Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) and the Travel Industry Authority (TIA) mounted a joint anti-illegal worker operation for two consecutive days, October 5 and 6, to combat illegal workers providing tourist guide and photo-taking services in Hong Kong. Two Mainland visitors, who were suspected illegal workers, were arrested.
 
     As there have been suspected illegal workers utilising social media platforms to advertise tourist guide and photo-taking services in Hong Kong, the ImmD and TIA initiated an operation. Officers disguised as customers enquired about and booked services with the suspects via social media platforms. The suspects were subsequently arrested while providing such services in Hong Kong. The arrested illegal workers comprised a man and a woman, aged 22 and 43, who were prosecuted for the offence of breaching their conditions of stay. One of the illegal workers arrested pleaded guilty to the charge at the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts today (October 7) and was sentenced to 54 days’ imprisonment.
 
     The ImmD and TIA have also deployed officers to distribute leaflets to the public and visitors at tourist hotspots, conveying the message of “Don’t employ illegal tour escort or tourist guides”.
 
     An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”
      
     The spokesman added that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
 
     According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
 
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
 
     For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 185 185, fax at 2824 1166, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the “Online Reporting of Immigration Offences” form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Ray Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (October 7):
 
Question:
 
     As telephone scams continue to jeopardise the safety of people’s financial property, the Communications Authority (CA) formulated in April 2023 the Code of Practice on Management of Scam Calls and Scam SMS by Telecommunications Service Providers (CoP), which stipulates that telecommunications service providers (TSPs) should monitor patterns of suspicious or fraudulent communications and may suspend the services associated with the telephone numbers concerned if the relevant criteria are fulfilled. The TSPs have implemented measures such as issuing alerts for suspicious incoming calls, blocking such calls and suspending the services associated with the telephone numbers involved in scams, reflecting that the industry possesses a certain level of technical and system capability. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as the existing CoP already empowers the TSPs to monitor suspicious incoming calls and suspend the services associated with the telephone numbers concerned, whether the CA will, by amending the CoP, issuing guidelines or using the licence conditions, study the establishment of uniform basic requirements for the TSPs to prevent incoming scam calls, including criteria for risk identification, data updating, as well as alert and call-blocking arrangements; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) whether the authorities will, by amending the CoP or the licence conditions, mandate all the TSPs to provide users with basic functions for identifying and blocking incoming scam calls free of charge; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) of the number of requests made by the CA to the TSPs in accordance with the relevant licence conditions over the past three years to block suspicious incoming calls or suspend the services associated with the telephone numbers concerned, and the number of telephone numbers or messages involved; and whether the CA has monitored the TSPs’ compliance with the CoP or the licence conditions over the years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Hong Kong is a regional communications hub. The Government has always attached great importance to the security of telecommunications networks to safeguard public interests and sustain public confidence. The First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) has set out that the Government will step up efforts to prevent and combat telecommunications fraud and cyber fraud. The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) has been working closely with the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) and major telecommunications service providers (TSPs) to implement a series of measures to combat telephone fraud from different perspectives. In response to the question raised by the Hon Ray Wong, in consultation with the Security Bureau and OFCA, the consolidated reply is as follows:
 
     At present, the Communications Authority (CA) has established a unified mechanism requiring the TSPs to detect risks and suspend telecommunications services of suspicious telephone numbers. In this connection, the CA issued the Code of Practice on Management of Scam Calls and Scam SMS by Telecommunications Service Providers (CoP) in April 2023, requiring the TSPs to monitor calls and messages originating from their networks and systems and to set criteria for identifying suspicious patterns. The TSPs have now adopted technologies such as AI and big data. Once a suspicious pattern is detected in the calls or messages made or sent from a telephone number (e.g. making or sending a large number of calls or text messages within a short period of time), the TSP will suspend the service of the telephone number concerned. Based on operational experience, the CA further implemented the revised CoP in December 2025 to tighten the criteria for detecting suspicious patterns, with a view to stepping up efforts in combating telephone scams. From January to August 2026, the average monthly number of local telephone numbers with telecommunications services suspended has decreased to about 5 700, a significant reduction of nearly half compared with the monthly average of around 11 400 in the same period last year, demonstrating the effectiveness of the enhanced measure.
 
     Apart from requiring the TSPs to monitor their networks to detect risks, the CA introduced new licence conditions for the TSPs in 2022 pursuant to the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap. 106) (TO) to clearly require that the TSPs must block or suspend telephone services and websites suspected of being involved in fraudulent activities in accordance with the requests from law enforcement agencies. In this regard, since September 2022, the Police and major TSPs have established a close collaborative mechanism under which the TSPs will promptly block or suspend the service of websites and telephone numbers based on fraud records provided by the Police. As at end-August this year, a cumulative of more than 120 000 webpage links and more than 17 000 local and non-local telephone numbers have been blocked or with services suspended. In addition, since April 2023, the TSPs have been required by the CA to block suspicious incoming calls starting with “+852”. As at end-August this year, the TSPs have blocked over 8.9 million of such calls from outside Hong Kong, providing effective protection for Hong Kong’s telecommunications networks.
 
     In assisting members of the public in identifying suspicious calls, OFCA has requested the TSPs to provide call management services or call filtering applications. Users of these services may use personalised or pre-set “blacklist” and/or “whitelist” functions to filter anonymous and suspicious calls, thereby minimising suspicious and nuisance calls. Some TSPs even provide this value-added service for free to elderly customers aged 60 or above. As regards precautionary alerts, for suspected fraudulent calls originating from outside Hong Kong, the TSPs have fully implemented voice or text alerts for incoming external calls prefixed with “+852” since May 2023, in order to remind users to stay vigilant against suspicious incoming calls from outside Hong Kong with a “+852” prefix. In addition, since December 2024, when a member of the public answers a call made from a newly activated local pre-paid SIM (PPS) card, the TSP will first play an automatic voice alert message stating that the “call is made from a new PPS card” to raise the public awareness of suspicious calls. As regards fraudulent calls impersonating government departments and public organisations, OFCA has established a mechanism on dedicated telephone numbers for government departments and public organisations in need, such as the Government’s one-stop enquiry hotline 1823, the Police’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre hotline 18222, and the dedicated numbers with the prefix 18285 or 18286 launched by the Hospital Authority in mid-2026, so that members of the public can clearly identify official calls from government departments or public organisations.
 
     In addition, the Police launched a one-stop scam and pitfall search engine, Scameter, in September 2022, and a mobile application version, “Scameter+”, in February 2023, to help members of the public distinguish suspicious online platform accounts, payment accounts, telephone numbers, email addresses, websites, etc, and to provide anti-fraud tips. Since February 2024, “Scameter+” has been equipped with the call alert function and the suspicious website detection function, which automatically identify scam calls and fraudulent websites. If potential fraud or cyber security risk is detected, “Scameter+” will issue a real-time notification, reminding users not to answer the call or browse the website. As at end August 2026, “Scameter” recorded over 16 million searches, while “Scameter+” recorded over 1.28 million downloads and alerted users to at least 410 000 suspicious calls and over 1 million suspicious websites.
 
     OFCA, as the executive arm of the CA, has been closely monitoring the TSPs’ compliance with licence conditions and the CoP. Should any TSP breach the requirements, the CA may impose sanctions on the TSP concerned under the TO.
 
     To step up efforts to prevent and combat telecommunications fraud and cyber fraud, the Government is conducting a comprehensive review on the overall implementation of the Real-name Registration Programme for SIM Cards, and is working on more targeted enhancement measures. The measures include lowering the maximum registration limit of PPS cards for individual users, as well as establishing new offences, which will criminalise the improper use of SIM cards registered with others’ information without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. The Government is actively preparing the details of the legislative amendments and will consult the public on the proposals as appropriate.
 
     The Government will continue to deepen cross-sectoral collaboration among the Government, businesses and the public, and adopt a multipronged approach to combat telecommunications fraud and cyber fraud, so as to ensure the long-term security and stability of Hong Kong’s communications environment.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Stanley Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 7):
 
Question:
 
     The Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) expressly supports Hong Kong in leveraging the strengths of its Chinese Medicines Testing Institute. With the official release of the first batch of GBA Chinese medicines standards (GBA Standards) at the end of October 2024, coupled with the successive commissioning of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI), the development of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong is entering a critical transformation period of standardisation, professionalisation and internationalisation. However, members of the CM industry have reflected that the formulation of some of the current Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (Hong Kong standards) is overly focused on physicochemical identification, creating a gap with the national CM standards (national standards) and the actual operations of local small and medium-sized pharmaceutical manufacturers, and that there is also a lack of an efficacy evaluation mechanism centred on the holistic approach of CM. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that the first batch of GBA Standards released covers a total of seven Chinese herbal medicines and proprietary CMs, whether the Government has formulated specific timetables and performance indicators for aligning more commonly used Chinese herbal medicines, proprietary CMs and clinical guidelines with the GBA Standards;
 
(2) how the Government will leverage the scientific research capabilities of GCMTI to promote the alignment of the GBA Standards with the standards formulated by international standardisation organisations (such as the Technical Committee for Traditional Medicine of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/TC249)), and promote such standards to overseas markets;
 
(3) given the views that the use of CM emphasises that medication varies from person to person, that the efficacy of proprietary CMs is difficult to evaluate, and that the GBA Standards impose extremely high requirements on physicochemical identification, making it relatively difficult for local small and medium-sized pharmaceutical manufacturers to align with such standards, resulting in relatively low market adoption of the standards, and also leading many local institutions to directly adopt products conforming to the national standards (such as CM formula granules), whether the Government will review the direction of establishing the Hong Kong standards in the future, so as to ensure that the Hong Kong standards can align with the CM theoretical system and actual market demand; and
 
(4) given that the registration system for CM Practitioners in Hong Kong has been in place since 2000, but the professional benchmarks and statutory registration system for CM pharmacists have yet to be implemented, whether the Government has formulated a specific timetable for promoting the professionalisation and institutionalisation of CM pharmacists, so as to safeguard the safe use of drugs by the public; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,

     The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Chinese Medicines Standards (the Standards) aims to co-ordinate quality and safety standards of Chinese medicines (CMs) within GBA, promote mutual recognition and circulation of CMs and facilitate high quality development of the industry. Expert Committee of the Standards (the Expert Committee), jointly established by the drug regulatory authorities of the three places including Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, formulates harmonised standards for the industry’s reference through discussion at meetings. The selection, verification, and publication of the Standards have to be discussed by the Expert Committee, and published by batches in an orderly manner having regard to the actual situation of the three places.
      
     In consultation with the Department of Health (DH), a consolidated reply to the Hon Stanley Ng’s question is provided as follows:
     
(1), (2) and (3) The first batch of the Standards was promulgated on October 29, 2024, covering seven items, namely Chenpi (Guangchenpi), Huajuhong, Huajuhongtai (huajuhongzhu), Banlangen Keli, Xiasangju Keli, Shexiang Huoluo You and Zhangquan Potong You. The General Rules for the Chinese medicines standards and Safety Quality Control Items for Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the General Rules) was also promulgated at the same time.
 
     To enhance mutual recognition and circulation of CMs, drug regulatory authorities of the three places are establishing more standards for commonly used Chinese herbal medicines (Chms) and proprietary Chinese medicines in an orderly manner through the Expert Committee mechanism, considering the needs of the industry. The second batch of the Standards was promulgated on August 31, 2026, covering seven items, namely Bajitian, Guizhi, Huajuhong (You) Peifangkeli, Jinyinhua Peifangkeli, Sharen (Yangchunsha) Peifangkeli, Xiaochaihu Keli and Zhibai Dihuang Wan, together with the revised General Rules.
 
     The Standards serves as the technical standards of the three places and is neither to replace the statutory standards of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) or Chinese Mainland, nor a mandatory standard for the industry to adopt. As such, the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) of DH also continues to advance the development of the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS), establishing safety and quality standards for some commonly used Chms in Hong Kong and strive for aligning with the formulation of international standards. HKCMMS provides a reference standard of Chms for the Chinese medicine (CM) industry, also promotes research in CMs to facilitate its modernisation and internationalisation, thereby encouraging international trade in CMs. The content of HKCMMS includes the names, source, description, identification, tests, extractives, assay and chemical structure of reference substances. To date, GCMTI has published 12 volumes of HKCMMS, covering 357 types of Chms.
 
     An International Advisory Board (IAB) under HKCMMS project, comprising of herbal medicine experts from the HKSAR, Chinese Mainland and overseas regions, is responsible for reviewing the standards for Chms. The objective of HKCMMS is to precisely align with the CM theoretical framework and market demands, while ensuring the incorporation of views from the local and Chinese Mainland industry through IAB. HKCMMS has been frequently cited by  
     In terms of international promotion, DH fully leverages the unique advantages of Hong Kong in having strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, to actively develop and participate in efforts to promote CM to go global, in co-operation with the national strategy to promote CM’s global expansion, standardisation and matters related to strategic CMs management. In addition to the aforesaid contributions to standard setting and WHO herbal medicines standards, CMRO also continues to actively promote scientific research findings to the international community through authoritative platforms, such as the Western Pacific Regional Forum for the Harmonization of Herbal Medicines and the International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines. In 2025, Hong Kong hosted the 7th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference on the Inheritance, Innovation, and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which representatives from WHO were invited to join and exchange views on the future direction of the global development of traditional medicine and standards for CMs.
 
(4) The standards and recognition of healthcare professionals are promoted by the relevant professions in accordance with the principle of professional autonomy. In regulating healthcare professions, the Government adopts a risk-based approach in determining the most suitable mode of regulation applicable to an individual healthcare profession, based on the level of risk posed on public health, healthcare quality and public safety when providing services. The Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint (the Blueprint) sets out various measures to promote CMs regulation, quality enhancement and innovative research and development in Hong Kong. Among other things, CMs talents cultivation is a key driver of the CMs development in Hong Kong.
 
     At present, CMs professionals in Hong Kong have a wide scope of work and a diverse range of functions, and the competence standard of CMs professionals in different fields have yet been comprehensively established. Action 6.2 of the Blueprint explicitly proposes empowering the industry to cultivate talents in CMs and intends to establish a dedicated working group under the future sector advisory structure. This working group will bring together relevant stakeholders from the Chinese Mainland and the local CMs sector to discuss models for the continuing education and development of CMs professionals. The Blueprint also proposes leveraging the Chinese Medicine Development Fund to promote collaborative efforts among stakeholders to conduct research on the core competence for talents in the CMs sector, with a focus to clarify the alignment between professional competence and industry development needs, thereby laying the groundwork for future exploration of continuous professional development requirements and regulation for CMs personnel. The Government will align with the development direction sets by the CMs sector for its professionals and maintain continuous communication with the industry.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (October 7):
 
Question:

     There are views suggesting that urban-rural integration is one of the core concepts underpinning the Government’s promotion of the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM), and that the original village houses play an important role in the NM during its transitional development phase. Introduced in 1972, the New Territories Small House Policy allows a male indigenous villager aged 18 years old or above who is descended through a male line from a resident of a recognised village in the New Territories of Hong Kong, to apply for permission to erect, for once in his lifetime, a small house for himself on a suitable site within his own village. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, today (October 6) congratulated veteran actress Michelle Yeoh and veteran director Ann Hui on receiving the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award and the Camellia Award respectively at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

The Asian Filmmaker of the Year award honours filmmakers who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of the Asian film industry and culture, while the Camellia Award is granted to filmmakers who have made significant contributions to advancing women’s roles in the Asian film industry.

Miss Law expressed her heartfelt congratulations to Yeoh and Hui on their awards. She said that their influence on the Hong Kong and international film landscapes has been profound and enduring. She thanked them for their remarkable contributions to Hong Kong cinema over their decades-long careers, which have helped bring Hong Kong cinema to the global stage.

To promote Hong Kong cinema and assist emerging Hong Kong filmmakers in exploring the international market, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau is leading an industry delegation to the BIFF. The delegation includes director Isabella Lam and actor Lokman Yeung of the film “Dead End”, a winning project of the Higher Education Institution Group of the 7th First Feature Film Initiative under the Film Development Fund which has also been selected for the “Vision – Asia” competition section, as well as various filmmakers and original content rights holders. During the BIFF, CCIDA will host the “Hong Kong Night” reception on October 9 (Busan time), while the world premiere of “Dead End” will be held on October 10 (Busan time).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Hong Kong continues to be rated as the world’s freest economy in the Economic Freedom of the World 2026 Annual Report released by the Fraser Institute today (October 6). Among the five areas of assessment, Hong Kong again ranks first in “Freedom to trade internationally” and remains second globally in “Regulation”.

     A spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said, “The Fraser Institute’s report once again affirms Hong Kong’s strengths as a free-market economy and its open, efficient and fair business environment. Amid increasing global economic uncertainties and rising trade protectionism, Hong Kong remains firmly committed to maintaining its free port status, zero-tariff policy, and simple and low tax regime, providing a secure, stable, fair, predictable and internationalised business and investment environment for investors and entrepreneurs from around the world.

     “Our country remains committed to high-standard two-way opening up and continues to achieve breakthroughs in technological innovation, remaining a major stabilising force and driving engine for global economic growth. Under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework, Hong Kong enjoys the strong support of the motherland and maintains close connections with the world. While offering convenient access to both the Mainland and international markets, Hong Kong continues to practise common law in both Chinese and English. It also offers financial, shipping, trading and professional services that align seamlessly with international best standards, supported by an efficient government structure and a clean and professional civil service. These strengths enable Hong Kong to fully leverage its roles and functions as a ‘super connector’ and ‘super value-adder’, making it the best gateway for Mainland enterprises to enter international markets and for overseas enterprises to enter the Mainland. So far this year, Hong Kong has continued to scale new heights in various international competitiveness rankings covering finance, innovation and technology (I&T), education and talent, reflecting wide recognition by the international community of Hong Kong’s core strengths and the HKSAR Government’s efforts to promote high-quality social and economic development.

     “Indeed, Hong Kong’s favourable business and living environment, coupled with the proactive and concerted efforts of the HKSAR Government and all sectors of the community, continues to attract enterprises and talent from around the world. Last year, the number of companies in Hong Kong with parent companies overseas or in the Mainland exceeded 11 000, an increase of 11 per cent over 2024 and a record high. The Government established the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) in 2022 to adopt a strategic and targeted approach to attracting globally representative I&T enterprises with high growth potential to establish a presence in Hong Kong. To date, OASES has successfully attracted over 120 strategic enterprises, including many global industry leaders with a market capitalisation or valuation exceeding HK$100 billion and possessing cutting-edge technologies. In the first eight months of this year, Invest Hong Kong also assisted about 520 Mainland and overseas enterprises in setting up or expanding their businesses in Hong Kong. On talent attraction, from end-2022 to August this year, over 670 000 applications were received and over 470 000 were approved under various talent admission schemes, with more than 310 000 individuals having arrived in Hong Kong. Over the past year, Hong Kong recorded considerable growth in funds raised through initial public offerings, bank deposits and assets under management in the asset and wealth management business, reflecting international investors’ confidence in and recognition of Hong Kong.

     “Last month, the Chief Executive announced the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) (Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan) and the 2026 Policy Address, setting out a blueprint for Hong Kong’s social and economic development, proactively aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and development strategies, and enabling Hong Kong to better integrate into and serve the overall national development while achieving substantial progress in its own development. Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan states that Hong Kong will remain committed to a free and open economic system and the free flow of capital, goods, people and information, all of which are Hong Kong’s core strengths under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework. Looking ahead, with the staunch support of our country, the HKSAR Government will continue to work with all sectors of the community to further enhance Hong Kong’s roles and functions as ‘four centres and one hub’ and accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis. These efforts will inject stronger impetus into social and economic development, open up broader development prospects for local enterprises and the public, and provide greater opportunities for enterprises, investors and talent worldwide.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The opening ceremony for the Chinese Mainland Film Panorama 2026 was held tonight (October 6) at Hong Kong City Hall, followed by a screening of the opening animation “Nobody” (2025).

     The Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau; the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Lin Nan; the Chairman of the Southern Film Culture Foundation and General Manager of the Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, Mr Ding Kai; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; the Chairman of the South China Film Industry Workers Union, Mr Cheung Hong-tat; the chief planner and producer of the opening film, Cui Wei, and the supervising producer and art director of the film, Chen Liaoyu, officiated at the opening ceremony.

     The Panorama is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Southern Film Culture Foundation in association with the Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, the China Film Foundation and the South China Film Industry Workers Union, and is supported by the Bauhinia Culture Group. Twelve feature films, some accompanied by short films, will be shown at Hong Kong City Hall, the Hong Kong Film Archive, the Hong Kong Space Museum, North District Town Hall, the East Kowloon Cultural Centre and the Rayson Huang Theatre of the University of Hong Kong from today to November 15.

     The opening animation “Nobody” reimagines a spin-off story from the classic epic “Journey to the West”, following a band of nameless little monsters on an adventure that mirrors workplace setbacks, dilemmas in life, and the determination to pursue dreams.

     Other selected films include “Laughing to Die” (2015), “Like Winds, Like Weeds” (2023), “The Midsummer’s Voice” (2024), “Linka Linka” (2025), “Chongqing Hot Pot” (2016), “My Dear Liar” (2019), “A Long Shot” (2024), “Hi, Mom” (2021), “Escape from the 21st Century” (2024), and the animated features “Into the Mortal World” (2024) and “The Legend of Hei II” (2025).

     Screenings of “Into the Mortal World” and “Hi, Mom” will be free of charge. Tickets of the other films priced at $75 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries, please visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en/listing.html?id=96 or call 2734 2900.

     The Chinese Mainland Film Panorama 2026 is one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.ccpo.gov.hk/en.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

A spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) said today (October 6) that two public rental housing (PRH) residents in two cases were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for contravening the Housing Ordinance by falsely declaring in a statement that they did not own any property.

The PRH residents involved, living in Choi Hung Estate and Kwong Tin Estate respectively, declared in the 2025 Income and Assets Declaration Forms that they did not own any domestic property in Hong Kong. Upon thorough investigations by the HD, it was revealed that the two PRH tenants, in Case 1, each owned residential properties in Sai Kung, with one holding two properties and the other holding one, while one PRH resident in Case 2 owned a domestic property in Tseung Kwan O.

The Kwun Tong Magistrates Courts yesterday (October 5) sentenced the PRH resident holding two properties in Case 1 to an immediate two-week imprisonment, while the hearing for the other PRH resident in the same case was adjourned to November 30. The HD will also proceed to recover the subject PRH flat. For Case 2, the PRH resident was sentenced to a four-week imprisonment and granted bail pending appeal.

The HD reminded that, PRH residents and subsidised housing applicants must honestly declare their income, assets, and properties, and accurately complete their Income and Assets Declaration Forms. PRH residents must also read the content and completion guidelines of the Declaration Forms carefully and compute their income and assets in accordance with the methods specified for accurately providing the relevant information.

The HD will continue its dedicated efforts to adopt a multipronged approach to combat the abuse of PRH in a comprehensive manner.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Incorporated Owners of Kingsfield Garden was fined $149,000 at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (October 5) for violating the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance. The prosecution was launched by the Labour Department.

The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on July 22, 2025, at a car park of a residential building in North Point. A worker, while performing tree pruning, fell about 1.2 metres from the top of a parapet wall at the car park of the building to the floor, and sustained a head injury. He was sent to hospital in a conscious state and passed away two weeks later.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Land Registry today (October 5) released its statistics for September 2026.

Land registration

*   The number of sale and purchase agreements for all building units received for registration in September was 6 438 (+11.6 per cent compared with August 2026 but -6.3 per cent compared with September 2025)

*   The 12-month moving average for September was 7 682 (0.5 per cent below the 12-month moving average for August 2026 but 20.6 per cent above that for September 2025)

*   The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements of building units in September was $53.5 billion (+20.1 per cent compared with August 2026 and +0.01 per cent compared with September 2025)

*   Among the sale and purchase agreements, 4 761 were for residential units (+18.5 per cent compared with August 2026 but -15.6 per cent compared with September 2025)

*   The total consideration for sale and purchase agreements in respect of residential units was $46.8 billion (+29.3 per cent compared with August 2026 but -0.9 per cent compared with September 2025)

Statistics on sales of residential units do not include sale and purchase agreements relating to sales of units under the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Tenants Purchase Scheme, etc, unless the premium of the unit concerned has been paid after the sale restriction period.

Figures on sale and purchase agreements received for the past 12 months, the year-on-year rate of change and breakdown figures on residential sales have also been released.

As deeds may not be lodged with the Land Registry until up to 30 days after the transaction, these statistics generally relate to land transactions in the previous month.

Land search

*   The number of searches of land registers made by the public in September was 463 031 (-73.5 per cent compared with August 2026 but +15.4 per cent compared with September 2025)

The statistics cover searches made at the counter, through the self-service terminals and via the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services.