Month: December 2025

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu was delighted to welcome Chang Hwa Bank as the newest member of Team Taiwan in Sydney during his meeting with Manager Lin and Mr. Chu, representatives of Chang Hwa Bank. He noted that the Bank’s participation demonstrates the strength and resilience of Taiwan’s financial sector, while further strengthening the close and mutually beneficial economic and financial partnership between Taiwan and Australia.
Director General Wu emphasised that economic diplomacy is one of the three key pillars of the government’s Integrated Diplomacy. He added that the official opening of Chang Hwa Bank’s Sydney branch next year will make it the tenth Taiwanese bank to establish a presence in Sydney, and expressed his hope that it will work in close collaboration with other Taiwanese financial institutions to inject further momentum into Taiwan–Australia relations.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

As of noon today, donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had reached about $3.4 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.7 billion.

As of this morning, 1,390 residents had been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 3,235 residents are living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Housing Society.

There is an abundant supply of more than 1,000 units that can provide affected residents with longer term accommodation. The transitional housing and HKHS projects in different districts can provide around 400 units at the moment.

In addition, Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun and Runway 1331 at Kai Tak can provide an immediate supply of around 800 units.

On the Government’s online platform for donated supplies, about 1,800 registrations have been received, with approximately 30% submitted by organisations. About 23,000 donated items, covering various categories, have been distributed.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Three competition events being held in Hong Kong as part of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG), namely boccia, wheelchair fencing and para table tennis (TT11), concluded today.

Together with the NSOG table tennis competition, which concluded on December 9, all competition events in the Hong Kong competition region have now wrapped up.

The boccia event was held at Kai Tak Arena, with a total of 14 gold medals being awarded. A total of 13 teams – from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau – took part. From Hong Kong, 11 male and eight female athletes competed, winning four gold, four silver and four bronze medals.

The wheelchair fencing competition was held at Ma On Shan Sports Centre, with a sum of 24 gold medals being presented. Ten teams from the three places participated, with Hong Kong fielding seven male and six female athletes. They claimed one silver and two bronze medals.

Meanwhile, in the TT11 competition, held at Tsuen Wan Sports Centre, 13 teams from the three places competed, including seven male and five female athletes from Hong Kong. The Hong Kong team claimed one silver and five bronze medals.

The Special Olympics table tennis competition was also held at Tsuen Wan Sports Centre, with a total of 78 gold medals being awarded. A total of 29 teams from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau participated. Six male and five female athletes from Hong Kong won nine gold, six silver and four bronze medals.

Across the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG, Hong Kong fielded over 280 athletes in 14 competition events and four mass participation events in the NGD, and seven events in the NSOG. This constituted Honh Kong’s largest delegation ever.

The Hong Kong team won 51 gold, 49 silver and 40 bronze medals, totalling 140 medals, an historic achievement.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Police Force’s National Security Department has charged two men jointly with one count of “conspiracy to commit subversion”, with the case due to be mentioned at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow.

The duo, aged 24 and 25, are among nine people arrested on Friday on suspicion of committing “unlawful drilling” offences under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

The department has also arrested a 26-year-old woman, also in connection with the “unlawful drilling” offence.

She and the other arrestees have been released on bail and told to report back to Police in mid-January 2026.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki will travel to Shenzhen tomorrow to attend the closing event of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games, and will return to Hong Kong the same day.

Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law will join him for the trip.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Health Bureau announced today that as of tomorrow free Chinese medicine (CM) consultation services will be provided to residents affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.

 

Until February 28, 2026, all residents of the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court – including foreign domestic helpers – can receive up to three free CM consultations. This will include medication and related treatments based on patients’ clinical needs, with arrangements to be facilitated by District Health Centres/ District Health Centre Expresses (DHCs) in the city’s 18 districts.

 

The free CM services cover post-fire health concerns such as emotional changes, insomnia, and palpitations; coughing, wheezing, and dry or itchy throat; physical weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and dyspepsia; as well as pain and musculoskeletal injuries.

 

Residents with medical needs can call the relevant hotlines or visit any DHC for assistance, regardless of their current place of residence. Those who are registered at a particular DHC can contact the relevant centre directly.

 

The hotlines are listed on the Primary Healthcare Commission and DHC websites. DHC case managers will pair patients with appropriate CM practitioners.

 

Additionally, Wang Fuk Court residents and other people injured in the fire who have been admitted to Hospital Authority public hospitals are eligible for full fee waivers at the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) until December 31, 2026.

 

These waivers cover all government-subsidised CMHHK services, including general clinical and specialised clinical services, allied health services, and day-patient services, as well as special Western medicine diagnostic procedures and medications.

 

Basic personal information should be provided to the CMHHK during consultations.

 

The 18 Chinese Medicine Clinics & Training and Research Centres (CMCTRs) have also been giving full support to residents of the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court, including foreign domestic helpers, since early December.

 

The residents are eligible for full medical fee waivers at these CMCTRs until December 31 2026. These cover government-subsidised CM outpatient services, including general consultations, acupuncture and bone-setting/tui-na. Click here for details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Central Kowloon Bypass (Yau Ma Tei Section) is set to open on December 21, slashing the journey time from Yau Ma Tei to Kowloon Bay from approximately 30 minutes during peak hours to around five minutes.

The section spans 4.7km, including 3.9km of three-lane, two-way tunnel, and will connect the Kai Tak Development Area and Kowloon Bay in East Kowloon to the Yau Ma Tei Interchange in West Kowloon.

Highways Department Senior Engineer (Central Kowloon Route) Yanis Poon described the new road as an important corridor that will enhance the overall transportation network across the whole of Kowloon.

While many vehicular tunnels cross mountains and seas, the Central Kowloon Bypass (Yau Ma Tei Section) is an underground tunnel that passes through Central Kowloon, one of Hong Kong’s most densely populated urban areas. The project therefore demanded meticulous route planning and the ability to surmount numerous challenges.

Engineering ingenuity

Construction of a 370-metre-long underwater tunnel connecting Ma Tau Kok and Kai Tak involved adopting a temporary reclamation construction method – and the restoration of the original seabed post-construction demonstrates the Government’s commitment to minimising environmental impacts.

Meanwhile, the tunnel between Ma Tau Kok and Yau Ma Tei, measuring 2.8km, was constructed using the drill-and-blast method, with some 2,400 blasts being executed. It was essential during these works to ensure that the approximately 240 buildings above and near the tunnel, including Queen Elizabeth Hospital, remained unaffected.

Ms Poon stated: “We have strictly controlled the timing of tunnel blasting. For instance, near the hospital area, blasting was limited to specific 15-minute intervals each day to ensure the medical equipment was not affected.”

She added: “As the tunnel passes extremely close to the MTR lines, with a minimum distance of only 3m, we switched to the drill-and-break method at the intersection point to ensure railway operations were unaffected.”

Another challenge came with the construction of a 400-metre-long tunnel under Kansu Street in Yau Ma Tei, the route of which overlapped with the existing Gascoigne Road Flyover. The project team had to relocate the flyover and demolish the Yau Ma Tei Car Park Building to construct the tunnel while maintaining the traffic flow during the entire construction period.

“To address this complex task, the team executed demolition and relocation in phases to maintain road user safety throughout construction,” Ms Poon explained.

Smart solutions

Given the project’s scale, the Highways Department leveraged a range of innovative technology to enhance safety and efficiency. This includes implementing a Smart Site Management Hub (SSMH) that allows site activity to be monitored via cameras, Internet of Things sensors, water level sensors and other instruments. This platform enables project personnel to access real-time information.

“During Black Rainstorm warnings or when Typhoon Signal No. 10 was issued this year, we utilised the SSMH to monitor site conditions,” Ms Poon said. “Fortunately, we did not observe any flooding in our tunnel during these adverse weather events. It is a good opportunity to prove that our flood control system is effective.”

The department also deployed a Smart Over-Height Vehicle Detection System, which utilises detection cameras, light detection and ranging technology, and artificial intelligence. It identifies and stops vehicles that are over-height in order to prevent collisions with bridges under construction.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

As of noon today, donations received by the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po had reached about $3.4 billion. Combined with the $300 million in startup capital from the Government, this takes the fund to a total of around $3.7 billion.

Concurrently, 1,392 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 3,163 residents are living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau or the Housing Society.

On the Government’s online platform for donated supplies, about 1,800 registrations have been received, with approximately 30% submitted by organisations. About 19,600 donated items, covering various categories, have been distributed.

The Housing Department continued to remove the burnt scaffolding on the external walls of Wang Cheong House, Wang Tai House and Wang Sun House.

For the sake of safety, the department will conduct assessments along with the Police Force on a timetable for removing the scaffolding on the remaining four affected buildings. Additionally, the Housing Bureau’s Independent Checking Unit has completed the extraction of concrete core samples from the seven affected buildings at Wang Fuk Court.

The Development Bureau earlier announced a new mechanism for sampling and testing scaffold nets for external walls in Hong Kong. The Buildings Department is preparing a new practice note for registered contractors and will meet with the industry next week.

The bureau is also moving ahead at full steam arrangements to ensure there are sufficient designated laboratories and a suitable site for off-site sampling work.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Professional Services GoGlobal Platform, initiated by the Department of Justice with support from the Commerce & Economic Development Bureau (CEDB), was officially launched today, marking a new stage of collaborative support from Hong Kong’s professional services sector for Mainland enterprises going global.

Under the steer of Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan, the platform implements an initiative announced in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address. He will work to promote Hong Kong’s legal services and collaborate with other professional service sectors such as accounting and finance to support Mainland enterprises with ambitions to expand overseas.

Mr Cheung said at a launch ceremony that professional services firms in Hong Kong are renowned for their international outlook, uncompromising professional standards and nuanced understanding of both Chinese and global contexts, and can offer Mainland enterprises comprehensive support.

Since the establishment of the CEDB’s Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global (the GoGlobal Task Force), many Mainland enterprises have expressed a strong desire to use Hong Kong as a “launchpad” for global expansion, he added.

The goal of the Professional Services GoGlobal Platform is to collaborate with the Trade Development Council in building a deeper and broader cross-professional services platform, enabling enterprises to enjoy a customized experience.

It will provide useful reference material for Mainland enterprises by integrating information related to Hong Kong’s professional services, including their previous successes in supporting Mainland enterprises expanding overseas. It will also publish lists of professional services providers supporting overseas expansion, facilitating precise connections between Mainland enterprises and Hong Kong’s providers.

Mr Cheung added that to promote the platform’s work and provide a source of strategic advice, the Department of Justice will establish the Expert Committee on Professional Services for Going Global, consisting of Mainland and Hong Kong experts from the legal, financial, accounting and business sectors.

Highlighting that matching Mainland enterprises with Hong Kong professional service firms is a common goal of the GoGlobal Task Force and the platform, Mr Cheung said the latter will bring the city’s firm’s together to support enterprises going global while the task force will directly engage with Mainland enterprises, serving as a pivotal contact point for them to leverage Hong Kong as a launchpad.

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau said at the ceremony that as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world, Hong Kong possesses unique advantages.

He said the city can assist Mainland enterprises in expanding their business overseas and addressing various challenges and difficulties they may encounter when going global, such as cross-border capital management, risk management, laws and regulations, cultural differences and talent recruitment.

At the launch ceremony, Dr Cheung released the inaugural edition of the Collection of Success Stories: Hong Kong’s Professional Services Supporting Chinese Mainland Enterprises Going Global, which includes case studies spanning various professional domains across different industries and investment locations.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee today expressed sorrow over the passing of former Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Gregory So, and extended his condolences to Mr So’s family.

Mr So joined the Government in 2008 as Under Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development, and served as Secretary from 2011 to 2017. He also served on various advisory and statutory bodies, spanning areas such as public healthcare services, education and district governance.

“Mr So had dedicated years of service to the community through his work in the Government and different public offices, contributing to the city’s development in the economy, trade, tourism, information technology, telecommunications and creative industries,” said Mr Lee. 

“He had made significant contributions to Hong Kong with his professional knowledge and dedication. He was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2012.

“I am saddened by the passing of Mr So. I extend my deepest condolences to his family.”

Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau also expressed deep sorrow over Mr So’s passing.

He said: “Mr So had made immense contributions to Hong Kong’s economic and trade developments by taking forward various policies and measures, and forging co-operation between Hong Kong and other economies.”