Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ8: Application for Hong Kong permanent resident status Question:
Under the existing legislation, Chinese citizens who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years, and persons not of Chinese nationality who have entered Hong Kong with valid travel documents, have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and have taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence, are eligible for the right of abode in Hong Kong. Such persons may apply to the Immigration Department (ImmD) for Hong Kong permanent resident status. A person is regarded as ordinarily resident in Hong Kong if he or she remains in Hong Kong legally, voluntarily and for a settled purpose. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) since the incumbent Government assumed office, of (i) the number of applications for Hong Kong permanent resident status that were rejected due to failure to meet the requirement of having ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years, and (ii) the number of applications approved by the Director of Immigration exercising discretion, together with the respective percentages these figures represent of the total number of applications;
(2) given that the Government currently provides seven talent admission schemes for professionals intending to work and settle in Hong Kong (namely the Top Talent Pass Scheme, the General Employment Policy (for non-Mainland residents), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals (for Mainland residents), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates, and the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents), all of which have different patterns of limit of stay and requirements, whether the authorities have reviewed the impact of these patterns and requirements on applications for Hong Kong permanent resident status by such persons; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether, in order to further attract diverse talent from around the world to come to Hong Kong and remain here for long-term development, with a view to developing Hong Kong into an international hub for high-calibre talent, the Government will consider, with reference to the experience of other regions, undertaking a comprehensive review and refinement of the definition of and assessment criteria for “ordinary residence in Hong Kong”, including allowing applicants a longer continuous period of absence from Hong Kong (e.g. more than 180 days) without having to provide an explanation to the ImmD, and granting ImmD officers greater discretion in handling such applications; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Immigration Department (ImmD), my reply to the question of the Hon Michelle Tang is as follows:
Article 24 of the Basic Law and Paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115) stipulate that the following persons are Hong Kong permanent residents who have the right of abode in Hong Kong:
(a) a Chinese citizen born in Hong Kong before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;
(b) a Chinese citizen who has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;
(c) a person of Chinese nationality born outside Hong Kong before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to a parent who, at the time of birth of that person, was a Chinese citizen falling within category (a) or (b);
(d) a person not of Chinese nationality who has entered Hong Kong with a valid travel document, has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and has taken Hong Kong as his place of permanent residence before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region;
(e) a person under 21 years of age born in Hong Kong to a parent who is a permanent resident of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in category (d) before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region if at the time of his birth or at any later time before he attains 21 years of age, one of his parents has the right of abode in Hong Kong;
(f) a person other than those residents in categories (a) to (e), who, before the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, had the right of abode in Hong Kong only.
Any person claiming to be a Hong Kong permanent resident under paragraph (b) or (d) above may submit, in accordance with established procedures, application for verification of eligibility for permanent identity card to the ImmD, if he meets the requirement of “having ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years” under the law and other relevant requirements. The ImmD will process the applications in accordance with the law.
(1) and (3) Any person who remains in Hong Kong legally, voluntarily and for a settled purpose (such as for education, employment or residence, etc), whether of short or long duration, is considered as being ordinarily resident in Hong Kong. In determining whether an applicant has ceased to have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong or is only temporarily absent from Hong Kong, the ImmD will take into consideration the circumstances of the person and the absence in accordance with section 2(6) of the Immigration Ordinance, including: Nonetheless, if the person concerned does not meet the requirements for becoming a Hong Kong permanent resident as stipulated in Article 24 of the Basic Law and Schedule 1 to the Immigration Ordinance, the ImmD has no discretion to establish his status as a Hong Kong permanent resident.
According to the the ImmD’s record, the statistics of applications for verification of eligibility for permanent identity card from July 1, 2022 to February 28, 2026 are as follows:
Applications received The ImmD does not maintain a breakdown of other statistics mentioned in the question.
(2) The Government has been implementing various talent admission schemes to proactively trawl for talents with different academic and professional backgrounds to come to Hong Kong to enrich Hong Kong’s talent pool. Persons admitted under the various talent admission schemes who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years may, in accordance with established procedures, apply to the ImmD for verification of eligibility for permanent identity card. Given the different positioning and target groups of the various schemes, the prescribed limits of stay, conditions of stay and requirements for application for extension of limit of stay also vary accordingly. Individuals admitted under employment-based talent admission schemes (such as the General Employment Policy or the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals) are permitted to stay in Hong Kong on employment condition, while those admitted on the basis of their academic qualifications or other credentials (such as under the Top Talent Pass Scheme or the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme) are only subject to the limit of their permitted stay. The Government will dynamically monitor manpower changes in Hong Kong and in light of such actual circumstances as the demand for talents, continue to refine the details of the talent admission schemes, including the eligibility criteria, quotas, limits of stay, and conditions of stay, etc, in order to attract talents to Hong Kong and encourage suitable individuals to remain in Hong Kong for long-term development. Issued at HKT 11:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ12: Operation of Designated Hotline for Carer Support
Nature of call (Note 2)(As at end-January 2026)Note 2: If a call involves multiple inquiries, the Hotline social worker will determine the principal nature of the call based on specific circumstances of the case.
The Hotline service does not maintain breakdown of all callers’ residential areas, categories of carers, or whether they are high-risk families. When answering calls, Hotline social workers will first assess the caller’s real-time situation and immediate needs, evaluate their welfare needs and crisis factors. Social workers will provide the caller with relevant information and recommend suitable support services based on the actual circumstances, and make service referrals as and when necessary upon obtaining the caller’s consent. Caller’s personal data, such as family background or residential address, is collected mainly for the purpose of making service referrals. For cases not involving service referrals, the Hotline does not collect caller’s personal data.
Type of service referred(2) In addition to handling proactive calls from carers, the Hotline also assists in handling cases identified from the pilot scheme on Carer Support Data Platform. Under this pilot scheme, the SWD identifies, through an inter-departmental notification mechanism, cases where carers of high-risk households (including doubleton elderly persons, carers of the elderly, and carers of persons with disabilities) are hospitalised, giving rise to care risks. Hotline social workers will proactively contact the care recipients in these cases and provide emergency support as needed, so as to achieve early intervention. The pilot scheme commenced in July 2025, and as at end-January 2026, the Hotline had assisted with over 3 900 cases identified by the Data Platform, with three cases requiring emergency support.
(4) The SWD will regularly assess the performance and service effectiveness of service providers through its existing service performance monitoring system, and closely communicate with them to keep optimising service content and model. The SWD will announce key statistical data on the operation and service utilisation of the Hotline to the public through various channels as and when appropriate. Issued at HKT 11:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ22: Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong Question:
The Government launched the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong (GDRCS Scheme) in January 2020, and indicated in the 2025 Policy Address the enhancement of elderly care arrangements in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), including expanding continuously the GDRCS Scheme and increasing the numbers of Mainland residential care homes for the elderly and cities covered under the GDRCS Scheme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the Government will conduct a survey to understand the needs and intentions of the elderly persons in Hong Kong regarding cross-boundary elderly care in places outside the Guangdong Province (such as Guangxi and Fujian), so as to enhance cross-boundary elderly care arrangements; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(2) given that according to the government information, services under the GDRCS Scheme has so far covered all nine cities of GBA, whether the Government has plans to discuss with the relevant Mainland authorities the further expansion of the GDRCS Scheme to more Mainland cities; if so, of the details and timetable? President,
The Government implements the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong (GDRCS Scheme) to provide Hong Kong elderly people with more choices of ageing in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). To ensure the service quality of the residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) on the Mainland and safeguard the well-being of the elderly, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) has to carry out enormous work such as inspections, assessments and liaison prior to the Mainland RCHEs’ joining the GDRCS Scheme, so as to ascertain whether the service quality of the RCHEs concerned could meet the relevant requirements. For RCHEs that have joined the GDRCS Scheme, the SWD needs to deploy staff to constantly monitor their service quality, including conducting on-site inspections on the Mainland, reviewing reports and documents submitted by the RCHEs, interviewing participating residents of the Scheme to understand their living conditions, and following up on complaints, etc. Should an RCHE’s services be found to fall short of the requirements, the SWD will handle this seriously. In addition to issuing advisory and/or warning letters to the residential care home, the SWD will require the residential care home to make improvements, and conduct more frequent follow-up visits to the RCHE where necessary.
Currently, 26 RCHEs in Guangdong have joined the GDRCS Scheme, covering all nine Mainland cities of the GBA. Given the vast expanse of our country, if the Scheme is expanded to other provinces and municipalities not only would the SWD have to commit much greater amount of manpower, administrative and financial resources to inspection and assessment work, but also face significant challenges in effective and sustained supervision.
Taking into account the key considerations of elderly people’s retirement in the residential care homes on the Mainland, constraints of the SWD’s limited resources as well as challenges in effective supervision, the Government focuses on implementing the Scheme in the Mainland cities within the GBA at this stage and has no plans to expand the subsidised residential care services to other provinces and municipalities.
The Government all along maintains contact with various stakeholders regarding cross-boundary elderly welfare measures, and have exchanges with the relevant government departments of different Mainland provinces and municipalities from time to time. Issued at HKT 11:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ21: Promoting cross-boundary carbon trading and settlement Question:
In December 2025, the Central Economic Work Conference included “following the dual-carbon goals and driving a comprehensive green transition” in the eight key tasks to be pursued for the economic work in 2026. The carbon market is an important tool that utilises market mechanisms to address climate change and promote green and low-carbon development, and the international carbon trading platform Core Climate launched by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) in 2022 (Core Climate) is the world’s only carbon marketplace offering settlement in both Hong Kong dollars and Renminbi for international voluntary carbon credits at present. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it knows the respective annual numbers of transactions, transaction volume and transaction value of the Core Climate platform since its establishment;
(2) whether the Government will discuss with HKEX the introduction of blockchain technology to the listing and trading processes of carbon credits on the Core Climate platform, so as to leverage blockchain technology’s characteristics of immutability, traceability, transparency and security to avoid double counting and reduce transaction costs;
(3) in addition to introducing international carbon credits to the Core Climate platform, whether the Government will support HKEX in developing local “carbon avoidance” (e.g. energy efficiency enhancement and the use of alternative clean energy) and “carbon removal” (e.g. direct air carbon capture) projects to generate more local carbon credits and enrich buyers’ choices; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether the Government will motivate HKEX to establish mutual access and assurance standard alignment mechanisms between the Core Climate platform and the “National Voluntary Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Trading Market” to enhance the liquidity of the Core Climate platform, promote cross-boundary carbon trading and settlement, and facilitate the internationalisation of the Mainland carbon market; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) given that HKEX signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Guangzhou Emissions Exchange, Shenzhen Green Exchange and Macao International Carbon Emission Exchange in September 2025, whether the Government will, under this co-operation framework, expeditiously explore with HKEX the joint establishment of a unified carbon trading platform in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), and formulate comprehensive and unified assurance standards and pricing, trading and assurance rules to enhance the overall liquidity and influence of the GBA carbon market; if so, of the progress; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The National 15th Five-Year Plan outlines the acceleration of comprehensive green transformation and the orderly advancement of innovation in carbon finance products and derivatives. The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) launched an international carbon marketplace Core Climate in October 2022, offering dual-currency settlement services in Hong Kong dollars and Renminbi for the trading of international voluntary carbon credits. It aims to establish Hong Kong as an international carbon market to connect opportunities across the Mainland, Asia, and the rest of the world, with a view to enhancing green development momentum and assisting in promoting global net-zero transition.
In consultation with the HKEX and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), my reply to the five parts of the question is as follows:
(1) As of March 2026, Core Climate’s cumulative carbon credit transaction volume has exceeded 1 million tonnes, with over 130 registered participants. Since the carbon projects and carbon credits traded and settled through Core Climate are diverse in nature and have a very wide price range, with sensitive commercial information involved, relevant nominal volumes or information of the transactions cannot be disclosed. However, it can be noted that Core Climate participants include large corporations. For example, Cathay Pacific settled 50 000 tonnes of voluntary carbon credits through Core Climate in December 2024, demonstrating Core Climate’s ability in assisting companies to achieve their sustainability goals.
(2) Actively exploring the application of financial technology is a crucial part of promoting the innovative development of carbon credit products. To this end, in 2025, the HKMA and the HKEX successfully completed the testing of a tokenised carbon credit transaction use case under Project Ensemble, with a view to leveraging emerging technologies such as blockchain to facilitate cross-boundary transactions and improve the transparency and efficiency of carbon credit traceability. The HKMA and the HKEX will publish a report on the testing results in due course, summarising the findings and hoping to provide valuable experience and solid foundation for future financial innovation products for promoting low-carbon economy.
(3) Since its launch in 2022, Core Climate has continuously expanded its product range. By the end of 2025, the number of carbon reduction projects on the platform had increased to over 60, including forestry, solar, wind, and biomass projects in Asia, South America, and Africa. In addition to Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) from Verra, the HKEX incorporated Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (GS-VER) into Core Climate in August 2024, further diversifying the scope of tradable climate projects. The HKEX will continue to actively expand relevant products and services to support decarbonisation locally, regionally, and internationally.
(4) and (5) Our country is striving to build a more effective, dynamic, and internationally influential national carbon market to promote green and low-carbon transformation and help achieve the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. To this end, the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government is actively working with relevant Mainland regulatory authorities and institutions to explore assisting our country’s participation in the international carbon market, including the formulation of voluntary carbon credit standards and methods, as well as the registration, trading, and settlement of carbon emission reductions. Leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages of enjoying our nation’s strong support and being closely connected to the world, the Government aims to serve our country’s dual-carbon strategy and help build a carbon market which is well integrated with the international market.
Besides, the HKEX signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in September 2025 with the Guangzhou Emissions Exchange, Shenzhen Green Exchange and Macao International Carbon Emission Exchange to work together in promoting the development of the carbon markets and green finance ecosystem across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Under the MOU, the four exchanges will explore new co-operation opportunities in carbon market and green finance, and facilitate experience exchange and knowledge sharing in order to enhance the professional capabilities of relevant institutions and personnel in carbon market operations and green finance, and promote in-depth development of the regional carbon market. Currently, the HKEX is working closely with carbon exchanges in the GBA to actively explore the testing of cross-boundary carbon trade settlement, with a view to completing the pilot and summarising experience within 2026 to provide reference for our country’s future cross-boundary carbon trading. Issued at HKT 12:35
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Lee Kwong-yu and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, in the Legislative Council today (March 18):
Question:
In the 2026-2027 Budget, the Government announced that it would launch the $10 billion Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund within this year, and at the same time put forward the goal of “AI training for all”. There are views that in addition to hardware upgrades and software development, enterprise change management (i.e. cultivating the mindset and skills among in-service employees to accept, learn and apply the relevant emerging technologies) is also key to driving the successful digital transformation of employees, but many small and medium enterprises have limited resources and budgets, making it difficult to promote technological training for employees. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it currently provides any relevant funding schemes targeted at the “technological transformation” of general employees to support them in undergoing digital upskilling training during the period of technological transformation; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will formulate such schemes in the future; and
(2) whether it will consider including an express clause in the funding schemes related to technological transformation that requires enterprises applying for funding to set aside a certain proportion of funding specifically for upgrading the skills of in-service employees, so as to ensure that training resources can seamlessly meet the needs of actual posts; if so, whether the Government will consider developing monitoring standards (such as the number of employees receiving training and the hours of relevant training courses completed by such employees) in the future to monitor the compliance of the relevant enterprises with the clause; if not, whether the Government has formulated other measures to ensure that when using public funds to take forward technological transformation, enterprises can utilise the relevant funding to provide training and support to employees?
Reply:
President,
The National 15th Five-Year Plan emphasises promoting the full integration between technological innovation and industrial innovation, developing new quality productive forces, and building a modern industrial system. Innovation and technology (I&T) is the key engine for accelerating high-quality economic development in the future of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong is formulating strategies that suit the local conditions and its own development needs. While supporting the development of industries with strategic significance and in which we enjoy clear advantages, the Government has been assisting local enterprises in their technological transformation through various funding schemes and initiatives, as well as supporting employees in undergoing digital and other I&T upskilling training, thereby generating new quality productive forces to contribute to Hong Kong’s economy.
Having consulted the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), my consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Lee Kwong-yu is as follows:
The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau has launched a series of supportive programs through its relevant organisations and platforms to assist local enterprises in leveraging technology to upgrade and transform. With regard to funding schemes, the “Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme” assists small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in adopting off-the-shelf digital solutions to accelerate their digital transformation through providing subsidies on a matching basis. The Government will enhance the Programme by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity solutions to further encourage SMEs (including their employees) to adopt the latest technologies and enhance their competitiveness. The Government is currently examining ways to enhance the Programme, with a view to launching it in the second half of this year following consultation with the Legislative Council.
For the New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme and New Industrialisation Funding Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund, the two schemes will support manufacturers in setting up new smart production lines, and also provide funding to such enterprises for training their employees on operating the relevant smart production lines. The New Industrialisation and Technology Training Programme subsidises local enterprises on a 1 (Government): 1 (enterprise) matching basis to train their staff in advanced technologies, especially those related to new industrialisation.
Regarding the aforementioned schemes, the focus of transformation and employee training arrangements of different enterprises may vary depending on factors such as industry, scale, and actual operational circumstances, and could not be generalised. Currently, the Government has no plan to include an express clause requiring applicants to set aside a certain proportion of funding specifically for the training of in-service employees. All approved funding must be used appropriately in accordance with the relevant program guidelines and approval conditions.
Besides, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) assists enterprises in developing and implementing technical solutions across various technology fields based on their pain points and needs, thereby supporting their digital transformation. On supporting technological transformation for employees, the HKPC is committed to providing various upskilling training courses to employees of enterprises undergoing digital transformation, equipping them with knowledge in different technology areas. The courses focus on “FutureSkills”, covering AI, cybersecurity, robotics, drones and various soft skills. The HKPC also introduced a free one-stop digital transformation solutions platform “Digital DIY Portal” and the “InnoPreneur Network” platform, bringing together digital transformation solutions, digital and innovation information and successful cases of digital transformation in industries, in order to assist local SMEs in embarking on digital transformation. Moreover, through the adoption of big data consultancy, service robots, Internet of Things, smart operation and system integration, etc, the HKPC assists SMEs in streamlining work processes, minimising labour-intensive processes and enhancing operational efficiency; it also organises online forums to help enterprises adapt to new modes of business operation through digital technologies and online business, and explore new clientele despite geographic constraints.
Meanwhile, the LWB stated that, Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above are eligible to claim for subsidy under the Continuing Education Fund (CEF) up to a ceiling of $25,000 upon successful completion of a CEF reimbursable course (CEF course). At present, CEF courses cover different subjects, including I&T. As at end-January 2026, over 420 CEF courses are related to such I&T areas as AI, big data analytics and smart cities, assisting learners in acquiring relevant emerging skills. The Government will continue to encourage course providers to design and offer new courses and apply for registration under the CEF to meet market development and needs.
In addition, employees can receive training related to I&T through various channels. For example, the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) also provides training courses across different areas, including I&T, to assist the local workforce to continuously enhance their skills and competitiveness. Eligible persons can apply for course fee waiver or reduction. The ERB will continue to strengthen relevant services after being upgraded as Upskill Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Professor the Hon Alex Fan and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (March 18):
Question:
The 2025 Policy Address has explicitly stated that the Government will intensify its efforts to promote the international recognition of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE) and propel Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education. It has been reported that the Government is exploring with the Mainland the development of an international version of the DSE curriculum. However, there are views that although DSE’s international accreditation network has expanded to over a thousand higher education institutions worldwide, its internationalisation process remains at the stage of passively admitting non-local candidates, and there is yet an active global branding strategy and a blueprint for the systematic export of the system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) what specific strategies are in place to promote the internationalisation of DSE in the long run, including the design framework and assessment standards for the international version of the DSE curriculum, as well as the division of roles between the Government and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) in curriculum development and quality monitoring; whether the authorities will formulate a Blueprint for the Internationalisation of DSE covering areas such as target markets, development stages and performance indicators; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Government announced today (March 18) that the Wealth for Good in Hong Kong (WGHK) Summit will return next Tuesday (March 24). Under the theme “Building Lasting Legacies”, this year’s summit in its fourth edition highlights the wave brought by continuous growth of family office assets and generational wealth transition in recent years. In addition to serving as an exchange platform for overseas, Mainland and local family office decision-makers and successors, the WGHK Summit is also an occasion for them to experience firsthand how Hong Kong leverages its solid financial foundation to facilitate wealth succession and value appreciation.
Co-organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), the WGHK Summit will once again convene influential family office decision-makers and successors from around the world in Hong Kong. Participants from Asia, Europe, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa will join attendees from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong in insightful sharing. This year’s summit is going to showcase Hong Kong’s profound strengths and development potential through three core themes: “Strategic Asset Management for Family Legacy”, “Cultural Value Foundation for a Thriving Market”, and “Smart Tech Innovation Driving Capital Appreciation”. A number of heavyweight speakers will inspire the participants with their visionary thinking on the future of the family office ecosystem.
Nowadays, quite a number of family offices are deepening their philanthropic endeavours. Taking advantage of Hong Kong’s diverse and vibrant philanthropic ecosystem, a special fireside chat on “Sports and Philanthropy” is set for the summit to explore how sports and philanthropy can work together to create positive value for society.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, “The global landscape is evolving fast these days with geopolitics getting more complex. There has never been a better time for hosting the WGHK Summit than now to give family offices looking for diversified allocation and risk dispersion an occasion to connect with each other and explore opportunities. Hong Kong offers a highly favourable development environment with numerous potential and predictability for family offices, underpinned by our diversified international financial markets coupled with resilience, robust and transparent legal and tax systems, world‑class financial and professional services, and well‑developed ecosystems for philanthropy, arts, and innovation. The WGHK Summit is a flagship event hosted by our Government to showcase to the global wealth owners the unique advantages of this city. We will continue to consolidate Hong Kong’s leading position as a family wealth hub in the Asia-Pacific region, and adopt a multipronged approach to keep fostering the development of the family office sector through measures in areas such as tax concessions, talent attraction, investment facilitation and building of an ecosystem. All these will make Hong Kong even more attractive in all aspects to global family capital, positioning this city as the most preferred platform for ultra-high-net-worth families worldwide to manage their cross-border wealth.”
The Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, noted, “According to the latest market study, the number of single-family offices in Hong Kong surpassed 3 380 by the end of 2025, reflecting a growth of over 25 per cent in two years – a testament to Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a global family office hub. The WGHK Summit serves as a pivotal platform for Hong Kong to deepen connections with the global family office community and foster cross-border collaboration. Against the backdrop of increasing trend of reallocation of global capital toward Asia, alongside rising trade protectionism and geopolitical uncertainty, Hong Kong will continue to leverage its unique advantage of enjoying strong support from the motherland and being closely connected to the world. We will provide global families with a predictable, one-stop environment for establishing a presence and operating in Hong Kong, helping them capture growth opportunities on the Chinese Mainland and in Asia, and steadily advancing long-term investment and multi-generational succession through diversified asset allocation and professional risk management.”
The WGHK Summit will feature a distinguished line-up of guest speakers:
• Dr Han Bicheng – Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), BrainCo
• Mr Maximilian Kaufmann – Representative of Major Shareholder of Leica Camera AG
• Mr William Heinecke – Founder and Chairman, Minor International PCL
• Mr François Pictet – Managing Partner, Pictet Group
• Mr Yao Ming – Founder of Yao Foundation; Former Chairman of Chinese Basketball Association; NBA All-Star
• Mr Qiu Heng – Chief Marketing Officer, AgiBot
• Ms Irene Lee – Chairman, Hysan Development Company Limited
• Dr Ren Feng – Co-CEO and Chief Scientific Officer, Insilico Medicine
• Mr Wesley Ng – CEO and Co-founder, CASETiFY
• Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges – CEO, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and
• Mr Michael Wilding – Group Chief Operating Officer, ZURU Group
Beyond the WGHK Summit, the Milken Institute and Bloomberg LP (Bloomberg) will also host the Global Investors’ Symposium (March 23) and the Family Office Forum (March 25) respectively in the same week, focusing on wealth management and global investment trends. The synergy generated by these three major forums will showcase Hong Kong’s unique charm in the family office landscape to the fullest to international capital, allowing participants to interact, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities together in Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ16: Cultivating local young legal talent Question:
There are views pointing out that the international law organisation secondment programmes and Belt and Road Visit for young international legal talent, launched jointly by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Department of Justice, can provide a platform and build a ladder for local young legal talent to go global and broaden their international horizons. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of young legal talent from Hong Kong who have been seconded to international organisations (including the Hague Conference on Private International Law, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) through the secondment programmes to date;
(2) given that the Government has previously indicated that with the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) establishing its headquarters in Hong Kong, this year’s secondment programmes will be extended to IOMed, whether the Government has formulated a specific roadmap and timetable in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether the Government will consider establishing a permanent mechanism whereby young legal professionals who have participated in the secondment programmes and Belt and Road Visit will regularly visit local legal service and legal education organisations upon their return to Hong Kong to share their experiences, thereby stimulating the interest of more young legal professionals in overseas secondment programmes and studying overseas law; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In response to the enquiry raised by the Hon Wu Ying-peng, the reply is as follows:
(1) The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has, with the support of the Central Government, made standing secondment arrangements with relevant international organisations. By participating in the work of these international organisations, local legal professionals (including young legal talent) could deepen their understanding of the operation of international organisations and international law. Since the establishment of the relevant arrangements, as of March 2026, a total of 27 local legal professionals from both the public and private sectors have participated in the secondment programmes to the Hague Conference on Private International Law, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
(2) The 2026 recruitment exercise for the secondment programmes has commenced in January, with the addition of the secondment programme to the Secretariat of the International Organization for Mediation in Hong Kong. With the support of the Central Government, the Government of the HKSAR will continue to carry forward the secondment programmes steadily, taking into account the prevailing circumstances, in accordance with established procedures and the arrangements reached with the respective international organisations. The Department of Justice (DoJ) will also annually promote the secondment programmes to the legal sector, including putting the latest relevant information on its website for those interested in applying.
(3) The Belt and Road Visit for Hong Kong Young International Legal Talents is co-organised by the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR (OCMFA) and the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy of the DoJ. The First Edition of the Visit held last year brought together 16 young international legal talent from the law faculties of three local universities, legal professional bodies and institutions, and the DoJ, during which they visited Beijing and Kashgar in Xinjiang. The Second Edition of the Visit will take place in July this year. The tentative itinerary includes a visit to Yunnan Province in China, followed by a visit to Laos. Participants will engage in exchanges with relevant government departments, legal institutions and organisations, enterprises, and chambers of commerce, and will gain first-hand understanding of the Belt and Road landmark co-operation projects such as the China-Laos Railway.
The DoJ will, based on the existing framework, explore with the OCMFA to regularise the relevant arrangements and arrange young legal talent who have participated in the Belt and Road Visit to share their experiences in local legal services institutions and legal education institutions on a regular basis after returning to Hong Kong. Subject to the available resources and operational feasibility, priority will be given to use the existing platforms and activity frameworks to strengthen the outreach and publicity, for example, by organising exchange activities such as sharing sessions and briefing sessions to motivate young legal professionals to take part in the Belt and Road Visit, deepen their understanding of the country’s overall development, broaden their international perspectives, so that they can better appreciate the significance of the Belt and Road Initiative for China and the countries along the Belt and Road. As mentioned above, the DoJ will also annually promote the secondment programmes to the legal sector to encourage more qualified legal professionals to apply. Issued at HKT 11:59
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming, led a Hong Kong delegation, as part of the national delegation, to attend the Global Fraud Summit 2026 held in Vienna, Austria, on March 16 and 17 (Vienna time). The Hong Kong delegation shared Hong Kong’s experiences, innovative measures, and achievements in cross-sector collaboration in combating fraud, and discussed with law enforcement agencies from other countries/regions to explore ways to strengthen co-operation in cross-border fraud investigations, and to promote the establishment of a closer global anti-fraud network.
Co-organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL, the summit brought together representatives from law enforcement agencies, international organisations, the private sector and academia from around the world to engage in in-depth discussions on combating cross-border fraud, international co-operation, and the use of technology to counter fraud, with a view to building consensus and collectively addressing the increasingly complex global fraud threats. The national delegation was led by the Deputy Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Public Security, Mr Zhu Lei. Members of the delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Public Security, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), and the Macao Judiciary Police.
Mr Chow was invited as a guest speaker of a forum on public-private collaboration alongside representatives from the UNODC, European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, and a cryptocurrency analytics firm. At the forum, Mr Chow gave a detailed overview of the various collaborative initiatives established by the HKPF in recent years to combat fraud, including the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC), the Anti-Deception Alliance, “Scameter”, etc. He also cited related enforcement accomplishments and statistics to demonstrate the Police’s effectiveness in preventing and tackling scams, and intercepting crime proceeds. The other speakers at the forum noted that the HKPF’s measures on this front are valuable to share and promote internationally. The speakers unanimously agreed that co-operation across all sectors of society is essential to effectively curb fraudulent activities.
At another panel discussion of the summit, Chief Superintendent of Police Commercial Crime Bureau, Mr Wong Chun-yue, shared Hong Kong’s successful experience in establishing the ADCC, outlining the challenges and opportunities encountered from its inception to its expansion. He also discussed with other panelists on how anti-deception centres worldwide can adapt to evolving fraud tactics by continuously developing and gradually expanding their functions, such as enhancing data analysis and cross-sector collaboration. He noted that through sharing the HKPF’s forward‑looking strategies, could assist other countries/regions in carrying out more efficient anti‑fraud work.
At the summit, the national delegation showcased the country’s significant achievements in combating and curbing telecom and online fraud in recent years, including the successful dismantling of the four major organised telecom fraud syndicates through collaboration with Southeast Asian partners. As part of the national delegation, the HKPF fully supported the nation’s anti-fraud efforts and actively promoted the relevant achievements, thereby contributing to consolidating the country’s leadership in international law enforcement efforts.
Mr Chow stated that the summit brought together senior officials of law enforcement officials across the globe, providing the HKPF with an international platform to exchange experiences with partners, whilst supporting the nation’s effort to establish a global anti‑fraud alliance. The HKPF will continue to promote innovative measures and align with national strategies to work alongside the international community to tackle challenges posed by cross‑border fraud, and spare no effort in protecting the public’s property, and safeguarding Hong Kong’s social stability and financial order.
Mr Chow will conclude his visit and depart for Hong Kong on March 18 (Vienna time).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ11: Attracting companies located outside Hong Kong to establish operations in Hong Kong Question:
According to the 2025 Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong announced by the Government in January this year, the total number of companies in Hong Kong with parent companies located outside Hong Kong (the Companies) reached 11 070 in 2025, representing an annual increase of 11 per cent, while the number of people employed reached 509 000, recording an annual increase of 3 per cent. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as the numbers of the Companies are concentrated in the three traditional pillar industries of the import/export trade, wholesale and retail sector, the financial and banking sector, and the professional, business and education service sector (accounting for approximately 83.5 per cent of the total), how will the Government encourage more companies located outside Hong Kong engaged in emerging industries (such as the innovation and technology industries) to establish operations in Hong Kong, thereby optimising Hong Kong’s current industrial structure;
(2) among the Companies, those from the Chinese Mainland account for the largest proportion, followed by companies from the United States and Japan (together accounting for approximately 55.9 per cent of the total), how will the Government attract and encourage more companies located outside Hong Kong from emerging markets (particularly the Middle East and Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries) to establish operations in Hong Kong;
(3) as the number of people employed by the Companies has only increased by 3 per cent year on year, how will the Government encourage these companies to hire more local staff; and
(4) according to the World Investment Report 2025 published by the United Nations Trade and Development, Hong Kong rose to third globally in terms of foreign direct investment in 2024, of the specific measures to be implemented by the Government in the coming year to maintain Hong Kong’s competitive edge?
Reply:
President,
The current-term Government is committed to attracting investment and attracting companies outside Hong Kong to establish a presence in Hong Kong. According to the latest “Report on Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong” conducted by Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and the Census and Statistics Department, there were a record high of 11 070 Hong Kong-based companies from the Chinese Mainland and overseas in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 11 per cent. The number of people employed reached 509 000, representing a year-on-year increase of 3 per cent. The results of the surveys fully display international business community’s confidence in the business environment of Hong Kong.
In response to the Hon Jonathan Stuart Lamport’s question, my reply is as follows:
(1) As an investment promotion agency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, InvestHK has been proactively attracting and assisting overseas and Chinese Mainland enterprises to set up or expand their businesses in Hong Kong. In 2025, InvestHK assisted 560 overseas and Chinese Mainland enterprises in setting up or expanding their businesses in Hong Kong, setting a new record high and representing a year-on-year increase of over 4 per cent. The top five sectors of these enterprises are financial services and fintech (117 companies), innovation and technology (115 companies), family offices (80 companies), tourism and hospitality (65 companies), and consumer products (54 companies). It is expected that these enterprises will create more than 10 700 jobs and bring in direct investment of around $69.4 billion in total within the first year of their establishment or expansion. This demonstrates that, in addition to traditional sectors, InvestHK has successfully attracted many enterprises from emerging sectors such as fintech, innovation and technology, and family offices to Hong Kong in recent years.
(2) InvestHK has been leveraging its global investment network, including 17 Dedicated Teams for Attracting Businesses And Talents (Dedicated Teams) in the Mainland Offices and overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs), as well as 17 overseas consultant offices, to proactively explore different emerging markets for attracting businesses and investments. Specifically, to expand the markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Middle East, InvestHK has established Dedicated Teams under four ETOs in Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai respectively. A Dedicated Team under the Kuala Lumpur ETO newly established last December is also expected to be set up in the first half of this year to further deepen co-operation in the ASEAN region. In addition, InvestHK set up consultant offices in Cairo, capital of Egypt and Izmir, Türkiye’s third-largest city in 2024-25, with a view to attracting capital and enterprises from high-potential emerging countries in the Middle East and North Africa. These are the third and fourth consultant offices set up by the current-term Government since taking office, following those in Nairobi, Kenya, and Almaty, Kazakhstan. Other consultant offices in emerging markets include Istanbul, Türkiye; Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; and Mumbai, India. Through the aforesaid global investment network, InvestHK visits various emerging markets (such as ASEAN, Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, South Asia and South America) to meet with different enterprises and investment institutions, and to organise and sponsor a series of investment promotional activities to attract local businesses to Hong Kong.
(3) In addition to proactively attracting new enterprises to Hong Kong, InvestHK also places great importance on providing aftercare support services to enterprises assisted by the department and other non-local enterprises (such as assisting in their expansion of new business types, upgrading their Hong Kong offices to function as regional headquarters, setting up physical offices or stores, listing or establishing corporate treasury centres, expanding their overseas business bases, etc.). InvestHK also assists the enterprises to explore and evaluate new growth areas and opportunities ahead and supports them to expand their operations in Hong Kong, thereby creating more local job opportunities.
(4) According to the World Investment Report 2025 published by the United Nations Trade and Development, Hong Kong rose to third place globally in terms of foreign direct investment inflows in 2024, confirming Hong Kong’s status as a world-renowned international business and investment hub. The 2025 Policy Address announced several policy initiatives to further strengthen the investment promotion work, including strengthening the support for Chinese Mainland enterprises to go global through Hong Kong. The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau has set up a cross-bureau, cross-departmental and cross-agency Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global (GoGlobal Task Force) by mobilising Hong Kong offices abroad, including those under InvestHK and the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council as well as the Hong Kong offices on the Chinese Mainland. It also coordinates various bureaux, departments and agencies to proactively encourage Chinese Mainland enterprises to go global via Hong Kong and provide them with customised and comprehensive support services based on their needs. The GoGlobal Task Force will focus on attracting key or strategically valuable Chinese Mainland enterprises to set up businesses in Hong Kong. We will also follow the strategies outlined in Part (2) above to attract and encourage more overseas companies from emerging markets to expand their businesses to Hong Kong and explore the vast Chinese Mainland market, fully leveraging our role as a two-way platform between China and the world.
In addition, the Financial Secretary leads the relevant policy bureaux, departments, and public organisations in formulating packages of preferential policies including land grants, land premiums, financial subsidies, and tax incentives. InvestHK provides support for the relevant policies and will proactively use the preferential policy packages to attract high value-added industries and high-potential enterprises to set up in Hong Kong, thereby promoting high-quality development and bringing economic contributions and employment opportunities to Hong Kong.
Looking ahead, we will step up our efforts to attract direct investment from emerging markets and support Chinese Mainland enterprises to go global via Hong Kong, while consolidating our investment promotion efforts in traditional markets, thereby attracting more non-local companies to set up in Hong Kong. Issued at HKT 12:05