Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Pui-leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):

Question:

     It is prohibited under the existing legislation to sell and supply intoxicating liquor to persons under the age of 18 (minors) in the course of business. There are views pointing out that, given the growing popularity of online shopping, minors can easily circumvent the law to purchase liquor by sending private messages to sellers and arranging delivery through courier services. This may give rise to regulatory loopholes since some individual sellers operate online liquor trading businesses without business registration and age verification with buyers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the Inland Revenue Department has issued advisory letters to and instituted prosecutions against persons operating online liquor trading businesses without business registration in accordance with the requirements under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) over the past five years; if so, of the numbers concerned and the effectiveness thereof;

(2) given that in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 25 this year, the Government indicated that, over the past five years, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health had carried out over 2 600 online inspections targeting online shopping platforms and issued more than 600 advisory letters to these platforms pursuant to Part 5 of the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap. 109B), whether it involved repeated non-compliances among these cases; if so, of the numbers and percentages concerned; of the Government’s follow-up measures against online shopping platforms or holders of social media accounts not responding to advice repeatedly;

(3) given that it does not require a liquor licence for selling liquor online at present, whether TACO has established mechanisms to proactively monitor online trading platforms and online stores and investigate if reasonable steps have been taken for age verification with buyers when selling liquor; whether studies have been conducted on the use of big data or artificial intelligence systems to proactively monitor non-compliances involving liquor advertisements or suspicious transactions on social media and online platforms, with a view to stepping up efforts in combating illegal sale of liquor to minors; if so, of the effectiveness of these efforts; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) quite a number of countries have formulated strict regulations on online sale of liquor as an effort to protect youth health and regulate the supply of alcohol, for instance, Singapore mandates that individuals and commercial enterprises, including e-commerce platforms, are required to obtain a licence before supplying alcoholic beverages online or through telecommunications services and that these platforms should take the initiative to remove non-compliant products and be jointly and severally liable for non-compliances, whether the Government will make reference to the experience of other places and formulate relevant regulations; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     According to the World Health Organization (WHO), harmful use of alcohol is a significant risk factor for more than 200 diseases, injuries and other health conditions. Harmful use of alcohol is associated with the risk of developing a range of health problems such as mental and behavioural disorders (including alcohol dependence), and major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (e.g. liver cirrhosis and certain cancers). In addition to health effects, harmful use of alcohol can place a heavy burden on individuals, families and the society. The WHO recommends that governments of various places should strengthen their responses to reduce alcohol-related harm for prevention and control of NCDs. Reducing alcohol-related harm is an important priority action area in the prevention and control of NCDs locally. In 2018, the Government promulgated the Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong (SAP). To this end, the Government adopts a multi-pronged approach, comprising publicity and education, law enforcement, and promotion of alcohol screening, and more. The Department of Health (DH) has been enforcing the Dutiable Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 (the Amendment Ordinance) since 2018 to further prevent youth access to alcohol. In response to the Hon Chan Pui-leung’s question, the reply after consultation with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the DH is as follows:

(1) Any person who carries on a business in Hong Kong, regardless of whether through a brick-and-mortar presence or the internet, is required to apply for business registration under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310). If the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is aware that any person carrying on a business in Hong Kong has not applied for business registration, it would advise the relevant person to apply for business registration as soon as possible, and would consider initiating prosecution against the relevant person where necessary.

     As the IRD does not maintain statistics on cases involving issuance of advice, the relevant figures are not available. According to the IRD’s experience, most of those who received advice would apply for business registration promptly. In the past five years, the IRD did not institute prosecution in respect of businesses selling alcoholic products online without business registration.

(2) to (4) Through the Amendment Ordinance, the Government adds a new Part 5 and a Schedule to the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap. 109B) (the Regulations). The Regulations aims to prevent minors from accessing and obtaining alcoholic beverages in order to protect the health of young people and have been in force since 2018. The Regulations prohibit any persons from selling or supplying intoxicating liquor to a minor in the course of business (including face-to-face and remote distribution). For remote distribution, the seller must display or broadcast the prescribed notice stating that, under the law of Hong Kong, intoxicating liquor must not be sold or supplied to minors in the course of business. The seller must also obtain an age declaration from the buyer confirming that he/she is 18 years of age or above prior to the sale or supply, and there must be no circumstances that would give the seller reasonable grounds to suspect that the declaration is false.

     Having drawn reference from the experience of other jurisdictions and striking a balance between protecting public health and the degree of regulation, the Regulations adopt a strategy that focuses on the regulation of the transaction, including making it an offence to complete each remote transaction without first receiving an age declaration. Compared with a licensing regime imposed on sellers, this approach enable the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the DH to directly investigate and take enforcement action against suspected illegal selling of liquor to minors, regardless of whether the seller holds a licence. This approach also covers covert sales.

     The TACO has established a mechanism to continuously and proactively engage with the trade, including online platforms, to provide guidelines which are respectively applicable to the sellers, the delivery staff employed by the sellers, and more. The guidelines sets out the reasonable steps when delivering the liquor, so as to assist the trade in understanding and complying with the relevant requirements. For example, where delivery services are required to complete the remote distribution order after the sale of liquor, the delivery staff who is employed by the company selling the alcoholic beverages have a legal obligation to verify that the recipient is 18 years of age or above before handing over the liquor.

     Between 2021 and 2025, the TACO conducted more than 2 600 online inspections and issued more than 600 advisory letters in response to cases where websites were found not to have properly implemented the requirements regarding the prescribed notice or age declaration. All relevant websites co-operated and took follow-up action after receiving the advisory letters, with no cases involving repeated disregard of the advice.

     The Government is also committed to leveraging technology to enhance enforcement efficiency at various levels. The TACO is exploring the use of big data or artificial intelligence technology to assist in online inspection work and will introduce appropriate tools in a timely manner in light of the development of relevant technologies.

     In addition, the TACO places great importance on public education to more effectively regulate the unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages to minors under the Regulations. The DH has launched the “Young and Alcohol Free” campaign since 2016, with the development of health education resources, Announcements in the Public Interest, and collaboration with groups and non-governmental organisations serving youth, to disseminate relevant messages. The latest round of the promotional campaign was launched in 2025 and was promoted through social media, residential building lobby TV display network, public transport, venues under the DH and other Government departments.

     Regular surveys conducted by the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau collect information on alcohol drinking, smoking and drug use among young people. According to the Survey of Drug Use among Students, since the Amendment Ordinance took effect, the prevalence of ever drinking, 12-month drinking and 30-day drinking among youth shows a downward trend, meeting the relevant target as stated in the SAP, which aims to achieve a relative reduction of at least 10 per cent in the prevalence of drinking among youth from the 2011/12 level by 2025. The relevant figures are tabulated below: 
 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 27) said that the next online auction of vehicle registration marks (VRMs) will be held from noon on June 11 (Thursday) to noon on June 15 (Monday) through the auction platform E-Auction (e-auction.td.gov.hk). Interested bidders can participate in the online auction only after they have successfully registered as E-Auction users.
 
     A spokesman for the TD said, “A total of 220 Ordinary VRMs will be available at this online public auction. The list of VRMs (see Annex) has been uploaded to the E-Auction website. Applicants who have paid a $1,000 deposit to reserve an Ordinary VRM for auction should also register as an E-Auction user in advance in order to participate in the online bidding, including placing the first bid at the opening price of $1,000. Otherwise, the VRMs reserved by them may be bid on by other interested bidders at or above the opening price. Auctions for VRMs with ‘HK’ or ‘XX’ as a prefix, special VRMs and personalised VRMs will continue to be carried out through physical auctions by bidding paddles and their announcement arrangements remain unchanged.”
 
     Members of the public participating in the online bidding should take note of the following important points:
 
(1) Bidders should register in advance as an E-Auction user by “iAM Smart+” equipped with the digital signing function; or by using a valid digital certificate and an email address upon completion of identity verification. Registered “iAM Smart” users should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, while non-Hong Kong residents who are not “iAM Smart” users should provide the number of their passport or other identification documents when registering as E-Auction users.
 
(2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using “iAM Smart+” or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.
 
(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours.
 
(4) Successful bidders must follow the instructions in the notification email issued by the TD to log in to the E-Auction within 48 hours from the issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including:
 

• completing the Purchaser Information for the issuance of the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark (Memorandum of Sale); and
• making the auction payment online by credit card, Faster Payment System (FPS) or Payment by Phone Service (PPS). Cheque or cash payment is not accepted in the E-Auction.

(5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hk) for enquiries. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):

Question:

     The Department of Health has established a Centralised Organ Donation Register (CODR) to facilitate voluntary registration by those wishing to donate organs, so that their wish to donate organs after death can be duly recorded. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the numbers of new registrations, deregistrations and cumulative total registrations on CODR in each of the past three years, with a tabulated breakdown by age group;

(2) according to the statistics from the Hospital Authority, as at March 31, 2026, there were over 3 000 patients awaiting organ transplants, whether the Government will review the effectiveness of its publicity efforts to promote organ donation and establish key performance indicators for this purpose, so as to help formulate corresponding promotional measures to raise public awareness and willingness to donate organs and increase the number of registrations on CODR; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) whether it will consider changing the current “voluntary donation” mechanism for organ donation to an “opt-out” system; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) regarding the arrangements for cross-boundary organ donation and transplants with the Mainland, the Government has earlier on indicated that it needs to gradually accumulate successful cases to promote a cross-boundary organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism, of the expected timeframe for the regularisation of the mechanism; whether it has drawn up a specific work plan and timetable for this purpose; if so, the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon is as follows:

 (1) The numbers of registrations recorded in the Centralised Organ Donation Register (CODR) in the past three years are as follows:
 

Note: During the period of May and June 2023, the spreading of quite a number of malicious remarks intending to mislead the public had led to an unusual surge in the number of withdrawals of registration from the CODR. Subsequently, with the Government’s strengthened publicity efforts, the number of withdrawals of registration has returned to normal.

     Since the age of the applicants is not recorded in the CODR, a tabulated breakdown by age group is not available.

(2) The Health Bureau (HHB), together with the DH and the HA, have been making continuous efforts to collaborate with community partners in promoting organ donation through different channels and on various fronts.

     Since 2023, the DH has stepped up its publicity efforts on organ donation by (1) setting up organ donation promotion booths in different locations of the community and deploying the organ donation promotion vehicle to organise promotion activities, with a view to encouraging public registration in the CODR; (2) using various channels, such as television, radio, newspapers and the internet for publicity; (3) promoting e-engagement of the public through the dedicated social media page “Organ Donation at HK”; (4) educating the public through health talks; (5) producing publicity materials for distribution in various occasions and events; (6) establishing an institution-based network to promote organ donation in partnership with signatories and supporters of the Organ Donation Promotion Charter; and (7) staging large-scale publicity events to support the Organ Donation Day on the second Saturday of November every year.

     In line with the Government’s strategies and initiatives of promoting organ donation, the HA has organised various promotion activities, including (1) setting up a designated webpage, with publicity and education videos as well as e-posters hyperlinked to the CODR, in the HA’s internet and intranet websites; (2) promoting organ donation on the HA’s social media platform and posting promotional content on various media and platforms; (3) setting up promotion booths in various hospitals under the HA; (4) recruiting summer volunteers to participate in organ donation promotion activities; and (5) inviting and arranging for the DH to set up promotion booths in various hospitals under the HA and at large-scale events.

     In the paper for discussion of the Legislative Council Panel on Health Services on the policy initiatives of the HHB in the 2022 Policy Address, the HHB set a key performance indicator (KPI) for organ donation promotion, which was to increase the total number of registrations in the CODR by 15 per cent (i.e. to approximately 410 000) by the end of 2027. This KPI was achieved ahead of schedule in 2025. As at April 30, 2026, the number of registrations in the CODR exceeded 418 000, demonstrating that the Government’s organ donation publicity efforts have been effective. Moving forward, the Government and the HA will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach, strengthening collaboration with various sectors through different channels to jointly promote organ donation.

(3) Hong Kong has been adopting an “opt-in” system for cadaveric organ donations. Members of the public can carry signed Organ Donation Cards as an expression of wish to donate organs after death, but what is more important is that such wish should be made known to the family members. Under the existing mechanism, even if a deceased person has indicated his/her wish to donate organs after death, organ donation co-ordinators would seek the consent of the family members of the deceased. Should there be any objection from the family members of the deceased, the relevant transplant surgery will not be performed.

     Apart from Organ Donation Cards, the DH launched the CODR computer system in 2008 to provide members of the public with an additional convenient means to clearly indicate one’s wish for organ donation so that family members and medical staff are aware of the expressed wish. Whenever the HA encounters cases concerning patients with potential brain death, organ donation co-ordinators of the HA would ascertain if the deceased has expressed a wish for organ donation on the CODR, and would approach his/her family members after declaration of brain death. Organ donation co-ordinators would then explain the details of organ donation to the family members and convey to them the deceased’s wish so as to seek their consent to the donation of the deceased’s organs as soon as possible, thereby saving lives of patients who are in need of organ transplant. Experience shows that most people, upon learning their beloved family member’s wish to donate organs after death, are more willing to respect and honour such wishes. The record on the CODR is merely an expression of wish and does not bear any legal effect or binding force.

     An “opt-out” mechanism is very different from the existing organ donation regime. Organ donation is a selfless and generous act of benevolence. The Government is of the view that organ donation should be promoted through strengthening education and publicity. At this stage, it is not appropriate to consider changing the cadaveric organ donation regime through legislative means. As a matter of fact, regarding such a controversial issue, mandating an “opt-out” system for organ donation through legislative means without sufficient consensus in society may be counterproductive, as it could deter individuals from expressing their willingness to donate. This is a matter that requires careful consideration.

(4) With the strong support and assistance of the Central Government and relevant Mainland authorities, there were two cases of successful cross-boundary organ donation from the Mainland to Hong Kong in December 2022 and February 2025. On the basis of the two successful cases, Hong Kong and the Mainland have currently established standing channels and standardised co-operation procedures for handling emergency cross-boundary organ transplant. When a patient in moribund condition is confirmed to be in need of urgent organ transplantation to extend his/her life and no suitable organ is available in Hong Kong, subject to the fulfilment of relevant clinical criteria as assessed by the medical team and the consent of his/her family members, the Government will seek assistance from the country. The operational procedures for handling emergency cross-boundary organ transplant adopt a second-tier allocation mechanism, which will be activated only when local matching is unsuccessful for a donated cadaveric organ. Each case will be notified to the relevant government departments and an application will be made. The relevant departments will then vet the application and implement the arrangements in accordance with the established mechanism to ensure that the transportation and transplant processes are in compliance with the laws and regulations of both places.

     In addition, the HA has formulated and implemented a set of standardised clinical protocols in terms of technical requirements, criteria and procedures for handling emergency cross-boundary organ transplant cases in a consistent approach. This is to ensure that organ donation is conducted in a legal, fair, equitable and safe manner to benefit patients with the greatest need. The Government will continue to seek assistance from the country for patients in urgent need of organ transplant in accordance with the mechanism, and improve the cross-boundary organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism based on the experience gained from handling more successful cases.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Wu Ying-peng and a reply by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding the development of an AI foundational large model for the legal sector in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) in light of the unique position of “one country, two systems and three jurisdictions” in the GBA, whether the Government will take the lead in studying the development of the aforesaid large model and lead the construction of the Hong Kong component, while formulating clear development objectives, an implementation roadmap and a timetable to align with national development plans; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) in the process of promoting the interoperability of legal databases and the sharing of computing-power resources across the three places, whether the Government will co-operate with relevant departments in Guangdong and Macao to establish a governance mechanism covering data security, critical infrastructure security, and compliance reviews for alignment, so as to safeguard the steady development of cross-boundary legal services and judicial collaboration; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether the Government will expeditiously enhance regulations and ethical guidelines related to legal technology (lawtech), and incorporate content such as AI literacy, data ethics, and lawtech application into the core curriculum of the legal profession, so as to cultivate virtuous and able interdisciplinary talent who possess a perspective of both law and technology; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In response to the questions raised by the Hon Wu Ying-peng, the reply incorporating input from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The Government has been actively promoting the local development of AI, providing necessary support to the industries, thereby fostering an ecosystem centred on foundational large language models and industry applications, hence enabling Hong Kong to seize the opportunities of upgrade and transformation arising from the development of AI. The suggestion in question is to build an AI foundational large model for the legal sectors in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA Model), promoting interconnection of legal databases and sharing of computing resources. This suggestion requires joint research by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, alongside with in-depth consultation with the legal sectors and stakeholders to understand their specific needs. The objectives, feasibility and relevant technical aspects of the GBA Model must be carefully assessed. The Department of Justice (DoJ) will give serious consideration to the relevant suggestion and thoroughly examine the various challenges in developing the GBA Model, including big data training, model application and other relevant aspects.
 
(a) Investment of resources
 
     Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao each have different legal frameworks. Building a reliable and sustainable GBA Model requires large volumes of diverse data and computing infrastructure capable of handling massive data loads, in addition to training technologies that support continuous data updates and content verification. Compliance issues must also be addressed in the process of application. Therefore, the construction, application and maintenance of the GBA Model will involve significant financial resources and the need to overcome multiple complicated technical challenges.
 
(b) Challenges in data governance
 
     At present, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have different laws, regulations and applicable standards regarding cross-boundary data governance and jurisdiction, data flow standards, and rules for localisation of data storage. If the GBA Model is to be applied in cross-boundary legal practice, it will often involve commercial, financial and other sensitive information. Therefore, ensuring data security and proper safeguards for legal professional privilege will be one of the paramount considerations in the development, application and maintenance of the GBA Model.
 
     The Government is committed to promoting the safe and orderly cross-boundary flow of various types of data within the GBA, in compliance with the legal framework for data security and safeguards for personal privacy. In December 2023, the ITIB and the Cyberspace Administration of China jointly announced the facilitation measure, the Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA (Mainland, Hong Kong) to promote and simplify compliance arrangements for the cross-boundary flow of personal information from the Mainland to Hong Kong.
 
     As far as the Hong Kong legal sector is concerned, the DoJ has been actively engaging with the sector and various stakeholders through diverse channels to better understand of the sector’s specific needs and developments in the lawtech market, as well as to study and formulate policy measures relating to lawtech. Currently, the DoJ is actively encouraging the broader use of lawtech in the legal sector, for example, in document generation, workflow management, online dispute resolution and trial support, so as to further enhance the sector’s competitiveness.
 
(3) The Government adopts a positive and proactive approach to address the potential risks and necessary regulatory requirements that may arise from the development and application of AI, striving to strike a balance between promoting development and mitigating risks.
 
     In respect of enhancing regulations and ethical guidelines related to legal technology, to evaluate whether the laws under different policy areas can keep pace with technological advancements, including AI, the DoJ convened a Steering Committee meeting in the first quarter of this year for the establishment of the Inter-Departmental Working Group to Review Legislation to Support Wider Application of AI (Working Group). The Working Group helps policy bureaux and government departments (B/Ds) keep a sharp focus in conducting a critical review of the areas of law under their policy responsibility. The objective of the Working Group is for B/Ds to explore targeted and practical solutions in light of actual circumstances.
 
     The Digital Policy Office has formulated the Ethical AI Framework and launched the Hong Kong Generative AI Technical and Application Guideline to provide guidance for organisations undertaking projects involving the development and application of AI technologies, helping them identify and manage potential risks associated with AI projects, and to establish a governance framework tailored to the local characteristics and Hong Kong’s context.
 
     The DoJ also highly recognises the importance on the continuous nurturing of talent with both legal knowledge and technological literacy. As a member of the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training, the DoJ would put forward proposals to enhance the quality of legal education in Hong Kong from time to time, including integrating lawtech and AI into the legal curriculum. In recent years, the three law schools introduced subjects relating to lawtech and AI into their Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor programmes, with a view to ensuring that graduates are well-equipped to meet the challenges to legal practice brought by the technological developments, as well as the needs of the society.
 
     Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Lothair Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):

Question:

According to the records of the Marine Department, the number of passengers using the two cross-boundary ferry terminals (CBFTs) (namely the China Ferry Terminal and the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal) which were managed by the Government stood at 7.74 million in 2025, representing a decrease of 6.5 per cent from 2024, of which the passenger trips handled by the China Ferry Terminal, which accounted for less than 11 per cent of the total passenger throughput, had plunged by 33 per cent. However, the statistics of the Immigration Department show that the staff establishments of the two CBFTs were still comparable over the past four financial years, indicating that the Government has not adjusted resource allocation in response to changes in the demand for cross-boundary passenger services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) in respect of each government department, of the respective (i) current staff establishments, and (ii) expenditures incurred for the operation, repair and maintenance of the two CBFTs last year, as well as the expenditure estimates for this year;

(2) given that quite a number of passengers have relayed that pier facilities are ageing, whether it has studied the merging of the two CBFTs, thereby reallocating the government resources thus saved to further enhance the facilities at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal; if it has studied, of the outcome; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) as it is learnt that the water depth of the two CBFTs can accommodate vessels with a displacement of several hundred tonnes, and that they are also equipped with immigration clearance and customs facilities, whether the authorities will study converting them into a passenger transfer centre specialising in handling small to medium-sized cruise ships and pleasure vessels?

Reply: 

President,

To seize the development opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been working closely with the Guangdong and Macao governments on the provision of a comprehensive and diversified cross-boundary transportation network, so as to address the demand for cross-boundary travel between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Cross-boundary ferry services, being part of the cross-boundary transportation network, help promote the connectivity at sea between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region. At present, there are two cross-boundary ferry terminals (CBFTs) managed by the Government, namely the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and the China Ferry Terminal, providing a total of eight routes of cross-boundary ferry services connecting Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Mainland cities.

On another front, the commissioning of key strategic cross-boundary infrastructures such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link in recent years, coupled with the ongoing enhancement of various measures to facilitate the flow of cross-boundary vehicles including Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles and Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles, have further improved the transport connectivity within the GBA and shortened the travel time between Hong Kong and other cities in the GBA. Meanwhile, these cross-boundary infrastructures and measures have diverted the demand for cross-boundary ferry services to other land-based travel modes.

In consultation with relevant bureaux and departments, my reply to the question raised by the Hon Lothair Lam is as follows:

(1) The staffing at the CBFTs is mainly responsible for performing routine duties such as property management, access control of vessels, operation of facilities, immigration clearance, quarantine clearance, security and emergency responses. These tasks are not directly linked to patronages. As such, despite the patronages of cross-boundary ferries have shown decreasing trend in recent years, the relevant staffing cannot be trimmed proportionally.

With regard to departments at boundary control points, the staff establishments of the Immigration Department and the Customs and Excise Department at the two CBFTs in 2026-27 are 325 and 149 respectively, with a reduction of about 6.1 per cent and about 4.5 per cent as compared to 2025-26. The relevant departments has been closely monitoring the passenger flow in various control points and implement different measures, including flexibly allocating manpower, optimising workflows, and making good use of information technology etc, to continuously improve the handling capacity and efficiency of the control points and to ensure their smooth operation. While the Department of Health does not maintain a fixed staff establishment at the two CBFTs, approximately five supervisors are deployed to oversee daily health screening conducted by contractors. The relevant expenditures associated with various control points of the above departments are subsumed under their overall expenditures, and hence specific breakdowns for the two CBFTs are unavailable.

For the Marine Department, the staff establishment at the two CBFTs in 2026-27 is 68, with a reduction of about 2.9 per cent as compared to 2025-26. In 2025-26 and 2026-27, the actual and estimated expenditures for the two CBFTs (inclusive of operation and maintenance expenditures) are about 250 million and 260 million respectively.

(2) Any proposals involving the integration of ferry services or the restructuring of resources of the two CBFTs must be subject to prudent examination, and consideration should be given particularly to the capacity of the CBFT and the associated facilities upon integration of services. The Government has to assess a number of factors, including whether the condition of the existing facilities at any CBFT can assume the function and role of the sole CBFT in the long run; the technical feasibility of the works and any necessary alterations; the impact on passengers, operators and the overall cross-boundary transportation network; as well as the financial viability and cost-effectiveness involved. The Government will continue to closely monitor the long-term operation of the two CBFTs and be open-minded in exploring various options that can promote their sustainable development, including the feasibility of the aforementioned proposal of merging of the two CBFTs.

(3) At present, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and the Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui provide a total of four berthing spaces for cruise ships of different sizes, which are sufficient for the parking of inbound cruise ships. Meanwhile, the Government and relevant organisations are currently exploring the provision of additional yacht berthing facilities at various locations. As regards the proposal of converting the CBFTs into passenger transit centres designated for small and medium-sized cruise ships and pleasure vessels, cautious consideration must be given not only to the changes in demand for cross-boundary ferry services, the long-term operation of the two CBFTs, and the technical feasibility of adjusting their usage, but also to the market demand for and investment interest in facilities related to small and medium-sized cruise ships and pleasure vessels. The Government will adopt an open-minded approach and maintain communication with the industry and stakeholders on optimising the use of the CBFTs, enhancing operational efficiency, and improving resource effectiveness, with a view to exploring feasible business models and assessing the cost-effectiveness of relevant proposals. The Government will carefully examine various proposals and take appropriate follow-up actions in the light of actual circumstances.

Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

Result of the tenders of the People’s Bank of China RMB Bills held on May 27, 2026:
 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

A team of eight students representing Hong Kong achieved excellent results in the 26th Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO 2026), winning one gold medal, six bronze medals and one honourable mention.

The APhO aims to promote physics education as well as to nurture and inspire students who are exceptionally talented in physics. The APhO 2026 was held in Korea from May 17 to 25. Over 200 contestants from 27 countries or regions participated in the competition.

     Liu Lincoln (Sha Tin College) won one gold medal in the competition, and attained Best Performance in Theoretical Examination with a perfect score in the theoretical examination. The six bronze medallists were Chen Siguo (St Paul’s Co-educational College), Chin Ho-yee (Sing Yin Secondary School), Lee Ho-yin (St Joseph’s College), Kasper Liu (St Paul’s Co-educational College), Timothy Tian (St Paul’s Co-educational College) and Martin Tsoi (Queen’s College). In addition, Tsang Marcus (Ying Wa College) received an honourable mention.

The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, congratulated the Hong Kong team today (May 27) on their outstanding achievements. “The Hong Kong team has achieved remarkable results in the APhO 2026, demonstrating the concerted efforts of various stakeholders in promoting STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and gifted education.”

Dr Choi stressed, “The Education Bureau (EDB) places great emphasis on strengthening talent support for the development of science and innovation and technology (I&T). In alignment with the strategic goals of the National 15th Five-Year Plan to promote a high-quality education system and expand our talent pool, we are intensifying our efforts to advance digital education, as well as enhancing the nurturing of students studying science and mathematics at the senior secondary level to build a solid foundation for advanced scientific and I&T learning. Moreover, we have continued to support schools in making effective use of their student talent pool to discover students’ potential and demonstrate their strengths, thereby nurturing I&T talent with a global perspective and an innovative spirit for Hong Kong and our country.”

EDB has consistently been committed to promoting the implementation of gifted education in schools and continues to support the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) in taking forward more and wider student activities for gifted students, including arranging for gifted students to participate in territory-wide, cross-territory, national and international competitions.

Members of the Hong Kong team had earlier distinguished themselves in last year’s Hong Kong Physics Olympiad, and subsequently received training under the enrichment programme arranged by HKAGE. The outstanding students in the programme were then selected as contestants representing Hong Kong to participate in the APhO this year. The Hong Kong team’s participation in the competition was fully funded by the EDB.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Following is a question by the Hon Ginny Man and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):

Question:

Quite a number of post-secondary institutions and self-financing subsidiary institutions are offering various short-term studies at present. Under the existing requirements, Chinese residents of the Mainland, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan (non-local students) taking up full-time local short-term studies may apply to the Immigration Department (ImmD) for a visa to study in Hong Kong (student visa). If the short-term studies to which a non-local student is admitted is not a full-time programme, he/she does not meet the conditions for applying a student visa. Individuals coming to Hong Kong on a visit visa are not allowed to study in any educational institutions in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of student visa applications and requests for assistance received by the ImmD in each of the past three years;

(2) whether the ImmD has established a discretionary mechanism for processing student visa applications from non-local students; if so, of the relevant numbers in each of the past three years;

(3) as it is required that the short-term studies to be taken up by student visa applicants must be a full-time programme, whether the authorities will consider relaxing the relevant requirement to include part-time short-term studies; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) as it is required that the full-time short-term studies to be taken up by non-local students must be offered by Hong Kong higher education institutions with degree-awarding powers (excluding their continuing and professional education arms), whether the authorities will consider relaxing the relevant requirement; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

According to the prevailing entry arrangements for study, non-local persons (except Chinese residents of the Chinese Mainland, Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) (Note 1) and Taiwan) may enter Hong Kong to take up studies in a full-time locally accredited post-secondary programme (including short-term courses). Insofar as Chinese residents of the Chinese Mainland, Macao SAR and Taiwan are concerned, they may also take up full-time short-term programme, but the programmes concerned must be offered by higher education institutions in Hong Kong with degree-awarding powers (excluding their continuing and professional education arms), and the cumulative duration of short-term studies should not exceed 180 days within any 12-month period.

Regarding visa arrangements, student visas/ entry permits are generally only issued to non-local persons studying full-time programmes or part-time locally accredited taught postgraduate local programmes. If the course is a short-term course covered by the prevailing entry arrangements for study, it must also be under a full-time arrangement.

In consultation with the Security Bureau and the Immigration Department (ImmD), our reply to the question raised by the Hon Ginny Man is as follows.

(1) and (2) For non-local persons (including Chinese residents of the Chinese Mainland, Macao SAR and Taiwan) entering Hong Kong for study, in the past three years, the ImmD had received a total of 233 563 applications for student visa/ entry permit, of which 231 062 were approved. Relevant figures are tabulated below:
 

The ImmD would consider special situation of individual applicants on a case-by-case basis. The ImmD does not maintain the breakdown of other statistics mentioned in the question.

(3) As regards short-term courses, at present, the Government will only issue student visa/ entry permit to non-local person who has enrolled in full-time programme, considering that there are considerable differences among various part-time short-term courses in terms of teaching modes, hours of study, etc, which render it difficult to ensure non-local person issued with student visa/ entry permit will not misuse the visa to come to Hong Kong for non-study purposes. The Government has no plan to relax the requirements of student visa/ entry permit to cover part-time short-term courses.

(4) The Education Bureau will continue to maintain close liaison with relevant Chinese Mainland authorities with a view to exploring further enhancement of the entry arrangements to Hong Kong as appropriate.

Note 1: Including former Mainland Chinese residents in Macao SAR who were not settled there on or before January 14, 1979.

Note 2: Applications approved may not necessarily be those received in the same year.