevated Nga Cheung Road in the northbound direction;
– Traffic along southbound Canton Road must turn to eastbound Austin Road or westbound Austin Road West;
– Traffic along eastbound Austin Road West cannot turn right to southbound Canton Road;
– Traffic along westbound Jordan Road must turn to the Kowloon Station Public Transport Interchange after turning left to southbound Nga Cheung Road; and
– Traffic along southbound Nga Cheung Road entering the  Austin Road West roundabout must turn left to eastbound Austin Road West.
 
If necessary, the following roads will be closed:

– Hung Luen Road between Wa Shun Street and Hung Lok Road;
– Oi King Street; and
– Kin Wan Street.
 
The Police will implement the following traffic diversions depending on crowd conditions:
 
– Traffic along southbound Hung Luen Road must turn left to eastbound Wa Shun Street;
– Traffic along westbound Wa Shun Street must turn right to eastbound Hung Luen Road;
– Traffic along southbound Hung Lok Road cannot turn left to eastbound Hung Luen Road; and
– Traffic along eastbound Hung Luen Road must turn left to northbound Hung Lok Road.

B. Suspension of bus termini
 
The Mody Road Bus Terminus, Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Bus Terminus and China Ferry Terminal Bus Terminus will be suspended from 5pm, until the roads are reopened.
 
 C. Suspension of car parks

Vehicles cannot enter or leave the car parks within the closed road areas in Tsim Sha Tsui and the West Kowloon Cultural District from 5pm and 6pm respectively.

D. Suspension of on-street parking spaces

All on-street parking spaces within the road closure areas of Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom will be suspended from noon to 11.30pm.
 
Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts mentioned above will be towed away without prior warning, and may be subject to multiple ticketing.
 
     Members of the public are advised to use public transport to access the above areas. They should pay attention to the latest special traffic arrangements announced by the Transport Department. Actual implementation of traffic arrangements and crowd safety management measures will be made depending on the traffic and crowd conditions in the areas. Members of the public are advised to exercise tolerance and patience, and take heed of instructions of the Police on site.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, today (September 26) highlighted that Hong Kong strives to explore collaboration opportunities between the single windows of the city and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to promote cross-boundary digital and paperless trade in the region.
 
     During the discussions at the ninth ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) – Hong Kong, China (HKC) Consultation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mr Yau said that HKC has been promoting the digitalisation of business-to-government trade documents and is developing the Trade Single Window (TSW) in three phases to provide a one-stop electronic platform for the trade to submit various trade documents for trade declaration and cargo clearance.
 
     Acknowledging ASEAN as HKC’s second-largest trading partner, Mr Yau noted that HKC is keen to explore the possibility of exchanging trade documents through a collaboration between the ASEAN Single Window and HKC’s TSW. As the first step, HKC and ASEAN will explore taking forward a pilot project of exchanging the electronic Certificate of Origin.
 
     He said he looks forward to the implementation of the pilot project, adding that HKC will continue to work closely with ASEAN and ASEAN member states to explore further collaboration.
 
     Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the TSW in Hong Kong are already in full service and are well received by the trade. The Government is now pressing ahead with the development of the information technology system of TSW Phase 3 and targets to roll out the services by batch from mid-2026. Upon the full implementation of the TSW, it will have the technical capability to connect with the single windows of other economies or other commercial systems.
 
     As mentioned in the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address, Hong Kong strives to explore opportunities for connecting the TSW with the single windows of other economies. Therefore, on top of exploring connectivity with the ASEAN Single Window, Hong Kong has been actively working with the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China to connect the TSW with the Mainland’s International Trade Single Window to continue to provide the Mainland-Hong Kong “Single Submission for Dual Declaration” Scheme for cargo after the rollout of TSW Phase 3, allowing more enterprises to benefit from the convenience of completing Customs declarations for both the Mainland and Hong Kong sides by making a single submission of road cargo information. Both sides will continue to explore the feasibility of expanding the Scheme to cover other trade documents and transport modes.
 
     Meanwhile, Mr Yau and the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Mr Tengku Zafrul Aziz, met at a bilateral meeting at the margins of the AEM-HKC Consultation and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Co-operation in Digital Trade to encourage and promote bilateral co-operation in digital trade, including electronic commerce, paperless trade and single window interoperability.
 
     “Malaysia is an important trading partner of Hong Kong. The MOU is a demonstration of our longstanding and close relationship, and our desire to further collaborate in areas like digital trade in order to bring mutual economic benefits to our people,” Mr Yau said.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the video speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Week 2025@Seoul today (September 26):

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening everybody. Annyeonghaseyo (Korean: Hello)!

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all, to the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Week 2025@Seoul. Since 2019, Hong Kong Week has been a flagship festival organised by the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) Government, bringing the vibrancy of Hong Kong’s arts and culture to international audiences. Having previously staged in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Bangkok, we are glad to now enter the festival’s fifth edition, here in Seoul.

For good reasons. Seoul, a dynamic city that celebrates both history and modernity, is committed to fostering innovation, economic development and cultural exchange.

Hong Kong is an international financial, shipping and trade centre. We are also fast developing as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange and an international innovation and technology hub. Our deep connectivity with Korea spans across business, investment, technology and culture, and creates immense opportunities for collaboration and mutual growth.

Hong Kong and Korea, I’m pleased to say, have flourished through our competence, and proficiency, in embracing heritage while driving the transformative capability of different arts forms.
 
Korea’s rich cultural landscape, mesmerising traditional mask dance performances, musical storytelling, as well as its globally popular K-Pop and K-dramas, reflect our appreciation for both tradition and creativity, in breadth and in depth.
 
Similarly, Hong Kong’s arts scene seamlessly blends classical and contemporary influences, establishing a unique identity that resonates with the aspirations of the international stage. These shared values render Hong Kong and Seoul natural partners in artistic collaboration, cultural exchange and creative dialogue.

A city of remarkable cultural richness, Seoul provides an outstanding setting for our Hong Kong Week this year.

This year’s Hong Kong Week features an eclectic array of programmes, from Chinese and Western music, and traditional and contemporary dance, to new and restored Hong Kong films, and thought-provoking exhibitions. With performances staged by flagship arts groups as well as emerging young talents, this festival transcends an artistic showcase, and it will bring every participant on a fulfilling arts and cultural journey, filled with fascinating Hong Kong and Korean elements. An integration of our two vibrant cities.

Ladies and gentlemen, our Hong Kong Week will continue to shine on the global stage by deepening collaborations, building new partnerships, inspiring new creations and solidifying connections.

We will continue to foster our friendly relations with Seoul and Korea, not only in the area of arts and culture, but also in business, technology, finance, and more. I warmly invite your exploration of all that Hong Kong offers, through visiting our city, through investments, or through the many opportunities of professional and cultural exchanges we provide.

My sincere gratitude goes to our dedicated partners, especially the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, for the tremendous support for making Hong Kong Week 2025@Seoul a huge success.

I wish everyone an enjoyable evening! Thank you. Gamsahamnida (Korean: Thank you).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Committee on Respect Our Teachers Campaign:

Organised by the Committee on Respect Our Teachers Campaign (CROTC), the Salute to Teachers 2025 – Teachers’ Day Ceremony was held today (September 26). The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, officiated at the ceremony and paid tribute to teachers for wholeheartedly nurturing talent with dedication to professionalism in education. Around 1 600 teachers are commended this year.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Chairman of the CROTC, Mr Wong Kam-leung, expressed his gratitude to the teachers for not only passing on knowledge but also cultivating students’ affection for their home and country and shaping their character, all accomplished with patience, love, and wisdom. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Respect Our Teachers Campaign, and the CROTC has steadfastly upheld its mission and will continue to join together in promoting the traditional culture of respect for teachers.

Dr Choi expressed gratitude that the Respect Our Teachers Campaign, over the past 30 years, has not only united various sectors of society in their respect and support for teachers but also promoted the fine tradition of respecting teachers and education in Chinese culture, instilling positive energy into Hong Kong’s education. She remarked that a professional and conscientious teaching force is the key to the success of Hong Kong education. Hong Kong’s leading position in global competitiveness not only reflects the resilience and innovative vitality of its economy but also highlights the high-quality development of its education system and the professional leadership and strength of its teaching force.

She highlighted that the Education Bureau is committed to building a team of high-quality teachers and strongly supporting both teachers and principals in enhancing their professionalism. She emphasised the importance of promoting the cultivation of teachers’ morality and ethics, and fostering the spirit of outstanding educators. She encouraged all teachers to regard outstanding educators as role models, to uphold the original aspiration of nurturing students, to drive innovation in teaching, and to strengthen professional exchange. With the teachers being good educators to children and exemplary role models to their peers, more outstanding individuals with virtues and talents can be nurtured.

The CROTC has been organising the Teachers’ Commendation Scheme annually since 1995. With this year marking its 30th session, the scheme aims to foster a culture of respect for teachers. Under the scheme, secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens and special schools may each nominate two teachers who have demonstrated commitment and excellence in teaching. Over 39 500 teachers have been commended in previous years.

Other officiating guests at the ceremony today included the Acting Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms Ida Lee; the Chairperson of the Curriculum Development Council, Professor Isabella Poon; and the Chairman of the Committee on Home-School Co-operation, Mr Eugene Fong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, and the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Mr Tengku Zafrul Aziz, cochaired the 9th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers – Hong Kong, China (HKC) Consultation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today (September 26) to discuss issues relating to the implementation of the ASEAN-HKC Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA) and the ASEAN-HKC Investment Agreement (AHKIA), and exchange views among others on the future direction of ASEAN-Hong Kong economic co-operation.
 
     The AHKFTA and the AHKIA signed in 2017 have served as the key pillars of the flourishing ASEAN-Hong Kong partnership. Since the signing of the agreements, Hong Kong’s trade in goods with ASEAN has increased by 38 per cent and the city’s outward direct investment to ASEAN has risen by 42 per cent.
 
     Speaking at the meeting, Mr Yau appealed to those ASEAN member states which have not yet completed their internal procedures to further expedite the processes for the implementation of the First Protocol to Amend the AHKFTA, so as to allow traders to better utilise the free trade agreement and in turn, further drive growth in the economic and trade relations among the parties.
 
     In addition, he said he looks forward to the early signing of the First Protocol to Amend the AHKIA, with a view to further unlocking the potential of the agreement through greater predictability and certainty in market access for investors of the two sides.
 
     This year also marks the new cycle of the Economic and Technical Cooperation (ECOTECH) Work Programme under the AHKFTA. The programme aims to build the capacities of the parties of the AHKFTA through technical assistance, knowledge transfer and information sharing activities. It received very positive responses with 43 project proposals submitted this year.
 
     “Notably, several proposals focus on new priority areas of the ECOTECH Work Programme, such as competition and sustainable economic development, as well as topics that have been receiving increasing attention in Hong Kong and the ASEAN member states, such as promotion of Halal food. This demonstrates the region’s evolving needs and the shared commitment to deepen economic and technical co-operation between us,” Mr Yau said.
 
     At the meeting, Mr Yau took the opportunity to reiterate Hong Kong’s readiness for early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and thank ASEAN for the continued support to Hong Kong’s accession bid. He said he looks forward to having concrete progress in the establishment of an accession working group for Hong Kong soon, along with the adoption of the related terms of reference.
 
     Turning to the future direction of ASEAN-Hong Kong economic co-operation, Mr Yau noted that the digital economy has become a key pillar of economic development. He shared with ASEAN member states Hong Kong’s support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to seize the opportunities brought about by e-commerce. Through the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales, one of the funding schemes for SMEs in Hong Kong, enterprises can flexibly make use of a maximum funding of HK$1 million (around US$128,000) within their cumulative funding ceiling of HK$7 million (around US$897,000) to implement e-commerce projects in ASEAN economies under the E-commerce Easy.
 
     Mr Yau also stressed the importance of upholding the multilateral trading system (MTS) and Hong Kong’s commitment to maintain the credibility and efficiency of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
 
     “As a small, open and externally oriented economy, we deeply value the non-discriminatory, rules-based MTS, with the WTO at its core, as our best safeguard against protectionism and arbitrary measures. Particularly in these turbulent times, the MTS is fundamental in ensuring the smooth functioning of global supply chains,” he added.
 
     On the sidelines of the meeting, Mr Yau held bilateral meetings with Mr Tengku Zafrul Aziz, and the Minister of Commerce and Industry of Timor-Leste, Mr Filipus Nino Pereira, to exchange views on issues of mutual interest. He also met with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr Kao Kim Hourn, to discuss various trade and economic issues, and brief him on Hong Kong’s preparatory work in seeking early accession to the RCEP.