Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, concluded the visit of the business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to Middle East together with the Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Dr Peter Lam; the Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Ms Agnes Chan; and the Chairman of the Dongchao Information Technology (Shanghai) Company Limited, Mr Wang Chaoyou, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, today (May 14, Kuwait City time). Following are the remarks by Mr Lee:

Chief Executive: Today marks the final day of our visit to Kuwait. I would like to extend my gratitude to the Kuwaiti Government for its high-level hospitality and meticulous arrangements. I am particularly grateful to the Kuwaiti Government for arranging the government team to stay at Bayan Palace. We are particularly grateful to the Acting Prime Minister for hosting the whole delegation for lunch at the Palace, leaving an unforgettable memory amongst all members of the delegation.

Yesterday, I met with His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, followed by the meeting with His Highness the Crown Prince. And then I also met the Acting Prime Minister, who hosted a roundtable discussion attended by senior Kuwaiti officials. We share a common commitment to deepening bilateral co-operation in trade, investment and cultural exchanges.

During our visit to Kuwait, we signed and reached 24 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and co-operation agreements, spanning across trade, investment, financial services, technology, legal co-operation, customs facilitation, aviation, tertiary education, etc.

Today is the last day of our Middle East visit. I would like to do a sum-up of my four-day visit to Kuwait and Qatar. The delegation comprised Hong Kong and Mainland business leaders. We achieved three key objectives:

1. To strengthen government-to-government relations;
2. To find new areas of collaboration;
3. To make friends, and extend our network.

The visit is successful, particularly in six areas.

First, we strengthened relations between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the governments of Qatar and Kuwait, establishing collaborative consensus.

Second, the visit resulted in a total of 59 MOUs and agreements, 35 in Qatar and 24 in Kuwait, spanning across diverse areas and laying a robust groundwork for multifaceted co-operation.

Third, we deepened mutual understanding and strengthened commercial and trading networks. Delegation members have expanded their network and connections, promoting the strengths and opportunities of Hong Kong and the Mainland to partners in Qatar and Kuwait.

Fourth, we showcased Hong Kong’s unique role under “one country, two systems” as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”, bridging global opportunities. I invited, for the first time, over 20 Mainland enterprise representatives to join the delegation, reflecting the synergy between Hong Kong and the Mainland. We together aim to provide end-to-end supply chain solutions for the Middle East and beyond.

Fifth, we bolstered ties with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. We created broader opportunities. Plus the two countries I have visited during my last Middle East visit, we have now visited four of the six GCC member states, representing two-thirds of the bloc and 90 per cent of its population The HKSAR Government is now actively exploring a free trade agreement with the GCC to further access this vital market.

Sixth, we advanced people-to-people exchanges. Two days ago, I announced Qatar’s new 30-day visa-free arrangement for HKSAR passport holders. I am pleased now to further announce that the UAE (United Arab Emirates) will grant Hong Kong 30-day visa-free access starting May 15, while Oman will on the same date extend its visa-free period from 10 days to 14 days.

In meetings with leaders and officials, I appreciated their forward-looking vision and understanding of Hong Kong’s unparalleled advantages under “one country, two systems” as a bridge between the Mainland and the world. Middle East countries are seeking diversification of risks and looking for opportunities in China and the HKSAR in order to join the tide of the global economic shift towards the East. In this, Hong Kong has boundless opportunities.

Reporter: I just have a couple of questions for you, please. Can you talk to us about the relationship between Kuwait and Hong Kong in particular, and Kuwait and China in general? The second question is about the Memoranda of Understanding that you have signed yesterday and today. How can you describe them? And how do they benefit the relations between Kuwait and Hong Kong?

Chief Executive: We have a very strong foundation of understanding and co-operation with Kuwait. Kuwait is the first country to sign two agreements together with Hong Kong. One is the agreement on investment protection and promotion, and another agreement is about the avoidance of double taxation. That speaks for the strong link, which has been established long ago between Hong Kong and Kuwait. We have been inspired by the Kuwait Vision 2035, which covers many areas in full alignment with what Hong Kong is doing and focusing on. The Kuwait Vision 2035 covers areas to transform Kuwait into financial centre, trading centre, infrastructure-building, human capital development, healthcare, sustainability, and also building Kuwait into a country of influence in this region and globally.

Hong Kong has a vision very similar to Kuwait in this regard. Hong Kong is a financial centre, and is a shipping and trading centre, and we are developing Hong Kong into an I&T (innovation and technology) hub. We are quite proud of our education, because despite Hong Kong being just a city of 1 100 square kilometres, we have five universities that are within the top 100 globally, and we are quite strong in R&D (research and development), particularly a lot of our universities’ research has been graded outstanding. What we are working hard is raising Hong Kong’s profile in all this regard. Sustainability is also one of our focuses, both in what we do environmentally and also financially. We are doing a lot of green finance, and we emphasise strongly (ESG) compliance. That is where we are going, and we think there are a lot of things, because our visions just align so much together – a lot to do – and that is between Hong Kong and Kuwait. I am very thankful and grateful to His Highness, Amir of Kuwait, to meet me, and I am grateful to the Prime Minister also, to host a lunch in the palace for the whole team. Throughout all the meetings and discussions, we have very common understanding that we should co-operate more in different areas.

Coming to the relation between China and Kuwait, China is Kuwait’s, I think, largest trade partner, and the diplomatic relations between China and Kuwait started long, long time ago, and the partnership is close and ever-rising. When I honourably saw His Highness, Amir of Kuwait, I felt his friendship, genuineness, and sincerity of building good relations between Kuwait and China. I am honoured to be able to be part of that success story. My whole team feels proud to be in that part of success story.

Coming to the MOUs we have signed with Kuwait, both the governments and different parties, 24 agreements and MOUs, they cover a wide range of areas. Despite the very good foundation we already have, we are now formally telling people of the two places where are the main directions of co-operation both governments agree on. That helps in aligning direction, energy, focuses and also our time, because time is precious. So all of them now, these are the areas we can co-operate on and work hard on as well. That will bring returns in much shorter time, in much bigger scale. Already, I have heard some delegations forming to come to Hong Kong, so as to further continue the link. I am very positive with the overall results, and I will be seeing a lot of activities, not just between government-and-government exchange, but also business-to-business, individuals-to-individuals. And that is why I am also very thrilled to announce a lot of convenience that we have created for visa, for going through the boundary, both goods and people.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     â€‹The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (May 14) led a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to continue its visit programme to Kuwait. He met with representatives of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) and exchanged views with local political and business leaders. He witnessed the achievement of multiple outcomes of co-operation between government departments, enterprises and organisations of Hong Kong, the Mainland and Kuwait, including the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). He also visited a local enterprise.
 
In the morning, Mr Lee met with the Director General of the KDIPA, Dr Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, to learn about Kuwait’s strategies and achievements in attracting business and investment. Mr Lee noted that last year, Kuwait was Hong Kong’s sixth-largest trading partner in the Middle East, and both places have significant room for development in trade and business between the two places. Hong Kong will continue to serve as a bridge to assist enterprises in going global and attracting external investment, welcoming Kuwaiti enterprises to leverage Hong Kong’s world-class financing support and professional services to explore international markets.
 
Mr Lee later attended a business luncheon cohosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, where he delivered a speech to near 300 local business leaders promoting Hong Kong’s business advantages and development opportunities. He highlighted that the merchandise trade between Hong Kong and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) reached nearly US$20 billion last year, an increase of over 53 per cent in the past four years, while Hong Kong’s merchandise trade with Kuwait last year amounted to US$200 million, up more than 20 per cent from the previous year. Hong Kong is an international financial centre and the world’s largest offshore Renminbi business hub. Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises can complement each other’s strengths. Hong Kong will give full play to its role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to deepen international exchanges and co-operation. Mr Lee added that he believes the ties and co-operation between Hong Kong and Kuwait will continue to flourish.
 
At the luncheon, government departments, enterprises, and organisations from Hong Kong, the Mainland, and Kuwait exchanged and announced 24 MOUs and co-operation agreements, covering areas such as economy and trade, investment, financial services, technology, legal co-operation, cargo clearance and flow, aviation, and post-secondary education.
 
In the afternoon, Mr Lee and the delegation visited Zain Group, a major mobile telecommunications company, to learn about its business in innovative technologies and digital communications, and exchanged views with company representatives on topics such as drones, AI, and smart city development. Mr Lee remarked that Hong Kong is actively developing into an international innovation and technology centre, and he welcomes the company to invest and pursue co-operation opportunities in Hong Kong.
 
In the evening, Mr Lee will host a dinner for members of the business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to thank them for their active participation in the programme of the past four days and for working together to explore co-operation opportunities for Hong Kong and the Mainland in the Middle East.
 
Concluding the visit, Mr Lee said that the business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises, which he led to visit Qatar and Kuwait, has yielded fruitful results. He mentioned that the Middle East visit successfully made achievements in six areas, namely:

1. further strengthening the relationship between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the governments of Qatar and Kuwait, and building consensus for collaboration;
2. reaching a total of 59 MOUs and agreements, laying a diversified foundation;
3. leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths under the “one country, two systems” principle in connecting the Mainland and the world, deepening international exchanges and co-operation, and demonstrating the synergistic power of the complementary advantages between Hong Kong and the Mainland;
4. further building relations with the GCC countries to explore greater business opportunities;
5. deepening mutual understanding and strengthening commercial and trading networks; and
6. further enhancing cultural exchanges with the GCC countries.

 
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, noting that the Middle East countries are actively diversifying risks and seeking investment opportunities in China and the HKSAR, which aligns with the global economic shift towards the East. The opportunities in Hong Kong are limitless. This Middle East visit has elevated Hong Kong’s relations with Qatar and Kuwait to a new level, bringing more business opportunities to Hong Kong.
 
Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (May 15).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department’s ICH (Intangible Cultural Heritage) Highlight Tours, which brings the public to explore ICH-related traditional craftsmanship or other items, and feel the richness and diversity of ICH will open for registration on May 16.

As the highlight programme of the first Hong Kong ICH Month in June, there will be a total of 15 field trips to Yau Tsim Mong, Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Eastern and Islands districts respectively.

Each tour of 20 participants will be conducted in Cantonese and run for approximately two hours. 

Interested parties can register online from 10.30am on May 16 to 6.30pm on May 17. Admission is free. In case of excess applications, all quotas will be allocated by ballot.

Successful applicants will receive a confirmation email by May 23.

Presented by the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau and organised by the department’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, Hong Kong ICH Month’s other highlight activities include carnivals, fun days, an exhibition, a seminar, talks and workshops.

Click here for details.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin today attended the 7th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Education Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) in Jeju, South Korea. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Bridging Educational Gaps & Promoting Sustainable Growth in the Era of Digital Transformation”.

Ms Choi exchanged views with education ministers from other APEC economies and spoke about the advantages of Hong Kong’s education system.

Speaking at a thematic session, “AI ‧ Digital Transformation & Personalized Education Innovation”, she outlined that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has established a “Steering Committee on Strategic Development of Digital Education”.

She added that the Education Bureau provides subsidies for students in need, ensuring that all students have equal opportunities in their access to e-learning. The bureau invests in e-learning platforms and has launched curricula on innovation and technology, including coding lessons for junior secondary and upper primary students to boost their digital literacy and skills.

The bureau is also endeavouring to enhance teachers’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in teaching. In addition to running professional development programmes, it organises Mainland study tours and a large-scale learning and teaching expo to keep teachers abreast of the latest developments in e-learning and the application of AI to teaching.

Ms Choi also mentioned that the bureau has launched a Digital Education Centre of Excellence Scheme for schools to share e-learning practices.

At another thematic session, on “Educational Cooperation & Expanding Access to Opportunities”, Ms Choi stressed that Hong Kong is committed to becoming an international post-secondary education hub and a cradle for talent. She mentioned that five publicly funded universities in Hong Kong rank among the world’s top 100.

Speaking at a third thematic session, “Strengthening Quality Education & Sustainable Economic Growth”, Ms Choi said that Hong Kong’s education system provides all students with high-quality education, thereby fostering social mobility.

She emphasised that the bureau encourages schools to adopt a “whole school approach” in supporting students with special educational needs, and provides schools with additional resources, professional support and teacher training to promote an inclusive learning environment.

At the closing of the AEMM, participating ministers issued a joint declaration recognising the importance of education in addressing global challenges such as bridging digital divides. They also underlined the need to enhance the digital and AI competencies of educators, and called for collaborative efforts to promote appropriate integration of AI in education.

Yesterday, Ms Choi met South Korea’s Acting President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho, as well as education ministers from other APEC economies, to discuss various aspects of education policies.

She also delivered a speech at the APEC Global Education Reform Conference, briefing attendees on Hong Kong’s practical experience in information technology education and its development as an international post-secondary education hub.

Moreover, she met South Korea’s Vice Minister of Education Oh Seok-hwan to discuss strengthening education collaboration between South Korea and Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs on May 12 and yesterday (May 13) seized about 21 kilograms of suspected ketamine and about 1.1kg of suspected cannabis buds with a total estimated market value of about $10.25 million at Hong Kong International Airport and in Sau Mau Ping.

Through risk assessment, Customs on May 12 inspected an air cargo consignment, declared as audio cable and arriving in Hong Kong from Belgium, at the airport. The consignee address was a residential address in Sau Mau Ping. Upon inspection, Customs officers found about 21kg of suspected ketamine, with an estimated market value of about $10 million, concealed in the consignment.

After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers conducted a controlled delivery operation yesterday (May 13) and arrested a male consignee, aged 24, in the aforesaid residential unit in Sau Mau Ping. Customs officers later searched the premises and further seized about 1.1kg of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $250,000.

The arrested person has been charged with two counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug. He will appear at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (May 15).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan today said she would expect the application of autonomous vehicles (AV) in selected communities within the next one to two years based on the current progress of testing.

Ms Chan told lawmakers that since a new regulatory regime allowing wider and more flexible trials of AVs on the road was rolled out last year, the testing and application of AVs in Hong Kong are enhancing speed and efficiency.

She said the Transport Department has issued two pilot licences to allow 12 AVs to be tested in North Lantau and the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) respectively.

The transport chief noted that significant progress has been made in the trial in North Lantau since its commencement from the end of last year and various breakthroughs have been achieved.

These include the scale of the trial being expanded from a single vehicle to 10 vehicles operating simultaneously in order to collect the data of multiple vehicles running in parallel; carrying passengers on specified routes after a safety assessment; conducting a trial on more complex roads; expanding current trial routes at Airport Island with plans to conduct a trial in Tung Chung in the future simultaneously; and allowing the speed limit to be increased to 50km per hour in accordance with the trial route’s maximum speed limit. 

The project applicant also plans to expand the trial to Cyberport, Ms Chan added.

Another project, located at the WKCD, will trial autonomous light buses equipped with an autonomous driving system that follows Hong Kong’s left-handed traffic rule.

Ms Chan noted that upon completion of the entire system development and when the system has been proven safe to operate, trials with passengers will be carried out on public roads in the WKCD.

Looking forward, the Government will consolidate the experience gained from various projects, refine technical standards and share research outcomes with the industry to promote the development of AVs with safety as its guiding principle. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

More than 16,000 new extendable niches at three columbaria in Fanling, Eastern District and Sha Tin will open for applications from May 19, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department announced today.

 

Wo Hop Shek Columbarium Phase VI in Fanling will provide 4,000 standard niches and 50 large niches, while Cape Collinson-San Ha Columbarium in Eastern District and Shek Mun Columbarium in Sha Tin will each provide 6,000 standard niches and 50 large niches for application.

 

The department said applicants should only file one application form to apply for either a large or standard niche for the same deceased person.

 

Applicants have to fill in the particulars of at least three deceased people when applying for a large niche. For a standard niche, applicants must fill in at least one deceased person’s details.

 

The department will allocate the niches by open drawing of lots and computer random balloting, and it expects to conduct the exercise in the third quarter of this year.

 

Starting May 19, application forms can be downloaded from the department’s website.

 

Additionally, application forms can be obtained from the department’s Hong Kong or Kowloon Cemeteries & Crematoria Offices, District Environmental Hygiene Offices, the Home Affairs Department’s Home Affairs Enquiry Centres, or by fax via hotline 2841 9111.

 

Applications can also be made online from the same day.

 

The application deadline is June 18.

 

A free talk will be held at 10.30am on May 24 at Yuen Chau Kok Community Hall in Sha Tin to provide the public with more information on the coming public niche allocation, green burial facilities/services and more.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government welcomed the passage of the Companies (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2024 by the Legislative Council today to introduce a company re-domiciliation regime in Hong Kong.

 

The amendment ordinance will take effect on May 23, and the company re-domiciliation regime will be open for application starting from the same day.

 

Non-Hong Kong-incorporated companies that fulfil the requirements on company background, integrity, member and creditor protection, solvency and so on may apply to re-domicile to Hong Kong while maintaining their legal identity as a body corporate and ensuring business continuity.

 

The property, rights, obligations and liabilities as well as the relevant contractual and legal processes of the companies would not be affected during the process. If the company’s actual similar profits are also taxed in Hong Kong after re-domiciliation, the Government will offer unilateral tax credits for elimination of double taxation.

 

In general, re-domiciled companies will be regarded as companies incorporated in Hong Kong. They have the same rights as any Hong Kong-incorporated companies of their kind in the city, and will be required to comply with the relevant requirements under the Companies Ordinance.

 

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui said that the amendment ordinance puts in place a simple and accessible mechanism for company re-domiciliation.

 

“It addresses the demand of companies incorporated elsewhere with major business in Hong Kong for re-domiciliation, and is conducive to our efforts in proactively attracting enterprises and investment, thereby generating business for local professional services sectors as well as increasing investment and job opportunities.”

 

On May 23, the Companies Registry will set up a new thematic section on its website to provide the application details and relevant information. The Integrated Companies Registry Information System will also be enhanced to process applications.