Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today made a solemn statement to express strong disapproval and opposition against the harbouring of criminals in any form by any country.

The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts is no different from advocating a special privilege to break the law, and this totally runs contrary to the spirit of the rule of law.

The statement noted that following the “black-clad violence” and the Hong Kong version of “colour revolution” in 2019, a number of criminals who have committed serious offences endangering national security absconded.

Among them, some even forged documents and deceived the court with false information in order to obtain the court’s permission to leave Hong Kong while on bail, and jumped bail to evade legal responsibilities.

During abscondence, these criminals continued to blantantly engage in acts endangering national security. The statement said those are out-and-out shameful and cowardly acts.

The Hong Kong SAR Government made it clear that in Hong Kong, any arrest and prosecution is directed against the criminal act and has nothing to do with the political stance, background or thought of the person(s) concerned.

Arrest and prosecution are based on facts and evidence, and conducted in strict accordance with the law. Hong Kong has an independent judiciary with the power of final adjudication. Everyone shall receive a fair and just trial.

The statement said any country that harbours Hong Kong criminals in any form shows contempt for the rule of law, grossly disrespects Hong Kong’s legal systems and barbarically interferes in the affairs of Hong Kong.

Turning a blind eye to the offences committed by the criminals and disregarding the potential security threats posed to the local community and residents, they shall eventually bear the consequences of what they have done, the statement added.

Absconders should not think they can evade criminal liability by absconding from Hong Kong, adding that they will be held liable for their acts constituting serious offences endangering national security and be punished by the law ultimately.

The Hong Kong SAR Government further stressed that endangering national security is a very serious crime and it will do everything possible and use all legal means to pursue and combat criminals who endanger national security as well as to hold them accountable, thereby safeguarding national security.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Located far in the rural area of Sheung Shui, the Tai Lung Experimental Station is the only crop experimental farm handled by the Government. This is where the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department (AFCD), in its quest to find production techniques and crop varieties fit for the local environment as a way to support the upgrading and transformation of the agriculture industry, conducts key research and trials.

Tech-driven agriculture

The station has been actively promoting organic farming, with various vegetables and fruits grown on the farm, to introduce farmers to quality crop varieties so as to enhance their productivity. It also provides a farm machinery and equipment landing service to acquaint farmers with the advantages of modern production technologies.

AFCD Agricultural Officer Calvin Cheung pointed out that the use of modernised technology to promote the sustainable development of agriculture is a global trend. It can also reduce the industry’s dependence on manpower and address the challenges posed by climate change.

“Through the use of modernised technology, we hope to drive the industry towards high-quality development,” he said.

The greenhouse in the station showcases how smart technology can help with regulating watering and temperature. In addition, the station collaborates with the Logistics & Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre to develop a mobile application utilising artificial intelligence technology with image recognition technology to identify and diagnose crop pest and disease problems, enabling early detection and intervention.

Locally-grown strategy

While Hong Kong mainly relies on food imports, local agricultural production primarily serves as a supplementary source. The local agriculture industry generally produces high-quality crops through intensive land use and production methods.

The department hopes that through reviving distinctive or historically significant agricultural varieties, it can provide unique selling points for local agricultural products and attract consumers.

In recent years, the department successfully reintroduced a vegetable variety named hok tau pak choy and a local rice variety called “Fa Yiu Tsai”. “Fa Yiu Tsai” was once extinct locally, but the department obtained its seeds from a seed bank in 2019 and successfully reintroduced it at the Tai Lung Experimental Station. It then distributed the seeds to local farmers to promote cultivation of the local rice variety.

Comprehensive blueprint

In its effort to promote the upgrading and transformation of the agriculture and fisheries industries towards modernisation and sustainable development, the Government announced the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture & Fisheries in 2023.

The blueprint outlines eight key development areas and various specific measures covering financial and infrastructure support, application of technology, and so on. It also proposes initiatives such as developing an agricultural park and promoting urban farming.

In terms of financial support, the department, through the $1 billion Sustainable Agricultural Development Fund, assists the industry to switch to a sustainable and high-value added mode of operation, thereby boosting the industry’s overall competitiveness.

The fund has also set up the Farm Improvement Scheme to subsidise farmers in purchasing new machinery and equipment, such as tillers, enabling them to farm more efficiently.

AFCD Agricultural Officer Karina Poon added that to further strengthen sales and promotion of local agricultural and fisheries products, the department plans to introduce a unified new brand in 2025-2026 to advance safe, low-carbon and premium local agricultural and fisheries products .

This new brand will establish production standards, farming methods, and a certification and traceability system to ensure quality standards are met.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government Logistics Department has partially terminated a contract for the supply of bottled drinking water to government offices on Hong Kong Island and parts of the outlying islands starting from today.

The department said it was not satisfied that the contractor, Xin Ding Xin Trade Co. (XDX), would still be capable of performing the contract, after receiving information on its business operation recently.

Thus, the department decided to partially terminate the contract starting from today in accordance with the contract terms. It will follow up seriously and take follow-up action including whether to terminate the contract.

The department has also referred the case to Police for investigation.

Following the expiry of the original contracts, the department conducted an open tender in March to select suitable suppliers of bottled drinking water for government departments.

In June, the department awarded the contract for the supply of bottled drinking water to government offices on Hong Kong Island and parts of the outlying islands to XDX.

According to the contract, XDX was to supply bottled drinking water, branded “XinLe” to government offices on Hong Kong Island and parts of the outlying islands starting from late June for a period of 36 months.

To ensure a supply of drinking water, the department has arranged for AS Watson Group (HK) to temporarily supply bottled drinking water branded “COOL” and manufactured by the company, to government offices on Hong Kong Island and parts of the outlying islands starting from next week.

The department said it has been monitoring the contractual performance of bottled drinking water suppliers for government offices, with a view to ensuring a stable supply of bottled drinking water in compliance with stipulated technical specifications according to contract terms and ensuring the safety of drinking water.

Suppliers are required to submit test reports issued by independent accredited laboratories every two months to prove that the drinking water provided by them complies with the requirements under the technical specifications.

The department also extracts samples of drinking water for testing from time to time throughout the contract period.

In this regard, the department said it had earlier conducted a test of bottled drinking water samples in government offices, which confirmed that the bottled drinking water from all suppliers complied with the safety standards.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned the out-of-context and fact-twisting reports on the court hearing of the case of Lai Chee-ying made by some foreign media including the US-based Cable News Network.

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that Lai Chee-ying has been receiving appropriate treatment during his detention.

It also said the reports made by some foreign media attempt to mislead the public into believing that Lai Chee-ying did not receive the medical care he needed, in order to smear Lai Chee-ying’s case under the Hong Kong National Security Law as well as his custodial arrangements and the medical care services provided to him.

The statement noted that the reports’ aim to smear and undermine Hong Kong’s rule of law is despicable and violates the professional conduct of journalists.

The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that during today’s open court hearing, senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying clearly presented to the court that the correctional institutions arrange daily medical checkups for Lai Chee-ying and that there had been no complaints at all regarding the medical care he receives there.

The Court commended the Correctional Services Department (CSD), while the Department of Justice stated that the prosecution is equally concerned about Lai Chee-ying’s health and well-being.

Therefore, the CSD has arranged for a professional medical team to be on standby on the spot, ready to respond to any emergency immediately if needed.

The statement said external forces and anti-China media chose to turn a blind eye to the facts, and continued to repeat lies and engage in despicable operations. It added that their wrongdoings must sternly denounced.

The Hong Kong SAR Government also pointed out that before attending court, Lai Chee-ying has been certified by medical doctors that he was physically and mentally fit for court hearing.

The statement also noted that doctors stationed at correctional institutions and specialists from the Hospital Authority (HA) regularly follow-up on Lai Chee-ying’s health conditions.

As revealed during the hearing today, in view of Lai Chee-ying’s claims of heart palpitations, after a visiting specialist from the HA conducted a detailed examination on him on August 7, no abnormality was found.

That said, as a precaution, the specialist recommended prescribing medication to Lai Chee-ying to be taken as and when needed, and that he should wear a cardiac monitoring device, but Lai Chee-ying declined the advice of the specialist.

On August 13, the CSD arranged for another detailed examination by a specialist from the HA. The specialist again recommended that Lai Chee-ying wear a device to monitor his cardiac condition, which Lai Chee-ying accepted in the end. The HA and the CSD immediately made such arrangements within a short period of time.

The Hong Kong SAR Government reiterated that the CSD is committed to ensuring that the custodial environment is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy, and that an environment with good ventilation, appropriate and timely medical support as well as healthy and nutritious meals are provided.

The CSD has also put in place an established mechanism, including regular independent visitors, namely Justices of the Peace, who inspect the prisons to ensure the rights of persons in custody (PICs) are protected.

The Hong Kong SAR Government made it clear that the medical care received by Lai Chee-ying in custody is adequate and comprehensive.

The CSD supports PICs with medical services provided by the Department of Health and the HA. In general, examination and treatment are conducted by medical staff stationed in CSD facilities. Based on the needs of individual PICs, cases will be referred to specialist departments under the HA for further follow-up.

Hong Kong’s medical standards are highly regarded worldwide. Professional medical staff provide the most suitable medical services to patients as soon as possible, and PICs are treated equally.

The Hong Kong SAR Government said the CSD and relevant units also adopt the above arrangements when handling matters related to Lai Chee-ying, which are no different from those applicable to other PICs.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, on the fatal work accident at Siu Ho Wan and the Top Talent Pass Scheme at a media session after attending a radio programme today morning (August 16):
 
Reporter: Can you comment on the fatal accident at the MTR depot yesterday? Do you view this as an isolated incident or do you believe it warrants a broader examination of MTR’s safety protocols and oversight? And my second question is, what future strategies will be implemented to attract more talents to Hong Kong and are there plans to provide clearer pathways to long-term residency for successful Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) applicants, especially for those contributing significantly to the economy? Thank you.
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: Thank you. We are very concerned about the fatal industrial accident happened yesterday. The Labour Department has already issued a suspension order, and also we are looking into the whole accident. At this moment, we do not have anything further to provide, but just to make sure we will look into the whole accident strictly in accordance with our rules and the relevant laws. If there is any body or institution that eventually, through investigation, has to be held accountable for the whole accident, we will pursue in accordance with the law.
 
     Secondly, on talents, yesterday I shared the latest visa renewal outcome with the public. We are making full use of the whole spectrum of talent admission schemes available to us, including the schemes targeting those already had a job offer before arriving in Hong Kong. And also, for talents under the TTPS, where we only require them to prove either they are high-earners, or graduates from one of the top 100 universities in the world. We are encouraged by the visa renewal outcome of the TTPS. We are going to further step up our promotion, so that we are going to attract more talents to Hong Kong to help us grow our economy. Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (August 15) strongly condemns the out-of-context and fact-twisting reports on the court hearing of the case of Lai Chee-ying made by some foreign media including the US-based Cable News Network (CNN). Such reports attempt to mislead the public into believing that Lai Chee-ying did not receive the medical care he needed, in order to smear Lai Chee-ying’s case under the Hong Kong National Security Law, as well as his custodial arrangements and the medical care services provided to him. Their aim to smear and undermine Hong Kong’s rule of law is despicable and violates the professional conduct of journalists.

A spokesman for the HKSAR Government stressed, “During today’s open court hearing, senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying clearly presented to the court that the correctional institutions arrange daily medical checkups for Lai Chee-ying and that there had been no complaints at all regarding the medical care he receives there. The Court commended the Correctional Services Department (CSD) while the Department of Justice stated that the prosecution is equally concerned about Lai Chee-ying’s health and well-being. Therefore, the CSD has arranged for a professional medical team to be on standby on the spot, ready to respond to any emergency immediately if needed. External forces and anti-China media chose to turn a blind eye to these facts, and continued to repeat lies and engage in despicable operations. We must sternly denounce their wrongdoings.

“Before attending court, Lai Chee-ying has been certified by medical doctors that he was physically and mentally fit for court hearing. In fact, doctors stationed at correctional institutions and specialists from the Hospital Authority regularly follow-up on Lai Chee-ying’s health conditions. As revealed during the hearing today, in view of Lai Chee-ying’s claims of heart palpitations, after a visiting specialist from the Hospital Authority conducted a detailed examination on him on August 7, no abnormality was found. That said, as precaution, the specialist recommended prescribing medication to Lai Chee-ying to be taken as and when needed, and that he should wear a cardiac monitoring device, but Lai Chee-ying declined the advice of the specialist. On August 13, the CSD arranged for another detailed examination by a specialist from the Hospital Authority. The specialist again recommended that Lai Chee-ying wear a device to monitor his cardiac condition, which Lai Chee-ying accepted in the end. The Hospital Authority and the CSD immediately made such arrangements within a short period of time.”

The spokesman reiterated, “The CSD is committed to ensuring that the custodial environment is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy, and that an environment with good ventilation, appropriate and timely medical support as well as healthy and nutritious meals are provided. The CSD has also put in place an established mechanism, including regular independent visitors, namely Justices of the Peace, who inspect the prisons to ensure the rights of persons in custody (PICs) are protected.”

“Facts speak louder than eloquence. The medical care received by Lai Chee-ying in custody is adequate and comprehensive. The CSD supports PICs with medical services provided by the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority. In general, examination and treatment are conducted by medical staff stationed in CSD facilities. Based on the needs of individual PICs, cases will be referred to specialist departments under the Hospital Authority for further follow-up. Hong Kong’s medical standards are highly regarded worldwide. Professional medical staff provide the most suitable medical services to patients as soon as possible, and PICs are treated equally. The CSD and relevant units also adopt the above arrangements when handling matters related to Lai Chee-ying, which are no different from those applicable to other PICs,” the spokesman pointed out.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a train depot in Siu Ho Wan this noon (August 15), in which a male worker was hit by a reversing engineering train. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathy to his family.

     The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and have issued a suspension notice to the employer concerned, suspending the operation of the engineering train. The employer cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that suitable measures to abate the relevant risks have been taken.”

     The spokesman added, “We will complete the investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the relevant duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”

     To protect the traffic safety of workers in train depots, the LD reminds employers to take adequate safety precautions, including providing and maintaining safe walkways away from trains and demarcating designated walkways for workers by suitable barriers and warning notices; and providing all workers concerned with the necessary safety instruction and training and ensuring that workers adhere to the relevant safety precautions.

     The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the relevant provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for two years.

     In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its mobile application “OSH 2.0”, website and email, giving a brief account of the accident to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, and reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.

     The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.

     For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

      The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of anti-illegal worker focused operations by conducting surprise inspections and enforcement actions, targeting four industries, including renovation, catering, logistics and cleansing, which are prone to involvement with illegal employment from July 2 to yesterday (August 14). A total of 165 persons were arrested, including 109 suspected illegal workers, 54 suspected employers and two suspected aiders and abettors. Among them, 61 persons have been prosecuted for offences under the Immigration Ordinance, with 49 persons sentenced to prison terms ranging from 54 days to 18 months.

      The ImmD has long been highly vigilant against the problem of illegal employment and has taken vigorous and effective enforcement actions. The ImmD has mounted intelligence-led focused operations in multiple targeted locations. From July 2 to August 14, ImmD investigators, employing strategies including decoy operations, conducted raids at 721 targeted locations across various districts in Hong Kong, including private housing estates, newly built/inhabited housing estates, shop units under renovation, restaurants and popular gathering spots for food delivery riders.

The arrested illegal workers include dishwashers, kitchen workers, waiters, waitresses, food delivery riders, renovation workers, cleaners and logistics workers. They aged between 19 and 56, comprised 35 non-ethnic Chinese persons (including 11 recognisance forms holders prohibited from taking any employment) and 74 Mainlanders. Among the illegal workers arrested, 7 persons were suspected of using and being in possession of forged Hong Kong identity cards. Additionally, 55 Hong Kong residents and 1 Mainlander were arrested for suspected involvement in employing illegal workers or aiding and abetting others in breaching their conditions of stay in Hong Kong. Serious investigation will be conducted on the employers and contractors, and the ImmD does not rule out the possibility of further arrests or prosecutions.

Among the arrested illegal workers, 61 persons have been prosecuted for offences under the Immigration Ordinance, including breach of conditions of stay, using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card, and taking employment while being an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land. Among them, 49 persons have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 54 days to 18 months.

The spokesman said that the ImmD will continue to combat illegal employment activities. The ImmD is committed to combating illegal employment by illegal immigrants, visitors, foreign domestic helpers, and imported workers bound by specific employment conditions in order to protect the local labour market. If illegal activities are suspected, citizens may contact the ImmD’s dedicated hotline (2824 1551), email (anti_crime@immd.gov.hk) and online reporting platform (www.immd.gov.hk/eng/online-services/) to report illegal employment activities.