Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Brussels ETO promotes Hong Kong’s I&T sector with InvestHK and HKTDC at South Summit
As announced by the Chief Executive in the 2025 Policy Address, the new functional platform ETE has been established to enable overseas Economic and Trade Offices, the HKTDC, and InvestHK to enhance their work on trade and investment promotion with greater synergy. One key highlight under the ETE is to provide one-stop support services by these three parties to facilitate business exchanges between Hong Kong and overseas markets.
Speaking at the networking dinner held on June 3, Assistant Representative of Brussels ETO Mr Paul Leung highlighted Hong Kong’s achievements and international recognition in I&T development. He noted that Hong Kong ranked fourth globally in the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2025. In addition, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranked first in the 2025 Global Innovation Index Ranking of the World’s Top 100 Innovation Clusters for the first time.
Supported by various government initiatives to nurture talent and strengthen the I&T ecosystem, as well as the vast opportunities arising from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong has developed into one of Asia’s most vibrant start-up hubs, with the number of start-ups increasing significantly over the past 11 years, from around 1 000 in 2014 to over 5 200 in 2025, said Mr Leung.
The South Summit is recognised as one of the world’s leading entrepreneurship and innovation platforms for start-ups, investors and institutions to connect. The event brings together more than 20 000 participants from over 130 countries and regions, including more than 7 500 start-ups and 2 100 investors. A Hong Kong booth was set up at the South Summit to provide information on investment and business opportunities in Hong Kong to global attendees.
Issued at HKT 19:51
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Hong Kong Customs shuts down dangerous drugs storage and distribution centre and seizes suspected drugs worth about $13 million
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Hong Kong Customs shut down a dangerous drugs storage and distribution centre in Mong Kok yesterday (June 3) and seized about 31 kilograms of assorted drugs. The total estimated market value was about $13 million. A 33-year-old man was arrested.
During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Mong Kok yesterday, Customs officers intercepted a man and seized about 1.6kg of suspected cannabis buds in a recycling bag carried by him. The man was subsequently arrested. Customs officers later escorted him to a nearby residential unit for a search and further seized about 13kg of suspected heroin, 12kg of suspected ketamine, 3.6kg of suspected cannabis buds, 1.1kg of suspected cannabis candy, 128 suspected MDMA tablets, 12 millilitres of suspected cannabis oil, and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia.
The Investigation is ongoing.
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).
Hong Kong Customs detects two large-scale sea smuggling cases and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $238 million
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs detects two large-scale sea smuggling cases and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $238 million
In the first case, Customs officers selected six 40-foot containers, declared as carrying grinding tools, arriving from Taiwan, China, and destined to the Chinese Mainland via Hong Kong for inspection from May 19 to 21 at the Customs Tsing Yi Cargo Examination Compound and the Kwai Chung Customshouse Cargo Examination Compound. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 31.8 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside the six containers.
In the second case, Customs officers selected two 40-foot containers, declared as carrying industrial modular systems, arriving from Singapore and destined to the Chinese Mainland via Hong Kong for inspection on May 28 at the Kwai Chung Customshouse Cargo Examination Compound. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 21 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside the two containers.
The operations displayed Customs’ enforcement effectiveness in intercepting cross-boundary illicit cigarettes at the source through co-operation with law enforcement agencies in the region. The department will continue to foster collaboration and strengthen intelligence exchanges between regional partners in law enforcement, and vigorously combat cross-border illicit cigarette activities.
Customs stresses that smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years. Moreover, under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 19:02
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John Lee begins Uzbekistan visit
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Chief Executive John Lee today led a business delegation comprising representatives from Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to begin a visit to Uzbekistan.
Mr Lee and the delegation arrived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, last night and met Uzbek Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov.
Mr Lee and Mr Saidov jointly witnessed an exchange of notes between the two places on a mutual visa-free arrangement, which would allow a visa-free period of 30 days for visitors from both sides.
The governments of both places will immediately advance discussions of the detailed arrangements to strive for early implementation. Mr Lee said he looked forward to the early advancement of the relevant visa-free arrangement with Uzbekistan.
This morning, Mr Lee met Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov and Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev to discuss ways to deepen economic and trade exchanges and co-operation.
Mr Lee said that he was pleased to have the opportunity of meeting them in Uzbekistan for the first time, following his earlier meeting the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in Hong Kong, when they led their delegations to visit the city.
The Chief Executive noted that Hong Kong and Uzbekistan are respectively important gateways for trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific and Central Asian regions. The two places can leverage their complementary strengths to further enhance economic and trade co-operation and help enterprises explore broader markets.
Mr Lee highlighted that Hong Kong has been deepening economic and trade ties with its trading partners through its overseas Economic and Trade Offices, adding that he looks forward to further strengthening bilateral co-operation with Uzbekistan in various areas in the future.
Afterwards, Mr Lee met Uzbek Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Strategic Development Sardor Umurzakov to exchange views on deepening co-operation between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan.
At noon, Mr Lee met Uzbek President Shavkat Miromonovich Mirziyoyev to discuss furthering co-operation.
Mr Lee stressed that Hong Kong will continue to play its roles as a “super connector” and a “super value-adder” to further deepen co-operation and exchanges with Uzbekistan on various fronts in line with Uzbekistan’s goal of achieving high-quality development.
He noted that the two places will join hands in seizing the opportunities from the joint development of the Belt & Road Initiative and promoting common development between the two places and the Central Asian region.
Mr Lee invited Uzbekistan to stage its major conferences and key projects in Hong Kong in the form of Asian chapters or roadshows. He also encouraged more young people from Uzbekistan to study in Hong Kong, building a stronger foundation for long-term co-operation between the two places through education, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Mr Lee said that Hong Kong is actively developing into an international gold trading centre, attracting the storage, clearing and delivery of gold in Hong Kong and building a comprehensive gold trading ecosystem.
He outlined that Uzbekistan has abundant gold reserves, and that Hong Kong can provide strong support to Uzbekistan in areas such as gold trading, reserve allocation and professional services, and create more mutually beneficial business opportunities for the two places.
In the afternoon, Mr Lee attended a luncheon hosted by the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry & Trade to discuss ways to facilitate business matching and expand market opportunities between enterprises of the two places.
In the evening, the Chief Executive attended a business dinner and a signing ceremony for memoranda of understanding, where he introduced Hong Kong’s development opportunities and business advantages to local political and business representatives.
LD works with FEHD to promote prevention of heat stroke at work and prior work arrangements in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Labour Department (LD), together with representatives from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), visited a public refuse collection point in Shau Kei Wan today (June 4) to distribute cooling products to frontline cleansing workers and promote the Guidance Notes on Prevention of Heat Stroke at Work (GN) and the preventive measures in times of the Heat Stress at Work Warning to enhance their awareness of heat stroke prevention. They also called on employers and employees to make work arrangements in advance for adverse weather and extreme conditions.
The Deputy Commissioner for Labour (Occupational Safety and Health), Mr Vincent Fung, together with the Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Environmental Hygiene), Mr Arsene Yiu, presented cooling products to the frontline cleansing workers and reminded them to take appropriate precautions to prevent heat stroke during the high temperatures of summer. Mr Fung and Mr Yiu also inspected various welfare and heat stroke prevention facilities set up at the refuse collection point for frontline workers. The refuse collection point, which completed refurbishment works last year, is equipped with changing and personal storage spaces, as well as facilities for short breaks and meals, and provides equipment such as an air-conditioning system, hot and cold drinking water dispensers, microwave ovens, refrigerators, and electric fans to provide a suitable resting environment for frontline staff. In addition, Mr Fung and Mr Yiu also gained a deep understanding of the various protective equipment provided to frontline cleansing workers, including new work uniforms with better sweat-wicking, breathability and reflective functions, portable waist-mounted fans, sun hats, new rain coats with thermoregulation functions and new work shoes with ergonomic design and good breathability to further enhance work safety.
“Frontline cleansing workers face a higher risk of heat stress during summer. The LD has been maintaining close collaboration with various departments and the cleansing industry, striving to assist the industry in referencing and adopting the recommendations in the GN flexibly. We urge supervisors to establish clear work and rest arrangements at workplaces, to take heed of the levels of the Heat Stress at Work Warning issued by the LD and to provide adequate cooling equipment based on the outdoor environment to safeguard the health and safety of our workers,” Mr Fung said.
Mr Fung added that workers should also pay attention to their physical conditions. Whenever there are any symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as a headache, dizziness, thirst, and nausea, they should rest and drink water in a cool and shaded place, and inform employers or supervisors to take appropriate action immediately.
Apart from strengthening employers’ and employees’ knowledge of heat stroke prevention through promotion and publicity as well as education and training every summer, the LD will also step up its inspection of workplaces with higher risks of heat stroke, including construction sites, worksites of outdoor cleansing workers, gardening workers, and security guards. The LD urges relevant responsible duty holders to refer to the GN, assess the risk of heat stress on their employees during work, and take corresponding preventive measures based on the assessment results.
In addition, Mr Fung appealed to the employers and employees to make prior work arrangements in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions by taking reference to the “Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and ‘Extreme Conditions'” (CoP) issued by the LD.
For detailed information of the GN and other heatstroke prevention measures, employers and employees can visit the dedicated webpage launched by the LD at www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/prevention_of_heat_stroke_at_work.htm or the Occupational Safety and Health Council at www.noheatstress.hk. The LD’s latest revised CoP can be downloaded from the department’s webpage www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf.
13 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
13 persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operations
ImmD officers found that social media platforms have recently been utilised by suspects to advertise renovation services in Hong Kong. After intelligence analysis and an extensive investigation, ImmD officers identified the suspected persons and initiated an operation. Officers pretended to be customers on a social media platform to enquire about and book the services. The illegal workers were subsequently arrested while providing services in Hong Kong. The four arrested suspected illegal workers were men, aged 33 to 53.
Moreover, ImmD officers, acting on the intelligence, raided multiple target locations including industrial buildings and residential flats under renovation. Eight suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. The arrested suspected illegal workers comprised six men and two women, aged 28 to 54. One woman, aged 45, was suspected of employing the illegal workers and was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.
An ImmD spokesman said, “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties.”
The spokesman warned, “As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. As stipulated in section 20(1)(a) of the Immigration Ordinance, the Chief Executive may make a deportation order against an immigrant, prohibiting the immigrant from being in Hong Kong at any time thereafter if the immigrant has been found guilty in Hong Kong of an offence punishable by imprisonment for not less than two years.”
The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years’ imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years’ imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 185 185, fax at 2824 1166, email anti_crime@immd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 18:05
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Hong Kong Science Museum reopening tomorrow
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 4) that the Hong Kong Science Museum will reopen tomorrow (June 5). The museum was temporarily closed on June 3 afternoon for carrying out urgent repair of the air conditioning system of the Exhibition Hall.
Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected smuggled silver worth about $130,000
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected smuggled silver worth about $130,000
Based on risk assessment, Customs on that day intercepted an outbound private car at the Lok Ma Chau Control Point. Upon inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected smuggled silver in the console box and on the control arms connecting the left and right front wheels with a suspected altered structure.
After an investigation, Customs arrested a 45-year-old male driver. He has been released on bail pending further investigation. Customs also detained the private car with suspected altered structure.
Customs will continue to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities with firm enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.
Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hkIssued at HKT 17:28
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HK, Uzbekistan visa-free talks
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Government of Uzbekistan have exchanged notes on an agreement to discuss the implementation details of a mutual visa-free arrangement that would extend visa-free travel to 30 days for both Hong Kong SAR and Uzbek passport holders.
The exchange of notes was witnessed by Chief Executive John Lee and Uzbek Minister of Foreign Affairs Bakhtiyor Saidov. Following the ceremony, both governments will immediately advance discussions to implement the visa-free arrangement as soon as possible.
Currently, Hong Kong SAR passport holders can visit Uzbekistan visa-free for 10 days. Holders of diplomatic and service passports from Uzbekistan can visit Hong Kong visa-free for 14 days, and holders of ordinary passports must apply for a visa to visit Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong SAR Government said the establishment of a mutual visa-free arrangement is aimed at boosting economic, trade and tourism co-operation with Central Asia.
Launches AI Innovation Pavilion at InnoVEX TREE Program Startups Surpass NT$9.35 Billion in Total Fundraising, Showcasing Taiwan’s Cross-Sector AI Readiness
Source: Republic of China Taiwan
The AI X Innovation Pavilion, presented by the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) under Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), opened on June 2 at InnoVEX. Centered on the theme of “AI innovation” this year’s pavilion brings together achievements from the Taiwan Research Institute Advanced Technology Entrepreneur Ecosystem (TREE) Program and gold and silver winners of the 2026 Best AI Awards. A total of 31 innovations are on display, spanning intelligent machinery, communications, green energy, semiconductor applications, biotech and medical devices demonstrating Taiwan’s comprehensive capabilities in cross-sector AI application. Since the launch of the TREE Program in 2021, DoIT has supported over 60 startups, with cumulative fundraising reaching NT$9.35 billion. TREE-supported teams also secured 25% of the spots in the Top 30 of the Startup Bloom Program entrepreneurship competition, underscoring the growing strength of Taiwan’s research-driven startup ecosystem.
DoIT Deputy Director General Chung-Pin Chou noted that DoIT has long worked to build a robust startup support ecosystem through the TREE Program, while the Best AI Awards identify top-tier AI hardware and software technologies. In response to the rapid global surge in new startups, DoIT will soon launch the A+ Early-Stage Startup Grant Program, which will provide funding support for startup technologies established within three years that already have a functional prototype.
To date, the TREE Program launch has cultivated 210 research teams, driving cumulative fundraising across the program to over NT$9.35 billion. For teams with international expansion potential, the TREE Landing Program further provides access to entrepreneurship training and business model validation at leading institutions including Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.
Chou further stated that these cultivation efforts have translated into strong fundraising performance and competition results. In the first half of year in 2026, TREE teams attracted investment from prominent venture capital firms including Acorn Campus, raising over NT$700 million. In the Startup Bloom Program competition organized by the National Development Council, seven TREE-supported teams advanced to the national Top 30. Among them, Aztron Medtech received the Presidential Award while Hao Juen Technology received the Premier Award, demonstrating the strength of Taiwan’s research-driven startup ecosystem.
This year’s AI X Innovation Pavilion features a stellar lineup of breakthrough technologies, including KopherBit, a flagship spinoff from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). The company’s proprietary Automotive Controller Development Platform can significantly shorten automotive software development cycles and has captured over 70% of Taiwan’s electric bus market. KopherBit is now actively expanding into Japan and Southeast Asia, partnering with Japanese Tier 1 manufacturers on Telematics Control Unit (TCU) and Over-The-Air (update) integration solutions; the company generated nearly NT$100 million in revenue in 2025, making it a model case for the internationalization of Taiwan’s automotive electronics supply chain.
Holon Robotics is also featured at the pavilion with HolonOS, an experience-driven robotic operating system that integrates AI, sensors, and multi-brand robotic arms. Through no-code operation and 3D scanning-based automatic path generation, it transforms manufacturing processes that once depended on veteran expertise into replicable digital assets. Holon Robotics made its official debut at NVIDIA GTC Taipei 2026 and has since entered the aerospace and high-end manufacturing markets.
The pavilion also features nine teams honored with gold and silver awards at the 2026 Best AI Awards BioPro Scientific, gold winner in the AI Application category, is showcasing Lilia Neuro next-generation wearable brain-computer interface system, which features Edge AI real-time noise reduction and advanced neuroscience-assisted capabilities. Kneron, gold winner in the IC Design category, presents the KNEO Pi third-generation AI chip, which combines high performance, low power consumption, and multimodal sensing, with applications spanning vehicle blind-spot detection, urban security, and ATM fraud prevention, demonstrating the broad potential of AI technology to drive industrial advancement.
On the opening day of InnoVEX, DoIT also presented the 2026 TREE Award – MOEA Research Institution Entrepreneurship Potential Award The top three emerging startup teams each addressed globally critical needs, reinforcing Taiwan’s industrial competitiveness:
-First Place: Green H2 Innovation from ITRI was recognized for its Anion exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Technology, which responds to the global trend toward net-zero emissions.
-Second Place: RapidWave from ITRI was recognized for its Silicon Carbide Motor Drive Technology, which targets the massive commercial opportunity in automotive semiconductors.
-Third Place: CircuitFAB from Taiwan Textile Research Institute was reognized for its Smart Elastic Knee Brace, which advances innovations in intelligent medical care.
The DoIT AI X Innovation Pavilion will run through June 5 at Hall 2, 4F, Nangang Exhibition Center. A series of business matchmaking events will be held on-site to help startup teams connect with domestic and international venture capital firms and potential buyers. All investors and industry leaders are warmly invited to visit and witness Taiwan’s research-driven startups expanding their presence in global markets through innovation.