Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Attention TV and radio duty announcers:
Please broadcast the following special announcement by the Education Bureau concerning schools, and repeat it at suitable intervals:
As the Red Rainstorm Warning Signal is now in force, students of AM schools and whole-day schools do not have to attend school today. Schools should keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after arriving students. Parents do not need to pick up their children from schools immediately.
If the Hong Kong Observatory issues the Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal or cancels all Rainstorm Warning Signals at or before 10.30am, classes of PM schools will proceed as usual today unless advised otherwise.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Tender of 20-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds through re-opening to be held on July 22 An additional amount of HK$1.0 billion of the outstanding 20-year Bonds (issue no. 20GB4503001) will be on offer. The Bonds will mature on March 6, 2045 and will carry interest at the rate of 3.99 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear. The Indicative Pricings of the Bonds on July 16, 2026 are 98.07 with an annualised yield of 4.182 per cent.
Issue Number9.30am to 10.30amThe accrued interest to be paid by successful bidders on the issue date (July 23, 2026) for the tender amount is HK$759.74 per minimum denomination of HK$50,000. (The accrued interest to be paid for tender amount exceeding HK$50,000 may not be exactly equal to the figures calculated from the accrued interest per minimum denomination of HK$50,000 due to rounding).the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong LimitedIssued at HKT 18:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Tender of 3-year HKD HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds through re-opening to be held on July 22 An additional amount of HK$0.75 billion of the outstanding 5-year Bonds (issue no. 05GB2912001) will be on offer. The Bonds will mature on December 5, 2029 and will carry interest at the rate of 3.23 per cent per annum payable semi-annually in arrear. The Indicative Pricings of the Bonds on July 16, 2026 are 100.72 with an annualised yield of 3.026 per cent.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
HKMA issues alert regarding specific website Given the global nature of the internet, members of the public are reminded to verify the status of any organisation making use of the internet to offer SVF services to the public in Hong Kong prior to transferring any funds to, or providing any personal information to, any such organisation.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Victor Landscape Company Limited was prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for violating the requirements under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company pleaded guilty today (July 16) at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts and was fined $66,000.
The company wilfully and without reasonable excuse contravened the requirements of the EO, failing to pay 11 employees’ wages within seven days after the expiry of the wage periods, totalling about $1,060,000.
“The ruling will disseminate a strong message to all employers that they have to pay wages to employees within the statutory time limit stipulated in the EO,” a spokesman for the LD said.
“The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for May 2026 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (July 16) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.
In May 2026, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 25.8% and 27.4% respectively over May 2025. Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Lands Department today (July 16) posted land resumption notices in accordance with section 4 of the Lands Resumption Ordinance (Chapter 124) and section 14 of the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Chapter 370) for the implementation of public housing developments at Tai Kei Leng and Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long.
Forty-seven private lots with a total area of about 18 410 square metres in Tai Kei Leng, Yuen Long, and 89 private lots with a total area of about 36 348 sq m in Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long, will be resumed by the Government. The said land will revert to the Government upon the expiry of a period of three months from the date of affixing the notices (i.e. October 17).
The Government will closely liaise with the relevant land owners and affected parties to handle compensation and rehousing matters.
The public housing development at Shap Pat Heung and Tai Kei Leng, Yuen Long, will provide about 4 000 and about 2 000 public housing units respectively upon completion. The first batch of population intake is expected in 2034 and 2036 respectively.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Speech by SFST at HKQAA Kick-off Ceremony for Initiative for Advancing Sustainability Disclosure Ecosystem in Financial Industry cum Seminar (English only) P C (Chief Executive Officer of the HKQAA, Mr P C Chan), Daphne (Deputy Chief Executive of the China Construction Bank (Asia) Corporation Limited, Ms Daphne Wat), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning, despite the rain. It is a great pleasure to join you for the Kick-off Ceremony for the Initiative for Advancing a Sustainability Disclosure Ecosystem in the Financial Industry.
I extend my sincere appreciation to the HKQAA under P C’s leadership for organising this event, and for its steadfast commitment to advancing sustainable finance in Hong Kong. I also welcome our friends from across the financial sector. You are indeed the pioneers who have led the way in adopting sustainability disclosure. Today is not just the launch of an initiative but rather a collective pledge to build a better, greener future.
Indeed, the world is at a defining moment. Climate change and sustainability challenges are no longer issues on the horizon – they are the reality we face now. The global shift towards sustainability has become one of the defining movements of our era, evolving from aspiration to necessity.
The numbers tell a very compelling story. In 2023, global climate finance flows reached an all-time high of around US$1.9 trillion, more than doubling in just three years, and by 2028, this could reach at least US$6 trillion. This trajectory demonstrates that finance, as well as financial institutions, must be part of the solution, facilitating sustainable investments that will define the economic prosperity of the future.
Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to lead this change. We are not only an international financial centre but also an emerging green finance hub. With our deep pools of liquidity, advanced regulatory frameworks, and seamless connectivity to global markets, Hong Kong has become the gateway to mobilise capital in addressing regional and global sustainability challenges.
In 2025, green and sustainable debt issued in Hong Kong exceeded an impressive US$76 billion, with green and sustainable bonds arranged here accounting for about US$38 billion, or over 40 per cent of the regional total in Asia – an achievement that exemplifies market confidence in our platform.
The Government has introduced a comprehensive suite of initiatives to promote green finance. Under our Government Sustainable Bond Programme, we have issued since May 2019 government green bonds totalling about HK$258 billion, including the world’s first tokenised green bond issued by a government and the world’s first digital bond offering integrating e-CNY and e-HKD. Apart from government bonds, we have provided support to the issuance of green and sustainable debt instruments by extending the Green and Sustainable Finance Grant Scheme to 2027.
Capacity building also remains at the heart of progress. We have approved over 11 000 applications for training programmes as of June 2026, covering both practitioners and even students under the Pilot Green and Sustainable Finance Capacity Building Support Scheme. This ensures professionals remain abreast of the latest developments in sustainable finance, driving innovation and strengthening Hong Kong’s competitive edge. The Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance was also expanded this year, adding manufacturing and ICT (information and communications technology) to its original four sectors. Phase 2 now includes climate change adaptation alongside mitigation, promoting investment in activities that both address climate change causes and minimise its impacts, ensuring robust, credible capital flows toward sustainable projects.
For carbon market, Core Climate under HKEX (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited) is actively exploring cross-border carbon trading settlements with Greater Bay Area counterparts, as well as developing a broader ecosystem for green products on its platform, which are vital for linking regional and global carbon markets.
As markets evolve, so too does the regulatory landscape. Transparency in sustainability reporting has become indispensable. Our Roadmap on Sustainability Disclosure (Roadmap on Sustainability Disclosure in Hong Kong: Ambition‧Assurance‧Enablement), published in December 2024, sets out a clear pathway for large publicly accountable entities to fully adopt the ISSB Standards (International Financial Reporting Standards – Sustainability Disclosure Standards) by no later than 2028. This commitment was globally recognised when the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) Foundation confirmed in June last year that Hong Kong is among the first jurisdictions worldwide to target full adoption of the ISSB benchmarks.
However, achieving regulatory alignment requires more than rules – it demands partnership, collaboration, and capacity-building. As arrangers, underwriters, investors, and asset managers, you all have been essential partners for participating in and contributing to this course. Today, with the launch of the Initiative for Advancing a Sustainability Disclosure Ecosystem in the Financial Industry, we take a bold step forward in strengthening Hong Kong’s readiness to unite, innovate, collaborate, and lead in sustainable finance.
Leveraging HKQAA’s data disclosure and assurance program and extending it across the financial sector, this initiative offers you a structured, credible, and scalable framework for collecting and verifying sustainability data from your clients, investees, and business partners. It reduces the burden of bespoke data requests – replacing them with a standardised approach that works across your entire portfolio. It also enhances your regulatory readiness, with assurance that the data you rely on meets the quality standards expected by your regulators and the Hong Kong standards.
By reducing complexity and improving efficiency, this initiative is not just a regulatory tool – it is a strategic enabler for financial institutions to lead in sustainability. And this is just the beginning. As more institutions join, the ecosystem will grow stronger and more valuable for all of you as participants.
I encourage financial institutions here today to embrace and contribute to this initiative. Your active engagement will shape the ecosystem and set the standard for the region. The Government also remains fully committed to consolidating Hong Kong’s role as a premier sustainable finance centre in support of the nation’s dual carbon goals. We will continue to work closely with our partners to develop a comprehensive, vibrant, and internationally aligned green finance ecosystem.
Collaboration is the lifeblood of sustainable finance. The challenges we face are simply too vast for any single organisation to solve alone. Together, let’s build a sustainability disclosure ecosystem that is robust, scalable, and mostly importantly trusted – one that positions Hong Kong as the undisputed sustainable finance hub of Asia.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DSJ to attend Nusa Dua Forum in Indonesia During the forum, Dr Cheung will deliver a keynote speech to promote Hong Kong’s unique advantages. He will explain how Hong Kong, with its robust rule of law based on the common law system, high-quality professional services, well-developed financial infrastructure, and innovative policy measures, serves as a strategic partner for global capital amid a challenging geopolitical environment.
Dr Cheung will return to Hong Kong on July 18. Issued at HKT 11:30
Minister of Economic Affairs Ming-Hsin Kung and Taiwan’s Representative to Japan I-Yang Lee witnessed the signing of three Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) under the framework of “Taiwan-Japan Industrial Technology Collaboration on Advanced Air Mobility and Drone Systems in Tokyo on July 15. The three agreements include a partnership among Taiwanese drone company 7A Drones, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), and SkyDrive, a leading Japanese advanced air mobility company, to promote the use of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for emergency medical transport between Taiwan’s outlying islands; cooperation between 7A Drones and Japanese logistics drone company AlterSky to introduce the commercial deployment of large cargo drones; and cooperation between 7A Drones and AeroJapan to develop training drone products for wildlife damage prevention.
Minister Kung stated that Taiwan’s drone industry has grown rapidly in recent years, with its output value rising significantly from approximately NT$5 billion in 2024 to NT$12.9 billion in 2025. Export value also surged from NT$140 million to NT$2.9 billion, demonstrating the industry’s strong potential in overseas markets.
Minister Kung highlighted three key aspects of the partnerships. First, they will deepen technological cooperation in the drone sector. Taiwan’s independently developed flight control systems, motors, electronic speed controllers, and complete aircraft system integration capabilities will undergo further validation in real-world application environments in Japan. Second, the partnerships will expand application markets. Through introduction and validation across Japan’s diverse application environments, Taiwan can provide reliable technologies, products, and solutions while further demonstrating the international application value of its innovative technologies. Finally, the partnerships will advance commercial deployment. The procurement partnership signed between 7A Drones and AlterSky marks an important step toward bringing Taiwan’s large cargo drones to the Japanese market. It also demonstrates that Taiwan-Japan cooperation is progressing from technological validation to tangible commercial applications. Through these partnerships, Taiwan’s reliable technologies, products, and solutions will gain greater international visibility. The MOEA will continue to help Taiwanese companies strengthen their international competitiveness and expand into global markets, Minister Kung added.
Director General Chao-Chung Kuo of the MOEA’s Department of Industrial Technology stated that, among the three agreements signed, the partnership among 7A Drones, ITRI, and SkyDrive in advanced air mobility (AAM) and outlying-island medical transport has officially progressed from the conceptual stage to the demonstration preparation stage. The three parties will focus on emergency medical transport needs in Taiwan’s Penghu Islands, seeking to address medical access challenges caused by the suspension of ferry services during winter. A specific route between Magong and Hujing has already been planned. The service is expected to be officially launched after 2028. In the future, 7A Drones will lead local demonstrations, aircraft operations, maintenance, and repairs, while coordinating with administrative and medical institutions.
The Department of Industrial Technology further explained that, in the field of large cargo drones, 7A Drones has signed a cooperation agreement with AlterSky, which is headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture. AlterSky has completed more than 1,000 drone operations across a wide range of applications, including electrical infrastructure, civil engineering, and disaster response. To address Japan’s logistics labor shortages and aging population, the two companies will jointly promote field demonstrations of large cargo drones, provide support for regulatory certification under Japan’s Civil Aeronautics Act, and advance commercial applications. By combining 7A Drones’ aircraft system technologies with AlterSky’s operational experience, the partnership will facilitate the successful introduction of Taiwan-made large cargo drones into the Japanese market.
For training drone products, 7A Drones will also leverage AeroJapan’s education, training, and maintenance support network to develop applications in wildlife damage prevention and talent cultivation. The MOEA emphasized that these Taiwan-Japan partnerships demonstrate that Taiwan’s drone industry now possesses integrated export capabilities spanning key components, complete aircraft systems, and application services. This cooperation lays an important foundation for Taiwan’s positioning within trusted global supply chains.