Month: December 2025

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The independent committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po has formally commenced work, as committee chairman David Lok convened the first meeting with members Chan Kin-por and Rex Auyeung today.

The committee’s terms of reference have wide scope with complex and wide-ranging issues to be covered.

They include examining the causes and circumstances that led to the blaze and its rapid spread at Wang Fuk Court, construction safety and related issues concerning building maintenance and renovation works, as well as systemic problems related to the tendering process of large-scale building maintenance and renovation works.

At today’s session, the committee discussed the work priorities and work plan preparations. Mr Lok reiterated that the committee will do its utmost in discharging its duties, aiming to complete work within nine months and submit a report to the Chief Executive.

The report and recommendations will be disclosed to the public with the exception of information involving judicial proceedings, he added.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Census & Statistics Department announced today that the 2026 Population Census will be conducted from January 1 to December 31, 2026.

At a press conference this afternoon, Commissioner for Census & Statistics Leo Yu introduced the new initiatives that will be implemented in the next Population Census.

Mr Yu said: “We will implement several re-engineering initiatives with a view to streamlining and improving workflows. Firstly, every five years, we will randomly select only 10% of households in Hong Kong for detailed enquiry. In addition, data collection will be conducted throughout the year, instead of concentrated within one and a half months as in the past. Sampled households are required to submit only one questionnaire within the data collection period.”

He highlighted that government administrative data will also be used more extensively to simplify the content of the questionnaire.

About 10% of households in Hong Kong, ie some 300,000 households, will be selected through random sampling to participate in the 2026 Population Census. Notification letters will be sent to the sampled households in batches starting from the end of this month.

“We will issue notification letters in purple envelopes to about 10% of households in Hong Kong. They are encouraged to complete the online questionnaire. They can also call the census hotline at 182 026 to conduct a telephone interview. Census officers will also visit households with outstanding response and assist them in completing the questionnaire. Information collected in the census will be kept in strict confidence,” Mr Yu explained.

When visiting households, census officers will wear a grey vest uniform, and carry an Enumerator Identity Card and a Census Officer Certificate of Identity issued by the department for identification purposes.

Mr Yu emphasised that the department strives to protect the data privacy of all people and households. All completed questionnaires will also be destroyed by December 31, 2027.

He reminded households to be aware of scamming activities, noting that households will not be required to provide in the census their Hong Kong identity card numbers or information about their bank accounts or credit cards.

If households have not provided the department with their contact information, the department will not initiate calls, send emails or SMS messages to them. The caller ID “18 2026” or SMS sender ID “#C&SD” will be displayed when the department calls or sends SMS messages to households in Hong Kong.

The Census Hotline will operate from 9 am to 10 pm from Monday to Friday throughout the data collection period, from January to December 2026. Citizens can call the hotline at 18 2026 if they require assistance in completing the questionnaire.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Following open and in-service recruitment exercises, the Government today announced the appointment of Chan Chak-ming as Director of Legal Aid, and the appointment of Irina Fan as Government Economist.

Mr Chan will assume office on January 1, 2026, succeeding Chris Chong who will start his pre-retirement leave on the same day. Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki thanked Mr Chong for his dedicated service and contributions over the years and sincerely wished him a happy retirement.

Ms Fan will take up the post on January 5, 2026, succeeding Adolph Leung who retired earlier. Financial Secretary Paul Chan thanked Mr Leung for his contributions over the years and sincerely wished him a happy retirement.

Commenting on the appointments, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said: “Mr Chan has a deep understanding of the legal profession and rich public service experience both locally and internationally. With his professional competence, leadership capabilities and strategic vision, I am confident that he will lead the Legal Aid Department in delivering quality legal aid services.”

“Ms Fan has profound experience in economic analysis and proven leadership and management skills. I am confident that she will be able to lead the Office of the Government Economist to continue providing professional analyses and advice on economic matters to the Government,” she remarked.

Mrs Yeung also thanked Mr Chong and Mr Leung for their loyal and dedicated service to the community, and wished them fulfilling and happy retirements.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Home & Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) today launched a new round of the HYAB – United Nations Volunteer Internship Programme and invited local undergraduate students to apply.

The programme provides local undergraduate students with valuable six-month volunteer internships within various United Nations (UN) overseas field units.

Interns will develop their personal skills and gain insights into global issues while contributing to the international community as Chinese youth volunteers.

The new round will offer a total of 20 internship placements in different UN agencies located in the Belt & Road region, including Kazakhstan, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

Running from July to December 2026, the volunteer internships will cover specific areas such as health and education, environment and innovation management.

Applicants should be full-time undergraduate students at local universities.

The bureau will provide full funding, including round-trip air tickets and monthly living allowances, and offer suitable pre-departure training for participants in collaboration with the Agency for Volunteer Service.

The application deadline is noon on January 16, 2026.

Click here for details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The public should guard against fake messages on social media claiming that Hong Kong residents can apply for valid permanent Guangdong-Hong Kong Regular Quotas for their vehicles by their Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong & Macao Residents, commonly known as Home Return Permits.

Issuing the advisory today, the Transport Department clarified that applicants for the regular quotas have to meet the requirements stipulated by the Mainland authority and provide it with specified documents, such as business registration documents of both Guangdong and Hong Kong, to apply for the quotas.

Upon receipt of the Mainland Approval Notice from the Mainland authority, they may apply to the Transport Department for closed road permits for the designated land-based boundary control points.

Emphasising that the arrangements of the regular quotas must be jointly deliberated by the governments of both places holistically, the department said citizens should refer to official announcements and verify messages to avoid deception.

The incident will be referred to Police for follow-up, it added.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Buildings Department approved six building plans in October – two on Hong Kong Island, three in Kowloon and one in the New Territories.

Of the approved plans, three were for apartment and apartment-commercial developments, two were for commercial development, and one was for factory and industrial development.

Consent was given for works to start on six building projects which, when completed, will provide 100,934 sq m of gross floor area for domestic use involving 2,144 units, and 5,614 sq m of gross floor area for non-domestic use.

Additionally, the department received notification of the commencement of superstructure works for six building projects.

It also issued 19 occupation permits – six on Hong Kong Island, four in Kowloon and nine in the New Territories.

The buildings certified for occupation comprise 182,437 sq m of gross floor area for domestic use, involving 3,820 units, and 85,543 sq m for non-domestic use.

Meanwhile, the department received 2,636 reports about unauthorised building works in September and issued 406 removal orders. Two demolition consents were also issued.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The annual subsidy amount of the Non-means-tested Subsidy Scheme for Self-financing Undergraduate Studies in Hong Kong in the 2026-27 academic year will be $35,120, the Education Bureau announced today.

The scheme will cover eligible full-time locally accredited local and non-local self-financing undergraduate and top-up degree programmes offered by 15 institutions.

Applications for the subsidy need to be made through the institutions concerned.

The subsidy level will apply to both new and continuing eligible students and is tenable for the normal duration of the programmes concerned.

Eligible students enrolling in the relevant programmes will pay a tuition fee with the subsidy applied.

Students in need may still apply for student financial assistance from the Student Finance Office in respect of the actual amount of tuition fee payable.

Click here for details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Victor Pang has been appointed as the Commissioner of the Civil Aid Service (CAS) for a term of two years, with effect from January 1, 2026, the Government announced today.

The appointment was made by the Chief Executive John Lee using his authority under the Civil Aid Service Ordinance.

Mr Pang joined the CAS as a volunteer member in 2021 and was promoted to Deputy Commissioner in 2025.

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung welcomed the appointment of Mr Pang.

“Mr Pang is deeply committed to the CAS, and has exemplary executive and leadership skills. I am confident that under Mr Pang’s leadership, the CAS will continue to be an efficient auxiliary service, providing quality and reliable service to members of the public,” he said.

Mr Tang also thanked outgoing CAS Commissioner Lo Yan-lai, who has served the CAS for 44 years, for his valuable contribution. He noted that during the past seven years as Commissioner of the CAS, Mr Lo has led the service to take part in prominent rescue operations and major events, including operations to combat the COVID-19 epidemic.

Mr Lo has also demonstrated exceptional dedication to youth development work, he added.

“Under his leadership, the CAS has consistently delivered excellent results, rendering timely and professional support to regular disciplined forces, and making solid efforts in maintaining Hong Kong as a safe and livable city,” Mr Tang added.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

To further advance cooperation between Taiwan and Poland in the field of hydrogen energy, the 2nd Taiwan-Poland Hydrogen Working Group Meeting was convened on December 16 and hosted by Poland. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Chung-Hsien Chen, Deputy Director General of the Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), Taiwan, and Mr. Dariusz Kucel, Director of the Department of Electromobility, Fuels and Hydrogen Economy at the Ministry of Energy of Poland. The meeting served as an important platform for both sides to review progress and deepen exchanges on hydrogen-related policies and technologies.

During the meeting, Taiwan and Poland exchanged views on hydrogen promotion policies, low-carbon hydrogen source certification mechanisms, the current status of green hydrogen research and development, and hydrogen refueling station demonstration projects. These discussions reflected the shared commitment of both sides to advancing hydrogen as a key solution for decarbonization across multiple sectors.

Representatives from Taiwan and Poland also explored a range of potential cooperation areas. These included the application of water electrolysis-based low-carbon hydrogen production technologies for synthetic fuel production, support for energy transition efforts in fertilizer and refining industries, fuel cell power generation applications for transportation and data center power supply, and hydrogen bus certification and related regulatory considerations. In addition, given Poland’s higher demand for heat during the winter season, combined power and heat applications using fuel cells or electrolyzers were identified as promising areas for deeper bilateral cooperation.

The ongoing operation of the Working Group builds on the solid foundation established through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Taiwan-Poland Hydrogen Cooperation Working Group in 2023. In September 2025, Taiwan’s Energy Administration led a Taiwan-Poland Hydrogen Delegation to Poland, engaging with key government institutions and visiting representative hydrogen-related organizations, including ORLEN, ZE PAK, Hydrogen Poland, and the Lower Silesian Hydrogen Valley Association. Through continued dialogue and collaboration, Taiwan and Poland have strengthened alignment in hydrogen policy, technology development, and industrial cooperation. Looking ahead, both sides will continue to leverage the Working Group as a communication platform to enhance policy coordination, integrate industrial value chains, and promote diverse hydrogen applications, jointly advancing toward a net-zero and sustainable energy future.

Spokesperson for Energy Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs: Deputy Director General, Chih-Wei Wu
Phone Number: 02-2775-7750,0922-339-410
Email: cwwu@moeaea.gov.tw

Business Contact: Director, Hsiu-Fen Tsai
Phone Number: 02-2775-7730,0905-506-258
Email: hftsai@moeaea.gov.tw

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region