MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Health Bureau (HHB) hosted the eHealth 10th Anniversary Event, “eHealth: Your All-in-One Health Link”, today (August 22), to showcase the achievements of eHealth since its launch in 2016 and introduce the development blueprint of eHealth+. An award presentation ceremony for the eHealth+ Intergeneration Pilot Programme was also held on the same occasion to commend the participating schools and students. 
 
     Officiating at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “Over the past decade, eHealth has evolved into an essential pillar of Hong Kong’s healthcare infrastructure. To date, over 6.5 million citizens have registered with eHealth, accounting for approximately 85 per cent of the Hong Kong population. The platform now connects over 4 700 public and private healthcare providers, with more than 63 000 registered healthcare professionals. Moreover, the mobile application has surpassed 4.3 million downloads, while monthly logins over the past three months have averaged over 1.3 million.

     “Under the eHealth+ development, the Government has rolled out a series of new initiatives and functions. These include supporting private healthcare providers to deposit health records into eHealth, thereby helping citizens build comprehensive personal electronic health profiles; introducing the Cross-boundary Health Record and Personal Folder functions to support citizens to receive cross-boundary medical care; and launching new functions such as the eMedical Certificate and the Electronic Consent Form to enable citizens to conveniently manage their own health and that of their family members. eHealth+ has significantly enhanced the continuity of care services and facilitated cross-healthcare sector collaboration. Looking ahead, the Government will ensure that eHealth keeps abreast with the times, evolving in tandem with the directions of smart healthcare and primary healthcare developments, with a view to providing citizens with more seamless, personalised and high-quality healthcare services.”
 
     At the event, Professor Lo presented certificates of appreciation to schools participating in the eHealth+ Intergeneration Pilot Programme, while student representatives also shared their hands-on experiences with the initiative. The Programme has recruited approximately 100 students as eHealth+ Youth Ambassadors who, upon training, have taught elderly people at elderly centres to use the eHealth App for self-health management, thereby fostering intergenerational solidarity. The HHB will launch the second phase of the Programme, expanding to more schools and organisations with a view to establishing a sustainable teaching model in the community that benefits more elderly people. 

     The event featured a Time Tunnel exhibition, along with various performances and interactive booths, including a student rope-skipping performance, an elderly dance showcase, weight and blood pressure measurements, as well as fun health-themed games. A registration team was also available on-site to assist citizens in registering for eHealth and downloading the eHealth app. The event attracted over 800 students, teachers, elderly citizens and members of the public to participate.

     The Government launched eHealth in 2016 to establish a territory-wide electronic health record sharing system. The eHealth+ five-year plan was rolled out in 2024 to transform eHealth into a comprehensive healthcare information infrastructure that integrates data sharing, service delivery and care journey management, to further support policies including primary healthcare and cross-boundary healthcare, with a view to delivering more high-quality and efficient healthcare services. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, today (August 23) led a delegation from the Department of Health (DH) to attend the Health Working Group (HWG) Plenary Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Senior Officials’ Meeting in Dalian.
　
“China is the host of APEC 2026. I am deeply honoured to once again lead a team from the DH of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government to attend the HWG Plenary Meeting. We exchanged views with representatives from other APEC member economies on addressing global health challenges and deepening public health co-operation, building on the achievements leading up to the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November and working together to ensure that 2026 APEC ‘China Year’ yields fruitful results,” Dr Lam said.
　
The HWG Plenary Meeting will be held over two consecutive days. During the meeting, member economies will share the latest developments and experiences on several key topics, including promoting healthy ageing, improving maternal and child health and addressing low fertility rates, applying AI in healthcare, strengthening the role of traditional medicine, enhancing surveillance and emergency preparedness for infectious diseases, as well as harmonising science-based regulatory standards for medical products. The HWG also endorsed the “APEC Healthy Ageing Action Plan 2026-2030”. Representatives from the DH will share the HKSAR Government’s development and policy direction of traditional Chinese medicine as well as the progress in transforming into an international health and medical innovation hub, including the optimisation of drug approval and registration system, as well as the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation by this year.
 
In addition, APEC held a series of public health exchange activities prior to the HWG Plenary Meeting, including a discussion panel on the “APEC Action Plan to End the HIV Epidemic 2026-2031”, which was released in May this year. A DH representative shared the HKSAR’s Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) policies and prevention and control measures.
 
The DH has actively collaborated with and participated in APEC’s public health initiatives. With the support of the National Health Commission and the Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government, the DH has promoted health collaboration and capacity building in the Asia-Pacific region, contributing to global public health.

“Under the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ and with the unwavering support of our country, the DH will continue to leverage the HKSAR’s distinctive advantage of having strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world, giving full play to its role as a ‘super connector’. The DH will continue to deepen professional exchanges and collaborations with the APEC member economies in the healthcare field, actively participate in global health governance and contribute to building a global community of health for all. This year marks the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan. In the field of healthcare, the HKSAR will actively integrate into and serve the country’s overall development, implement a health-first development strategy and contribute to the goal of building a ‘Healthy Asia-Pacific’ through the APEC platform,” Dr Lam said.
　
The HWG of APEC is a regional health forum for cooperation and it dedicated to demonstrating the value of health to economic growth and development, and to building awareness of the return on investment in health innovation. The goal of the HWG is to help reduce the impact of health-related threats to the economy, trade and security of member economies. The HWG aims to strengthen health systems to increase their efficiency, responsiveness and resilience to achieve and maintain universal health coverage. The HWG’s three priorities this year are “openness”, “innovation” and “cooperation”.
 
Following the conclusion of the HWG meeting, the DH delegation will also visit the Health Commission of Dalian to exchange views on health information technology, health and medical innovation, as well as the Health Commission of Dalian’s experiences and action plan regarding the “Healthy Dalian” initiative.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA strongly refutes false claims regarding Taiwan’s sovereignty made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar in a media interview

Date：2026-08-18
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

August 18, 2026  No. 389  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemns and categorically refutes comments made by Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, in a media interview with Al Jazeera on August 16. In his remarks, Prime Minister Anwar erroneously and absurdly implied that Taiwan was a separatist province of China and openly justified China’s position on the use of force to annex Taiwan. These statements seriously jeopardized regional peace and stability.
 
MOFA reiterates that the ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign, independent country and that neither it nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other. These facts cannot be changed by anyone making false claims.
 
Malaysia is a democratic nation, and Prime Minister Anwar has long cast himself as a defender of democracy and human rights. MOFA urges him to uphold the universal values of democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law and respect and defend the will of the people. Political rhetoric that endorses the threat of force to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait serves to alienate the Taiwanese people, who are committed to safeguarding their democracy. It also severely damages political mutual trust between Taiwan and Malaysia, and goes against the aspirations of the people of Malaysia, who cherish peace and democracy.
 
MOFA notes that Taiwan and Malaysia have long enjoyed close economic and trade ties. Given the strong correlation between national sovereignty and economic security, Prime Minister Anwar’s partisan support for China may have a negative impact on the confidence of Taiwanese businesses planning to invest in Malaysia.
 
Taiwan will continue to firmly uphold the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights. It will further collaborate with like-minded countries to jointly resist authoritarianism and maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Civil Engineering Office of the Civil Engineering & Development Department (CEDD) has launched “Connection”, a new community liaison centre that stands as Hong Kong’s first structure built using a circular design concept.

Located at the Ma Liu Shui promenade, the facility opened its doors to the public on July 28 to showcase sustainable infrastructure and promote the civil engineering profession through interactive exhibits.

Designed to eliminate carbon emission and to keep resources in use for as long as possible, the building serves as a live demonstration of low-carbon architecture. It incorporates innovative materials, including CarbonCure concrete, biochar concrete and engineered bamboo.

Sustainable infrastructure

CEDD Senior Engineer Cathy Cheng explained that the circular building design is mainly reflected in two fundamental cycles.

“The first is the biological loop. It pursues the principle that building materials should be taken from and returned to nature. For example, we used renewable and biodegradable engineered bamboo to replace conventional building materials as the building’s structural framework,” Miss Cheng said.

She said that once the building serves its purpose, the bamboo framework will safely decompose back into nature. 

“The second cycle is the technical loop, which leaves the possibility of giving each primary structural component a second life. This allows the building’s life cycle to extend beyond a single location, enabling resources to circulate continuously.”

Miss Cheng added that the department hopes the project will serve as a model for scaling innovative materials and technologies across other local and regional  developments.

Interactive exhibits

Since its official opening, “Connection” has drawn visitors to explore four distinct exhibition zones: the Interactive Corridor, the Immersive Cinema, the Interactive Area and the Souvenir Area.

CEDD Project Co-ordinator Sam Chu highlighted the Interactive Area as the facility’s hallmark experience. Featuring large screens in front and underfoot, the space uses interactive storytelling to make civil engineering concepts accessible.

“‘Connection’ aims to help the public learn more about the Civil Engineering Office in a more engaging, relaxed and simple way. It also seeks to promote the civil engineering profession to the public,” Mr Chu said.

Community liaison

Building on that public engagement focus, Miss Cheng noted that this accessible approach ties directly into the centre’s broader mission: fostering community connection, driving industry innovation and supporting eco-tourism.

“We hope to strengthen our connection with the public and promote engineering development through innovative thinking,” she explained. 

“The Civil Engineering Office has always been committed to improving and maintaining public piers so that the public can access Hong Kong’s various natural attractions more safely and comfortably to enjoy eco-tourism.” 

She added that the facility’s location near two public piers serves a principal purpose as a gathering point for local eco-tourism. This aligns with the department’s ongoing efforts to upgrade public pier infrastructure, ensuring safer, more comfortable access to Hong Kong’s natural attractions.

Visitor information

“Connection” is open six days a week, closing only on Mondays for regular maintenance. The centre offers extended operating hours on Fridays, weekends and public holidays. Admission is free to all members of the public.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Mainland Civil & Commercial Legal Practice Training Course 2026, organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy, concluded today, attracting over 400 registrations.

This two-day course was designed for local legal and dispute resolution practitioners. It aims to deepen the local sector’s understanding of the Mainland’s civil and commercial legal system, practical operations and latest developments, while fostering cross-boundary professional exchanges.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam noted that the country’s continuous high-level opening up has substantially increased the demand for cross-boundary legal services. He said that Hong Kong needs more talent equipped with practical knowledge of cross-boundary civil and commercial law, adding that the course directly addresses this pressing need.

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan said in his closing remarks that rapid arbitration development allows Hong Kong to fully leverage its institutional strengths. He noted that Hong Kong will support the Mainland and overseas arbitration institutions in establishing branches locally to attract high-calibre professionals and boost the city’s status as a dispute resolution services centre.

First held in 2025, the training course this year focused on a range of key areas of Mainland civil and commercial law. Topics covered mutual legal assistance arrangements, Mainland arbitration and investment protection agreements.

Two thematic panel discussions examined international investment arbitration and the challenges Chinese enterprises face in overseas development. Speakers included senior judges from the Supreme People’s Court and other Mainland courts, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Commerce, and various legal and arbitration experts.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Information Services Department (ISD) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation (MOU) with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) to strengthen media collaboration and showcase Hong Kong’s achievements globally.

The Director of Information Services John Tse, and ABU Secretary-General Ahmed Nadeem signed the agreement. This marks the first MOU that the ISD has signed with a regional broadcasting union.

Under the agreement, both parties will seek to establish a dedicated communication mechanism to exchange views on media co-operation and collaborate on hosting joint events in Hong Kong. The partnership will leverage ABU platforms to present compelling stories of Hong Kong and facilitate visits by media professionals from ABU member organisations to promote reciprocal dialogue and mutual understanding.

Mr Tse said the ABU’s expansive global footprint aligns closely with the ISD’s objective of engaging international media. He noted that the ISD can support ABU members by sharing Hong Kong’s accurate, up-to-date news stories to build a long-term partnership.

The ISD will initiate discussions to invite senior and mid-level editorial staff from ABU member organisations to visit Hong Kong at the end of this year. The department will also support the ABU in hosting media events in Hong Kong next year.

“As we prepare to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region next year, we will also make good use of the ABU’s international network and platforms to share information on Hong Kong’s celebratory activities and achievements over the past three decades with wide audiences around the world.

“It will also help global audiences to keep abreast of the latest developments in Hong Kong, and learn about the emerging opportunities in areas ranging from business and investment, to education, arts, culture and much more,” Mr Tse added.

Established in 1964, the ABU is a not-for-profit, non-governmental professional association dedicated to advancing broadcasting and regional media co-operation. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the ABU is the world’s largest broadcasting union, spanning over 220 member organisations across 66 countries and serving more than half the world’s population.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to China’s unilateral announcement of joint exercises with Indonesian navy in waters off Taiwan’s east coast

Date：2026-08-12
Data Source：Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs

August 12, 2026  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) strongly condemns China’s unilateral announcement on August 11 that it would conduct so-called “joint operations” and “navigation exercises” with the Indonesian navy in waters off the east coast of Taiwan. China’s reckless and irresponsible behavior in repeatedly disregarding international norms and responsibilities continues to escalate regional tensions.

Following China’s claim that Indonesia would participate in the so-called “exercises,” Taiwan immediately sought clarification from the relevant parties and requested further details from the Indonesian government. Nevertheless, among all stakeholders near the first island chain, only the Beijing authorities have engaged in such malicious, provocative, and irresponsible unilateral actions, which seek to destabilize and threaten the region.

MOFA emphasizes that Taiwan, as a responsible member of the region, will uphold its consistent stance of safeguarding its territory, actively protect its sovereignty and sovereign rights in the waters off its east coast, and work with all parties in the region to jointly ensure freedom of navigation and regional security and stability.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today conducted the first stress test of passenger and vehicular flows with Shenzhen authorities at the Huanggang Port.

More than 10,000 civil servants participated in the exercise. They took various modes of public transport to the port and practised immigration procedures before departure.

Cyclical trials involving more than 400 departures using vehicles dispatched by public transport operators simulated the flow of people and vehicles arriving and departing from the port.

The drill marked the first trial of the “collaborative inspection” automated channels for passenger clearance. Participants departed through the automated channels or manual counters at the departure hall.

The stress test also included a “crowd concentrated-flow test”. Participants were held on designated floors and released in several major batches within a short period. This simulated peak-hour conditions where a large number of arriving passengers proceed to the public transport interchange simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the drill conducted a vehicle-flow stress test involving nearly 1,000 vehicle trips on the joint one-stop vehicle lane level. Participating vehicles entered the port through the new connecting road in batches.

The drill simulated the risk assessment process by the Customs & Excise Department, queuing for joint one-stop vehicle lanes for inspection and clearance or routing to the inspection area for further checks.

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, alongside Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung and Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan, inspected the drill.

Mr Chan said the drill was conducted smoothly, with a large number of passengers and vehicles entering and leaving the port building in an orderly manner and a public transport interchange capable of absorbing substantial passenger flows within a short period of time.

He noted that the Hong Kong SAR Government will work closely with the Shenzhen side to press ahead with various preparatory tasks at full steam. Once both sides confirm the port is ready for safe and smooth operation, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will finalise and announce the official opening date of the Huanggang Port.

Representatives from various bureaus, departments and organisations participated in the drill, including the Security Bureau, the Transport & Logistics Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health and the Fire Services Department.

Also participating were the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Government Property Agency, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department, the Civil Aid Service, the Auxiliary Medical Service and various public transport operators.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will lead a 40-member cross-professional delegation to Xinjiang, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan tomorrow to strengthen legal and professional service co-operation.

Co-organised with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the visit aims to promote Hong Kong’s roles as a bridge between the Chinese Mainland and the global market, showcasing its professional services.

The delegation includes Commissioner for Belt & Road Nicholas Ho, alongside representatives from the HKTDC, Invest Hong Kong, the Financial Services Development Council, the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre, and local and international law firms. Financial and accounting professionals are also part of the group.

In Urumqi, Xinjiang, on August 24, Mr Lam will attend the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Common Law and Dispute Resolution Practical Training Course, organised by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. He will also meet local officials.

The delegation will then visit Almaty, Kazakhstan, from August 25 to 26 to attend the “Collaborate2Win” seminar, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Department of Justice, to network with local legal and business representatives.

Afterwards, the delegation will depart for Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to meet local officials and study the development of the local legal services industry.

Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on August 30. Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan will be Acting Secretary for Justice during his absence.