New District Officer for Islands assumes office (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     ​Mr Mok Mong-chan will assume the post of District Officer (Islands) tomorrow (June 8), succeeding Miss Amy Yeung.

     Since joining the Administrative Service in 2014, Mr Mok has served in various bureaux and departments, including the Judiciary, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Education Bureau.

     He was the Assistant District Officer (Islands) before taking up the new post of District Officer (Islands).

  

EPD participates in joint eco-environmental volunteer service campaign in coastal provinces (regions and municipalities) (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     In support of the National Event on the Environment Day 2026, and the Beautiful Hong Kong Green Fest launched on June 1, the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) held the joint eco-environmental volunteer service campaign in coastal provinces (regions and municipalities) in Hong Kong today (June 6). The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; and the Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, led a government volunteer team to conduct coastal cleanup activity at To Tau Wan, Wu Kai Sha, and also mobilised the community to carry out coastal cleanup activity across Hong Kong, demonstrating a territory-wide commitment to protecting the ocean and building “Beautiful Bays”.

     Speaking at the event, Mr Tse said that the Special Administrative Region Government has all along spared no effort in protecting the marine ecological environment. To align with the nation’s comprehensive promotion of building a Beautiful China, the Government has actively taken forward the “Beautiful Bays” initiative, and Mirs Bay (Hong Kong Section) was honoured to be selected as a national “Outstanding Example of Beautiful Bays” at the end of 2025. In recent years, Hong Kong has also deepened regional cooperation with Guangdong Province and Shenzhen. In the monitoring of shoreline cleanliness, the Government has actively introduced smart technologies, such as drone monitoring and artificial intelligence image analysis, gradually moving forward to the goal of “clear water and clean beaches, thriving marine life, and harmonious coexistence between humans and the sea”.

     Mr Tse said, “To safeguard this beautiful ocean, it is not enough to solely rely on the Government’s efforts, but rather on the concerted efforts from the entire society.” He expressed his gratitude to the volunteers attending the activity and the volunteer groups participating in coastal cleaning at different coasts concurrently for their efforts to protect the ocean.

     On the same day, a delegation led by the Deputy Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Ms Fabia Tam; and the Deputy Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Vanessa Au, attended the launching ceremony for the joint eco-environmental volunteer service campaign in coastal provinces (regions and municipalities) in Shenzhen.

     The launching ceremony was guided by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), and co-organised by the Department of Ecology and Environment of Guangdong Province, the Society Work Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, and the Center for Environmental Education and Communications of the MEE. During the ceremony, the Director-General of the Department of Publicity and Education of the MEE, Mr Pei Xiaofei, presented flags to the heads of the ecological environment departments from the participating coastal provinces (regions and municipalities). The heads then read the proposal of eco-environmental volunteer service campaign “united for blue seas and beautiful bays”.

     For event details of the Beautiful Hong Kong Green Fest, please visit www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/news_events/events/hk_green_fest_2026.html.

              

Applications for allowing dogs to enter permitted food premises to close on June 8

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (June 6) reminded restaurant operators who are interested in applying for the dog-admission permission to promptly submit their applications on or before the deadline June 8 (Monday).

A spokesman for the FEHD said, “The application process is simple. Restaurants intending to apply may submit their applications electronically through the FEHD’s dedicated webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html). Apart from hotpot restaurants, barbecue restaurants (including teppanyaki and Korean barbecue), and restaurants with an area less than 20 square metres, all restaurants with a full licence may apply for the dog-admission permission.”

The spokesman reminded restaurant operators to complete the electronic submission of their applications by 11.59pm on June 8.

The FEHD is accepting applications from restaurants for allowing dogs to enter their premises. As of 6pm yesterday (June 5), the department has received over 2 000 applications. The application period will end on June 8. To implement the new measure in a prudent and orderly manner, a quota of not more than 1 000 restaurants is set for the first phase of application. As more than 1 000 applications have been received, allocation will be made by balloting.

Islands district officer named

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today announced that Mok Mong-chan will assume the post of District Officer (Islands) tomorrow, succeeding Amy Yeung.

Mr Mok joined the Administrative Service in 2014 and has served in various bureaus and departments, including the Judiciary, the Innovation & Technology Commission, the Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Education Bureau.

He was most recently the Assistant District Officer (Islands).

Vice President Hsiao arrives in Palau  

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

On the afternoon of June 6 (afternoon of the same day Taipei time), Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao and her delegation arrived at Palau International Airport after a flight of approximately four hours. Upon their arrival, Vice President Raynold Oilouch of the Republic of Palau and Ambassador to Palau Andy Kang-I Chen (陳剛毅) boarded the plane to welcome Vice President Hsiao.
An airport welcome ceremony followed, beginning with Palauan youth sounding conch shells in greeting. Vice President Hsiao was presented with a flower garland by a Palauan representative and saluted by a police honor guard. Accompanied by Vice President Oilouch, she waved to members of the overseas Taiwanese community who had come to welcome her.
The vice president and her delegation then proceeded to Asahi Baseball Field to cheer on the Taiwanese team currently participating in a Taiwan-Palau baseball friendly series. She presented the players with Taiwan-Palau friendship chocolates to express her encouragement and support. Vice President Hsiao also thanked the Taiwan International Baseball Interchange Development Association, as well as the players, for their contributions to collaborative baseball initiatives between Taiwan and Palau.
In the evening of the same day, Vice President Hsiao attended a dinner reception hosted by Vice President Oilouch.
 

Port system enables seamless freight

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

A smart port is one that makes global connections easier through advanced technologies and efficient logistics.

Spearheaded by the Transport & Logistics Bureau, Hong Kong’s Port Community System (PCS) is an essential piece of digital infrastructure bolstering the city’s smart port development.

The PCS began pilot trials in early 2023 and was officially launched in January of this year. It allows enterprises to perform cargo tracking and cross-border customs clearance via a single platform.

End-to-end visibility

One PCS registrant, and an early adopter of the system during its pilot phase, is a logistics company headquartered in Japan.

Operating across markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas, the company has over 700 offices and distribution centres worldwide, and specialises in sectors including healthcare and automobiles. Its Hong Kong branch, a key regional hub, offers a comprehensive suite of freight services, such as international forwarding and door-to-door delivery.

With the PCS, the firm has embraced the integration of data on freight logistics and customs clearance status. Its Deputy Head of Air Freight Forwarding Group Kazunori Goto said that the PCS enhances operational efficiency and sidesteps human error.

He explained that, prior to the PCS being introduced, data was scattered across multiple platforms. Staff members lacked real-time visibility and spent significant time reconciling conflicting data.

“The PCS has effectively resolved these challenges. It provides a standardised customs clearance status that interfaces directly with our internal system.

“This enables us to offer seamless end-to-end cargo visibility for every shipment, while substantially reducing the subsequent manual follow-up workload for our teams.”

Specifically, Mr Goto mentioned that staff previously had no direct access to customs data from the China International Trade Single Window.

“With the adoption of the PCS, we can now conveniently obtain this critical data via API (application programming interface) integration. This has not only shortened our operational processing time, but also significantly reduced manual data entry errors.”

 

Digital empowerment

The PCS is developed and managed by the Logistics & Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre (LSCM).

LSCM Chief Executive Officer Simon Wong said the system’s development has followed an industry demand-oriented approach, and is being rolled out in three phases.

“In the final stage, we will connect and complete end-to-end workflows for multimodal transportation, and build a comprehensive digital ecosystem to enable the industry to reap the benefits of artificial intelligence-powered digital services.”

Mr Wong said that by linking to the PCS, enterprises can simply enter an ocean or airway bill number to check real-time information covering everything from cargo receipt to loading, departures, arrivals and customs clearance.

Notably, the PCS provides a “One-Data-Multiple-Declarations” function, which enables auto-filled data and one-click submissions to both Hong Kong customs and the China International Trade Single Window, thereby reducing repetitive data entry and mistakes.

The system also sends real-time alerts about shipping delays and temperature anomalies, allowing companies to adjust vehicles and warehousing arrangements.

Moreover, the PCS utilises blockchain technology to guarantee data safety and prevent unauthorised access.

Mr Wong explained that the data recorded covers cargo movement transfers, document numbers, warehousing, land transport tracking, customs declaration records and operational timestamps.

“Once this information is recorded on the blockchain system, it cannot be altered unilaterally. This provides credible evidence for trade financing, cargo traceability and other logistics services.”

Public reputation

Deputy Secretary for Transport & Logistics Amy Chan revealed that the industry’s response to the system has been highly positive since its launch, with over 6,000 enterprises getting on board to date.

Among the registrants are shipping companies, trading firms, freight forwarders and warehousing companies. Most of these are small and medium-sized enterprises.

Citing registrants’ feedback, Ms Chan said the system is viewed as highly cost-effective, and urged more firms to make use of it to realise the scale benefits of data interconnectivity.

“Looking ahead, we will actively explore connecting the PCS with more ports worldwide and international shipping data platforms to further strengthen Hong Kong’s digital connectivity as an international maritime hub.”

Ms Chan also outlined that the bureau is planning a number of pilot programmes in areas such as trade finance, offshore cargo tracking and smart customs, with a view to expanding PCS application scenarios.

“Nine banks in Hong Kong have already recognised the reliability of the trusted cargo status data for use in processes such as risk management, thereby facilitating trade finance.”

She added that the Government is expanding offshore cargo tracking to offer banks more comprehensive data, which will make it easier for Hong Kong’s offshore trading firms to secure financing.

In addition, the Government this month launched the Future Innovative Logistics Acceleration Scheme to encourage industry adoption of logistics data platforms, such as the PCS, that are operated by the Government or public organisations, with a goal of benefiting 100 logistics enterprises.

Vice President Hsiao delivers remarks before departing for Palau

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

On the afternoon of June 6, Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao delivered remarks before embarking on a five-day, four-night visit to the Republic of Palau titled the “Palau Prosperity Project.” Vice President Hsiao said that during this trip they will continue deepening the diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Palau through meetings with President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. and other key leaders;  visit sustainable tourism attractions and help promote Palau’s tourism development; and  witness alongside the Palauan government the achievements of Taiwan-Palau cooperation through the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project in the areas of medicine and public health, agriculture and fisheries, and public infrastructure. The vice president expressed hope that the visit will further deepen our nations’ multifaceted cooperation, building on existing foundations as we look to the future.
In remarks, the vice president said that today marks the official departure of the Palau Prosperity Project delegation, adding that this is her first visit to a diplomatic ally since assuming the vice presidency. She expressed her profound honor at being entrusted with this mission by President Lai, and that she feels the weight of the responsibility it entails. She stated that on this trip they aim to achieve the following three objectives:
The first is to deepen the diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Palau. During the delegation’s time in Palau, the vice president will call on President Whipps and other political leaders. President Whipps has visited Taiwan multiple times since taking office, she noted, demonstrating through concrete action his commitment to our bilateral relationship. In response to President Whipps’ proactive visits, this reciprocal visit is an opportunity to further deepen the friendship between our two nations.
The second objective is to assist Palau in promoting sustainable tourism – a priority of the Palauan government – and to showcase the beauty of Palau to more people in Taiwan. She said that the delegation is honored to have been invited by President Whipps to visit Palau’s well-known sustainable tourism attractions in person. The vice president expressed hope that more people in Taiwan will follow in the delegation’s footsteps, discover Palau through travel, and explore its beauty together.
The third objective is to jointly witness the achievements of Taiwan-Palau cooperation through the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. In recent years, the government of Taiwan has collaborated with the government of Palau on the project, helping to advance Palau’s national development. The vice president stated that this trip will allow the delegation to witness firsthand the cooperative achievements our two countries have made in various fields such as medicine and public health, agriculture and fisheries, and public infrastructure.
Pointing out that diplomatic work is never easy, the vice president said that she will also visit the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the Republic of Palau to cheer on and offer encouragement to all the frontline staff stationed there.
The vice president stated that it has been over a quarter of a century since the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Palau established diplomatic relations, and the two countries have maintained frequent and close interactions. She expressed hope that this visit will further deepen our nations’ multifaceted cooperation, building on existing foundations as we look to the future. The vice president added that she looks forward to this Palau Prosperity journey, working together so that Taiwan may engage with the world and deepen our bonds with friends in the international community.
Among those at the airport to see the vice president off were Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador Donya L. Francis and Palau Chargé d’Affaires David Adams Orrukem.

CE: Central Asia visit yields fruitful results and opens up new opportunities for co-operation between Hong Kong and Central Asia

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, led a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to continue its visit programme to Uzbekistan today (June 5). He met with local officials and business leaders, and visited innovation and technology (I&T) and cultural institutions to learn about the latest developments in areas such as the digital economy and cultural preservation.

In the morning, Mr Lee visited IT Park Uzbekistan, an innovation technology park in Uzbekistan, and met with the First Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, Mr Ayubkhon Sultonov, to exchange views on strengthening co-operation between the two places in I&T and the digital economy. Uzbekistan has been actively promoting digital transformation through its “Digital Uzbekistan 2030” Strategy. IT Park Uzbekistan has now become a leading I&T hub in Central Asia, bringing together over 1 000 I&T enterprises and start-up teams covering areas such as software development, AI and digital trade. During the meeting, Mr Lee witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between IT Park Uzbekistan and Hong Kong’s three major I&T parks, namely Cyberport, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, to promote closer co-operation between the two places on various fronts, including start-up incubation, talent exchanges and joint research and development (R&D).

Mr Lee said that Hong Kong ranks fourth globally in digital competitiveness, and is home to five universities among the world’s top 100 with world-class R&D capabilities. Hong Kong is pressing ahead with the development of the Northern Metropolis and its associated projects, including the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone and the Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster, for developing into an international I&T centre. He expressed confidence that Hong Kong will become a strategic gateway for Uzbek enterprises seeking to tap into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and international markets, while Hong Kong enterprises can also leverage Uzbekistan’s vast talent pool and industrial strengths. He said he believes the MOUs will help establish closer and longer-term partnership between the two places in areas such as the digital economy and I&T development.

At noon, Mr Lee attended a luncheon hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr Yu Jun. He thanked the Embassy for its continued support to the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and for making meticulous arrangements for the visit.

In the afternoon, Mr Lee visited the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan to learn about local efforts in cultural preservation, academic research and education promotion. The Center is the largest cultural, scientific and educational complex in Uzbekistan, showcasing the country’s profound historical and cultural heritage. Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is actively developing into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, with world-class museums, rich and diverse arts and cultural activities, and a vibrant network for people-to-people exchanges. He expressed hope that Hong Kong and Uzbekistan will further strengthen co-operation in arts and culture, people-to-people exchanges and museum collaboration, and deepen friendship between the two places.

Mr Lee then attended a business exchange event hosted by the Government of Uzbekistan, where he met again with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov. Mr Lee said at the event that Uzbekistan has actively promoted economic reforms and continuously improved its business environment in recent years, demonstrating enormous development potential. He said that Hong Kong, as an international financial centre, is equipped with a sound and well-regulated rule of law environment, a robust and transparent regulatory regime, and a highly open and internationalised business environment. Hong Kong can provide professional support for Uzbekistan’s economic development needs and serves as an ideal platform to assist Uzbek enterprises in expanding their business. He said he looked forward to strengthening co-operation between the two places and laying a solid foundation in areas including capital markets connectivity, infrastructure financing and green finance, with complementary advantages and mutual benefit.

     Mr Lee will later attend a dinner hosted by Mr Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov. Mr Lee thanked the Government of Uzbekistan for making thoughtful arrangements for the visit and expressed confidence that the two places will open up a new chapter of mutual benefits and win-win co-operation.

     Concluding the visit, Mr Lee said that the Central Asia visit has yielded fruitful results. During the delegation’s visit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, achievements have been secured in eight areas:

(1) establishing high-level contacts and ties between the HKSAR Government and the Governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and reaching consensus on co-operation in multiple areas;

(2) the HKSAR Government and the two governments signed a total of 15 MOUs and agreements covering areas such as commerce, education and development projects. Beyond the government level, a total of 81 MOUs and agreements were concluded, covering such areas as trade and economic co-operation, investment, finance, technology and aviation. A total of 96 co-operation agreements and MOUs were reached during the visit, involving specific amounts exceeding US$1.65 billion in total;

(3) the governments agreed to commence bilateral discussions on agreements in various areas, including discussions with the Governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreements, negotiations on a bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement, and co-operation with the Government of Uzbekistan on customs clearance facilitation;

(4) deepening project matching and research collaboration between Hong Kong and Central Asian region in areas including finance, I&T, and aviation;

(5) demonstrating Hong Kong’s effective role as a platform for going global and achieving substantial results, with Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises joining forces in tapping new markets and bringing synergistic advantages into full play;

(6) facilitating more convenient people-to-people exchanges by promoting direct flights, aviation and transport co-operation, and extensions to the mutual visa-free period;

(7) promoting exchanges in education, talent and culture to further deepen people-to-people bonds; and

(8) advancing a hub-to-hub co-operation model to open up broader room for co-operation between Hong Kong and the Central Asian region.

     Mr Lee and the delegation will depart from Uzbekistan tonight and return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon (June 6).

                             

Smart Design Global 2026 Awards Presentation Ceremony sponsored by CCIDA held

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Smart Design Global 2026 Awards Presentation Ceremony sponsored by CCIDA held       
     Speaking at the ceremony, the Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, Miss Drew Lai, remarked that CCIDA has been continuously supporting industry players to stage outstanding design projects through the CreateSmart Initiative. This serves to promote more cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary collaboration, enabling Hong Kong to actively serve as a platform in the design industry and further strengthen its position as Asia’s creative capital.
      
     The SDG 2026, formerly known as the Hong Kong Smart Design Awards, was established in 2012 with the aim of enhancing innovation and collaboration within the design community. The SDG 2026 presented a total of 54 awards across four major product design categories, namely Live, Dine, Gift and Play. This year’s SDG adopted a two-way, interactive judging process in the final stage, allowing shortlisted entrants to showcase their works and elaborate on their design concepts directly to the judging panel. In addition, the project will lead the winners to participate in trade fairs in Bangkok, Thailand, and Paris, France, increasing the global exposure of Hong Kong’s original designs and transforming creativity into business opportunities.
      
     For more information on the SDG 2026, please visit www.sdawards.org.hk/home/index/enIssued at HKT 19:20

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Fatal traffic accident in Castle Peak

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident happened in Castle Peak today (June 5), in which a man died.    

     Police received a report at 5.52pm today that a light goods vehicle (LGV) driven by a 34-year-old man was travelling along Lung Mun Road towards Tuen Mun town, while a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driven by a 50-year-old man was travelling along Lung Mun Road towards Lung Kwu Tan. When approaching the junction of Lung Mun Road and Lung Fai Street, the two vehicles reportedly collided head-on.

     The LGV driver of the LGVs was trapped inside the vehicle and rescued by firemen. Sustaining head injuries, he was rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 7.15pm.

     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team 1 of Traffic, New Territories North is under way.  
     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers. The contact number is 3661 3800.