Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Government announces appointments to Travel Industry Authority On the appointments, the spokesman of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said, “The Government welcomes the new Chairperson and the 15 new members joining the TIA, and would like to express gratitude to the reappointed members for their continued valuable advice rendered to the TIA. We look forward to the Chairperson and members to continuing to make use of their professional knowledge and experience to assist the TIA in fulfilling its regulatory and service functions. We would also like to thank the outgoing Chairperson Mr Ma Ho-fai and members, Ms Dilys Chau Suet-fung, Professor Alex Fan Hoi-kit, Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung, Mr Victor Lam Hoi-cheung, Mr Johnny Leung Ka-kui, Ms Lanny Leung Kong-lan, Mr Paul Leung Yiu-lam, Mr Martin Ma Yuk-man, Dr Priscilla Poon Chau-min, Mrs Ann Tang Yu Li-hua, Mr James Tong Wai-pong, Mr Tse Yun-sang, Mr Wong Ka-ngai, Mr Adrian Wong Koon-man and Mr Yiu Pak-leung, for their dedicated service and distinguished contributions to the TIA during their tenure.”
The TIA is a statutory regulatory body of the travel industry established under the Travel Industry Ordinance. It is primarily responsible for the licensing and regulation of travel agents, tourist guides and tour escorts.
The membership of the TIA for the new term from January 1, 2026 is as follows:
Chairperson ————- Mr Kevin Lam Sze-cay
Vice Chairperson ————- Commissioner for Tourism
Ordinary Members ——————– Trade members
Mr Kenneth King Yue-kin Mr Ko Chun-kit Mr Kelvin Ko Chun-wang Ms Lam Kai-yi Mr Andy Lam Ping-sing Mr Lam Sum-lim Mr Roy Lo Kai-pong Mr Ng Hi-on Mr Jason Shum Jiu-sang Mr Tommy Tam Kwong-shun Mr Ricky Tse Kam-shan Mr James Tung Pui-chuen Mr Wong Wai-wing
Non-trade members
Mr Leonard Chan Tik-yuen Ms Kerry Ching Kim-wai Ms Agnes Choi Heung-kwan Mr Edward Ho Man-tat Mr Yeti Lai Ho-yin Ms Karen Lee Ka-yan Dr Louisa Lee Yee-sum Ms Christine Leung Wan-chong Ms Jane Curzon Lo Ms Peng Yu Mr Wilfred Wong Kam-pui Ms Annie Wong Pak-yan Mr Charles Yang Chuen-liang Ms Vivian Yeung Cheuk-chi Issued at HKT 12:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
FEHD releases fourth batch of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in December
District
District Among the fourth batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering five survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering 20 survey areas in December, all were below 10 per cent, and most of the areas recorded zero per cent, indicating that the distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes was not extensive.
The FEHD has so far released four batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in December 2025, covering 55 survey areas. Among these 55 survey areas, 52 recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. November 2025, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Three other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent. Starting in August this year, 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 64 survey areas of the community. During the two weeks of surveillance, 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 17:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (December 24) expressed dissatisfaction with and opposition to the unfounded comments by individual so-called human rights experts after the court of the HKSAR convicted Lai Chee-ying of offences of endangering national security in strict accordance with the law and evidence.
A spokesperson for the HKSAR Government pointed out, “The HKSAR Government noted that individual so-called human rights experts have entirely no respect for the HKSAR court’s independent judgment of the case, which had been made on the basis of facts and evidence. They also refused to acknowledge the evidence set out in the reasons for verdict, and refused to understand the court’s considerations and the reasons for verdict. Instead, they wantonly launched attacks, slandered and attacked the HKSAR Government, with despicable political manipulations to demand the immediate release of Lai Chee-ying, overriding the rule of law with politics and confounding right and wrong. Their despicable intent to interfere with the court’s sentencing has been seen through by all. The HKSAR Government has to refute resolutely to set the record straight.” The spokesman pointed out, “These so-called human rights experts have conflated the criminal acts in this case with freedom of speech and of the press, with the purpose of misleading the public and defaming the HKSAR. In fact, the Lai Chee-ying case has nothing to do with freedom of speech and of the press at all. Over the years, the defendants were using journalism as a guise to commit acts that brought harm to our country and Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Reappointment to Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority announced The WKCDA Ordinance (Cap. 601) provides that the Board is the governing and executive body of the WKCDA. It is responsible for the planning, development, operation and maintenance of the arts and cultural facilities and related facilities in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Issued at HKT 12:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 24) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the Province of Pistoia of Tuscany Region in Italy, the District of Nordsachsen of the State of Sachsen in Germany, and SÅ‚upsk District of Pomorskie Region in Poland; and an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza in Kyoto Prefecture in Japan, respectively, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 90 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 9 000 poultry eggs from Italy; about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany; about 1 870 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Poland; and about 1 540 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 219.73 million poultry eggs from Japan in the first nine months of this year.
“The CFS has contacted the Italian, German, Polish and Japanese authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Appointments to Council of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Dr Raymond Chan (reappointed) Mr Jason Joseph Lee Kwong-yee (reappointed) Miss Christine Leung Wan-chong Ms Yolanda Ng Yuen-ting Dr Irene Tang Mo-lin (reappointed) Dr Tang Yuen-ha (reappointed) Ms Wong Caroline Ho (reappointed) Mr Ray Woo Wai-shing Ms Stella Lau Yin-ling (reappointed, staff representative) Professor Yiu Song-lam (reappointed, staff representative) Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism or his/her representative (reappointed) Secretary for Education or his/her representative (reappointed)Director of the HKAPA (ex-officio)Issued at HKT 12:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Health Bureau (HHB) announced earlier the medical support provided for residents affected by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. At present, the District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses (collectively referred to as DHCs) across all 18 districts in Hong Kong serve as hubs to co-ordinate various primary healthcare services as needed for the affected residents. The HHB announced today (December 25) the latest figures of these services:
DHC hotlines
Under the co-ordination of the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission), the DHCs across all 18 districts in Hong Kong have set up hotlines since December 1 (see Annex 1) to provide personalised case management services for affected residents, offering more convenient and comprehensive medical support. The support includes pairing the affected residents with free consultation services provided by private family doctors and Chinese medicine (CM) practitioners, co-ordinating arrangements for follow-up appointments and medication refills at the Hospital Authority (HA)’s Family Medicine Out-patient (FMOP) Services as necessary, and making referrals to necessary healthcare, nursing and medication services, as well as psychological support. The services co-ordinated by DHCs are not subject to district boundaries. For example, the Centres may assist affected residents in transferring HA FMOP follow-up appointments and medication refill service points, from the Tai Po District to another location, thereby sparing residents the need for travelling across districts. As of December 23, the DHCs hotlines across all 18 districts have received over 176 enquiries in total.
Free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners and free denture replacement services
The HHB introduced a free family doctor service scheme and free CM consultation services on December 4 and 15 respectively to support the primary healthcare needs of the affected residents until February 28 next year. Case managers of the DHCs will arrange for them to receive up to three free consultations by family doctors and CM practitioners respectively based on their individual situations and preferences. The service covers the provision of medication and related treatments. Additionally, free denture replacement services were launched on December 23. Residents in need can receive at least one free dental consultation and one follow-up appointment (subject to clinical need) through the arrangement of the DHCs. The services include denture replacement and oral treatment.
As of December 23, more than 300 private family doctors have participated in the free family doctor service scheme, covering more than 450 service points that include eight private hospitals. So far, 57 affected residents have been arranged to receive free family doctor consultations. As for the free CM consultation services, more than 360 CM practitioners have participated, covering more than 600 service points, and 16 residents have been arranged to receive the services so far. Regarding free denture replacement services, more than 80 private dentists have participated, covering 106 service points.
HA’s healthcare services
All individuals injured in the fire and admitted to public hospitals under the HA will receive full fee waivers for all necessary healthcare services (including drugs and medical devices) throughout the entire process of their treatment and rehabilitation. A total of 79 patients received treatment at various public hospitals due to the fire. As of December 23, 65 of them had already recovered and were discharged, and the remaining 14 are in stable condition. Healthcare staff will continue to provide appropriate treatment and care to these patients.
Moreover, all residents of the eight blocks at Wang Fuk Court (including foreign domestic helpers) are eligible for full medical fee waivers until December 31, 2026. The waivers cover in-patient services, family medicine and specialist out-patient clinics (SOPCs) services (including psychiatry SOPCs), accident and emergency services, day hospitals, day procedures, community services, and Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres under the HA. As of December 23, the HA has provided necessary healthcare services to around 1 600 affected residents.
Mental health support
The “18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline” immediately deployed additional staff and strengthened training for its call handlers on the day of the fire incident to cope with the emotional distress that the public may experience due to the incident. From the time of the incident to December 23, the hotline has received over 8 300 calls, around 660 of which were related to the fire incident. The WhatsApp service has handled 420 messages, with about 50 of them concerning the fire incident. The HA’s 24-hour Mental Health Direct hotline, manned by psychiatric nurses, offers professional advice and support on mental health issues to callers, including provision of risk assessment and referral to the HA’s mental health services as appropriate. As of December 23, the Mental Health Direct hotline has received 89 calls related to the fire incident, with 31 of them coming from the affected citizens.
The HHB will continue to provide comprehensive primary healthcare support to the affected residents. The HHB also designed the relevant service workflow from the residents’ perspective, allowing them to receive convenient and effective medical support simply through the DHCs (see Annex 2).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) today (December 24) jointly published the consultation conclusions on the legislative proposals for establishing licensing regimes for virtual asset (VA) dealing and custodian service providers. The FSTB and the SFC also launched a further public consultation today for one month on establishing separate licensing regimes for VA advisory and management service providers.
During the two-month public consultation period completed this August, 101 and 93 submissions were received on the proposed licensing regimes for VA dealing service providers and VA custodian service providers respectively. The majority of respondents, including market participants, industry associations, business and professional organisations, expressed clear support for expanding the regulatory scope to cover VA dealing and custodian services, following the introduction of the licensing regime for the VA trading platform in June 2023. This is considered a critical step to promote the steady and sustainable development of the digital asset (Note) ecosystem in Hong Kong. The respondents also indicated support for the overall direction of the proposed regulatory requirements and implementation arrangements, while suggesting enhancements and seeking clarifications on certain aspects.
The proposed licensing regime for VA dealing service providers will largely align with that for Type 1 (dealing in securities) regulated activity under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) as applicable to conventional securities dealing activities. As for VA custodian service providers, the proposed licensing regime will focus on managing risks relating to safekeeping private keys of client VAs in Hong Kong, which is the core risk area of VA custody, with a view to enhancing the security of client assets.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, “The proposed establishment of licensing regimes for VA dealing and custodian service providers marks a significant step in enhancing our legal framework for digital assets. The proposed licensing regimes strike a prudent balance among fostering market development, managing risks and protecting investors. They will help realise our vision for building a trusted and sustainable digital asset ecosystem, with a view to establishing Hong Kong as a global hub for digital asset innovation.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the SFC, Ms Julia Leung, said, “The significant progress in our VA regulatory framework ensures Hong Kong remains at the global forefront of digital asset market developments by fostering a trusted, competitive and sustainable ecosystem. With an unwavering commitment to responsible innovation, we are laying the foundation for a vibrant yet resilient ecosystem that may bring vast benefits to Hong Kong’s financial markets and the broader economy in the long run.”
Meanwhile, in response to the feedback received, the FSTB and the SFC also launched a further public consultation today on establishing separate licensing regimes for VA advisory and management service providers, instead of covering the relevant VA activities under the licensing regime for VA dealing service providers as originally proposed. This revised regulatory approach will model itself on the regulatory framework applicable to the conventional securities market, and will provide better clarity as regards the scope of activities regulated under different VA licensing regimes. The further consultation will last for one month, ending on January 23, 2026.
The FSTB and the SFC welcome views from the public on the proposed licensing regimes for VA advisory and management service providers. Submissions should be sent by post (24/F, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong) or by email (vadealing-consult@fstb.gov.hk) to the FSTB.
Details of the consultation conclusions, as well as the further public consultation for licensing regimes for VA advisory and management service providers, are available on the webpages of the FSTB and the SFC:
With broad market support, and taking into account the feedback to be received in the further consultation, the FSTB and the SFC will finalise the legislative proposals for the licensing regimes, with a target of introducing the relevant bill into the Legislative Council in 2026.
Note: “Digital asset” is a general term with a broad scope, covering, among others, “virtual asset”, which is a legally defined term under the existing Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Transport Department (TD) announced today (December 25) that a pilot licence for autonomous vehicles (AVs) has been issued to approve an AV trial on specified road sections connecting the “Park & Fly” carpark at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port, in accordance with section 4(1) of the Road Traffic (Autonomous Vehicles) Regulation (Cap. 374AA).
The entire project connects the “Park & Fly” carpark at the HZMB Hong Kong Port to the SkyPier Terminal of the Hong Kong International Airport, with the approved road sections for the trial running from the “Park & Fly” carpark to the entrance of the Airport restricted area. During the initial stage of the trial, a backup operator will be stationed in each pilot AV at all times to take over control when necessary. The TD’s label for pilot AV shall 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 project aims to achieve carriage of passengers gradually after completing the trials. This will provide convenience for self-drive travellers under the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (port carparks) to park at the automated “Park & Fly” carpark and transfer for a flight at the SkyPier Terminal via AVs, providing a better cross-boundary experience. Driving and road safety remain the top priority, and the Government will draw on practical experience to refine technical standards, share research findings with the industry in a timely manner, and implement these initiatives in a prudent and orderly process.
The TD welcomes interested organisations or enterprises to submit applications for a pilot licence. Upon receipt of an application, the TD will consider various factors, including the design operating range and functions of the autonomous system, relevant national or international standards/guidelines, and the road test situations, based on the Code of Practice for Trial and Pilot Use of Autonomous Vehicles before approval. Among them, the TD has been accepting submissions of the Guobiao (GB) to substantiate that the vehicles or their components comply with the relevant technical requirements and vehicle construction standards. In addition, the operation experience and performance of AV in areas outside Hong Kong (including the Mainland), such as test reports in accordance with the GB, will be taken into consideration by the TD in evaluating the performance of the vehicle automation.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from January 8 to 12, 2026 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 the 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 issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including: (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 the 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.hkIssued at HKT 15:00