Month: December 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) today (December 11) announced that Po Leung Kuk has been selected as the partner to operate the cultural and creative arts bazaar at Victoria Park (V Mart).

     Located at the Water Fountain Plaza and the South Pavilion Plaza in Victoria Park, V Mart is one of the nine hotspot projects announced in May this year by the Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration. V Mart will commence trial operations on December 12. It will then be open from noon to no later than 9pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (operation period subject to changes in light of major events to be held at Victoria Park) up to end-November next year. V Mart will feature new themes from time to time, with about 30 stalls showing different products, handmade crafts, trendy food and beverage, etc, as well as photo spots attractive to local residents and tourists.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Fire Services Department today posthumously conferred the honorary title of Senior Fireman on the late Ho Wai-ho, in recognition of his exemplary service and selfless dedication to duty.

At the ceremony, held at Sha Tin Fire Station, members of Mr Ho’s family accepted, on his behalf, a posthumous title conferment certificate and an embroidery of the Senior Fireman’s rank badge from Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung.

Members of the department’s New Territories North Command were also present to witness the ceremony.

Mr Ho was born in 1987 and joined the FSD as a fireman in 2016. He served at the Sha Tin Fire Station and demonstrated outstanding performance and dedication during his nine-year service.

While executing a firefighting and rescue operation at Wang Fuk Court, Tai Po on November 26 this year, Mr Ho sustained serious injuries and lost his life in the line of duty. The blaze was later upgraded to a No. 5 alarm fire.

The department will hold a funeral with full honour for Mr Ho at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom, Kowloon on December 19. He will be laid to rest at the Gallant Garden in Wo Hop Shek afterwards.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong began offering outpatient and day-patient services today, as the phased launch of its operations commenced.

Located at 1 Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, the hospital follows a public-private partnership model, with its construction being fully funded by the Government.

In response to keen public demand, appointments for government-subsidised outpatient services will be increased.

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said the commencement of services at the hospital marks a significant milestone in the development of Chinese Medicine (CM) in the city, signalling that CM is going beyond primary healthcare to play a part in secondary and tertiary healthcare in Hong Kong.

He said he looks forward to the hospital providing more comprehensive CM services to members of the public, and to developing a “Hong Kong model” that involves a mix of pure CM, CM-dominant services, and integrated Chinese-Western medical services. Remarking that this will dovetail with the CM Development Blueprint due to be announced by the Government, he explained that the blueprint will foster the CM sector’s high-quality and high-standard development, giving it powerful impetus to “go global”.

Regarding the high demand for appointments, Prof Lo said: “In response to the keen public demand, we have requested the hospital to increase the quota for government-subsidised general outpatient services in the first month after service commencement for members of the public to make appointments.

“Specifically, the service quota in the first 10 days of operation has been doubled. For the remaining days of the first month upon service commencement, the service quota has also been increased by an additional 30% starting today.”

He added that patients can also make appointments to attend the non-subsidised outpatient clinic, where they can select their preferred CM practitioners.

In addition to providing outpatient and day-patient services, in its first year of operation the hospital will fully launch specialised CM services in six areas: Internal Medicine; External Medicine; Gynaecology; Paediatrics; Orthopaedics and Traumatology; and Acupuncture and Moxibustion.

It will also launch 12 special disease programmes, including programmes for elderly degenerative diseases and stroke rehabilitation.

Demonstrating the Government’s commitment to public health, 65% of the hospital’s total service volume will comprise Government-subsidised services. The hospital will also provide market-oriented services to foster positive interaction between the hospital and the private healthcare market.

Patients can make appointments via the hospital’s hotline, on 3121 3121, its website, or via the newly launched “CMHHK Mobile App”.

Additionally, the hospital will provide full medical fee waivers to victims of the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court fire until December 31, 2026. Eligible individuals can identify themselves to the hospital and provide basic personal information during consultations.

To facilitate public access, the hospital will provide free shuttle services between Tiu Keng Leng MTR Station, LOHAS Park Station, and the hospital’s main entrance. The Transport Department has co-ordinated with public transport operators to enhance services to the hospital.

Moreover, the hospital will hold open days on January 17 and 18, 2026. Reservations can be made online through the hospital’s website starting from today.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu held a cordial meeting with a delegation from the Public Construction Commission, Executive Yuan, accompanied by representatives from the Taiwan Branch of Malaysia-based Gamuda Berhad and SINOTECH Engineering Consultants during their visit to Sydney.
The two sides exchanged views on Australia’s engineering and construction environment, professional talent certification and exchange programs, and potential business opportunities. Director General Wu expressed hope that Taiwan’s engineering sector will become more actively involved in international tenders while using global partnerships to acquire advanced technologies and innovative practices, thereby strengthening alignment with international standards.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu and Mrs. Wu were honoured to attend the 2025 Sydney Taiwanese School （STS) Recognition and Graduation Ceremony, joined by Karena Yeh, President of the Sydney Hakka Association Australia, as well as Bradley Hsu and Angel Yang, Vice Presidents of the Australian Taiwanese Friendship Association(ATFA), together with ATFA committee members. They were delighted to celebrate the graduates’ achievements and share in this joyful milestone.
The ceremony featured heartfelt remarks from Principal Liu, President Yeh, and Vice President Hsu, who encouraged students to stay confident, stay curious, and stay connected to their Taiwanese heritage. The student representative also delivered a warm and humorous speech, expressing sincere gratitude to parents and teachers for their unwavering support.
In his address, Director General Wu congratulated all graduates and reflected on the unique challenges faced by children of diplomats in maintaining their Mandarin learning. He commended the STS for its long-standing dedication since 1991 to promoting Traditional Mandarin and fostering strong personal character. DG Wu emphasised the contributions of the devoted teachers and hardworking parents who make this achievement possible, and wished all the graduates every success as they embark on the next chapter of their journey.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu and his wife were invited to the year-end Christmas celebration hosted by the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Australia (TCCA). Distinguished guests included NSW Legislative Councillor Jacqui Munro, Councillors Michelle Chung and Barbara Ward, and former Federal Member of Parliament Paul Fletcher, all of whom delivered remarks.
Director General Wu expressed gratitude to President Peter Huang and the TCCA team for their steadfast support of Taiwan and for building stronger bridges between Taiwan and Australia in business, culture, and community engagement. He stated that witnessing Taiwanese entrepreneurs continue to thrive in Australia fills the community with pride and inspires younger generations to pursue their dreams boldly. He also commended TCCA’s networking events and community initiatives for effectively uniting the Taiwanese diaspora. Looking ahead, Director General Wu voiced anticipation for continued collaboration in the new year to further deepen Taiwan-Australia friendship and cooperation.
During the event, President Huang invited representatives from the organizing body of the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup to brief attendees on the Taiwan women’s national football team’s upcoming matches in Australia in March next year and encouraged strong community turnout to cheer for the team. Additionally, President Huang presented a specially crafted semiconductor wafer to former MP Paul Fletcher in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Taiwanese community in Australia.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Advisory Committee on Mental Health (ACMH) today announced the launch of a programme to provide free mental health support services to bereaved families following the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.

The one-year Compassionate Support Programme for Bereaved Families dovetails with the Social Welfare Department’s “one social worker per household” service to provide grief and bereavement counselling for the families.

The programme can also refer family members to clinical psychologists and/or psychiatrists for follow-up services as required, depending on the assessments of their mental health risks.

Organisations joining the programme will reach out to the affected families to provide the services. The Primary Healthcare Commission may also make referrals through District Health Centres across the city.

Four organisations have joined the programme so far: Tung Wah Group of Hospitals; the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council; the Comfort Care Concern Group and the Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong.

The Hospital Authority will also train staff members at these social service organisations to better handle disaster-related stress and reactions.

“The Compassionate Support Programme for Bereaved Families will pool strengths from different sectors to provide psychological support for bereaved families affected by the disaster in a timely manner, and journey with them through this difficult time,” said ACMH Chairman Dr Lam Ching-choi.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Monetary Authority announced today that the base rate has been set at 4% with immediate effect.

The decrease follows a 25-basis point downward adjustment in the target range for the US federal funds rate on December 10.

The base rate is the benchmark interest rate used to compute the Discount Rates for repurchase transactions through the Discount Window.

It is currently set at either 50 basis points above the lower end of the prevailing target range for the US federal funds rate, or the average of the five-day moving averages of the overnight and one-month Hong Kong Interbank Offered Rates, whichever is the higher.