Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Director of Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of CPC Central Committee and Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of State Council Mr Xia Baolong meets HKSARG Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments       
     Mrs Yeung expressed her gratitude to Mr Xia for his full affirmation of the work of the HKSAR civil servants as well as the encouragement and expectation for the Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments.
      
     She said, “Civil servants are the backbone of the HKSAR Government. Permanent Secretaries, as the most senior officers in the civil service, along with Heads of Departments, play a crucial role in implementing and executing government policies. We are committed, with our utmost efforts and unity, to fulfilling our duties, rendering full support to the Chief Executive in governance, steadfastly upholding the executive-led system, defending the bottom line of security and development, and delivering tangible benefits for the public, thereby starting a new chapter for the high-quality development of Hong Kong.
      
     “The National 15th Five-Year Plan is the blueprint and action plan for the country’s economic and social development over the next five years, supporting Hong Kong in the consolidation and enhancement of its competitive edge across multiple key areas. Hong Kong is formulating its first five-year plan at full steam, which will serve as a collective action framework for Hong Kong. Under the leadership of the Chief Executive, the civil service, particularly the Permanent Secretaries, will proactively align their work with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and co-ordinate development across various sectors, so as to lay a more solid foundation for Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability and to better integrate into and serve the overall development of the country.”
      
     In addition, the Director of Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, Mr Chen Wenxin, gave the participants an analysis of the international landscape and China – United States relations at the National Academy of Governance this morning.
      
     The participants will study at the National Academy of Governance tomorrow (April 22) morning and will depart for a duty visit in Chengdu in the afternoon.
Issued at HKT 21:40

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SJ calls on central ministries and authorities in Beijing      
     In the morning today (April 21), Mr Lam visited the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Beijing Representative Office to learn about how the office assists the HKIAC in further developing the Mainland market following its establishment in Beijing. The opportunities brought about by the revised Arbitration Law of the People’s Republic of China were also discussed.
      
     In the afternoon, Mr Lam visited the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council to discuss opportunities for co-operation in areas such as capacity building programmes and talent training between the two sides.
      
     Mr Lam also met with Vice Minister of Justice Ms Wu Zeng to discuss issues relating to legal matters concerning the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), including “allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to choose for arbitration to be seated in Hong Kong”, the development of the GBA lawyers’ scheme, and the co-operation between Mainland and Hong Kong law firms.
      
     In the morning yesterday (April 20), Mr Lam called on the Supreme People’s Court to meet with the President of the Supreme People’s Court, Mr Zhang Jun. They discussed the mutual legal assistance arrangements and training for foreign-related legal talent between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Mainland.
      
     In the afternoon, Mr Lam called on the Ministry of Commerce. He introduced to Deputy China International Trade Representative Mr Jiang Chenghua the DoJ’s measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s professional services sectors in supporting Mainland enterprises going global, and ways to encourage Mainland enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law as the applicable law while expanding overseas and to choose Hong Kong as the destination for dispute resolution.
      
     During the meeting with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Hua Chunying, both sides exchanged views on issues such as supporting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the DoJ in collaborating with international legal organisations and enhancing Hong Kong’s status as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services.
      
     Accompanying Mr Lam on the visit were the Law Officer (International Law), Dr James Ding; the Solicitor General, Mr Llewellyn Mui; the Law Officer (Civil Law), Mr Clifford Tavares, and government counsel from various legal divisions.
      
     Mr Lam will continue his visit to Beijing tomorrow (April 22).
Issued at HKT 20:17

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DH and HA follow up on suspected case of unauthorised access to patients’ medical records by doctor undergoing specialty training while conducting clinical research 
　　The DH previously received an enquiry from a member of the public regarding access to electronic health records (eHRs) and launched an investigation. The DH found that, in March this year, a doctor undergoing specialty training accessed the medical records of patients not under the doctor’s direct care without authorisation through the clinical information management system of the Social Hygiene Clinics and eHealth system, involving a total of 47 patients.
 
     The doctor in question has been deployed to the DH’s Social Hygiene Service since 2023, where the doctor undergoes regular training on a weekly basis, participates in clinical service and provides medical consultations to patients.
      
     According to individual specialty College’s requirements, doctors under specialty training are required to participate in research projects as part of their specialty training. It is understood that the doctor in question was conducting a clinical research project that had been approved by the HA’s Institutional Review Board. The scope of the approval was limited to patients’ records from public hospitals and did not cover the DH’s patient records. The doctor accessed the relevant records without obtaining separate authorisation from the DH.
      
     In response to the incident, the DH has immediately suspended the doctor’s training and referred to the Police for follow up. The DH has also reported the case to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, the Commissioner for Electronic Health Record and the HA, which employed the doctor. The DH is currently notifying the affected individuals.
　　　　
    According to the DH’s internal guidelines, healthcare personnel must protect patient privacy and comply with the relevant laws and regulations when accessing patients’ medical records. When accessing eHealth data, they must also comply with the Electronic Health System Ordinance (Cap. 625) and the relevant code of practice. Healthcare personnel must obtain prior consent from the patients and adhere to the principles of “Need to Know” and “Patient Under Care” before accessing patients’ medical records through any of the DH’s clinical information management systems or eHealth system. At the system level, all activities on access to eHRs stored in the eHealth system are logged for later audit and prevention of abuse.
 
     The HA earlier received the DH’s notification and learned that the DH had reported the incident to law enforcement and regulatory authorities. The HA will fully co-operate with the investigation.
      
     “The HA believes that although this is an isolated incident related to clinical research, the procedure was inappropriate. The HA will take this matter seriously and strengthen staff training on the precautions they should take when using patient data for clinical research,” an HA spokesman said.
      
     Both the DH and the HA reiterated that they attach great importance to protecting patient privacy. There are established mechanisms to regulate staff conduct and discipline.
Issued at HKT 19:40

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CHP actively follows up on local case of dengue fever 
Case details
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     The case involves a 21-year-old male with good past health. He developed a fever, headache, myalgia and a rash on April 12, and sought medical attention at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital on April 16. He was admitted for treatment and is currently in stable condition. His blood sample tested positive for dengue virus upon laboratory testing.
      
     Initial investigations revealed that the patient lives in Tai Wo Estate in Tai Po and works at a road construction site near Long Yan Road in Penny’s Bay on Lantau Island. He had no travel history during the incubation period (March 29 to April 9). During this period, he mainly stayed in the vicinity of the construction site in Penny’s Bay and his home. He reported being bitten by mosquitoes recently near his workplace. He did not recall being bitten by mosquitoes in any other places, including Tai Wo Estate in Tai Po. His household contacts and other workers at the same construction site are currently asymptomatic. The CHP’s investigation is ongoing and no epidemiological linkage has been found so far between this case and other previously recorded imported DF cases in Hong Kong.
           
     Including the above cases, a total of 13 DF cases have been recorded so far this year. All cases other than the one mentioned above were imported. Last year (2025), 59 DF cases were recorded, all of which were imported. In 2024, 161 DF cases were recorded, including 156 imported cases and five local cases.
 
Government’s comprehensive follow-up actions
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     “The DH is conducting comprehensive follow-up actions in collaboration with relevant departments, including the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Housing Department, the Tai Po District Office and the Labour Department. The CHP has conducted inspections and epidemiological investigations in the vicinity of patient’s residence and his workplace. Environmental inspections revealed that the area near the road construction site on Long Yan Road in Penny’s Bay is a natural green space with multiple sites conducive to mosquito breeding, including drainage channels clogged with weeds and dead leaves, as well as stagnant water in some containers and construction equipment. The First Phase Area Gravidtrap Index for the patient’s residential estate area (Tai Po West) in April is 1.8 per cent, which is an extremely low level. Based on the information available at the moment, it is more likely that the patient was infected in the vicinity of Long Yan Road in Penny’s Bay. The CHP will continue to investigate the source of infection in collaboration with the FEHD. Additionally, the CHP has instructed the site supervisor to suspend work temporarily until mosquito control and other preventive measures have been completed at the site and its surrounding area. The CHP has conducted health assessments for the workers at the same construction site and they will continue to be placed under medical surveillance,” said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.
      
     “As the patient had been active in the Tai Wo Estate after the onset of his illness, the CHP will, as a precautionary measure, set up a health consultation booth at Tai Wo Plaza in Tai Wo Estate. The health consultation booth provides health assessments and conducts free DF antibody tests for members of the public with relevant symptoms. The health consultation booth opens until 8pm today. From tomorrow (April 22) until Friday (April 24), the service hours of the health consultation booth will be from 10am to 7pm. The CHP has also set up a hotline (tel: 2125 2373), which will operate until 8pm today and from 9am to 6pm starting tomorrow until Friday. The CHP staff will distribute leaflets with health information on DF prevention to local residents and remind the public to be aware of the relevant symptoms and to maintain good hygiene at home. The CHP will jointly organise a health talk with the Tai Po District Office and the FEHD at the Tai Wo Neighbourhood Community Centre at 6pm tomorrow, aiming to raise public awareness of how to prevent mosquito-borne diseases and encourage people to participate in prevention and control measures to protect themselves and others. The CHP will also send a letter to doctors, hospitals, schools and institutions explaining the latest situation regarding DF and reminding them to remain vigilant. If there are any suspected cases, they should immediately notify the CHP for follow-up. Finally, I would like to remind the public to stay vigilant and take proper mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and when travelling. According to surveillance data of the Aedes mosquito from the FEHD, the period from April to June is typically the peak season for mosquito infestations. Therefore, we anticipate that the risk of local transmission triggered by imported cases will rise significantly in the coming months,” Dr Tsui added.
      
     In light of the local case, the FEHD has immediately taken follow-up actions, including:
      The abovementioned measures will be continued. Furthermore, the Government will further enhance the mosquito control efforts in addition to the existing measures.
 
Preventive measures to be taken by the public
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     Members of the public should use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to prevent mosquito bites, but the following precautions should be taken when using them:
      ​The FEHD also appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as empty cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
          
     The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of the CHPIssued at HKT 19:38

Response by LegCo President and two Chief Coordinators of LegCo on Chief Executive’s announcement on work arrangement regarding Hong Kong’s first five-year plan 
     The following is the response by the President of the Legislative Council (LegCo), Dr Starry Lee, and the two Chief Coordinators of LegCo on the Chief Executive’s (CE) announcement this morning (April 21):
 
     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is formulating Hong Kong’s first five-year plan to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Under the executive-led system, a collaborative research and public opinion gathering mechanism between the Government and the LegCo (the collaboration mechanism) has been established. The CE further announced this morning that the Government aims to release a public consultation document for the five-year plan within this quarter of the year to gather public views. The LegCo fully supports the relevant work of the CE and the HKSAR Government in completing and promulgating the official document for the five-year plan within this year.
 
     Under the collaboration mechanism, the executive and legislative authorities have fostered more positive interactions, complementing each other and strengthening their partnership. The LegCo has fully mobilised Members and established multiple groups based on respective constituencies, professional expertise and experience to conduct thematic research and analysis while gathering views from various sectors. This aims to complement and support the HKSAR Government in formulating the five-year plan for Hong Kong, clearly outlining the development goals, strategies and roadmap for the next five years in areas of economy, society, people’s livelihood, and more.
 
     Hong Kong’s five-year plan is of profound significance and closely related to the well-being of all citizens. As an integral part of the HKSAR’s governing team and the most important platform for gathering public views in Hong Kong, the LegCo is duty bound to fully support the HKSAR Government in formulating the five-year plan. The House Committee has established the Subcommittee on Hong Kong’s Work to Actively Dovetail with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and the Panel on Development has established the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to the Development of the Northern Metropolis. Members will proactively reach out to all sectors of society, inviting stakeholders including experts, industry representatives and civil organisations to participate in this process and build a broad consensus, so as to offer constructive advice to the Government and serve as its steadfast partner.
 
     As the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, said earlier, it is highly significant for the HKSAR Government to formulate Hong Kong’s five-year plan, and the Northern Metropolis (NM) should be highlighted as a key focus. LegCo Members visited the NM twice in the past month to keep abreast of the latest developments. This would help Members provide the Government with more targeted and precise advice. The LegCo will continue to gain first-hand understanding of other developments in the NM in future site visits.
 
     Together with the two Chief Coordinators (Mr Chan Chun-ying and Mr Stanley Ng) and all other Members of LegCo, I will continue to support the HKSAR Government to complete Hong Kong’s first five-year plan at the earliest opportunity. Through positive interactions between the executive and legislative authorities, this blueprint sets out the direction for Hong Kong’s future development, which can effectively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and help Hong Kong better integrate into and serve the national development.
Issued at HKT 19:17

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Speech by SFST at Global Financial Markets Association Board Meeting Dinner (English only) 
Peter (the Chief Executive Officer of GFMA, Mr Peter Stein), Howard (Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority Mr Howard Lee), members of the GFMA Board, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening. It is an honour to join you this evening for the dinner ahead of the Global Financial Markets Association’s board meeting. I would like to thank GFMA and its member associations, for bringing together the world’s leading financial and capital market participants. Your collective voice on cross-border policy and market practices plays an important role in supporting efficient, resilient global capital markets and sustainable economic growth.
 
     In today’s global landscape, marked by uncertainties and shifting dynamics, Hong Kong’s strengths as an international financial centre have never been more relevant. We offer a highly open and internationalised market, a regulatory regime aligned with major overseas jurisdictions, the rule of law, a rich pool of professional talent, robust infrastructure, and the free flow of information and capital. These attributes make Hong Kong not only a trusted place to conduct global operations, but also an attractive platform for companies seeking to list and grow.
 
     Hong Kong is also the only city in the world where the global advantage and the China advantage converge. This unique position allows us to serve as the Mainland’s gateway to international financial markets and as a bridge for global investors seeking exposure to China and Asia.
 
     I am pleased to share that Hong Kong’s equity markets delivered a strong performance last year, despite volatility in global markets. The Hang Seng Index saw average daily turnover surge by about 90 per cent to over US$32 billion. In the IPO (initial public offering) area, we recorded 119 new listings that raised more than US$36 billion, placing Hong Kong at the top of the global IPO league table for the year. This year, momentum has continued. As of the end of March, IPO fundraising in Hong Kong had already exceeded US$14 billion, again ranking first globally. In March alone, average daily turnover of Hong Kong stocks reached nearly US$39 billion, an increase of 8 per cent compared with the same period last year. These figures reflect the confidence that issuers and investors continue to place in our market. They also demonstrate the resilience and vibrancy of Hong Kong’s equity IPO business, even amid broader global challenges.
 
     Beyond our traditional strengths, we are actively extending our financial value chain and diversifying our offerings to further consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a leading international financial centre.
 
     One key area of focus is the development of an international gold trading market. We plan to commence trial operations of our central clearing system for gold this year. At the same time, we are exploring tax incentives for gold trading and settlement to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness in this important segment.
 
     Another priority is establishing Hong Kong as a digital asset hub. We have already licensed 12 digital asset trading platforms, and we continue to strengthen our regulatory framework across key areas. Just this month, we granted two stablecoin issuer licences under the new Stablecoins Ordinance. Our regime is designed to provide a clear, orderly environment that encourages innovation while ensuring robust investor protection and effective risk management. We believe this balanced approach will help foster a healthy, responsible and sustainable stablecoin ecosystem in Hong Kong.
 
     Ladies and gentlemen, Hong Kong remains firmly committed to reinforcing our role as a top international financial centre. We will continue to build on our unique advantages, enhance our market infrastructure, and create new opportunities for global participants. I look forward to working closely with all of you to deepen collaboration and to drive the continued growth and resilience of our financial markets.
 
     Thank you.
Issued at HKT 19:05

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