Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

On the morning of September 24, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the United States-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). In remarks, President Lai stated that a more resilient and secure Taiwan can make greater contributions to the world. He noted that last month’s Han Kuang military exercises incorporated urban resilience exercises involving the general public and were greatly expanded in scale. The president said that moving forward, Taiwan will continue to build diverse, decentralized communication systems with backup capabilities, and will continue sharing experience with its democratic partners and deepening international collaboration.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
First, I warmly welcome our guests to Taiwan. This is FDD China Program Chairman Matthew Pottinger’s fourth visit to the Presidential Office since I took office in 2024. Tomorrow we will celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, an important holiday when family and friends reunite, so I am delighted to meet with old friends on this occasion.
I would like to thank the FDD and our distinguished guests for continuing to pay attention to Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience and taking concrete action to support Taiwan. As we have said in the past, “peace through strength, strength through resilience, and resilience through unity.” Last Saturday, the Office of the President Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee hosted an international forum for the second year in a row. Over 500 experts and guests from here and abroad gathered in Taiwan to demonstrate the spirit of solidarity and cooperation among democratic partners.
In remarks at the forum’s opening, I emphasized, “When authoritarian actors seek to spread fear, democratic societies must spread confidence through resilience.” I would also like to thank Chairman Pottinger for speaking at the forum. In his keynote speech entitled “Are we ready?,” he pointed out that peace through strength is a precondition for sustaining Taiwan’s freedom and prosperity.
What Chairman Pottinger argues is precisely the direction we are moving in. Taiwan’s freedom and prosperity are not only crucial to the future of our people, they also concern the entire Indo-Pacific region and, indeed, global peace and stability. We have always believed that a more resilient and secure Taiwan can make greater contributions to the world.
Last month, Taiwan’s most important annual military exercises – the Han Kuang exercises – incorporated urban resilience exercises involving the general public. The exercises were expanded in scale this year. For the first time, we simulated maintaining communications during a mobile internet slowdown affecting an area with a population of 17 million people. The exercises also included relocating medical operations underground. Beyond that, we incorporated into the design of the exercises our experience in mobilizing low-orbit satellites when outlying islands were affected by compromised undersea cables and in the wake of an earthquake in Hualien.
We look forward to continuing to share experience with our democratic partners. In addition to attending the forum last Saturday, our distinguished guests also conducted a tabletop exercise centered on enhancing communications resilience. This was extremely helpful to Taiwan. I would once again like to extend my sincere appreciation to you all. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to build diverse, decentralized communication systems with backup capabilities. We will also continue to work with today’s guests and deepen collaboration with our international partners. I look forward to exchanging views with our guests on issues of mutual concern.
Chairman Matthew Pottinger then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for receiving the delegation and wishing everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival. He said the president had put it very well in saying that peace is through strength, strength is through resilience, and resilience is through unity. He added that the delegation from the FDD has been impressed by exactly those qualities – the unity, resilience, and strength on display under President Lai’s leadership. Through the tabletop exercise held this week, he said, the delegation saw how realistic Taiwan’s training has become, and he noted that the addition of practical resilience training involving a growing share of the population is precisely the way to build confidence and, ultimately, to strengthen deterrence.
Mr. Pottinger noted that since his last visit to Taiwan, a number of defense budgets have passed with cross-party support, amounting to a larger share of Taiwan’s GDP than what the US spends on defense as a percentage of its GDP. He added that in the tabletop exercise the delegation took part in this week, the US side was deeply impressed by the creative and resilient steps the Taiwan team took to maintain a secure communications environment. He then said he looks forward to discussing these matters with President Lai in more detail.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Lands Department (LandsD) today (September 24) posted resumption notices in accordance with section 4 of the Lands Resumption Ordinance (Chapter 124) for the third batch of land under the phase 1 development of the San Tin Technopole (STT) and the first batch of land under the phase 2 development, as well as acquisition notices in accordance with section 4 of the Land Acquisition (Possessory Title) Ordinance (Chapter 130) for the phase 2 development, in accordance with relevant ordinances.
 
The third batch of land under the phase 1 development involves eight private lots of about 0.3 hectares. The first batch of land under the phase 2 development involves 1 043 private lots of about 44.2 hectares. Government land within the entire phase 2 development occupied by 67 graves and 148 urns of about 1 985 square metres, as well as that covered by two fishponds of about 325 sq m, will also be acquired. The relevant land will revert to and vest in the Government upon the expiry of a period of three months from the date of affixing the notices (i.e. December 25, 2026).
 
The abovementioned land reversion date and land vesting date are not the departure deadlines for the affected households and business undertakings. The LandsD will post notices in relevant areas about three months before the departure deadlines for the affected parties. According to the project programmes, the affected parties are required to depart in batches. It is estimated that the affected households and business undertakings for both the third batch of land under the phase 1 development and the first batch of land under the phase 2 development will have to move out in batches starting from the first quarter of 2027. The LandsD and its appointed Community Liaison Service Team will continue to closely liaise with the affected parties to handle the compensation and rehousing matters.
 
The STT, with an area of about 540 hectares, will be developed in two phases. The works are subdivided into stages, with the stage 1 works of the phase 1 development commenced in end 2024. The land resumption notices for the first batch of land under the phase 1 development of the STT were posted on July 10, 2025, involving about 62 hectares of land. The said land reverted to the Government on October 11, 2025, and is gradually being handed over to the Civil Engineering and Development Department for site formation and engineering infrastructure works. The land resumption notices for the second batch of land under the phase 1 development were posted on June 25, 2026, comprising about 117 hectares of land, and such land will revert to the Government on September 26, 2026.
 
Located at the heart of the Northern Metropolis, the STT is strategically positioned to be a hub for clustered innovation and technology development, with the land near the future Northern Link’s San Tin Station forming part of the San Tin University Town campus area. According to the estimates in the Conceptual Outline of the Development Plan for the Innovation and Technology Industry in the San Tin Technopole published by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau in November 2025, the STT, upon its full operation, is expected to provide over 300 000 relevant full-time jobs (including direct, indirect and induced employment) for the Hong Kong economy as a whole. The first batch of population intake under the phase 1 development will commence progressively from 2031 onwards.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (September 24) the external merchandise trade statistics for August 2026. In August 2026, the values of Hong Kong’s total exports and imports of goods both recorded year-on-year increases, at 53.0% and 60.0% respectively.

In August 2026, the value of total exports of goods increased by 53.0% over a year earlier to $667.9 billion, after a year-on-year increase by 50.7% in July 2026. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods increased by 60.0% over a year earlier to $739.1 billion in August 2026, after a year-on-year increase by 41.0% in July 2026. A visible trade deficit of $71.2 billion, equivalent to 9.6% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in August 2026.

For the first eight months of 2026 as a whole, the value of total exports of goods increased by 42.5% over the same period in 2025. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods increased by 43.2%. A visible trade deficit of $371.2 billion, equivalent to 7.2% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in the first eight months of 2026.

Comparing the three-month period ending August 2026 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the value of total exports of goods increased by 9.1%. Meanwhile, the value of imports of goods increased by 5.1%.

Analysis by country/territory

Comparing August 2026 with August 2025, total exports to Asia as a whole grew by 59.2%. In this region, increases were registered in the values of total exports to most major destinations, in particular Malaysia (+101.7%), Vietnam (+83.3%), Singapore (+80.8%), Taiwan (+71.7%), Thailand (+61.7%) and Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) (+61.2%).

Apart from destinations in Asia, increases were registered in the values of total exports to some major destinations in other regions, in particular Mexico (+68.8%) and the USA (+64.2%).

Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports from most major suppliers, in particular Korea (+265.8%), the United Kingdom (+111.6%), India (+107.7%), Malaysia (+78.7%), Vietnam (+67.2%) and the Mainland (+54.1%).

Comparing the first eight months of 2026 with the same period in 2025, increases were registered in the values of total exports to most major destinations, in particular Singapore (+82.4%), Taiwan (+73.2%), the USA (+63.4%), Thailand (+56.6%), Vietnam (+55.1%) and the Mainland (+46.7%).

Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports from most major suppliers, in particular Korea (+140.7%), India (+105.9%), the United Kingdom (+91.0%), Vietnam (+71.4%), Malaysia (+49.6%) and the Mainland (+44.7%).

Analysis by major commodity

Comparing August 2026 with August 2025, increases were registered in the values of total exports of some principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $135.7 billion or +62.6%) and “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $60.2 billion or +131.0%).

Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $139.0 billion or +64.5%), “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $61.4 billion or +154.5%) and “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $29.2 billion or +50.4%).

Comparing the first eight months of 2026 with the same period in 2025, increases were registered in the values of total exports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $818.2 billion or +50.6%), “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $237.1 billion or +51.5%) and “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $191.0 billion or +49.2%).

Over the same period of comparison, increases were registered in the values of imports of most principal commodity divisions, in particular “electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, and electrical parts thereof” (by $800.3 billion or +49.3%), “telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus and equipment” (by $248.3 billion or +60.6%) and “office machines and automatic data processing machines” (by $170.6 billion or +44.1%).

Commentary

A Government spokesman said that merchandise exports continued to surge in August amid robust demand for AI-related electronic products, rising by 53.0% over a year earlier in value terms and recording the nineteenth consecutive month of double-digit growth. Exports to almost all major markets increased markedly.

Looking ahead, sustained global demand for AI-related electronic products is expected to continue to support Hong Kong’s merchandise trade performance in the near term. Nonetheless, given the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and continued protectionist trade measures among major advanced economies, the external environment remains uncertain and warrants close monitoring.

Further information

Table 1 presents the analysis of external merchandise trade statistics for August 2026. Table 2 presents the original monthly trade statistics from January 2023 to August 2026, and Table 3 gives the seasonally adjusted series for the same period.

The values of total exports of goods to 10 main destinations for August 2026 are shown in Table 4, whereas the values of imports of goods from 10 main suppliers are given in Table 5.

Tables 6 and 7 show the values of total exports and imports of 10 principal commodity divisions for August 2026.

All the merchandise trade statistics described here are measured at current prices and no account has been taken of changes in prices between the periods of comparison. A separate analysis of the volume and price movements of external merchandise trade for August 2026 will be released in mid-October 2026.

The August 2026 issue of “Hong Kong External Merchandise Trade” contains detailed analysis on the performance of Hong Kong’s external merchandise trade in August 2026 and will be available in early October 2026. Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020005&scode=230).

Enquiries on merchandise trade statistics may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel.: 3863 2592).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     A Government spokesperson said today (September 24) that the Court of Appeal had earlier handed down the judgment regarding the judicial review case concerning the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report for the development of public housing on part of the former Fanling Golf Course Site, upholding the judgment of the Court of First Instance which quashed the decision of the Director of Environmental Protection (the Director) in approving the EIA report of the project. The judgment provides clear legal guidance on issues including the applicable criteria under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499) (the Ordinance), the statutory public consultation procedures for additional information relating to an EIA report, and procedural fairness. Having holistically considered legal advice and conducted a cautious assessment, the Government has decided not to appeal against the judgment.

     The spokesperson added that the judgment had clarified a number of important legal principles under Hong Kong’s EIA regime, including that not all additional information outside an EIA report is required to be included in the statutory public consultation process; rather, this depends on the circumstances of each case. In respect of this judicial review case, the Court considered that the original EIA report contained deficiencies which could have been cured by the additional information. Based on the principle of fairness, it was necessary to conduct a further but limited public consultation on the additional information. The Environmental Protection Department will carefully study the legal guidance set out in the judgment and will strictly adhere to the Ordinance and the legal principles established by the Court in carrying out EIA approval work in the future, thereby maintaining the reasonableness, legality, transparency and credibility of Hong Kong’s EIA regime.

     The spokesperson pointed out that, as the judgment had in effect overturned the approval granted by the Director for the EIA report for the proposed public housing development project, the Government shall review the way forward for the proposed development plan for public housing, including factors such as the impacts on the scale and timing of the development resulting from the non-approval of the EIA report. The Government will announce the way forward at an appropriate time.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region