Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The law and order situation in Hong Kong in 2025 is as follows:
1. Overall situation
A total of 89 137 crimes were recorded in 2025, representing a decrease of 5.9% (-5 610 cases) compared with 2024. The number of violent crimes dropped by 15.9% (-1 662 cases) to 8 823 cases. There were 194 cases of homicide, including the 168 deaths caused by the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which was classified as manslaughter. Police have so far arrested 16 persons for manslaughter in connection with the fire. There were 3 363 cases of wounding and serious assault, representing a decrease of 6.9% (-251 cases). Of these, 8.3% were triad-related. Police paid particular attention to cases involving triads and NEC persons (i.e. the number of NEC persons arrested for wounding and serious assault), which decreased by 10.3% and 9% respectively. There were 66 robbery cases, a decrease of 26.7% (-24 cases). This marked the lowest figure since records began in 1969, averaging one case every 5.5 days. The detection rate reached a high of 90.9%. 6. Burglary
A total of 816 burglary cases were recorded, representing a decrease of 33.1% (-404 cases). This was also a new historical low since 1969. 7. Theft 8. Blackmail There were 68 rape cases, a decrease of nine cases (-11.7%). The detection rate stood at 95.6%. During the period, there was one case involving a stranger, which was detected.
A total of 1 137 cases of indecent assault were recorded, representing a drop of 48 cases (-4.1%). The detection rate was 78.9%. There were 1 281 serious drug cases, representing an increase of 15% (+167 cases). Cases involving etomidate accounted for 29.4% (376 cases). In 2025, a total of 2 662 youths were arrested for criminal offences, representing a decrease of 6.3% (-178 persons). This marked the lowest figure on record since 1990, indicating that Police and various community sectors had achieved tangible results through sustained efforts to prevent and combat youth crime.
13. Relevant situation of national security
Since the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance came into force, the National Security Department of Police had arrested a total of 385 persons as at the end of 2025. More than half of them had been charged.＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝ Combating violent crime; Combating triads, syndicated and organised crime; Combating dangerous drugs; Combating deception and quick cash crime; Enhancing cyber security and combating technology crime; Enhancing public safety; Enhancing counter-terrorism; and Organising and policing of significant international events.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs alerts public to one model of unsafe toy truck (with photo) Customs is committed to the protection of consumer interests and regularly conducts spot checks and safety tests on toys and children’s products to ensure that they are reasonably safe for use by consumers.
Under the TCPSO, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import unsafe toys or children’s products. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.Issued at HKT 17:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Speech by SFST at Inaugural Family Office Forum “Stewardship in the Chinese Context: Family, Legacy, Future” (English Only) Zhou Li (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Daily), ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests,
Good morning. It is a great privilege to address you today at this Inaugural Family Office Forum. As we work together to position Hong Kong as Asia’s premier strategic hub for family offices, we recognise the profound interplay in the Chinese context between family wealth, legacy building, and future planning. Here, wealth stewardship extends beyond financial growth to embrace social responsibility, intergenerational harmony, and lasting impact. Hong Kong is committed to fostering an ecosystem that supports sustainable, responsible, and enduring wealth preservation for families worldwide.
Hong Kong has long been a leading global wealth management centre. As of the end of 2024, total assets under management in our asset and wealth management sector surpassed HK$35 trillion, with more than 54 per cent originating from outside Hong Kong and the Mainland. The private banking and private wealth management business linked to family offices and private trusts reached HK$1,551 billion. Hong Kong ranks as Asia’s largest cross-border wealth management centre, and holds the second position in private equity capital under management in Asia after the Mainland. These strengths create a natural, robust platform for family offices to manage, protect, and grow their wealth effectively.
With a long history of expertise in private wealth management, underpinned by the rule of law, world-class professional services, and unparalleled connectivity, Hong Kong is ideally positioned as a trusted base for global high-net-worth families establishing or expanding family offices. Globally, over 2.3 million individuals have a net worth exceeding US$10 million, with more than 36 per cent in Asia. Recent data shows Hong Kong hosts the highest number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in Asia – over 17 000 – making us a magnet for talent and capital in this space.
In March 2023, we issued the Policy Statement on Developing Family Office Businesses in Hong Kong, outlining targeted measures to build a competitive and supportive ecosystem. These include, among others, a tax concessions regime, the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (New CIES), and the establishment of the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy. As of end-January this year, the New CIES has received over 3 000 applications, with potential investments exceeding HK$90 billion if all approved. More than 1 600 applications have been formally approved, with investments in equities, debt securities, certificates of deposit, eligible collective investment schemes, limited partnership funds, and real estate with certain restrictions in place.
Invest Hong Kong’s dedicated FamilyOfficeHK team provides one-stop support for family offices seeking to establish or expand in our market. By the end of last year, the team had assisted more than 200 family offices to set up or grow their presence in Hong Kong.
Building on this momentum, market research just revealed yesterday that Hong Kong now hosts over 3 300 single family offices, an increase of over 25 per cent over a two-year period. We achieved our 2022-25 target of facilitating at least 200 family offices to set up or expand in Hong Kong ahead of schedule. Looking forward, as we plan to further develop the sector, we aim to attract at least 220 more family offices to establish or expand operations here from 2026 to 2028, broadening our reach to include more markets, for example Europe, the Middle East and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Beyond investments, family offices contribute substantially through other economic and social channels. It is estimated that single family offices in Hong Kong collectively contribute about HK$12.6 billion annually to the local economy through operating expenditure alone, and that they directly employ over 10 000 full-time professionals within their operations.
Over the past two years, proactive promotion and supportive policies have made family offices a vital pillar of Hong Kong’s financial ecosystem. The city offers a unique blend of top-tier professional services, an exceptional quality of life, and leadership in emerging areas such as green and sustainable investments, art, culture, and philanthropy. We will continue refining our measures – including further expansion of scope for qualifying investment for the preferential tax regimes offered to funds and single-family offices, covering for example precious metals, loans and private credit investments, and digital assets – to maintain this strong growth trajectory.
Combined with Hong Kong’s absence of capital gains tax and estate duty, our tax concession enables families to enhance after-tax returns, preserve wealth across generations, and direct more resources toward philanthropy, legacy-building, and innovative investments. As Asia’s leading cross-border wealth hub, Hong Kong provides unmatched tax certainty and access to diverse opportunities.
We have intensified global outreach through roadshows in the Mainland, Europe, and ASEAN. We are also extensively featured in international media, and conduct direct engagement with ultra-high-net-worth individuals. Our flagship Wealth for Good in Hong Kong Summit has been a major success. The March edition last year, themed “Hong Kong of the World, for the World”, brought together influential family office principals to explore technology, artificial intelligence, philanthropy, succession planning, and cultural innovation. Preparations are underway for the next Summit in March this year to sustain this momentum, and reinforce Hong Kong’s status as the premier global family office hub.
In closing, we warmly invite family offices from around the world to join us in Hong Kong. By leveraging our unique advantages – connectivity to the Mainland and the world, robust infrastructure, and a commitment to stewardship – we can together honour family legacies while shaping a prosperous, sustainable future.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
TD to implement special arrangements for licence renewals before and after Budget Day “Eligible licence holders do not need to rush to the Licensing Offices to submit renewal applications for their vehicle or driving licences on speculation that their fees may increase in the Budget. The special arrangements are not related to the content of the Budget, about which the TD has no information,” a spokesman for the TD said.
Note: For electric private cars, the present rate refers to the licence fee structure and levels effective from November 1, 2025. Since the Government provides a four-month grace period fee arrangement for eligible vehicle owners, if their vehicle licences expire on or before February 28, 2026, they may be renewed on or before the licence expiry date at the old fee level in effect before November 1, 2025. Issued at HKT 11:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs combats traders supplying shortweight Chinese New Year products Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the WMO to the Customs 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 12:45
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Government and 29 large corporates jointly launch new round of HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas In the 2025 Policy Address, the Chief Executive emphasised that the Government would sustain its efforts in promoting youth development on all fronts. This includes continuing to implement various exchange and internship programmes on the Mainland and overseas to help young people broaden international horizons and cultivate a holistic outlook. In this regard, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau forged partnerships with large corporates to launch the HYAB Scheme on Corporate Summer Internship on the Mainland and Overseas for Hong Kong youth to intern at the Mainland and overseas operations of these corporates. The Scheme will help young people learn and experience first-hand the national development and international trends, and at the same time provide them with exposure to the work culture in large corporates and the opportunity to establish interpersonal networks outside Hong Kong, enabling them to accumulate invaluable work experience and lay a foundation for future career development.
The number of companies participating in the new round of the Scheme has increased to 29. Internship placements are offered in multiple Chinese Mainland provinces and cities, including various Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing and Hangzhou, as well as overseas countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. The internship placements also cover a wider range of industries than before, such as financial services, innovation and technology, pharmaceutical, logistics, property development, construction, retail, hospitality and utilities (please refer to Annex for details of the internship placements). Applicants must be aged 18 or above and should be (i) a full time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong permanent identity card; or (ii) a local full-time post-secondary student (including sub-degree, undergraduate, or postgraduate) holding a Hong Kong identity card. The internship will take place between June and September this year. Participating companies will sponsor the interns for major expenses including transportation and accommodation costs, and assign dedicated personnel to provide training and support to the interns.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from February 26 to March 2 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 an 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: (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 the 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.Issued at HKT 15:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Three more trial projects on hydrogen fuel technology given agreement-in-principle by Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel The relevant projects involve:
(a) an application submitted by Guangdong Yiyun Logistics Supply Chain Company Limited for launching a trial operation of five hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) cold chain goods vehicles for cross-boundary transport; To date, the Working Group has given agreement-in-principle in stages to a total of 35 applications for hydrogen energy trial projects. The Working Group will continue to make reference to the operational data and experience collected from all local trials, in order to provide advice for the continuous enhancement of the safety and technical guidelines on the local application of hydrogen energy.
The spokesman said, “The Working Group also discussed in the meeting facilitative measures to remove barriers and ease restrictions to streamline approval procedures, drawing on industry feedback and experiences in processing trial projects, with an aim to enable more trial projects to proceed smoothly and timely.”
The Working Group will continue to regularly review the progress of the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong and provide recommendations to facilitate the implementation of its various measures. The Working Group is formed by the EEB, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Environmental Protection Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Fire Services Department, the Transport Department, the Marine Department, the Planning Department, the Lands Department, the Buildings Department, the Architectural Services Department and the Labour Department. Issued at HKT 18:26
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 11) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Guldborgsund Municipality in Denmark, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area 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 450 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 210 000 poultry eggs from Denmark last year.
“The CFS has contacted the Danish authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. 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 Disaster Relief Fund Advisory CommitteeChief Secretary for Administration (ex-officio)Dr Ko Wing-man Mr Chan Hak-kan Mr Stanley Ng Chau-pei Revd Canon Peter Douglas Koon Ho-ming Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang Mr Brian David Li Man-bun Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury or representative (ex-officio) Secretary for Labour and Welfare or representative (ex-officio) Issued at HKT 16:30