Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DSJ leads legal sector delegation to first upgraded Shenzhen-Hong Kong exchange event to empower Mainland enterprises to go global Entitled Greater Bay Area Enterprise Global Expansion Enablement Event – Session on Intellectual Property and Data Protection, the event attracted 50 Mainland enterprises from sectors such as smart hardware, electronic information, new energy, biopharmaceuticals, and high-end manufacturing, seeking to expand overseas. In addition to Hong Kong, their target markets cover regions including Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, and the Middle East.
Addressing the event, Dr Cheung said that, after reviewing the successful experience of co-organising the exchange and matching activity last year, Shenzhen and Hong Kong decided to fully upgrade the event by increasing the frequency of hosting similar activities and focusing more specifically on issues of the greatest concern to Mainland enterprises, in order to further enhance matching effectiveness. As the first upgraded exchange and matching event, this session focused on the cross-border intellectual property rights and data protection issues of concern to the enterprises. In future, Shenzhen and Hong Kong will continue to organise similar events focusing on common legal issues concerning overseas expansion.
Dr Cheung also said that the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address stated that he was tasked to promote Hong Kong’s legal services and collaborate with other professional service sectors, such as accounting and finance, to jointly support Mainland enterprises in going global. In addition to building matching platforms, the DoJ has actively provided practical tools for enterprises going global. In April, the DoJ published the Panel List of Hong Kong Legal Services Providers Supporting “Go Global”, covering more than 70 Hong Kong legal service providers with proven track records in the relevant professional fields of doing business overseas. Last week, the department launched the second series of the “Collection of Success Stories: Hong Kong’s Professional Services Supporting Chinese Mainland Enterprises Going Global”, compiling over 160 success stories on cross-disciplinary professional services spanning law, accounting, finance, and business consulting.
He emphasised that the DoJ has always attached great importance to helping enterprises connect directly with Hong Kong’s professional services, and that the Panel List and the Collection of Success Stories serve to help Mainland enterprises identify the most suitable professional partners more effectively.
Dr Cheung noted that most of the law firms participating in the exchange session are listed in the Panel List and contributed case studies to the Collection of Success Stories. He expressed confidence that the delegation could offer Mainland enterprises practical solutions for addressing legal issues associated with going global.
Member of the Standing Committee and the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Zhang Liwei, delivered opening remarks at the event. The Qianhai Authority of Shenzhen also introduced the services of the Shenzhen Centre for Foreign Law Ascertainment and Legal Service for Enterprises Going Global.
In the sharing session that followed, delegation members gave detailed explanations on common legal risks and mitigation strategies in cross-border intellectual property rights and data protection, and highlighted the pivotal role Hong Kong’s legal profession plays in assisting Mainland enterprises with their global expansion. Members of the delegation later split into groups to engage in in-depth discussions with representatives from Mainland enterprises.
The delegation also visited the “Go Global” Global Service Center in Nanshan District, Shenzhen. Established under the co-ordination of the CPC Nanshan District Committee and the Nanshan District People’s Government, the Center is a comprehensive international platform designed to provide full-range, one-stop services and support for Mainland enterprises expanding overseas and foreign companies coming to China, and to facilitate the integration of enterprises into the global market.
Dr Cheung and the delegation returned to Hong Kong in the evening after concluding their visit. Issued at HKT 18:35
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
FEHD releases second batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in July
District
District The FEHD continues to carry out a series of measures, including:
convening special meetings of the interdepartmental task forces on anti-mosquito work to co-ordinate relevant departments and stakeholders, such as construction site contractors, schools and property management companies, in strengthening venues’ mosquito control work; During the follow-up actions and following the discovery of stagnant water at a private housing estate in Tai Po District, the FEHD has issued a statutory notice to the responsible person-in-charge, requiring the clearance of stagnant water within a specified timeframe.
Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:
Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The Gravidtrap and Density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#Issued at HKT 19:29
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Hong Kong Customs shut down a suspected illicit cigarette and manufactured tobacco storage centre on Lin Ma Hang Road in the North District, New Territories, yesterday (July 13). A total of about 273 800 suspected illicit cigarettes and about 324 kilograms of suspected manufactured tobacco were seized. The total estimated market value was about $3.3 million while the duty potential was about $2.2 million. Two Mainland men connected with the case were arrested.
Customs officers searched a suspicious metal hut on Lin Ma Hang Road in the evening yesterday and found the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes and manufactured tobacco. Two Mainland men aged 48 and 39, who respectively claimed to be unemployed and a designer, were arrested at the scene.
The case is still under investigation. Customs will continue to trace the source of the illicit cigarettes. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source, as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.
Customs stresses that it is an offence to buy or sell illicit cigarettes. Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public are urged to report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080, its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Since 2002, the DH has been implementing the HKCMMS project in phases to develop standards for commonly used CMM in Hong Kong to ensure their safety and quality.
In his opening remarks, the Director of Health and the Chairperson of the IAB, Dr Ronald Lam, said, “One of the key initiatives of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) under the DH is the implementation of the HKCMMS. With the publication of the Volume 12 of the HKCMMS, standards for 357 types of CMM have been established so far. They have become widely recognised international reference standards for Chinese medicine testing and certification, thereby promoting the high-quality scientific development of Chinese medicine. In addition, the work of GCMTI is closely aligned with national priorities. The National 15th Five-Year Plan made it clear that we need to ‘advance the inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine’ and ‘promote the integration of Chinese and Western medicine’. It also calls for us to ‘strengthen the conservation and utilisation of Chinese medicine resources’, ‘improve the quality of Chinese medicine, and build up and strengthen the Chinese medicine industry’. These are exactly the goals that the HKCMMS Project is helping to achieve – by setting rigorous quality standards for CMM and conducting applied research and development on testing methods that underpin the entire industry, establishing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as a bridgehead for the global expansion of Chinese Medicine.”
Dr Lam emphasised that the success of the HKCMMS project depends on the active collaboration of stakeholders across different sectors. He expressed his sincere appreciation to the four research partners attending the meeting, commending their dedicated contributions to advancing the project’s research efforts. They were the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the China Medical University. He also thanked the Government Laboratory for conducting inter-laboratory verification studies. Dr Lam emphasised that these collaborations are crucial for establishing a rigorous and solid scientific foundation for the HKCMMS and gaining international credibility. The DH is also deeply grateful to the National Medical Products Administration, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission for their continuous valuable advice and support in developing the HKCMMS. To align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to advance the inheritance, innovation and high-quality development of Chinese medicine, expand and promote Chinese medicine culture, the DH will continue to steadfastly promote the development of Chinese medicine and better integrate into and serve the overall national development.
The two-day meeting brought together experts from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as representatives from research institutions, the DH and the Government Laboratory of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The 16 types of CMM commonly used in Hong Kong that were discussed at the meeting included Bambusae Caulis in Taenias, Pyrolae Herba, Natrii Sulfas, Dichroae Radix, Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma, Cynanchi Atrati Radix et Rhizoma, Jasmini Flos, Tinosporae Caulis, Inulae Flos, Haematitum, Lasiosphaera seu Calvatia, Vespae Nidus, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Aconiti Kusnezoffii Folium, Meliae Cortex and Tripterygii Wilfordii Radix.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigars (with photo) Customs officers intercepted a 37-year-old incoming Mainland female passenger who arrived in Hong Kong from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, via Doha, Qatar, at Hong Kong International Airport on June 22, and seized about 8.8 kilograms of duty-not-paid cigars, with an estimated market value of about $301,000 and a duty potential of about $37,700 from her personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigars are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigars commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 16:40
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:
The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (July 14) attended an annual meeting with Legislative Council (LegCo) Members to brief them on the progress and results of the Office of The Ombudsman’s work in 2025-26, with an overview of its work strategies and objectives. At the meeting, Mr Chan also exchanged views with LegCo Members on issues of mutual concern and thanked them for their support of the Office’s work.
Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki will depart for Beijing in the late afternoon today. He will attend the results presentation and unveiling ceremony tomorrow for the Centre for Hong Kong and Macao Studies, which is organised by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Chief Executive’s Policy Unit Head Stephen Wong will join the visit. They will return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon.
During Mr Chan’s absence, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Cheuk Wing-hing will be the Acting Chief Secretary.
Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law today expressed sorrow over the passing of veteran Hong Kong filmmaker Nansun Shi and extended her deepest condolences to her family.
Miss Law said that Ms Shi dedicated her life to the film and television industry, leaving behind precious cinematic memories for Hong Kong people.
“We will always remember her extraordinary contributions to Hong Kong’s film and TV industry,” she said.
As a distinguished Hong Kong film producer, Ms Shi served as a member of the Hong Kong Film Development Council from 2007 to 2015, having made significant contributions in shaping the long-term development of Hong Kong’s film industry.
Her prolific career in production and distribution yielded numerous cinematic milestones, including the much-loved series A Chinese Ghost Story, Once Upon a Time in China series, Black Mask, The Legend of Zu and Infernal Affairs.
Over the years, she received multiple local and international accolades in recognition of her global vision and outstanding marketing skills, and was served as a jury member or president at various major international film festivals. Her efforts were instrumental in promoting Hong Kong films on the international stage.
The Government appointed Ms Shi as a member of the Hong Kong Tourism Board from 2013 to 2019. Leveraging her extensive connections in the international film community and professional experience in planning, she also provided valuable advice on promoting Hong Kong tourism.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SED attends seminar on enhancing basic research in higher education institutions Speaking at the conference, Dr Choi said that in terms of strengthening investment in scientific research and deepening collaborative innovation among industries, universities, and research institutes, the Government has continuously expanded the scale of research funding. A new round of the Research Matching Grant Scheme with a funding of $1.5 billion has been launched. Through the General Research Fund and the Early Career Scheme, nearly 1 500 basic research projects are being funded in the current academic year. Meanwhile, the RGC provides the Collaborative Research Fund and the Research Impact Fund to promote interdisciplinary and collaborative research across various sectors. In addition, the UGC is conducting the Research Assessment Exercise 2026 to assess research outputs in accordance with international standards.Issued at HKT 20:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CHP investigates a case of human infection of rat Hepatitis E virus (with photo) Case details —————
The case involves a 72-year-old male with underlying illnesses and weakened immunity. On July 9, during a follow-up visit to Queen Mary Hospital for his pre-existing condition, he was found to have abnormal liver function. His blood sample tested positive for rat HEV upon laboratory testing by the Public Health Laboratory Services Branch under the CHP. The patient remains in stable condition. He has not developed symptoms and did not require hospitalisation.
The CHP’s epidemiological investigation revealed that the patient lives in Sham Shui Po District and primarily spends his time in the vicinity of Sham Shui Po and Tsim Sha Tsui districts. He had outbound travel with his family member from late May to early June (within the incubation period). He reported having no direct contact with rodents or rats, nor has seen any rats at his residence or places visited. The CHP does not rule out that the patient might have come into indirect contact with places or food contaminated by rats or their excreta during the incubation period, either locally or during outbound travel. His household contact (also his travel collateral) has no symptoms currently and has been put under medical surveillance.
Investigations into the source and route of infection are ongoing.
Although the place of infection cannot be ascertained at this stage, staff from the CHP and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) have conducted site inspections of the patient’s residence and the his routine activity areas to assess environmental hygiene conditions. Investigation staff detected minor signs of rodent activity in the refuse collection room of his residential building, on the streets around his residence, on the streets in the vicinity of his activity areas in Tsim Sha Tsui, as well as in the food premises he had visited. Apart from stepping up the cleansing and disinfection, as well as anti-rodent work in the public areas in the vicinity of the locations visited by the patient, the FEHD will serve a Notice of Elimination of Vermin under section 47 of the Public Health and Municipal Ordinance (Cap. 132) requesting the licensee of concerned food premises and owners’ corporations of the concerned building to take appropriate actions within a specified timeframe to eliminate vermin in the concerned food premises and common parts of the building.
The CHP and the FEHD will continue to investigate and follow up on the case.
This is the second case of human infection of rat HEV recorded so far this year. In the past five years (from 2021 to 2025), Hong Kong recorded an average of zero to two cases of rat HEV per year.
Symptoms of rat hepatitis E —————————————- Human cases of rat hepatitis E virus infection affected mostly immunocompromised persons. Most cases were asymptomatic, while symptomatic patients reported mild symptoms, such as fatigue, abdominal pain and loss in appetite. It is less likely for patients with rat HEV infection to develop jaundice compared to HEV infected patients.
Prevention ————– – Avoid handling rodents with bare hands; – Wash hands with liquid soap and water immediately after handling animals, and disinfect contaminated areas; and – If a wound appears, clean the broken skin immediately and cover it properly with waterproof adhesive dressings.
Rodent control requires co-operation from all sectors of society. The CHP urged the public to strengthen rodent prevention and control measures and co-operate with government’s efforts to reduce the risk of rat HEV transmission. Issued at HKT 20:56