Month: September 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, led a cross-professional delegation comprising members of Hong Kong’s legal, arbitration and mediation sectors, as well as the financial and business sectors, to visit Urumqi, Xinjiang. The delegation attended a seminar on advantages of Hong Kong’s common law system and met with local leaders to promote Hong Kong’s legal and other professional services, with a view to strengthening the co-operation between Hong Kong and Xinjiang and jointly contributing to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
      
     Mr Lam yesterday afternoon (September 12) attended a seminar on the role of Hong Kong’s common law system in contributing to the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and a networking dinner organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Xinjiang Lawyers Association, participants included Xinjiang’s business and legal representatives. At the seminar, legal representatives from the delegation addressed key legal issues in cross-border business operations, and explained how Hong Kong’s legal services can help safeguard cross-border investment and trade, while representatives from the financial sector highlighted Hong Kong’s advantages as a financing platform for enterprises. Other delegates also shared relevant case studies and practical experiences. Mr Lam said that Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction in China, and possesses unique strengths of internationalisation, high standards, and strong credibility in its common law system. As an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, Hong Kong’s professional service teams are capable and willing to leverage their expertise to contribute to Xinjiang’s high-quality development.
      
     During the seminar, the DoJ and the Department of Justice of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region signed a framework agreement for legal service co-operation. Under the agreement, the department of justice of the two places will foster exchanges and business co-operation between Xinjiang and Hong Kong’s legal sector. Additionally, the Hong Kong Bar Association signed a memorandum of co-operation with the Xinjiang Lawyers Association to strengthen the collaboration between Xinjiang lawyers and Hong Kong barristers, promoting further professional exchanges and co-operation between the legal professions of Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
      
     On the same day morning, Mr Lam met with the Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Committee, Mr Chen Xiaojiang, to learn about the latest development in Xinjiang, and briefed him the unique advantages of Hong Kong’s common law system. Noting that Hong Kong brings together top international legal talent and provides high-level professional legal services, combined with various measures in deepening international exchanges and co-operation, Mr Lam said that Hong Kong can contribute to Xinjiang’s opening up.
      
     Mr Lam also met with the Department of Justice of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. During the meeting, he had in-depth exchanges with Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Mr Pan Xi and the Party Secretary of Department of Justice of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Mr Liu Jiansheng, discussing ways to facilitate exchanges and co-operation between the legal sectors in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, support arbitration institutions in the two places to establish a platform for strengthening collaboration in international commercial arbitration and mediation, and to promote exchanges and training of foreign-related legal talent between the two places.
      
     After attending a luncheon with Deputy Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Committee, Mr Chen Mingguo, at noon, Mr Lam and the delegation visited the Silk Road Economic Belt Legal Service District and the Urumqi Court of International Arbitration to learn about their operations. The Silk Road Economic Belt Legal Service District provides high-quality legal services for local Belt and Road economic and trade co-operation. It aims to actively bring in more foreign-related legal service institutions with international influence to serve the development of core zones in the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Silk Road Economic Belt.
      
     Mr Lam today (September 13) visited a Hong Kong-invested enterprise and the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi. He also met with Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction, Mr Xue Bin, to learn about the local needs for cross-border professional services and explore co-operation opportunities between the two places.
      
     Mr Lam will conclude his visit in Xinjiang and return to Hong Kong tomorrow (September 14).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, today (September 13) attended the 2025 Capital International Medical Congress in Beijing, where he shed light on various initiatives of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government to promote Hong Kong as an international medical innovation hub. Health authorities and experts from the mainland and overseas attended the congress.

At the invitation of the congress organiser, Dr Lam delivered a keynote speech on the theme of “Openness, Co-operation, Co-construction and Sharing”. “HKSAR’s health indicators and healthcare quality rank among the world’s best. Facing challenges such as aging population, technological advancement, and shifts in lifestyles and environmental conditions, institutional and technological innovation in healthcare will be the best way to ensure the sustainable development of medical services. In alignment with the strategies for healthcare reform and innovation outlined in the ‘Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address’, the Department of Health (DH) of the HKSAR will officially establish the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation by the end of next year (2026), the Centre will consolidate regulatory functions for Western and Chinese medicines, as well as medical devices, and enhance the existing regulatory regime in a holistic manner. Furthermore, the DH will implement ‘primary evaluation’ for new drug registration in phases beginning next year, with full implementation by 2030. This initiative will reduce Hong Kong’s reliance on overseas regulatory authorities for ‘secondary evaluation’ (i.e. applicants must provide approval from the drug regulatory authorities of at least two reference places for registration in Hong Kong). The initiative will also help the HKSAR to develop an internationally renowned medical products regulatory authority, drive the development of the local healthcare and biotechnology industries, and enable the public to benefit from the latest scientific research. Patients will have earlier access to innovative medical products that have been proven to be safe and effective, achieving the goal of making effective drugs and medical devices available in Hong Kong,” he said.

“Thanks to the strong support of the nation and leveraging the advantages of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, the HKSAR has been accepted as an observer by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). We will now actively pursue membership to promote the recognition of registration approvals in Hong Kong internationally, continuously injecting strong momentum into the development of the healthcare industries in Hong Kong and the Mainland,” Dr Lam added.

Dr Lam’s visit to Beijing was at the invitation of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission (BJHC) to attend the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services. During his stay, he led a delegation from the DH to meet with relevant public health and medical products regulatory institutions in Beijing to deepen exchanges and collaboration. Additionally, over the past three days (September 10-12), the delegation called on the National Health Commission (NHC), National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (NDCPA), the Department of Medical Emergency Response and the Department of Medical Administration. They were received by the Vice Minister of the NHC and the Administrator of the NDCPA, Professor Shen Hongbing. The delegation also called on the Health and Quarantine Department of the General Administration of Customs, the National Center for Mental Health and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

During these meetings, the delegation and the Mainland officials engaged in in-depth discussions on a wide range of public health issues, including joint prevention mechanism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; the latest developments in communicable disease surveillance; vaccination programmes; chronic disease prevention and control; cancer screening and prevention; port health quarantine measures; mental health promotion; professional exchange initiatives; and enhancing the regulation of drugs and medical devices. The DH also signed agreements with the BJHC and the Beijing Municipal Disease Prevention and Control Administration. These agreements lay a solid foundation for deepening future co-operation, and the sharing of experiences, resources and achievements. The capacity and accessibility of medical and health service systems in both places will also be greatly enhanced.

The DH delegation concluded its visit to Beijing today and returned to Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (September 13) that the shark prevention nets at Pui O Beach and Hung Shing Yeh Beach in Islands District have been repaired and the beaches are reopened.

The beaches were temporarily closed earlier for shark prevention net maintenance work.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

In response to media enquiries regarding whether there was any delay in the announcement made today (September 13) by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department concerning the recall of a kind of prepackaged cake from Korea (Brand: Orion), the CFS provided the following response:

On July 31, the CFS noted that a batch of Korean cake product was found to contain mould. The CFS immediately initiated an investigation and confirmed that the affected batch of product had not been imported into Hong Kong. A food incident post was published online on the same day to inform the public.

The CFS also promptly established direct communication with the Korean authority regarding the matter. On September 12, the CFS received a notification from the Korean authority that another batch of the imported product (Orion FISH SHAPED CAKE, 6PCS, 174 grams, best before December 9, 2025) might be affected by mould. The CFS immediately contacted and instructed the distributor to stop sales, remove from shelves the affected product and initiate a recall. A press release was also issued today.

The batch of product announced for recall today is different from the one identified in July. The CFS has, based on their specific circumstances, handled both cases promptly and issued public notices accordingly. The CFS will continue to follow up on the investigation to identify whether the affected product contain mould, in order to safeguard food safety.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Transportation to Cheung Chau has always depended on ferries, which are subject to scheduling constraints. In the event of an emergency, it may not be possible to meet urgent transportation needs such as medical delivery promptly.

Using drones to deliver medical supplies represents a significant breakthrough.

Revolutionary progress

Low-altitude Economy Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects encompass a wide range of sectors, including logistics and distribution.

One fine example involves the collaboration between a logistics company and the Hospital Authority to deliver medicines by drone. One of the pilot routes runs from Cyberport to St John Hospital in Cheung Chau.

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan inspected the project at Cheung Chau to learn about the latest developments in using drones for medical delivery.

She remarked that the pilot project is making a leap by transforming concepts into practical use.

Time-sensitive delivery

The logistics company’s Hong Kong & Macau Region Chief Technology Officer Kenny Lau explained that it takes about 45 to 65 minutes using current existing transportation, whereas the drone delivery just takes about 20 minutes for a 12-km flight from Cyberport to Cheung Chau.

“From the operational outcome, we find that the performance of drone operation is very stable and also for the communication signals. 

“We have confidence that we can complete all the tests in this pilot project.”

Timely treatment 

By leveraging the versatility and reliability of drone delivery, St John Hospital Accident & Emergency Department Associate Consultant Dr Maxime Mark believes that the pilot project will help improve medical services and benefit the public.

She said they would like to consider using drones to deliver urgent medical supplies like antivenoms from Hong Kong Island to Cheung Chau.

“Patients can stay in St John Hospital instead of being sent out to the urban area for treatment.”

Looking forward to having a safe and efficient transportation option for medical supplies that can enhance support for hospital operations in the future, the Hospital Authority will continue to collaborate with relevant departments on the pilot project to further test the drone delivery system.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, leading a cross-professional delegation, promoted Hong Kong’s legal and other professional services in Xinjiang to boost bilateral co-operation and jointly contribute to the Belt & Road Initiative.
     
While attending a seminar organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Xinjiang Lawyers Association yesterday, Mr Lam highlighted that Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction in China and noted that it possesses unique strengths of internationalisation, high standards, and strong credibility in its common law system.
 
As an international legal and dispute resolution services centre, Hong Kong’s professional service teams are capable and willing to leverage their expertise to contribute to Xinjiang’s high-quality development, he added.
     
The DoJ and the Department of Justice of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region signed a framework agreement for legal service co-operation at the seminar wherein the departments of justice of both places will foster exchanges and business co-operation.
 
Additionally, the Hong Kong Bar Association signed a memorandum of co-operation with the Xinjiang Lawyers Association to strengthen collaboration between Xinjiang lawyers and Hong Kong barristers to promote exchanges between the legal professions of both places.
     
Mr Lam also met Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Committee Chen Xiaojiang and the Department of Justice of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
     
After attending a luncheon with Deputy Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Committee Chen Mingguo, Mr Lam visited the Silk Road Economic Belt Legal Service District and the Urumqi Court of International Arbitration to learn about their operations.
     
Apart from touring a Hong Kong-invested enterprise and the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, Mr Lam met Vice Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Production & Construction Xue Bin.
 
Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong tomorrow.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Government of Singapore

Singapore, 13 September 2025 – Singapore continued to see a decrease in waste generation rate in 2024. Over the past decade, daily domestic waste generated per capita decreased by more than 20 per cent, and daily non-domestic waste generated per billion dollar Gross Domestic Product decreased by more than 30 per cent [1]. The reduction in waste generation is the outcome of households and businesses making more deliberate choices to embrace environmentally sustainable practices through reducing, reusing and recycling, and more can certainly be done.

2         The National Environment Agency (NEA) launched its annual campaign today to urge everyone to Say YES to Waste Less (SYTWL) and encourage further action. This year’s campaign highlights that every purchase decision presents an opportunity to waste less. The campaign features two main highlights: a four-episode online reality series and a roving exhibition called the “Waste Less Supermart”.

3         Over 260 partners across various sectors in Singapore have committed to promote the reduction of food waste and disposable items. This year, there are 99 new partners including: 

• Alexandra Hospital’s culinary team that implemented measures to repurpose excess food ingredients into new dishes and installed a biodigester to treat food waste.                                                              
• Frasers Property Singapore that implemented a first-of-its-kind food waste valorisation programme across five of its malls since January 2024. 
• Gain City who had replaced single-use plastic bags with recyclable shopping bags and encouraged customers to bring their own. Their food kiosks now provide a ‘less rice’ option to help reduce food waste, and their Megastore features a food waste machine that processes food scraps into compost.
• South East Community Development Council who had introduced an educational and sustainable programme to promote a zero-waste lifestyle that supports a circular economy in the community such as the Wormery Movement programme.

4          Other new SYTWL partners have introduced initiatives to reduce food waste and disposables. For example: 

• At Tea offers a 50-cent discount when customers bring their reusable tumblers and 10-cent discount when they opt out of disposable carriers.
• CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent promotes waste reduction through various initiatives. “Ask for Less Food” signages in the canteen encourage mindful food portions, while students are encouraged to bring reusable containers and cutlery for takeaways and during school programmes such as level camps.
• Kampong Chai Chee Grassroots Organisations (GROs) collaborated with Fridge Restock Community SG to distribute rescued vegetables and fruits to the residents. There are currently six distribution points across Kampong Chai Chee.
• National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is implementing key initiatives across its operations to support the campaign such as encouraging staff at its in-house café, NKF Kaki Corner, to bring reusable cups. Coffee grounds will also be made available as compost for staff and tenants to enrich their homegrown plants.
• National University of Singapore (NUS) has launched a campus-wide Bring-Your-Own (BYO) campaign from 11 August to 6 December 2025, reinforcing its commitment to shaping a zero-waste campus. The campaign combines incentives and deterrents: a $0.60 discount is offered for BYO takeaway drinks, while a $0.20 fee applies to drinks served in disposables.
• Naval Base Secondary School supports and promotes a culture of waste-less among staff and students. As part of their back-to-school package, reusable cutlery and water bottle were provided to all staff and students.
• At Open Farm Community, all food scraps and coffee grounds from the kitchen are repurposed into nutrient-rich compost. This compost is then used to make the soil in their urban farm.
• Sodexo Singapore Pte Ltd uses technology to track and analyse food waste data, helping culinary teams make data-driven decisions to reduce kitchen waste and minimise plate waste from guests.
• Toa Payoh East Zone 6 Residents’ Network (RN)’s ‘Dragon Pasar’ initiative sees about 70 dedicated volunteers partnering five shops in Little India, to collect surplus food items every Sunday. These food items are then re-packed and redistributed to residents via the 24-hour accessible chillers at the Residents’ Network’s centre.
• W Singapore – Sentosa Cove partners with Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) to convert food waste into fertiliser and supports marine conservation efforts, including oyster reef restoration and coral garden preservation.
• Start-up company, Yindii, tackles food waste via their app which connects restaurants, hotels, bakeries, and supermarkets with surplus food, offering it to consumers at half-price.

5          The full list of partners and their initiatives supporting this year’s campaign can be found in Annex A.

Reducing waste by rethinking our purchasing habits

6         The SYTWL campaign messages will reach wider audiences through various channels, including out-of-home advertising, digital and social media platforms, and community and school engagements. A key highlight is a four-episode online reality series titled “Waste Less? Say YES!”. The series challenges local personalities Avery Aloysius (987FM DJ), Chen Ning (YES933 DJ), Irene Ang, Suhaimi Yusof, Glenn Yong and many more to waste less in various point-of-purchase scenarios. It demonstrates how simple waste reduction can be when we make mindful purchasing decisions. The series will be released weekly on the Clean and Green Singapore (CGS) YouTube go.gov.sg/wastelesssayyes from 13 September 2025.

7         The “Waste Less Supermart” roving exhibition aims to encourage the public to rethink their purchasing habits by highlighting sustainable behaviours in various common scenarios such as dining out, grocery shopping, retail shopping and managing food wastage at home. The exhibition will feature activities, including upcycling workshops by Semula and The Sustainability Project, and interactive stations for exchanging food wastage reduction tips with others. There are also opportunities to contribute to a reusable bag rack by either swapping or donating a bag.

8          The “Waste Less Supermart” exhibition will be held at two locations. First, at 313@Somerset on 13 and 14 September 2025, where visitors can receive a complimentary iced coffee or tea from Starbucks when they bring their own reusable bottle or cup (while stocks last). The exhibition will then be held at IMM from 20 to 21 September 2025 where SYTWL collapsible cups will be distributed (while stocks last). Refer to go.gov.sg/wlsm for more information.

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