Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Toast to Success: Hong Kong Top Travel Agent Awards Celebration & Gala Dinner of 2025 Wine and Dine Festival today (October 25):

Michael (Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong), Rosanna (Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law), Peter (Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Peter Lam), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good evening.

     A very warm welcome to the Tasting Room, and the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, a world of fabulous dining and imbibing, day and night. I hope you brought your appetite. This gala evening features an eight-course dinner with splendid wine pairings, from Bordeaux and Xinjiang’s Turpan Valley. 

     For that, and a great deal more, my thanks to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. As Peter noted, tonight is about more than fine wine and culinary magic. It’s also a celebration of collaboration, of connection. 

     On this good evening, I’m pleased to welcome leaders from the financial and business sectors, as well as MICE (meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions) partners from around the world. Each of you shares a passion for excellence and the promise of partnership. That creates an ideal setting to make new friends, build lasting ties and look to Hong Kong for your future.

     The momentum in our tourism sector is truly encouraging. In the first nine months of this year, we welcomed over 36 million visitors from around the world, up 12 per cent year on year. And the number of international visitors increased by 16 percent. MICE is the fastest recovering segment.

     Visitors added more than HK$11 billion to our economy  ̶  a clear testament to the value and impact of hosting business events here.

     More than a pillar of the economy, tourism brings our city’s story to dazzling life, life you can see and experience, first-hand, for yourself.

     Hong Kong is the events capital of Asia for good reason. This year alone, our calendar is packed with more than 200 major events. We expect they will attract some 2.3 million visitors, generating over US$1 billion in spending.

     Beyond business, our city features a wide and welcome range of arts and culture, sports, entertainment and other leisure events throughout the year. The Wine & Dine Festival is a prime example, a happy celebration of Hong Kong’s unique East-meets-West culture. An enticing opportunity, too, to experience another side of Hong Kong – one that is festive, fun and full of delicious surprise.

     We’re working to create a continuing buzz, one great, city-wide festival that never ends. Our goal is simple – to give visitors reason after remarkable reason to stay longer, explore deeper, spend more and keep coming back.

     And we’re building for the future, locking in long-term partnerships to ensure that these signature events become an essential part of Hong Kong’s story. 

     Our new, multi-year deal with LIV Golf, for example, brings the world’s top golfers, and their fans, right here to our city.

     We’re also deepening our collaboration with Art Basel, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as the region’s exclusive host city for the high-profile arts extravaganza. 

     It’s also part of our “Tourism is Everywhere” drive, one we’re bringing to bright life, leveraging the city’s distinctive culture, creativity and energy to attract visitors from around the world. And each of you plays an important role in realising that ambitious goal. 

     I invite you to become our “Tourism Ambassadors”, helping us share the authentic and inspiring story of Hong Kong.

     Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is just a few minutes away. I wish you all a memorable evening and a delightful stay here in Hong Kong, Asia’s World City and event capital. Culinary capital, too!

     And for our local friends, please mark your diary for another event – the Legislative Council election on December 7. It is an important moment for our future. 

     Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Legal Professional Examination (GBA Examination) was held today (October 25).

     Since the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress’ authorisation of the State Council to conduct a pilot scheme in 2020, the GBA Examination has been held five times. Currently, over 620 Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners have passed the GBA Examination and obtained the Lawyer’s License (Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area) to provide legal services in the nine Mainland municipalities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) on specified civil and commercial matters to which the Mainland laws apply.

     The Acting Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said, “The GBA has the unique advantage of ‘one country, two systems and three jurisdictions’. GBA lawyers are dually qualified and can play an important role in facilitating the construction of the rule of law in the GBA as well as contributing to the country’s high-quality development. The Department of Justice will continue to support the authorities including the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province in their work to take forward the development of the GBA lawyers scheme, and also maintain communication with the legal sector to assist GBA lawyers in their business development.”

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Main Media Centre (MMC) in the Hong Kong competition region of the 15th National Games (NG) will officially commence operation tomorrow and stay open until November 23.

Upholding the spirit of implementation of green initiatives in organising the 15th NG, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG), the MMC is converted from the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre.

　

The MMC consists of the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcast Centre. 

The Main Press Centre provides work stations, press positions, a press conference room and other facilities for registered media and broadcasters, and will live broadcast competitions as well as provide live results and information about the competitions.

The International Broadcast Centre will serve as the main broadcast control room of the 15th NG, 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG, and will be operated by the host broadcaster, China Central Television, for consolidating broadcast signals from all venues in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. Four rights-holding broadcasters, including three local free television broadcasters and Radio Television Hong Kong, have been conferred the broadcasting rights, enabling them to broadcast the 15th NG for free locally.

  

After the 15th NG, the venue will be transformed into the MMC of the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​The Labour Department (LD) and the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC) jointly held an occupational safety seminar at the Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre today (October 25). The seminar elaborated on safety precautions that various industries should take while working, and demonstrated the use of appropriate safety equipment for repair, maintenance, alteration and addition works to enhance occupational safety awareness among ethnic minorities.

Speaking at the seminar, the Acting Commissioner for Labour, Mr Vincent Fung, said that the ethnic minority community is vital to the city’s workforce, and their occupational safety and well-being must be safeguarded. He emphasised that occupational safety and health (OSH) is a shared duty, and that employers and employees should work together to build a safety culture. The LD will continue to enhance occupational safety through inspections, enforcement, publicity and promotion, as well as education and training. He also took the opportunity to urge eligible voters to cast their ballots in the Legislative Council Elections on December 7, selecting capable and competent representatives who can contribute to Hong Kong’s occupational safety standards and the city’s prosperity.

At the seminar, a representative of the LD outlined the safety legislations on OSH, while a representative of the OSHC introduced various sponsorship schemes for small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) and OSH Star Enterprise Schemes, encouraging all SMEs across Hong Kong to participate and proactively improve their OSH practices.

A safety equipment exhibition was held at the venue, showcasing different types of equipment such as a light-duty working platform, a step platform, transportable temporary anchor devices and a full body safety harness, allowing participants to experience firsthand the effectiveness of the equipment.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) late last night retrieved the Flight Data Recorder and the Cockpit Voice Recorder, commonly known as the “black boxes” from the B744 cargo aircraft which ditched into the sea on Monday. 

The cargo aircraft had arrived from Al Maktoum International Airport, United Arab Emirates, deviated from the North Runway of Hong Kong International Airport after landing and ditched into the sea.

There is water ingress into the two “black boxes”. The AAIA has sent the devices to a laboratory for preliminary examination to determine the next course of action.

Experts will conduct an in-depth analysis of the collected data, including reconstructing the sequence of events through the data from the “black boxes”, interviews with relevant personnel, laboratory findings, examination of the aircraft wreckage, aircraft operating procedures, aircraft system status and maintenance records, weather conditions, and other relevant factors, to prepare a report.

The AAIA said it will release a preliminary investigation report within one month and continue to conduct a thorough and rigorous investigation to determine the sequence of events and causes of the accident, as well as to propose safety recommendations to enhance aviation safety.

Pursuant to Annex 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the investigation into the accident is being led by the AAIA, which is also responsible for the dissemination of information. 

Meanwhile, notifications have been issued to the State of Registry, the State of the Operator, the State of Design and the State of Manufacture of the aircraft in accordance with Annex 13. 

Investigative authorities from these countries have appointed accredited representatives and experts to participate in the investigation and provide professional advice. 

Personnel from the National Transportation Safety Board of the US and the Transport Safety Investigation Center of Türkiye have arrived in Hong Kong, while experts from Boeing are also participating.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Glowing along Adelaide’s River Torrens, the striking 40-metre-long Hong Kong Dragon Lantern is once again a major highlight of the Moon Lantern Trail at this year’s OzAsia Festival from October 17 to November 2. The display showcases Hong Kong’s unique position as a cultural bridge between East and West, while also honouring the growing creative collaboration between Hong Kong and Australia.

The OzAsia Festival, organised by the Adelaide Festival Centre, stands as a leading international arts festival in Australia. The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) is proud to once again be part of the Festival, bringing Hong Kong’s creativity to Adelaide through the stunning Hong Kong Dragon Lantern showcased at the Festival’s iconic Moon Lantern Trail. 

Speaking at the OzAsia Festival Opening Night, the Director of the Sydney ETO, Mr Ricky Chong, said that the Sydney ETO has long supported initiatives that advance Hong Kong’s role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. The Sydney ETO was pleased to support contemporary art platform Hong Kong Soul at the Adelaide Fringe and the Hong Kong String Orchestra performing in Adelaide earlier this year. These exchanges strengthen cultural ties and foster lasting friendship between Hong Kong and South Australia. 

He introduced the key measures announced in “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address” to promote the integrated development of culture, sports and tourism, generating fresh economic momentum and further enhancing Hong Kong’s global appeal. Mr Chong noted that the Kai Tak Sports Park, the largest sports infrastructure project ever built in Hong Kong, has already opened its doors and hosted a series of major events. Hong Kong will also cohost the National Games with Guangdong and Macao, which will take place next month.

Mr Chong remarked that with direct flights between Adelaide and Hong Kong soon to resume, there is no better time to experience Hong Kong’s vibrant energy and cultural dynamism.

Held annually over three weeks (October 17 to November 9), the OzAsia Festival is Australia’s leading contemporary arts festival that engages with Asia. This year’s festival presents a rich programme spanning theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literature, cuisine, and cultural events from across the region. The vibrant line-up features more than 200 artists from Australia and abroad including Hong Kong, with six world premieres to be staged.