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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (May 28) the external merchandise trade statistics for April 2026. In April 2026, the values of Hong Kong’s total exports and imports of goods both recorded year-on-year increases, at 42.9% and 44.4% respectively.

     In April 2026, the value of total exports of goods increased by 42.9% over a year earlier to $620.9 billion, after a year-on-year increase by 35.8% in March 2026. Concurrently, the value of imports of goods increased by 44.4% over a year earlier to $650.4 billion in April 2026, after a year-on-year increase by 41.2% in March 2026. A visible trade deficit of $29.5 billion, equivalent to 4.5% of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in April 2026.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and his delegation were invited to attend the 39th World No Tobacco Day event in Shenzhen today (May 28). Professor Lo also received the World No Tobacco Day Award from an official of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The event was jointly hosted by the Department of Planning and Information of the National Health Commission (NHC), the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government. Addressing the event, Vice-minister of the NHC Ms Guo Yanhong said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has long adopted a multipronged and progressive approach to reduce the hazards caused by tobacco to members of the public and society through measures such as legislation, taxation, publicity, education, enforcement and provision of smoking cessation services, achieving notable success. The presentation of the World No Tobacco Day Award by the WHO to the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and the Secretary for Health of the HKSAR Government, as well as the establishment of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control Monitoring and Evaluation at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, represent a high degree of recognition of tobacco control work in cities such as Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and the full affirmation of China’s tobacco control efforts. The NHC extends its congratulations.

At the event, the WHO Representative to China, Mr Martin Taylor, announced that Professor Lo and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government were awarded the World No Tobacco Day Award 2026, and presented the Award to him and a representative of the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government. Professor Lo said, “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the WHO for presenting this encouraging Award, which symbolises the WHO’s recognition and high regard of the HKSAR Government’s work on tobacco control. I am deeply honoured to receive this accolade on behalf of the HKSAR. With the support of the Central Government, the HKSAR Government has resolutely implemented tobacco control policies over the years. Hong Kong and Shenzhen are geographically connected and culturally intertwined. Receiving this recognition from the WHO in the field of tobacco control together with the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government today is profoundly meaningful. This demonstrates the concerted efforts of Hong Kong and Shenzhen to promote the collective strength and effectiveness of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in respect of public health governance and injects stronger impetus for building a ‘Smoke-free Bay Area’.”

Professor Lo then signed a joint statement on behalf of the Health Bureau together with the Director-General of the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, Mr Liu Liqun, Deputy Director of the Health Bureau of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government Dr Cheang Seng Ip, and representatives of the nine Mainland cities in the GBA under the theme of “United in Building the Dream of a ‘Smoke-free Bay Area’ – Joining Hands for a Healthy Future”, which symbolises the establishment of closer collaboration in the field of tobacco control in the GBA. The joint statement clearly sets out three common visions based on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, namely: (1) resolutely upholding the rule of law as the bedrock for tobacco control, preventing minors from accessing tobacco products, particularly alternative smoking products, and safeguarding existing smoke-free public spaces; (2) deepening exchanges and mutual learning in the GBA by establishing a regular communication and exchange mechanism on tobacco control; and (3) strictly controlling the circulation and marketing of tobacco by combatting tobacco advertising and distribution channels of illicit tobacco along the entire chain. Professor Lo remarked that the joint statement aligned closely with this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme of countering nicotine and tobacco addiction and provided a direct and targeted response to the means such as alternative smoking products and tobacco advertising that lure members of the public and even the next generation into smoking addiction.

After the event, Professor Lo and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, together with representatives from the NHC, the WHO, the Health Commission of Guangdong Province, the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government and the Macao SAR Government, conducted a site visit to examine Shenzhen’s tobacco control work at the community level. Professor Lo said, “Following our earlier efforts to publicise Hong Kong’s tobacco control regulations to incoming passengers to Hong Kong in the boundary control point area in Shenzhen, we will continue to deepen our co-operation with other GBA cities and share the HKSAR’s experience in tobacco control, with a view to jointly enhancing the effectiveness of tobacco control work across the GBA to safeguard the health of residents of the Bay Area.”

The delegation members included Dr Lam, the Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Excise and Strategic Support), Mr Ng Chun-wah, as well as the Chairman of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, Mr Henry Tong, and the Vice-Chairman Dr Johnnie Chan.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and the National Time Service Center (NTSC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) held a plaque-unveiling ceremony for the Hong Kong Station of the National Standard Time and Joint Atomic Time at the HKO Headquarters today (May 28). The ceremony was officiated by the Under Secretary for the Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; the Director of the HKO, Dr Chan Pak-wai; the Director of the NTSC, Dr Zhang Shougang; and Research Fellow of the NTSC Dr Yuan Haibo. Through the first Hong Kong Station, the HKO provides the NTSC with raw measurement data for the generation and maintenance of the Joint Atomic Time and collaborates in promoting the development of the Joint Atomic Time. 

     Delivering his speech, Dr Chan said, “Since the signing of the co-operation agreement between the HKO and the NTSC on September 27, 2025, both parties have actively developed collaborative projects in time measurement, timekeeping, and time service. We are grateful to the NTSC for providing the HKO with its first passive hydrogen atomic clock and standard time transmission equipment. Through the efforts of professionals from both sides, an accurate and stable national time source has been introduced to Hong Kong, contributing to the support of Hong Kong’s time service and also to the nation’s ability to maintain its time standard.”

     In his speech, Dr Zhang said, “Time is a vital strategic resource for the nation, and high precision time synchronisation is a core technological foundation for regional collaborative development. Being the only specialised and core institution in China dedicated to time and frequency scientific research and responsible for the generation, maintenance and dissemination of China’s National Standard Time (UTC (NTSC)), the NTSC has always adhered to its mission of ‘keeping the nation’s time and providing accurate time service’. It has deeply cultivated key core technologies in the time and frequency field, ensuring that the accuracy and stability of UTC (NTSC) have consistently ranked among the world’s best, providing a solid and reliable time guarantee for national scientific and technological progress, industrial development, and national security. The deployment and construction of the standard time transmission equipment in Hong Kong is a concrete measure by the NTSC to promote the deep integration of Hong Kong and Macao into the overall development of the nation, and also a practical step in promoting Hong Kong’s participation in the generation of China’s National Time Standard for the first time.” 

     The UTC(NTSC) is a standard time generated and maintained by the NTSC of the CAS. It is eight hours ahead of the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) (i.e. UTC+8 hours). In recent years, the deviation between the UTC(NTSC) generated and maintained by the NTSC and UTC has remained within two nanoseconds, achieving the smallest deviation from UTC internationally. The Joint Atomic Time is calculated by the NTSC using multiple high-performance atomic clocks and advanced comparison measurement systems. It provides a stable time reference for the nation and serves as a backup for the UTC(NTSC). The time information is also regularly provided to the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in France for the calculation of the International Atomic Time and the generation of UTC.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse Siu-wa, will depart for a duty visit to Beijing this afternoon (May 28), during which they will call on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.
 
They will return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon (May 29). During Mr Chan’s absence, the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, will be the Acting Chief Secretary for Administration. During Miss Tse’s absence, the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Clement Woo, will be the Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced today (May 28) that the one‑off Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Catch-up Programme (catch-up programme), launched by the Government in 2024, will conclude successfully in December. All eligible female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who have not completed their HPV vaccination series are advised to make an appointment quickly, either via the webpage of the Women Wellness Satellites under the Primary Healthcare Commission or by phone, in order to effectively guard against potentially lethal cervical cancer.
 
     “Since the 2019/20 school year, the Government has been providing HPV vaccinations to eligible Primary Five and Primary Six school girls as part of the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme (HKCIP). The cumulative number of doses administered has exceeded 300 000. Based on the data on vaccination coverage rates from the School Immunisation Teams, it is projected that the coverage rate for completion of two doses of HPV vaccination among 15-year-old girls in Hong Kong has surpassed the high level of 90 per cent. Not only does this significantly exceed the 70 per cent interim target coverage rate for completion of HPV vaccinations for school girls as set out in the Hong Kong Cancer Strategy, it has also achieved ahead of schedule the target of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Strategy for Cervical Cancer Elimination, i.e. 90 per cent of girls fully vaccinated with HPV vaccine by age of 15 years before 2030,” said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.

     Cervical cancer ranks ninth among cancer deaths in females in Hong Kong, with 160 deaths recorded in 2024. HPV vaccination is among the most effective measures for cervical cancer prevention, especially for females who have never been exposed to HPV infection, i.e. before their first sexual encounter. In response to the recommendations of the WHO, the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases under the CHP agreed to extend the HPV vaccination target group to include older girls aged 18 or below. A one-off catch‑up programme lasting for about two years was thus launched by the DH in December 2024 to enhance protection for females in this age group, which primarily targets eligible female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who have not been covered by the HKCIP. Each eligible person can receive two doses of vaccination, while immunocompromised persons have to receive three doses of vaccination. All doses are free of charge. Since the recommended interval between the two doses of the HPV vaccine for women with a normal immune function is at least five months, it is recommended that the first dose be administered on or before June 30, 2026, to ensure that the vaccination series is completed before the catch-up programme concludes.
 
     Dr Tsui said, “Since its launch in late 2024, the Government has administered a cumulative total of over 61 000 doses of HPV vaccine through the catch-up programme. As of May 2026, taking into account both catch-up programme participants and those who arranged their own vaccinations, the estimated first‑dose HPV vaccination coverage rate for the relevant group has exceeded 60 per cent. The catch-up programme is now in its final phase. Eligible female Hong Kong residents need only register with eHealth to make an appointment for HPV vaccinations through the webpage of Women Wellness Satellites under the Primary Healthcare Commission or by phone. Eligible female residents of Hong Kong who have not yet received their HPV vaccination series should seize this opportunity to get their first vaccination dose by June 30, 2026, so that they can complete the vaccination series before the catch-up programme ends on December 31, 2026, and protect their health. Those who miss this catch‑up programme will have to arrange for the vaccination on their own and bear the full cost if they wish to receive the HPV vaccination in the future.”
 
    Members of the public may visit the CHP’s thematic webpage for more information about the HPV vaccination catch‑up programme, including vaccination venues.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region