Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ9: Staffing establishment and operational status of Hongkong Post
Grade In the past three financial years, adjustments to the establishment of various grades of the HKP have reflected the number of posts reduced due to various cost-saving measures, including the five-day mail delivery and the consolidation of delivery beats etc. The HKP will continue to optimise manpower allocation in accordance with the changes in mail volume and operational situations, and flexibly deploy staff to ensure effective use of resources.
Additionally, from 2023-24 to 2026-27 (up to the end-May 2026), 6 705 applicants applied and 113 of them were appointed to the Postman grade, 5 599 applicants applied and 37 of them were appointed to the Postal Officer grade, and 6 530 applicants applied and 20 of them were appointed to the Controller of Posts grade of the HKP. As the HKP has all along adjusted its manpower plan as needed, it does not set annual recruitment target for each grade.
(figure as of March 31, 2024)(figure as of March 31, 2025)(figure as of March 31, 2026)(figure as of May 31, 2026)(4) Since 2006, the HKP has started adjusting its internal staffing arrangements and, without affecting operations, arranged for staff posted to the headquarters and backend staff providing support services to adopt the work arrangement of five-day week. In 2022, the work arrangement of five-day week was extended to some frontline teams. Currently, about 70 per cent of the staff members are working under the work arrangement of five-day week. To ensure that the standard and efficiency of public services are not affected and to maintain essential postal services on Saturdays, such as counter services and hotline inquiries etc, 30 per cent of the staff members still maintain a non-five-day week arrangement. The HKP has been actively optimising staffing arrangements, including planning to further implement the work arrangement of five-day week to mainly cover some of the posts involving clerical tasks in the frontline teams. The HKP will also continue to explore the feasibility of extending the work arrangement of five-day week taking into account the needs of public postal services and operations.
(5) The information on private properties rented by the HKP for use as office premises (Note 5) from 2023-24 to 2026-27 (up to the end-May 2026) are tabulated as follows:
(as of May 31, 2026)($ million)($/square feet)(6) Due to the rapid changes in the global economic environment in recent years, the continuous escalation of geopolitical situation, the rise of protectionism, and the intense competition in the electronic commerce (e-commerce) logistics industry, the HKP’s revenue from e-commerce business in the past three years is lower than originally expected by more than 30 per cent. The actual/anticipated revenue and mail volume from the HKP’s e-commerce business in the past three financial years and the current year are tabulated as follows:
(Actual)(Actual)(Subject to audit)(Anticipated)($ million)(million items) In terms of operating costs, apart from the related conveyance costs and terminal dues, the existing manpower and facilities of the HKP have been deployed to handle e-commerce mail in additional to the universal postal services. Hence, it is difficult to quantify the operating cost of e-commerce business separately.
(7) The average utilisation rates of all iPostal Stations from 2023-24 to 2026-27 (up to the end-May 2026) are tabulated as follows:
Average utilisation rate(up to May 31, 2026) The HKP has been closely monitoring the usage of iPostal Stations as well as conducting timely promotional activities and adjusting related operational arrangements. In the past three financial years, arrangements were made to relocate three iPostal Stations and adjust the number of locker columns of 12 iPostal Stations having regard to the usage.
(8) The number of mail items not collected by recipients within the prescribed time limit at iPostal Stations from 2023 to 2026 (up to the end-May 2026) are tabulated as follows:
Year According to past statistics, about 98 per cent of the mail items were collected within the 48-hour time limit, and the proportion of overdue uncollected mail items was very low, indicating that the current collection time limit basically meets public demand. At present, the HKP has no plan to impose additional charges on recipients who collect items from iPostal Stations beyond the time limit.
(9) EC-GET is an affordable and economical local mailing solution designed to provide diversified services. The HKP launched a pilot programme for the EC-GET door-to-door pickup service in August 2024 and subsequently completed the assessment on the pilot programme. After carefully balancing cost-effectiveness, market demand, and public resource utilisation etc, the HKP currently has no plan to regularise the door-to-door pickup service for EC-GET.(1) The Postman grade includes Senior Postman and Postman. (2) The Postal Officer grade includes Superintendent of Posts, Senior Postal Officer and Postal Officer. (3) The Controller of Posts grade includes Postmaster General, Deputy Postmaster General, Assistant Postmaster General, Chief Controller of Posts, Senior Controller of Posts, Controller of Posts, Assistant Controller of Posts I, and Assistant Controller of Posts II. (4) The HKP would adjust the number of NCSC positions regularly and decide whether to renew contracts with individual NCSC staff according to operational requirements. (5) The office premises rented from private properties are mainly post offices as well as a few delivery offices, mail processing centre and office. (6) A sharp decline in mail volume recorded in 2024-25 was mainly due to external factors such as geopolitical situation and the tightening of inbound mail regulations in different places arising from the rise of protectionism. Issued at HKT 16:11
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Adrian Ho and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (July 8):
Question:
Recently, an intern doctor and a resident doctor in public hospitals have been dismissed by the Hospital Authority (HA) due to their serious improper acts, which has aroused public concern. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
(1) the number of people who completed their internship but were not awarded a certificate of experience or were not registered as doctors in the past five years, as well as the reasons for that; the number of complaints or reports received by HA involving breaches of professional conduct by intern doctors or resident doctors;
(2) whether HA has a regular mechanism in place to monitor the access records of its clinical management system, and has established an internal reporting mechanism for unusual access behaviour; if not, whether HA has plans to enhance the system’s security and confidentiality mechanism, including exploring the introduction of fingerprint, face ID, or mandating doctors to provide reasonable grounds and obtain authorisation from the attending doctors when making cross-hospital enquiries into patients’ medical records, so as to effectively safeguard patient data; and
(3) whether HA or the Medical Council of Hong Kong has plans to draw up guidelines clearly defining what constitutes “professional misconduct” for doctors to follow, and to liaise with the faculties of medicine of the various universities to strengthen medical students’ awareness of professional conduct through their curricula?
Reply:
President,
The medical profession is a core element of the healthcare system. The Medical Registration Ordinance (MRO) (Cap. 161) provides a legal framework for regulation of the registration of medical practitioners in Hong Kong. The Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) is a statutory body established according to the MRO, responsible for various statutory functions relating to the medical profession including the registration of medical practitioners. According to the MRO, to be qualified for full registration as a medical practitioner in Hong Kong, a medical graduate from a local medical school must be engaged in full-time employment and training in the capacity of intern doctors in a public hospital assessed and recognised by the MCHK for not less than 12 months, passed the assessments by the relevant medical school and the Hospital Authority (HA) and obtained a certificate of experience (CoE) awarded by the medical school.
The HA demands the highest standards of professional conduct, behaviour, and discipline from its medical practitioners. All public hospital doctors, including intern doctors, resident doctors and specialist doctors at all levels, must possess both medical competence and conduct themselves in a professional manner, placing patient well-being, privacy, safety, and care as their foremost priority at all times.
In consultation with the Department of Health and the HA, the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Adrian Ho is as follows:
(1) According to the MRO, a local medical school may award a CoE to a medical graduate only if it is satisfied that the graduate has been engaged in medicine and surgery during the 12-month internship employment at public hospitals under the HA and that the service has been satisfactory. Obtaining the CoE is a prerequisite for applying to the MCHK for full registration as a registered medical practitioner. Doctors who have completed full registration may serve as resident doctors in the HA to provide clinical and related services while undergoing specialist training.
From 2021-22 to 2025-26, the HA recorded around 12 to 35 disciplinary cases due to poor performance or breaches of professional conduct involving intern doctors and resident doctors per year. Among such disciplinary cases, three intern doctors failed to complete the internship due to poor performance, misbehaviour or criminal conviction, thus unable to be registered as medical practitioners, during these five years. In addition to the cases above, there are 10 intern doctors who failed to complete the internship due to resignation on personal grounds such as health issues or unable to meet the internship requirements and thus unable to be registered as medical practitioners. The aforementioned cases account for a relatively low percentage of the total intern doctor and resident doctor workforce of around 4 200. Detailed figures are listed in the Annex.
During these five years, all doctors who have completed the internship were actually awarded the CoE and were registered as medical practitioner. This is the response to the question mentioned by the Hon Adrian Ho.
(2) To safeguard security of patient data, the HA enforces strict gatekeeping on the usage of the Clinical Management System across five major dimensions:
(i) Regarding the application for the Clinical Management System account, each staff member must first complete a training course on privacy. Each application for account creation must be reviewed and approved by department head;
(ii) Regarding access to system functions, functional permissions for users of different grades vary according to operational needs. The system retains access logs to ensure traceability and accountability;
(iii) Regarding access and control on patient records, when a user enters a restricted access zone, the system will prompt and mandate the input of a reason for the access, and simultaneously remind the user that such access is subject to audit;
(iv) Regarding regular auditing and monitoring, the HA regularly reviews system accounts, user authorisations and access logs, and receives alerts on abnormal cases through the advanced incident reporting system and the personnel notification mechanism; and
(v) Regarding cybersecurity, the HA will continuously enhance system security to ensure data confidentiality and security.
(3) Courses on professional conduct and medical ethics are compulsory courses for medical students in local universities. They ensure students are acquainted with professional values and standard of good conduct prior to graduation. The MCHK will continue to maintain communication with universities’ medical schools to enhance medical students’ awareness towards professional conduct, through strengthening relevant content during the regular accreditation of medical programmes.
On the other hand, the MCHK has formulated the Code of Professional Conduct (Code) since 1994 to regulate a series of aspects such as the professional responsibility over patients and provides specific guidelines for all doctors on matters including keeping medical records, protecting patients’ privacy, and dissemination of information to the public; and is subject to update from time to time. The latest version of the Code is the “red book” I am holding, which is the revised version of 2022. All doctors in Hong Kong, including intern doctors, have a “red book” which they should be familiar with.
Intern doctors must abide by the “red book”, the Code by the MCHK, and non-compliance of which will result in disciplinary sanctions. Even if they were granted the CoE issued by the medical schools, the MCHK may still order not to register them as medical practitioners according to the MRO. Despite the nature of the Code as a guideline, the Government has submitted an amendment Bill to the Legislative Council which recommends empowering the MCHK to formulate and promulgate codes of conduct, granting the codes of conduct statutory status. The relevant amendment will further strengthen the authority and binding effect of the Code in favour of regulating the practice of all doctors including intern doctors and enhancing professional conduct.
On the other hand, to ensure staff compliance with ethical standards, apart from the Code by the MCHK, the HA also has the HA Code of Conduct, the “green book” I am holding. The HA Code of Conduct emphasises that staff have a duty to protect the HA’s and the patients’ information, records and property against improper or negligent disclosure, misuse, or unauthorised usage. The HA and the Committee on Teaching Hospitals communicate regularly with university medical schools on matters relating to the training of intern doctors and medical students, and the Central Internship Committee has been set up to monitor and enhance matters relating to internships.
President, we will continue to work with the MCHK, the HA, and the two universities to foster excellence in training, stringently enforce the regulatory mechanism for medical practitioners to assure the professional integrity of doctors, and safeguard the rights and interests of patients.
On the afternoon of July 7, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by United States Senator Tammy Duckworth. In remarks, President Lai thanked Senator Duckworth for introducing a bipartisan Senate resolution commemorating the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election, demonstrating the deep friendship between Taiwan and the US. The president pointed out that Taiwan and the US are key strategic and economic partners. Noting that Taiwan aims to become an Asian hub for global drone development, he expressed his belief that cooperation in the drone industry can advance the defense capabilities and the economic development of both Taiwan and the US, while also bolstering democratic and technological resilience, allowing both sides to contribute even more to global peace and prosperity.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
It is a great pleasure to receive our dear friend Senator Duckworth and her delegation in Taiwan once again. I remember last year, when we met at the Presidential Office, I invited Senator Duckworth to visit Taiwan every year. And as we meet again today, I would like to express a warm welcome and deepest thanks to all of our guests, as well as my hope that this tradition will continue.
Your visit falls on a meaningful occasion. Just a few days ago, the US celebrated the 250th anniversary of its founding. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I offer my sincerest congratulations. I also thank Senator Duckworth for introducing a bipartisan Senate resolution commemorating the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election. This demonstrated that Taiwan and the US share the values of freedom and democracy and enjoy a deep friendship. Senator Duckworth’s tireless efforts to put forth pro-Taiwan bills over the years and to facilitate vaccine donations to Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrate the high regard the US Congress and government have for Taiwan, and that support in the US for Taiwan is strong and bipartisan. For this, I express sincere gratitude on behalf of the people of Taiwan.
Senator Duckworth pays close attention to the situation across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has always worked to maintain regional peace and stability. That is why we will continue to bolster our self-defense capabilities. Our defense spending, as defined by NATO, surpassed 3 percent of GDP this year, and we expect it to reach 5 percent by 2030.
I want to thank Senator Duckworth for facilitating Taiwan-US drone industry cooperation. We hope that with the support of Senator Duckworth, the US Congress, and government, Taiwan can become an Asian hub for global drone development. The government has allocated resources for a drone industry development project and has proposed a draft special act and special budget for the procurement of drones and unmanned surface vehicles. This will allow us to remain abreast of developments. Our goals are to strengthen national defense, maintain the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and propel Taiwan’s economic and industrial development.
Taiwan and the US are key strategic and economic partners. We hope that Taiwan-US security cooperation will evolve beyond military procurement to a partnership that encompasses joint research and development and joint production. I believe that exchanges and cooperation in the drone industry can advance the defense capabilities and the economic development of both Taiwan and the US, while also bolstering democratic and technological resilience. This will allow us to contribute even more to global peace and prosperity.
Last year, Taiwan became the fourth largest trading partner of the US. And in the first quarter of this year, the US became Taiwan’s largest trading partner. Looking ahead, we will encourage more bilateral investment and industrial exchanges and cooperation, and we will continue deepening economic ties to make our cooperation more fruitful.
In closing, I once again welcome Senator Duckworth and the members of the delegation. I am confident that with your support, Taiwan-US cooperation across all sectors will continue steadily forward, growing stronger with time.
Senator Duckworth then delivered remarks, stating that she is proud to be the first US senator to visit Taiwan after the Trump-Xi summit to deliver a very strong message: Regardless of president or party, Congress’s commitment to Taiwan is steadfast; and that is not just talk. She asserted that Congress’s role matters to this relationship, giving the example of when, in 2021, she traveled to Taipei in the middle of the night with her colleagues, Senators Chris Coons and Dan Sullivan, to announce the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in a bipartisan message of steadfast support for Taiwan.
Senator Duckworth said that she was back in Taiwan in the same spirit of hope and commitment. She pointed out that Congress’s bipartisan commitment to Taiwan spans economics, security cooperation, and humanitarian and security assistance. Since she joined Congress, she said, she has been a leader in ensuring continued US assistance to Taiwan, including critical defense capabilities.
In this moment when some voices may try to question the commitment of the US to supporting Taiwan, Senator Duckworth reiterated that she and her bipartisan colleagues in Congress will continue to push for continued support for Taiwan and to uphold decades of US policy in support of Taiwan’s security. This, she explained, is because they know that Taiwan’s security matters for US security and the security of the rest of the world. She further pointed out that a conflict in the Taiwan Strait would cost the global economy as much as US$10 trillion and put over 7 percent of the US GDP at risk, which is greater than the impact of the global financial crisis or the COVID pandemic.
Senator Duckworth stated that just as the commitment to our friendship is strong across parties in the US, she looks forward to continuing the strength of that friendship across the parties in Taiwan as well, emphasizing that our security depends on it.
The delegation also included Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs and State Senator Paul Faraci and was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.
On the afternoon of July 7, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation from the 2026 Taiwan International Ocean Forum (TIOF). In remarks, President Lai stated that in the face of maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, deepening transnational cooperation and jointly enhancing maritime resilience mark the direction all countries must work toward together. The president said that Taiwan will continue to share experiences with other countries and establish closer and more efficient mechanisms for cooperation in areas such as maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue, and the protection of undersea infrastructure to jointly safeguard free, open, and secure oceans.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
The 2026 TIOF will be held tomorrow and the day after. Today, I am delighted to welcome our distinguished guests to the Presidential Office. I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone who traveled from afar to conduct exchanges addressing maritime issues together.
Maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region is now facing unprecedented challenges, including the increasing frequency of gray-zone aggression, the rising number of maritime law enforcement conflicts, and the risk of damage to critical infrastructure such as undersea cables. All of these challenges indicate that maritime security is no longer just an issue for coastal states, but a critical issue closely related to global peace and prosperity. Taiwan sincerely thanks the Group of Seven for reiterating last month the importance of establishing a free and open Indo-Pacific region based on the rule of law, and opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait by force or coercion.
To maintain regional peace and stability, and in line with this year’s theme of “Maritime Resilience,” we firmly believe that the direction all countries must work toward is deepening transnational cooperation and jointly enhancing resilience to respond to new types of threats. Taiwan will also actively strengthen various response measures. Last month, our Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee conducted a tabletop exercise at the Presidential Office focused on gray-zone aggression and high-intensity maritime coercion to verify the emergency response capabilities of the government and the private sector. In the future, Taiwan will continue to share experiences with other countries, and work together to establish closer and more efficient mechanisms for cooperation in areas such as maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue, and the protection of undersea infrastructure.
Taiwan is an indispensable partner in promoting global ocean sustainability. Regarding the Our Ocean Conference held last month, Taiwan was unable to participate due to unreasonable political interference. I want to emphasize that the ocean knows no borders, and ocean governance should not be constrained by political factors. Taiwan’s determination to engage with the world will not change, and we will continue to contribute our efforts toward promoting cooperation on ocean affairs.
The TIOF is an important link between Taiwan and the world. This year, participants from 15 countries, including over 100 experts from the industrial, government, academic, and research sectors, along with international legislators, will be in attendance. This visit by our distinguished guests represents firm support for Taiwan. In addition to wishing this forum great success, I also hope that we will continue to move forward side by side with other nations, jointly safeguarding free, open, and secure oceans and promoting global peace, prosperity, and development.
Member of the Dutch House of Representatives Jan Paternotte then delivered remarks, saying that he represents not only the Netherlands, but also over 300 Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) legislators from 45 IPAC countries who, like him, are concerned with Taiwan’s security and prosperity. He indicated that this month marks 10 years since the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award, and it is therefore proper and fitting that Taiwan is the host of this week’s forum, as the Taiwan Strait is where freedom of navigation has to be reasserted continuously.
Mr. Paternotte then stated that this year, the world has experienced why freedom of navigation has not just been established as a legal right for all nations for over 100 years, but why it is pivotal to preserve that freedom for the world’s prosperity and energy security. Upholding Taiwan’s status quo, security, and freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait is a priority issue for IPAC, he said, and the delegation is pleased to discuss practical steps during the next day’s forum in line with IPAC’s Operation MIST and Initiative 2758, stressing the importance of strengthening Taiwan’s resilience through international cooperation, including that in maritime security.
Mr. Paternotte said that he is aware that for some of his colleagues, standing here in the Presidential Office carries a cost. He explained that in 2021, APT31, a hacking group associated with Chinese state security, targeted the email accounts of every European Union IPAC member. In addition, he said that Chinese diplomats have pressured legislators not to attend IPAC summits, and that delegations to Taiwan have drawn protests, threats, and sanctions. But they are here anyway, he said, and that is precisely the point.
Noting that President Lai has said that Taiwan stands on the frontlines of the democratic world and is determined to defend democracy, Mr. Paternotte added that the president has also spoken of a democratic umbrella held up together by partners who share this commitment. Mr. Paternotte said that the delegation is here because they hold that umbrella with President Lai and the people of Taiwan.
The Government has welcomed the Legislative Council’s passage of the Stamp Duty (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026, which sets out rules for the calculation and payment in Renminbi (RMB) of stamp duty arising from dual-counter stock transactions conducted at the RMB counter.
The measure, passed today, will allow investors to settle both their trades and the associated stamp duty, in RMB, at the same RMB counter. It is expected to increase the RMB counter’s turnover and liquidity, strengthening the RMB’s role as an international investment currency.
The legislation will be published in the Government Gazette on July 17.
To facilitate system preparations by the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, the industry and relevant government departments, the new arrangements will commence on a day to be announced separately by the Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury by way of a notice published in the Gazette.
8 Jul 2026 – The Traffic Police (TP), National Environment Agency (NEA) and Land Transport Authority (LTA) conducted a multi-agency enforcement operation against errant motorcyclists along Admiralty Road West on 29 June 2026.
2 During the enforcement operation, about 280 motorcyclists were stopped for checks. A total of 15 persons, aged between 24 and 59, were found to be riding without a valid driving licence under Section 35(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 and using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage under Section 3(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act 1960. NEA issued 20 summonses for offences involving excessive vehicular noise. LTA detected 16 offences including the display of improper licence plates, expired road tax and using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage under Section 3(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act 1960. One foreign registered motorcycle was impounded by LTA for entering Singapore without a valid vehicle entry permit.
3 Please refer to Annex A for the penalties of the traffic offences and Annex B for photographs from the enforcement operation.
4 All motorists entering Singapore, including those driving and riding foreign-registered vehicles, must comply with Singapore’s traffic laws and vehicle
regulations. Non-compliant motorists may face penalties and foreign-registered vehicles may be denied entry into Singapore.
5 TP takes a serious view towards errant road users who flout traffic laws and endanger the safety of other road users. Motorcyclists should adopt safe riding habits as they and their pillion riders are more vulnerable on the roads. TP urges all motorcyclists to ride responsibly, and reminds all motorists to be vigilant and look out for motorcyclists on the roads. The authorities will continue our enforcement efforts against errant motorists.
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Annex A
Penalties of Traffic Offences
TP
The offence of driving without a valid driving licence under Section 35(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961 carries a fine of up to $10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both. Repeat offenders are liable to a fine of up to $20,000, a jail term of up to six years or both. The vehicle may also be forfeited.
The offence of using a motor vehicle without insurance coverage under Sec 3(1) of the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act 1960 carries a fine of up to $1,000, or a jail term of up to three months, or both.
NEA
The offence of using a motor vehicle with excessive vehicular emission and excessive vehicular noise under the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations, carries a fine of up to $2,000 for the first conviction, and a fine of up to $5,000 for a second or subsequent conviction.
LTA
The offence of displaying improper licence plates carries a fine up to $1,000, or a jail term of up to 3 months, or both. Repeat offenders are liable to a fine of up to $2,000, or a jail term of up to 6 months, or both.
The offence of using or keeping on any road any vehicle without a valid road tax carries a fine up to $2,000 or a fine of an amount equal to 3 times the tax payable if it has been proven that the offender had the intention to evade payment of any tax chargeable under the Road Traffic Act 1961.
The offence of non-payment of vehicle entry permit carries a fine up to $1,000, or a jail term of up to 3 months, or both. Repeat offenders are liable to a fine of up to $2,000, or a jail term of up to 6 months, or both.
Annex B
Photographs from enforcement operation along Admiralty Road West on 29 June 2026
TP officers conducting checks on motorcyclists
TP and LTA officers conducting checks on motorcyclists
MOFA response to false article by Swaziland News concerning ROC (Taiwan) ambassador to Eswatini
April 16, 2026 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly refutes a Swaziland News report that falsely accused ROC (Taiwan) Ambassador to Eswatini Jeremy H. S. Liang of engaging in multiple cases of corruption. The baseless report, which has recently been circulating on certain online platforms, provides no concrete evidence and is a typical example of disinformation and news manipulation.
Since assuming his position, Ambassador Liang has actively deepened Taiwan-Eswatini diplomatic ties, advanced bilateral relations, and maintained cordial interactions with the royal family and the Eswatini government. His achievements are well documented. Unfortunately, this has made him a target of ill-intentioned individuals.
Swaziland News is a media outlet headquartered in South Africa and funded by China to promote politically biased reporting. It has long criticized the royal family and Eswatini government policies and frequently disseminated false information on the international stage to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty and harm Taiwan-Eswatini ties.
In the past, there have been similar instances of foreign entities systematically engaging in disinformation with the aim of sabotaging Taiwan’s diplomatic relations. For instance, during a visit by then¬¬–Vice President Lai Ching-te to Paraguay in 2023, certain individuals deliberately spread false reports to mislead the Taiwanese public and damage the government’s diplomatic efforts.
MOFA urges the Taiwanese public to be vigilant and to not trust or share any disinformation that seeks to undermine Taiwan’s diplomatic relations and the efforts of frontline diplomatic personnel. MOFA will also compile details about relevant disinformation online and report them to the police so as to defend the reputation of MOFA and frontline diplomats. MOFA hopes that all sectors of society can work together to safeguard Taiwan’s foreign relations and national interests.
Busan, Korea’s No. 2 city, from July 19-29, 2026, will host the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Known as the “Olympics of cultural diplomacy” for discussing heritage of universal value that humanity must protect and nurture, the conference will mark Korea’s chairmanship of the event since the country’s signing of the World Heritage Convention in 1988.
A place in the low-lying plains of Suncheon, Jeollanam-do Province, is where time seems to have stopped. Naganeupseong Walled Town has preserved the landscape of a village from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) while still housing residents to this day.
Busan from July 19-29 wll host the annual session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The head of the Korea Heritage Service says the country’s first hosting of the event will feature world-class Korean efforts to protect World Heritage, as well as the expanding role of artificial intelligence in the sector. Click here for more
Four domestic tidal flats are expected to be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list next month. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, the global advisory body for natural heritage, has recommended the inscription of the four to the World Heritage Committee. Click here for more
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Hong Kong Customs today (July 7) detected a dangerous drug case and seized about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $0.8 million at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
A 21-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cocaine in the shoes worn by him. He was subsequently arrested.
After investigation, the arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (July 8).
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002) .