Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Education Bureau today released the latest online profiles of local kindergartens and childcare centres to help parents make informed school choices for their children.

The dedicated website provides information on about 930 kindergartens and childcare centres in Hong Kong, including the approved fees for all kindergartens for the 2026-27 academic year. It also identifies kindergartens participating in the kindergarten education scheme.

The profiles display each institution’s approved fees after government subsidies are deducted, alongside their official quality review results. Furthermore, parents can access details regarding the professional qualifications of staff and total numbers of teachers.

The website also features enrolment figures, teacher-to-pupil ratios, curriculum information, and reference prices for major education items, application and registration fees. 

Additionally, the profiles include dedicated columns outlining the specific support available for non-Chinese speaking students, as well as the resources offered for children with special needs.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Major Sports Events Committee today announced it has awarded “M” Mark status to the Link Hong Kong Open 2026, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2026, and the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open 2026.

The golf tournament is scheduled for October 22 to 25, followed by the cricket tournament from October 30 to November 1, and the tennis tournament between October 31 and November 8.

“These events will gather world-class players to compete for honours in Hong Kong,” said Committee Chairman Wilfred Ng.

“From the Fanling Golf Course of the Hong Kong Golf Club and the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground, to the exciting showdowns at the Victoria Park Centre Court, these major events fully demonstrate Hong Kong’s outstanding capability in hosting diverse international competitions,” he added.

Mr Ng noted that these competitions will offer extraordinary experiences to residents and tourists alike, while cementing the city’s position as a premier capital for international sports events.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs conducted a two-week enforcement operation codenamed “Time Shield” from September 28 to yesterday (October 13) to combat counterfeit watches and related products via cross-boundary transshipment cargo. During the operation, Customs detected 16 related cases and seized around 7 000 items of suspected counterfeit goods, including watches, clothing, mobile phones etc with an estimated market value of over $7.6 million. One person was arrested.
 
Through intelligence analysis and detailed investigations, Customs detected related cases at various local logistics companies and express parcel centres. After follow-up investigations, Customs believed that all of the suspected counterfeit goods would have been exported to overseas destinations. Customs officers therefore organised a controlled delivery operation in respect of one batch of those seized items. On October 7, Customs officers arrested a 65-year-old man in an industrial unit in Kwai Chung, and seized about 600 items of suspected counterfeit goods including watches, mobile phones etc with an estimated market value of about $400,000. 

Investigations of the above-mentioned cases are ongoing. The arrested person has been released on bail pending further investigation.
 
Customs appeals to consumers to purchase goods at reputable shops or websites to avoid buying counterfeit or infringing goods. Practitioners in the logistics industry should also comply with the requirements of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO) and to check with the trademark owners or authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt.

Customs will continue to step up inspections and conduct intelligence-led enforcement to vigorously combat different types of counterfeit and infringing goods activities.
 
Under the TDO, any person who imports or exports or sells or possesses for sale any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
 
Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting 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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin), together with Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, participated in the 26th Annual Biotech in Europe Forum held in Basel, Switzerland, from October 7 to 8 (Basel time). The event is part of the promotion efforts under the Economic and Trade Express initiative, which aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s economic and trade connections with global partners.

The forum brought together industry leaders to discuss key investment trends and future opportunities in the biotechnology sector. The Director of the HKETO Berlin, Mr Indiana Wong, joined the “China Partnering & Investment Panel”, highlighting Hong Kong’s roles as a “super connector” and vital gateway for global biopharmaceutical companies seeking to expand into Asia and collaborate with Chinese biotech innovators. 

Mr Wong highlighted that Hong Kong has formulated the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030). He introduced that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has established the Greater Bay Area (GBA) International Clinical Trial Institute, and is committed to promoting the co-ordinated development of the biomedical field in the GBA.  

Mr Wong said, “Hong Kong offers an unrivalled ecosystem for biotechnology companies seeking to expand in Asia. With world-class research capabilities, a robust intellectual property protection regime, and a regulatory environment that aligns with international standards, Hong Kong is the ideal launchpad for biotech enterprises aiming to access both the Chinese Mainland and global markets.” 

Mr Wong also highlighted the latest developments of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and the “1+” drug approval mechanism. As one of the most internationalised cities in the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and close connection with the world.

About HKETO Berlin

HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Hong Kong Customs has conducted special operations since late September to strengthen enforcement against sea smuggling activities to Macao by river trade vessels.
 
During the operations, Hong Kong Customs detected three smuggling cases and seized a large batch of smuggled goods, including about 790 000 suspected controlled pharmaceutical products, about 150 000 suspected controlled injections, and about 142 kilograms of cigars and tobacco, with an estimated market value of over $77 million.
 
Investigations of the above-mentioned cases are ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.
 
During the period, Hong Kong Customs also provided intelligence to Macao Customs and conducted joint enforcement operations. During the operations, Macao Customs detected two cases involving river trade vessels smuggling goods from Hong Kong to Macao in early October, seizing a large batch of smuggled medicines, health supplements and cosmetics, etc, with an estimated market value of about MOP$2.7 million (about HK$2.62 million).
 
Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Hong Kong Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities on all fronts. Hong Kong Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to resolutely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to crack down on relevant crimes.
 
Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Any person who exports pharmaceutical products and medicines without a valid export licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.
 
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling 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).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Thomas So and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (October 14):
 
Question:
 
     There are views pointing out that with the Government’s active support, the development of the first two phases of the Trade Single Window (TSW) and the related services have yielded positive results, but progress in the digitalisation of “Business-to-Business” (B2B) trade documents, which account for the vast majority of all trade documents, remains relatively slow. While the Government already issued a consultation paper between late 2025 and early 2026 on legislative amendments to facilitate the digitalisation of B2B trade documents, a legal basis and official verification standards are still lacking. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that the Government has previously indicated that it does not recommend the introduction of a mandatory accreditation or regulatory regime at this stage for establishing the reliability of electronic trade documents owing to the current lack of a leading technological solution in the market, but there are views suggesting that Hong Kong has a responsibility to lead and promote the formulation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Standards for electronic trade documents, whether the Government will promote technological development for the digitalisation of B2B trade documents in such directions as establishing an official regulatory and accreditation framework in the future;
 
(2) as there are views pointing out that “ValidAP”, the Government’s platform for the cross-boundary validation of electronic trade documents, has achieved preliminary results in promoting commercial data verification, and the Government is also pressing ahead with Phase 3 of the TSW at full steam, whether the Government will consider adopting existing cross-‍boundary data verification technology as the basis and taking the lead in developing a comprehensive electronic accreditation and mutual data recognition system covering B2B commercial certificates and transaction records such as electronic bills of lading (eBLs) and commercial invoices; and
 
(3) as the Project Ensemble launched by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) already covers use cases such as trade finance and eBLs, and the HKMA has signed the Memorandum of Understanding between Shanghai and Hong Kong on Digitised Cargo Trade and Finance Cooperation with the Shanghai Data Bureau and the National Technology Innovation Center for Blockchain, whether the Government will further consolidate existing resources and establish an interdepartmental cross-boundary digital trade sandbox jointly with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Customs and Excise Department and the Innovation and Technology Commission to enable the logistics, trading, banking and insurance sectors to conduct trials on a common platform for unifying standards on electronic trade documents and data, and connect it to the Project Ensemble and the initiative on Shanghai-Hong Kong co-operation on eBLs, with a view to expediting the formation of digital trade rules recognised in the GBA and even the international community? 

Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the Customs and Excise Department, and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Thomas So is as follows:
 
     The Government has been committed to promoting the development of digital trade in order to maintain and enhance Hong Kong’s position as an international trade centre. With reference to the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) advocated by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the Government is advancing legislative amendments to facilitate the digitalisation of “Business-to-Business” (B2B) trade documents, and will introduce an amendment bill to the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553) into the Legislative Council within this year. In taking forward the work relating to the digitalisation of trade documents, the Government has been, and will continue to be, actively drawing reference from the practices of other jurisdictions.
 
     The MLETR adopts a functional approach and provides a legal framework to ensure that electronic transferable records (ETRs) possess the necessary characteristics to achieve their legal effect and functions, while upholding the principle of technological neutrality by not prescribing the use of any particular technology or platform. The advantage of this approach is that it affords flexibility to accommodate rapidly evolving technologies and business models, and facilitates cross-border interoperability.
 
     Specifically, the MLETR provides that a reliable method must be used to establish that an ETR may be regarded as equivalent to a paper-based document. In defining “reliable method”, the provisions of the MLETR set out a range of factors for consideration, including the security of hardware and software, the ability to prevent unauthorised access, and applicable industry standards. To enhance legal certainty, the MLETR also advocates a “proven-in-fact” approach, under which a method need not be assessed against the criteria of the factor-based evaluation if it has in fact been proven capable of achieving its intended function.
 
     Currently, the more common international practice is for each jurisdiction to provide a legal framework for ETRs that is consistent with international standards (including the MLETR), while, in accordance with the principles of technology-and-medium neutrality, allowing enterprises to use and develop different technological solutions, thereby driving the market to develop technologies and systems that meet practical needs.
 
     The Government has been promoting trade digitalisation through improving the legal framework, upgrading trade infrastructure and facilitating cross-boundary data interoperability. The Trade Single Window, as Hong Kong’s digital trade infrastructure, enables the industry to submit trade documents to the Government on a one-stop basis. ValidAP, on the other hand, provides cross-boundary electronic trade document authentication services to verify, among other things, whether an electronic document has been issued by the relevant authority. The two platforms each have their own policy objectives and service scopes, and differ from the proposed end-to-end electronic authentication and mutual recognition system covering B2B transactions.
 
     Given that relevant technological solutions are already available in the market, and that technologies and business models continue to evolve, the Government’s current focus is to establish a clear legal framework for the recognition of electronic trade documents and promoting cross-boundary interoperability, thereby creating favourable conditions for the industry to adopt and develop different solutions. It might not be the most cost-effective use of public resources if the Government were to develop or construct similar systems on its own. Regarding the introduction of a mandatory accreditation regime, full consideration must also be given to its impact on enterprise choice and market innovation. At present, other jurisdictions generally have not introduced mandatory accreditation regimes. We will uphold the principle of technological neutrality, allowing enterprises to select suitable solutions according to their business needs, and will continue to monitor international developments and the associated benefits.
 
     The Government understands that promoting cross-boundary interoperability with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Chinese Mainland as a whole is of great importance to Hong Kong’s commercial and trade development. In recent years, the Chinese Mainland has actively promoted the trials and the application of electronic trade documents, including amending the Maritime Code of the People’s Republic of China (Maritime Code) in October 2025 to provide legal status for electronic transport records such as electronic bills of lading. The amended Maritime Code, which was also formulated with reference to the MLETR and relevant international conventions, has been implemented since May 2026. Upon completion of the relevant legislative amendments, Hong Kong will be able to enhance the cross-boundary acceptability of such documents with the Chinese Mainland.
 
     On the other hand, the HKMA is advancing trade finance digitalisation through the multi-year Project CargoX. With the participation of 21 banks, the CargoX Pilot Programme was launched in May 2026 to facilitate the iterative validation of cargo and trade data initiatives. In 2026 and 2027, the Pilot Programme focuses on four key areas, including integrating with key government cargo and trade data platforms (such as the Transport and Logistics Bureau’s Port Community System and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau’s Trade Single Window), combining small and medium-sized enterprises’ trade flow and cash flow data for banks’ multi-dimensional credit assessment, adopting Digital Corporate Identity to enable trusted data sharing, and enhancing connectivity with key trade corridors, such as the Chinese Mainland and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
 
     In this connection, the HKMA has collaborated with the Shanghai Data Bureau (SDB) to successfully establish a link-up between the HKMA’s Commercial Data Interchange and a digital trade platform developed by the SDB. Known as “CargoX Connect”, this collaboration has enabled five pilot banks to access and utilise trade declaration data from the Yangtze River Delta region to facilitate various trade finance processes, such as trade verification and due diligence on trade counterparts, resulting in faster loan drawdowns for Hong Kong businesses engaging in both onshore and offshore trade. To date, this pilot project has enabled the approval of 10 trade finance loans amounting to $180 million. The HKMA intends to extend this successful model to other provinces and cities in the Chinese Mainland as the next phase of development. The Government will continue to monitor standard developments both internationally and in the Chinese Mainland to provide a foundation for cross-boundary interoperability.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Tang Fei and a reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (October 14):
 
Question:
 
Given the changes in the school-age population, the Chief Executive has proposed the “Confluence and Elevation – School Excellence Project” in the 2026 Policy Address to encourage mergers of suitable publicly-funded primary and secondary schools, consolidating resources and raising the quality of education. Regarding the specific arrangements of the Project, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) when the specific implementation timetable, eligibility criteria and vetting and approval criteria of the Project will be announced; how the authorities will assess the scope of operation and resource integration of schools after mergers, so as to ensure that the Project achieves the policy objective of raising the quality of education;
 
(2) what measures the authorities have in place to support schools in addressing the issues of manpower deployment for teachers and utilisation of school premises arising from mergers, including whether transitional arrangements for teachers will be provided, and whether the consolidation of school premises and operational resources will be co-ordinated, thereby assisting school sponsoring bodies in implementing mergers smoothly and raising the quality of education; and
 
(3) whether the Project will allow mergers of schools under different funding modes; if so, how the authorities will formulate proper transition arrangements in respect of tuition fees, student admission mechanism, utilisation of school premises and resource deployment when handling mergers involving aided and Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, so as to assist the schools concerned in achieving a smooth transition?
 
Reply:

President,

The National 15th Five-Year Plan expressly advocates expanding excellence and enhancing quality in basic education. It also emphasises the importance of stepping up the dynamic adjustment of resources for basic education and their cross-level reallocation to address surpluses and shortfalls, whilst enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. To align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan sets out a development direction for continuous enhancement of the quality of basic education in the face of the challenges brought about by a structural decline in school-age population. As announced in the 2026 Policy Address, the Education Bureau (EDB) will launch the “Confluence and Elevation – School Excellence Project” for publicly-funded schools within the 2026/27 school year, which aims to optimise the allocation of education resources and develop quality education in response to parents’ aspirations for high-quality schools.

In fact, schools are places for nurturing the whole-person development of students. Maintaining an appropriate size of the overall student population and the number of classes are beneficial to creating a conducive teaching and learning environment and providing opportunities for group learning to facilitate students’ all-round development. To this end, the Project aims to encourage schools to strive for expanding excellence and enhancing quality, consolidate their strengths for better synergy and expand their operation scale, thereby achieving the synergy effect of “one plus one is greater than two” in quality enhancement. The EDB will introduce more facilitation measures and remove policy barriers for publicly-funded schools approved to participate in the Project, so as to support them in seeking confluence and elevation.

Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Tang Fei is as follows:

(1) and (2) It is expected that schools participating in the Project will undergo a comprehensive upgrade of their physical infrastructure, such as school premises and facilities, and allocate abundant manpower and resources to provide students with a higher quality of education. At present, the EDB is collecting views on the support and facilitation measures under the Project from representatives of the school sector, with a view to finalising the implementation details, such as whether there is a need to set an application threshold based on school scale (e.g. a requirement on the number of approved classes), the feasibility of merging schools across different finance types, whether arrangements will be in place for the flexible use of school premises upon merger, as well as the provision of additional resources and manpower during the transitional period. The EDB will work swiftly to sort out and refine the details, with a target of launching the Project within the 2026/27 school year for application by eligible schools. We will prudently consider each application to ensure that the approved cases are in line with the policy objectives and principles.

(3) Based on past experience, there has been a merger between a Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) secondary school and an aided secondary school, after which the merged school has continued to operate as an aided school. Currently, the EDB is studying the feasible options for joint operation of schools of different finance types to ensure that the numbers of both aided and DSS schools will not increase following the mergers, so as to stabilise the education ecosystem. As for government schools, only mergers among government schools are possible given their unique staff establishment and finance type.

We have to emphasise that, regardless of whether the schools participating in the Project are under the same school sponsoring bodies (SSBs), they must give due consideration to the district and school circumstances as well as students’ interests, and maintain communication with stakeholders prior to making a decision to join the Project. For merger proposals involving schools of different finance types, the schools must thoroughly consult various stakeholders (including school staff, parents and students) about relevant arrangements, such as the appointment terms for staff, tuition fees, school premises and curriculum arrangements. Merger proposals should be taken forward subject to effective communication with stakeholders.

The EDB established the Task Force on Supporting the Sustainable Development of Public Sector Schools in March 2026, which is led by a directorate officer of the EDB and comprises officers from the School Development Sections of the Regional Education Offices of the EDB, experienced retired principals and stakeholder representatives. The Task Force provides professional advice for the school sector on planning the way forward and assists schools in achieving a smooth transition and continuous development. Moreover, members of the Task Force play a facilitating and supporting role in the process. Apart from helping SSBs reach a consensus with stakeholders after thorough communication, the members also offer suitable advice based on schools’ actual needs and support them in consolidating resources as well as taking forward the implementation and related arrangements for the merger proposals in light of local circumstances.

President, the EDB’s aim in addressing the structural decline in school-age population is crystal clear. We will accord top priority to the interests of students while ensuring healthy and sustainable development of our education system. Amid the structural decline in school-age population, apart from our efforts to strive for a “soft landing”, the EDB must seek to advance the development of quality education in Hong Kong to turn a possible crisis into opportunities. Therefore, we encourage SSBs to plan ahead for long-term school development and support their proactive formulation of plans to consolidate resources and enhance the quality of education.

The EDB will maintain communication with the sector and continue to review the prevailing policies and options with respect to class structures and school development with a focus on enhancing the overall education quality, so as to provide students with more opportunities to receive quality education in schools of higher quality, larger scale and higher efficiency.

Thank you, President.