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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Tang Fei and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (January 21):

Question:     
(1) whether it has plans to commission experts, scholars or higher education institutions to conduct scientific, in-depth research tailored for Hong Kong’s unique social environment, so as to assess the specific impact of social media on the emotional health, personality development and academic performance of local children and adolescents; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that, and whether consideration will be given to establishing dedicated funding to support such academic research;

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Yiu Ming and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (January 21):

Question:

     The Government has advised that it will adopt the principles of “infrastructure-led” and “capacity creating” to take forward the MTR Northern Link (NOL) Main Line and Spur Line projects, with the target of commissioning the projects in or before 2034. However, there are views that as the relevant railway infrastructures are still under construction, the completion and intake of residents for public and private housing developments one after another in New Territories North (NTN) in recent years may impose pressure on the traffic in the district. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has compiled statistics for the past three years on and estimated for the coming three years the population growth brought by the newly completed public and private housing developments in NTN, as well as formulated targeted short to medium term traffic contingency plans based on such data in order to meet the cross-district travel needs of the residents in the district;

(2) as it has been reported that the commissioning of Kwu Tung Station connecting NOL is expected to be advanced to 2027, whether the Government has plans to advance the commissioning of other stations along NOL in a strategic and phased manner so as to cope with the additional transport demand in the district; and

(3) in the light of the growing population in NTN, whether the Government will discuss with MTR Corporation Limited the further adjustment of the train frequency of the MTR East Rail Line, the deployment of more trains, or the introduction of passenger flow management measures so as to cope with the future increasing patronage; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,

     The Government has a set of holistic transport strategies and planning principles to address the needs of the travelling public and socio-economic development through improving transportation infrastructure, enhancing public transport services and optimising road resources. In planning public transport services for individual districts, the Government takes into account a range of factors, including local development, demographic changes, transport infrastructure planning, traffic conditions and the carrying capacity and service positioning of different public transport modes. In view of the anticipated population growth in the New Territories North (NTN) (including Fanling, Sheung Shui, Kwu Tung and San Tin), the Government will make advance planning of public transport services as appropriate to meet the travelling needs of the public. 

     The reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Yiu Ming is as follows:

(1) Over the past three years, the newly completed housing development projects in the NTN primarily included Ching Tao Court and Choi Shek Estate in Sheung Shui, leading to a population increase of about 9 400. The Transport Department (TD) has already made several arrangements in advance under the annual route planning programmes of the franchised bus operators. The arrangements include introducing bus service between Ching Tao Court and Sheung Shui Station in September 2024 as well as launching a green minibus route between Choi Shek Estate and Shek Wu Hui in December last year. 

     In the next few years, the population intake of the two housing development projects in Fanling North and Kwu Tung North New Development Areas (NDAs) will commence in two phases, with the first phase from mid-2026 to 2027 accommodating an additional population of approximately 55 000 and the second phase from 2030 to 2032 accommodating about 170 000. We have formulated various measures to address the travelling needs of residents, including advance planning of short-to-medium term road works for the two NDAs based on the “infrastructure-led” and “capacity creating” principle. The works include the commissioning of the Fanling Bypass Eastern Section within this year, which will connect the Fanling North NDA directly to the Fanling Highway, thereby alleviating the traffic situation in Sheung Shui and Fanling town centres. In addition, the Government will complete several road improvement works progressively by 2031, including the construction of Po Shek Wu Road Flyover and Fanling Bypass Western Section, as well as the widening of the section of the Fanling Highway between Kwu Tung and Sheung Shui, to tie in with the intake progress of the second phase of the two NDAs concerned. 

     In terms of public transport services, the TD has planned to introduce a total of six new franchised bus routes in light of the first phase of intake of the two NDAs concerned. These routes will connect Kwu Tung North and Fanling North to Sheung Shui or Fanling Station as well as key community facilities within the district (such as North District Hospital). They will also include inter-district services to and from Kowloon East, Kowloon West, Tsuen Wan District and Yuen Long District. Bus routes to and from urban areas will pass through bus-bus interchanges at major tunnels to facilitate the public and residents to transfer for other districts. Relevant roads and public transport interchanges within the new development areas will also be ready by then. The TD has already briefed the North District Council on the relevant arrangements around the end of last year. 

(2) and (3) On railway infrastructure development, the Government is pressing ahead with the Northern Link (NOL) Project, which is an important piece of transport infrastructure supporting the Northern Metropolis development and facilitating Hong Kong’s better integration into national development. The Project comprises Kwu Tung Station on the East Rail Line (EAL), the NOL Main Line connecting the EAL and the Tuen Ma Line, as well as the NOL Spur Line connecting San Tin Station and the new Huanggang Port in Shenzhen. The construction of Kwu Tung Station on EAL has already commenced in 2023. Progress has been satisfactory thus far and the station is expected to come into operation in 2027 as scheduled, which would match the timing of major population intake of the Kwu Tung North NDA. Last year, the Government executed the Project Agreement for Part 1 of the NOL Project with the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) to implement the NOL Spur Line in combination with the Main Line through an innovative mindset, substantially bringing forward the timetable of the Spur Line by two years than what was originally envisaged and achieving simultaneous commissioning with the Main Line by 2034 or earlier.

     At present, we are taking forward the NOL Main Line and Spur Line on the basis of simultaneous commissioning across both lines. This mega railway project is currently in full swing. As the project progresses, we together with MTRCL would examine the feasibility of commissioning by phases. Relevant considerations include overall technical feasibility, interface with other works in the new development areas along the railway alignment, the development pace of projects along the railway alignment, and whether testing and commissioning by phases would affect the commissioning date of the remaining railway sections. We would continue to work with MTRCL towards reducing construction time, and endeavour to commission the NOL Project at an early juncture.

     In summary, the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the TD will continue to monitor the population growth and passenger demand in the NTN as well as the operation of relevant public transport services to enhance services at suitable juncture to meet residents’ needs. Meanwhile, we will continue to work with relevant government departments responsible for planning and development to formulate appropriate traffic and public transport service arrangements in advance. 

     Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at the Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre Opening Ceremony today (January 21):

Andrew (Chairperson, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG), Mr Andrew McAulay), Lester (Deputy Chairman, Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Lester Huang), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

     Good afternoon. It is a joy to be here with you for the opening of the Jockey Club Nature Conservation Centre – and to launch Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden’s milestone 70th anniversary year.

     As Andrew noted, this new Centre was made possible by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. This support is not only deeply appreciated – it is especially fitting, with the Year of the Horse arriving in just a few weeks.

     For 70 years, KFBG has continually evolved to support the government and the people of Hong Kong.

     Today, KFBG continues to broaden its mission. It builds on decades of hands-on scientific and practical nature restoration, and advises NGOs (non-governmental organisations), institutions, corporations and, of course, the Hong Kong Government.

     The Government is deeply committed to protecting Hong Kong’s biodiversity and environment. Last month, we published our updated Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, which reflects both global goals and our country’s national strategy for conservation.

     The Plan outlines how Hong Kong will protect nature and support sustainable development over the next decade.

     I am pleased to say that KFBG played a significant role in this updated plan.

     And I should add – KFBG’s forest restoration programme recently became the first in the world to receive a premium-tier certification from the Global Biodiversity Standard, underlining its global leadership in ecological restoration.

     KFBG’s expertise also supports Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, as we move toward better integration of urban and rural areas, and balance development and conservation.

     The new Conservation Centre is home to more than 100 scientists and other professionals, ensuring that KFBG’s important work in nature conservation, sustainable living and holistic education continues to grow, and also supporting the Government, our people and the rich natural environment we are so blessed with.

     That includes more than 580 bird species, which represents one-third of our country’s total, and some 6 000 marine species, around one quarter of our country’s recorded total. 

     Hong Kong is also home to wonderful landscapes, like the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Global Geopark and many other conservation areas.

     In 2024, we established three major nature conservation parks. And upon the completion of the Wetland Conservation Park in the Northern Metropolis, which will be five times larger than the Hong Kong Wetland Park, we will have a vital new hub for wetland conservation.

     Nature conservation and biodiversity require constant care and collaboration. I look forward to continuing our co-operation with KFBG, the Jockey Club, scholars, researchers, environmentalists and the general public – to keep nature at the heart of Hong Kong’s future. 

     I wish Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden another 70 rewarding years of nature conservation and education. And I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year, full of the good fortune that our precious environment gives us. Thank you.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (January 21) announced the test results of a recently completed seasonal food surveillance project on Lunar New Year (LNY) food (first phase). The test results of around 770 samples collected were satisfactory, except for two prepackaged rice cake samples found with sodium contents inconsistent with the declared values on their nutrition labels, which were announced earlier.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, “The LNY is coming soon, and the CFS is conducting this seasonal food surveillance project in two phases. During the first phase of the project, different types of LNY food – including steamed puddings (e.g. turnip puddings and festive cakes), fried dumplings (e.g. sesame balls and crispy triangles), candies, glutinous rice balls, nuts, melon seeds, vegetarian dishes and dried aquatic products – were collected from different retailers (including online retailers) for chemical and microbiological tests as well as nutrition content analysis.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hok-fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (January 21):

Question:

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​The Department of Health (DH) has recently received media enquiries concerning individuals who promote services on social media platforms that involve arranging blood draws for pregnant women on the Chinese Mainland and smuggling blood samples into Hong Kong for fetal gender testing. The DH today (January 21) stated that it has immediately followed up on the matter and referred relevant information regarding the two laboratories in question to the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board for appropriate actions against the registered Medical Laboratory Technologists concerned, in accordance with the Allied Health Professions Ordinance (Cap. 359). Under the Ordinance, no registered Medical Laboratory Technologist may perform tests for the purpose of medical diagnosis or treatment without a referral from a registered medical practitioner or other specified healthcare professional.
      
     The DH has also notified the relevant Mainland authorities.
      
     According to the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A), any person who imports any excreta, secretion, blood or blood component that the person has reason to suspect contains an infectious agent should obtain prior written permission from the DH. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5,000 and two months’ imprisonment.
      
     Investigation by the DH revealed that the two laboratories involved – NovaGene Diagnostic Laboratory Limited and Zentrogene Bioscience Laboratory Limited – falsely claimed in online postings to be “medical laboratories accredited by the DH”. This information is false and misleading, as the DH does not accredit any medical laboratories. Furthermore, DH records show that two other institutions, named “Nova Medical” and “Hong Kong BOYA Medical Center”, have neither applied for clinic licences or letters of exemption for small practice clinics under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633), nor registered under the Medical Clinics Ordinance (Cap. 343). Despite this, “Hong Kong BOYA Medical Center” claimed to be a “Hong Kong registered medical clinic”. The DH has referred these cases to the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department for follow-up and requested the removal of all misleading statements.
      
     In addition, during the investigation, the DH found that advertisements for other services published on the websites of the relevant medical centres involved are suspected of breaching the Undesirable Medical Advertisements Ordinance (Cap. 231). The DH has issued warnings to the medical centres and ordered the immediate removal of the non-compliant advertisements.
      
     The DH will continue to follow up on the matter seriously and take enforcement actions in accordance with the relevant regulations, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, to safeguard public health.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (January 21):

Question:

     It has been reported that the Government is actively taking the lead in promoting exchanges and co-operation with countries in the Middle East region, including preparations for establishing an Economic and Trade Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In terms of financial services, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited also established an overseas office in Riyadh last year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that in recent years, Hong Kong has signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with countries along the Belt and Road in the Middle East region, whether the Government has studied what structural changes the signing of these MOUs have brought to the bilateral trade relations between Hong Kong and these countries; whether it has assessed (i) how such changes affect the long-term co-operation potential between Hong Kong and these countries in industries that enjoy advantages, such as financial services and technology products, and (ii) the specific benefits such changes bring to Hong Kong’s economic development; the year-on-year growth rates of bilateral trade between Hong Kong and countries in the Middle East region, as well as their import and export values over the past three years, and the respective proportions of such exports involving Hong Kong’s financial services and technology products;
 
(2) whether consideration will be given to consolidating the layout and resources of Hong Kong overseas offices, such as co-locating the base of such organisations as Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in the same office building or area in countries in the Middle East region, so that Hong Kong enterprises can benefit from the one-stop services coordinated across different departments/institutions when they explore these markets; and
 
(3) how the Government promotes co-operation between Hong Kong and institutions and scientific research institutes in countries in the Middle East region, and of the progress and achievements made throughout the co-operation between Hong Kong and institutions and scientific research institutes in these countries so far; over the past three years, (i) the number of exchange programmes organised by Hong Kong and the institutions in these countries, as well as the number of schools and students involved, and (ii) the number of co-operation agreements signed between Hong Kong and the scientific research institutes in these countries; what plans the Government will put in place this year to promote co-operation between Hong Kong and the higher education institutions and scientific research institutes in countries in the Middle East region, and the targets it expects to achieve?

Reply:

President,

     The Government has been proactively expanding its economic and trade network, including that in the Middle East region, to promote the long-term economic development of Hong Kong. Among others, the Government established the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Dubai in October 2021, and is actively liaising with the Government of Saudi Arabia to pursue the establishment of another ETO in Riyadh with a view to strengthening Hong Kong’s economic and trade relations with trading partners in the region. Moreover, Invest Hong Kong has established two new consultant offices in Cairo, Egypt in July 2024 and in Izmir, the third largest city in Türkiye in January 2025, thereby exploring the emerging market of the Middle East.

     In addition, the Government will continue to explore free trade agreements and investment promotion and protection agreements (IPPAs) with other economies including those in the Middle East. We will soon be signing an IPPA with Qatar and are exploring new ones with Saudi Arabia and Egypt respectively.

     In response to the Hon Chan Yung’s question, after consulting the Education Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the Census and Statistics Department, our reply is as follows:

(1) The Middle East region is rapidly developing and full of potential, making it one of the key links of the Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI).

     In recent years, numerous Middle East countries have put forward their visionary development blueprints, with a view to driving economic diversification on top of the energy sector, and are actively advancing development in areas like innovation and technology (I&T), finance, trade, renewable energy and smart city. Hong Kong has competitive edge in many of these areas, and may align with the development strategies of relevant Middle East countries, achieve complementarity of strengths, and create tremendous opportunities for Hong Kong’s I&T, financial services and other professional services sectors as well as the start-ups.

     Given that the Middle East region is accelerating its development, many of the key infrastructure projects are progressing at full speed, which calls for the need of more diversified funding sources and innovative financing models. With capitals coverage of both international and the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong offers diverse and innovative financial instruments, coupled with a pool of quality and experienced professional services, Hong Kong is also well positioned to assist in the acceleration of the Middle East’s development while expanding the room for development for ourselves. Furthermore, the Middle East region is actively seeking to diversify risk, aligning with the global economic shift towards the East. Being internationalised and highly connected with the Chinese Mainland market, Hong Kong has market operations and regulatory standards that are seamlessly aligned with the best international practices. This has made us an ideal platform for diversified asset allocation and wealth management.

     In light of the above, the Government has been actively expanding the Middle East market and establishing connections to enable investors and market participants from around the world to better understand and leverage Hong Kong’s strengths as an international financial centre, while providing them with a diverse range of financial products and services.

     Over the past few years, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has been actively promoting Hong Kong’s financial system and market advantages to the Middle East countries to further strengthen co-operation with the Middle East market. For example, the HKMA has held bilateral meetings with central banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc, and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering areas such as financial infrastructure development, sustainable finance, fintech, market connectivity, Islamic finance, etc. Among these, the HKMA signed an MOU with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, anchoring a joint fund with target size of US$1 billion, to support the localisation of companies in Saudi Arabia connected to Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Besides, the HKMA has been encouraging the banking sector, especially banks on the Chinese Mainland, to establish regional headquarters in Hong Kong, where Hong Kong’s strengths can help companies expand into markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East, thereby providing more comprehensive cross-boundary financial solutions.

     We also actively explore attracting overseas capital through various channels, including deepening the two-way flow of capital between Hong Kong and the Middle East region. Following the listing of Asia’s first exchange-traded fund (ETF) tracking the Saudi Arabia market in Hong Kong in 2023, two ETFs tracking Hong Kong stock indices were listed on the Saudi Exchange in the form of feeder funds in 2024, which helps attract allocation of local capital to Hong Kong stocks. In addition, the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) has successively signed MOUs with the Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Company and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, and incorporated the Saudi Exchange, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and the Dubai Financial Market on its list of recognised exchanges to facilitate companies listed on these markets to secondary list in Hong Kong. The HKEX also opened an office in Riyadh in 2025 to further promote ties with the Middle East region.

     As the countries in Middle East is full of potential, Hong Kong is committed to giving full play of our role as the functional platform for the B&RI, and stepping up efforts to deepen co-operation with the Middle East region. In recent years, official exchanges, economic and trade activities between the two sides have been increasing, and various institutions in Hong Kong have signed a number of MOUs and agreements with relevant entities in the Belt and Road countries in the Middle East region. Notably, the Chief Executive (CE) led delegations to visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE in February 2023, and Qatar and Kuwait in May 2025 respectively. These visits resulted in a total of 72 MOUs, agreements and statements, creating co-operation and business opportunities for Hong Kong and the Middle East in areas including trade, finance, I&T, sustainable development, transport and logistics, agriculture and education, etc. The above MOUs and agreements are conducive in driving all-round, multi-field collaboration and bring mutual benefits to Hong Kong and the Middle East region, thereby laying a solid foundation for long-term co-operation, thus consolidating the bilateral commercial and economic relations, injecting new energy to Hong Kong’s economy. The relevant examples of MOUs and agreements include:

(a) Hong Kong has signed Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreements with Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, enabling investors to better assess their potential tax liabilities from cross‑border economic activities and enjoy avoidance of double taxation, thereby creating a more favourable business environment and promoting bilateral trade and investment;

(b) IPPAs were signed with Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain to further strengthen mutual investment protection, enhance confidence of investors and expand bilateral investment flows;

(c) Mutual Recognition Arrangements on Authorized Economic Operator Programmes were signed with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar to reinforce international cargo security while facilitating legitimate cross-boundary cargo movements of the two places, and strengthen the competitiveness of enterprises from both sides in the international market; and

(d) The MOU in relation to infrastructure and construction were signed with Saudi Arabia to enhance information exchange in the relevant fields and support Hong Kong’s professional services to access the market.

     For bilateral trade, according to the statistics from the Census and Statistics Department, the value of bilateral trade in goods (including imports and total exports figures) between Hong Kong and the Middle East (Note 2) during the period of 2022 to 2024 (Note 1) are listed below:
 

	2022*	Per cent change over 2021	2023*	Per cent change over 2022	2024*	Per cent change over 2023
Total exports	125,391 (16,010)	+23.5	136,335 (17,414)	+8.7	129,068 (16,541)	-5.3
Imports	56,236 (7,180)	+7.7	71,819 (9,173)	+27.7	59,028 (7,565)	-17.8
Total trade	181,627 (23,190)	+18.1	208,153 (26,587)	+14.6	188,096 (24,106)	-9.6

*Value in HK$ million (US$ million)

     During 2021 to 2023 (Note 3), Hong Kong’s exports of financial services to the Middle East accounted for less than 0.5 per cent of Hong Kong’s total exports of financial services. On the other hand, there is no collected data by the Census and Statistics Department on the share of Hong Kong’s exports of technological products to the Middle East.
 
(2) As a measure announced in the 2025 Policy Address (PA), the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau has set up the Economic and Trade Express which enables overseas ETOs, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to enhance collaboration within the region under their respective coverage through a one-stop platform, capitalising on their complementary advantages to promote Hong Kong’s trade and investment abroad under the trio-coordinated approach. The Economic and Trade Express focuses on supporting small and medium enterprises and start-ups by proactively organising overseas business missions for relevant enterprises with one stop supporting services (including arrangement of business matching and other activities) to assist Hong Kong enterprises to explore business opportunities in overseas markets including the Middle East. Through this process, Invest Hong Kong will identify overseas enterprises to connect with Hong Kong’s business sectors, facilitating more enterprises to invest and establish operations in Hong Kong, thereby promoting two-way flow of enterprises and investments.

     In addition, the Economic and Trade Express will conduct more trade and investment promotional activities and work by pooling the resources of the trio to enhance the scale and impact of such activities.

(3) In the 2023 PA, the CE announced the development of Hong Kong into an international education hub and a cradle for future talents, and in the 2024 PA, the CE emphasised that the Government strives to establish the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. In the 2025 PA, the CE further announced the establishment of a dedicated Task Force on Study in Hong Kong under the chairmanship of the Secretary for Education in order to further promote Hong Kong’s post-secondary education globally and to attract outstanding students and scholars to come to Hong Kong. The Task Force brings together the University Grants Committee (UGC), the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Hong Kong Talent Engage, post-secondary institutions, overseas ETOs, the Mainland Offices, etc for greater promotion of higher education in Hong Kong.

     To support universities’ efforts in stepping up the promotion of the “Study in Hong Kong” brand and to facilitate the development of Hong Kong into an international post-secondary education hub, the UGC has provided around $40 million to the Heads of Universities Committee’s Standing Committee on Internationalisation, which involves the eight UGC-funded universities, in the 2025 to 2028 triennium for participating in and organising various activities outside Hong Kong, and for visiting different places (in particular the Middle East region) to recruit overseas students. Universities have actively expanded their recruitment activities on the Chinese Mainland and overseas, participating in education fairs in specific regions, leveraging existing overseas networks to connect with local chambers of commerce and enterprises, and organising seminars for parents and students who are interested in studying in Hong Kong, etc. Through these efforts, the Education Bureau has stepped up the promotion of various policy measures, including the Belt and Road Scholarship, to attract more students to study in Hong Kong. Starting from the 2024/25 academic year, the annual quota for the Belt and Road Scholarship has been increased to 150 places. In the 2024/25 academic year, the UGC-funded universities organised nearly 200 overseas recruitment activities, many of which targeted the Belt and Road countries, such as the UAE, Jordan and Qatar.

     In attracting non-local students (including those from the Middle East region), starting from the 2024/25 academic year, the admission quota for non-local students in publicly-funded post-secondary institutions (applicable to taught programmes) has doubled from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the local student places. The funded universities have actively made good use of the expanded quota to recruit more non-local students to pursue education in Hong Kong. In the 2024/25 academic year, these students were from around 100 countries and regions and among them, about 100 students were from the Middle East region. Starting from the 2026/27 academic year, the enrolment ceiling for self-financing non-local students of each funded post-secondary institution will be raised from the level currently equivalent to 40 per cent of the local student places to 50 per cent; and the over-enrolment ceiling of self-financing places of funded research postgraduate programmes will be increased from 100 per cent to 120 per cent.

     In signing exchange agreements with post-secondary institutions in the Middle East region, the UGC has all along been encouraging universities to provide more overseas exchange opportunities for students to gain a better understanding of national development and global trends. As of end November 2024, the UGC-funded universities signed a total of more than 2 600 student exchange agreements with institutions around the world, including 47 agreements with those in the Middle East region.

     With regard to research collaboration, the UGC and the Research Grants Council have been actively promoting stronger international research collaboration between local higher education institutions and overseas organisations, deepening international exchanges and conducting more impactful and cutting-edge research. Such efforts will help strengthen our research capacity. As at end November 2024, more than 50 ongoing research collaboration projects are being carried out by UGC-funded universities with institutions/organisations in the Middle East region, including Israel, the UAE, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, etc.

     In addition, the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint promulgated in end-2022 set out four broad development directions, including “to proactively integrate into the overall development of the country and consolidate our role as a bridge connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world”. Hong Kong’s three major I&T parks (i.e. the Hong Kong Science Park, Cyberport and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen I&T Park), have all along been actively establishing partnerships around the world. The relevant park companies signed two, four and two collaboration agreements/MOUs with I&T institutions (e.g. research institutes, venture capital funds and technology incubators) in the Middle East region in 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively to foster exchange and collaboration, facilitating I&T enterprises from the two places to establish presence in each other’s markets.

     Looking ahead, the three I&T parks will continue to expand their I&T collaboration network in emerging markets (including the Middle East region), and lead I&T enterprises to participate in forums and summits therein. This will showcase Hong Kong’s I&T strengths, and further leverage Hong Kong’s role and advantages as a bridge connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world.

Note 1: The latest available full-year trade in goods statistics are for 2024.
Note 2: The Middle East refers to the following 12 countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen.
Note 3: The latest available full-year trade in services statistics are for 2023.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     ​Following is a question by the Hon Ken Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (January 21):

Question:

     In recent years, the Government has actively promoted digital education with a view to fostering educational innovation. Nevertheless, there are views pointing out that considerable disparities currently exist among Hong Kong schools in promoting digital education, and that frontline teachers’ confidence and capabilities in utilising digital technology in teaching also vary. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of training courses relating to digital education organised by the authorities for in-service teachers in the past academic year; whether the effectiveness of such courses in enhancing teachers’ ability to apply digital technology in the classroom has been evaluated; if so, of the evaluation mechanism and the results thereof; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it has plans to include artificial intelligence (AI) as a compulsory domain in teachers’ continuing professional development, and to incorporate competence in digital education as a prerequisite for teachers’ professional development and promotion; if so, of the details and implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will expand the Digital Education Centre of Excellence Scheme to encourage teacher teams with successful experience to provide on-site support to other schools, so as to assist frontline teachers in integrating AI into teaching and learning; if so, of the details; if not, what alternative measures are in place to promote inter-school sharing of experience and resources?

Reply:

President,

     To align with the national strategy of invigorating the country through science and education, the Education Bureau (EDB) has implemented various measures in primary and secondary schools to promote digital education, support teaching innovation and nuture innovative talent. The competence of teachers is key to the effective implementation of digital education.

     ​The reply to the question raised by the Hon Ken Wong is as follows:

(1) To equip teachers to embrace the opportunities and challenges brought by digital education, the EDB adopts a diversified training approach, emphasising both quality and quantity, to continuously advance teacher professional development. Across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school year, over 70 000 training places will be provided, ensuring that all teachers in publicly-funded schools in Hong Kong have the opportunity to participate in training, thereby establishing a solid professional foundation for the implementation of digital education.
          
     In the 2024/25 school year, the EDB has rolled out a series of teacher professional development activities, including organising over 430 digital education professional development programmes for teachers, offering more than 35 000 training places. The EDB has also organised a featured programme, “AI Unleashed – Exploring the Depths for Educators”, providing 940 training places, enabling teachers to deepen their understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its applications and broaden their horizons through thematic talks and a study tour to the Greater Bay Area. The curriculum leadership seminar organised by the EDB themed effective use of AI to promote curriculum developments in primary schools also attracted participation from over 120 primary schools with nearly 350 principals and teachers, fostering inter-school experience exchange and collaboration.
          
     In addition, the Digital Education Centre of Excellence (CoE) established by the EDB promotes digital education through seminars and on-site support. The CoE organises in-service teachers to share their practices of digital education and explore the application of AI in teaching, thereby promoting peer learning. In the past year, the CoE offered over 200 training programmes for teachers with more than 14 000 training places, and nearly 140 times of on-site support services. Meanwhile, teaching demonstrations and lesson observation activities were also conducted on the campuses to share good practices in teaching. The support services of the CoE have covered more than 90 per cent of the publicly-funded primary and secondary schools, and the participating schools generally agree that the services meet their needs and help enhance teaching effectiveness.
         
     Regarding the effectiveness of teacher training, in addition to conducting post-training surveys upon completion of training programmes, the EDB also provides on-site support services and organises lesson observation activities to evaluate the implementation. The EDB also invited all primary and secondary schools across the territory to take part in the Survey on Digital Education for the 2024/25 school year, with a response rate of nearly 92 per cent. The survey findings revealed that over 95 per cent of the teachers showed confidence in using e-tools to enhance teaching effectiveness; were able to grasp the essence of using e-tools to improve teaching effectiveness; and were able to make use of various e-tools to help students, inter alia, unleash their creativity and solve daily problems with technology. These findings are consistent with the usual training data, which indicate that teachers have built a good foundation in applying digital tools in teaching.

(2) With technology advancing at an unprecedented pace and societal expectations for teachers constantly rising, teachers must keep abreast of the times. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is key to the quality assurance of teaching. To this end, the EDB has established a professional development training framework for teachers, requiring all in-service teachers to complete 150 hours of CPD every three years. Within each three-year cycle, a minimum of 30 hours must be allocated to two categories of core training, namely “Teachers’ Professional Roles, Values and Conduct” and “Local, National and International Education Issues”, with not less than six hours spent on each category. The training framework allows teachers to utilise their training hours with openness and flexibility to participate in various activities or programmes that align with the needs of schools, students and their own professional development. AI and digital education fall under the category of “Local, National and International Education Issues”. Currently, schools can devise school-based CPD plans according to their specific school context to facilitate teachers in fulfilling the training requirements.
         
     Regarding the promotion criteria for teachers in aided schools, in addition to meeting the qualification requirements stipulated in the Codes of Aid, teachers must also complete the specified promotion training programmes within five years prior to their date of substantive promotion. The core training is provided by the EDB, and currently includes content on digital education. The elective training allows teachers to undertake relevant training based on the professional expertise required for the respective promotion posts. Given the varying contexts of different schools and the different professional duties of promotion posts, we do not recommend setting uniform and rigid criteria.

(3) Moving forward, the EDB will further expand the support services of the CoE and organise more seconded teachers to provide support in other schools. The number of resource schools has increased from 13 in the previous school year (2024/25) to 18, the number of seconded teachers has expanded from 26 to 34, and the number of support service items has increased from 16 to 23. In addition to focusing on areas such as promoting information literacy, e-assessment, using information technology to support students with special educational needs, and blended mode of learning, the support will also incorporate more AI elements, for example, how to plan the application of AI in teaching, AI in pedagogical and curriculum design, as well as AI and educational ethics.

     The EDB will also implement various measures to encourage inter-school experience exchange and resource sharing. These include strengthening school-based professional support services, and supporting schools in integrating digital education tools into different Key Learning Areas/subjects. In addition, the Mainland-Hong Kong Teachers Exchange and Collaboration Programme will also facilitate cross-regional experience sharing and observation, thereby enhancing teachers’ professional competence.

     In addition, we will be launching progressively a new series of AI professional development programmes, which cover the core AI literacy areas required by school leaders and teachers, including “AI Literacy courses”, “AI+Subjects courses”, and “AI Leadership courses”. This will enable teachers to participate in relevant training according to their needs of teaching and job positions.
         
     In fact, given the varying school circumstances, the extent and pace of implementing digital education differ among schools. In addition to providing teacher training with emphasis on both quality and quantity, the EDB also encourages diverse school-based practices and promotes experience exchange and resource sharing through various school-based support and inter-school sharing activities to accelerate the pace of development of digital education.
          
     In summary, building on existing strengths and foundations, the EDB will continue to optimise teacher professional training and school-based support services through a multi-pronged approach. We will also keep pace with the latest development of digital education, timely review the effectiveness and adjust strategies, to equip schools and teachers with the capacity to apply innovative technology to assist teaching, thereby fostering pedagogical innovation and enhancing learning effectiveness.

     Thank you, President.