Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, arrived in Davos, Switzerland yesterday (January 19, Davos time) and immediately commenced his programme at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting.

     In the afternoon, Mr Chan met with the Minister of Economy of the Sultanate of Oman (Oman), H.E. Dr Said Mohammed Al-Saqri. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as finance, trade, green transformation and industrial development.

     Mr Chan noted that Oman is transitioning from an oil-driven growth model towards a more diversified economic structure, with active efforts to promote green transformation and renewable energy, while further strengthening its economic and investment ties with China. As a “super connector”, Hong Kong is well positioned to support this process — on the one hand, by facilitating Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises to invest in Oman to support its infrastructure and industrial development; and on the other hand, by leveraging its status as an international financial centre in Asia to provide Omani enterprises with an ideal platform for fundraising and financing, as well as offshore Renminbi investment and risk management products. Mr Chan also pointed out that financial market connectivity between the two places could foster mutual development, and expressed support for the stock exchanges and regulatory authorities of both sides to explore reciprocal cooperation, including opportunities for dual or secondary listings.

     In the evening, Mr Chan attended the welcome reception of the WEF Annual Meeting, where he engaged with participants from around the world. He will continue his visit in Davos today (January 20, Davos time).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

       The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present “Deconstructing Theatre for a Panoramic Perspective – Theatre Talk and Workshop Series” from February to March. Focusing on three key theatrical disciplines, namely playwriting, dramaturgy and scenography, the series traces the creative pathway of theatrical production: from the genesis of a story, through the construction of narrative logic, to the imaginative potential of spatial and visual elements on stage. Featuring local industry professionals as speakers, including screenwriter Ivan Kwok, writer-directors Kingston Lo and Vee Leong, stage and costume designer Cindy Ho and spatial designer Jan Wong, the series offers accessible explanations, experience sharing, work appreciation and practical exercises to discover multiple entry points of theatre-making and explore its boundless creative possibilities.
 
       Details of the thematic talks and workshops are as follows:
 
Playwriting Workshop: For Those Who Know How to Tell Stories
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Speaker: Ivan Kwok
Venue: Function Room AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
 
Session 1: Where Stories Begin – The Instinct to Tell
Date: February 25 (Wednesday)
Content: Starting with narrative exercises drawn from dreams, conversations, and memories from daily life, this session examines the distinctions between narrators and audiences in prose and drama, guiding participants to turn a “slice of daily conversation” into an opening scene of a play.
 
Session 2: Let the Characters Speak – The Birth of Dialogue
Date: March 4 (Wednesday)
Content: Introducing the three layers of dialogue (subconscious, rational and emotional), this session examinates how to turn a character’s words into the pulse of a play. Participants will practice adapting a prose passage into a dialogue between two persons.
 
Session 3: The Structure of Drama – From Emotion to Conflict
Date: March 11 (Wednesday)
Content: Introducing the dramatic triangle of drama (desire, obstacle and transformation), this session contrasts a character’s action logic with the emotional impulses of the author. Through exercises, participants will practice devising what a character “wants” and “cannot obtain”.
 
Session 4: Scenes and Rhythm – How Theatre Breathes
Date: March 18 (Wednesday)
Content: Exploring how scripts transform into spatial arrangements on stage and characters’ physical actions, this session analyses rhythm and silent moments in drama, illustrating how silence and action are more powerful than the spoken word. Participants will practice rewriting a phone conversation into a dramatic scene.
 
Session 5: Draw From Life, Write the Play Within You
Date: March 25 (Wednesday)
Content: This session explores how to transform personal experiences into dramatic archetypes and how to “find yourself and go beyond yourself” in a story. It concludes with a group sharing where participants will present script readings.
 
       Ivan Kwok is currently the Manager of the Theatre Literature Department of the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRep). His play, “Principle”, in film version, won Best Screenplay at the Asian Academy Creative Awards (Hong Kong Region) in 2022, while another work, “True Lies” won Best Script at the Hong Kong Theatre Libre in 2019.
 
Talks on dramaturgy
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Venue：Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Space Museum
 
Session 1: Dramaturgy from a Director’s Perspective
Date: February 28 (Saturday)
Speaker: Kingston Lo
Content: Sharing creative collaborative experiences with dramaturgs, this session examines the practical roles and positioning of dramaturgs through case studies of local theatre productions. It further explores how Hong Kong’s creative ecosystem and operational models shapes their possibilities for engagement.
 
Session 2: Interdisciplinary Arts and Dramaturgy
Date: March 1 (Sunday)
Speaker: Vee Leong
Content: This session introduces the rise and evolution of interdisciplinary arts within the contexts of contemporary theatre and contemporary arts. It discusses how different artistic media influence artists’ creative methodology, and explores the frameworks and perspectives through which such works can be appreciated.
 
Session 3: A Dialogue on Dramaturgy
Date: March 8 (Sunday)
Speakers: Kingston Lo and Vee Leong
Content: Exploring diverse dimensions of dramaturgy, this session draws on experience sharing and case studies to examine the multiple roles and ways of participation of dramaturgs. It also reflects on how Hong Kong’s artistic landscape fosters room for the development of dramaturgical thinking.
 
       Kingston Lo is a theatre practitioner who performs the multifunctional roles of playwright, director, drama critic, and lyricist. For directing “The Bucket” at the HKRep, he received multiple local directing awards. His work, “Century Egg & Pork Congee”, was selected as an Outstanding Script (Hong Kong Region) at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Drama Script Writing Competition. Vee Leong is a writer-director in text-based theatre and intermedia art. She is currently the Co-Artistic Director of On & On Theatre Workshop while teaching dramaturgy at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). She has been commissioned by or featured at numerous local and international arts festivals.
 
Scenography workshop
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Speakers: Cindy Ho and Jan Wong
Venue: Function Room AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
 
Session 1: Costume Design
Date: March 5 (Thursday)
Content: Through sharing of selected works, this session examines how costume design functions as a narrative medium to convey characters’ emotions and show the period and background of the drama. A hands-on component will allow participants to experience the process of theatrical prototype-making.
 
Session 2: Spatial Design
Date: March 12 (Thursday)
Content: Using cases studies of diverse works, this session traces the design process and collaboration with other creative leads, and analyses the role of spatial design in performing arts. Participants will gain insights into how spatial and scenographic environments are conceived and realised.
 
Session 3: Costume × Space
Date: March 19 (Thursday)
Content: Integrating the two key elements of design – costume and space, this session investigates how the time, place, people, and narrative of a performance gradually take form through scenographic thinking.
 
       Cindy Ho was Artist-in-Residence and Guest Lecturer in Stage Design at Theatre Design Department of the HKAPA, and continues to work as an independent stage artist. Her innovative design for “Marriage” has won multiple awards. Jan Wong is spatial designer in Hong Kong whose works have received several stage design awards. He was honoured with the Award for Young Artist (Drama) at the 19th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2025.
 
       The above-mentioned talks and workshops will be conducted in Cantonese and will start at 7.30pm. Each session will run for about one hour and 30 minutes. Tickets priced at $80 (for each session, with free seating) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Package booking discounts will be available for purchasing different sessions under this series. For discount schemes and programme enquiries, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/theatre/programs_1940.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government released today (January 20) the report of the Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime (in Annex), as well as the disciplinary investigation regarding the incident in the procurement of bottled drinking water and relevant follow-up actions.
      
Report of Task Force
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     The Task Force report summarised the recommendations from the Task Force chaired by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (SFST), Mr Christopher Hui, upon a thorough review of the government procurement regime, and having made reference to the management letter submitted by the Audit Commission on its review of the tender exercise for the procurement of bottled drinking water. The measures focused on four broad directions, namely institutional change, reshaping work culture, enhancement in cross-departmental information exchange, and application of technologies and artificial intelligence, with a view to holistically refining the tendering and procurement regime and procedures.
      
     Following the six quick-win measures announced in October last year, the Task Force put forward various further enhancement measures. Starting from January 1 this year, a financial vetting requirement has been introduced to the tendering of goods contracts with a value exceeding $15 million, making it on par with the prevailing practice of conducting financial vetting for service contracts with a contract value exceeding $15 million. Having regard to the nature and scale of procurement as well as practical operational needs, procurement officers may also set the tenderer’s experience as an “essential requirement” in a more flexible manner, in order to ensure that tenderers are capable of fulfilling contractual obligations. The Treasury has also promulgated internal guidelines to assist officers responsible for conducting financial vetting to identify possible red flags of fraud, so that they will be more vigilant and take timely follow-up actions.
      
     Moreover, following the revisions to the Standard Terms and Conditions of Tenders and Contracts (STC) in October last year that specifically empower procurement officers to disqualify a tenderer if they consider the tenderer not capable of fulfilling the contract terms, and to terminate a contract immediately if they reasonably believe that a contractor has made a material misrepresentation during the contract period, the Government has further updated the STC to stipulate that the Government may terminate a contract immediately on public interest grounds.
      
     To progress with the times and leverage technology, the Government Logistics Department (GLD) will adopt an AI tool to assist in information search on tenderers and contractors on a pilot basis in the first quarter of this year. Subject to the outcome of the trial, the AI tool will be extended to other procuring departments for adoption, so as to enhance the Government’s overall operational efficiency in conducting due diligence checks.
      
     Mr Hui said, “We have long been acting in the interest of the public and handling the incident regarding the procurement of bottled drinking water with openness and transparency. Our commitment to enhance the government procurement regime is ongoing and will never stop. We will continue to refine the Government’s procurement work with a resolve to reform, so as to obtain goods and services at the best value for money and ensure prudent use of public money through effective procurement procedures that adapt to the needs of the modern business environment.”
      
Outcome of disciplinary investigation and relevant follow-up actions
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     In late October last year, the SFST invited Ms Alice Lau, Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1, to conduct a disciplinary investigation into the incident with a view to ascertaining if any officers should be held accountable for the incident and, if so, the nature and level of their responsibility, such as whether any officers had contravened government or departmental rules and regulations in the process, or failed to act or perform up to the standards commensurate with their ranks and experience.
      
     After reviewing relevant documents, the investigation team led by Ms Lau identified over 20 officers from the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the GLD, and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and requested from them written statements. The investigation team also interviewed some of the officers concerned based on the contents of the statements.
      
     Following an in-depth and comprehensive collection and analysis of facts, the investigation team found that three GLD officers failed to perform up to the standards commensurate with their ranks and experience in the procurement of bottled drinking water exercise. They demonstrated a lack of vigilance and judgement, thus failing to identify obvious irregularities and seize the opportunity to follow up as appropriate and report to their seniors in a timely manner. This resulted in the department missing the chance to detect the false documents and take appropriate actions earlier.
      
     Based on the findings of the above investigation, there is prima facie evidence at this stage suggesting that two of the three GLD officers, including one directorate officer, had failed to appreciate the significance of obvious irregularities and report such irregularities to their seniors in a timely manner. The Government will initiate formal disciplinary proceedings against them and mete out punishment based on the findings of the disciplinary inquiry. Besides, the deficiencies in the work performance of the two officers will be reflected in their appraisals, and the Government will not grant an increment to the officers who have not reached the maximum salary point of their ranks.
      
     For the remaining GLD officer, the Government will reflect the officer’s inadequacy in vigilance, judgement, and analytical power in his/her appraisal report and will not grant an increment to him/her. Written advice will also be served, requiring the officer to demonstrate significant improvement in the above competencies in the future.
      
     Having found that there were officers who failed to report the irregularities to their seniors, the investigation team did not find any act of negligence on the part of the former Director of Government Logistics in the incident. However, the fact that all of the three aforementioned GLD officers at different ranks did not perform up to the standards commensurate with their ranks and experience in the incident reflects some prevalence of such substandard performance in the GLD. The report of the Task Force also revealed that there was room for improvement in the GLD’s procurement work, with the need to heighten officers’ guard against government loss and to put in place a more proactive and prudent procurement process. In this regard, the SFST has written to the former Director of Government Logistics, pointing out that more should have been done during his tenure as the Head of Department to enhance staff’s capabilities and develop their sensitivity and proactiveness. 
      
     The incident has drawn extensive attention from the public and brought serious disrepute to the Government. In this light, after consulting the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee, the Government has decided to reverse the previously announced decision to award the Silver Bauhinia Star to Mr Carlson Chan, and he has been informed.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po:
 
     The Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po announced today (January 20) that it will hold a direction conference on February 5 (Thursday) to give directions on the arrangements for subsequent hearings to be conducted by the Committee.
      
     At the direction conference, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Justice David Lok, will give directions on the subsequent hearings, including identifying individuals or organisations, or their legal representatives, who intend to attend the hearings; the language to be used, the manner of submission of witness statements and documents, etc; and will consider other matters relating to the hearings. There will not be any presentation of evidence or examination of witnesses at the direction conference.
      
     The direction conference will be held at 10am on February 5 in Cantonese at the Multi-purpose Room, 3/F, City Gallery, 3 Edinburgh Place, Central. Simultaneous interpretation in Putonghua and English will be arranged in the City Gallery.
      
     The direction conference will be open to the public. To allow more members of the public to observe the conduct of the conference, the proceedings will be broadcast simultaneously in transmission areas set up on the ground floor of the City Gallery and in the Lecture Theatre of the Hong Kong Central Library. Some members of the public will be arranged to observe the conference in these two areas. A total of about 400 seats will be available for the public, with separate arrangements for the media.
      
     To avoid members of the public queuing up outside the venue for a long time, and to allow those who wish to observe the conference to have certainty of whether seats have been secured before the day of the conference, interested individuals are required to make an online reservation through the submission of a pre-registration form in advance. The Secretariat of the Committee will allocate seats on a first-come, first-served basis according to the system’s record of the time that the pre-registration forms are received. Details of the online reservations will be announced separately.
      
     In addition, the scope of the Committee’s work is extensive, and the issues are numerous and complex. In order to review the incident and related issues more comprehensively and from different perspectives, the Committee will invite members of the public and organisations to provide information on the causes and circumstances that led to the fire and its rapid spread at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, and related issues. Details of the method, timing, and scope of submission of information will be announced separately.
      
     The Chief Executive has established the Committee to review the causes of the incident and related issues of Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, and to make recommendations to prevent similar incidents from occurring again. The Committee formally commenced its work on December 19, 2025.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     A man was sentenced today (January 20) at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts to six months’ imprisonment for illegally importing 40 000 alternative smoking products. The Department of Health (DH) welcomed the verdict, stating that imprisonment serves as a significant deterrent. The DH also reminded members of the public and visitors not to bring alternative smoking products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products or herbal cigarettes into Hong Kong, and not to use any alternative smoking products.
      
     The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the DH was notified by Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 19) that 40 000 alternative smoking products were intercepted in the luggage of the aforesaid man arriving from Guangzhou. TACO immediately arrested and prosecuted the individual.
      
     Since the amendments to the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, which conferred arrest powers on TACO inspectors, took effect on September 19, 2025, TACO has prosecuted 15 cases involving importation of large quantities of alternative smoking products. Seventeen persons have been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment ranging from two to six months.
      
     According to the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), a person who imports alternative smoking products, including electronic smoking products, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years; or liable on conviction on indictment to a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
      
     Moreover, under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), no person may promote, manufacture, sell, or possess for commercial purposes alternative smoking products. An offender is liable to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
      
     TACO will continue to closely monitor and enforce the law to combat related offences.
      
     The DH also cautions the public that alternative smoking products are addictive and are not effective smoking cessation tools. E-cigarettes may increase the risk of cancer, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Smokers are urged to quit smoking as early as possible for their own health and that of others. For assistance, please call the DH’s Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline on 1833 183, and or visit www.livetobaccofree.hk for information on quitting. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Cybersecurity Symposium convened today (January 20). The Symposium was co-organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) and the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited, with the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force and the Hong Kong Cybersecurity Professional Association being the strategic partners.

     Under the theme “Navigating Cybersecurity Trends, Strengthening Organisational Defence”, the Symposium featured eight keynote speeches and five panel discussions covering key topics including emerging threats, cybersecurity trends, attack and defence strategies, protection of the computer systems of critical infrastructure, and AI. More than 30 experts from the Government, academia, technology, telecommunications, finance, and insurance sectors were invited as speakers and around 1 000 cybersecurity professionals and industry leaders from various sectors attended the Symposium.

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, officiated and delivered the welcome remarks at the Symposium. He said, “Technological development and security protection must be pursued in tandem. Innovation and technology (I&T) can truly benefit society only when it is built on the foundation of safety and reliability. Hong Kong is determined to become an international I&T centre, and will actively support national strategies, and fully leverage the institutional strengths and professional capabilities to build a robust stronghold for digital security.”  

     Professor Sun emphasised that cyberattacks and defence today are no longer confined to technical confrontations, but have evolved into a global race that transcends geographical boundaries and integrates intelligence. He also urged all sectors of the community to work together and take practical actions to strengthen cybersecurity defence, thereby ensuring that Hong Kong will not only become a pioneer in developing the digital economy, but also a guardian of cybersecurity.

     The Deputy Commissioner for Digital Policy (Digital Infrastructure), Mr Daniel Cheung, delivered a keynote speech at the Symposium, presenting the DPO’s major cybersecurity strategies and initiatives in 2025. He stated that the DPO laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong’s cybersecurity through various areas, including internal government protection measures, public promotion and support, national and international collaboration, and talent development. The DPO also co-ordinated efforts across various sectors to ensure robust cybersecurity preparations and the smooth execution of several large-scale major events in the second half of last year. He also shared the outcomes of the second Hong Kong Cybersecurity Attack and Defence Drill, which was co-ordinated by the DPO in October last year. He said that last year’s drill was further expanded in scale to cover more public services, thereby providing a more comprehensive assessment of the cybersecurity defence and response capabilities of government departments and public organisations with significant results.

     The Cybersecurity Symposium aimed to bring together industry experts to discuss the opportunities and challenges faced by public and private organisations across the three key dimensions of policy, technology, and operations. The participants explored the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, fostered collaboration and knowledge exchanges between public and private organisations, and thereby further strengthening Hong Kong’s cybersecurity resilience. A cybersecurity solutions and services exhibition was also held alongside the Symposium to showcase the latest technologies and offer enterprises and organisations opportunities to engage directly with cybersecurity service providers, share practical experiences and forge connections.