Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Swordfish” from August 4 to September 23, targeting foreign domestic helpers who breached their conditions of stay. A total of 20 persons, including 11 suspected illegal workers and nine suspected employers, were arrested.

     During the operations, ImmD investigators raided 118 target locations, including restaurants, retail shops, food factories, hair salons, industrial and commercial buildings, and residential buildings. The arrested 11 suspected illegal workers comprised two men and nine women, aged 34 to 51, most of them were of Indonesian and Filipino nationalities. Among them, three persons were current helpers, five persons were overstaying ex-helpers and three persons were overstaying visitors. The suspected illegal workers were found performing dish washing, food processing and cleaning duties etc. Meanwhile, nine suspected arrested employers, comprising two men and seven women aged 34 to 54, were owners or persons-in-charge of the companies and restaurants involved. A copy of a forged Hong Kong identity card was also seized during the operation. The relevant cases are still under investigation, and the ImmD does not rule out the possibility of further arrests.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, today (September 23) extended her congratulations to Hong Kong, China athletes on continuing to achieve excellent results at the 20th Asian Games, with four medals won today, including karate athlete Tsang Yee-ting winning a silver medal in Women’s Kumite -50kg; swimming athlete Natalie Kan winning a bronze medal in Women’s 100m Butterfly; karate athletes Howard Hung, Li Chi-kong and Tang Yu-hin winning a bronze medal in Men’s Team Kata; and wushu athlete Chan Tsz-ching winning a bronze medal in Women’s 52kg sanda.

  Miss Law said, “Karate athletes delivered an outstanding performance today, with Tsang Yee-ting, Howard, Li Chi-kong and Tang Yu-hin achieving excellent results, winning one silver and one bronze medal. Natalie broke the Hong Kong record in Women’s 100m Butterfly and won a bronze medal. Chan Tsz-ching achieved a breakthrough for the wushu sanda team, winning a bronze medal at the Asian Games for the first time. I hope Hong Kong citizens will continue to fully support the Hong Kong, China athletes in striving for further success at the Asian Games.”

The Hong Kong, China Delegation has so far won sixteen medals, namely three gold, six silver and seven bronze, at the Asian Games. The four medals won today are as follows:

Silver medal
—————
Wushu: Women’s Kumite -50kg 
Tsang Yee-ting

Bronze medals
————— 
Swimming: Women’s 100m Butterfly 
Natalie Kan

Karate: Men’s Team Kata 
Howard Hung, Li Chi-kong, Tang Yu-hin

Karate: Women’s 52kg sanda
Chan Tsz-ching

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law congratulated Hong Kong, China athletes after they bagged one silver and three bronze medals today, in karate, swimming and wushu, at the 20th Asian Games.

Karate competitor Tsang Yee-ting captured silver in the “Women’s Kumite -50kg”, while Howard Hung, Li Chi-kong and Tang Yu-hin won a bronze medal in the Men’s Team Kata.

Swimmer Natalie Kan claimed bronze in the Women’s 100m Butterfly.

Wushu athlete Chan Tsz-ching also took home a bronze medal, in the Women’s 52kg sanda.

Ms Law said Hong Kong, China’s karate athletes had delivered an outstanding medal haul, with the four athletes achieving excellent results.

She also congratulated Ms Kan for breaking the Hong Kong record in the Women’s 100m Butterfly, and lauded Ms Chan for achieving a breakthrough for Hong Kong’s wushu sanda team by winning a medal at the Asian Games for the first time.

The Hong Kong team has so far won 16 medals at the Asian Games: three gold, six silver and seven bronze.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin led the “18th National Day & Professional Exchange Delegation from Hong Kong Education Sector” in visiting a state leader and Ministry of Education officials in Beijing.

Ms Choi and the delegates were received by Vice-Chairperson of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Tie Ning at the Great Hall of the People this afternoon. They also met and exchanged views with officials from the ministry.

Ms Choi remarked that this year marks the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and the opening year of the National 15th Five-Year Plan.

She said it was highly significant for Hong Kong’s education sector to visit Beijing ahead of National Day, on October 1, and to celebrate the motherland’s birthday and experience a jubilant festive atmosphere with people in the capital.

Ms Choi highlighted that last week the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced its First Five-Year Plan, which aligns with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. She outlined that the Hong Kong’s education sector faces multiple tasks, including digital education, talent cultivation and the integration of industry and education.

She said: “The delegation enabled teachers to gain insight into the latest education developments of the country and share experiences with Chinese Mainland teachers in areas such as operation models, curricula and teaching arrangements of schools at all levels.

“It not only broadened their horizons but also fostered exchanges between the education sectors of both places, providing important references for the future development of Hong Kong’s education and laying a foundation for deeper collaboration.” 

Ms Choi and the delegation subsequently attended a banquet hosted by the Ministry of Education, where they engaged in in-depth discussions regarding professional connections and mutual learning between the education sectors of the two places.

Ms Choi and the delegation members will conclude their visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements to co-ordinate government departments’ preparatory work ahead of the Mainland’s National Day Golden Week, which will run from October 1 to 7.

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Under Secretary for Transport & Logistics Liu Chun-sun attended the meeting.

Mr Chan said: “The number of visitor arrivals is expected to increase during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. The Government will make good preparations for receiving visitors, and maintain close liaison with relevant organisations and the travel trade to prepare well for crowd management, information dissemination and arrangements of public transportation and boundary control points, with a view to responding promptly to various kinds of emergencies and ensuring the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving visitors and offering them a high-quality experience.”

According to the Immigration Department’s estimate, around 1.29 million Mainland visitors will arrive in Hong Kong via the city’s sea, land and air control points during the upcoming holiday week.

Compared with last year’s National Day Golden Week, the daily average number of visitor arrivals is expected to increase by over 5%.

Relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers to enable flexible deployment of manpower and the operation of additional counters, temporary counters and channels, with a view to optimising passenger and vehicular flows.

The Government remarked that in view of the anticipated large number of visitors to the Sai Kung High Island Reservoir East Dam and campsites such as Ham Tin Wan, Police will deploy uniformed officers at strategic locations at Pak Tam Chung, Man Yee Road and East Dam, in order to implement traffic controls during peak visitor arrival and departure periods.

Moreover, the Transport Department has co-ordinated with the operator of Green Minibus Route No. 9A (from Pak Tam Chung to the East Dam) to enhance the service, subject to passenger demand.

The Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department will continue the online real-name reservation trial arrangement for the Po Pin Chau section of the East Dam throughout the holiday week, and will implement crowd control measures at the Po Pin Chau section and viewing platform. Information on visitor flows at the East Dam area will be uploaded onto the department’s “Enjoy Hiking” website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

　　The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (September 23) chaired a meeting of the interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements to holistically co-ordinate and steer the preparatory work of various government departments for welcoming visitors to Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland (i.e. from October 1 to 7). The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Under Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-sun, and representatives from other relevant government departments also attended. 

　　Mr Chan said, “The number of visitor arrivals is expected to increase during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. The Government will make good preparations for receiving visitors, and maintain close liaison with relevant organisations and the travel trade to prepare well for crowd management, information dissemination and arrangements of public transportation and boundary control points (BCPs), with a view to responding promptly to various kinds of emergencies and ensuring the smooth operation of various aspects in receiving visitors and offering them a high-quality experience.”

Estimated visitor flow and preparatory work 

　　According to the Immigration Department (ImmD)’s estimate, around 1.29 million Mainland visitors will visit Hong Kong via various sea, land and air control points during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. Compared with last year’s National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the daily average visitor arrivals are expected to increase by over five per cent.

     According to the estimate of the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) and the trade, it is anticipated that about 1 180 inbound tour groups will visit Hong Kong during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. The TIA has reminded travel agents receiving Mainland inbound tour groups to stagger arrival times as far as possible. The TIA will co-ordinate with relevant agencies such as tourist spots operators to adopt appropriate diversion measures to enable proper management of visitor flows and tour buses, with a view to offering visitors a pleasant travel experience. Major tourist spot operators have also formulated special arrangements to handle the estimated increase in people flows. The Hong Kong community is expected to become more vibrant due to the visitor influx during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, bringing opportunities to various sectors. District offices will also closely monitor the flow of visitors within their respective districts and notify relevant departments having regard to the actual circumstances with a view to strengthening management of the relevant spots. 

Co-ordinate control points, traffic and public transport facilities 

　　Relevant departments have minimised leave for frontline officers to enable flexible deployment of manpower and the operation of additional counters, temporary counters and channels, with a view to diverting passenger and vehicular flows. The Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre set up by the Police, the ImmD, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), and other relevant departments will be activated from October 1 (Thursday) to October 7 (Wednesday) to monitor the real-time situations at various control points. The Joint Command Centre will maintain close liaison with the Mainland port authorities through the established port hotlines and real-time notification mechanism, and take timely contingency actions as necessary to flexibly deploy manpower at BCPs to ensure smooth operation of the land control points. The Security Bureau (SB) will activate the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland to closely monitor and co-ordinate the public order situation at various BCPs and facilitate interdepartmental follow-up actions where necessary to respond promptly to various kinds of emergencies.

　　For public transport arrangements, the Transport Department (TD) has approached various public transport operators proactively to enhance their capacity, and reserve sufficient vehicles and manpower to meet the travel needs of passengers during peak periods. Among them, the MTR Corporation Limited will enhance the service of various railway lines (including the East Rail Line connecting the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Points) at different periods from September 30 (Wednesday) to October 7 (Wednesday) for the convenience of residents and visitors. The TD has also co-ordinated with relevant operators to enhance transportation services connecting various BCPs, including increasing the frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) shuttle bus and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus (i.e. Gold Bus and Yellow Bus) during peak hours to about one minute and two minutes respectively at their highest frequencies, as well as increasing the quota of cross-boundary coaches to strengthen services. The TD has also formulated contingency plans with frontline border control authorities to implement special traffic control measures at the HZMB Port, the Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang port and the Shenzhen Bay Port as necessary, including providing a dedicated passage for public transport vehicles to ensure smooth public transport services. 

      The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the TD will operate 24 hours a day at an escalated tier during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland to closely monitor the traffic conditions and public transport services in all districts (including tourist hotspots), BCPs, and major stations across Hong Kong, and take prompt measures to address service demands and disseminate the latest traffic updates through various channels. 

Protection of visitors

　　The Government adopts a zero-tolerance stance towards coerced shopping and will take stringent action against any violations. Travel agents and tourist guides are obliged to ensure the safety and interests of visitors joining inbound tour groups, including protecting them from malpractices such as coerced shopping. The Government urges visitors to patronise licensed travel agents and call the TIA’s hotline (3698 5900) to report incidents or contact the Police for assistance if they encounter improper treatment. The TIA will also conduct inspections in districts where relatively more registered shops for inbound tour groups are located, and offer assistance to visitors and tourist guides to protect inbound tour group visitors’ rights. Additionally, the Police will continue to step up publicity, education and enforcement actions against the illegal acts of taxi drivers including overcharging and refusing hires. The TD will also step up publicity and education, urging taxi drivers to maintain good service attitudes and proactively assist passengers. The C&ED will step up enforcement and inspection of shops serving visitors to combat unfair trade practices. 

     To ensure smooth traffic flows in tourist areas such as the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, the Peak and various BCPs, the Police will step up enforcement actions against offences causing traffic congestion. Illegally parked vehicles that cause serious obstructions or pose an immediate danger will be ticketed and towed away immediately without prior warning.

Management of country parks

     In view of the anticipated large number of visitors to the East Dam of High Island Reservoir and campsites such as Ham Tin Wan during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland, the Government will enhance management through interdepartmental collaboration. The Police will deploy uniformed officers at strategic locations at Pak Tam Chung, Man Yee Road and East Dam for traffic control during peak visitor arrival and departure periods. The TD has co-ordinated with the green minibus (GMB) operator to enhance the service of GMB Route No. 9A (Pak Tam Chung – East Dam of High Island Reservoir) subject to passenger demand. Furthermore, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) will disseminate visitor flow information in the East Dam area via its “Enjoy Hiking” website to assist visitors in better planning their trips. The AFCD will continue the online real-name reservation trial arrangement for the Po Pin Chau section at the East Dam of High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung throughout the period of the Mainland’s National Day Golden Week and implement crowd control measures at the Po Pin Chau section and viewing platform.

     For campsites such as Ham Tin Wan, Sai Wan and Long Ke Wan in Sai Kung, the AFCD will deploy additional staff to be stationed there, conduct day and night patrols, and will carry out immediate enforcement action upon detection of violations. A CCTV system will also be used to assist in monitoring the situation at the campsites. AFCD officers will step up on-site publicity to visitors on safe hiking, caring for the environment and animals and plants, maintaining cleanliness, observing camping etiquette and behaviour etc , and will enhance cleaning work around campsites such as Ham Tin Wan. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will also enhance cleaning services at the Ham Tin public toilet. At the same time, the FEHD is constructing an extension to the Ham Tin public toilet to provide additional cubicles and washing facilities, which are expected to be put into service during the Golden Week.

Weather forecast 

　 A tropical cyclone is expected to edge towards the vicinity of the Luzon Strait and the seas east of Taiwan over the weekend and early next week. However, its subsequent movement remains uncertain with the longer forecast lead time. Meanwhile, a surge of the northeast monsoon will affect southern China in the later part of next week and there will be a few showers over Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) will provide relevant weather information as early as possible. Travellers are advised to check the HKO’s nine-day weather forecast and the latest weather information, including special weather tips and weather warnings, before travelling.

Information dissemination

　　To assist visitors in planning their itineraries, the Government will strengthen information dissemination including the latest inbound visitor arrivals, the situation at various BCPs, information on events, transport arrangements, latest weather information, etc, to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries according to the latest situation.

     The Hong Kong Tourism Board will launch a dedicated webpage at its one-stop travel information platform “Discover Hong Kong”, which consolidates useful information during the National Day Golden Week of the Mainland. The webpage includes information about different celebrations, as well as the opening hours and waiting times of major attractions, public transportation and boundary-crossing services to enable residents and visitors to plan their itineraries more conveniently.

     Residents and visitors may visit “Easy Boundary” (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/bwt/status.html?type=outbound), a one-stop information platform on immigration clearance launched by the SB, to obtain useful information in one go, including the respective average waiting time for passengers and private cars at land BCPs, as well as for the HZMB cross-boundary shuttle bus and the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus, to plan their trips and save waiting time. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Young persons in custody (PICs) at Lai King Correctional Institution (LKCI) of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) were presented with certificates at a ceremony today (September 23) in recognition of their efforts and accomplishments in studies and vocational examinations.
 
Over the past year, a total of 43 PICs at LKCI enrolled in distance learning courses offered by the Hong Kong Metropolitan University or sat for various academic and vocational examinations, including the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, the British Council Cambridge English Examinations, Caritas Institute of Community Education examinations, the General Aptitude Putonghua Shuiping Kaoshi, and examinations organised by the Vocational Training Council, the School of Professional and Continuing Education of the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Management Association and Christian Action. The subjects covered basic Western snacks and dessert making, elementary Cantonese cooking and kitchen operations, basic café beverage making, café operation and customer service, a course for hygiene managers and food hygiene, beauty care and logistics management. During the year, the PICs attained 38 merits out of 106 certificates. In the ceremony today, 12 PICs were presented with 34 certificates, of which 10 were marked with merits.
 
Officiating at the ceremony, the Chairman of Fung Ying Seen Koon (FYSK), Mr Leung Tak-wah, said that FYSK is fully supportive of the rehabilitation work of the CSD, and set up the Fung Ying Seen Koon Education Fund in 2025 with the aim of providing financial assistance to PICs in need to pursue education and vocational training. He encouraged PICs to devote efforts to academic pursuits and equip themselves to embrace future challenges and opportunities upon their reintegration into society.
 
During the ceremony, in addition to a music performance staged by a marching band composed of young PICs, young PICs also specially delivered Chinese instrumental and dance performances to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. These performances not only demonstrated their learning outcomes over the past year, but also conveyed their gratitude to their family members and correctional officers.
 
In a sharing session, a young PIC expressed remorse for her past immaturity and violation of the law, while conveying gratitude for the encouragement and support from her family members and correctional officers, which kept her from giving up on herself and enabled her to make good use of her time to strive for continuous learning, with a view to getting prepared for starting anew. Attending the ceremony, her father also shared the joy of witnessing the positive changes in her daughter while undergoing training and working hard on her studies at LKCI.
 
LKCI accommodates young female PICs aged from 14 to under 21. The Department provides half-day education programmes and half-day vocational training for PICs to help them rehabilitate and prepare for their reintegration into society.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, today (September 23) concluded her two-day visit to Beijing, during which she attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Transportation Ministers’ Meeting and the Global Sustainable Transport Forum to exchange views with transport ministers and delegates from various countries and regions on a broad range of issues.
 
At the APEC Transportation Ministers’ Meeting yesterday (September 22), Ms Chan briefed delegates from various countries and regions on the policy measures relating to maritime, logistics, aviation and transport infrastructure as set out in the newly released Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address. She also highlighted Hong Kong’s latest developments in smart mobility, including the application of AI technologies and big data analytics to gauge real-time traffic information and formulate contingency plans, as well as the advancement of autonomous driving towards driverless operation and commercialisation.
 
Ms Chan also exchanged views with other participants at the Ministers’ Forum of the Global Sustainable Transport Forum yesterday afternoon on various issues including global developments, governance, and deepening of co-operation in sustainable transport. During her stay in Beijing, she held bilateral meetings with the Minister of Transport, Malaysia, Mr Loke Siew Fook, and the Deputy Minister of Construction of Vietnam, Mr Le Anh Tuan, to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration and exchange views on issues of mutual concern.
 
Ms Chan said, “Hong Kong is striving to enhance the efficiency of our transport network and infrastructure through technology empowerment. The exchanges with ministers and delegates from various countries and regions not only allow us to share our experiences in technology applications and green transport transformation, but also enable us to jointly map out a more efficient, greener and more sustainable transport ecosystem. As an international aviation hub and maritime centre, Hong Kong will continue to leverage our core advantages in efficiency, diversity and internationalisation to strengthen regional connectivity in constructing a smarter, safer and greener transport and logistics network.”
 
In the evening, she visited the “Hong Kong Momentum – Connect, Collaborate, Create the Future” thematic exhibition held by the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing. Featuring dedicated zones on Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address with multimedia displays and interactive experiences, the exhibition showcases Hong Kong’s strategic positioning as well as development directions and opportunities under the National 15th Five-Year Plan.
 
Together with the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Vic Yau, and the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Ms Clara Wong, Ms Chan called on the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) this morning to meet with Deputy Administrator of the CAAC Ms Liang Nan to keep her updated on Hong Kong’s latest developments in aviation, including the objectives and policies in relation to aviation developments in Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address, and to discuss various measures including Hong Kong’s active integration into the national strategy of “Trunk-Branch Connectivity, Whole-Network Linkage”, enhancing the connectivity between Mainland cities and international destinations, consolidating the world-leading position of Hong Kong’s air cargo industry, promoting the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel, as well as the low-altitude economy.
 
Ms Chan and the delegation concluded their visit and departed for Hong Kong this afternoon.