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Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law today extended her warm congratulations to Hong Kong, China cyclist Lee Sze-wing on winning the Women’s Road Cycling Individual gold medal at the 15th National Games (NG), defending her title.

Miss Law said: “Lee Sze-wing has once again brought glory to Hong Kong following her gold medal at the last NG, fully demonstrating that its athletes are capable of competing with top-tier athletes in high-level competitions.” 

The Hong Kong, China Delegation has so far won two gold medals in sailing and cycling at the 15th NG.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

For the Trunk Road T2 & Cha Kwo Ling Tunnel project, the Civil Engineering & Development Department has applied innovative technologies including an autonomous air-ground co-operative tunnel inspector and a drilling robot.

 

Efficiency boost

Giving rein to the synergy of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and total-station positioning techniques, the autonomous air-ground co-operative tunnel inspector can automatically carry out all necessary tunnel inspections, covering tunnel linings and various tunnel internal structures in a safer, more efficient and cost-effective manner.

Consultancy company Senior Resident Engineer Albert Sung explained that the system is equipped with ultra-high-definition cameras to automatically capture images of the tunnel’s internal structures.

“The aerial drone focuses on the upper half of the tunnel, while the unmanned ground vehicle focuses on the lower half, enabling 360-degree full coverage of the tunnel. These images are transmitted in real time to the AI module on the unmanned ground vehicle for defect detection.

“It can instantly and accurately detect millimetre-level defects and generate electronic reports. The entire process is 23 times faster than conventional methods and reduces inspection costs by 50%.”

The system was co-developed by the Civil Engineering & Development Department, a consultancy firm and the Hong Kong Productivity Council and has obtained three patents as well as receiving multiple local and international innovation awards, including 2025 Gold Edison Award.

Rapid robots

In addition, the tunnel project employs an automatic drilling robot that improves efficiency by reducing time and labour costs.

Civil Engineering & Development Department Engineer Kelvin Ma explained that, in the past, before constructing the corbel for overhead ventilation duct slabs inside a tunnel, workers had to repeatedly carry out tasks such as chiselling the concrete surface, and positioning, drilling and installing anchor bolts, while working on elevated platforms.

“The Trunk Road T2 project has introduced an automatic drilling robot. Using laser scanning technology for precise positioning, the robot performs accurate drilling and anchor bolts installation on tunnel walls and ceilings while simultaneously extracting dust generated during the process.

“Compared to traditional methods, which involve manual lifting and installation, the adoption of the Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical, & Plumbing and drilling robot has reduced onsite labour requirements by 60% and shortened the associated construction time by 40%.”

Tech application

With the rapid development of robotics technology, the Development Bureau is encouraging the application of construction robots in all public works projects.

Development Bureau Chief Assistant Secretary Felix Poon stressed that the bureau prioritises the promotion of highly-effective construction robots that demonstrate high cost-effectiveness, scalability and necessity for onsite construction.

“We first pilot construction robots for different tasks in some public works projects. Based on the outcomes of the trials, we mandate their application for suitable public works projects.

“In addition, the Government provides subsidies to the private construction sector. This measure gradually establishes a robust ecosystem for the development of construction robots.”

Mr Poon added that the bureau will soon implement a policy requiring suitable construction robots to be adopted in all public works projects, with the aim of enhancing the overall quality, safety and productivity of construction projects.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Vice President of the Organising Committee of the 15th National Games (NG) and Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki today attended a press conference on preparations for the games held by the Organising Committee of the 15th NG in Guangzhou, along with officials from the General Administration of Sport of China, Guangdong Province and the Macau Special Administrative Region.

Mr Chan said at the press conference that the NG this year is of extraordinary significance as it is being jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau for the first time.

It fully reflects the country’s high level of trust and expectations for Hong Kong, and demonstrates the enormous potential and promising prospects of co-ordinated sports development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), injecting new momentum and energy into developments in the bay area and facilitating high-quality regional development, he added.

Mr Chan also noted that the 15th NG is the largest NG in history, with an expected nearly 4,000 people in total participating in the games in Hong Kong, including over 2,100 athletes and more than 1,800 officials and technical officials.

He said that hundreds of media representatives will also come to Hong Kong to cover the games and that the games will attract a large number of visitors to the city, experiencing its charm and passion for sports.

By organising the NG, Hong Kong showcases its capability to organise large-scale competitions, further solidifying its reputation as an international capital of mega events, laying a solid foundation for attracting more premier sports events to be held here in the future, Mr Chan said.

In addition, organising large-scale sports events will leverage the synergistic effect to drive the development of tourism, hotel, retail, and food and beverage industries. As more tourists from the Mainland and overseas are attracted to Hong Kong to enjoy the games and visit other GBA cities, it brings long-term benefits to the tourism trade and creates more collaboration opportunities in the bay area, he added.

Regarding the cross-boundary road cycling event, Mr Chan said: “As the first-ever cross-boundary event in the history of the NG, it highlights the unique feature of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau cohosting the games.

“To ensure the event’s smooth implementation, the three places have maintained close liaison to create a smooth and convenient cross-border clearance experience through advanced technologies and effective collaboration mechanisms, achieving the goal of ‘contactless clearance’.”

An innovative mode of “pre-entry clearance and closed-loop management” is adopted for the event, conducting advance identity verification of relevant personnel to facilitate their entry to the closed-loop area and immigration clearance.

During the event, athletes will wear wristbands with a global positioning system and radio frequency identification equipment. Live broadcast monitoring and drone inspection systems are equipped along the race course to keep track of the movements and locations of all participants.

In addition, athletes and equipment vehicles are bound with magnetic chips, allowing efficient transmission of clearance information, delivering a “contactless clearance” with zero delay, zero waiting time, and uninterrupted passage without stopping.

The Chief Secretary said that throughout the preparation and organisation process, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau have maintained close communication, including visits to cross-boundary routes and co-ordination among relevant departments and units for several working meetings.

The governments of the three places have engaged in substantial and meticulous co-ordination across various areas such as managing road closures, implementing measures at control points, ensuring closed-loop arrangements during the events, providing motorcade escorts, “contactless clearance”, and preventing race convoys and athletes from deviating off course.

He noted that such cross-boundary collaboration mode not only ensures the smooth execution of the event but also fosters people-to-people exchanges in the GBA, deepens regional co-operation mechanisms, and enhances the bay area’s overall capabilities in holding large-scale competitions, and lays a solid foundation for future co-operation in the GBA.

“By hosting the 15th NG, Hong Kong and other GBA cities can build closer sports partnerships, break down geographical boundaries, achieve resource sharing and complementary advantages, and jointly advance the sports industry development of the GBA.

“This will attract more large-scale international sports events to Hong Kong and the GBA, continuously enhancing the region’s global influence and sports competitiveness.”

Other officials attending the press conference included Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of China Mr Li Jing, Vice President of the Organising Committee of the 15th NG and Standing Committee member of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee Wang Xi; Mr Chan, and Vice President of the Organising Committee of the 15th NG and Secretary for Social Affairs & Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government O Lam.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee will lead a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government delegation to Guangzhou tomorrow to attend the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games and return to Hong Kong the same day.

Members of the delegation include Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law, and Director of the Chief Executive’s Office Carol Yip.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hospital Authority today announced it has enhanced the public hospital mortuary charge by extending the free storage period from three days, as stated in the initial arrangement, to 28 days, following a review and prudent consideration of feedback from the public and stakeholders.

The authority noted that with an ageing population, the number of deaths in public hospitals has been steadily rising from approximately 32,000 in 2007 to over 41,000 in 2024, representing a 28% increase.

The number of hospital mortuary storage spaces has been significantly raised from 1,500 to approximately 3,360 during the same period, marking a 124% increase. The ratio of mortuary storage spaces to hospital beds has increased from 1:18 in 2007 to 1:9 in 2024, it added.

To facilitate funeral arrangements for the public, the authority has been processing death certificate applications as quickly as possible, with over 95% of death certificates that can be issued within three working days and more than 99% within seven working days.

Meanwhile, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department pledged to provide cremation sessions within 15 days.

However, the average duration of storage of bodies in the authority’s mortuaries continues to rise, with approximately 10% of bodies stored for more than a month, and some even exceeding one year.

Due to the prolonged storage, the occupancy rate of the mortuaries frequently exceeds 100%, the authority noted, noting that eight out of 38 hospital mortuaries registered occupancy rates exceeding 100% between February and May in 2024.

During the service demand surge in 2025, 13 mortuaries recorded above 100% occupancy rates, it added.

Given the limited resources in public hospitals, the authority needs to effectively balance the allocation of resources between mortuaries which serve as temporary body storage facilities, and patient care services.

Emphasising that the introduction of a mortuary charge is not aimed at increasing revenue, the authority said the extension of the free storage period will give families more time to process death documentation, prepare funeral arrangements and book cremation sessions while reducing their financial burden.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, will lead a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government delegation to Guangzhou tomorrow (November 9) to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 15th National Games.
     
Members of the HKSAR Government delegation include the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip.
                                                                                  
Mr Lee will return to Hong Kong the same evening.