Month: December 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following are the opening remarks by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, at the LawTech Conference “The AI Era: Shaping the Legal Landscape in the 21st Century” under Hong Kong Legal Week 2025 today (December 5):

The Honourable Mr Justice Lok (Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court, Mr David Lok), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

     Good afternoon. Welcome to the Main Stage LawTech Conference today. It is appreciated that so many of you have chosen to join us today despite the difficult circumstances in our community, and stand ready to engage thoughtfully with the challenges and opportunities that lawtech and artificial intelligence bring to the legal profession.

     The inaugural Hong Kong LawTech Fest 2025 helps to bring together legal practitioners, technology providers, experts, academics, and policymakers to explore the fast-evolving intersection of law and AI, and to showcase the latest innovative products and services shaping legal practices. The LawTech Fest features a dynamic blend of exhibition, live demonstrations and consultations, and expert dialogues. As Hong Kong embraces the transformative AI era, with lawtech and AI reshaping the delivery of legal services, we hope that the LawTech Fest would provide a platform for attendees to discover cutting-edge solutions, stay ahead of trends, expand professional network, and gain actionable insights to advance innovation in their own legal practice. 

     The theme of today’s conference, “The AI Era: Shaping the Legal Landscape in the 21st Century”, sits at the heart of an important dialogue about the future of our legal system. Lawtech and AI are transforming legal practice, enhancing efficiency, accessibility, and quality in delivering legal services. By automating routine tasks such as legal research, document drafting and review, these technologies allow legal professionals to focus on high-value activities, such as strategic decision-making and client relationship management. Moreover, lawtech and AI solutions enable more effective data management and analysis, facilitate informed decision-making, and provide predictive insights. This technological integration also improves access to legal resources, enabling individuals and businesses to obtain quality legal support more easily and affordably. As we navigate through the increasingly complex legal and regulatory landscape, it is vital that we address these frequently asked questions: How can we integrate AI professionally and responsibly into our legal practice? What are the risks and ethical implications that we must consider? And most importantly, how can we ensure that technology can act as a complement to human touch, which remains pivotal in the practice of law? Today’s conference examines in a timely manner the opportunities and risks associated with AI’s growing role in legal practice.

     The DoJ (Department of Justice) is steadfast in its commitment to foster innovation and the integration of technology in the legal industry. To promote the development of lawtech, we established the Consultation Group on Lawtech Development in January this year, and invited the industry and various stakeholders to jointly study and formulate policy measures related to lawtech.

     This year, we launched the LexGoTech Roundtable Series and successfully organised three roundtables. Through the roundtables, we have gathered solicitors, barristers, arbitrators, legal educators, in-house counsel and government lawyers – a diverse group of professionals who are the vital pillars of Hong Kong’s legal services delivery – to exchange views and experiences on the opportunities and challenges that lawtech and AI present to the legal profession in Hong Kong. Today, I would like to announce the release of the LexGoTech Roundtables Report. The Report summarises the insights gained from the Roundtable Series. More details will be discussed in the 2025 final round of the Roundtable Series taking place here on this stage later this afternoon.  

     Additionally, the DoJ launched the Survey for LawTech Service Providers in Hong Kong in October. We are now analysing the valuable feedback, which we believe would significantly shape the future steps in our lawtech/AI development strategies.

     Going back to today’s programme, we are very honoured to have the Honourable Mr Justice Lok to deliver a keynote speech on lawtech and the future of law and justice. Following that, we will have an interactive “LawTech Guess Who” game, during which we will explore the advantages of using AI in legal practice, while highlighting the importance of human input and oversight. Next, we will have the LexGoTech Roundtable Series – 2025 Final Round, during which we will share key findings gathered from our earlier roundtables. On the basis of these findings, seasoned practitioners will exchange insights on the opportunities and challenges we face as we integrate technology into legal practice. I look forward to hearing our distinguished speakers’ insightful sharing.

     Ladies and gentlemen, as we navigate through the AI era, we should bear in mind that our ultimate goal is not just to adopt technology for the sake of progress, but to harness its power in ways that uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and integrity. Technology is a powerful tool, but it cannot replace human qualities such as empathy, judgment and integrity, which remain essential in legal practice. Only with an open and responsible mindset will we be able to grasp the opportunities brought by lawtech and AI and transform the challenges into benefits. On this note, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to all speakers, participants, Consultation Group members and colleagues who have worked tirelessly to make this meaningful event and the DoJ’s lawtech initiatives possible. I wish you all a fruitful and inspiring discussion today. Thank you.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 3

For parents of Primary 6 (P6) students participating in the current SSPA cycle who wish to apply for Secondary 1 (S1) discretionary places (DPs) in government, aided, caput secondary schools as well as Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) secondary schools participating in the SSPA System for their children, they have to submit the electronic application forms to secondary schools via the SSPA e-platform (eSSPA) (esspa.edb.gov.hk) or use the paper Application Form for Secondary One Discretionary Place (Application Form) distributed by the Education Bureau (EDB) in early December via primary schools for application.

When submitting the applications, parents should note-

1. DP application is not subject to restriction on districts. However, each student may apply to not more than two participating secondary schools. Otherwise, the DP applications of their children will be rendered void. The list of schools and the number of DPs for application are listed in the Handbook for Application for Secondary One Discretionary Places (Handbook). Parents may visit eSSPA or the EDB’s website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/secondary-spa/general-info/index.html) to browse the Handbook. They can also ask for the Handbook from their children’s attending primary schools for reference or call the EDB’s 24-hour Automatic Telephone Enquiry System on 2891 0088 to obtain relevant information by fax.

2. The DP application period will be the same for all participating secondary schools, starting from January 2 to 16, 2026.

3. Parents should consider the schools in all respects, e.g. its educational philosophy, tradition, religion, class structure, development and operation, and their children’s characteristics, personalities, abilities and interests so as to make a suitable school choice. Parents may refer to the relevant information in the Secondary School Profiles (www.chsc.hk/secondary) (published every December, with the latest version made available at the electronic version) or school websites for reference. At the same time, parents should also note the admission criteria and weightings announced by the schools, as well as the documents as required by the schools, e.g. report cards, certificates and records of participation in extra-curricular activities and community service. Students do not need to provide the scores or positions in individual subjects to the secondary schools. Schools may arrange interviews and will inform applicants of the related arrangements.

4. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users and bound their account to “iAM Smart+” may browse choice-making information starting from December 5, 2025, as well as submit DP applications and check application results via eSSPA at a later stage. The EDB encourages parents to register with “iAM Smart+” (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) as early as possible and activate their eSSPA account using “iAM Smart+” for more convenient and faster electronic services.

5. For parents who submit DP applications via eSSPA should select the preferred secondary schools according to the order of school preference, fill in the contact information required by the schools, and upload a copy of the student’s identity document(s) and/or documents required by the secondary schools for completion of application. For details, please refer to the Parent’s Guides on the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/secondary-spa/general-info/SSPA_ePlatform_Parents_Guide.html). For parents who prefer to submit paper Application Form to schools should fill in the name of the secondary schools applied to on the Application Form, and tear off the part containing the order of school preference for retention before submitting the duly completed paper Application Form and other necessary documents directly to the secondary schools concerned in person. After submission, parents should receive from the secondary schools the Parent’s Copy bearing the school chop, name and code for retention and record. Parents should note that no matter whether the applications are submitted via the eSSPA or in paper Application Form, the applications, once submitted, cannot be retrieved or cancelled, and no change can be made to the order of school preference.

6. Parents should not submit applications to more than two secondary schools participating in the SSPA no matter whether the applications are submitted via the eSSPA or in paper Application Form. Otherwise, the DP applications of their children will be rendered void. In addition, parents should not submit duplicate applications via the eSSPA and in paper Application Form for the same child.

7. Apart from applying to not more than two participating secondary schools, parents can apply to Jockey Club Ti-I College at the same time. The deadline for application is January 20, 2026.

8. Participating secondary schools (including Jockey Club Ti-I College) will notify parents of all successful applicants of their children’s inclusion in the Successful Lists for Discretionary Places on March 31, 2026. Parents who have registered as eSSPA users may also view notifications for successful DP applicants via eSSPA starting from 10 a.m. on the same day. These notification arrangements are not applicable to reserve and unsuccessful applicants, nor are the notifications the allocation results. Parents do not need to reply to the secondary schools whether they would accept the DP offers.

9. Apart from making DP applications to participating secondary schools, students may also apply to Direct Subsidy Scheme secondary schools not participating in SSPA (NDSS secondary schools), and there is no limit to the number of NDSS secondary schools they can apply to. As there is no limit to the number of NDSS secondary schools that a student may apply to, a student may be accepted by several NDSS secondary schools. However, when a parent surrenders the signed Parent’s Undertaking and the original of the Primary 6 Student Record Form to one of the schools making the child an offer, then that will serve as confirmation of acceptance of the S1 place offered by the NDSS secondary school concerned and an agreement to give up any other subsidised S1 places.

10. If students notified by participating secondary schools as successful DP applicants have also been admitted by an NDSS secondary school, parents should decide whether to retain the school place of the NDSS secondary school on or before April 10, 2026. If parents decide to retain the school place offered by the NDSS secondary school, they should disregard the notifications from participating secondary schools. If they decide to decline the offer from the NDSS secondary school, they should notify the NDSS secondary school concerned and retrieve the signed Parent’s Undertaking and the original of the Primary 6 Student Record Form on or before April 10, 2026 in order to retain the DP which they have successfully obtained.

11. For applications to Jockey Club Ti-I College and NDSS secondary schools, parents should fill in the application form provided by the schools. The eSSPA and paper Application Form for DP are not applicable to applications for S1 places of Jockey Club Ti-I College and NDSS secondary schools.

12. Parents should return the duly completed Secondary One Choice of Schools Form (Choice Form) to the EDB in early May 2026 through their children’s primary schools. This is to ensure that students will still be allocated S1 places through Central Allocation (CA) if their DP applications have not been successful. For students who are notified as successful applicants by participating secondary schools, their parents only have to skip the parts on school choices when filling in Choice Form via eSSPA and sign digitally, or tick the respective item and cross out the parts on school choices, and sign on the paper form after filling in contact information to indicate that they do not need to make school choices, and return the electronic or paper form to the primary schools their children attend.

13. The results of DP and CA will be released at the same time on July 7, 2026.

For further enquiries concerning the SSPA System, please contact the School Places Allocation Section of the EDB on 2832 7740 or 2832 7700.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong 2025 Asia’s World City – 4th Business Forum themed “PLAY: Culture and Entertainment in Hong Kong” today (December 5):
 
Jeremy (Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong’s (BritCham) General Committee, Mr Jeremy Sheldon), Nick (Head of HK CEO Office, HSBC, Mr Nick Holmes), Paul (Executive Director of the BritCham, Mr Paul McComb), Anthony (Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Mr Anthony Lau), friends,
 
Good morning. 
 
The theme of today’s Business Forum is “PLAY: Culture and Entertainment in Hong Kong”. In the last few days, of course I have been reviewing my speech, and I couldn’t help but wonder: should I ask to speak on a different theme during this difficult juncture, a juncture when the city of Hong Kong is collectively working hard to get out of the haze of the Tai Po fire?  
 
In the end, I decided that I should continue to speak on the original theme. All of you who are with me here today are no strangers to Hong Kong. From the introduction of Nick and Jeremy, you could see they probably call the city their home, or at least their second home. A lot of us actually were born here, grew up here. And we love this city. As a community we need time to bring relief to the disaster, and to heal from the immense sorrow. But we also need to see hope, to see light at the end of the tunnel, in order to stay motivated and focused enough to help one another, and help ourselves in the process. 
 
So my sincere thanks once again must therefore go to Jeremy for the invitation, so that I may, through addressing the distinguished British business community here today, have an opportunity to introduce our cultural and mega events which can bring light and hope for a better tomorrow. 
 
One year ago, on December 5, 2024, I was appointed the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. I outlined a few priorities as I took up office, and two of the most important items among them were the opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park and the successful organisation of the 15th National Games of the People’s Republic of China. These are no child’s play indeed. 
 
The successful opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park on March 1, 2025, now seems a long time ago, right?  I believe quite a number of you in the audience would have taken part in some of Kai Tak’s inaugural events – the World Snooker Grand Prix 2025 in early March, the Hong Kong Sevens, which Jeremy just now spoke about, in end-March which was rated by many veterans as the best Sevens ever, although this is the very first time it took place in Kai Tak. The Coldplay “Music of the Spheres” concerts in early April, the Hong Kong Football Festival in late July which we saw Liverpool facing AC Milan and also Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs staging their first ever North London Derby outside of London. That is a big thing for football fans. The list goes on, but I won’t try to describe the excitement one feels when one steps into Kai Tak Stadium for the very first time; be it a sports or entertainment mega event, no words can fit that bill of describing how amazing, how really wonderful Kai Tak Stadium is.
 
The completion of the Kai Tak Sports Park, the biggest ever sports and entertainment infrastructure in Hong Kong worthy of over $30 billion, puts Hong Kong right back on the global and regional events map. We were kind of losing out a little bit before the operation of Kai Tak because we simply didn’t have a big enough stadium for international major events or major tournaments or pop concerts. But Kai Tak not only puts us back on the map; it makes us shine. With the 50 000 capacity Kai Tak Stadium and the 10 000 capacity Kai Tak Arena, the Kai Tak Sports Park is now a prime destination for regional and international concert tours and sports tournaments, and fans of pop and sports stars from either Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland even Asia now find the Kai Tak Sports Park both novel and familiar, huge but accessible, and some even have their own secret havens for post-event supper in the Kowloon City area. Talk about the night economy!
 
The smooth opening and operation of the Kai Tak Sports Park significantly boosted our capacities and confidence to successfully cohost the 15th National Games of the People’s Republic of China together with Guangdong and Macao.
 
First of all, I need to tell you how incredibly proud I am of our 602 athletes of Team Hong Kong. Their final tally of nine gold, two silver and eight bronze medals surpassed the achievement of any previous Hong Kong delegation to the National Games.
 
But there is so much more beyond the medals. This edition of the National Games – our country’s highest-level multi-sport event – is historic; it is the first time that the Games are staged across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It promotes sports exchange and co-operation within the Greater Bay Area, and provides an invaluable experience for Hong Kong to host more mega and cross-boundary events with other cities in the Greater Bay Area. It is, more importantly, a shining example and testament to the “one country, two systems” principle. The unprecedented cohosting arrangement powerfully affirms that Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao, each with unique systems, can join hands and leverage our respective strengths to achieve something truly exceptional and inspirational.
 
Building on that success, we are now cohosting the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games with Guangdong and Macao. Events in Hong Kong begin just this week. I invite you all to join us in giving strong support to all the participating athletes.
 
Integration of the Greater Bay Area and sports development aside, the National Games also provides Hong Kong with valuable opportunities to promote ourselves and attract visitors from the Chinese Mainland and overseas. For example, some of you would have noticed or even taken part, we have staged the triathlon event along the world-famous Victoria Harbourfront, the beach volleyball event at Victoria Park in the heart of Causeway Bay, the golf event at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, and the rugby sevens event, of course, at Kai Tak Stadium.  
 
This integration of sports events with tourist attractions has created a new experience for our visitors. And I am pleased to note that our tourism sector has started to capitalise on this, and especially on the National Games to roll out tailor-made tourism products across the Greater Bay Area. Such efforts have borne fruit – more than 1.7 million visitors came to Hong Kong during the National Games period, a 19 per cent increase over the same period last year.
 
Building on this, the Hong Kong SAR Government is now working hand-in-hand with our partners in the commercial sector to bring more attractive events here. Just now, I think it’s Nick who alluded to a prime example, and that is our recent multi-year partnership with LIV Golf to host the LIV Golf League in Hong Kong in 2026 and 2027. I am actually very hopeful that English golfers such as Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton will compete in the event from March 5 to 8, 2026. 
 
Right after the LIV Golf 2026, Hong Kong Sevens, organised by Hong Kong China Rugby since 1976, will celebrate its Golden Jubilee from April 17 to 19, 2026. Now don’t worry. We close the roof and there will be air conditioning. Not scorching at all. But I look forward to seeing all of you in an event jersey at Kai Tak over the Rugby Sevens period.
 
I am confident that what I just said has already had you marking your diaries to ensure that you won’t miss out on any of the attractive events. Indeed, Hong Kong’s mega events are not isolated occurrences; many a time they are much more than mere entertainment. Collectively, they are a powerful magnet, a dynamic engine, and a key pillar solidifying Hong Kong’s position as a premier international city. That’s our soft power. And, unlike in many other places, mega events in Hong Kong are not held in distant, far-away venues. They happen right in the heart of our city – among our streets, contributing to our city’s architecture, and becoming an integral part of our daily life.
 
Remember attending the Wine and Dine Festival, such a successful comeback under the able leadership of Anthony Lau here, this past October with a glass of wine in your hand while enjoying the glittering Victoria Harbour nightscape? Or taking your little ones to the world’s first “WATER PARADE at Victoria Harbour” concluded in early November to greet globally renowned IP characters such as Doraemon; KAWS and Sesame Street’s Elmo; McDonald’s Grimace; and Labubu, a popular creation by a Hong Kong artist that has now become a global phenomenon? Or enjoying a cool picnic at Symphony Under the Stars, the iconic annual outdoor music extravaganza presented by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra with generous support from Swire Pacific Limited just last week?
 
Such good memories have people longing for more, and we have indeed planned to stage more heartwarming events over the festive season. Of course, as a society, Hong Kong’s priority at this juncture is doing all we can to bring comfort to the aggrieved, as well as to bravely confront the aftermath of the fire, including electing a new legislature that would work wholeheartedly with the Government on disaster relief and essential reforms on the coming Sunday. And of course, healing of physical wounds and the heartstrings takes a lot of time and much more care. But I hope that, for those in society who could use a drop of light, both literally and emotionally, the Christmas lightings that would be lit-up later this month under Hong Kong WinterFest could bring some warmth and comfort in a chilly season.  
    
With Hong Kong’s diverse offerings, we welcomed some 45 million visitors in the first 11 months of this year, already surpassing the entire of 2024. This is a 12 per cent increase year on year. Visitors from the UK (United Kingdom) grew even more significantly, by 15 per cent, meaning our long-haul visitors are actually coming back, thanks to mega events, but also thanks to an increase in air flight capacity. 
 
Beyond economic benefits, mega events allow people to experience the real and authentic Hong Kong firsthand. Visitors become our best ambassadors, telling Hong Kong’s good stories far and wide. As someone familiar with and care deeply about Hong Kong, which is all of you here, I sincerely encourage you to invite your friends to explore the real Hong Kong and the opportunities here. I have spoken enough about sports and entertainment, and I would like to mention that with the strong participation of British artists, Hong Kong’s cultural offerings in the coming months are equally attractive. A few examples are Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducting the Constellation Choir and Orchestra at the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” exhibition at the Hong Kong Science Museum in collaboration with the Natural History Museum, London, not to mention the highly anticipated annual mega art and creative events of Art Basel, Art Central and ComplexCon. 
 
Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong is globally acclaimed as an international financial centre. This is, of course, absolutely true and important. In good times or bad, Hong Kong is always a city full of dynamic energy, and a vibrant and unique blend of East and West. But in closing, I hope to drive home this equally important message: as it is stated in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “these three remain: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love”. Let us remember this and live out this spirit in full!

Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department released the third report under the Second Hong Kong Total Diet Study (2nd HKTDS) today (December 5). This report is the CFS’s first assessment of the overall dietary exposure to perchlorate in food among the Hong Kong population. The findings showed that the estimated dietary exposures to perchlorate for the overall adult and younger populations in Hong Kong remain well below the health-based guidance values established by the international organisation/authority and do not pose a health risk.

Perchlorate occurs naturally in the environment and is also an environmental contaminant arising from human activities. Perchlorate has been reported to occur in a wide range of foods including vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products. Perchlorate has low acute oral toxicity in laboratory animals, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer has not classified perchlorate as a carcinogen. Exposure to excessive perchlorate can interfere with thyroid function by reducing the uptake of iodide by the thyroid gland, leading to hypothyroidism. The CFS selected perchlorate as one of the testing parameters in the 2nd HKTDS to assess the local situation and evaluate the dietary exposure to perchlorate of the Hong Kong population in light of the attention that perchlorate has received abroad in earlier years. 

Out of a total of 187 food items tested in the Study, 144 (77 per cent) were found to contain perchlorate. Among these food items, pumpkin exhibited the highest mean concentration of perchlorate, followed by Chinese amaranth and Chinese parsley. By combining the aforesaid findings with the food consumption data of people in Hong Kong, the estimated dietary exposures to perchlorate for average and high consumers of the adult and younger population were all below 5 per cent of the Provisional Maximum Tolerable Daily Intake of 10 micrograms/kilogram body weight allocated by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations/World Health Organisation Expert Committee on Food Additives for perchlorate.

A spokesman for the CFS said, “The public is encouraged to maintain a balanced and varied diet to support overall health and reduce the risk of exposure to contaminants, including perchlorate, from a limited range of food.”

The 2nd HKTDS aims to estimate the latest dietary exposure of the Hong Kong population and various population subgroups to some chemical substances of potential food safety concern and assess the associated health risks. The public can download the relevant study reports released thus far from the CFS webpage at www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_firm/programme_tds_2nd_HKTDS_report.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region