Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Science Museum will launch “The Shaw Prize 2025 Exhibition” tomorrow (October 17) at the museum’s main lobby on 1/F to introduce the Shaw Laureates this year and their outstanding contributions. The exhibition also presents related science knowledge with interactive panels, guiding the public to explore the research journey of these distinguished scientists. The exhibition will run until December 17. Admission is free.
 
     Established in 2002, the Shaw Prize consists of three annual awards, namely the Prize in Astronomy, the Prize in Life Science and Medicine and the Prize in Mathematical Sciences.
 
     The Shaw Prize in Astronomy 2025 is awarded in equal shares to two scholars, John Richard Bond, Professor of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics and University Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada, and George Efstathiou, Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics (1909) at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, for their pioneering research in cosmology, in particular for their studies of fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background. Their predictions have been verified by an armada of ground-, balloon- and space-based instruments, leading to precise determinations of the age, geometry, and mass-energy content of the universe.
 
     The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine 2025 is awarded to Wolfgang Baumeister, Director Emeritus and Scientific Member of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Germany and Distinguished Adjunct Professor at ShanghaiTech University, People’s Republic of China, for his pioneering development and use of cryogenic-electron tomography (cryo-ET), an imaging technique that enables three-dimensional visualisation of biological samples, including proteins, macromolecular complexes, and cellular compartments as they exist in their natural cellular settings.
 
     The Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences 2025 is awarded to Kenji Fukaya, Professor at the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications and the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center, Tsinghua University, People’s Republic of China, for his pioneering work on symplectic geometry, especially for envisioning the existence of a category – nowadays called the Fukaya category – consisting of Lagrangians on a symplectic manifold.
 
     “The Shaw Prize 2025 Exhibition” is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and The Shaw Prize Foundation and is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Education City. For details of the exhibition and activities, please visit hk.science.museum/en/web/scm/exhibition/shawprize.html.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

In light of the continued increase in influenza activity and outbreaks of influenza-like illness (ILI) in schools and residential care homes (RCHs), the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (October 16) urged all persons aged 6 months or above (except those with known contraindications) to receive the seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) as soon as possible to minimise the risk of serious complications and death following infection.
 
Influenza activity continues to rise
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Hong Kong has entered the summer influenza season, and the influenza activity continues to rise. The CHP’s latest surveillance data showed that the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for seasonal influenza viruses during the past week (October 5 to 11) was 12.02 per cent, which is higher than the 9.70 per cent recorded during the preceding week and exceeds the peak of 10.54 per cent during the winter influenza season earlier this year. Influenza A(H3) is the predominant circulating strain, accounting for nearly 80 per cent of all detected viruses, followed by influenza A(H1) at slightly over 10 per cent. Influenza B accounted for the remainder. The influenza admission rate in public hospitals is 0.67 cases per 10 000 population, which is higher than the 0.52 cases recorded during the preceding week. There has also been an increase in outbreaks of ILI in schools and RCHs over the past two weeks. As of yesterday (October 15), 451 outbreaks had been reported in schools since the start of the school year in September. Among them, 43, 244 and 164 cases occurred in kindergartens/child care centres, primary schools and secondary schools respectively. During the same period, nine severe cases and one fatal case of paediatric influenza involving children aged 3 to 17 have been recorded. Eight of them had good past health.
 
“Summer influenza seasons do not occur every year in Hong Kong. It usually occurred between July and August and lasted for six to 18 weeks. The emergence of a summer influenza season in September is uncommon. Since the public received their SIV over nine months ago, the protective immunity generated by the SIV has relatively waned. Coupled with the fact that the new seasonal influenza vaccines for this season have only recently become available on the market and some people have not yet received this year’s SIV, this year’s summer influenza outbreak is expected to be relatively severe. Based on the current level of influenza activity and trend analysis, the local influenza activity is expected to remain at a relatively high level over the next few weeks. Furthermore, viruses tend to become more active when the temperature drops towards the end of the year. The winter influenza season in Hong Kong typically occurs between January and March. The current summer influenza season may overlap with the upcoming winter influenza season, which could lead to a higher hospitalisation rate due to influenza infection,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.
 
“The 2025/26 SIV Programmes offers injectable inactivated influenza vaccines (both trivalent and quadrivalent), recombinant influenza vaccines and live attenuated influenza vaccines. All of them cover both influenza A and B viruses and can effectively prevent seasonal influenza and its complications,” he added.
 
2025/26 SIV Programmes
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To boost SIV rates, enrolment for the SIV School Outreach Programme has started since the beginning of June this year, which was earlier than last year. With the concerted efforts of the Government and various community sectors (including the medical sector and schools), approximately 2 300 schools (99 per cent) are going to arrange SIV school outreach activities. Among these, over 1 330 schools (58 per cent) have scheduled to carry out the outreach activities by the end of this month, and over 2 160 schools (94 per cent) by the end of next month (November), which are respectively higher than last year’s 45 per cent and 83 per cent. Currently, about 410 schools have held school outreach activities, with the earliest session taking place on September 29.
 
“Through the concerted efforts of schools, this season’s school outreach activities will generally be completed earlier than last season’s. However, given the emergence of this year’s summer influenza season, coupled with the recent increase in seasonal influenza activity and the number of school outbreaks, we have urged relevant schools to advance the vaccination outreach services further, where feasible. Following intensive coordination by the CHP, 15 schools (including seven secondary schools, two primary schools and six kindergartens/child care centres) will advance their outreach activities originally scheduled for December this year or January next year to before the end of next month. The CHP will continue to actively liaise with the remaining relevant schools to provide feasible assistance,” Dr Tsui said.
 
Regarding the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (VSS), over 1 800 private doctors have applied to participate so far.
 
“With the support of private doctors, both the number of participating doctors and vaccination venues increased compared to the same period last season. So far, the number of doses administered under the VSS has increased by approximately 12 per cent, compared to the same period last season, demonstrating the impact of private doctors network on boosting vaccination rates. For the newly launched pilot scheme on vaccine procurement for family doctors, the Government has helped procure an additional 100 000 doses of injectable inactivated influenza vaccines for specified VSS family doctors. These doctors have ordered over 60 000 doses of influenza vaccines so far, indicating a positive response,” he added.
 
The sooner one receives seasonal influenza vaccines the better
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“Influenza can cause serious illnesses among high-risk individuals and even in healthy persons. SIV is one of the most effective ways of preventing seasonal influenza and its complications. It can also reduce influenza-related hospitalisation and death due to seasonal influenza. SIV is recommended for all persons aged 6 months or above, except those with known contraindications. I wish to particularly remind high-risk groups, such as the elderly, children, and adults with underlying illnesses and immunosuppression, to get SIV as soon as possible. Members of the public may also contact their family doctors to arrange for vaccinations,” Dr Tsui said.
 
For more information on the SIV programmes, visit the webpage or call the CHP during office hours at 2125 2125.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​A spokesperson from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said today (October 17) that with regard to the incident last night (October 16) involving concentration of ammonia gas inside the wastewater treatment plant of the Organic Resources Recovery Centre Phase 2 (O．PARK2) exceeding the Occupational Exposure Limit set by the Labour Department (LD) due to malfunction, the ammonia gas concentration has reduced to normal levels as a result of assistance from the Fire Services Department (FSD) and LD in handling the incident. On-site monitoring data during this time indicate that the incident had not caused any impact on the surrounding environment. 

EPD’s contractor has carried out emergency measures to maintain ammonia gas concentration at normal levels, including enhancing ventilation and temporarily suspending operation of the wastewater treatment plant for emergency repairs. During the repairing period of the wastewater treatment plant, O·PARK2 will continue to accept food waste with service adjustments as necessary. The repair works will be conducted in accordance with LD and FSD’s safety advice.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) today said its Public Health Laboratory Services Branch routinely conducts Polymerase Chain Reaction tests for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) on respiratory specimens.

Additionally, the centre monitors RSV-associated hospitalisations in public hospitals, and tracks upper respiratory infection outbreaks in schools as well as residential care institutions. The number of positive detections and the percentage are announced weekly on its website.

The CHP made the remarks in response to a media enquiry concerning RSV surveillance.

It noted that as revealed by laboratory surveillance data, the percentages of specimens testing positive for RSV over the past 12 weeks ranged between 2.5% and 3.5%, higher than that of the first-half year when less than 1% was recorded, but far lower than 8% to 10% when a peak was recorded in the past.

Furthermore, the CHP’s analysis indicated that between January 2023 and June 2025, the average annualised mortality rates associated with RSV among elderly people aged 75 or above was 10.3 per 100,000 population, which is lower than that of the rate of 80.2 per 100,000 population for seasonal influenza.

The hospitalisation rate associated with RSV among elderly people was also lower than that for seasonal influenza.

During the meeting in January this year, the CHP’s Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) discussed the use of RSV vaccines for elderly people, and the experts were of the view that the two RSV vaccines currently registered in Hong Kong are safe and effective.

Regarding vaccination for the elderly, as specific recommendations from the World Health Organization and local data from the cost-benefit perspective are pending, universal RSV vaccination for elderly people is not recommended at the moment.

The Health Bureau has commissioned the University of Hong Kong to conduct an analysis on the cost-benefit of the RSV vaccine. Upon completion of the cost-benefit analysis, the SCVPD will discuss again the issue on RSV vaccination, based on the relevant analysis results and latest scientific evidence.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Hong Kong recorded a current health expenditure (CHE) of $251.207 billion in 2023-24, an 8.6% increase compared with the previous year’s figure (excluding identified COVID-19 expenditure), the Health Bureau said today.

Releasing Hong Kong’s Domestic Health Accounts (DHA) 2023-24, the bureau noted that the CHE as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 8.3%, and the CHE per capita was $33,334 during the period.

Public fund on healthcare accounted for 51.8% of the CHE in 2023-24, or 4.3% as a GDP percentage, which was 1.5 times of the 2.9% recorded 10 years ago in 2013-14.

Among other regions and economies with comparable shares of elderly population, Hong Kong is one of the places with the lowest public expenditure expressed in GDP percentage, the bureau noted.

In 2023-24, primary healthcare expenditure accounted for 29.3% of the city’s CHE, the highest percentage in the past decade, demonstrating the Government’s efforts to promote primary healthcare development are bearing fruit.

For private healthcare expenditure, it accounted for 48.2% of the CHE in Hong Kong or 4% as a percentage of GDP during the same period.

As for private expenditure on secondary and tertiary healthcare, the percentage share of health insurance schemes, including privately purchased as well as employer-based insurance schemes, in private expenditure increased from 33.4% to 44.8% in the past decade from 2013-14 to 2023-24.

This is an indicator that the health insurance scheme has become an increasingly important funding source for private healthcare services, the bureau added.

Specifically, by the end of 2024, the number of policies under the government-launched Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme has reached 1.428 million, which is estimated to account for approximately one-third of Hong Kong’s individual indemnity hospital insurance market.

To enhance the sustainability of Hong Kong’s healthcare system, the Government is comprehensively deepening the healthcare system reform, including advancing primary healthcare development to shift the emphasis of the healthcare system from treatment-oriented to prevention-focused.

It is also taking forward the fees and charges reform for public healthcare, with a view to optimising the use of healthcare resources amidst the mounting pressure on public hospitals.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the Britcham Hong Kong Summit 2025 today (October 16):
 
Consul General Mr Brian Davidson (British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macao), Jeremy (Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong (BritCham), Mr Jeremy Sheldon), Paul (Executive Director of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Mr Paul McComb), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to join you, once again, for the annual British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong Summit.
 
This year’s Summit agenda smartly responds to BritCham’s “Asia’s World City x BritCham” campaign, formally launched here today. The campaign’s four pillars – work, live, play and learn – and how Hong Kong makes it happen – are the themes of today’s panels.
 
This direction resonates well with the Government’s priorities. Reform is the driving force behind my Policy Address last month, and the Government’s commitment to the economy, to the people, and to Hong Kong.
 
Governments alone cannot deliver successful reform. For that, we need the impelling commitment of industry, business and community. That includes its institutions, local and international.
 
It’s clear, and importantly gratifying, that we can count on the co-operation of BritCham and its 1 100 corporate and individual members. Through your campaign, you will help us tell the true and good Hong Kong stories, that today’s Hong Kong remains Asia’s world city – in business and finance, innovation and technology (I&T), education, culture and lifestyle.
 
BritCham has taken the initiative to engage the world on behalf of Hong Kong for its own good reasons, and that of its members, because when Hong Kong prospers, we all prosper.
 
Hong Kong-UK merchandise trade amounted to US$15.6 billion last year. The average growth between 2020 and 2024 was a solid 2.6 per cent a year. And the UK is Hong Kong’s third-largest trading partner in services, up more than 10 per cent, year on year, to US$14.7 billion in 2023.
 
Bilateral investment remains strong, reflecting the long-term promise our respective businesses and investors see in each other’s economies. At the end of 2023, the UK ranked fourth in inward direct investment into Hong Kong, and sixth in outward direct investment from Hong Kong.  
 
There’s good news, too, in the number of UK companies with a presence here – some 720 as of last December. That, I’m happy to note, was up over 12 per cent, year on year, and marks a record high. And I’m confident that UK companies will continue to turn to Hong Kong – and BritCham Hong Kong.
 
There are many good reasons for optimism. For the next few minutes, I would like to share with you a few of the sectors, industries and areas the HKSAR Government is prioritising: for our economy and community, our businesses, our families, all of us and our future.
 
Hong Kong’s rise as a global city was built on free trade, beginning in the 19th century with the UK and fast expanding to a world of business. As a founding member of the World Trade Organization, we believe in the rules-based multilateral trading system and the mutual rewards it offers companies, economies and countries.
 
That steadfast commitment to free trade was rewarded, once again this year, by the Fraser Institute, which named Hong Kong as the world’s freest economy, number one. 
 
Thanks to the unique “one country, two systems” principle, we create connections, and opportunities, with both our country and the rest of the world.
 
Enhancing our global network
 
As I noted in my Policy Address, we will continue to expand our connectivity. We will deepen integration with the country through the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and enhance connections with the world, exploring overseas markets in Belt and Road regions, the Global South, the Middle East and, of course, the UK; wherever we can build partnerships in a world increasingly beset with unilateralism, arbitrary barriers and dismaying discord.
 
Since assuming office in July 2022, I have led high-level business delegations to the Middle East twice and to multiple ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states on three occasions.
 
Our overseas offices help us build connections and the market opportunities they create. To date, we have set up Economic and Trade Offices, or ETOs, as well as Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and Trade Development Council (TDC) offices in 68 cities around the world, covering 129 countries.
 
And we are still building bridges. An ETO in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, is expected to begin operation by year’s end. We are working with Saudi Arabia to establish an ETO in Riyadh, the country’s capital, and we plan to expand the coverage of existing ETOs to Latin America and Central Asia.
 
As I noted in my Policy Address, we will establish the Economic and Trade Express to help local companies go global. That, I trust, means many of you here today.
 
Supported by our ETOs, InvestHK and the TDC, the new service will organise overseas business missions to help SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and start-ups explore new markets and build their businesses. It will offer additional trade and investment promotion activities, and highlight the advantages of Hong Kong to overseas business.
 
     “Going global” certainly applies to the many Mainland companies we aspire to serve. It is why the GoGlobal Task Force (Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global) was launched 10 days ago. As I said in my Policy Address, the Task Force co-ordinates InvestHK, the Trade Development Council and other government agencies.
 
Taking full advantage of our world-class financial and professional services, the GoGlobal Task Force will serve as a springboard to Mainland companies keen to expand overseas. It will work closely with business organisations and chambers such as yours, and pool expertise and smooth the way for Mainland companies. We will help them connect, faster and more efficiently, with global markets and buyers.
 
I understand that a BritCham delegation recently returned from Beijing, where discussions included how BritCham could support Chinese companies going global. Now that’s a ringing illustration of reaching out, of co-operation creating promising opportunities, and what good business is all about. We definitely have a lot to work together.
 
As of last year, more than 2 600 Mainland enterprises had established operations in Hong Kong. In addition, more than 1 400 had listed here. That presents lots of GoGlobal opportunities – for Hong Kong, and for this chamber.
 
As those numbers underline, Hong Kong is the paramount destination for Chinese companies looking to access offshore capital, and for the world seeking the Mainland’s deep capital market.
 
International financial centre
 
The remarkable performance of our IPO listings this year, surpassing all other major international markets, is just one aspect of Hong Kong’s dynamism.
 
Last month’s Global Financial Centres Index placed us third globally, just two points back of New York, one behind London, our good friend. It highlights our connectivity, as well as Hong Kong’s ability to connect the Mainland and a world of capital.
 
And the Government is committed to boosting Hong Kong’s global appeal, as my Policy Address makes it very clear.
 
Hong Kong is the largest offshore Renminbi business hub in the world, and we are working to diversify our Renminbi offerings. The Monetary Authority will introduce a Renminbi business facility to help companies get the longer-term financing they need for trade, capital expenditure and day-to-day operation. And to ensure a secure source of Renminbi funds at modest cost, it’s pursuing broader channels for acquiring cross-boundary capital, while enabling foreign exchange quotations and transactions between Renminbi and other regional currencies.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, as the Chinese proverb goes, “real gold is not afraid of the melting pot” – and not afraid of volatilities, it seems – last week reaching a record US$4,000 per troy ounce.
 
The HKSAR Government is expediting the development of Hong Kong as an international gold trading market. In my Policy Address, I outlined a number of conducive measures, including building a gold storing capacity of more than 2 000 tonnes over the next three years.
 
We will establish a central clearing system for gold, inviting the Shanghai Gold Exchange to work with us in realising mutual market access with the Mainland. The International Board of the Shanghai Gold Exchange, let me add, has established its first offshore delivery vault, here in Hong Kong.
 
We are inviting gold traders to set up refineries here, and support the creation of a gold industry trade association.
 
Still with commodity trading, the London Metal Exchange last month approved the addition of three storage facilities in Hong Kong. That takes the number of warehouses here to 11 since January, when the Exchange included Hong Kong as a delivery point in its global warehousing network.
 
I have high hopes that relations between Hong Kong and the UK could continue to be as good as gold – as forever as gold. So I’m pleased to note that, in June, the Financial Services Development Council signed an MOU with TheCityUK. It’s designed to boost collaboration between our two financial markets.
 
Innovation and technology
 
This year’s Global Innovation Index ranked the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster first in the world’s top 100 innovation clusters, after five years as runner-up.
 
That speaks well of the Greater Bay Area’s commitment to rising as a global hub for innovation and technology. It speaks clearly, too, of Hong Kong emergence as an I&T force within the Greater Bay Area and throughout the region.
 
Central to that is the Northern Metropolis. Hong Kong Park, part of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, continues its rise in the Northern Metropolis. It is part of the Northern Metropolis. Tenants, including companies specialising in life and health technology, AI, new energy and other strategic industries, are moving into the Park’s first three buildings. Five additional buildings will be completed, progressively, from 2027.
 
By the end of this year, the HKSAR Government will publish an outline plan for the San Tin Technopole – again, a big part of the Northern Metropolis. A huge and inviting area, it will provide about 210 hectares of land for prime I&T development within the Northern Metropolis.
 
Our I&T ambitions, of course, will only be met with a growing flow of strategic talent. On that score, I’m pleased to note two recent results, clear and compelling testament to the success or competiveness in our comprehensive talent drive.
 
Attracting enterprises
 
A week ago, OASES, the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, welcomed another 18 new companies, including three of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical corporations – one of them from the UK – to Hong Kong. That takes the number of strategic enterprises drew in by OASES to 102, creating employment in Hong Kong, investing in Hong Kong, setting up regional headquarters and initiating research and development projects, right here in Hong Kong.
 
As I noted in the Policy Address, the Financial Secretary will head a team putting together preferential policies to attract more strategic companies to come to Hong Kong for their future – and our future.
 
Last week, as well, UK-founded Times Higher Education released its World University Rankings 2026. Hong Kong, once again, was the only city in the world that had five universities ranked among the global top 100. I’m delighted to add that six are now listed among the world’s top 200 universities. And, for the first time, all eight of our publicly funded universities have made the global rankings.
 
Just last month, the World Talent Ranking, released by the International Institute for Management Development, ranked Hong Kong fourth in the world – and tops in Asia.
 
Asia’s world city
 
Ladies and gentlemen, I invite more UK strategic companies and professionals to join us – for a world of business opportunity; for a world of arts and culture, sports and entertainment, too.
 
Yes, as BritCham’s Asia’s World City campaign emphasises, Hong Kong is the region’s wide and welcoming hub for the good life. In my Policy Address, I introduced our “tourism is everywhere” policy priority.
 
We’re expanding our mega events offerings, adding a wealth of cultural festivals and other major offerings. We’re developing the yacht economy and cruise tourism, upgrading our country park facilities, adding traditional village and field attractions, new tourism routes, even a tree-top adventure.
 
And next February, the Year of the Horse begins. Count on a winning variety of horse-racing celebrations.
 
Next month, the East Kowloon Cultural Centre opens, a five-venue showcase for world-class arts technology performances and long-running theatrical runs. Next month, too, the 15th National Games gets going, with Hong Kong a cohost, alongside Guangdong and Macao, for the first time.
 
Yes, in Hong Kong, the attraction, thrills and non-stop excitement are everywhere you look.
 
My thanks to the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong for organising this essential annual gathering. I am grateful, too, for your much-valued contributions to Hong Kong’s success as a leading international economy and flourishing global community. Asia’s world city.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all the best of business, health and happiness in the coming year.
 
Thank you very much.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region