Month: April 2026

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

To tie in with “Hong Kong Reading for All Day” on April 23, Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) will hold Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 from April 20 to 26.

Under the theme of “Delight/LIBRARY”, this year’s reading week will comprise about 470 events aimed at cultivating good reading habits among the public.

HKPL will participate in 2026 Hong Kong Reading+, a reading promotion initiative organised by the Hong Kong Publishing Federation (HKPF) and sponsored by the Cultural & Creative Industries Development Agency, at New Town Plaza in Sha Tin from April 18 to 26.

HKPL and HKPF will hold an opening ceremony for Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 and 2026 Hong Kong Reading+ at the venue on April 18. HKPL will introduce its electronic resources and hold handicraft workshops, as well as parent-child reading activities.

On Hong Kong Reading for All Day on April 23, reading locations will be set up at selected Leisure & Cultural Services Department venues, public libraries, community libraries, higher education institutions, and primary and secondary schools, to facilitate the event “Read Together for Half an Hour”.

HKPL and the Hans Andersen Club will also co-host a “Joyful Family Reading Carnival” at East Kowloon Cultural Centre.

Fun day activities suitable for people of all ages will be staged on April 25 and 26 at the Hong Kong Central Library. These include a music and story sharing session hosted by the pop singer Phil Lam, a magic performance and workshops by Harry Wong, interactive guide dog sessions, a Miniature World of Hong Kong exhibition, and musical interludes featuring classical pieces by Chinese and Western ensembles under the Music Office. An interactive device “The Happiness Explorer” will be set up to recommend good books.

In addition, the Pop-up Library@Hong Kong Reading Week 2026 – under the theme “Happiness Is Just Around the Book Corner” – will be held at Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong on April 25.

On April 25 and 26, selected public libraries across Hong Kong will hold storytelling and handicraft workshops, with self-service photo booths adding to the fun for patrons.

Click here for details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Education Bureau today announced the Values Education Curriculum Framework (2026), providing a roadmap for primary and secondary schools to implement values-based learning starting from the 2026-27 school year.

Drafted by the Standing Committee on Values Education under the Curriculum Development Council, the framework adopts the core theme: “Taking root in Chinese Culture, Connecting with the World, Embracing the Future”. The Bureau emphasised that Chinese culture serves as the backbone of this overarching direction.

The new document outlines key focuses for schools to strengthen, including detailed curriculum content, planning and implementation strategies. It also establishes expected learning outcomes for students at various stages and provides a suite of resources and support for educators.

The bureau noted that the document also provides schools with a clearer and more forward-looking direction to further enhance values education, and supports schools in equipping students to face current and future opportunities and challenges.

It added that in response to rapid social and technological changes, the curriculum framework recommends that schools continue to strengthen learning in several key areas. These include Chinese culture, national education, life education, sex education and health education, alongside content related to sustainable development.

The framework also aims to foster students’ media and information literacy, international perspectives and an awareness of “building a community with a shared future for mankind”. The objective is to nurture self-disciplined, committed and aspiring future pillars of society who possess an affection for Hong Kong and a strong sense of national belonging.

Following the release of the Values Education Curriculum Framework (Pilot Version) in 2021, primary and secondary schools have already begun reviewing and refining their school-based values education curricula based on their individual developmental progress. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Four co-owners were convicted and fined $128,720 in total, of which $118,720 was the fine for the number of days that the offence continued, at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday (April 14) for failing to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).  

The case involved unauthorised building works (UBWs) encroaching a common corridor and portion of a front and rear staircase landing of a composite building on Shanghai Street, Yau Ma Tei. As the works were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the co-owners under section 24(1) of the BO. Failing to comply with the removal order, they were prosecuted by the BD.

A spokesman for the BD said today (April 16), “UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who fail to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building and public safety.”

Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year’s imprisonment, and a further fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The kick-off ceremony of the Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Open Data Challenge 2026 (HSODC 2026) jointly organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Data was held at the InnoEX on April 13. Themed “Co-creating a Data Industry Platform for the Two Cities”, this year’s competition is based on open data of the governments of the two places and their latest urban development needs. It reflects the search for open data resources that drive social development while exploring collaborative models for open data and industry data, thus promoting the collaborative development of smart city construction between the two cities. This year’s competition incorporates more international elements, encouraging Hong Kong and Shanghai teams to explore global application scenarios, thereby promoting the advancement of digital technologies and innovation capabilities in both cities towards the global stage.

     Addressing the kick-off ceremony, the Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, stated that the HSODC 2026 provides a platform for young people, research teams and enterprises from both places to showcase their creativity within the national strategic framework, driving high-quality development of the digital economy. In recent years, the HKSAR Government has actively improved open data, data sharing and flow by optimising data governance, thereby promoting data applications within the Government and across various industries. The development and use of data elements is a long-distance journey. With Hong Kong and Shanghai joining forces, the two cities will contribute significantly to the high-quality development of the country’s digital economy.

     The Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation Pavilion (the Pavilion), staged at the InnoEX, showcased the data application achievements of last year’s competing teams in four major areas: Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, and Smart Economy. The Pavilion highlighted how these teams utilised data to solve real-world problems and create social value. Furthermore, a forum titled Hong Kong/Shanghai Data Co-operation was held on April 14 under the theme “Research Data Platforms”. During the forum, data experts and research institution practitioners from both Hong Kong and Shanghai shared various case studies, including the integration of industry, academia, and research; the development and application of open datasets for new energy vehicles; the core advantages and industrial practices of data intelligence; and compliant data-sharing agreements for scientific research. 

     The HSODC 2026 is now open for registration until June 15. This year’s competition continues to focus on four key areas: Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, and Smart Economy, encouraging participants to leverage open data resources from both cities to build innovative projects and pioneer frontier application solutions. Participants will be offered professional training to gain an in-depth understanding of the unique characteristics and advantages of urban data resources in both cities. Shortlisted teams will receive technical training from late June to August, with the opportunity to attend the grand finale to be held in Shanghai in August, showcasing their innovative and unique data technology solutions in front of judges. For more details, please visit the website: hkshadata.org.

     The DPO organised a series of innovation and technology (I&T) events in April to showcase Hong Kong’s vibrant I&T ecosystem. These include the Smart Hong Kong Pavilion at the InnoEX, the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit, organised by the HKSAR Government and co-organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, and the HSODC 2026.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The sixth-term Commission on Poverty convened its sixth meeting this afternoon (April 16).
 
At the meeting, members noted that the Report on Impact of Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy in Hong Kong is being finalised. The Report will elaborate on the content and impact of the Government’s targeted poverty alleviation measures. It will also reflect, from a macro perspective, how the Government’s major policies alleviate, combat and prevent poverty, thereby effectively enhancing people’s sense of achievement and satisfaction. The Report will also outline future strategies for relevant work. It is expected to be released by mid-2026.
 
Members also noted that the Government will continue to support vulnerable groups through the tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community, including establishing a platform to encourage family offices involved in philanthropic endeavours to provide resources for implementing projects that benefit disadvantaged groups.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Digital Policy Office announced today (April 16) that Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) has become a recognised certification authority pursuant to the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553) (ETO).
 
The Government established the Voluntary Certification Authority Recognition Scheme under the ETO. A certification authority may voluntarily apply to the Commissioner for Digital Policy for recognition. Recognition will only be granted to those certification authorities and digital certificates that meet the Government’s trustworthiness standards, thus protecting the interests of users of services provided by a recognised certification authority.
 
Under the Recognition Scheme, a certification authority issues digital certificates to subscribers, allowing them to conduct electronic transactions with other parties in a secure manner.
 
     The HKIRC has been granted authority to issue six types of digital certificate to individuals and organisations. The HKIRC’s recognition brings the total number of recognised certification authorities in Hong Kong to three, the other two being Digi-Sign Certification Services Limited and the Postmaster General.
 
     A spokesperson for the Digital Policy Office (DPO) said, “The Government has been encouraging organisations to provide services as certification authorities, offering the public who need certification services more choices and helping to promote and facilitate secure and reliable electronic transactions.”
 
More details of the Recognition Scheme are available on the DPO website (www.digitalpolicy.gov.hk/en/our_work/digital_infrastructure/legal_framework/regulation/eto/ca/introduction/).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for February 2026 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (April 16) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.

Due to the difference in timing of the Chinese New Year holidays, it is more appropriate to analyse the trade figures for January and February taken together in making year-on-year comparison.

Comparing the first two months of 2026 with the same period in 2025, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 25.0% and 29.1% respectively.

In February 2026, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 19.5% and 23.9% respectively over February 2025.

Comparing the three-month period ending February 2026 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 14.4% and 15.5% respectively.

Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.

As regards price changes in the first two months of 2026 over the same period in 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 3.6% and 3.7% respectively.

Comparing February 2026 with February 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 4.2% and 4.3% respectively.

Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.

The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2025, the index decreased by 0.1% in February 2026, whereas it remained virtually unchanged in the first two months of 2026.
 
Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.

Comparing February 2026 with February 2025, increases were recorded for the total export volume to all main destinations: the USA (36.2%), Taiwan (26.3%), Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) (16.1%), Vietnam (15.9%) and India (14.8%).

Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to all main destinations increased: Taiwan (5.6%), the Mainland (4.8%), India (4.6%), the USA (2.9%) and Vietnam (2.4%).

Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.

Comparing February 2026 with February 2025, increases were recorded for the import volume from all main suppliers: Korea (90.5%), Vietnam (63.0%), the Mainland (23.1%), Singapore (14.9%) and Taiwan (2.8%).

Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Korea (9.7%), Taiwan (6.4%), the Mainland (4.1%), Vietnam (2.7%) and Singapore (1.6%).

Further information

Details of the above statistics are published in the February 2026 issue of “Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers”. Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).

Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2599).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

     The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (April 16) announced the completion of a direct investigation operation into the Government’s work in combating cruelty to animals by the Office of The Ombudsman (the Office), with 45 improvement recommendations made to the Government.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region