Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (January 1) expressed his profound sadness over the passing of a Workman II of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), Ms Li Haiying, and extended his sincere condolences to her family.

     While carrying out street cleansing duties last night in the vicinity of Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei, Ms Li was knocked down by a goods vehicle. She was subsequently sent to hospital and certified dead. 

     Mr Tse said, “On behalf of the Environment and Ecology Bureau, I offer the deepest condolences to Ms Li’s family. We will provide all appropriate support and assistance to the family.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government announced today (January 1) that the Chief Executive has made appointments and reappointments to the four Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) advisory committees, namely the Advisory Committee on Corruption (ACOC), the Operations Review Committee (ORC), the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee (CPAC) and the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations (CACCR), and to the ICAC Complaints Committee (ICC). All of the appointments and reappointments are for a term of two years with effect from January 1, 2026. 

ACOC 
CPAC      
     Mr Choi is the Managing Director of the Urban Renewal Authority. He is also a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board.
      
     The CPAC receives and calls for reports from the ICAC about practices and procedures of government departments, public bodies and the private sector which may be conducive to corruption. It also advises the Commissioner on what areas should be examined and the degree of priority to be accorded to each.     
     The Chief Executive has reappointed Professor Simon Ho Shun-man as the Chairman of the CACCR. Miss Pinky Lau Pik-yiu, Dr James Wong Kong-tin, Miss Jenny Yung Ching-yi and Ms Cally Kwong Mei-wan have been reappointed as members of the CACCR. Dr Kalwan Kwan Ming-tak has been appointed as a new member of the Committee. 
      
     Dr Kwan is the Honorary Lecturer of the Department of Sociology of the University of Hong Kong.        
     The Chief Executive has reappointed Executive Council Member Dr Lam Ching-choi as the Chairman of the ICC. Legislative Council (LegCo) Member Miss Grace Chan man-yee and Mr Lau Chun-hung have been reappointed as members of the ICC.  LegCo Members Mr Chan Hok-fung and Ms Judy Chan Kapui, and Ms Irene Chow Man-ling have been appointed as new members of the ICC.
      
     Mr Chan works in the banking industry. He is also a Non-executive Director of the Urban Renewal Authority.      
     The Government extends its sincere appreciation to all outgoing members whose terms of office expired after December 31, 2025. Their valuable contributions to the work of the respective committees are greatly appreciated.
      
     The updated non-official membership lists of the four ICAC advisory committees and the ICC are in the Annex.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) has successfully implemented measures under the public healthcare fees and charges reform (fees and charges reform), with all public hospitals operating smoothly today (January 1). The HA has deployed additional manpower across various departments at hospitals to assist patients in need and will continue to monitor operations closely over the coming days to ensure smooth service delivery after the New Year holiday.

     The HA Chairman, Mr Henry Fan, said, “The successful implementation of the reform marks a significant milestone in our public healthcare system. The reform will enhance protection for poor, acute, serious and critical patients, enabling sustainable development of public healthcare services to meet the challenges posed by Hong Kong’s aging population. We especially thank all staff for their co-operation in implementing the reform and patients for their understanding of the new arrangements.”

     As of 2pm, 1982 patients attended the Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) of 18 public hospitals, including 42 critical cases and 82 emergency cases. According to the new fees and charges arrangement, these two categories of patients will have their emergency room charges, previously set at $180, fully exempted. The other cases subject to the new fees and charges arrangement include 854 urgent cases, 968 semi-urgent cases, and 36 non-urgent cases. The average waiting times for semi-urgent and non-urgent cases was 83 minutes.

     The regularisation of refund arrangement in A&E has been implemented to provide patients in stable conditions and with mild symptoms with flexibility in choosing alternative medical care. Patient who chooses to leave A&E before doctor consultation can raise a refund request for the A&E charges within 24 hours after registration to claim a refund of $350. Given the need to prioritise treatment for more critical patients, the HA urges patients with mild symptoms to seek treatment at Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs), private doctors or 24-hour outpatient services at private hospitals to reduce pressure on A&E of public hospitals.

     Furthermore, there are 15 FMCs providing public holiday family medicine outpatient services today, offering a total of 1431 consultation quotas. As of 2pm, 487 patients attended these 15 FMCs, of which 4 patients were eligible for medical fee waivers. Overall service usage remains approximately similar to before the implementation of the measures.

     The HA Chief Executive, Dr Libby Lee, said, “After the New Year holiday, many clinical departments in public hospitals will resume normal services. We have deployed additional manpower, including service ambassadors, dedicated teams, and volunteers to station at outpatient clinics, shroffs and pharmacies for answering patient inquiries, and assisting with payments, appointments, and applications for medical fee waivers. Hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics have also set up information counters where dedicated staff provide on-site responses to public inquiries.”

     The HA reminds patients that the fees and charges reform has been implemented. Patients are advised to familiarise themselves with the new fees and charges arrangements before visiting public hospitals or outpatient clinics. Some medical service procedures have also been modified. Every cluster has set up hotlines (see table below) for patients to inquire about the fees and charges reform arrangements (see Annex). Patients can also visit the HA website to learn about the new arrangements.

Hotlines for Public Healthcare Fees and Charges Reform

Clusters	Hotlines
Hong Kong East Cluster	6460 4303
Hong Kong West Cluster	2255 4177
Kowloon Central Cluster	3506 7198
Kowloon East Cluster	5215 7326
Kowloon West Cluster	3467 7575
New Territories East Cluster	6273 3551
New Territories West Cluster	2468 5353

Service hours: January 2-11, 2026, 8am to 8pm

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The opening ceremony of the “Yau Ma Tei Police Station: A Cinematic Journey” exhibition, presented by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, was held at the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station today (January 1). The exhibition will open to the public from tomorrow (January 2). An admission ticket costs $30, a concessionary ticket costs $10, while admission of children aged six or below is free. Members of the public may book tickets through the online booking system. There is no physical ticket sale onsite.

     Officiating at today’s opening ceremony were the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Peter Lam; and actor Simon Yam.

     The “Yau Ma Tei Police Station: A Cinematic Journey” exhibition is one of the major projects of the Government’s Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots. It is also the second tourist attraction themed around Hong Kong films, following the “Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey” Movie Set Exhibition opened last year.

     Situated at 627 Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station is a Grade‑2 historic building. The exhibition showcases film sets reconstructed by Hong Kong film professionals, collectable items and original pieces, presenting the city’s memories of the era portrayed in Hong Kong crime film classics, and allowing visitors to experience Hong Kong’s film culture and the unique creativity of local filmmakers.

     To coincide with the exhibition and promote district tourism, the Yau Tsim Mong District Office has also launched the Yau Ma Tei Dining and Shopping Festival as well as a Mini Bazaar starting today. Visitors who have visited the exhibition may enjoy a wide range of special offers at participating merchants. The Mini Bazaar, which operates on weekends and public holidays in the initial phase (until March 1), is located opposite the main entrance of the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station, and sells cultural and creative products as well as local traditional snacks.

     For further details of the “Yau Ma Tei Police Station: A Cinematic Journey” exhibition, please visit ymtps.ccidahk.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing today officiated at the opening ceremony of the “Yau Ma Tei Police Station: A Cinematic Journey” exhibition at the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station.

The exhibition, presented by the Cultural & Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports & Tourism Bureau, will be open to the public from tomorrow.

It showcases film sets reconstructed by Hong Kong film professionals, collectable items and original pieces, presenting the city’s memories of the era portrayed in Hong Kong crime film classics, allowing visitors to experience Hong Kong’s film culture and the unique creativity of local filmmakers.

This exhibition is one of the major projects of the Government’s Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots. It is also the second tourist attraction themed around Hong Kong films, following the “Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey” Movie Set Exhibition which opened last year.

Also officiating at the opening ceremony were Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law.

Situated at 627 Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station is a Grade 2 historic building.

An admission ticket to the exhibition costs $30, a concessionary ticket is $10, while children aged six or below get in for free.

Members of the public may book tickets through the online booking system as tickets will not be available onsite.

To coincide with the exhibition and promote district tourism, the Yau Tsim Mong District Office also launched the Yau Ma Tei Dining & Shopping Festival as well as a Mini Bazaar today.

Exhibition visitors may enjoy a wide range of special offers at participating merchants.

The Mini Bazaar, which operates on weekends and public holidays until March 1, is located opposite the main entrance of the Old Yau Ma Tei Police Station, and sells cultural and creative products as well as local traditional snacks.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hospital Authority (HA) announced that the public healthcare fees and charges reform officially came into effect today, with Accident & Emergency departments, which operate 24 hours a day, among the first clinical departments to implement the new fees and charges arrangements.

The HA noted that its systems have successfully switched to the new fees and charges mode, and operations at public hospitals were smooth. 

The authority added that it has deployed additional manpower to station at outpatient clinics, shroffs and pharmacies for answering patient enquiries, assisting with payments, appointments, and applications for medical fee waivers.

Hospitals and specialist outpatient clinics have also set up information counters where dedicated staff provide on-site responses to public enquiries.

An enhanced medical fee waiver mechanism has been introduced. Over 50,000 patients have already submitted advance applications or filed enquiries, with the majority of applications processed.

The HA said eligible patients will gradually receive their medical fee waiver certificates, enabling them to have fee waivers granted at their next follow-up consultation. 

It has also introduced an annual cap of $10,000 on medical service charges, excluding self-financed items.

The expanded safety net aims to help citizens reduce the heavy financial burden of medical expenses arising from unexpected serious illnesses or chronic conditions, the HA added. 

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA welcomes statements by Australia and New Zealand expressing concern over China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan

Date：2025-12-31
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

December 31, 2025No. 549In a statement issued on December 31, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that China’s military exercises around Taiwan were destabilizing and risked inflaming regional tensions. It said that Australia opposed any actions that increased the risk of accident, miscalculation, or escalation, adding that Australian officials had raised concerns with Chinese counterparts.In addition, in a statement on the social media platform X, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade expressed the country’s concern over China’s recent military exercises. The post called for China to exercise restraint and avoid actions that may undermine peace and stability.Following similar comments issued in April, these statements mark a further instance of Australia and New Zealand publicly opposing any unilateral changes to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and calling on both sides to resolve their differences through dialogue rather than through force or coercion.Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely thanks Australia, New Zealand, and like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region and around the globe for once again demonstrating support for peace and security across the Taiwan Strait and for articulating a clear position on maintaining a stable status quo across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan appreciates all countries continuing to pay close attention to the Taiwan Strait situation.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates that upholding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the international consensus. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to cooperate with like-minded countries to jointly safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and across the globe. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

December 31, 2025No. 548The European External Action Service (EEAS) and the foreign ministries of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany each issued statements on December 30 indicating serious concern over China’s recent large-scale joint military exercises around Taiwan. The statements stressed that cross-strait peace and stability were critical to global peace and prosperity and expressed opposition to any unilateral actions that increased cross-strait tensions. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expresses sincere gratitude for these statements, which once again demonstrate Europe’s staunch support of cross-strait peace and stability.The EEAS statement pointed out that the European Union had a direct interest in the preservation of the cross-strait status quo and that cross-strait peace and stability were of strategic importance to regional and global security and prosperity. Therefore, it continued, the EU opposed any unilateral actions that changed the status quo, in particular by force or coercion. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office statement, meanwhile, underscored that cross-strait peace was critical to global prosperity and the UK economy and that the UK opposed the use of force or coercion in the Taiwan Strait or any unilateral attempt to alter the status quo. In its statement, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs noted that cross-strait peace and stability were indispensable for global security and prosperity. It further stated that France was paying close attention to China’s military exercises and reiterated France’s support for cross-strait peace and stability and its opposition to the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the cross-strait status quo. The German Federal Foreign Office statement stressed that China’s military exercises had exacerbated cross-strait tensions and had jeopardized cross-strait stability. Moreover, it said that cross-strait peace and stability were strategically important for regional and international security and prosperity and that any change to the status quo must be peaceful and agreed to by both sides. It also called for restraint and dialogue.Minister Lin expresses welcome and thanks for these friendly statements of support by the EU and key European countries. He notes that these statements fully demonstrate Europe’s high degree of concern about China’s improper use of military exercises to unilaterally increase cross-strait tensions. They also show that Europe staunchly supports the cross-strait status quo of peace and stability. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses that the international community has a high degree of consensus about maintaining the cross-strait status quo of peace and stability. It calls on China to immediately cease its irresponsible, unilateral military provocations, respect the rules-based international order, and stop disrupting cross-strait and regional peace, stability, and security. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to work with the EU and like-minded countries to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order and promote global and regional peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Foreign Minister Lin solemnly refutes Chinese Foreign Minister Wang’s further false claims regarding World War II

Date：2025-12-31
Data Source：Department of Policy Planning

December 31, 2025
No. 547In his keynote speech at the 2025 Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations held in Beijing on December 30, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi once again misrepresented historical facts about World War II and falsely claimed that the so-called Taiwan question was a matter of China’s internal affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) solemnly refutes this attempt to distort the truth and mislead the public.Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung firmly reiterates that the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is subordinate to the other. Historical facts, objective reality, and international law all show that Taiwan’s sovereignty does not belong to the PRC. Only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine Taiwan’s future. Statements distorting Taiwan’s sovereign status will not change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait or alter objective facts recognized by the international community.China recently conducted another joint military exercise around Taiwan, severely threatening peace and security across the Taiwan Strait and the region. Its actions defied the principle of refraining from the threat or use of force set out in the UN Charter and seriously disrupted international maritime and air traffic and regular trade exchanges, harming others while yielding no gain itself. This behavior once again demonstrated that China is the real troublemaker, malicious provocateur, and disruptor of the status quo in the international community and across the Taiwan Strait.MOFA urges the Beijing authorities to immediately halt their attempts aimed at unilaterally changing the status quo and respect the fact of the existence of the ROC (Taiwan); to immediately cease their unwarranted threats and provocations against Taiwan and neighboring countries and shoulder the responsibilities expected of a major power; and to immediately put an end to their distortion of historical facts and not mislead the international community any further.MOFA also calls on the international community to support democratic Taiwan through concrete actions, jointly condemn China’s persistent efforts to unilaterally alter the status quo and its overbearing military intimidation against other countries, and work together to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region. Taiwan will continue to cooperate with other nations in its endeavor to maintain regional peace and stability. (E)

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan and Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung expressed sorrow over the passing of Workman II of the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department Li Haiying.

Ms Li was knocked down by a goods vehicle while carrying out street cleansing duties last night in the vicinity of Canton Road, Yau Ma Tei. She was subsequently sent to hospital and certified dead. 

The two officials extended their condolences to Ms Li’s famiy. Mr Tse said the Environment & Ecology Bureau will provide all appropriate support and assistance to the family.

Meanwhile, the Civil Service Bureau said it has been in contact with the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department to make every effort to help Ms Li’s family during this sad and difficult period.