Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Government announced today (May 4) that the property owners and residents of Wang Fuk Court will be waived from the final tax payable for the year of assessment 2025/26 in order to ease the financial burden on people affected by the fire.

Together with the tax waiver announced by the Government last December, the property owners and residents of Wang Fuk Court will be waived from the balance of tax payable for the year of assessment 2024/25 and the tax payable for the year of assessment 2025/26.

The Inland Revenue Department will issue tax returns for individuals to the abovementioned persons in the third quarter of this year to assess their provisional tax for the year of assessment 2026/27. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

A girl who went missing in Tai Po has been located.

Law Wing-yan, aged 15, went missing after she left her care centre in Tai Mei Tuk on March 15 morning. Staff of the care centre made a report to Police on the same day.

The girl was located in Tin Sum this afternoon (May 3). She sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published today (May 4) the results of the Survey on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)’ Credit Conditions for the first quarter of 2026. According to the survey, SMEs’ credit conditions remained broadly stable.

Regarding SMEs’ perception of banks’ credit approval stance relative to six months ago, excluding respondents who answered “no idea/don’t know”, 73 per cent perceived a “similar” or “easier” credit approval stance in the first quarter of 2026, up from 70 per cent in the previous quarter (Chart 1 in the Annex). 27 per cent perceived a “more difficult” credit approval stance, compared to 30 per cent in the previous quarter. The perception of a more difficult credit approval stance may not necessarily reflect actual difficulties faced by SMEs in obtaining bank credit as the perception could be affected by a number of factors, such as media/news reports, business conditions and opinions of relatives and friends.

Among respondents with existing credit lines, 0 per cent reported a “tighter” banks’ stance, down from 1 per cent in the previous quarter (Chart 2 in the Annex). In this survey, a tighter stance on existing credit lines denotes a range of possible measures or arrangements, such as reducing unused and used credit lines, raising the interest rate, imposing additional collateral requirements, or shortening loan tenor. Therefore, respondents’ indication of banks’ stance on existing credit lines may not directly reflect banks’ supply of credit to SMEs.

The survey also gauged the results of new credit applications from SMEs. 2 per cent of the respondents reported that they had applied for new bank credit during the first quarter of 2026. Among the respondents who had already known their application outcomes, 91 per cent reported fully or partially successful applications, up from 77 per cent in the previous quarter (Chart 3 in the Annex).

Owing to small sample sizes of SMEs with existing credit lines (12 per cent of surveyed SMEs) and with new credit applications (2 per cent of surveyed SMEs) during the quarter, the results could be prone to large fluctuations, and hence should be interpreted with care.

About Survey on SMEs’ Credit Conditions

In light of the importance of SMEs to the Hong Kong economy and concerns about potential funding difficulties facing SMEs over the past few years, the HKMA has appointed the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) to carry out this survey, starting from the third quarter of 2016. This survey is conducted on a quarterly basis, covering about 2 500 SMEs from different economic sectors each time. The results of this survey can help monitor the development of SMEs’ access to bank credit from a demand-side perspective.

The results of this survey should be interpreted with caution. Similar to other opinion surveys, views collected in this survey may be affected by changes in sentiment due to idiosyncratic events that occurred over the survey period, which can make the results prone to fluctuations. Readers are advised to interpret the results together with other economic and financial information. In addition, views collected are limited to the expected direction of inter-quarter changes (e.g. “tighter”, “no change” or “easier”) without providing information about the magnitude of these changes.

Detailed tables and technical information of this survey are published on the website of the HKPC (smecc.hkpc.org).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (May 6) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, Members will debate a motion on “Empowering all industries through ‘Artificial Intelligence Plus’ to promote the development of digital economy and smart society”. The motion, moved by Professor William Wong, is set out in Appendix 1. Dr Johnny Ng, Mr Ng Wun-kit and Ms Elizabeth Quat will move separate amendments to Professor Wong’s motion.

     Mr Jonathan Leung will move a motion on “Promoting ‘tourism + catering'”. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Ms Vivian Kong, Mr Chan Pok-chi and Mr Yiu Pak-leung will move separate amendments to Mr Leung’s motion.

     Meanwhile, Mr Chan Chun-ying will move a motion under Rule 49E(2) of the Rules of Procedure to take note of a report of the House Committee on consideration of subsidiary legislation and other instruments. The motion is set out in Appendix 3.

     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Labour Department (LD) promulgated today (May 4) the revised “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'” (CoP). The revised CoP sets out the relevant guidelines in a reader-friendly and concise manner, reiterating the three major principles for formulating work arrangements under adverse weather and extreme conditions (including formulating work arrangements in advance, giving prime consideration to employees’ safety, and complying with requirements of labour legislation), and incorporating corporate examples for reference.

Formulate work arrangements* arrangements in respect of early release from work; 
* arrangements in respect of work resumption (e.g. the number of hours within which employees should resume duty after the relevant warning signal is cancelled or the extreme conditions come to an end, when safety and traffic conditions allow);
* arrangements in respect of remote work (if applicable);
* arrangements regarding wages and allowances (e.g. calculation of wages and allowances in respect of reporting for duty); and
* arrangements for staff required to report for duty in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions,” a spokesman for the LD said.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

April 27, 2026  No.164  Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, serving in the capacity of special presidential envoy, completed a successful two-day visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini on April 26 after being seen off at the airport by Eswatini Minister of Foreign Affairs Pholile Shakantu, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo, and members of the Taiwanese overseas community.

During the final day of his visit, Minister Lin accompanied Eswatini Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula to inspect the operations of the Taiwan Medical Mission’s smart medicine clinic at Manzini Government Hospital.

Through collaboration with Taiwan’s International Integrated Systems, the Taipei Medical University Hospital-operated medical mission had relocated to Manzini Government Hospital over a period of just six months and successfully implemented digital queuing, smart medication dispensing, and telemedicine systems.

In remarks during his visit, Minister Lin said that Manzini Government Hospital was being elevated to the status of smart medicine demonstration hospital. He said that this symbolized the start of a new era of Taiwan-Eswatini cooperation on digitalization, optimization, and smart medicine.

In addition to acclaiming upgrades to hardware, Minister Lin also emphasized the results of talent cultivation. Giving words of encouragement to a number of Eswatini physicians who had returned home after graduating from I-Shou University, Minister Lin said that their white coats represented their expertise and the hope of their nation. He said that he looked forward to seeing them become seeds of Taiwan-Eswatini friendship and employ their professionalism and dedication to refine Eswatini’s healthcare system.

Minister Matsebula and Dr. Candice Banda, a representative of the graduates of I-Shou University’s medical program, expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Taiwan for its long-term support and contributions to public health and medicine in Eswatini.

Minister Lin also went on to tour the Taiwan-Eswatini Aquaculture Research and Production Centre, which was officially opened in 2025. Through large-scale fish fry cultivation and the use of growth optimization technology, the center has successfully assisted Eswatini in transitioning from traditional family-based aquaculture to a more commercially scaled industrial system, significantly improving the economic value of aquaculture produce.

In addition, Minister Lin visited a demonstration farm and orchard to observe the results of planting such high-value crops as guava, dragon fruit, and strawberry. These operations have successfully driven the transformation of Eswatini’s agricultural makeup and enabled local farmers to participate and compete in higher-profit markets.

Minister Lin stressed that a core feature of all these initiatives was a focus on sustainable advancements and the commercialization of Eswatini’s industries. Noting that such efforts pursued their objectives through a “Taiwan can help, Eswatini can lead” approach, Minister Lin reiterated that Taiwan would continue to reinforce Eswatini’s leadership in a range of fields. 

Despite the brevity and challenging circumstances of his two-day visit, Minister Lin was able to personally convey Taiwan’s good wishes to Eswatini. His visit further deepened the two nations’ friendship and put their vision for sustainable and prosperous development on an even firmer footing. Moreover, it showed that Taiwan would remain undeterred by any difficulties in its global interactions, and demonstrated Taiwan’s unwavering resolve and resilience in engaging with the world. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

April 26, 2026  No.162  On the morning of April 25, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, acting as President Lai Ching-te’s special envoy, visited the planned site for the first phase of the Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park (TIIP) project in Eswatini. Minister Lin and Eswatini cabinet members Prince Lonkhokhela, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy; Manqoba Khumalo, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade; and Savannah Maziya, Minister of Information, Communication and Technology, received progress reports on a strategic oil reserve facility and the TIIP. They also witnessed Tex-Ray Chairman Ray Lin, representing Taiwanese businesses, and Eswatini sign a letter of intent to set up operations and invest in the TIIP. The LOI further deepened the economic and trade partnership between the countries.

In his remarks, Minister Lin recalled his trip to Eswatini as presidential envoy in April 2025, during which King Mswati III used the Swazi word nkwe (accelerated progress) to convey high hopes for bilateral cooperation. Minister Lin said that the king’s expectations had translated into tangible results, with construction of the strategic oil reserve facility staying on schedule and some 60 Taiwanese companies visiting Eswatini to explore investment opportunities since the launch of the TIIP last April. He added that several Taiwanese firms in key sectors such as textiles, packaging, pharmaceuticals, and solar power had signed LOIs during this trip to move into the TIIP. Minister Lin stressed that the investments showed how the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project could successfully align the need for Taiwanese businesses to expand globally with Eswatini’s need for industrial upgrading. It had also achieved the aim of creating mutual benefits for both countries, Minister Lin added.

Explaining the core idea behind the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, Minister Lin said the policy promoted public-private partnerships and encouraged large enterprises to support smaller ones. He added that this would expand government-to-government diplomatic ties to include closer business-to-business partnerships. Minister Lin underlined that this model would serve as a benchmark for other African states and create a combined fleet and team of teams to strengthen strategic links between Taiwan and countries in Africa.

Speaking on behalf of Eswatini, Minister Khumalo conveyed sincere gratitude to Taiwan for its long-standing support of infrastructure projects and emphasized the deep and enduring ties between the two countries. He said the oil reserve facility and the TIIP were of immense strategic importance to Eswatini in promoting economic transformation and energy security. Minister Khumalo stressed that the initiatives were highly representative of bilateral cooperation. He said that the LOI, which he signed on behalf of Eswatini with the Taiwanese business representative, had brought bilateral cooperation to new heights and injected momentum into Eswatini’s industrial upgrading.

Under the framework of the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will further deepen comprehensive cooperation with Eswatini in economics, trade, energy, technology, and other spheres. Taiwan will continue to work with Eswatini to achieve prosperity and steadily enhance strategic partnerships in Africa. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

April 26, 2026  No.160  On April 25, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung, acting as presidential envoy, attended celebrations in Eswatini to mark the 40th anniversary of the accession of King Mswati III, the king’s 58th birthday, and the 58th anniversary of Eswatini’s independence. A highlight of the events was the opening of the International Convention Centre (ICC), a partnership project between Taiwan and Eswatini. 

Minister Lin conveyed sincere congratulations to the king on behalf of the government of Taiwan, and President Lai Ching-te delivered congratulatory remarks in a prerecorded video played at the venue. Minister Lin, heads of state and representatives of various African countries, members of the Eswatini royal family, and other prominent political figures jointly witnessed the mutually supportive, rock-solid, and genuine friendship between Taiwan and Eswatini.

In his video address, President Lai said that he wished he was in Eswatini to extend the best wishes of the people of Taiwan, adding that it was a great honor to represent them in commemorating the king’s Ruby Jubilee and celebrating the historic triple milestone of 58s—the king’s 58th birthday, the 58th anniversary of Eswatini’s independence, and 58 years of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Eswatini. He noted that the special occasion was a national celebration in Eswatini and a powerful symbol of the staunch partnership between the two countries.

President Lai stated that, under the king’s leadership over the past 40 years, Eswatini had shone like a jewel of Africa due to its tremendous progress in the areas of infrastructure, social welfare, health care, and regional stability. He said that Eswatini’s achievements in economic and social development highlighted the outcomes of bilateral efforts to foster mutual prosperity, showing the world that sincere friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation could forge a brighter future for the people of both nations.

President Lai thanked the king and the government of Eswatini for staunchly supporting Taiwan’s international participation and reiterated that the ROC (Taiwan) was a sovereign country that belonged to the world. He added that Taiwan’s 23 million people had the right to engage with the international community and that the greater the external pressure that Taiwan faced, the more courage and resolve it would have to move forward.

Virtue never stands alone—it always has neighbors. Taiwan is especially grateful to its diplomatic allies; the European Union; the United States; Japan; friends in Central and South America, Oceania, Africa, and other regions; and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and other transnational organizations for their timely support and assistance. With strong backing from diplomatic allies and partner countries, Minister Lin’s delegation was able to overcome challenges and successfully attend the celebrations, despite facing a new form of suppression in China’s politicization and weaponization of flight information regions. The visit demonstrated that Taiwan-Eswatini ties are rock-solid and showed that heavy-handed tactics will not isolate democratic Taiwan.

MOFA again strongly condemns and protests China’s long-standing use of underhanded tactics to maliciously suppress Taiwan and attempt to severe its links with the international community. China’s maneuvers will do nothing to undermine Taiwan’s status as a sovereign and independent country. Its actions run counter to the global desire for democratic values and international order. The government of Taiwan reiterates that external threats of any kind will not weaken Taiwan’s determination to engage with the world. When faced with challenges, Taiwan will show even greater resolve to secure its rightful place in the international community. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

President Lai meets Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala and visits International Convention Centre of Kingdom of Eswatini  
At noon on May 3 (evening of the same day Taipei time) during his state visit to the Kingdom of Eswatini, President Lai Ching-te met with Her Majesty Queen Mother Ntombi Tfwala. Accompanied by His Majesty King Mswati III, President Lai also visited Eswatini’s International Convention Centre (ICC).
President Lai first called upon the queen mother at the royal palace. There, he once again expressed his gratitude to the king and queen mother for their warm hospitality, noting that he felt completely at home and as though he were returning to a second home. The president also stated that this visit has allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of Eswatini’s beautiful landscapes and rich culture, which will facilitate closer and more seamless cooperation between the two nations moving forward. In closing, he extended a sincere invitation to the queen mother to visit Taiwan again.
That afternoon, President Lai proceeded to the ICC. Upon his arrival, he enjoyed a traditional music and dance performance held to welcome him. Accompanied by King Mswati III, members of the royal family, and Eswatini cabinet officials, the president toured the exhibitions and various facilities at the center.
The ICC is located in central Eswatini’s Ezulwini Valley. Covering a total area of approximately 45,000 square meters, the complex includes a multi-purpose grand hall, a conference room for heads of state, and a theater. It is set to serve as Eswatini’s primary venue for hosting international conferences.
Among those in attendance were Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini and other government officials.