Month: September 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Slovenia, Mr Klemen Boštjancic, again in the morning of September 24 (Ljubljana time) before proceeding to Poland for the second leg of his European visit. He said at the meeting that the visit was very fruitful, especially regarding the news that the Slovenian Government and National Assembly are deliberating on the decision to prioritise the Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (CDTA) negotiations with Hong Kong.

“Both the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Slovenian governments are keen to pursue a CDTA early to reduce unnecessary tax obstacles for encouraging bilateral trade and investment. The signing of the CDTA will foster closer economic ties between Hong Kong and Slovenia, and I believe that it will be welcomed by the business communities in both places.

“Hong Kong and Slovenia have a lot in common, both being small yet significant economically and strategically with big ambitions. We both offer a diverse economy with a stable investment environment, underpinned by openness and efficiency. That makes us each perfect gateways for each other, enabling European enterprises to enter Asian and Mainland markets through Hong Kong, and Slovenia a place through which Mainland companies can access Europe,” he added.

Mr Hui also highlighted to Mr Boštjancic that Hong Kong is consolidating its status as an international asset and wealth management centre. The total assets under management in Hong Kong grew by 13 per cent year on year, reaching EUR3.81 trillion by the end of 2024. Riding on the particularly stellar performance in the private banking and private wealth management sector, more facilitation measures have been announced by the Chief Executive in his 2025 Policy Address to make Hong Kong even more attractive to family offices and global high-net-worth individuals. These measures include enriching the investment options under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, enhancing the preferential tax regimes for funds, single family offices and carried interest, as well as expanding the mutual access between capital markets of the Mainland and Hong Kong.

He also met with the State Secretary responsible for Taxes, Customs Duties and Other Charges and for Improving the Efficiency of Public Spending of Slovenia, Ms Katja Boži�, to discuss the next steps in the process of commencing the negotiations on the CDTA.

In the afternoon, Mr Hui started his itinerary in Warsaw, Poland, where he visited Lenovo Technology and met with its General Manager at Lenovo Poland, Mr Wojciech Zaskorski, and other senior members of the company to learn more about the macroeconomic situation and digitalisation of Poland, as well as the needs of Mainland companies in their expansion overseas.

Mr Hui stated that Hong Kong is striving to be the perfect platform to support Mainland companies going global. A Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global will be set up to encourage Mainland enterprises to utilise Hong Kong in expanding their businesses overseas. Hong Kong will facilitate the establishment in the city of more corporate treasury centres by Mainland companies and regional headquarters by the banking sector, particularly by Mainland banks. Hong Kong will also promote the development of carbon audit services to assist enterprises going global to meet international requirements and standards on green trade in respect of carbon emission reduction.

He reiterated that Hong Kong has an extensive pool of professionals to serve Mainland companies on their journey towards global market expansion. Using the accounting sector as an example, he said that the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants has compiled the List of accounting firms helping Mainland enterprises go global to help Mainland companies to tackle the challenges of venturing abroad. As at mid-August, the list includes 83 Hong Kong accounting firms.

Mr Hui will visit the Warsaw Stock Exchange on September 25 (Warsaw time) and meet with Polish government officials and members of the business sector.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Police today (September 25) laid a holding charge against a 49-year-old Mainland man with one count of manslaughter.

The male person in custody was arrested on September 19 in suspected connection with a manslaughter case happened in Cheung Sha Wan on the same day morning, in which an 80-year-old male person in custody died.

The case will be mentioned at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (September 26) morning.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (September 25) that the Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground in Wong Tai Sin District, closed earlier for inspection and clearance works of damage and miscellaneous articles caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa, has been reopened.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Maker in China SME Innovation and Entrepreneurship Global Contest – Hong Kong Chapter (MiCHK) 2025 Final was held successfully at Cyberport today (September 25). “Apeiron” by Aither Entertainment Limited won the Champion prize, while “Savoir by EasyHear” by Logital Co. Limited and “AI powered Encapsulation and Microfluidic Platforms for Diverse Cell-based Applications” by Rain Biotech Solutions Limited won the First Runner-up and Second Runner-up prizes respectively. The three winning teams will represent the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to compete in the Global Final Contest of the Maker in China to be held in the fourth quarter of this year in Guangzhou.
 
     Addressing the event, the Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Tony Wong, said that to align with the country’s innovation and technology (I&T) development strategy, the HKSAR Government has been committed to nurturing local I&T start-ups to strengthen the I&T capabilities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The MiCHK serves as an excellent platform for Hong Kong start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to expand their business and enter the Mainland market. In recent years, many award-winning teams from Hong Kong have successfully connected with multiple Mainland enterprises through the MiCHK, establishing a presence on the Mainland and setting up branch offices and sales networks in various GBA cities, as well as in Hangzhou, Xi’an and Beijing. Furthermore, many teams have attracted the attention of enterprises and investors from the Mainland, receiving procurement contracts or reaching strategic collaboration agreements. This has enabled their I&T products and solutions to be successfully implemented in various provinces and cities on the Mainland.
 
     Mr Wong pointed out that this year’s contest has particularly included frontier technological fields such as low-altitude economy and aerospace, intelligent devices and robotics, as well as semiconductors and integrated circuits, in order to support the development of emerging and future industries. He congratulated the winning teams and encouraged all participants to continue striving for excellence in the innovation and entrepreneurship arena, injecting new momentum into the country’s high-quality development through their innovative achievements.
 
     The MiCHK 2025 has received overwhelming responses, reaching a record high of 157 local innovation projects. After initial screening and a semi-final held earlier, the top 10 finalists entered the Final today, where they competed for the Champion, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up honours by staging roadshows to a panel of judges comprising local and Mainland experts of different I&T fields. In addition, one-on-one business matching sessions between the top 10 finalists and investors and enterprises from the GBA were arranged today. The top 10 finalists were given opportunities to join different incubation and acceleration programmes and exhibitions to promote their products and services to different regions through various platforms, connect with Mainland investors, set up in the Mainland entrepreneurial parks and receive guidance on result transformation. Please refer to makerinchina.hk/ for details about the entries.
 
     With the support of the Guangzhou Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality and the People’s Government of Guangzhou Nansha District, this is the seventh time the regional chapter has taken place in Hong Kong. The MiCHK 2025 is organised by the Digital Policy Office of the HKSAR Government, the China Centre for Promotion of SME Development of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China, the Department of Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, and the China International Cooperation Association of SMEs, and is formulated by the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited and the Angel Investment Foundation.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):

Question:

     There are views pointing out that tourism experiences at quite a number of rural and remote tourist attractions are impacted by a lack of nearby restaurants for visitors to dine in. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the numbers of existing licensed restaurants at rural attractions in Outlying Islands, North District, Sai Kung, Sha Tin and Yuen Long, as well as at remote attractions in Southern District, together with a breakdown by licence type; if it has not kept such figures, of the reasons for that;

(2) of the respective numbers of applications received and approved by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) over the past three years for various types of restaurant licences concerning the attractions in the districts mentioned in (1);

(3) of the respective numbers of applications received, approved and rejected by the FEHD over the past three years for various types of restaurant licences concerning Shek O, Sha Tau Kok, Cheung Sha, Pui O and Pak Nai, and the reasons for application rejection;

(4) whether the Government has currently formulated measures to attract tourists to visit restaurants at rural and remote attractions, such as expediting improvements to transport and communication network facilities in those areas; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) given that the Government proposed in the 2020 Policy Address that the Countryside Conservation Office work with relevant bureaux/departments to jointly develop a set of licensing requirements and procedural guidelines designed especially for guesthouses and catering business in countryside areas, making reference to the special nature and restrictions of rural settings, of the current work progress and the expected time for introducing such requirements and guidelines?

Reply:

President,

Having consulted the the Transport and Logistics Bureau, and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the reply to the question raised by the Hon Mrs Regina Ip is as follow:

(1) As at August 31, 2025, the number of restaurant licences in Southern District, Islands, North District, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, and Yuen Long are tabulated below. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) does not maintain breakdown of statistics of restaurants located in remote areas of each district:
 

District	General restaurants (GR)	Light refreshment restaurants (LRR)	Marine restaurants
Southern	266	71	1
Islands	348	184	0
North	311	73	0
Sai Kung	462	134	0
Sha Tin	741	183	0
Yuen Long	787	258	0
Total	2 915	903	1

(2) Over the past three years, the number of restaurant licence applications received and approved by the FEHD in the abovementioned districts are tabulated below:
 

District		Number of applications and approval cases (Note)
		2022		2023		2024
		GR	LRR	GR	LRR	GR	LRR
Southern	Application	21	3	19	11	32	8
	Approval cases	33	2	13	4	29	11
Islands	Application	14	8	17	11	19	11
	Approval cases	22	9	16	5	12	12
North	Application	37	7	21	4	17	12
	Approval cases	47	8	23	7	17	8
Sai Kung	Application	38	19	26	22	30	19
	Approval cases	73	24	23	10	25	18
Sha Tin	Application	55	21	92	30	66	16
	Approval cases	47	13	71	21	79	25
Yuen Long	Application	75	22	62	31	51	28
	Approval cases	65	23	66	13	42	26
Total	Application	240	80	237	109	215	94
	Approval cases	287	79	212	60	204	100

Note: The applications approved might not be received in the same year.

(3) Between 2022 and August 31, 2025, the FEHD received four restaurant licence applications at rural tourist spots in Islands, North District, Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Yuen Long, and remote locations in Southern District. An application for a restaurant licence in Sha Tau Kok has been approved; another one in Cheung Sha was considered withdrawn due to failure of the applicant to remove unauthorised structures as required by relevant departments; and two snack shop licence applications in Shek O are still being processed.

(4) The Government attaches importance to enhancing transportation and telecommunication network in remote countryside area. At present, many hiking spots located away from the city centre are connected by well-developed public transport services and road network. The Transport Department (TD) has been closely monitoring the transport needs across various districts and coordinating with service providers to arrange public transport services for numerous hiking attractions located away from the city centre, for example, kaito ferry services to and from islands near the Sai Kung waters, to facilitate access by the public and visitors to these attractions. Regarding other more remote countryside area, the TD will consider the road network and actual situation and conditions to arrange public transport services as appropriate to transport visitors to locations near these attractions. Furthermore, in Yan Chau Tong areas, to improve accessibility to popular rural attractions, ferry services running from Sha Tau Kok and Tai Shui Hang to Lai Chi Wo, Kat O and Ap Chau, etc., have been enhanced gradually in the past two years through coordination between the Government and the local communities. The Countryside Conservation Office is also reviewing means to improve accessibility to Kuk Po. These initiatives seek to benefit villagers, tourists and local food business operators.

     On telecommunications networks, the Office of the Communications Authority launched the Subsidy Scheme to Extend 5G Coverage in Rural and Remote Areas in July 2025 to subsidise mobile network operators to establish around 50 radio base stations in various rural area across Hong Kong. In addition, the Government will continue to implement the Subsidy Scheme to Extend Fibre-based Networks to Villages in Remote Areas. The new fibre-based networks are expected to be extended to a total of 235 villages in the New Territories and outlying islands by 2026, further strengthening network coverage in rural area.

(5) To promote eco-tourism, facilitate visitors and help revitalise desolate villages, the Government set up the inter-departmental Task Force on Guesthouse and Food Business Licences in Countryside Areas and formulated a series of streamlined measures to facilitate licence applications for the countryside villages in the New Territories that have no vehicular access taking into account the uniqueness of remote countryside. These streamlined measures cover various aspects, including town planning, land, fire safety, building safety and sanitary requirements, and have facilitated the successful grant of food business licences to the operators in Kuk Po and Yim Tin Tsai, Sai Kung.

     The Task Force is sorting out the details and implementation procedures of the streamlined measures and compiling a set of Guide to Application with its official release scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025. The Government will continue to review opportunities for further enhancement of the licence application process for food business in countryside area, with a view to creating a more business-friendly environment there and promoting countryside conservation and revitalisation.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Yiu Pak-leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):

Question:

     Regarding facilitation measures for tour group transportation, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as some members of the tourism industry have relayed that visitor experience is negatively affected by the congestion that often occurs at the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point (BCP), affecting visitor experience, whether the Government has studied implementing short-term traffic mitigation measures at this BCP before the National Day holidays this year, such as allowing tour coaches carrying outbound tour groups to drop off passengers at the departure level, so as to avoid the occurrence of large crowds and vehicle congestions at the ground-level public transport interchange;

(2) as some members of the tourism industry are of the view that the daily average cross-boundary passenger traffic at the Heung Yuen Wai BCP, which is currently the preferred boundary-crossing for most tour groups, has reached three times its design flow, making it an urgent priority to expedite the redevelopment of the Sha Tau Kok BCP to facilitate boundary crossing and transportation for tour groups, and it is learnt that the redeveloped Sha Tau Kok BCP will be positioned as a passenger-only clearance point, of the specific timetable for the relevant works;

(3) given that this year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, and quite a number of members of the tourism industry have relayed that the restrictions on coach access to Luk Keng Road in the vicinity of Sha Tau Kok hinder tour groups from visiting relics of the War of Resistance, whether the authorities will expedite the improvement of the road’s infrastructure facilities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) as members of the industry have pointed out that the East Dam of High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung is very popular among visitors, but the daily quota of prohibited zone permits issued to coaches with 29 seats or less is limited to only three as the traffic control arrangement, and the application procedures are cumbersome with a very low chance of obtaining an approval on weekends and public holidays when visitor flow is relatively high, making it difficult for the industry to develop tourism products, whether the authorities will further increase the quota for tour coaches entering the East Dam, so as to facilitate the industry in planning tour group itineraries while controlling visitor flow through arrangements by travel agencies to enhance the experience of eco-tourists; and

(5) given the restrictions imposed by the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) during mega events, vehicles holding hire car permits and tour coaches (i.e. non-franchised buses with tour service (A01) endorsement) cannot enter the Main Stadium area, which is not conducive to the development of “mega event + tourism” products by the industry, whether the Government will relax the relevant traffic restrictions and introduce a reservation system to allow these two types of licensed vehicles to park at the coach parking spaces under the Main Stadium or other suitable locations in KTSP, thereby enhancing visitor experience?

Reply:

President,

     As the flow of travellers between the Mainland and Hong Kong becomes more frequent, the Government has been closely monitoring the flow of people and vehicles at various land boundary control points (BCPs) and various districts, including tourist hotspots, and coordinating with relevant departments and operators to facilitate crowd control and traffic management arrangements.

     In consultation with the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), Environment and Ecology Bureau, Security Bureau and the Transport Department (TD), our reply to the various parts of the question as raised by the Hon Yiu Pak-leung is as follows.

(1) Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point (HYWBCP) is a BCP designed with the concept of “direct access to people and vehicles”. Since the commissioning of passenger clearance services in February 2023, it has been well-received by cross-boundary travellers, with passenger flow continuing to rise. HYWBCP features ancillary facilities including a public transport interchange (PTI), a pick-up/drop-off (PU/DO) area for tourist coaches, a PU/DO area for cross-boundary coaches (CBCs), a private car PU/DO area, and a public car park to accommodate the different travel patterns and transport needs of cross-boundary travellers. Among others, the PU/DO area includes nine stopping places designated for domestic non-franchised buses (DNFB) (including tourist coaches).

     The TD has been monitoring the usage of the DNFB PU/DO area at the HYWBCP and conducting regular on-site inspections. Located on the ground floor of the HYWBCP, the current arrangement for coaches in using the PU/DO area meets the needs of relevant passengers based on the TD’s observations. We note that tourist coaches transporting Mainland tour groups to the HYWBCP for departure primarily use the PU/DO area during afternoon and evening hours. During these periods, the flow of people and vehicles at the PU/DO area is generally smooth with no congestion. Moreover, there are sufficient spare stopping places at the PU/DO area for use by tourist coaches, which were also adequate to meet demand during the Chinese New Year and Golden Week in May this year. Regarding the suggestion in the question to further consider allowing local tourist coaches to use the CBC PU/DO area (located in the departure section on the first floor of the HYWBCP), the road design at that location only permits CBCs to proceed directly to the vehicle inspection booths for departure clearance procedures after dropping off passengers. There are no facilities for vehicles to turn around, making it unsuitable for use by tourist coaches.

     As always, the TD will closely monitor the overall traffic flow at the HYWBCP and the operation of the PU/DO area of tourist coaches during the National Day holiday period in collaboration with the port law enforcement agencies. Where necessary, measures to manage passenger flow will be strengthened and flexible arrangements for picking up/ dropping off activities of tourist coaches will be implemented to ensure smooth overall operations.

(2) To enhance clearance efficiency and promote the development of the Sha Tau Kok (STK) area, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government reached a consensus in 2024 on adopting a cross-river construction approach in the redevelopment of STK Control Point. Accordingly, the two sides will concurrently construct the passenger clearance building straddling the STK River and will take the centre line of the river as the boundary line to set up their respective passenger clearance channels immediately adjacent to each other. The redeveloped STK Control Point will become a passenger clearance-only control point, with the cargo clearance function being cancelled, in order to facilitate the implementation of the “East in East out, West in West out” planning strategy for cross-boundary goods traffic, i.e. cross-boundary goods vehicles will have to use the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Control Point in the east and the Shenzhen Bay Port in the west, while other land boundary control points will mainly handle passenger traffic. The redeveloped STK Control Point will also implement the collaborative inspection and joint clearance mode to enhance passenger clearance experience and efficiency.

     The engineering feasibility study for the STK Control Point redevelopment project is being undertaken by a consultancy firm engaged by the HKSAR Government and is expected to be completed within 2025. The scope of the study includes such matters as area of land involved for the redevelopment of STK Control Point, road infrastructure, traffic impact assessment, environmental assessment and heritage conservation.

     We understand Shenzhen side is in parallel actively preparing the design tendering and the related feasibility study for the STK Port redevelopment project. The HKSAR Government will continue to closely collaborate with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to actively take forward the redevelopment project.

(3) The Luk Keng Road contains many turns and is narrow. Owing to site constraints and traffic safety considerations, the Luk Keng Road is currently designated as a prohibited zone for vehicles with gross weight over 5.5 tonnes, buses, tourist coaches and public light buses (except for scheduled services). Notwithstanding the above, in view of travel needs associated with tourism development in the area, the TD may issue Prohibited Zone Permits, subject to traffic conditions, allowing tourist coaches with 29 seats or less to travel along Luk Keng Road during off-peak hours, with a view to meeting the needs of general visitors and tour groups. To facilitate the tourism industry to understand the traffic arrangements on Luk Keng Road, the TD has disseminated relevant information, including the application procedures of Prohibited Zone Permits, to the industry via the website of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong.

     According to the TD’s assessment, currently the capacity of Luk Keng Road is sufficient to meet the overall traffic demand, including the demand from vehicles to apply for Prohibited Zone Permits. The TD will continue to closely monitor the traffic conditions in the nearby area and make appropriate arrangements.

(4) The Sai Kung Man Yee Road leading to the High Island Reservoir East Dam is a maintenance access road managed by the Water Supplies Department (WSD), primarily used for daily operations and maintenance by the WSD and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). Most sections of the road are single-lane with two-way traffic, which is not fit for access by a large number of vehicles. Currently, members of the public and visitors can access the East Dam by taxis, the Green Minibus Route No. 9A, or tourist coaches that have obtained prior permission from the AFCD. 

     At present, the number of tourist coaches permitted to access East Dam on weekends or public holidays is subject to a quota of three coaches per day for application by licensed travel agencies and school groups. From February to August 2025, the WSD and the AFCD received a total of 14 quota applications. Except for two applications that have been rejected due to the applicants’ failure to provide necessary information, all other applications were approved in full, showing that the relevant quota has not been fully utilised yet.

     To ensure sustainable development of green tourism and high-quality visitor experience in country parks, the Government is exploring various feasible measures to enhance the management of Sai Kung East Country Park and traffic arrangements for High Island Reservoir East Dam. The Government will review the quota for tourist coaches for access to East Dam having regard to the utilisation rate of such permits.

(5) Since its official commissioning on March 1 this year, Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) has quickly become a new hub for mega sports and entertainment events. Over the past six months, various arrangements including admission of spectators, crowd dispersal and transportation. have been well-received by members of the public and visitors. The Kai Tak Sports Park Limited (the Operator) has all along been in close collaboration with the Government (including the CSTB, the TD, and the Hong Kong Police Force) and public transport operators. They encourage spectators traveling to the park to use public transport as much as possible and avoid driving or taking private cars. At the same time, they continuously optimise the transport arrangements, such as the recent launch of the pre-booking services for some of the parking spaces at the Kai Tak Stadium (KTS) and the Kai Tak Arena as well as the new designated drop-off point for private car users at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground.

     There are approximately 80 coach parking spaces and pick-up /drop-off points in total at the KTS. The Operator has continued fine-tuning their arrangements since the opening of the KTSP. At present, the Operator has allocated them for three types of uses, with the primary use being for pre-arranged cross-boundary coaches. Besides, the Operator will facilitate the travel products for individual events offered by event organisers, ticketing platforms and the hotel industry by arranging pre-registered coach services to pick up passengers (for both cross-boundary and non-cross boundary passengers). Thirdly, the Operator will also collaborate closely with the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners to provide coach parking spaces for shuttle buses connecting hotels and the KTS before major events, allowing passengers to drop off at KTS upon prior registration to meet the needs of hotel guests. The above arrangements have been running smoothly and in an orderly manner. Relevant Government departments will continue to work with the Operator to review the operation of the above arrangements and explore the possibility of expanding the scope to cover other non-franchised bus services to further enhance visitors’ experience provided that there will be no adverse impact on event arrangements and the traffic in the vicinity.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):

Question:
 
In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the General Administration of Customs of the Mainland revised the “Catalog of Animals and Plants, Animal and Plant Products, and Other Quarantine Objects Prohibited from Being Carried, Mailed, or Delivered into the People’s Republic of China” (the Catalog), and dried aquatic animal products are not included in the prohibited list of the Catalog. Moreover, according to the “List of the People’s Republic of China of Articles Restricted from Import and Export” (Customs Notice No. 43), dried seafood involving endangered and precious animals are articles restricted from import, and such articles carried by visitors in their luggage for import and export should be limited to reasonable quantities for personal use. However, some members of the industry in Hong Kong have relayed that Mainland visitors still encounter difficulties in carrying dried seafood for custom clearance, and bird’s nest products remain prohibited from being carried into the Mainland, dampening the desire of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong to purchase such products. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it knows the actual situation of visitors crossing the boundary carrying dried seafood and bird’s nest products into the Mainland at present, including how the provisions of the Catalog are implemented and the specific definition of “reasonable quantities for personal use”; if so, of the details; if not, whether the SAR Government will gain a detailed understanding from the relevant Mainland authorities;
 
(2) whether, in the past five years, the SAR Government has discussed with the Mainland authorities the arrangements for exempting Hong Kong dried seafood and bird’s nest products from customs clearance; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether the SAR Government will further discuss with the Mainland authorities, including relaxing the quantity of dried seafood that visitors are allowed to carry into the Mainland and the proposal to allow visitors to carry quarantine bird’s nest products sold in Hong Kong into the Mainland; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:

President,
 
Hong Kong legislation regulates the export of animal products in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). For animal products (whether regulated under CITES), the Government provides sanitary certification services to assist local exporters in meeting the quarantine and sanitary requirements of importing countries/places.
 
The reply to the question from the Hon Shiu Ka-fai is as follows:

(1) According to the “Catalogue of Animals and Plants, Animal and Plant Products and other Quarantine Objects Prohibited from being Carried or Mailed into the People’s Republic of China” (the Catalogue) revised by the Mainland authorities in 2021, the Mainland prohibits the carrying or mailing of a range of animals, plants, and their products, as well as other quarantine objects into the Mainland. Among others, bird’s nest (except commercially sterilised canned bird’s nest products) and aquatic animal products are still listed in the Catalogue and cannot be carried or mailed into the Mainland. Dried aquatic animal products not involving endangered species are not under the prohibited Catalogue. At present, passengers carrying such dried aquatic animal products to the Mainland do not need to apply for permits or sanitary/health certificates from the HKSAR Government. As regards the restriction on personal items that individual travellers can carry, including the definition of “reasonable quantity for personal use”, falls under the jurisdiction of the Mainland authorities and the judgment of law enforcement officers.

(2) & (3) Regarding bird’s nest products, the HKSAR Government and the Mainland authorities in earlier years signed a joint quarantine management plan for bird’s nest products purchased by travellers in Hong Kong and brought into the Mainland. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has been actively collaborating and assisting the trade by recommending manufacturers that meet the relevant registration requirements to the Mainland authorities, and holding meetings with the trade and the Mainland authorities to discuss optimising the implementation details.
 
The HKSAR Government will continue to assist the local trade in exporting animal products through our services in issuing relevant sanitary/health certificates. As regards restrictions on personal items carried by individual travellers, we need to respect the import and export control and regulations of different regions. The HKSAR Government will continue to maintain communication with the Mainland authorities and the trade, and actively convey the trade’s demands and views.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:
 
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
 
     As the Hong Kong Observatory has cancelled all typhoon warning signals, the Civil Engineering and Development Department today (September 25) announced that the Mui Wo Temporary Public Fill Reception Facility will be reopened at 1pm for public use.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Leung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):

Question:

     Applied Learning (ApL), as an elective in the senior secondary curriculum, emphasises practicality and focuses on learning elements linked to different vocational fields. It serves as a key component in the interface between local secondary education and vocational and professional education and training (VPET) as well as the promotion of VPET. There are views that, given the increasing emphasis placed on VPET by both our country and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, coupled with the establishment of the second university of applied sciences (UAS) in November last year, there will be better integration between ApL subjects in senior secondary education and UAS. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that, among the 7 891 candidates sitting for ApL subjects in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE) 2025, the distribution of candidates across subjects was highly uneven, in which the most popular subject “Pâtisserie and Café Operations” attracted nearly 1 000 candidates, while more than half of the subjects recorded fewer than 100 candidates and nobody sat for the subject “Computer Forensic Technology”, whether the authorities have assessed the reasons for the popularity or unpopularity of certain subjects among candidates;

(2) since the establishment of ApL subjects, how the authorities assess their effectiveness; apart from the number of candidates sitting for these subjects in the HKDSE, whether the authorities have formulated other performance indicators;

(3) whether the authorities will consider reviewing afresh the effectiveness of ApL subjects, such as whether the subjects can bring tangible benefits to students by enhancing their job-seeking skills, in order to further consolidate the subjects as well as the existing resources, and thereby improving the quality of the courses;

(4) as there are views that a relatively simple assessment approach is adopted for ApL subjects in the HKDSE than that of the Category A Senior Secondary subjects, whether the authorities have considered adopting the standard-referenced approach used for Category A Senior Secondary subjects in the assessment of ApL subjects and differentiating candidates with outstanding performance through five grades (i.e. level 1 to level 5, with level 5 further subdivided into 5* and 5**);

(5) as it is learnt that local universities attach relatively little importance to ApL subjects in consideration of student admission or simply disregard the results of such subjects in the HKDSE, ApL subjects are considered as an inferior option for candidates, or even be regarded as options for those with weaker academic performance, of the means through which the authorities enhance the recognition of the subjects;

(6) as it is learnt that credits earned by Australian high school students in VPET courses at upper secondary level can be directly transferred to certain university programmes, thereby increasing the incentives for students to pursue VPET education, following the establishment of the new UAS, whether the authorities will consider promoting collaboration between universities and secondary schools to strengthen articulation between ApL subjects and university programmes; and

(7) following the establishment of the UAS Alliance in November last year, of new policy initiatives put in place by the authorities to further promote the deep integration of UAS programmes with the industries concerned?

Reply:

President,

     The reply to the questions raised by the Hon Leung Man-kwong is as follows:

(1) to (3) Applied Learning (ApL) is a valued senior secondary elective subject under Category B of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSE). It complements senior secondary subjects under Category A (subjects under the Key Learning Areas) and Category C (Other Languages courses), enriching students’ subject choices. ApL, putting dual emphasis on theory and practice, is linked to vocational and professional fields. It helps students enhance their understanding of vocational and professional education and training (VPET), and prepares them for further studies and career pursuits in the future.

     ApL has expanded from 30 courses at its inception to nearly 60 courses at present (please refer to the Education Bureau (EDB) website at www.edb.gov.hk/apl/courselist2028HKDSE for the list of courses). It covers six Areas of Studies, namely:
(1) Creative Studies;
(2) Media and Communication;
(3) Business, Management and Law;
(4) Services;
(5) Applied Science; and
(6) Engineering and Production.

     Students may choose to take suitable courses based on their interests, aspirations and abilities. As students’ learning interests, aspirations and abilities vary, it is normal for variance in enrolment figures across different ApL courses.

     In curriculum planning, the EDB uphold professional principles and holistically consider factors such as student needs, social development and resources, rather than relying solely on the enrolment figures as the basis for planning. A variety of courses are offered to cater for students with diverse abilities, interests and career aspirations. To assure course quality, the EDB has established a quality assurance mechanism involving the Curriculum Development Council Committee on ApL, the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA). This ensures that the course design, implementation and learning outcomes meet the set standards.

     The EDB continuously collects data and feedback from stakeholders to review the effectiveness of the implementation of ApL courses. The number of candidates entering for the HKDSE ApL subjects has continued to increase over the past five years, showing a notable increase from 3 430 in 2021 to 7 891 in 2025. The percentage of candidates taking ApL subjects has risen from 6.6 per cent in 2021 to 14.1 per cent in 2025 (see Annex for details). Approximately 90 per cent of the candidates achieved “Attained” or above, and the percentage of candidates achieving “Attained with Distinction” (including “Attained with Distinction (I)” and “Attained with Distinction (II)”) ranged from 26 per cent to 32 per cent. In addition, stakeholders including schools, students, parents and course providers express high satisfaction with ApL and agree on ApL’s positive impact on students’ personal growth, generic skills, industry knowledge, and future development. Data shows that over 90 per cent of ApL graduates have pursued further studies, articulating to different programmes, while about 5 per cent have taken up full-time or part-time employment. Overall, the enrolment of ApL shows an upward trend; candidate performance remains stable; and the courses help students explore future pathways.

     The EDB will continue to review and renew ApL courses, gauge stakeholders’ views by engaging the industry and the education sectors in close communication, and maintain regular exchanges with course providers, so as to develop diversified and up-to-date ApL courses, such as the new courses related to generative artificial intelligence and low-altitude economy introduced this year, to enrich students’ subject choices.

(4) The duration of each ApL subject is 180 contact hours. The learning content focuses on practical learning elements with dual emphasis on theory and practice linked to vocational and professional fields. There is no public examination, and the assessment is administered by the respective course providers. ApL and Category A subjects differ in terms of course duration, learning content and assessment, hence making direct comparisons between the two is not appropriate. As for the grading of ApL, the EDB are collecting views from stakeholders and in discussion with the HKEAA to explore the feasibility of optimising the results reporting of ApL.

(5) to (7) University admission has been following the principle of institutional autonomy. Individual institutions, faculties or programmes may consider ApL subjects as electives, or subjects for award of extra bonus or additional information. Taking the applied degree programmes of universities of applied sciences (UAS) as an example, ApL subjects are considered as elective subjects for most of these programmes. The EDB will continue to communicate with post-secondary institutions to promote ApL and deepen their understanding of ApL. The EDB also publicise through different means and channels, including organising course exhibitions, broadcasting television announcements of public interest and videos on ApL graduates’ success stories as well as arranging parent seminars (relevant information has been uploaded onto the EDB website at www.edb.gov.hk/en/apl/ref-and-resources), to deepen the understanding of ApL among stakeholders and the public, thereby enhancing the recognition of ApL.

     In fact, the Government has been promoting VPET through the strategy of fostering industry-institution collaboration and diversified development, encouraging young people to choose their articulation pathways and join different industries based on their abilities and interests. Specifically, in order to strengthen the VPET articulation pathway and enhance the status of VPET at degree level, the Government promulgated the criteria for qualifying as UAS in February 2024. Subsequently, the Government announced that the Hong Kong Metropolitan University and Saint Francis University had undergone stringent procedures and reviews and qualified as the first two UAS in Hong Kong in March and November 2024 respectively. The Government will continue to promote the development of UAS and support more post-secondary institutions that are capable and aspire to become UAS to develop along that direction and make relevant planning. Through the Alliance of UAS established in November 2024, the Government will also encourage post-secondary institutions to carry out joint promotion with the industries and the school sector to provide diversified pathways for students of different backgrounds.

     In addition, with the support from the EDB, the Vocational Training Council (VTC) has launched in secondary schools an innovative pilot project, the Diploma of Vocational Education (Senior Secondary Curriculum) (DVE(SSC)), starting from the 2023/24 academic year, to allow senior secondary school students to pursue VPET-related programmes embedded in the HKDSE curriculum. The pilot project integrates VPET elements into the HKDSE framework, covering Vocational English and Vocational Chinese, relevant Category A elective subjects of the HKDSE with additional lesson hours of extended learning, ApL courses and Other Learning Experiences. Upon completion of the programme, students will be awarded, alongside their HKDSE qualification, a DVE(SSC) at Qualifications Framework Level 3 and may articulate to relevant Higher Diploma programmes of VTC, thereby enhancing the VPET articulation pathway. In the 2025/26 academic year, the pilot project covers two subject areas, namely ” Hospitality” and “Information Technology”, with around 120 participating students from six secondary schools. The EDB will continue to support the relevant work.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Edmund Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):

Question:

     It is learnt that in recent years, many restaurants have purchased “premade dishes” from external sources or produced them in-house to enhance efficiency and reduce operating costs. However, Hong Kong currently has no dedicated legislation governing the production, transportation and sale of premade dishes, and protecting the relevant consumer rights. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of cases involving food safety problems in restaurants received by the Government in each of the past three years and, among them, the number of those involving premade dishes;

(2) as the State Administration for Market Regulation and five other ministries jointly issued the Notice of Strengthening the Regulation of the Food Safety of Premade Dishes and Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Industry last year, which for the first time clearly defines premade dishes and their scope and enhances the regulation of the food safety of premade dishes, whether the authorities will make reference to such practices in order to strengthen the regulation of premade dishes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) as some consumers are of the view that they have the right to know whether the food provided by restaurants is a premade dish before patronizing them, whether the authorities will consider requiring restaurants to label food that is a premade dish; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     “Prepared dishes” is a relatively new term which has yet to have a standardised international definition. Interpretations of what constitutes “prepared dishes” can vary among different members of the trade and consumers. Generally, “prepared dishes” refer to finished or semi-finished foods upon processing and cooking, including dishes that only require reheating before consumption.

     From the perspective of food safety, all food items sold in Hong Kong, regardless of whether they are “prepared dishes” or not, are subject to stringent regulation and they must comply with the requirements as set out in food safety legislation. Local food factories must obtain a food factory licence from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) under the Food Business Regulation. For foods not produced locally, the Food Safety Ordinance stipulates that food importers and distributors shall keep food records to ensure that the Government can trace the source of food items quickly and effectively for appropriate follow-up actions. 

     Certain high-risk imported foods are subject to specific legislation and must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the competent authority of the place of origin and an import permission issued by the FEHD. Restaurants must comply with all relevant legislation and licencing requirements when serving food. In the event of food safety complaints or incidents, the FEHD will conduct investigations and institute prosecutions under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance.

     In other words, different types of food, including “prepared dishes”, are regulated by existing food safety legislation at all stages from production and import to sale. To assist the trade in understanding the pertinent requirements, the FEHD published the Food Hygiene Code, which spells out the food hygiene and safety standards that food premises must follow based on statutory and licencing conditions. The Code covers various aspects of production, handling, delivery, storage, and sale of different types of food, and offers recommendations and guidelines for meeting these standards.

     Regarding the questions raised by the Hon Wong, my reply is as follows:

(1) From 2023 until August of this year, the FEHD performed over 446 000 inspections at licensed/permitted food premises and instituted a total of 4 215 prosecutions involving various food safety irregularities. As food premises serving or not serving “prepared dishes” shall meet the same food safety and environmental hygiene conditions, the FEHD does not keep separate prosecution figures specifically related to “prepared dishes”.

     Besides, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) collects food samples for testing at import, wholesale and retail levels under a risk-based principle on an ongoing basis. During the same period, the CFS tested about 1 350 prepackaged food samples for chemical, microbiological, and radiation levels. Except for one sample with unsatisfactory result in the microbiological test, the results of all other samples were satisfactory. The satisfactory rate is comparable with the overall rate for CFS’s Food Surveillance Programme.

(2) The Mainland authorities issued the Notice of Strengthening the Regulation of the Food Safety of Premade Dishes and Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Industry in March last year. The Notice proposed the formulation of food safety standards for “prepared dishes”, along with various measures to strengthen the regulation of the food safety of “prepared dishes” and promote the high-quality development of the “prepared dishes” industry. In June this year, the CFS also released Prepared Dishes – Food Safety Advice for Food Businesses and Consumers to assist the trade in taking appropriate measures for producing and supplying safe and hygienic “prepared dishes”. For instance, the food trade is reminded to cook and reheat “prepared dishes” thoroughly, and make sure that the cold chain is well maintained during transportation and storage to prevent “prepared dishes” from being exposed to the “Temperature Danger Zone” (i.e. between 4°C and 60°C), etc.

(3) The Notice issued by the Mainland authorities calls for stepping up the promotion of explicit labelling of “prepared dishes” in the catering sector, yet such a recommendation is an encouragement by nature. It is not mandatory with any binding effect. From the perspective of food safety, the safety of food served in restaurants does not depend on whether or not prepared ingredients are used. Imposing a mandatory labelling requirement on restaurants will not lead to further improvement in food safety.

     As for consumers who wish to know whether a restaurant serves “prepared dishes” before visiting, as mentioned earlier, the understanding and expectations of individuals regarding what constitutes “prepared dishes” differ. For instance, should any dish containing prepared ingredients be regarded as a “prepared dish”? In some cases where only certain ingredients are prepared while the rest are made freshly on-site, should the dish still be classified as a “prepared dish”? Is it reasonable and practical to require restaurants to list the prepared ingredients of each dish separately? These are factors that we have to take into account.

     In reality, given the wide variety of ingredients and cooking methods, it is challenging to establish a precise and clear definition of “prepared dishes”. If a mandatory labelling requirement for “prepared dishes” is imposed on “prepared dishes”, not only would it present enforcement challenges, but also potentially give rise to disagreements between restaurants and consumers.

     President, with advancements in processing and packaging technologies, prepared foods and ingredients have continued to become better in various aspects of preservation, sterilisation, quality and taste. We support the food trade’s endeavours to innovate and change to meet market demands as well as to keep optimising the food supply chain. 

     As I mentioned earlier, the term “prepared dishes” is relatively recent, and the Mainland is researching the establishment of national standards for the food safety of these dishes. There are also media reports on an upcoming plan by the National Health Commission to solicit public views on its draft legislation on National Standards for the Food Safety of Premade Dishes. We will closely monitor the development of “prepared dishes” both on the Mainland and locally, as well as implement suitable measures to safeguard public health and promote high-quality development of the food trade.

     Thank you, President.