Month: July 2026

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Greater Bay Area Foreign-Related Adjudication Talent Training Course, jointly organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and the High People’s Court of Guangdong Province, started today in Guangzhou.

During the opening ceremony, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam highlighted that the course is tailored for judges from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and nearby provinces. The initiative follows collaborations between the academy and the Supreme People’s Court and the Shanghai High People’s Court.

Mr Lam noted that the course aims to deepen judicial exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland, aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan’s goals to strengthen co-ordination in regional development and boost the GBA’s role as an engine for high-quality development. This effort contributes to the construction of a collaborative mechanism for cultivating foreign-related legal talent within the GBA.

The training course focuses on Hong Kong’s common law system and the practical application of guarantee law in foreign-related hearings through lectures and dialogues.

To enhance participants’ cross-border case capabilities, judges from Hong Kong’s Court of First Instance of the High Court and senior legal professionals have been invited to deliver lectures.

More than 100 senior judges specialising in foreign-related and bankruptcy adjudication from 68 courts across 32 cities in Guangdong Province and neighbouring areas, such as Guangxi, Hainan and Hunan are taking part in the three-day training course.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Education Bureau today reminded parents that this year’s secondary school places allocation results will be announced tomorrow.

The current allocation exercise involves 48,545 students. Within this cohort, 95% of participating students have been allocated discretionary places or one their first three choices during the central allocation stages, while 84% secured a discretionary place or their top choice.

Among the segment of students who obtained their placements through the central allocation stages, 91% were allocated one of their first three choices, and 74% received their first choice.

All participating students must collect their allocation and admission slips tomorrow, and proceed to register at their allocated secondary school on July 9 or 10.

Call the bureau’s School Places Allocation Section at 2832 7740 or 2832 7700 for enquiries.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Social Welfare Department announced today that elderly Hong Kong residents receiving portable cash assistance can now choose to have their payments remitted directly into their designated Mainland bank accounts in Hong Kong dollars free of charge.

The service is available to eligible applicants and beneficiaries under the portable scheme for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, the Old Age Living Allowance and the Old Age Allowance under the Guangdong and Fujian social security allowance Schemes.

The department stipulated that the accounts must be Hong Kong dollar accounts opened by the recipients at branches of the Bank of China or the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China located in the provinces of Guangdong or Fujian.

Recipients who wish to apply for the service must provide documentary proof of their Mainland bank accounts during the application process.

For enquiries, contact the relevant Social Security Field Unit, the New Home Association for Guangdong Province at 2815 7399 or the International Social Service Hong Kong Branch for Fujian Province at 2755 6800.

Source: Government of the Republic of Korea

President Lee Jae Myung from July 7-11 will visit Turkiye to attend the NATO summit, followed by a state visit to Mongolia. From July 7-8, he will attend the summit in Ankara at the invitation of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Next will be the state visit to Mongolia from July 9-11 at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to false claims regarding Taiwan in joint statement between PRC and Pakistan foreign ministers

January 6, 2026  

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar cochaired the seventh round of the China-Pakistan foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue in Beijing on January 4. The joint communiqué issued after the meeting contained statements that blatantly contradicted the facts, including the claim that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.” 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemns the Chinese government for continuing to spread absurd and distorted information in the international community that denigrates Taiwan’s sovereignty, and expresses deep regret at the government of Pakistan’s repeated submission and compliance with China’s authoritarian behavior.

MOFA reiterates that neither the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other, and that the Chinese Communist Party regime has never governed Taiwan. No country has the right or the power to deny the objective existence of Taiwan through a so-called joint press communiqué. MOFA calls on Pakistan to stop complying with China’s disregard for the truth and cease its endorsement of declarations that have aggressive intentions and undermine regional peace and stability.

Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to the people of Taiwan. Only they can decide Taiwan’s future. Global peace, stability, and prosperity must be upheld by all nations. As a force for good in the international community, Taiwan will continue to defend the values of freedom and democracy and strengthen cooperation with its partners in the democratic camp to jointly curb authoritarian expansionism, safeguard cross-strait peace and security, and maintain freedom and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to joint statement by foreign and defense ministers of Australia and UK reaffirming importance of Taiwan Strait peace and stability

Date：2026-06-12
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

June 12, 2026  Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung greatly affirms and welcomes the joint statement issued following the Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) on June 10. The statement reiterated the critical importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposed any unilateral action to change the status quo, and encouraged dialogue rather than coercion or the use of force. 

The statement also expressed concern at China’s destabilizing military exercises around Taiwan. It recognized that the international community benefits from the expertise of the people of Taiwan. And it conveyed the two countries’ commitment to supporting Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and deepening relations with Taiwan in the economic, trade, scientific, technological, and cultural fields.

The consultations were held in London. They were attended by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Defence Secretary John Healey, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, and Minister for Defence Richard Marles. 

The statement marked the third consecutive year that Australia and the United Kingdom have jointly issued such a public declaration of support for Taiwan.

The United Kingdom, Australia, and Taiwan are like-minded partners that share such universal values as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. They play a key role in ensuring stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific. 

As an indispensable member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to work closely with like-minded countries to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, expand Taiwan’s international participation, defend the rules-based international order, and jointly promote security and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government said today it respects the judgment made by a panel set up under the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) in relation to a 2009 case of cerebral palsy in a newborn baby.

The MCHK’s Inquiry Panel restarted a disciplinary inquiry into the case of Li Yuanjian in November last year, following a review of the matter. 

In a statement, the Government said it fully supports the panel’s decision and stressed that the inquiry’s conclusion helps to clarify the facts of the incident, and cuts short any prolonged pressure on the doctor and on the child’s family.

The Health Bureau again extended its sympathies to Yuanjian and his parents. It said it hopes the judgment can bring them some solace, and allow them to focus fully on Yuanjian’s care while maintaining their confidence in Hong Kong’s healthcare system and institutional framework.

Relevant departments will continue to follow up on Yuanjian’s medical and welfare needs, the bureau added.

The Government said there is an urgent need to improve the MCHK’s complaint handling mechanism, as was clearly stated in two reports – one submitted by the MCHK to the bureau in December, and a report issued by the Ombudsman in February concerning a direct investigation into the council’s secretariat.

To this end, the bureau announced the start of legislative procedure for the Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2026 on on June 26.

The bill puts forth a series of recommendations to reform the MCHK’s complaint handling mechanism, and will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first reading on Wednesday.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to European Parliament’s adoption of a report calling for greater EU cooperation with Taiwan

March 28, 2026  On March 26, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the report Global Gateway-past impacts and future orientation. The report calls on the European Union to strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners including Taiwan to construct a resilient web of trusted connectivity. It further emphasizes that the Global Gateway strategy is an alternative to China’s Belt and Road initiative and if properly applied  could restore the EU’s industrial competitiveness and counterbalance China’s growing influence.As authoritarian countries continue to expand their influence through opaque financing and infrastructure initiatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to deepen collaboration with the European Union and other like-minded partners under the banner of integrated diplomacy. This will allow for the joint promotion of modes of cooperation that are in keeping with democratic values. This will promote regional development and prosperity and further strengthen the security and resilience of global democratic partnerships. 

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Precision timing, acoustic testing and medical technology may serve different sectors, but they all rely on the same imperative: exactness.

Hong Kong’s professional testing and certification (T&C) services offer just that.

The Innovation & Technology Commission’s Standards & Calibration Laboratory (SCL) provides services including calibration of power measurements for electrical networks, as well as medical laboratory instruments, where precision is vital. Through its rigorous metrological standards, the SCL safeguards many aspects of everyday life in the community.

A brand-new free-field acoustic anechoic chamber at the SCL was installed last year when the laboratory moved into the Tseung Kwan O Government Offices.

The chamber suppresses echoes to create an extremely quiet environment for research on architectural and environmental acoustics and for the calibration of high‑precision acoustic instruments.

Exceptional accuracy    

“The chamber’s inner walls are fitted with specially shaped sound‑absorbing materials to largely reduce echoes, providing an absolutely quiet testing environment,” said Andrew Au, an electronics engineer at the commission.

The facility helps local testing and certification bodies calibrate their equipment and deliver more reliable acoustic performance tests.

The SCL also houses an atomic clock system, which operates at the exact caesium frequency, working in tandem with the global positioning system to ensure a level of precision comparable to international standards.       

“The system can output highly precise frequency signals, providing a reliable and consistent reference for various measurement tasks such as network transmission, audio-visual synchronisation and industrial automation,” said Alvis Au Yeung, another electronics engineer at the commission.

Ensuring trust

To enforce testing standards for products and services requires the involvement of testing and certification bodies and a strict accreditation system.

That responsibility falls to the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS), which is also under the commission.

The HKAS provides accreditation service to local laboratories, certification bodies and inspection bodies, and grants accreditation to those that meet standards through three voluntary accreditation schemes: the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme, the Hong Kong Certification Body Accreditation Scheme and the Hong Kong Inspection Body Accreditation Scheme.

“Accreditation demonstrates that a testing, inspection or certification body possesses the professional competency to carry out the specific conformity assessment activities within its scope,” said Senior Accreditation Officer Fiona Chan.

The HKAS also sits on international bodies and signs multilateral recognition arrangements, meaning that reports and certificates from HKAS‑accredited organisations are recognised by more than 120 economies. This helps to reduce trade barriers under the “tested once, accepted everywhere” principle.

Industry support    

To develop Hong Kong as a regional testing and certification hub, the Hong Kong Council for Testing & Certification (HKCTC), which is supported by the commission, also plays a vital role in seizing global opportunities.

“We participate in local and overseas trade fairs and support the industry in seizing opportunities such as Greater Bay Area development, the Mainland & Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, emerging sectors and industrial upgrading,” said Innovation & Technology Commission Manager (Testing & Certification) Henry Chan.

He added that talent is critical. The council’s Testing & Certification Manpower Development Award Scheme encourages T&C bodies to invest in talent training, and commends outstanding practitioners.   

Tripartite drive

“With the SCL establishing precise metrological standards, the international recognition of T&C bodies accredited by the HKAS, and the HKCTC leading the strategic development of the industry, these three pillars not only provide safety and confidence for citizens, but also collectively reinforce the branding of ‘Tested in Hong Kong, Certified in Hong Kong’.”