Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Chris Ip and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):
 
Question:
 
     Starting in 2024, the Government has rolled out two functions of the eHealth mobile application, namely “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder”, to enable citizens to securely use their electronic health records across the boundary at designated medical institutions outside Hong Kong, thereby enhancing continuity of care. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) since December 24, 2025, when the “Cross-boundary Health Record” function was expanded from being limited to elderly citizens eligible for health care vouchers to approximately 6.3 million eHealth users in Hong Kong, of the number of Hong Kong citizens who have applied for and used the “Cross-boundary Health Record” function each month;
 
(2) with the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 passed by the Legislative Council in July last year and came into effect on December 1 of the same year, the Commissioner for the Electronic Health Record is empowered to recognise individual healthcare providers and public health record systems outside Hong Kong, provided that data privacy and system security are sufficiently protected and specified requirements and conditions are duly complied with, of the progress and timeline for implementing the recognition arrangement; and
 
(3) as I have recently received a complaint alleging that a member of the public presented a test report issued by a designated medical institution outside Hong Kong to a local public hospital doctor for reference, and that it is understood that the public hospital doctor refused to accept the report, citing it as “incomprehensible”, and requested the complainant to schedule the same test again in Hong Kong; and as the Government stated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 25, 2026 that it would further deepen cross-boundary medical record sharing through eHealth, whether the Government has any plans currently to optimise the existing practice, so that Hong Kong public hospitals will accept health examination reports issued by designated medical institutions outside Hong Kong, thereby avoiding the need for members of the public to undergo the same examinations repeatedly; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
eHealth is a territory-wide electronic health record sharing system launched by the Government in 2016 that enables citizens to authorise healthcare providers (HCPs) in the public and private sectors to view and share their electronic health records (eHRs) for healthcare purposes. Building on the strengths of eHealth, the Government announced in the 2023 Policy Address the initiative to roll out a five-year development plan of eHealth+ to transform eHealth into a comprehensive healthcare information infrastructure that integrates multiple functions of data sharing, service delivery and care journey management. eHealth+ aims to facilitate care co-ordination, cross-sector collaboration, as well as active health management and surveillance, thereby better serving citizens in obtaining optimal healthcare services, and supporting the healthcare reform and various healthcare policies more effectively, such as primary healthcare and cross-boundary healthcare services. The Government is taking forward the eHealth+ development in phases in accordance with the patient-centric principle and four strategic directions, namely One Health Record, One Care Journey, One Digital Front Door to Empowering Tool, and One Health Data Repository.
 
To dovetail with cross-boundary healthcare collaborations, the Government has progressively launched the “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” functions of the eHealth App at 20 medical institutions, including the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH) and medical institutions under the Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme since 2024. These two functions facilitate Hong Kong citizens to securely use their eHRs across the boundary under the principle of “bring your own health records”, thereby enhancing continuity of care. The “Cross-boundary Health Record” function enables eHealth users to apply for their eHRs deposited in eHealth over the preceding three years and to authorise the healthcare professionals of designated medical institutions outside Hong Kong to access the eHRs during consultations to assist with diagnosis and treatment. In addition, users may deposit the medical records obtained outside Hong Kong in their personal eHealth accounts via the “Personal Folder” function to facilitate centralised storage and usage, including allowing authorised HCPs in Hong Kong to access through eHealth during follow-up care.
 
In December 2025, the Government extended the “Cross-boundary Health Record” function, which was previously limited to eligible elderly recipients of the Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs), to all eHealth users in Hong Kong. Besides, the Government upgraded the “Personal Folder” function in January 2026. Before receiving radiology services at the three designated medical institutions outside Hong Kong (namely the HKU-SZH, Zhongshan Chen Xinghai Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, and Shenzhen New Frontier United Family Hospital), citizens may authorise them to directly deposit high-resolution radiology reports and images, which are often challenging for users to upload themselves, into their personal eHealth accounts.
 
The Government will continue to maintain close communication with the relevant Mainland authorities and medical institutions in expanding and deepening cross-boundary medical record sharing orderly through eHealth, with a view to supporting the cross-boundary healthcare needs of citizens more effectively as well as enhancing the quality and safety of cross-boundary medical services.
 
In consultation with the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the questions raised by the Hon Chris Ip is as follows:
 
(1) As at April 2026, over 32 500 citizens have used the “Cross-boundary Health Record” and “Personal Folder” functions of the eHealth App. Detailed statistics are as follows:
 

Function		Total number of users	Average number of users per month in the past three months (Note)
“Cross-boundary Health Record”		21 170	3 703
“Personal Folder”	Self-deposit health record	10 457	1 169
	Authorise designated medical institutions to deposit radiology reports and images	6 789	2 062

 
Note: In the past three months, an average of about 10 000 eligible elderly persons have used EHCVs per month across the 20 designated medical institutions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
 
(2) To more effectively support the five-year development plan of eHealth+, the Electronic Health Record Sharing System (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (Amendment Ordinance) came into effect on December 1, 2025, expanding and enhancing the data collection, sharing, usage and protection mechanism of eHealth. Among other things, the Amendment Ordinance has introduced provisions that empower the Commissioner for the Electronic Health Record (eHRC) to recognise individual non-Hong Kong HCPs and public health record systems, subject to sufficient protection of data privacy and system security, as well as due compliance with specified requirements and conditions. If a citizen receives services from a recognised non-Hong Kong HCP, he/she may authorise that HCP to access his/her eHealth records and to deposit the post-consultation health records directly into his/her personal eHealth account.
 
The Government will progressively implement the recognition arrangements drawing on the experience gained from the above-mentioned eHealth cross-boundary functions, while dovetailing with various cross-boundary health collaboration initiatives and the cross-boundary healthcare needs of citizens. In particular, the Government will formulate a set of Code of Practice (COP) to prescribe the recognition arrangements and conditions, in accordance with the Amendment Ordinance, other relevant laws and regulations, as well as the Government Information Technology Security Policy and Guidelines promulgated by the Digital Policy Office. The COP will cover technical requirements, security and privacy standards, as well as supervisory and incident response mechanisms, with a view to effectively safeguarding the system security and data privacy of eHealth. The eHRC may suspend or revoke the relevant recognition of a non-Hong Kong HCP or public health record system in case the recognition conditions are contravened or the recognition may impair the security or compromise the integrity of eHealth.

To ensure that there are sufficient leverages in place for the eHRC to enforce the imposed conditions and the regulatory compliance in the relevant jurisdictions, the Government will, inter alia, enter into contracts or agreements with the recognised non-Hong Kong HCPs or public health record system operators to provide legal basis for the cross-boundary sharing and use of eHRs. This will ensure the legality of cross-boundary data transmission and safeguard the security of personal data.
 
(3) At present, after citizens have deposited medical records obtained outside Hong Kong in their personal eHealth accounts via the “Personal Folder” function, medical institutions in Hong Kong (including the HA) may, in accordance with the principles of “patient under care” and “need-to-know”, access the relevant records through eHealth with the citizens’ consent to assist in clinical diagnosis.
 
Generally speaking, when patients seek consultation at hospitals or clinics under the HA, doctors will provide appropriate treatment, arrange examinations or make referrals based on patients’ clinical condition and medical records. During the process, doctors will exercise their professional judgement to assess whether it is necessary to make reference to patients’ relevant eHealth records and any other medical information provided by patients, including diagnostic or medical reports issued by local or non-local healthcare institutions, so as to ensure the comprehensiveness and accuracy of their clinical decisions. Regardless of whether the report was issued by a local or non-local healthcare institution, a doctor may, after reviewing the relevant report and based on a variety of clinical reasons, still recommend that the patient undergo the same examination. For example, an imaging examination may require the use of different techniques (such as Computed Tomography volumetry or 3D reconstruction); a blood test (such as a tumour marker test) may need to be repeated for comparison purpose; and the results of an ultrasound examination may vary depending on the operator.
 
As at April 2026, Hong Kong healthcare institutions have accessed the health records deposited by citizens via the “Personal Folder” function over 4 500 times, of which around one-third were made by the HA. Besides, Hong Kong healthcare institutions have made more than 600 accesses of radiology reports deposited by designated GBA medical institutions authorised by citizens, of which more than 80 per cent were from the HA. The HA will step up its efforts to promote the effective use of the eHealth platform among frontline doctors, with a view to assisting them in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of patients’ conditions, thereby responding to patients’ health needs more effectively, while minimising unnecessary repeated examinations and reducing the cost of care.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, on the regulation of ride-hailing services at a media session today (May 27):
 
Reporter: First, how do you respond to the criticism from ride-hailing platforms that the 10 000 quota cannot meet market demand and is too conservative? Second, will you pledge to review the quota within the first few months upon the scheme’s launch and to issue additional licences if the service supply fails to meet market demand and maybe drives up the fare?
 
Secretary for Transport and Logistics: The proposed four sets of subsidiary legislation contain a lot of details regarding the various requirements under the proposed regulatory regime. Among all the key requirements, one is very important – once we have issued licences for platform operators in the future, we will impose a requirement for the operators to store the relevant operational data and share them with the Transport Department. I believe that our mechanism and review should be based on data and take into account the various operating indicators.
 
     At present, regarding the quota for the issuance of permits for ride-hailing vehicles, there have been a host of diversified views in the community for over a year or so. We have been taking a very careful, prudent and open-minded approach in listening to the various views and analysis provided. As a start, we would like to take a prudent and careful approach to ensure that our proposed regulatory regime will be achieved and implemented in a safe, smooth and progressive manner. Once we have issued licences to platform operators, we will immediately take into account and keep in view the various operating data available to us. I think this is a scientific, data-orientated mechanism and approach so that we can provide a very transparent, open-data analysis and assessment to the Legislative Council and the community, enabling us to take a progressive and forward-looking approach.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Pui-leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):

Question:

     It is prohibited under the existing legislation to sell and supply intoxicating liquor to persons under the age of 18 (minors) in the course of business. There are views pointing out that, given the growing popularity of online shopping, minors can easily circumvent the law to purchase liquor by sending private messages to sellers and arranging delivery through courier services. This may give rise to regulatory loopholes since some individual sellers operate online liquor trading businesses without business registration and age verification with buyers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the Inland Revenue Department has issued advisory letters to and instituted prosecutions against persons operating online liquor trading businesses without business registration in accordance with the requirements under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) over the past five years; if so, of the numbers concerned and the effectiveness thereof;

(2) given that in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 25 this year, the Government indicated that, over the past five years, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health had carried out over 2 600 online inspections targeting online shopping platforms and issued more than 600 advisory letters to these platforms pursuant to Part 5 of the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap. 109B), whether it involved repeated non-compliances among these cases; if so, of the numbers and percentages concerned; of the Government’s follow-up measures against online shopping platforms or holders of social media accounts not responding to advice repeatedly;

(3) given that it does not require a liquor licence for selling liquor online at present, whether TACO has established mechanisms to proactively monitor online trading platforms and online stores and investigate if reasonable steps have been taken for age verification with buyers when selling liquor; whether studies have been conducted on the use of big data or artificial intelligence systems to proactively monitor non-compliances involving liquor advertisements or suspicious transactions on social media and online platforms, with a view to stepping up efforts in combating illegal sale of liquor to minors; if so, of the effectiveness of these efforts; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) quite a number of countries have formulated strict regulations on online sale of liquor as an effort to protect youth health and regulate the supply of alcohol, for instance, Singapore mandates that individuals and commercial enterprises, including e-commerce platforms, are required to obtain a licence before supplying alcoholic beverages online or through telecommunications services and that these platforms should take the initiative to remove non-compliant products and be jointly and severally liable for non-compliances, whether the Government will make reference to the experience of other places and formulate relevant regulations; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     According to the World Health Organization (WHO), harmful use of alcohol is a significant risk factor for more than 200 diseases, injuries and other health conditions. Harmful use of alcohol is associated with the risk of developing a range of health problems such as mental and behavioural disorders (including alcohol dependence), and major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (e.g. liver cirrhosis and certain cancers). In addition to health effects, harmful use of alcohol can place a heavy burden on individuals, families and the society. The WHO recommends that governments of various places should strengthen their responses to reduce alcohol-related harm for prevention and control of NCDs. Reducing alcohol-related harm is an important priority action area in the prevention and control of NCDs locally. In 2018, the Government promulgated the Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong (SAP). To this end, the Government adopts a multi-pronged approach, comprising publicity and education, law enforcement, and promotion of alcohol screening, and more. The Department of Health (DH) has been enforcing the Dutiable Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 (the Amendment Ordinance) since 2018 to further prevent youth access to alcohol. In response to the Hon Chan Pui-leung’s question, the reply after consultation with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the DH is as follows:

(1) Any person who carries on a business in Hong Kong, regardless of whether through a brick-and-mortar presence or the internet, is required to apply for business registration under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310). If the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is aware that any person carrying on a business in Hong Kong has not applied for business registration, it would advise the relevant person to apply for business registration as soon as possible, and would consider initiating prosecution against the relevant person where necessary.

     As the IRD does not maintain statistics on cases involving issuance of advice, the relevant figures are not available. According to the IRD’s experience, most of those who received advice would apply for business registration promptly. In the past five years, the IRD did not institute prosecution in respect of businesses selling alcoholic products online without business registration.

(2) to (4) Through the Amendment Ordinance, the Government adds a new Part 5 and a Schedule to the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap. 109B) (the Regulations). The Regulations aims to prevent minors from accessing and obtaining alcoholic beverages in order to protect the health of young people and have been in force since 2018. The Regulations prohibit any persons from selling or supplying intoxicating liquor to a minor in the course of business (including face-to-face and remote distribution). For remote distribution, the seller must display or broadcast the prescribed notice stating that, under the law of Hong Kong, intoxicating liquor must not be sold or supplied to minors in the course of business. The seller must also obtain an age declaration from the buyer confirming that he/she is 18 years of age or above prior to the sale or supply, and there must be no circumstances that would give the seller reasonable grounds to suspect that the declaration is false.

     Having drawn reference from the experience of other jurisdictions and striking a balance between protecting public health and the degree of regulation, the Regulations adopt a strategy that focuses on the regulation of the transaction, including making it an offence to complete each remote transaction without first receiving an age declaration. Compared with a licensing regime imposed on sellers, this approach enable the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the DH to directly investigate and take enforcement action against suspected illegal selling of liquor to minors, regardless of whether the seller holds a licence. This approach also covers covert sales.

     The TACO has established a mechanism to continuously and proactively engage with the trade, including online platforms, to provide guidelines which are respectively applicable to the sellers, the delivery staff employed by the sellers, and more. The guidelines sets out the reasonable steps when delivering the liquor, so as to assist the trade in understanding and complying with the relevant requirements. For example, where delivery services are required to complete the remote distribution order after the sale of liquor, the delivery staff who is employed by the company selling the alcoholic beverages have a legal obligation to verify that the recipient is 18 years of age or above before handing over the liquor.

     Between 2021 and 2025, the TACO conducted more than 2 600 online inspections and issued more than 600 advisory letters in response to cases where websites were found not to have properly implemented the requirements regarding the prescribed notice or age declaration. All relevant websites co-operated and took follow-up action after receiving the advisory letters, with no cases involving repeated disregard of the advice.

     The Government is also committed to leveraging technology to enhance enforcement efficiency at various levels. The TACO is exploring the use of big data or artificial intelligence technology to assist in online inspection work and will introduce appropriate tools in a timely manner in light of the development of relevant technologies.

     In addition, the TACO places great importance on public education to more effectively regulate the unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages to minors under the Regulations. The DH has launched the “Young and Alcohol Free” campaign since 2016, with the development of health education resources, Announcements in the Public Interest, and collaboration with groups and non-governmental organisations serving youth, to disseminate relevant messages. The latest round of the promotional campaign was launched in 2025 and was promoted through social media, residential building lobby TV display network, public transport, venues under the DH and other Government departments.

     Regular surveys conducted by the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau collect information on alcohol drinking, smoking and drug use among young people. According to the Survey of Drug Use among Students, since the Amendment Ordinance took effect, the prevalence of ever drinking, 12-month drinking and 30-day drinking among youth shows a downward trend, meeting the relevant target as stated in the SAP, which aims to achieve a relative reduction of at least 10 per cent in the prevalence of drinking among youth from the 2011/12 level by 2025. The relevant figures are tabulated below: 
 

	Year 2011/12	Year 2023/24	Change
The prevalence of ever drinking among youth	56.0%	40.4%	-27.9%
The prevalence of 12-month drinking among youth	41.0%	27.9%	-32.0%
The prevalence of 30-day drinking among youth	18.4%	14.3%	-22.3%

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 27) said that the next online auction of vehicle registration marks (VRMs) will be held from noon on June 11 (Thursday) to noon on June 15 (Monday) through the auction platform E-Auction (e-auction.td.gov.hk). Interested bidders can participate in the online auction only after they have successfully registered as E-Auction users.
 
     A spokesman for the TD said, “A total of 220 Ordinary VRMs will be available at this online public auction. The list of VRMs (see Annex) has been uploaded to the E-Auction website. Applicants who have paid a $1,000 deposit to reserve an Ordinary VRM for auction should also register as an E-Auction user in advance in order to participate in the online bidding, including placing the first bid at the opening price of $1,000. Otherwise, the VRMs reserved by them may be bid on by other interested bidders at or above the opening price. Auctions for VRMs with ‘HK’ or ‘XX’ as a prefix, special VRMs and personalised VRMs will continue to be carried out through physical auctions by bidding paddles and their announcement arrangements remain unchanged.”
 
     Members of the public participating in the online bidding should take note of the following important points:
 
(1) Bidders should register in advance as an E-Auction user by “iAM Smart+” equipped with the digital signing function; or by using a valid digital certificate and an email address upon completion of identity verification. Registered “iAM Smart” users should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, while non-Hong Kong residents who are not “iAM Smart” users should provide the number of their passport or other identification documents when registering as E-Auction users.
 
(2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using “iAM Smart+” or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.
 
(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours.
 
(4) Successful bidders must follow the instructions in the notification email issued by the TD to log in to the E-Auction within 48 hours from the issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including:
 

• completing the Purchaser Information for the issuance of the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark (Memorandum of Sale); and
• making the auction payment online by credit card, Faster Payment System (FPS) or Payment by Phone Service (PPS). Cheque or cash payment is not accepted in the E-Auction.

(5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hk) for enquiries. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):

Question:

     The Department of Health has established a Centralised Organ Donation Register (CODR) to facilitate voluntary registration by those wishing to donate organs, so that their wish to donate organs after death can be duly recorded. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the numbers of new registrations, deregistrations and cumulative total registrations on CODR in each of the past three years, with a tabulated breakdown by age group;

(2) according to the statistics from the Hospital Authority, as at March 31, 2026, there were over 3 000 patients awaiting organ transplants, whether the Government will review the effectiveness of its publicity efforts to promote organ donation and establish key performance indicators for this purpose, so as to help formulate corresponding promotional measures to raise public awareness and willingness to donate organs and increase the number of registrations on CODR; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) whether it will consider changing the current “voluntary donation” mechanism for organ donation to an “opt-out” system; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) regarding the arrangements for cross-boundary organ donation and transplants with the Mainland, the Government has earlier on indicated that it needs to gradually accumulate successful cases to promote a cross-boundary organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism, of the expected timeframe for the regularisation of the mechanism; whether it has drawn up a specific work plan and timetable for this purpose; if so, the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Department of Health (DH) and the Hospital Authority (HA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by Reverend Canon the Hon Peter Douglas Koon is as follows:

 (1) The numbers of registrations recorded in the Centralised Organ Donation Register (CODR) in the past three years are as follows:
 

	2023	2024	2025
Number of new registrations	25 968	24 809	24 662
Cumulative total number  of registrations  (as at December 31 of the year)	367 199	391 187	414 371
Number of withdrawals of registration	14 862 (Note)	821	1 478

Note: During the period of May and June 2023, the spreading of quite a number of malicious remarks intending to mislead the public had led to an unusual surge in the number of withdrawals of registration from the CODR. Subsequently, with the Government’s strengthened publicity efforts, the number of withdrawals of registration has returned to normal.

     Since the age of the applicants is not recorded in the CODR, a tabulated breakdown by age group is not available.

(2) The Health Bureau (HHB), together with the DH and the HA, have been making continuous efforts to collaborate with community partners in promoting organ donation through different channels and on various fronts.

     Since 2023, the DH has stepped up its publicity efforts on organ donation by (1) setting up organ donation promotion booths in different locations of the community and deploying the organ donation promotion vehicle to organise promotion activities, with a view to encouraging public registration in the CODR; (2) using various channels, such as television, radio, newspapers and the internet for publicity; (3) promoting e-engagement of the public through the dedicated social media page “Organ Donation at HK”; (4) educating the public through health talks; (5) producing publicity materials for distribution in various occasions and events; (6) establishing an institution-based network to promote organ donation in partnership with signatories and supporters of the Organ Donation Promotion Charter; and (7) staging large-scale publicity events to support the Organ Donation Day on the second Saturday of November every year.

     In line with the Government’s strategies and initiatives of promoting organ donation, the HA has organised various promotion activities, including (1) setting up a designated webpage, with publicity and education videos as well as e-posters hyperlinked to the CODR, in the HA’s internet and intranet websites; (2) promoting organ donation on the HA’s social media platform and posting promotional content on various media and platforms; (3) setting up promotion booths in various hospitals under the HA; (4) recruiting summer volunteers to participate in organ donation promotion activities; and (5) inviting and arranging for the DH to set up promotion booths in various hospitals under the HA and at large-scale events.

     In the paper for discussion of the Legislative Council Panel on Health Services on the policy initiatives of the HHB in the 2022 Policy Address, the HHB set a key performance indicator (KPI) for organ donation promotion, which was to increase the total number of registrations in the CODR by 15 per cent (i.e. to approximately 410 000) by the end of 2027. This KPI was achieved ahead of schedule in 2025. As at April 30, 2026, the number of registrations in the CODR exceeded 418 000, demonstrating that the Government’s organ donation publicity efforts have been effective. Moving forward, the Government and the HA will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach, strengthening collaboration with various sectors through different channels to jointly promote organ donation.

(3) Hong Kong has been adopting an “opt-in” system for cadaveric organ donations. Members of the public can carry signed Organ Donation Cards as an expression of wish to donate organs after death, but what is more important is that such wish should be made known to the family members. Under the existing mechanism, even if a deceased person has indicated his/her wish to donate organs after death, organ donation co-ordinators would seek the consent of the family members of the deceased. Should there be any objection from the family members of the deceased, the relevant transplant surgery will not be performed.

     Apart from Organ Donation Cards, the DH launched the CODR computer system in 2008 to provide members of the public with an additional convenient means to clearly indicate one’s wish for organ donation so that family members and medical staff are aware of the expressed wish. Whenever the HA encounters cases concerning patients with potential brain death, organ donation co-ordinators of the HA would ascertain if the deceased has expressed a wish for organ donation on the CODR, and would approach his/her family members after declaration of brain death. Organ donation co-ordinators would then explain the details of organ donation to the family members and convey to them the deceased’s wish so as to seek their consent to the donation of the deceased’s organs as soon as possible, thereby saving lives of patients who are in need of organ transplant. Experience shows that most people, upon learning their beloved family member’s wish to donate organs after death, are more willing to respect and honour such wishes. The record on the CODR is merely an expression of wish and does not bear any legal effect or binding force.

     An “opt-out” mechanism is very different from the existing organ donation regime. Organ donation is a selfless and generous act of benevolence. The Government is of the view that organ donation should be promoted through strengthening education and publicity. At this stage, it is not appropriate to consider changing the cadaveric organ donation regime through legislative means. As a matter of fact, regarding such a controversial issue, mandating an “opt-out” system for organ donation through legislative means without sufficient consensus in society may be counterproductive, as it could deter individuals from expressing their willingness to donate. This is a matter that requires careful consideration.

(4) With the strong support and assistance of the Central Government and relevant Mainland authorities, there were two cases of successful cross-boundary organ donation from the Mainland to Hong Kong in December 2022 and February 2025. On the basis of the two successful cases, Hong Kong and the Mainland have currently established standing channels and standardised co-operation procedures for handling emergency cross-boundary organ transplant. When a patient in moribund condition is confirmed to be in need of urgent organ transplantation to extend his/her life and no suitable organ is available in Hong Kong, subject to the fulfilment of relevant clinical criteria as assessed by the medical team and the consent of his/her family members, the Government will seek assistance from the country. The operational procedures for handling emergency cross-boundary organ transplant adopt a second-tier allocation mechanism, which will be activated only when local matching is unsuccessful for a donated cadaveric organ. Each case will be notified to the relevant government departments and an application will be made. The relevant departments will then vet the application and implement the arrangements in accordance with the established mechanism to ensure that the transportation and transplant processes are in compliance with the laws and regulations of both places.

     In addition, the HA has formulated and implemented a set of standardised clinical protocols in terms of technical requirements, criteria and procedures for handling emergency cross-boundary organ transplant cases in a consistent approach. This is to ensure that organ donation is conducted in a legal, fair, equitable and safe manner to benefit patients with the greatest need. The Government will continue to seek assistance from the country for patients in urgent need of organ transplant in accordance with the mechanism, and improve the cross-boundary organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism based on the experience gained from handling more successful cases.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Wu Ying-peng and a reply by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding the development of an AI foundational large model for the legal sector in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) in light of the unique position of “one country, two systems and three jurisdictions” in the GBA, whether the Government will take the lead in studying the development of the aforesaid large model and lead the construction of the Hong Kong component, while formulating clear development objectives, an implementation roadmap and a timetable to align with national development plans; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) in the process of promoting the interoperability of legal databases and the sharing of computing-power resources across the three places, whether the Government will co-operate with relevant departments in Guangdong and Macao to establish a governance mechanism covering data security, critical infrastructure security, and compliance reviews for alignment, so as to safeguard the steady development of cross-boundary legal services and judicial collaboration; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether the Government will expeditiously enhance regulations and ethical guidelines related to legal technology (lawtech), and incorporate content such as AI literacy, data ethics, and lawtech application into the core curriculum of the legal profession, so as to cultivate virtuous and able interdisciplinary talent who possess a perspective of both law and technology; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In response to the questions raised by the Hon Wu Ying-peng, the reply incorporating input from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The Government has been actively promoting the local development of AI, providing necessary support to the industries, thereby fostering an ecosystem centred on foundational large language models and industry applications, hence enabling Hong Kong to seize the opportunities of upgrade and transformation arising from the development of AI. The suggestion in question is to build an AI foundational large model for the legal sectors in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA Model), promoting interconnection of legal databases and sharing of computing resources. This suggestion requires joint research by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, alongside with in-depth consultation with the legal sectors and stakeholders to understand their specific needs. The objectives, feasibility and relevant technical aspects of the GBA Model must be carefully assessed. The Department of Justice (DoJ) will give serious consideration to the relevant suggestion and thoroughly examine the various challenges in developing the GBA Model, including big data training, model application and other relevant aspects.
 
(a) Investment of resources
 
     Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao each have different legal frameworks. Building a reliable and sustainable GBA Model requires large volumes of diverse data and computing infrastructure capable of handling massive data loads, in addition to training technologies that support continuous data updates and content verification. Compliance issues must also be addressed in the process of application. Therefore, the construction, application and maintenance of the GBA Model will involve significant financial resources and the need to overcome multiple complicated technical challenges.
 
(b) Challenges in data governance
 
     At present, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have different laws, regulations and applicable standards regarding cross-boundary data governance and jurisdiction, data flow standards, and rules for localisation of data storage. If the GBA Model is to be applied in cross-boundary legal practice, it will often involve commercial, financial and other sensitive information. Therefore, ensuring data security and proper safeguards for legal professional privilege will be one of the paramount considerations in the development, application and maintenance of the GBA Model.
 
     The Government is committed to promoting the safe and orderly cross-boundary flow of various types of data within the GBA, in compliance with the legal framework for data security and safeguards for personal privacy. In December 2023, the ITIB and the Cyberspace Administration of China jointly announced the facilitation measure, the Standard Contract for the Cross-boundary Flow of Personal Information within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA (Mainland, Hong Kong) to promote and simplify compliance arrangements for the cross-boundary flow of personal information from the Mainland to Hong Kong.
 
     As far as the Hong Kong legal sector is concerned, the DoJ has been actively engaging with the sector and various stakeholders through diverse channels to better understand of the sector’s specific needs and developments in the lawtech market, as well as to study and formulate policy measures relating to lawtech. Currently, the DoJ is actively encouraging the broader use of lawtech in the legal sector, for example, in document generation, workflow management, online dispute resolution and trial support, so as to further enhance the sector’s competitiveness.
 
(3) The Government adopts a positive and proactive approach to address the potential risks and necessary regulatory requirements that may arise from the development and application of AI, striving to strike a balance between promoting development and mitigating risks.
 
     In respect of enhancing regulations and ethical guidelines related to legal technology, to evaluate whether the laws under different policy areas can keep pace with technological advancements, including AI, the DoJ convened a Steering Committee meeting in the first quarter of this year for the establishment of the Inter-Departmental Working Group to Review Legislation to Support Wider Application of AI (Working Group). The Working Group helps policy bureaux and government departments (B/Ds) keep a sharp focus in conducting a critical review of the areas of law under their policy responsibility. The objective of the Working Group is for B/Ds to explore targeted and practical solutions in light of actual circumstances.
 
     The Digital Policy Office has formulated the Ethical AI Framework and launched the Hong Kong Generative AI Technical and Application Guideline to provide guidance for organisations undertaking projects involving the development and application of AI technologies, helping them identify and manage potential risks associated with AI projects, and to establish a governance framework tailored to the local characteristics and Hong Kong’s context.
 
     The DoJ also highly recognises the importance on the continuous nurturing of talent with both legal knowledge and technological literacy. As a member of the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Training, the DoJ would put forward proposals to enhance the quality of legal education in Hong Kong from time to time, including integrating lawtech and AI into the legal curriculum. In recent years, the three law schools introduced subjects relating to lawtech and AI into their Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor programmes, with a view to ensuring that graduates are well-equipped to meet the challenges to legal practice brought by the technological developments, as well as the needs of the society.
 
     Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) conducted a blitz operation yesterday (May 26) at private land in Lau Fau Shan, seizing a total of 18 endangered parrots and arresting two men.

The AFCD received a referral from the Planning Department regarding the aforementioned site, which involved an unauthorised development under the Town Planning Ordinance. Numerous bird cages were found at the site, some of which contained birds. Following intelligence gathering and investigation, the AFCD mounted an enforcement operation. During the operation, AFCD officers arrested two men who were suspected of being in connection with the illegal possession of endangered parrots listed in Appendix I to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), including Goffin’s cockatoos, blue-throated conures, golden conures, yellow-naped amazon parrots, yellow-headed amazon parrots and a hyacinth macaw.

According to the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586), unless exempted or otherwise stipulated, possession of Appendix I species requires a Licence to Possess or relevant documentary proof of the animals’ origin. As the two men were unable to produce the required Licence to Possess or relevant documents, they were arrested, and 18 endangered parrots were seized for further investigation.

In addition, the Planning Department took enforcement action against the unauthorised development at the site. The Planning Department served an Enforcement Notice to the relevant persons yesterday, requiring them to discontinue the unauthorised development by a specified date.

A spokesman for the AFCD said, “Illegal possession of endangered species is a serious offence. Any person contravening the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years, and the seized specimens will also be forfeited upon conviction.”

A spokesman for the Planning Department said, “Undertaking an unauthorised development may be subject to prosecution. Under section 23(6) of the Town Planning Ordinance, a person who is served with an Enforcement Notice but fails to comply with its requirements by the specified day commits an offence. Upon first conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000 and a daily fine of $50,000. Upon second or subsequent conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $1 million and a daily fine of $100,000.”

The Government is committed to protecting endangered species. The AFCD will continue to monitor and collect intelligence, and proactively take enforcement action to combat offences involving endangered species.

Members of the public are urged to report any suspected illegal possession of endangered species to the AFCD by calling 2150 6978 or emailing espint@afcd.gov.hk.

Members of the public with enquiries about town planning matters may call 2231 5000 or email enquire@pland.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) held Hong Kong’s five-year plan Thematic Consultation Session – Youth Development today (May 27) at HYAB JC Y Cube, a new interactive space for young people located on the fourth floor of Youth Square in Chai Wan. The consultation session was conducted in an in-person and online hybrid format to gather views from about 200 representatives from the Youth Development Commission (YDC), district youth committees, Youth Link, YDC Youth Ambassadors, and various youth organisations in respect of youth development in Hong Kong’s five-year plan.
 
The fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress approved the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China (Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan) in March 2026. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is proactively aligning with the 15th Five-Year Plan and is drawing up its first Hong Kong’s five-year plan, which should take a macro view and be strategic and forward-looking.
 
Speaking at the thematic consultation session, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, said that the HKSAR Government attaches great importance to youth development. In line with the 15th Five-Year Plan and on the basis of the Youth Development Blueprint, the Government is striving to nurture a new generation of youth equipped with a global perspective, a positive mindset, and an affection for Hong Kong and the country, who will steadfastly uphold the “one country, two systems” principle, actively participate in the integration into the overall national development, and contribute to the long-term prosperity and stability of the city.
 
Through the thematic consultation session, the HYAB gathered the insights and expectations of stakeholders to facilitate the HKSAR Government’s preparation of the first Hong Kong’s five-year plan.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Hong Kong’s smoking rate has dropped to a record low, continuing a steady decline from 23.3% in the early 1980s to 8.5% in 2025, according to the latest survey results announced today by the Department of Health.

The department announced the milestone alongside the launch of the “Quit in June” campaign. To encourage and assist smokers in kicking the habit, the department will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to provide personalised smoking cessation counselling services, among other supportive measures.

The figures were highlighted in the latest Thematic Household Survey Report published today by the Census & Statistics Department.

According to the survey on smoking habits, conducted from July to October last year, around 540,000 Hong Kong citizens smoked conventional cigarettes daily at the time of the survey. This accounted for 8.5% of all residents aged 15 and above, down from the 9.1% recorded in 2023.

Regarding alternative smoking products, the proportion of people aged 15 and above who used e-cigarettes daily in 2025 was 0.1%, down from 0.2% in 2023. Meanwhile, the proportion of daily users of heated tobacco products dropped from 0.1% in 2023 to a level beyond accurate estimation.

The department’s Tobacco & Alcohol Control Office Head Dr Manny Lam said the decline of Hong Kong’s smoking rate to a record low is the result of years of concerted efforts by the public and various sectors of the community, making Hong Kong an international role model for successful tobacco control.

Dr Lam highlighted that the Government aims to reduce the appeal of smoking products, including alternative smoking products and various flavoured cigarettes, to prevent the next generation from becoming addicted to tobacco.

“The latest survey results also show that smoking rates among younger age groups remain at very low levels, reflecting that the younger generation no longer accepts smoking behaviour, which is highly aligned with the Government’s goals and societal expectations,” he added.

During this year’s “Quit in June” campaign, the department will distribute free one-week smoking cessation drug trial packs at over 300 community pharmacies, smoking cessation clinics, District Health Centres (DHCs)/DHC Expresses, and the department clinics.

To help manage withdrawal symptoms, designated Chinese medicine clinics will distribute free ear point patches, while a new AI-assisted service, “Chat to Quit”, developed with the University of Hong Kong’s School of Nursing, provides personalised, interactive counselling. It can also provide emotional support and help users practise skills to refuse cigarettes.

Smokers who wish to quit can scan the QR code to access the service for free. For users requiring human counselling, smoking cessation medication support or Chinese Medicine acupuncture smoking cessation services, “Chat to Quit” will also make referrals accordingly.