Category: MIL-OSI

LegCo to consider Stamp Duty (Amendment) Bill 2026 
     On Members’ motions, Professor Michael Ngai will move a motion on “Strengthening Hong Kong’s function as an offshore Renminbi business hub to contribute to the Renminbi internationalization process”. The motion is set out in Appendix 1. Mr Chan Chun-ying will move an amendment to Professor Ngai’s motion.
 
     Mr Yiu Ming will move a motion on “Increasing the average living space per person in the Northern Metropolis to build a ‘Blissful Northern Metropolis’ ideal for living”. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Ms Michelle Tang, Mr Leung Man-kwong, Mr Augustine Wong and Mr Dennis Leung will move separate amendments to Mr Yiu’s motion.
 
     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting is available on the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hkIssued at HKT 15:54

International Hydrogen Development Symposium 2026 opens       
     The opening ceremony was officiated by the Acting Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying; the Chief Engineer of the National Energy Administration, Mr Liu Deshun; the Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Department (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office) of the State Administration for Market Regulation, Mr Zhu Zhongliang; the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Ye Shuiqiu; the Second-level Inspector of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, Mr Xia Fangming; and the Secretary-General of the China Hydrogen Alliance, Mr Liu Wei.
      
     Delivering a welcoming speech at the symposium, Miss Wong stated that under the country’s “dual carbon” goals, Hong Kong is striving to halve its carbon emissions from the 2005 level by 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Hydrogen development helps drive the clean energy transition and plays a key role in achieving carbon neutrality, bringing with it opportunities. Hong Kong will continue to serve as a demonstration base for hydrogen technologies, and provide green financing and professional services to facilitate the export of innovations developed in the country and scale up relevant hydrogen initiatives globally.
      
     In his speech, Mr Poon said that Hong Kong enjoys unique advantages of connecting with the Mainland and the world. It will play a role in regulatory alignment by establishing standards and certification systems to connect domestic and international markets. At the same time, as an international financial centre, Hong Kong can establish smooth financing channels for green capital and the hydrogen industry, and help build a global hub for hydrogen exchanges and co-operation. He thanked over 120 speakers from 16 countries for their contributions, and encouraged participants to learn about the latest hydrogen developments through the industry exhibition.
      
     During the symposium, the EMSD signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of the Republic of Korea and the Korea Gas Safety Corporation. The MOUs aim to promote the development of hydrogen ecosystems and enhance technical co-operation in gas safety between the two places. In addition, 10 enterprises from the Mainland, Hong Kong and the Republic of Korea also signed an MOU to collaborate on hydrogen business development in Hong Kong, fostering regional integration of the hydrogen supply chain and demonstrating a commitment to decarbonisation.
      
     The three-day symposium, running from today until May 20 at the HKCEC, brings together representatives from government departments, the industry and academia from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas. It provides an exchange platform for the latest technological developments, engineering solutions and future trends. The symposium aims to promote global co-operation and innovation in the hydrogen industry. An exhibition area of nearly 4 000 square metres is also set up to enable participating enterprises to showcase their hydrogen products and market solutions.
      
     For public education, various science education activities and competitions will be held during Hydrogen Week to deepen students’ understanding of carbon neutrality and hydrogen technology in an entertaining yet educational way. Key events include the “HydroRace Challenge 2026”, in which students can incorporate AI and coding elements into assemblies and racing, learning the principles of hydrogen applications through hands-on experience. Students from the Mainland are also invited to Hong Kong to compete alongside local youths, promoting interactions and inspiration on green technologies between the two places. Moreover the “H2Future for Good Challenge” encourages secondary school students to propose innovative solutions on topics related to hydrogen and low-carbon living, using STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) knowledge. The Net Zero Youth Forum will connect young engineering talents from Hong Kong and around the globe to explore practical pathways for Hong Kong to serve as a regional energy transition hub and further deepen cross-regional exchanges.

     Following the symposium, the EMSD will lead technical visits to the Yangtze River Delta region from May 21 to 23, including visits to national testing bases, key laboratories and major hydrogen enterprises, to develop on-the-ground understandings of hydrogen application outcomes in various scenarios.
      
     For more details on Hydrogen Week and the symposium, please visit the event website at h2symposium.comIssued at HKT 17:10

Bun Scrambling Final to be held on Cheung Chau this Sunday 
     Trophies will be awarded to the champion, first runner-up and second runner-up in the men’s division and the champion in the women’s division who get the highest scores. The Full Pockets of Lucky Buns award will continue to be presented to the participant who gathers the most buns.
 
     An opening ceremony for the Bun Scrambling Final will be held at 11.30pm on Sunday. By tradition, the final competition will start at midnight. An invitation relay will be held immediately after the individual competition. In anticipation of a high volume of spectators, the organisers, together with the Islands District Office, the Police, the Transport Department (TD) and government departments concerned, will implement the following measures.
 
     Four spectator zones will be set up on the competition night at the soccer pitch of Pak Tai Temple Playground, which can accommodate about 1 650 people. Distribution of free admission tickets will start at 10pm. Members of the public can line up at Pak She First Lane, next to the Cheung Chau Fire Station, and along Ping Chong Road for the tickets. Each person will be given one ticket on a first-come, first-served basis while tickets last. Spectators with tickets should follow the instructions of the Police and the organisers for entry into Zone 1 to Zone 4 starting from 10.30pm.
 
     Public notices will be put up at Central Pier No. 5 on the arrangements of the event. Similar notices and enquiry counters will also be set up at Cheung Chau Ferry Pier and the entrance of Pak Tai Temple Playground, where relevant staff will address public enquiries.
 
     The organisers will pay close attention to the weather conditions that evening. For public safety, the Bun Scrambling Final may be cancelled under inclement weather (e.g. thunderstorms). As stipulated in the prospectus, the awards would then be determined based on the selection contest results. Since the Bun Scrambling Final is traditionally held in a specified period during the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, the competition would not be rescheduled.
 
     The Police will conduct crowd-control measures. Members of the public should follow the instructions of the Police and the organisers, and be patient in crowded places.
 
     The TD will closely monitor passenger demand for public transport services, and will closely liaise with ferry and bus companies in making appropriate arrangements.
 
     To facilitate members of the public to leave Cheung Chau after the event, the ferry company will operate a special service from Cheung Chau to Central at 1.15am on May 25.
 
     The bus companies will operate special bus route No. 104R from Central Pier No. 5 to Mong Kok from about 1.10am to 2.30am on May 25.
 
     In addition, overnight bus routes including Citybus route Nos. N8X (to Siu Sai Wan) and N90 (to South Horizons), Cross-Harbour Tunnel route Nos. N182 (to Kwong Yuen), N619 (to Shun Lee), and Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) route Nos. N373 (to Fanling), and N368 (to Yuen Long West) will be diverted via Central Pier No. 5 from their first departures on May 25. The diversion arrangements will last on that day until about 2am (for route No. N8X), about 2.15am (for route No. N90) and about 2.50am (for the remaining routes aforementioned).
 
     Citybus overnight bus route Nos. N930 (departure at 1.35am to Tsuen Wan Discovery Park), N952 (departure at 1.25am to Tuen Mun Chi Lok Fa Yuen), N962 (departures at 1.15am and 1.45am to Tuen Mun Lung Mun Oasis) and KMB overnight bus route No. N960 (departure at 1.25am to Tuen Mun Kin Sang Estate) will also be diverted via Central Pier No. 5.
 
     A temporary bus stop of the routes concerned will be designated outside Central Pier No. 5 for passengers’ convenience.
 
     For emergency rescues, St John Hospital will arrange manpower to respond to possible needs. The Government Flying Service will send its search and rescue team to provide assistance if necessary.
Issued at HKT 11:00

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SWD commends over 200 foster families for lighting up children’s hearts with love   
     Mr To further remarked that every foster family itself is a touching storybook – some parents who initially intended to provide short-term emergency care have been serving for over 30 years, rendering protection and shelter to needy children; and there are also parents who strived to provide foster children with a happy childhood despite their own busy schedules, protecting children’s well-being with love. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all foster parents for their selfless love that transcends blood ties. Such years-long dedication not only injects warmth and positive energy into children’s lives, it also lights up their hearts, empowering them to soar with love.
 
     Mr To also extended sincere thanks to the 11 NGOs operating foster care service for their unwavering support in sustaining the service toward its fruitful 45th anniversary.
 
     With a view to strengthening support for foster care service and encouraging more dedicated individuals to become foster parents, the SWD has implemented a series of enhancement measures in recent years, including the substantial increase of the incentive payment for foster parents starting from April 2024; allocating additional resources to enhance training for foster parents and to provide extra support for foster children with special needs since 2025. Currently, there are about 1 120 foster families in Hong Kong. Members of the public who are interested in joining foster care service are welcome to contact the SWD’s Central Foster Care Unit at 2573 2282.
Issued at HKT 12:25

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HKSAR Government activates alert response level of Ebola preparedness and response plan (with photo)        Members of the public wishing to learn more about the Ebola disease and related travel health advice may visit the CHP website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/34199.htmlIssued at HKT 18:56

From Africa to Asia: InvestHK wraps up strategic visit to South Africa and Rwanda riding on Global South momentum  
     During her visit to Johannesburg (May 10 to13) (Johannesburg time), Ms Lee engaged with a diverse range of leading enterprises and industry bodies. Discussions focused on how Hong Kong’s robust business environment can empower African enterprises to effectively manage and scale their expanding Asian operations.
 
     Ms Lee also met with local chambers of commerce and government investment agencies to explore new avenues for collaboration. She highlighted that Africa is one of the InvestHK’s key markets, as many African enterprises are now looking to diversify their funding sources and simplify cross-border transactions through Hong Kong’s deep capital markets and unique connectivity with Chinese Mainland.
 
     Ms Lee said, “Africa has emerged as a vital engine of growth within the Global South. Our journey of thousands of miles to Africa begins with a meaningful step. For African corporates looking for a trusted and strategic partner to expand into the Chinese Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region, the interest, relationships, and momentum are building up. Hong Kong has vast potential to play a unique role linking capital, talent, and innovation between Africa and our part of the world, while InvestHK will continue to be a driver of this interconnectivity, facilitating two-way investment through strategic market insights, extensive global access, targeted promotion, and policy facilitation. “
 
     The Minister Counsellor in charge of Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, Ms Liu Yu, said, “The synergy between South Africa and Hong Kong in the economic and trade fields is both complementary and strategically significant. Under the framework of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong’s status as a global offshore Renminbi hub and an international asset management centre provides a professional one-stop platform for enterprises to go global. We encourage South African and Chinese Mainland enterprises in South Africa to leverage Hong Kong’s unique professional advantages to optimise their supply chain layouts and achieve high-quality, mutually beneficial development.”
 
     The President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), Mr Mtho Xulu, said, “We want to see the relationship beyond our borders, where we take companies from South Africa into Hong Kong, using the city as a platform to scale into the bigger markets. Whether it’s for innovation, manufacturing, or industrialisation, we want to look at how we can collaborate further and bring the two places closer together. This ecosystem is exactly what our members need to unlock high-value opportunities on the Chinese Mainland and across Asia.”
 
     The visit culminated in Kigali, Rwanda, where Ms Lee represented InvestHK at the Africa CEO Forum, engaging in high-level discussions with C-suite executives from the continent’s leading multinationals on May 14 and 15 (Kigali time).
 
     Continuing the momentum of two-way economic ties, InvestHK will host an Africa Day Reception in Hong Kong on May 26, assembling local African business communities to explore new avenues for cross-border collaboration.
Issued at HKT 17:05

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