Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​The Government announced today (January 1) that following an open recruitment exercise, Mr Francis Chan Wing-on will take up the appointment as the Commissioner of Critical Infrastructure (Computer-system Security) for a three-year term with effect from today. The appointment is made by the Chief Executive in accordance with the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Ordinance (Cap. 653) (the Ordinance).

     A Government spokesperson said, “Mr Chan possesses outstanding cybersecurity expertise, international vision, law enforcement experience and strategic management capabilities, along with excellent leadership, management and communication skills. He will lead the Commissioner’s Office under the Security Bureau to safeguard the security of computer systems of critical infrastructures in Hong Kong.”

     Mr Chan is the former Chief Superintendent of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force and has served as the Chairperson of the INTERPOL Cybercrime Expert Group. After retiring from the Police in 2020, he has taken up managerial roles related to computer systems and cybersecurity in the private sector. He has been serving as the Assistant Director (Critical Infrastructure) of the Security Bureau since May 2024.

     The Ordinance, which comes into effect today, provides a comprehensive legal framework to safeguard the security of computer systems of critical infrastructures in Hong Kong, regulate operators of critical infrastructures and investigate and respond to relevant computer-system security threats and incidents. The Commissioner of Critical Infrastructure (Computer-system Security) will head the Commissioner’s Office, which is established on the same day, to implement and enforce the statutory regime of the Ordinance, including designating “operators of critical infrastructures” and “critical computer systems”, as well as monitoring their compliance with statutory obligations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today (January 1) that the public healthcare fees and charges reform is now officially in effect, marking a new chapter in HA’s sustainable development. Since January 1 midnight, all HA systems have successfully switched to the new fees and charges mode, with operations at public hospitals running smoothly. The HA will continue to closely monitor hospital operations and deploy additional manpower to provide immediate assistance to those in need, ensuring smooth service delivery.

     The reform took effect at midnight, with all public hospital systems, including patient registration, payment, and clinical systems, successfully switching to the new fees and charges mode. The HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, and the HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, visited Kwong Wah Hospital at midnight to observe the implementation of the new charging mode and the transition process. They also communicated with all clusters through video conferencing to ensure implementation and support measures were in place.

     The HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, said, “The successful implementation of the reform marks a significant milestone in our public healthcare system. The reform will enhance protection for poor, acute, serious and critical patients, enabling sustainable development of public healthcare services to meet the challenges posed by Hong Kong’s aging population. We especially thank all staff for their co-operation in implementing the reform and patients for their understanding of the new arrangements. The HA will continue to implement various measures to enhance patient protection and improve public healthcare services.”

     Accident and Emergency departments (A&E), which operate 24 hours a day, are among the first clinical departments to implement the new fees and charges arrangements. The HA has adopted flexible arrangements, allowing a small number of patients who completed registration just after midnight to pay the old fees. The HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, said, “After the New Year holiday, many clinical departments in public hospitals will resume normal services. We have deployed additional manpower, including service ambassadors, dedicated teams, and volunteers to station at outpatient clinics, shroffs and pharmacies for answering patient inquiries, assisting with payments, appointments, and applications for medical fee waivers. Hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics have also set up information counters where dedicated staff provide on-site responses to public inquiries.”

     The HA will closely monitor operations at all hospitals. Meanwhile, patients are reminded that with the official implementation of the new fees and charges arrangements (Annex), some medical service procedures may be modified. Each hospital cluster has set up hotlines (see table below) for patients to inquire about the reform arrangements. Patients can also visit the HA website for related information.

     The HA emphasises that with the comprehensive implementation of the reform measures, an enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism has also been introduced. Over 50 000 patients have already submitted advance applications or filed enquiries, with the majority of applications processed. Eligible patients will gradually receive their medical fee waiver certificates, enabling them to have fee waivers granted at their next follow-up consultation. The HA has established dedicated teams to assist patients with fee waiver applications and will increase manpower to shorten processing times.

     During the transition period from January to March, patients requiring immediate or urgent treatment, who cannot afford medical expense at the public sector, but cannot provide complete documentation for financial assessment, will be granted “conditional waivers” for full or partial medical fees. Patients need only submit relevant documents within three months to receive official medical fee waiver certificates upon passing the assessment.

     Patients currently holding medical fee waiver certificates (full or partial), can continue using them until expiry without reapplication. Patients with partial fee waiver certificates who qualify for full waivers under the enhanced mechanism can obtain full waivers by declaring no significant change in financial status at Medical Social Services Units three months before appointments or within three months after hospitalisation, without requiring reassessment. The validity will be the same as the original certificate’s expiry date.

     In addition to enhancing the medical fee waiver mechanism, the HA has established a second safety net by introducing an annual cap of $10,000 on medical service charges (excluding self-financed items). This expanded safety net aims to help citizens reduce the heavy financial burden of medical expenses arising from unexpected serious illnesses or chronic conditions. Furthermore, the HA will strengthen the healthcare protection of critically-ill patients. This includes accelerating the introduction of more effective innovative drugs and devices, and relaxing the eligibility criteria of means test for the safety net applications, so that more middle-income patients can receive subsidy for self-financed drugs and devices. Patients currently receiving partial subsidy will also be able to access increased support. During the implementation of fees and charges reform measures, the HA will adhere to the principle that the Government’s commitment to public health will remain unchanged. All gains from the reform will be wholly utilised for public healthcare services.

     The HA emphasises that it has increased manpower to assist patients in need with fee waiver applications and other enhanced protection measures, ensuring that no citizen will be denied appropriate medical care due to financial difficulties. With all enhanced patient protection measures in place, the number of beneficiaries will increase significantly from the current 300 000 to approximately 1.4 million. Together with about 600 000 Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients, Old Age Living Allowance recipients aged 75 or above, and holders of Residential Care Service Voucher Scheme Level 0 vouchers who will continue to receive full fee waivers, it is estimated that around 2 million people will benefit in total, substantially strengthening patient protection.
 
Hotlines for Public Healthcare Fees and Charges Reform
 

Clusters	Hotlines
Hong Kong East Cluster	6460 4303
Hong Kong West Cluster	2255 4177
Kowloon Central Cluster	3506 7198
Kowloon East Cluster	5215 7326
Kowloon West Cluster	3467 7575
New Territories East Cluster	6273 3551
New Territories West Cluster	2468 5353

Service hours: January 2-11, 2026, 8am to 8pm

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing today officiated at the opening ceremony of the “Yau Ma Tei Police Station: A Cinematic Journey” exhibition at the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station.

The exhibition, presented by the Cultural & Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, will be open to the public from tomorrow.

It showcases film sets reconstructed by Hong Kong film professionals, collectable items and original pieces, presenting the city’s memories of the era portrayed in Hong Kong crime film classics, allowing visitors to experience Hong Kong’s film culture and the unique creativity of local filmmakers.

This exhibition is one of the major projects of the Government’s Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots. It is also the second tourist attraction themed around Hong Kong films, following the “Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey” Movie Set Exhibition which opened last year.

Also officiating at the opening ceremony were Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law.

Situated at 627 Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station is a Grade 2 historic building.

An admission ticket to the exhibition costs $30, a concessionary ticket is $10, while children aged six or below get in for free.

Members of the public may book tickets through the online booking system as tickets will not be available onsite.

To coincide with the exhibition and promote district tourism, the Yau Tsim Mong District Office also launched the Yau Ma Tei Dining & Shopping Festival as well as a Mini Bazaar today.

Exhibition visitors may enjoy a wide range of special offers at participating merchants.

The Mini Bazaar, which operates on weekends and public holidays until March 1, is located opposite the main entrance of the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station, and sells cultural and creative products as well as local traditional snacks.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hospital Authority (HA) announced that the public healthcare fees and charges reform officially came into effect today, with Accident & Emergency departments, which operate 24 hours a day, among the first clinical departments to implement the new fees and charges arrangements.

The HA noted that its systems have successfully switched to the new fees and charges mode, and operations at public hospitals were smooth. 

The authority added that it has deployed additional manpower to station at outpatient clinics, shroffs and pharmacies for answering patient enquiries, assisting with payments, appointments, and applications for medical fee waivers.

Hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics have also set up information counters where dedicated staff provide on-site responses to public enquiries.

An enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism has been introduced. Over 50,000 patients have already submitted advance applications or filed enquiries, with the majority of applications processed.

The HA said eligible patients will gradually receive their medical fee waiver certificates, enabling them to have fee waivers granted at their next follow-up consultation. 

It has also introduced an annual cap of $10,000 on medical service charges, excluding self-financed items.

The expanded safety net aims to help citizens reduce the heavy financial burden of medical expenses arising from unexpected serious illnesses or chronic conditions, the HA added. 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA welcomes statements by Australia and New Zealand expressing concern over China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan

Date：2025-12-31
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

December 31, 2025No. 549In a statement issued on December 31, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that China’s military exercises around Taiwan were destabilizing and risked inflaming regional tensions. It said that Australia opposed any actions that increased the risk of accident, miscalculation, or escalation, adding that Australian officials had raised concerns with Chinese counterparts.In addition, in a statement on the social media platform X, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade expressed the country’s concern over China’s recent military exercises. The post called for China to exercise restraint and avoid actions that may undermine peace and stability.Following similar comments issued in April, these statements mark a further instance of Australia and New Zealand publicly opposing any unilateral changes to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and calling on both sides to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than through force or coercion.Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks Australia, New Zealand, and like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region and around the globe for once again demonstrating support for peace and security across the Taiwan Strait and for articulating a clear position on maintaining a stable status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan appreciates all countries continuing to pay close attention to the Taiwan Strait situation.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates that upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the international consensus. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to cooperate with like-minded countries to jointly safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and across the globe. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

December 31, 2025No. 548The European External Action Service (EEAS) and the foreign ministries of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany each issued statements on December 30 indicating serious concern over China’s recent large-scale joint military exercises around Taiwan. The statements stressed that cross-strait peace and stability were critical to global peace and prosperity and expressed opposition to any unilateral actions that increased cross-strait tensions. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expresses sincere gratitude for these statements, which once again demonstrate Europe’s staunch support of cross-strait peace and stability.The EEAS statement pointed out that the European Union had a direct interest in the preservation of the cross-strait status quo and that cross-strait peace and stability were of strategic importance to regional and global security and prosperity. Therefore, it continued, the EU opposed any unilateral actions that changed the status quo, in particular by force or coercion. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office statement, meanwhile, underscored that cross-strait peace was critical to global prosperity and the UK economy and that the UK opposed the use of force or coercion in the Taiwan Strait or any unilateral attempt to alter the status quo. In its statement, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs noted that cross-strait peace and stability were indispensable for global security and prosperity. It further stated that France was paying close attention to China’s military exercises and reiterated France’s support for cross-strait peace and stability and its opposition to the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the cross-strait status quo. The German Federal Foreign Office statement stressed that China’s military exercises had exacerbated cross-strait tensions and had jeopardized cross-strait stability. Moreover, it said that cross-strait peace and stability were strategically important for regional and international security and prosperity and that any change to the status quo must be peaceful and agreed to by both sides. It also called for restraint and dialogue.Minister Lin expresses welcome and thanks for these friendly statements of support by the EU and key European countries. He notes that these statements fully demonstrate Europe’s high degree of concern about China’s improper use of military exercises to unilaterally increase cross-strait tensions. They also show that Europe staunchly supports the cross-strait status quo of peace and stability. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses that the international community has a high degree of consensus about maintaining the cross-strait status quo of peace and stability. It calls on China to immediately cease its irresponsible, unilateral military provocations, respect the rules-based international order, and stop disrupting cross-strait and regional peace, stability, and security. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to work with the EU and like-minded countries to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order and promote global and regional peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin solemnly refutes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang’s further false claims regarding World War II

Date：2025-12-31
Data Source：Department of Policy Planning

December 31, 2025
No. 547In his keynote speech at the 2025 Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations held in Beijing on December 30, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again misrepresented historical facts about World War II and falsely claimed that the so-called Taiwan question was a matter of China’s internal affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) solemnly refutes this attempt to distort the truth and mislead the public.Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung firmly reiterates that the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is subordinate to the other. Historical facts, objective reality, and international law all show that Taiwan’s sovereignty does not belong to the PRC. Only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine Taiwan’s future. Statements distorting Taiwan’s sovereign status will not change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait or alter objective facts recognized by the international community.China recently conducted another joint military exercise around Taiwan, severely threatening peace and security across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Its actions defied the principle of refraining from the threat or use of force set out in the UN Charter and seriously disrupted international maritime and air traffic and regular trade exchanges, harming others while yielding no gain itself. This behavior once again demonstrated that China is the real troublemaker, malicious provocateur, and disruptor of the status quo in the international community and across the Taiwan Strait.MOFA urges the Beijing authorities to immediately halt their attempts aimed at unilaterally changing the status quo and respect the fact of the existence of the ROC (Taiwan); to immediately cease their unwarranted threats and provocations against Taiwan and neighboring countries and shoulder the responsibilities expected of a major power; and to immediately put an end to their distortion of historical facts and not mislead the international community any further.MOFA also calls on the international community to support democratic Taiwan through concrete actions, jointly condemn China’s persistent efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo and its overbearing military intimidation against other countries, and work together to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan will continue to cooperate with other nations in its endeavor to maintain regional peace and stability. (E)

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan and Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung expressed sorrow over the passing of Workman II of the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department Li Haiying.

Ms Li was knocked down by a goods vehicle while carrying out street cleansing duties last night in the vicinity of Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei. She was subsequently sent to hospital and certified dead. 

The two officials extended their condolences to Ms Li’s famiy. Mr Tse said the Environment & Ecology Bureau will provide all appropriate support and assistance to the family.

Meanwhile, the Civil Service Bureau said it has been in contact with the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department to make every effort to help Ms Li’s family during this sad and difficult period.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee, as the oath administrator, has determined that the oaths taken by all 90 members-elect of the Legislative Council today are valid. 

The oath-taking ceremony for members of the eighth-term Legislative Council was held at the Chamber of the LegCo Complex today.

The Basic Law stipulates that when assuming office, LegCo members must, in accordance with the law, swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.