Month: November 2025

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to false and threatening statements on Taiwan’s sovereignty made by Chinese Defense Minister Dong during meeting with US Secretary of War Hegseth

Date：2025-10-31
Data Source：Department of Policy Planning

October 31, 2025  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country; that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other; and that the future of Taiwan can only be decided by the people of Taiwan. These are objective facts and the general consensus of the international community.
 
China continues to exert pressure on other nations, attempting to coerce them into aligning with or accepting its position. This underscores China’s arrogance and hegemonic mentality. MOFA calls on the world to work with democratic Taiwan to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the region and to oppose China’s efforts to unilaterally change the status quo.
 
MOFA refutes in the strongest possible terms the fallacious and threatening statements made by Chinese Minister of Defense Dong Jun during his meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Malaysia on October 31, including his remarks that the United States should be cautious in its words and actions regarding Taiwan and that it should “take a clear stance against Taiwan independence.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 4) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in areas in Germany, the United States (US) and Italy, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in an area in Japan respectively, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the relevant areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

The relevant areas are as follows:

Germany
—-
State of Sachsen-Anhalt
(1) District of Mansfeld-Südharz

US
—-
State of Indiana
(2) Elkhart County
(3) LaGrange County

State of Minnesota
(4) Meeker County

State of Pennsylvania
(5) Lancaster County

Italy
—-
Region of Emilia-Romagna
(6) Province of Modena
(7) Province of Parma

Japan
—-
(8) Niigata Prefecture

A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, in the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany; about 40 060 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat and about 2.62 million poultry eggs from the US; about 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 10 000 poultry eggs from Italy; and about 1 540 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 219.73 million poultry eggs from Japan.

“The CFS has contacted the German, American, Italian and Japanese authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) supported the participation of two Hong Kong music talents in the 10th World Harmonica Festival (WHF), held in Trossingen, Germany, from October 29 to November 2 (Trossingen Time). The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau also provided funding support for the tour. 

     Cy Leo, a two-time solo harmonica virtuoso world champion, served as a jury member at the WHF, a world-renowned classical harmonica competition. On November 1, he staged a duo performance with pianist Joyce Cheung, delivering pieces blending classical jazz mastery with a genre-crossing style. He also performed together with German top harmonica virtuoso Konstantin Reinfeld at the festival’s grand finale. 

     On October 30, Cy Leo made a guest performance at the concert of internationally acclaimed harmonica player and composer, Jang Li. He also conducted a workshop, sharing his musical journey with approximately 50 participants.

About HKETO Berlin

     HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (November 4), led a delegation to Shenzhen to attend the second meeting in 2025 of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Working Group on Environmental Protection. 
 
The meeting reviewed the collaborative achievements of the Joint Working Group over the past year. Hong Kong and Shenzhen have strengthened the close collaboration of the Joint Working Group in the past year. Exchanges such as thematic discussions and exchange visits increased by more than half compared to the past. In-depth discussions covered topics including the water ecology of Shenzhen Bay, regional atmospheric environment, ecological conservation, and resources circulation, jointly building a beautiful bay area.
 
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been continuously promoting various measures to improve air quality. The overall air quality in Hong Kong has been improving in recent years, with concentrations of major air pollutants continuously decreasing and remaining at low levels since Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland. Electric vehicles have become increasingly popular in Hong Kong, with the number increased to about nine times of that six years ago. Currently, about seven out of every 10 newly registered private cars are electric, and the growth rate is among the highest in the world. With the further development of green transport, Hong Kong’s air quality will continue to improve.
 
On water quality of Shenzhen Bay, through the joint efforts of both sides, a long-term significant improvement trend has been observed since the mid-2000s, with total inorganic nitrogen levels dropping by over 50 per cent compared with the period around Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland. 
 
The progress of carbon inclusivity of both sides was also discussed at the meeting. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said that the Green$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme has over 1.1 million registered users, with an accumulative total of over 120 000 tonnes of recyclables and food waste collected.
 
On ecological conservation, the HKSAR Government continues to strengthen the protection of the Wetland of International Importance in the Deep Bay area and is actively promoting the construction of the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park in the Northern Metropolis, actively supporting the development of the International Mangrove Center in Shenzhen at the same time. Hong Kong and Shenzhen will continue to exchange experiences on country parks management, public education, and relevant conservation efforts for species such as corals and butterflies, and promote hiking etiquette.

Representatives of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) shared at the meeting that through distributing promotional leaflets and engaging local and Chinese Mainland social media such as Xiaohongshu to promote safety tips on hiking to visitors and hikers, such as using designated trails, protecting the environment and ecology, avoiding disturbance or harm to wildlife, and “Take Your Litter Home”. 
 
Mr Tse expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of various departments of the Shenzhen Municipal Government. He hoped that both sides will continue the joint efforts under the framework of the Joint Working Group, striving to achieve the dual carbon goals in pollution management and waste management, as well as to have greater achievements in developing biodiversity, building beautiful bays, and expanding environmental technology co-operation and development under the Belt and Road Initiative, continuously achieving new progress and breakthroughs.
 
The Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Mr Eddie Cheung; the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui; and representatives from the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the EPD and the AFCD also attended the meeting. 
 
Mr Tse returned to Hong Kong this evening. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The main session of the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit (Summit), organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), successfully concluded today (November 4). The event brought together approximately 300 global financial leaders, including over 100 group chairmen or chief executive officers.
 
     The theme of this year’s Main Summit is “Trekking through Shifting Terrain”. Vice Premier of the State Council Mr He Lifeng delivered an opening keynote at the Main Summit by video. It was followed by discussions on key recent developments in global economy and trade, financial markets, as well as technology and innovation. Speakers focused on how the global financial community can navigate through the shifting landscape to capture opportunities, while staying vigilant of the evolving risks.
 
     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “This is the fourth consecutive year that the HKMA is hosting the Summit. The Summit has now matured into a forum that brings together global financial leaders to share insights and learn from each other, leveraging the collective wisdom to trek through the shifting terrain of macroeconomic, market and technological changes and uncertainties.”
 
     The event attracted global financial leaders across a wide range of sectors, including banks, securities firms, asset owners, asset managers, private equity and venture capital firms, hedge funds and insurers. The Summit programme, live streaming and replay are available on the HKMA’s website.
 
     The three-day Summit commenced with a welcome dinner at the Hong Kong Palace Museum yesterday (November 3) and will conclude tomorrow (November 5) with the “Conversations with Global Investors” investment forum co-organised by the HKMA, the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Academy of Finance.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival (HKFW x SMUF) 2025 main conference concluded today (November 4) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, setting the tone for a week-long celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship and financial technology across the city.

The two-day main conference ran November 3 and 4, and brought together government officials, regulators, fintech innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders from around the world for a series of forward-looking panels, keynote speeches and policy discussions. This year marks the 10th anniversary of both Hong Kong FinTech Week and the StartmeupHK Festival, held together for the first time, a testament to Hong Kong’s commitment to advancing the digital economy and strengthening its position as a global centre for fintech and start-up growth.

The week-long events will continue through to November 7, featuring a wide range of community and partner functions held citywide. The week is expected to welcome over 37 000 participants from over 100 economies to the city, including some 800 distinguished speakers, over 700 exhibitors and more than 30 Mainland and international delegations.

Celebrating a decade of innovation and scaling

The two-day main conference was organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission and the Insurance Authority, with Finoverse as the appointed event organiser.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, officiated at the opening of the main conference, emphasising Hong Kong’s strength as a bridge between innovation and collaboration in his speech. Mr Lee remarked, “Hong Kong is made for collaboration and built for innovation – for companies, entrepreneurs, investors and professionals.”

Mr Lee said that in this year’s World Investment Report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Hong Kong moved up to third place overall in foreign direct investment inflows. He also highlighted Hong Kong’s fundraising achievements at initial public offerings this year, which underlined the city’s revitalised status as the world’s premier listing and capital-raising venue.

     “These and other international kudos reflect Hong Kong’s status as a ‘super connector’ and ‘super value-adder’. We help to link the markets from China, our country, with those around the globe. We help start-ups go from local prototypes to global success,” said Mr Lee.

The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, joined a panel discussion alongside the Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau; Group Chief Executive of HSBC, Mr Georges Elhedery; and Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered, Mr Bill Winters.

Mr Chan opened the panel discussion by sharing insights on Hong Kong’s strategic vision for financial innovation, emphasising the vast potential of digitalisation as well as the role of the city’s regulators in enabling this. “As we mark the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong FinTech Week and the StartmeupHK Festival, we’re celebrating a decade of impact, ambition and bold ideas. These two signature events have brought together visionary entrepreneurs, global investors, policymakers, and industry pioneers from around the world – all united by a shared belief: that technology can make finance more inclusive, more efficient and more human”, he said.  

Resilient and thriving start-up ecosystem

During his keynote on day two, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, highlighted the sheer pace of growth in Hong Kong’s start-up ecosystem, which has over the past decade nearly tripled to 4 700 as of last year with a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent.  

Mr Yau zoomed in on Hong Kong’s start-up ecosystem today, noting that it is not only a hub for financial innovation, but also a launch pad for breakthroughs of all innovation sectors, covering edutech, e-commerce, logistics technology, robotics, data analytics, greentech, etc. “The city’s entrepreneurial spirit, global connectivity and cross-border synergies make it a fertile ground for innovative ideas to grow and industries to transform,” he said.

Mr Yau also outlined government measures to support the continued growth of start-ups. “On intellectual property (IP), we will assist innovative companies in leveraging IPs for financing to enhance the IP trade ecosystem. This includes launching an IP financing sandbox pilot project, providing patent evaluation for companies, etc.

     “There are also other supportive measures in place, such as the enhanced Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement agreement, the new company re-domiciliation regime, various SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) funding schemes, as well as tax concessions.”

The second day also witnessed the grand finale of the flagship Global Fast Track 2025 pitching competition. Now in its eighth edition, the competition attracted over 700 applicants from 70 economies, culminating in an in-person final pitch at the main conference where entrepreneurs presented their solutions to investors, regulators and corporate partners. United States-based Speratum Biopharma Inc was crowned the winner of the International Category, while First Quadrant was the winner of the Chinese Mainland Category.

The integration of the StartmeupHK Festival with Hong Kong FinTech Week this year created a single mega platform for entrepreneurs and investors to connect. Start-ups across Asia, the Chinese Mainland, Europe and the Middle East joined pitching sessions, venture showcases and ecosystem dialogues, enabling direct engagement with global venture capital and corporate innovation teams.

Global executives descend on Hong Kong

The main conference featured 11 themed forums, spanning topics from AI & Advanced Tech Forum, Digital Assets Forum, HealthTech Forum to China-Global Innovation Forum. Headline speakers spanned global leaders from technology to finance and beyond:  

• The Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered, Mr Bill Winters;
• The Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum, Ms Drew Propson; 
• The Chairman of Ant Group, Mr Eric Jing;
• The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 3C AGI Partners, Ms Esther Wong;
• The Corporate Vice President, Head of Tencent Financial Technology, Tencent, Mr Forest Lin;
• Nobel Laureate in Physics, Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto, Mr Geoffrey Hinton;
• The Group Chief Executive of HSBC, Mr Georges Elhedery;
• The President and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Templeton, Ms Jenny Johnson;
• The President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Mr Jin Liqun; and
• Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China, Mr Lu Lei.

 
Their participation underscored Hong Kong’s unique role as a global meeting point for technology, finance and entrepreneurism.

Momentum continues

While the main conference has successfully wrapped up, HKFW x SMUF 2025 continues across the city through to November 7, set to draw more participants attending network programmes, community events and innovation showcases, bringing together global start-up, fintech and investor communities.  

Events include the AWS VC Day, the Cyberport Venture Capital Forum 2025, IPEM Asia, the RWA: Onboard Summit and many more. The full list of official events can be found here.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The main session of the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit, organised by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), was held successfully today, bringing together about 300 global financial leaders, including over 100 group chairmen or chief executive officers.

The theme of this year’s main summit was “Trekking through Shifting Terrain”, and State Council Vice Premier He Lifeng delivered an opening keynote at the main summit by video.

It was followed by discussions on key recent developments in global economy and trade, financial markets as well as technology and innovation. Speakers focused on how the global financial community can navigate through the shifting landscape to capture opportunities, while staying vigilant of the evolving risks.

The event attracted global financial leaders across a wide range of sectors, including banks, securities firms, asset owners, asset managers, private equity and venture capital firms, hedge funds and insurers.

The three-day summit commenced with a welcome dinner at the Hong Kong Palace Museum yesterday and will conclude tomorrow with the “Conversations with Global Investors” investment forum co-organised by the HKMA, the Securities & Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Academy of Finance.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The two-day main conference of the Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival 2025 concluded today.

Running from November 3 to 4, the event brought together government officials, regulators, fintech innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders from around the world for a series of forward-looking panels, keynote speeches and policy discussions.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of both Hong Kong FinTech Week and the StartmeupHK Festival, a testament to Hong Kong’s commitment to advancing the digital economy and strengthening its position as a global centre for fintech and startup growth.

Officiating at the opening of the main conference, Chief Executive John Lee said: “Hong Kong is made for collaboration and built for innovation – for companies, entrepreneurs, investors and professionals.”

In this year’s World Investment Report, Hong Kong moved up to third place overall in foreign direct investment inflows. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s fundraising achievements at initial public offerings underlined the city’s revitalised status as the world’s premier listing and capital-raising venue.

Mr Lee highlighted: “These and other international kudos reflect Hong Kong’s status as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’. We help to link the markets from China, our country, with those around the globe. We help startups go from local prototypes to global success.”

At a panel discussion, Financial Secretary Paul Chan shared his views on Hong Kong’s strategic vision for financial innovation, emphasising the vast potential of digitalisation as well as the role of the city’s regulators in enabling this.

Separately, in a keynote speech on day two, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau noted that over the past decade, Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem nearly tripled to 4,700, showing a year-on-year increase of 10%.

“The city’s entrepreneurial spirit, global connectivity and cross-border synergies make it a fertile ground for innovative ideas to grow and industries to transform,” Mr Yau remarked.

The integration of the StartmeupHK Festival with Hong Kong FinTech Week this year created a mega platform for entrepreneurs and investors to connect. Startups across Asia, the Chinese Mainland, Europe and the Middle East joined pitching sessions, venture showcases and ecosystem dialogues, enabling direct engagement with global venture capital and corporate innovation teams. The main conference featured 11 themed forums, spanning topics from artificial intelligence, digital assets, healthtech to innovation.

Affiliated events will be held across the city through November 7.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Four new features have been added to the 18111 Mental Health Support Hotline from today, namely WhatsApp support, multi-language support, a scheduled call-back service, and additional optional services, with a view to enhancing mental health support for the public.

WhatsApp support

Mindful modern communication habits, the 18111 hotline now offers WhatsApp support, allowing users to send instant messages and receive immediate online support from trained staff.

The Health Bureau said this feature caters to younger people and anyone hesitant to make a phone call. It also enables citizens with hearing or speech impairments to seek assistance in a more convenient manner, thereby enhancing the hotline’s accessibility.

Multi-language support

In addition to Cantonese, Mandarin and English, the hotline now supports nine other languages, namely Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Punjabi, Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Bengali, and Thai.

Scheduled call-back

Users can request a call via phone, voicemail or WhatsApp. Staff will contact them at a scheduled time.

Additional optional services

Citizens can also receive information on support services and stress management techniques. Via the “Real People Library” function, they can listen to recordings of people in recovery talking about ways to cope with difficult situations and how to seek help. Available via voice navigation or WhatsApp, these additional services give users instant access to supporting information and advice.

Officiating at the “18111 Mental Health Support Hotline: the New Features Launch Ceremony” today, Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said: “Drawing on 22 months of operational experience of the 18111 Mental Health Support Hotline, we have introduced four new features for the Hotline to respond to various needs of the public, offering more thoughtful, convenient, and comprehensive emotional support to the public.

“Should any member of the public be in mental distress or have mental health needs, I encourage them to call the Hotline to seek appropriate support.”