Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
On Court of Appeal’s judgment on Lai Chee-ying’s fraud case A spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said, “The indisputable fact is that, Lai Chee-ying has exploited valuable public resources of the HKSAR for over 20 years. In its judgment on Lai Chee-ying’s fraud case, the Court of Appeal clearly pointed out that Lai Chee-ying’s private company, Dico Consultants Limited (Dico), occupied and used the relevant premises in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, and that Apple Daily Printing Limited (ADPL) breached the terms of the leasing instruments. Both the Court of Appeal’s judgment and the trial judge’s reasons for verdict revealed that the relevant terms of the lease clearly stipulated that, unless approved by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC), the premises may only be used for publishing and printing business and must not be occupied by any third party. However, for over a period of as long as 20 years, without the knowledge of the HKSTPC, ADPL had allowed Dico to occupy and use the premises to deal with Lai Chee-ying’s and his family’s affairs.”
The spokesman stressed, “Although the Court of Appeal considered that, in the factual context of this case, the breach in question did not reach the criminal conviction threshold for the offence of ‘fraud’, the objective fact remains that Lai Chee-ying has exploited public resources for private use.”
The spokesman pointed out, “The courts in Hong Kong have always been exercising judicial power independently, and all judgments handed down by the courts are open and transparent. The District Court conducted the trial impartially. While the defendants lodged an appeal in accordance with the law, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal with a detailed explanation on the reasons. Under the fair and impartial legal system of Hong Kong, both the trial court and the Court of Appeal handled the case openly and transparently.
“On the other hand, Lai Chee-ying is currently serving 20 years’ imprisonment following his conviction and sentence on February 9, 2026, by the Court of First Instance of the High Court for three charges of offences endangering national security (namely one count of ‘conspiracy to print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display and/or reproduce seditious publications’ and two counts of ‘conspiracy to commit collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security’).
“Although the appeal in this fraud case has been allowed, it does not alter the fact or outcome that Lai Chee-ying has to serve 20 years’ imprisonment for his offences endangering national security.
“The Department of Justice acts strictly in accordance with the Prosecution Code. Prosecution was instituted as the Department considered that there was sufficient admissible evidence to support a reasonable prospect of conviction, and it was in the public interest to do so. The Department of Justice will study the Court of Appeal’s judgment on this fraud case thoroughly in order to consider lodging an appeal.” Issued at HKT 16:55
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Tender for re-opening of 5-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds to be held on March 4 An additional amount of HK$2.0 billion of the outstanding 5-year Bonds (issue no. 05GB3005002) will be on offer. The Bonds will mature on May 15, 2030 and will carry interest at the rate of 2.70 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear. The Indicative Pricings of the Bonds on February 26, 2026 are 102.12 with an annualised yield of 2.182 per cent.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Princess Margaret Hospital announces a suspected indecent assault incident involving staff members Two patient care assistants (PCA) of a medicine and geriatrics ward were suspected to have been indecently assaulted while taking care of a patient on the morning of February 22. The hospital reported the incidents to the Police after receiving reports. A 53-year-old male patient was arrested by the Police in the ward two days ago (February 24).
The hospital is highly concerned about those incidents. The hospital strongly condemns the suspected indecent acts against its staff members, resolutely adopts a zero-tolerance attitude towards such incidents, and will follow up seriously while fully co-operating with the Police investigation. The hospital has expressed sympathy and provided support to the staff members concerned.
Those incidents have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office via the Advance Incident Reporting System. Issued at HKT 15:17
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Lunar New Year auction of vehicle registration marks this Sunday(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder; (iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and (iv) a crossed cheque payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. Any bidder who wishes to bid for both TVRMs and the PVRM should bring along at least two crossed cheques for payment of auction prices (for an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for the mark assignment can be completed). Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount on the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted.Issued at HKT 14:30
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
“Quarterly Report on General Household Survey” for October to December 2025 published The report contains statistics on labour force, employment, unemployment and underemployment for the fourth quarter of 2025. It also contains detailed analyses of the characteristics of different categories of members of the labour force, including their age, sex, educational attainment, employment status, occupation, industry, hours worked per week and monthly employment earnings, etc. Information on duration of unemployment for the unemployed is also presented.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced today (February 26) that to further facilitate visitors and enhance clearance efficiency, with effect from tomorrow (February 27), the eligibility criteria for the self-service immigration clearance (e-Channel) service for frequent visitors will be relaxed, and the enrolment procedure for the e-Channel service will be simplified.
Under the new arrangement, frequent visitors, including those holding valid travel documents and multiple visit visas, who have visited Hong Kong via Hong Kong International Airport two or more times in the past 24 months and who meet the relevant criteria, may enrol for the e-Channel service free of charge. This enables them to perform self-service immigration clearance at all control points in Hong Kong using the e-Channel and enjoy a more convenient and efficient travel experience.
In addition, the enrolment procedure for the e-Channel services has been simplified. When registering at designated enrolment offices, eligible visitors holding valid electronic travel documents are only required to present their valid travel document used for entry, have their photo taken and sign a consent form. Fingerprint collection is no longer required. The enrolment procedure for visitors holding non-electronic travel documents remains unchanged.
To perform arrival clearance, a newly enrolled visitor should place their travel document on the document reader of the e-Channel. Upon entering the e-Channel, visitors using electronic travel documents should look at the camera for facial recognition, while those using non-electronic travel documents should place their enrolled finger flat on the fingerprint scanner for fingerprint verification. Upon successful identity verification and completion of arrival clearance, a landing slip will be issued. The procedure for departure clearance is similar, except that no landing slip will be issued.
For details on the locations and opening hours of the enrolment offices and the e-Channel service for visitors, please visit the ImmD website (www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/echannel_visitors.html). For enquiries, please contact the ImmD by calling the enquiry hotline (2824 6111), by fax (2877 7711) or by email (enquiry@immd.gov.hk).
President Lai meets 2025 Nobel physics laureate Dr. John M. Martinis
On the morning of February 26, President Lai Ching-te met with Dr. John M. Martinis, 2025 Nobel Laureate in Physics. In remarks, President Lai recognized Dr. Martinis for his contributions to achieving quantum supremacy for the first time. The president noted that Academia Sinica last month unveiled a 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer that was designed and built in-house, a milestone which positioned Taiwan among the world’s frontrunners and marked its entry into the critical domain of large-scale quantum chip fabrication. He said that Taiwan will continue to enhance its international cooperation and fortify its critical global position.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
First, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Martinis on his visit to Taiwan and congratulate him on winning the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics. Dr. Martinis is a pioneer in the field of quantum computing. In 2019, he led the Google quantum team in developing a superconducting processor that achieved quantum supremacy for the first time when it performed in only 200 seconds a task that would have taken a regular supercomputer approximately 10,000 years to complete. This remarkable feat set a significant milestone in human computation history.
Taiwan is a global semiconductor manufacturing hub with complete industrial supply chains and outstanding engineering talent. We firmly believe that quantum science will be at the core of the next-generation computing revolution and are striving to develop relevant technologies. I was glad to see Dr. Martinis in a media interview say that he has a special connection with Taiwan and has enjoyed many years of happy collaboration with colleagues here. I would like to thank him for continuing to assist Taiwan in developing quantum technology.
Also with us today are President James C. Liao and Vice President Chou Mei-yin of Academia Sinica. Dr. Martinis has worked closely with the academy, serving as an advisor to its quantum program and holding weekly videoconferences with its team. Together, they have developed qubit fabrication processes and published research articles. Dr. Martinis has also visited the Academia Sinica South Campus, bringing valuable inspiration for science and technology research teams in Taiwan.
Quantum technology is a key component of the 10 new AI infrastructure initiatives that the government of Taiwan is currently promoting. We have also launched the National Quantum Team. And last month, Academia Sinica unveiled a 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer that was designed and built in-house. This milestone positioned Taiwan among the world’s frontrunners and marked our entry into the critical domain of large-scale quantum chip fabrication.
Moving ahead, we hope to draw upon Dr. Martinis’s expertise and vision to continue to deepen exchanges between Taiwan and top international research institutions. And we hope that more international cooperation will improve our research environment. In closing, I once again thank Dr. Martinis for traveling so far to visit us. I wish you a smooth and successful trip.
Dr. Martinis then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for his warm welcome and noting his pleasure at having the opportunity to discuss quantum technology-related issues. He mentioned that after he left Google, he was invited to become an advisor to Academia Sinica, adding that he has enjoyed working closely with the academy and its team there for several years. He pointed out that yesterday he visited the quantum lab at the Academia Sinica South Campus, describing it as a world-class lab with an excellent clean room facility, measurement lab, people, and support. He then thanked Taiwan for its contributions to the quantum field and stated that he is looking forward to working together.
Dr. Martinis stated that he would like to build the world’s first useful quantum computer to solve real problems to help humanity. Acknowledging that we all know the importance of artificial intelligence, he said he thinks that quantum science and quantum AI can be the next big computer revolution. He also noted that to do this, it is likely going to be somewhat harder than the physicists and scientists anticipate, because one must start considering manufacturing and making thousands to millions of qubits.
Dr. Martinis stated that in the future, to reduce the manufacturing costs of qubits and enhance their reliability, they will need a manufacturing technology and a base that knows how to do that. He pointed out that Taiwan is widely known for its proficiency in manufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing, which is one of the reasons he is visiting. He expressed his hope of working with Academia Sinica and Taiwan companies to achieve his dream of building a quantum computer.
MOFA extends sincere congratulations to new Netherlands coalition government following swearing-in
Date：2026-02-23
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
February 23, 2026 No. 053 The new coalition government of the Netherlands, led by Prime Minister Rob Jetten and composed of cabinet members from Democrats 66, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, and the Christian Democratic Alliance, was sworn in by King Willem-Alexander today. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends its sincere congratulations to the Netherlands on forming its new government. Taiwan and the Netherlands share the values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, and bilateral relations have flourished in recent years. The Dutch government dispatched naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait for the first time in 2024 and extended congratulations to the people of Taiwan for a successful presidential election in 2025. Furthermore, the Dutch parliament has long shown cross-party support for Taiwan, adopting 10 Taiwan-friendly motions between 2024 and 2025. Its actions have fully underscored Dutch society’s high regard for and friendship toward Taiwan. The Netherlands is Taiwan’s second-largest trade partner in Europe and largest source of foreign investment. Taiwan values its close economic and trade ties and strong historical links with the Netherlands. Building on a cordial foundation of mutual trust, Taiwan will continue to work with the Netherlands to strengthen bilateral collaboration in various areas—including semiconductors, technological innovation, and industrial supply chains—so as to jointly benefit the well-being of the people of both countries. (E)
MOFA extends sincere congratulations to LDP President Takaichi on reelection as prime minister of Japan
Date：2026-02-18
Data Source：TAIWAN-JAPAN RELATIONS ASSOCIATION
February 18, 2026 No. 052 During a special session of the National Diet of Japan, convened on February 18, to designate a new prime minister, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Sanae Takaichi obtained the votes required to become the 105th prime minister of Japan. She will now go on to form a cabinet for the second time. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung extends sincere congratulations to Prime Minister Takaichi and has instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan to offer congratulations to Prime Minister Takaichi and her cabinet on behalf of the government of Taiwan.Prime Minister Takaichi, who enjoys a strong popular mandate, has long supported Taiwan through concrete actions. During her tenure as chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council, she included support for Taiwan’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the World Health Organization in the LDP’s election manifesto. In 2025, prior to her election as LDP president, she led a delegation to Taiwan to meet with President Lai Ching-te and other prominent figures from various sectors of Taiwanese society. Since becoming prime minister, she has been quick to assert the importance of upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at key international events. Furthermore, the government of Japan has consistently prioritized the robust development of Taiwan-Japan relations. After Japan’s House of Representatives election this year, Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi stated in response to a media question that the Japanese government would maintain its existing position on Taiwan and further deepen cooperation and exchanges.Taiwan and Japan are key partners in the first island chain. Taiwan looks forward to working with Japan to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific and further deepen mutually beneficial and comprehensive bilateral ties to jointly contribute to regional peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)
President Lai confers decoration on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman
On the afternoon of February 25, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman in recognition of her outstanding contributions to deepening diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and helping Taiwan expand its international connections. In remarks, President Lai stated that our two countries have supported each other and continued to make progress amidst various challenges. The president expressed hope to keep building on the solid foundations established by Ambassador Bowman, further strengthening bilateral cooperation, improving the well-being of our peoples, and making greater contributions to the peace and prosperity of the world.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
In conferring the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon Ambassador Bowman today, I sincerely thank her on behalf of the Taiwanese people for her outstanding contributions to deepening diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In 2019, Ambassador Bowman presented her credentials and became her country’s first ambassador to Taiwan. At the same time, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines established its first permanent embassy in Asia. In addition to setting an important milestone in our bilateral relations, this also laid a solid bedrock for lasting cooperation between our countries.
Thanks to Ambassador Bowman’s efforts over the past six years, bilateral exchanges have continued to deepen. Mutual visits of high-level officials, trade and investment ties, and cooperation in such areas as infrastructure, agriculture, public health, and information and communications technology have all been fruitful. Our countries have also expanded interactions in women’s empowerment, youth education, culture, and sports, further strengthening the friendship between our peoples.
I would like to thank Ambassador Bowman for serving as the dean of the Diplomatic Corps for over three years. Together with us, Ambassador Bowman has witnessed many important events and moments in Taiwan’s development. And in coordination with other ambassadors and representatives, she has worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to jointly promote numerous exchange programs. I would also like to recognize Ambassador Bowman for her dedication to diplomacy through sincere efforts, which have helped Taiwan expand its international connections and deepen its partnerships around the world.
I would like to thank the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for its longstanding high regard and support for Taiwan. At the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and other international fora, the Vincentian government has always passionately spoken up for Taiwan and strongly supported our international participation. Your government’s unshakeable belief in the universal values of democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights has enabled our two countries to support each other and continue to make progress amidst various challenges.
Looking ahead, we expect that Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will keep building on the solid foundations established by Ambassador Bowman, further strengthening cooperation, improving the well-being of our peoples, and making greater contributions to the peace and prosperity of the world. In closing, I once again thank Ambassador Bowman for her hard work and contributions during her tenure in Taiwan. Our doors are always open to you. Please come back anytime to see your old friends. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Ambassador Bowman then delivered remarks, first expressing her honor of receiving the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on behalf of the government and people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Six years and six months ago, she said, she was tasked with the major responsibility of leading the establishment of the Embassy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in Taiwan. She then thanked the number of persons present who helped to execute the mission. The ambassador called it a labor of love and patriotism that resulted in the concretization of what they have come to regard as their legitimate home-away-from-home. Today, she emphasized, their embassy is still their country’s first and only embassy in Asia, and they are proud that it has enabled her non-resident ambassadorial accreditation to Japan and the Republic of Korea.
Ambassador Bowman stated that Taiwan, a beautiful, democratic country, has hosted their embassy since August 8, 2019, with dignity and efficiency. She recognized MOFA for graciously facilitating their outreach to, and support of, the Vincentian community in Taiwan, which now numbers 182, further noting that MOFA has also facilitated their liaisons with every aspect of Taiwanese society. This synergy of Vincentian and Taiwanese vision and bonding, she said, has directly enhanced the livelihoods of Vincentians and Taiwanese here in Taiwan and those abroad. She stressed that Vincentians and Taiwanese in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines experience the efficacy and goodwill of this friendship on a daily basis.
Ambassador Bowman said that there is no foreign policy that is more impactful than that which first establishes an empathetic and respectful relationship between the people of the two allied nations. She then asserted that their embassy has had the privilege of laying the basis for such an effective alliance thanks to the embrace of the government and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Today, she said, as she bids farewell to her beloved home-away-from-home, she is grateful for the nearly 45 years of unbroken diplomatic relations which they cherish. She also expressed her gratitude for the honor of serving as the dean of the Diplomatic Corps since October 2022, adding that the corps symbolizes and represents the sovereignty of Taiwan, a sovereignty which must be protected, not just for Taiwanese, but for all small-island developing states in the increasingly fraught global space.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were Saint Lucia Ambassador Robert Kennedy Lewis and his wife, former Saint Christopher and Nevis Ambassador Jasmine Elise Huggins, and Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Elroy Wilson and his wife.