Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today welcomed the US decision not to renew the national emergency relating to Hong Kong, calling it an important step in implementing the China-US economic and trade consensus.

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said safeguarding the city’s prosperity and stability serves the common interests of both countries. It also aligns with the general expectations of the international community.

Noting the positive shift in US policy, the Hong Kong SAR Government urged the US to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in the Hong Kong SAR. It also expressed hope for the resumption and strengthening of normal economic and trade exchanges between the two places.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Legislative Council Finance Committee today approved an extra $1 billion in funding to provide long-term housing arrangements for the flat owners of Wang Chi House (Block H) at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po.

Together with $2.8 billion from the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po and $4 billion earmarked under the 2026-27 Budget for the acquisition of Blocks A to G, the long-term housing plan will now cover all eight blocks of the estate.

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong thanked the committee for the approval, stressing that the Government will advance the acquisition work at full speed.

As of yesterday, 90% of owners had submitted signed Letters of Acceptance. This includes 1,565 letters from Blocks A to G (90.1% of flats) and 221 letters from Block H (89.1% of flats).

The Government has already signed Agreements for Sale & Purchase with 769 owners, representing 43% of those who submitted acceptance letters.

Addressing residents’ concerns about retrieving personal belongings after transferring property titles to the Government, Mr Wong said those with special needs can make requests through the Engagement Team and the “one social worker per household” service.

He explained that the general direction is to allow residents to return and collect necessary belongings to facilitate their relocation as far as possible.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today welcomed the Legislative Council’s passage of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill.

The bill’s passage marks a major milestone in implementing the central authorities’ authorisation. It provides a legal basis for the co-location arrangement at the redeveloped port and advances preparatory work for its opening.

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said the redevelopment is a key project proactively aligning the Hong Kong SAR Government with the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan. It will better integrate the city into national development and enhance the infrastructure connectivity of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

“Huanggang Port is also an important project to improve people’s livelihoods,” Mr Tang said. “Getting the port ready for a smooth opening at an early date is the expectation of the general public and the common goal of the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen to facilitate cross-boundary travel and the two-way flow of people between the two places,” he added.

The Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Ordinance will be published in the Government Gazette on July 20 and take effect on July 31.

The official establishment of the port area allows Hong Kong and Shenzhen to fully launch subsequent preparations. These tasks include joint system tests, trials and drills to ensure that all facilities and operational plans are ready.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to work closely with Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities to advance preparations.

Once both sides confirm the port is ready for safe operation, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will finalise and announce the official opening date.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Week 2026@Chengdu, running from September 4 to 20 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, will be organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and supported by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Sichuan Province, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcast-TV, and Tourism as well as the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu. Over a span of 17 days, the arts festival will present about 60 performances and activities, fully demonstrating Hong Kong’s diverse cultural strengths. Dance, music, theatre, films, intangible cultural heritage (ICH), toy culture and design will each take the stage, bringing a cross-disciplinary arts extravaganza to the Chengdu audience.
 
     The opening programme will be the grand dance drama “Kung Fu Artistry” from the Hong Kong Dance Company. Choreographer and director Yang Yuntao, art director and costume designer Man Lim-chung, as well as music director and composer Patrick Lui team up to blend martial arts, dance, multimedia and jazz into the performance, recalling the legendary story of Bruce Lee’s transformation from a street youth to a global star.
 
     Music programmes will be dazzling. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s “A Music Journey to Sichuan”, under the baton of National Class One Conductor Xiao Chao, will present classical folk and contemporary works reflecting Hong Kong and Sichuan culture. Led by the Resident Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Lio Kuokman, the “Lio Kuokman, Eric Lu and HK Phil” concert will bring to the audience composer Yao Chen’s newly commissioned “Waltz of the Rolling Giants”, a piece inspired by the giant panda, and Chopin’s “Piano Concerto no. 1 in E minor” performed by International Chopin Competition Gold Medallist Eric Lu. Internationally renowned musician Tan Dun, Hong Kong’s Ambassador for Cultural Promotion, will lead the Chengdu Symphony Orchestra and talented artists, including Hong Kong’s Louise Kwong, Christy Cheung and Lawrence Wong, to perform the symphonic poem “Sound River” which combines visuals and music. In addition, teachers and students from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, will curate concerts to showcase their creativity through the “Echoes Across Project”.
        
     For pop culture, music director Ng Cheuk-yin will lead Hong Kong singers Ivana Wong, Archie Sin, Feanna Wong, Lil’ Ashes and others, together with Chengdu popular rapper PO8, to present cross-generational Cantonese pop songs at “ImagineLand@Chengdu”, an outdoor concert offering a refreshing and dynamic musical feast. For ballet, the Hong Kong Ballet will specially stage “Romeo + Juliet”, choreographed by Septime Webre with the backdrop of Hong Kong in the 1960s, weaving the local culture into the Shakespeare’s masterpiece.
 
     The Hong Kong Arts Development Council will contribute three programmes. Théâtre de la Feuille’s “Book of Mountains and Seas – The Fates of Mountains and Rivers” reimagines ancient mythology through contemporary physical theatre and original music. TS Crew’s “No Dragon No Lion” is a dynamic production that fuses Hong Kong kung fu films, dragon and lion dance, and contemporary circus. The “Philo 3 – Wan Xing and Master Musicians from Hong Kong” concert blends traditional Chinese music, Hong Kong pop culture and world music elements, promising a rich and diverse musical experience.
 
     On films, “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema”, presented by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) and supported by the LCSD’s Hong Kong Film Archive, will showcase a curated selection of Hong Kong films highlighting sportsmanship, teamwork and self-breakthrough, fully embodying the resilient and relentless spirit of Hong Kong.
 
     On the exhibition front, “A Day of Wandering: Hong Kong ICH and Contemporary Art Exhibition” will introduce Hong Kong’s ICH items and display the cultural transmission and innovation from different perspectives. “The Musician Series of the Hong Kong Central Library – Enchanting Melodies from the City” thematic exhibition will introduce musicians who have made invaluable contributions to Hong Kong’s music scene, underscoring the richness of Hong Kong’s musical culture. CCIDA will present the “Hong Kong Toy Culture and IP Exhibition”, which traces the history of Hong Kong toys, designers and brand creations to reveal the unique stories of Hong Kong’s original toys; and “Vertical Labyrinth: The Enchanted Dense‑scape” exhibition, featuring furniture works that combine traditional craftsmanship with modern design, illustrating Hong Kong’s distinctive East‑West fusion aesthetics.
 
     Information on the programme dates and venues is set out in the Annex. Tickets are now available for sale. For details, please visit www.hongkongweek.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government today (July 17) launches an open tender for the Smart and Green Mass Transit System (SGMTS) in East Kowloon (the East Kowloon Project) (Tender Reference No.: HYRD 1/2026 (BP)). The tender invitation will close at noon on March 12, 2027 (Friday).

     With a total length of approximately 7 kilometres, the East Kowloon Project comprises elevated and tunnel sections with nine stations. The termini (namely Choi Hung East Station and Yau Tong East Station) will connect to the MTR Choi Hung Station and Yau Tong Station respectively. The alignment will pass through Choi Wan, Shun Lee, Shun On, Sau Mau Ping, Po Tat, Ma Yau Tong and Lam Tin North. The construction works for the system are expected to commence in 2027, with completion and commissioning targeted in or before 2033.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Construction Sites (Safety) (Amendment) Regulation 2026 takes effect, upon gazettal, today (July 17). In addition, the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Order 2026 and the Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) (Specification of Authorities and Public Officers) (Amendment) Notice 2026 published in the Gazette on May 22, 2026, also take effect today. The above three pieces of legislative amendments take effect to impose clear legal obligations on principal contractors and subcontractors of construction sites and any persons on construction sites that smoking is prohibited on all construction sites, to reduce fire risks and safeguard the safety of workers and the public.
 
All types of construction sites, including those for building repair, maintenance or renovation, are designated as no smoking areas, except for domestic premises or private quarters that are being occupied by their residents for residential purposes.
 
Occupational Safety Officers (OSOs) of the Labour Department (LD) have been empowered to carry out enforcement work related to all smoking offences on construction sites. OSOs will immediately issue a fixed penalty notice without prior warning to any person who does a smoking act on a construction site. Offenders are liable to a fixed fine of $3,000.
 
Contractors and subcontractors of construction sites shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that no person uses a naked light for lighting, smokes or carries a lighted smoking product on a construction site. Offenders are liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $400,000.
 
The LD has launched a series of publicity and education initiatives over the past few months to enable the construction industry and the public to understand the requirements of the smoking ban on construction sites. These include disseminating relevant information through placing advertisements on mobile applications, bus bodies and at MTR stations, broadcasting a promotional video through television and social media platforms, broadcasting promotional messages on radio stations, and disseminating relevant information through seminars. The LD will continue to raise the law-abiding awareness of contractors, subcontractors, workers and members of the public through diverse promotional channels. The LD will also maintain ongoing communication with the construction industry to exchange views on reasonable steps that can be taken to enforce a smoking ban on construction sites, thereby assisting contractors in complying with the legislation and improving fire safety on construction sites.
 
Moreover, the LD has been collaborating with law enforcement departments responsible for the prohibition of smoking in designated areas to ensure smooth law enforcement regarding implementation of the aforementioned legislative amendments. The LD will also continue to work with the Department of Health, the Primary Healthcare Commission and other relevant organisations to promote a smoke-free culture through seminars and exhibitions, and support individuals in need of quitting smoking.
 
Meanwhile, the LD will soon issue revised codes of practices (CoPs) on scaffolding, including setting out the material requirements for scaffolding toe-boards to ensure the materials used are of sufficient strength to prevent workers and objects from falling from scaffolds, while also reducing fire risks. Moreover, CoPs will outline the requirements for protective screens in accordance with the relevant requirements in Practice Note for Registered Contractors 85, further ensuring that the protective materials meet the required fire retardant performance standards.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 16) seized 36 live tortoises and eight live lizards of suspected scheduled endangered species at Hong Kong International Airport, with an estimated market value of about $550,000.
 
Two Korean male passengers, aged 24 and 30, arrived in Hong Kong from Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. They were intercepted for customs clearance at the arrivals hall of the airport. Customs officers found the batch of tortoises and lizards contained in plastic boxes inside their carry-on baggage. Upon inspection by officers of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the batch of tortoises and lizards was suspected to be of endangered species listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and regulated under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong.
 
The case has been handed over to the AFCD for follow-up action. Hong Kong Customs reminds the public not to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong.
 
Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.
 
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling 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 Government special administrative region – 4

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (July 17) released the third batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in July, covering 23 survey areas, as follows: 
 

District	Survey Area	July 2026
		First Phase Gravidtrap Index	First Phase Density Index
Central and Western	Kennedy Town and Shek Tong Tsui	9.6%	1.2
Eastern	Shau Kei Wan and Sai Wan Ho	28.6%	1.3
Kwun Tong	Kowloon Bay	7.3%	2.8
	Kwun Tong Central	0.0%	N/A
Yau Tsim	Tsim Sha Tsui East and King’s Park	9.3%	1.0
Sha Tin	Ma On Shan	28.1%	1.1
	Sha Tin Town Centre and Fo Tan	9.3%	1.0
Tai Po	Tai Po East	15.4%	1.0
Tuen Mun	So Kwun Wat	17.2%	1.2
	Tuen Mun West	4.0%	1.0
Yuen Long	Tin Shui Wai	12.0%	1.0

 

District	Survey Area	July 2026
		Area Gravidtrap Index	Area Density Index
Eastern	North Point and Quarry Bay	13.8%	1.5
Southern	Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau	14.7%	1.6
Wan Chai	Tin Hau and Causeway Bay	5.8%	1.5
	Wan Chai	3.7%	1.0
Kowloon City	Kai Tak	24.2%	1.5
	Kowloon City	4.7%	1.0
Yau Tsim	Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei	6.3%	1.1
Sha Tin	Tai Wai	0.0%	N/A
Kwai Tsing	Kwai Chung East	7.2%	1.3
	Tsing Yi South	7.1%	1.0
Tsuen Wan	Tsuen Wan Town	6.9%	1.5
Tuen Mun	Tuen Mun South	9.2%	1.9

     The FEHD continues to carry out a series of measures, including: 

• convening special meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders, such as construction site contractors, schools and property management companies, in strengthening venues’ mosquito control work; 
• conducting risk assessments to identify locations with more serious mosquito infestation to carry out intensive and targeted mosquito control work, including stepping up inspections, eliminating mosquito breeding and potential breeding grounds, applying larvicides, conducting fogging operations to eradicate adult mosquitoes, and placing mosquito trapping devices at appropriate locations; 
• organising exhibitions with the relevant departments and stakeholders, and distributing leaflets and posters; and 
• notifying residential estates that have subscribed to the gravidtrap Rapid Alert System, advising property management companies and residents to stay vigilant and work together in taking mosquito prevention and elimination measures.

     During the follow-up actions and following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers at two parks, five public housing estates and three private housing estates in Eastern District, Southern District, Kowloon City District, Sha Tin District, Tai Po District and Yuen Long District, the FEHD has issued a total of 10 statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe. In addition, the FEHD has initiated two prosecutions against the relevant construction site contractors following the discovery of mosquito breeding at two construction sites in Eastern District and Kowloon City District. 

     Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including: 

• tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside the premises; 
• remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources; 
• check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water; 
• change water in flower vases and scrub their inner surfaces thoroughly, and remove water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week; 
• properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water; 
• properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as disposable meal boxes and empty cans; and 
• scrub drains and surface sewers with alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.

     Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission. 

     Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The Gravidtrap and Density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).