Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Results of 2-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds tender through re-opening Tender results of 2-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
Tender Date*Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.
Note: The yields stated above are annualised yields. For reference, the semi-annualised yields corresponding to the average price accepted, lowest price accepted, and average tender price are 1.413 per cent, 1.428 per cent, and 1.500 per cent respectively. Issued at HKT 17:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Results of 5-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds tender through re-opening A total of RMB1.25 billion 5-year Government Bonds were offered today. A total of RMB4.955 billion tender applications were received. The bid-to-cover ratio, i.e. the ratio of bonds applied for to bonds issued, is 3.96. The average price accepted is 100.71, implying an annualised yield of 1.529 per cent. Tender results of 5-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
Tender Date* Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.
Note: The yields stated above are annualised yields. For reference, the semi-annualised yields corresponding to the average price accepted, lowest price accepted, and average tender price are 1.524 per cent, 1.551 per cent, and 1.625 per cent respectively. Issued at HKT 17:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Results of 7-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds tender through re-opening A total of RMB1.25 billion 7-year Government Bonds were offered today. A total of RMB6.010 billion tender applications were received. The bid-to-cover ratio, i.e. the ratio of bonds applied for to bonds issued, is 4.81. The average price accepted is 100.84, implying an annualised yield of 1.656 per cent. Tender results of 7-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
Tender Date* Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.
Note: The yields stated above are annualised yields. For reference, the semi-annualised yields corresponding to the average price accepted, lowest price accepted, and average tender price are 1.649 per cent, 1.669 per cent, and 1.739 per cent respectively. Issued at HKT 17:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
RTHK holds Solar Project 2026 Closing Ceremony In her address, Ms Lee said, “Amid a shifting global economic landscape and rapid technological advancement, Hong Kong will seize the opportunities presented by the National 15th Five-Year Plan, channelling our unique strengths into the broader national development agenda and innovation ecosystem. From the digital economy and innovation and technology to cultural and creative industries and professional services, tremendous opportunities lie ahead. These are opportunities that call for a passionate, creative, and committed new generation, just like our Solar Ambassadors, to step up and seize them.”
The Solar Project 2026 was themed “Cultural and Tourism Junior Reporters”. Participating secondary school students took on the role of Solar Ambassadors and engaged in a series of study visits and training activities. These included a study trip to Qianhai, Shenzhen, in late June, accompanied by workshops on digital media production as well as broadcasting and hosting skills; a visit to Xinjiang in early July; and a mid-programme sharing session in late July. At today’s closing ceremony, the Solar Ambassadors shared their learning outcomes through a variety of formats, telling the nation’s story to the world from a youthful perspective. Ms Lee encouraged the Solar Ambassadors to sustain their passion and curiosity, to keep exploring and embrace innovation, and to continuously develop themselves in order to be well prepared to seize future opportunities.
Other guests attending the closing ceremony included Senior Curriculum Development Officer (Personal, Social and Humanities Education) of the Education Bureau Ms Carmen Chan, members of the RTHK Advisory Committee, and representatives from co-organising and sponsoring organisations.
RTHK will produce a special programme, “Solar Project”, to comprehensively document the highlights of this year’s activities. The programme will air on RTHK TV31 for three consecutive Fridays beginning August 28 at 9.30pm.
Solar Project 2026 is jointly organised by RTHK and the Hong Kong Chinese Culture Development Association, sponsored by the B&P Foundation, and funded by the HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland. Issued at HKT 18:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Two incoming air passengers were each sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (August 12) for dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) (Cap. 109).
Hong Kong Customs has been mounting a special enforcement operation to combat illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers. Two Mainland male passengers aged 48 and 39, arriving in Hong Kong from Vientiane, Laos, via Hanoi, Vietnam, were arrested at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (August 11). A total of about 190 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $850,000 and a duty potential of about $627,000, were seized from their personal baggage.
Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.
Customs reminds members of the public and travellers that under the DCO, anyone involved in importing, dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080, 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
Two incoming passengers were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 and three months’ imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 respectively by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts yesterday (August 10) for possessing duty-not-paid tobacco and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
Customs officers intercepted two incoming local female passengers, aged 18 and 36, at Hong Kong International Airport on June 3. A total of about 23 kilograms of duty-not-paid cigars and 15 grams of manufactured tobacco, with a total estimated market value of about $841,000 and a duty potential of about $100,000 in total, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of the offences.
Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys duty-not-paid tobacco commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette 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
FEHD releases second batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in August
District
District During the rainy season, the FEHD continues to carry out a series of measures, including: During the follow-up actions and following the discovery of stagnant water or stagnant water containers at two parks and a housing estate in Kowloon City District, the FEHD has issued a total of three statutory notices to the responsible persons-in-charge, requiring the clearance of such items within a specified timeframe. Meanwhile, the FEHD has initiated three prosecutions against the relevant construction site contractor, venue management company and estate management company following the discovery of mosquito breeding at a construction site, a park and a public housing estate in Eastern District.
Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including: Starting in August 2025, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD has been disseminating relevant information through press releases, its website and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.
Following recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 62 survey areas of the community, with a surveillance period of two weeks. During the surveillance period, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks of surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The Gravidtrap and Density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas, as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures, are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#Issued at HKT 19:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Transport Department (TD) announced today (August 11) that a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles (AVs) has been issued to approve an AV trial between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station of the Express Rail Link (XRL) and Kowloon Station of the Airport Express, in accordance with section 4(1) of the Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation (Cap. 374AA).
The trial involves four private cars operating in autonomous mode, routeing through Wui Man Road, Jordan Road, Nga Cheung Road, Station Perimeter Road South, Station Perimeter Road East and Station Perimeter Road North. During the trial, a backup operator will be stationed in the vehicle at all times to take over control of the vehicle when necessary. The TD’s pilot AV labels must be displayed on all pilot AVs for identification by other road users. Details of the pilot licence have been uploaded to the TD’s website on AV trials.
A spokesman for the TD said that the Government has been promoting the development of AVs in an active and orderly manner through a multipronged approach by providing policy support, regulatory backing and financial subsidy. This project will demonstrate the safety, stability and operational feasibility of AV technologies in an environment with high passenger flows and complex traffic dynamics. By successfully operating within such a multimodal transport hub, the project will establish an extensible operating mode that will serve as a cornerstone for integrating the AV fleet into the wider public transport network in future.
Once the AVs commence regular operation, they will establish a seamless and autonomous driving connection between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station of the XRL and Kowloon Station of the Airport Express. This will provide travellers with a convenient choice to further enhance their travel experience, thereby attracting more travellers to use the XRL and the Hong Kong International Airport, the spokesman added.
Driving and road safety remain the Government’s top priorities. The Government will draw on practical experience to refine technical standards, share research findings with the industry in a timely manner, and implement initiatives to promote AVs in a prudent and orderly manner. Chaired by the Commissioner for Transport, the Autonomous Vehicle Applications Promotion Working Group will, in collaboration with relevant departments and the industry, review the progress of each AV project; provide steer on the trial locations, vehicle types and licensing arrangements required to support the commercial development of AVs; and explore appropriate regulatory arrangements to allow AVs to provide a certain degree of commercial services in specific areas on an individual pilot basis.
The TD welcomes interested organisations or enterprises to submit applications for a pilot licence for AVs. Upon receipt of an application, the TD will consider various factors, including the operational design domain and functions of the autonomous driving system, relevant national or international standards/guidelines, and the road testing conditions, based on the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles, before granting approval.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, today (August 13) led a delegation to commence their visit to Hainan Province to meet with local health officials and visit the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone (Pilot Zone) in Hainan.
Professor Lo met with Deputy Director of the Hainan Medical Products Administration Mr Wang Gang in the morning, and highlighted the important measures put forward by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the aspect of developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.
Professor Lo said, “Hong Kong is proactively aligning with the direction of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and pressing ahead with the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub by complementing technological innovation with institutional innovation. We are enhancing the regulatory standards for drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong on all fronts, including the implementation of the ‘1+’ drug approval mechanism, the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, and the implementation of the ‘primary evaluation’ mechanism for new drug registration since March this year. In addition, Hong Kong is actively taking forward the standardisation of clinical data in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a view to expediting the registration and launch of innovative drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas markets.”
At his subsequent meeting with the Director of the Health Commission of Hainan Province, Mr Li Wenxiu, the two sides had a detailed exchange on issues including the development of Chinese medicine (CM), the high-quality development of public hospitals, and information sharing on the prevention and control of diseases.
Professor Lo said, “The HKSAR Government has long been actively promoting the development of CM, including the release of the first Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint last year, and the commissioning of the two flagship projects for CM development, namely The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute. These measures will further consolidate Hong Kong’s role as a bridgehead for the global expansion of CM, to better serve and contribute to the overall national development of CM.”
Regarding the high-quality development of public hospitals, Professor Lo emphasised that the HKSAR Government will continue to actively promote the accreditation of more public hospitals under the China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version), with a view to ensuring the management and healthcare quality of local hospitals are on par with international standards while demonstrating the excellence of the national healthcare standards to the international community, thereby facilitating the national standards to go global.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Boao Hope City Ever Lasting International Innovation Medicine Exhibition, Ruijin Hainan Hospital (Boao Research Hospital), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and the Boao Yiling Life Care Center located in the Pilot Zone, and met with the Chief Director of the Administration of the Pilot Zone, Mr Fu Sheng. Professor Lo said, “Serving as an important strategic node of the country’s healthcare reform, the Pilot Zone is the only special medical zone on the Mainland benefitting from preferential policies. Focusing on introducing innovative drugs and medical devices from around the world and developing medical tourism, the Pilot Zone is a pioneer of the country’s efforts to promote real-world data studies and a testing ground for major national projects of innovation in new drugs and healthcare technologies. Hainan Province’s accumulated experience in areas such as the approval of drugs and medical devices for clinical use and the development of cross-boundary healthcare serves as a valuable reference for Hong Kong.
“Hong Kong and Hainan Province enjoy a close co-operative relationship. On the basis of complementarity and mutual benefits, we will further promote exchanges and mutual learning of experiences between the two places in the healthcare field, and jointly promote the development of ‘Healthy China’.”
Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Senior Advisor (Secretary for Health’s Office), Dr Joe Fan; the Director of the Real-World Study and Application Centre, Professor Cheung Ching-lung; as well as officers of the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority. They will visit a local pharmaceutical enterprise tomorrow before returning to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (August 11) the results of the Monthly Survey on Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) for July 2026.
The current diffusion index (DI) on business receipts amongst SMEs decreased from 44.0 in June 2026 in the contractionary zone to 43.8 in July 2026, whereas the one-month’s ahead (i.e. August 2026) outlook DI on business receipts was 46.8. Analysed by sector, the current DIs on business receipts for a number of surveyed sectors dropped in July 2026 as compared with previous month, particularly for the import and export trades (from 45.4 to 44.5) and retail trade (from 41.7 to 40.8).
The current DI on new orders for the import and export trades decreased from 46.4 in June 2026 to 45.0 in July 2026, whereas the outlook DI on new orders in one month’s time (i.e. August 2026) was 47.1.
Commentary
A Government spokesman said that business sentiment among SMEs remained cautious in July, with the current and outlook diffusion indices on business receipts for SMEs edging down slightly. The overall employment situation also softened marginally. Persistent uncertainty over the developments in the Middle East led businesses to adopt a more guarded assessment of the near-term outlook.
Looking ahead, continued solid growth of the Hong Kong economy should provide some support to business confidence and business activity. Nevertheless, the evolving situation in the Middle East is still a main downside risk, as any further escalation could weigh on external demand, market confidence, operating costs, and investment decisions. The Government will remain vigilant and closely monitor the evolving external environment.
Further information
The Monthly Survey on Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises aims to provide a quick reference, with minimum time lag, for assessing the short-term business situation faced by SMEs. SMEs covered in this survey refer to companies with fewer than 50 persons engaged. Respondents were asked to exclude seasonal fluctuations in reporting their views. Based on the views collected from the survey, a set of diffusion indices (including current and outlook diffusion indices) is compiled. A reading above 50 indicates that the business condition is generally favourable, whereas that below 50 indicates otherwise. As for statistics on the business prospects of prominent companies in Hong Kong, users may refer to the publication entitled “Report on Quarterly Business Tendency Survey” released by the C&SD.
The results of the survey should be interpreted with care. The survey solicits feedback from a panel sample of about 600 SMEs each month and the survey findings are thus subject to sample size constraint. Views collected from the survey refer only to those of respondents on their own companies rather than those on the respective sectors they are engaged in. Besides, in this type of opinion survey on expected business situation, the views collected in the survey are affected by the events in the community occurring around the time of enumeration, and it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents’ perception of the business situation accords with the underlying trends. For this survey, main bulk of the data were collected around the last week of the reference month.
More detailed statistics are given in the “Report on Monthly Survey on the Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080015&scode=300).
Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact Industrial Production Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7246; email: sme-survey@censtatd.gov.hk).