Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ22: Arrangements for registration of persons services Question:
It has been reported that the Registration of Persons – Hong Kong Office (Hong Kong Office) of the Immigration Department (ImmD), which is located on the 8th floor of the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai, is expected to relocate within 2026. Regarding the arrangements for registration of persons (ROP) services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the usage figures and expenditures of each ROP office in the past three years;
(2) of the relocation details (including the timetable) of the Hong Kong Office;
(3) of the criteria adopted by the Government for determining the new location of the Hong Kong Office, e.g. whether it will consider facilitating members of the public to renew their Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents concurrently, or relocating the office to the area of Wan Chai District or the Central and Western District in the vicinity of the original location; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) given that apart from the Hong Kong Office, the ImmD currently also operates the Hong Kong Island Travel Documents Issuing Office in the Harbour Building in Central, as well as the Births and Deaths General Register Office and the Marriage Registration and Records Office in the Queensway Government Offices respectively, and as the Queensway Government Offices have been reserved for the expansion of the High Court, whether the authorities have plans to consolidate the offices in the aforesaid three locations into one integrated office, so as to optimise the use of resources and achieve synergy; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) in order to facilitate members of the public to use self-service kiosks to apply for or collect documents outside office hours, whether the Hong Kong Office will set up Personal Documentation Submission Kiosks after its relocation, so as to provide automated services for the applications for identity cards and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, a reply to the questions raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:
@The usage statistics reflect the number of applications, document collections and enquiries at each office (rounded to the nearest thousand). In 2023, usage was significantly higher due to factors including resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland. ^The extended service hours of the four ROP Offices began on March 6, 2023 and ended on December 31, 2024. *The ROP – Kwun Tong Office was relocated to the new headquarters in Tseung Kwan O on June 11, 2024, and renamed as the ROP – Tseung Kwan O Office. #The ROP – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office commenced operations on November 1, 2023.
As operating ROP Offices is part of the regular duties of the ImmD, the ImmD does not maintain a separate breakdown of the operation expenses for each ROP Office. The salaries expenses related to ROP Offices in the past three financial years are tabulated below:
YearNote: Including salaries expenses of civil servants and contract staff. Apart from operating the six regular ROP Offices, given the surge in the demand for Hong Kong identity cards-related services after the pandemic, the ImmD extended operating hours of four ROP Offices from March 6, 2023 to December 31, 2024, and established the ROP – Kwun Tong (Temporary) Office on November 1, 2023 through internal redeployment of manpower, with a view to enhancing the overall handling capacity of ROP Offices. The ImmD coped with the demand for Hong Kong identity cards-related services through flexible manpower deployment and does not maintain a breakdown of salaries expenses for each ROP Office.
(2) To provide more convention and exhibition (C&E) facilities for fostering the long-term development of the Hong Kong C&E industry, the Government is taking forward the Wan Chai North Redevelopment project near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre as planned, including the redevelopment of the sites of the Wan Chai Government Offices Compound, Gloucester Road Garden and the Kong Wan Fire Station into C&E facilities, hotel and office.Issued at HKT 12:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Gary Zhang and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 30):
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency supports industry in participating in Ani-Com & Games Hong Kong and hosting International Comic Artist Conference Issued at HKT 11:27
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ8: Promoting development of new industrialisation (1) as the 2022 Policy Address envisaged subsidising the setting up of more smart production lines in Hong Kong under NIFS with the target of increasing the cumulative number of smart production lines by four times from about 30 back then to over 130 in five years, of the current progress in achieving the target; whether the authorities will consider raising the target number of smart production lines in the light of the progress in achieving the target;
(2) of the specific details of the streamlined procedures under the enhancement measure; whether it has estimated the extent to which the processing time for applications will be shortened after the introduction of the enhancement measure compared with that before the enhancement, and of the number of manufacturers as well as small and medium enterprises which are expected to benefit from the enhancement measure; and
(3) how the authorities will leverage and strengthen the advantages and solid foundations of traditional industries (such as the textiles and garment industry), and support their upgrading and transformation through the integration of innovation and technology, so as to promote the development of new quality productive forces and new industrialisation according to local conditions? President, (2) The latest enhancement measure for the NIFS aims to speed up the approval process of applications seeking funding support of no more than $2.8 million by streamlining the relevant documentation requirement and assessment procedures. Depending on the number of applications received, the ITC will increase the frequency of the Committee meetings as appropriate, and to submit the applications to the Committee for consideration and approval by circulation if needed. (3) New quality productive forces has to be developed according to actual circumstances and local conditions, which facilitate the upgrading and transformation of traditional industries with competitive advantages with the use of innovation and technology (I&T), while simultaneously improve the development ecosystem for new industrialisation.
We are committed to promoting the upgrading and transformation of the traditional manufacturing industry with the use of I&T through a series of policies and measures. These include enhancing the NIFS to support more manufacturers in transforming to smart production, as well as launching the two-year “Pilot Manufacturing and Production Line Upgrade Support Scheme” this year to provide funds to local manufacturers on a matching basis, encouraging them to adopt smart production technologies and upgrade their production lines. Furthermore, we will commence a study within this year on the medium to long-term development of new industrialisation in Hong Kong to explore the upgrading and transformation of the traditional manufacturing sector with the use of I&T and accelerate the development of new industrialisation.Issued at HKT 11:10
Foreign Minister Lin hosts welcome luncheon for cross-party parliamentary delegation from Ireland
Date：2025-07-23
Data Source：Department of European Affairs
July 23, 2025
No. 254
On July 22, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung hosted a welcome luncheon for a delegation from Ireland led by Deputy Speaker John McGuinness of the Dáil Éireann (House of Representatives), who also chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association. Minister Lin sincerely thanked members of the Irish parliament for taking concrete action to show their staunch support of Taiwan.
In his remarks, Minister Lin said that relations between Taiwan and Europe had flourished in recent years and that Europe had become Taiwan’s largest source of foreign investment. He also pointed out that Ireland, as an important member of the European Union, shared with Taiwan the fundamental values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. Noting that Taiwan was indispensable to global semiconductor supply chains and that Ireland was a European high-tech hub, he said that the two countries could improve their competitiveness and economic growth by combining their respective technological strengths. He asserted that transatlantic and Indo-Pacific security and prosperity were closely connected. Furthermore, Minister Lin stated that, in the face of changing international trade dynamics as well as the restructuring of global supply chains, Taiwan and Ireland could strengthen cooperation in various areas and promote value-added diplomacy grounded in a values-based friendship.
In his remarks, Deputy Speaker McGuinness emphasized that Taiwan and Ireland were a great deal alike, as both countries were island nations as well as major trading countries. He added that Ireland played a key role in the European Union and shared with Taiwan the goals of creating prosperity and bolstering national development. In addressing a rapidly evolving global situation, the two sides could make use of opportunities for deeper bilateral collaboration in technology, economics, trade, education, artificial intelligence, and other fields. Deputy Speaker McGuinness also expressed hope that the two nations would jointly uphold democratic values, safeguard their free and democratic way of life, further mutual understanding, and create opportunities for cooperation that would foster mutually beneficial growth.
Ireland is a European powerhouse in technology and innovative industries and, like Taiwan, is an export-oriented economy. The industrial structures of the two countries are highly complementary. Building on the existing foundation of friendship, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in economics, trade, technology, and other spheres. (E)
MOFA response to AUKMIN joint statement stressing importance of cross-strait peace and stability
July 26, 2025 Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles met with United Kingdom Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs David Lammy and Secretary of State for Defence John Healey for the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) on July 25 in Sydney, Australia.
Following the meeting, a joint statement was released underscoring the importance of cross-strait peace and stability, opposing unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo, and expressing concern at China’s recent military exercises. The two sides also offered support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations and reiterated that they would continue to strengthen relations with Taiwan in the areas of the economy, trade, science, technology, and culture. Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes and affirms this statement.
The United Kingdom and Australia are among Taiwan’s like-minded partners and share the universal values of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law. The joint statement confirms that maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region is a global consensus. Taiwan is an indispensable member of the international community and will continue to work with like-minded democracies to defend the rules-based international order and strengthen democracy, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
MOFA response to EU leaders expressing concern over Taiwan Strait situation at the 25th EU-China summit
July 25, 2025
On July 24, European Council President António Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas attended the 25th EU-China summit in Beijing. There they met first with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and later with Premier Li Qiang.
In a press release issued following the summit, the European Union reaffirmed its consistent commitment to its “one China policy,” expressed concerns about increased tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and pointed out that heightened instability in the East and South China Seas threatened regional and global prosperity and security. In addition, the press release stressed that the European Union opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion and insisted that disputes be resolved through peaceful means in accordance with international law.
In recent years, the European Union has consistently paid attention to and showed support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. For instance, on three occasions since May last year, the European External Action Service (EEAS) expressed concern over China’s large-scale military drills targeting Taiwan and stated that the European Union had a direct interest in the preservation of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. In addition, the White Paper for European Defence—Readiness 2030, released this March by the European Union, expressed concern over China’s expanded coercion of Taiwan and emphasized that cross-strait peace and stability were of profound importance to Europe.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates the fact that the European Union continues to take the opportunity during high-level talks with China to directly express the importance it attaches to cross-strait peace and stability, as well as its opposition to unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force or coercion. In the future, MOFA will continue to work with the European Union and other like-minded partners so as to jointly advance peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and defend the rules-based international order.
MOFA response to joint statement following Japan-EU summit stressing importance of peace and stability across Taiwan Strait
July 24, 2025
On July 23, Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba, President of the European Council António Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen met in Tokyo for the 30th Japan-European Union Summit. In a joint statement released following the meeting, the two sides underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. They also reiterated their opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes the statement, which marked the fourth consecutive summit since the 27th Japan-EU Summit in May 2021 during which the two sides had issued a joint statement that highlighted the significance of cross-strait peace and stability. Minister Lin also expresses appreciation to Japan for continuously voicing concern over Taiwan Strait issues during international gatherings with other like-minded countries, including the US-Japan leaders’ summit in February, the meeting between Prime Minister Ishiba and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in April, and Japan’s summit meetings with Latvia and Guatemala in May and with Finland in June. The concerns repeatedly expressed in these meetings demonstrated once again that ensuring cross-strait peace and stability has become a matter of international consensus and interest.
At a time when the expansion of authoritarianism poses a threat to regional peace and stability and challenges the rules-based global democratic order, Taiwan, as an important nation in the Indo-Pacific region and a responsible member of the international community, will uphold the ideals of integrated diplomacy. It will continue to strengthen cooperation with Japan, the European Union, and other like-minded partners so as to defend shared democratic values and jointly advance freedom, openness, peace, and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific region and around the globe.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Hong Kong Customs on July 23 seized about 5.8 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $1.2 million at Kwai Chung.
Through risk assessment, Customs on July 23 inspected two air parcels, declared as ginseng tea, arrived in Hong Kong from the United States, at a warehouse of a logistics company in Kwai Chung. Upon inspection, Customs officers found that both parcels had suspected cannabis buds concealed inside. The batch of dangerous drugs were packed in vacuum bags and were camouflaged as ginseng tea.
After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers today (July 29) conducted a controlled delivery operation in Tseung Kwan O and arrested a 28-year-old male.
An investigation is ongoing.
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people, nor to release their personal data or home address to others for receiving parcels or goods.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/en).