Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region welcomed a series of measures announced by the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) today to deepen mutual access between Mainland and Hong Kong financial markets.

The measures include supporting various types of offshore institutional investors to conduct repurchase (repo) business in the Mainland bond market, expanding the list of Swap Connect dealers and enhancing relevant management mechanisms, increasing the daily quota of Northbound trading of Swap Connect by more than double to RMB45 billion.

The PBoC will also work with relevant authorities to provide more renminbi assets in the Hong Kong market including treasury bonds, and will continue to co-operate closely with different parties to accelerate the launch of RMB treasury bond futures in the city.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said that as global investors’ demand for RMB-denominated products grows, Hong Kong’s role as a global offshore RMB business hub and risk management centre becomes increasingly important.

“With the strong support from our country, the Hong Kong SAR Government is committed to deepening and expanding mutual access between the Mainland and Hong Kong financial markets, continuously enriching RMB-denominated investment products and risk management tools to meet the needs of investors both domestically and internationally.”

He said that the series of measures announced today by the PBoC provide strong support for the Hong Kong SAR Government’s efforts and further promote the co-ordinated development of the fixed income markets in both places.

“We sincerely thank the central government and relevant authorities for the care and support for Hong Kong, and will continue to do our utmost to contribute greater efforts to our country’s development into a financial powerhouse.”

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hu said that the issuance of RMB bonds in Hong Kong has increased year by year, exceeding RMB1 trillion in 2024.

Since the implementation of Swap Connect in 2023, it has operated smoothly with steadily increasing business volume. The average daily notional principal amount traded in August 2025 reached RMB20 billion, an over five-fold increase from the first month of its launch in 2023.

With increasing participation by offshore investors in the Mainland’s bond market, demand for related risk management tools is growing, Mr Hu said, noting that enhancing the Swap Connect mechanism will further facilitate overseas investors in hedging risks in Mainland assets, thereby helping them better manage their portfolios.

“We will also work closely with relevant Mainland institutions to enrich the options of RMB products in Hong Kong and implement the launch of offshore treasury bond futures expeditiously.”

Market institutions in both places will finalise the implementation details and announce the launch dates. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Z/Yen from the United Kingdom and the China Development Institute from Shenzhen published the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) 38 Report today (September 25). Hong Kong’s overall rating increased by four points to 764, maintaining third place globally and first place in Asia Pacific. The rating gaps with first place (New York) and second place (London) narrowed to two points and one point respectively.

     In the report, Hong Kong’s ranking in fintech offerings leapt from fourth place to first in the world, and those in the areas of “business environment”, “infrastructure”, and “reputational and general” also rose further to first globally, while ranking second and third globally in “human capital” and “financial sector development” respectively. In addition, Hong Kong ranked among the top in the assessments by practitioners in various financial industry sectors, among which it maintained the top three positions globally in the “banking”, “investment management”, “insurance” and “finance” sectors.  

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Local farmers, fish farmers and fishermen who suffered serious losses caused by the recent Super Typhoon Ragasa can register with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) from tomorrow (September 26) for assistance from an emergency relief fund. According to the application guideline of the emergency relief fund, the application deadline for affected farmers and fish farmers is October 8, and the application deadline for affected fishermen is November 11.
 
An AFCD spokesman said today (September 25) that an appropriate amount of the relief funding would be released to affected eligible farmers, fish farmers and fishermen according to established criteria.
 
“After each typhoon or natural disaster, AFCD staff will contact farmers, fish farmers and fishermen to assess the resultant damage to their farmland areas, fish rafts, fish ponds and fishing vessels. Depending on the extent of the damage, the department may launch an operation to provide some relief to affected persons,” the spokesman said.
 
The department’s preliminary investigation has revealed that about 300 hectares of farmland in the New Territories, some fish rafts in certain fish culture zones and some fishing vessels were affected by Super Typhoon Ragasa.
 
     Affected farmers who need to apply for the fund can submit their applications in person at the Agricultural Extension Office of the AFCD at 5/F, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, or submit their applications online (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/agriculture/agr_loan/agr_loan_erf/agr_loan_erf.html). For enquiries, please contact the hotline at 2476 2424 during office hours.
 
     Affected fish farmers can submit their applications in person at the following AFCD offices:
 
1) Fisheries Licensing Section Office, 8/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon;
2) Aberdeen Fisheries Office, 100A Shek Pai Wan Road, Aberdeen;
3) Tai Po Fisheries Office, 3 Yu On Street, Sam Mun Tsai, Tai Po, New Territories; or
4) Sai Kung Fisheries Office, 5/F, Sai Kung Government Offices, 34 Chan Man Street, Sai Kung, New Territories.
 
Affected fishermen can submit their applications at the Liaison and Market Section Office of the AFCD, 8/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon.
 
Affected fish farmers and fishermen can also submit their applications online (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/fish_cap/fish_cap_techsup/fish_cap_erf.html). For enquiries, please contact the hotline at 2150 7109 (fish farmers) or 2150 7099 (fishermen) during office hours.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (September 25) that some gazetted beaches under LCSD management, temporarily closed earlier due to inspection and clearance works of damage and miscellaneous articles caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa, will reopen tomorrow (September 26).

     These beaches include:
 

• Hong Kong Island:

ï¼� South Bay Beach
 

• New Territories:

ï¼� Lido Beach
ï¼� Approach Beach
ï¼� Butterfly Beach
ï¼� Golden Beach
ï¼� Kadoorie Beach

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, today (September 25) promoted Hong Kong’s premier business environment and fostered further collaboration between Hong Kong and Malaysia to achieve mutual benefits on his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Hong Kong has long been maintaining a close bilateral relationship with Malaysia. Malaysia is Hong Kong’s eighth-largest trading partner and the third-largest among the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). As announced in the 2025 Policy Address, Hong Kong will set up an economic and trade office (ETO) in Kuala Lumpur by the end of this year to deepen ties and co-operation with the country.

In the morning, Mr Yau first met with representatives of eBusiness Association Malaysia to exchange views on the rapid development of global e-commerce and explore collaboration to assist Hong Kong businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, in tapping into the vast ASEAN market. Mr Yau also visited Lazada Malaysia, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the country, to learn about its operation and business model. He also had a good exchange with its senior management on the ASEAN e-commerce market landscape and opportunities brought about by cross-boundary e-commerce for Hong Kong enterprises and brands.

Mr Yau then attended a luncheon with representatives of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia to share with them Hong Kong’s latest economic and trade developments, such as the Northern Metropolis development, and new measures announced in the recent Policy Address to attract enterprises and investment. He also encouraged Malaysian enterprises to set up or expand businesses in Hong Kong to explore the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area market.

Mr Yau also took the opportunity to visit a major Malaysian conglomerate, Berjaya Corporation Berhad, to learn more about its latest developments and the business environment of Malaysia. The group operates across several key industries, including retail, property, hospitality, and services. Mr Yau met with the founder of the group, Mr Vincent Tan, to exchange views on deepening Hong Kong’s partnership with the Malaysian business sector, leveraging the city’s unique advantages under the “one country, two systems” principle.

In addition, Mr Yau paid a courtesy call on the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, Mr Zheng Xuefang, to brief him on Hong Kong’s latest developments and new measures to drive economic growth.

Mr Yau yesterday (September 24) was briefed by the Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng, on the progress of the establishment of the ETO in Kuala Lumpur. He also had a lunch meeting with Miss Cheng and a representative of the local office of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to get a deeper understanding of their promotion work in Malaysia and preparedness for taking forward a new initiative announced in the Policy Address to support Mainland enterprises in going global via Hong Kong. Mr Yau also took the opportunity to visit an event sponsored by the Jakarta ETO to promote Hong Kong movies.

​Meanwhile, Mr Yau attended the gala dinner of the ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting and related meetings last evening. The ninth ASEAN Economic Ministers – Hong Kong, China Consultation meeting will be held tomorrow (September 26).

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

An additional 600 regular quotas for Hong Kong cross-boundary non-commercial private cars using the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to Macau will be open for application from September 29, the Transport Department announced today.

The department said the additional quotas will be allocated in accordance with the arrangement agreed upon between the governments of Hong Kong and Macau.

Half of the additional 600 quota allocations are for company applicants and the other half are for individual applicants.

The quotas are valid for no more than three years until November 23, 2028.

Private cars holding Hong Kong quotas will be permitted to access the city of Macau multiple times using the bridge.

The Hong Kong quotas will be reallocated upon expiry through open application.

The application period starts from 9am on September 29 to 5.15pm on October 10.

Click here for more details.

Source:

[PRESS RELEASE – 24th September 2025] – The Government of Samoa, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) has successfully hosted the validation workshop of Samoa’s Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), marking a defining moment in Samoa’s climate leadership on a global scale. Building on Samoa’s First NDC in 2015 and the Second NDC submitted in 2021, the NDC 3.0 process strengthens national ambition under the Paris Agreement, aligning climate action with Samoa’s sectoral plans, development priorities, and the urgent need to safeguard communities against climate risks.

Speaking at the opening, Chief Executive Officer of MNRE, Ms. Lealaisalanoa Frances Brown-Reupena, emphasized that NDC 3.0 is not just a policy exercise but “a shared vision for a resilient, low-carbon Samoa.” She added: “Samoa’s emissions are small – less than 0.01% of global totals. But our leadership is significant. By advancing a credible, inclusive, and ambitious NDC 3.0, Samoa strengthens its moral authority in the international climate negotiations. Our actions here in Apia ripple out to the Pacific and beyond, amplifying the message that climate ambition must be universal.”

The validation builds on lessons learned from Samoa’s Second NDC. A national stocktake exercise highlighted progress across multiple sectors, including advances in renewable energy where Samoa is on track to reach 70% renewable use by 2031 through initiatives such as home biogas, solar installations, energy audits, new PV and battery storage, and the Alaoa Multipurpose Dam already underway. In transport, Samoa has taken its first steps towards decarbonization by introducing electric vehicles, piloting charging infrastructure, and developing a national clean mobility strategy. In the AFOLU sector, Samoa’s forest cover has increased by 1.63% since 2013, supported by the 3 million trees campaign and community agroforestry programs, while adaptation measures in agriculture, fisheries, health, and infrastructure are strengthening resilience and sustainable livelihoods.

At the same time, the stocktake revealed persistent challenges, including data gaps that limit the precision of emissions tracking and financing shortfalls, particularly in energy and transport transitions. These lessons have directly shaped Samoa’s NDC 3.0, which prioritises scaling renewable energy and resilient grids, accelerating sustainable transport, expanding nature-based solutions to protect mangroves, forests, and marine ecosystems, improving waste management through circular economy approaches, and strengthening systems to measure, report, and verify progress with transparency. Above all, Samoa’s Third NDC seeks to ensure that climate finance flows to where it is most needed – communities on the frontlines of climate impacts.

The validation also launched Samoa’s national consultations for COP30, which will continue in the coming weeks with government institutions, communities, youth, and the private sector. These consultations will help shape Samoa’s position for the global negotiations in Brazil while reinforcing pathways for climate resilience and sustainable development at home.

Despite contributing less than 0.01% of global emissions, Samoa continues to demonstrate global leadership in climate action. As CEO reminded participants, “Equity and climate justice demand more decisive action from major emitters. The survival of small island states depends on keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C.” By validating an ambitious, inclusive, and credible NDC 3.0, Samoa once again demonstrates its commitment to climate ambition, resilience, and justice, reaffirming its role as a Pacific leader and a global voice for urgent, collective action.

The Ministry extends its deep appreciation to the UNDP Climate Promise, the NDC Partnership, and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) for their technical and financial support, and to Grant Thornton Bharat, the lead consultancy team leading the delivery of Samoa’s NDC 3.0.

ENDS

Renewable Energy in Samoa

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Samoa

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Labour Department (LD) will start using small unmanned aircraft (SUA) from October to assist Occupational Safety Officers (OSOs) in conducting inspections and enforcement actions. A special inspection exercise using SUA will also be launched to combat unsafe work activities.

The Commissioner for Labour, Mr Sam Hui, and the Deputy Commissioner (Occupational Safety and Health), Mr Vincent Fung, attended an SUA drill earlier to understand the operation of SUA by OSOs and its effectiveness in application.

Mr Hui said, “OSOs can utilise SUA to conduct aerial remote site surveillance in the future. Upon detecting unsafe work practices, OSOs will be able to take photos and videos immediately for evidence collection before deploying staff to enter the sites for law enforcement. In addition, SUA will also facilitate the inspection of remote or inaccessible workplaces, thereby significantly enhancing inspection efficiency.”

The SUA adopted by the LD is equipped with superzoom and high-resolution cameras capable of shooting remote aerial photography and videography, assisting OSOs in collecting evidence during inspections and accident investigations.

The LD will launch a special inspection exercise using SUA in October, focusing on construction sites with working-at-height activities to curb unsafe work practices. If any violation of the occupational safety and health (OSH) legislation is detected, the LD will take stringent enforcement actions immediately, including issuing suspension notices and improvement notices as well as initiating prosecutions without prior warning.

The LD will continue to keep in view the application of technological products, including the latest technological developments of AI systems, and keep using technology to assist in law enforcement, with a view to enhancing the deterrent effect of the legislation and further safeguarding the OSH of workers.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Slovenia, Mr Klemen Boštjancic, again in the morning of September 24 (Ljubljana time) before proceeding to Poland for the second leg of his European visit. He said at the meeting that the visit was very fruitful, especially regarding the news that the Slovenian Government and National Assembly are deliberating on the decision to prioritise the Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (CDTA) negotiations with Hong Kong.

“Both the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Slovenian governments are keen to pursue a CDTA early to reduce unnecessary tax obstacles for encouraging bilateral trade and investment. The signing of the CDTA will foster closer economic ties between Hong Kong and Slovenia, and I believe that it will be welcomed by the business communities in both places.

“Hong Kong and Slovenia have a lot in common, both being small yet significant economically and strategically with big ambitions. We both offer a diverse economy with a stable investment environment, underpinned by openness and efficiency. That makes us each perfect gateways for each other, enabling European enterprises to enter Asian and Mainland markets through Hong Kong, and Slovenia a place through which Mainland companies can access Europe,” he added.

Mr Hui also highlighted to Mr Boštjancic that Hong Kong is consolidating its status as an international asset and wealth management centre. The total assets under management in Hong Kong grew by 13 per cent year on year, reaching EUR3.81 trillion by the end of 2024. Riding on the particularly stellar performance in the private banking and private wealth management sector, more facilitation measures have been announced by the Chief Executive in his 2025 Policy Address to make Hong Kong even more attractive to family offices and global high-net-worth individuals. These measures include enriching the investment options under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, enhancing the preferential tax regimes for funds, single family offices and carried interest, as well as expanding the mutual access between capital markets of the Mainland and Hong Kong.

He also met with the State Secretary responsible for Taxes, Customs Duties and Other Charges and for Improving the Efficiency of Public Spending of Slovenia, Ms Katja Boži�, to discuss the next steps in the process of commencing the negotiations on the CDTA.

In the afternoon, Mr Hui started his itinerary in Warsaw, Poland, where he visited Lenovo Technology and met with its General Manager at Lenovo Poland, Mr Wojciech Zaskorski, and other senior members of the company to learn more about the macroeconomic situation and digitalisation of Poland, as well as the needs of Mainland companies in their expansion overseas.

Mr Hui stated that Hong Kong is striving to be the perfect platform to support Mainland companies going global. A Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global will be set up to encourage Mainland enterprises to utilise Hong Kong in expanding their businesses overseas. Hong Kong will facilitate the establishment in the city of more corporate treasury centres by Mainland companies and regional headquarters by the banking sector, particularly by Mainland banks. Hong Kong will also promote the development of carbon audit services to assist enterprises going global to meet international requirements and standards on green trade in respect of carbon emission reduction.

He reiterated that Hong Kong has an extensive pool of professionals to serve Mainland companies on their journey towards global market expansion. Using the accounting sector as an example, he said that the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants has compiled the List of accounting firms helping Mainland enterprises go global to help Mainland companies to tackle the challenges of venturing abroad. As at mid-August, the list includes 83 Hong Kong accounting firms.

Mr Hui will visit the Warsaw Stock Exchange on September 25 (Warsaw time) and meet with Polish government officials and members of the business sector.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Police today (September 25) laid a holding charge against a 49-year-old Mainland man with one count of manslaughter.

The male person in custody was arrested on September 19 in suspected connection with a manslaughter case happened in Cheung Sha Wan on the same day morning, in which an 80-year-old male person in custody died.

The case will be mentioned at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (September 26) morning.