MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (October 31) announced the implementation details of Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles (Southbound Travel Scheme).

     Under the Southbound Travel Scheme, eligible and approved private cars from Guangdong (Guangdong vehicles) may park (the vehicles do not enter Hong Kong) at the automated carparks on the artificial island at the Hong Kong Port (port carparks) via the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), after which the drivers and passengers may transfer to a flight via Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) or enter and visit Hong Kong by taking Hong Kong local transportation; or they may enter Hong Kong directly via the HZMB and drive to the urban area without obtaining a regular quota (entry into urban area).
 
     The Guangdong and Hong Kong governments agreed that the “Park & Fly” carpark of the port carparks will be open for application starting from 9am on November 1 this year, and will commence operations starting from 0.00am on November 15; whereas entry into the urban area will be open for application starting from 9am on December 9, and the approved Guangdong vehicles will enter Hong Kong via the HZMB starting from 0:00am on December 23.
 
     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the staunch support of the Central Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government in jointly taking forward and realising the Southbound Travel Scheme. This dual-track arrangement with Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles (Northbound Travel Scheme) will inject greater impetus for the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
 
     “The Southbound Travel Scheme and the Northbound Travel Scheme complement each other and are important measures to promote the integrated development of the GBA. Not only do they facilitate mutual engagement between residents of Guangdong and Hong Kong, but they also achieve a higher level of mutual flow of people and goods and even open up a new model for Mainland residents to visit Hong Kong, which in turn brings opportunities to such sectors as tourism, retail, and catering in Hong Kong. Under the strategies of ensuring safety, effective diversion, well-equipped supporting facilities and streamlined application, the HKSAR Government is taking forward the Southbound Travel Scheme in a steady manner, with a view to benefitting Hong Kong residents and society as a whole, as well as sharing the fruitful achievements of the integrated development of the GBA,” Mr Lee said.
 
     Travellers under the Southbound Travel Scheme are expected to be high-spending individuals and families. The HKSAR Government will provide participants with tourist parking guides, including information on tourism and carparks, with a view to facilitating their itinerary planning, guiding them to combine self-driving and public transportation, spend and stay for a few days in Hong Kong, and choose itineraries relating to culture, sports, exhibition, shopping and theme park according to their preferences, which will in turn considerably contribute to boosting Hong Kong’s economy.
 
     The Guangdong Provincial Government announced today the regulations for the port carparks and entry into the urban area under the Southbound Travel Scheme, including detailed eligibility requirements for applicants, vehicles and drivers, insurance regulations, port clearance and requirements for driving on the roads, procedures, and mechanisms for handling non-compliance. For details, please refer to the official websites of the Guangdong Provincial Government.
 
     To ensure orderly implementation, both parts of the Southbound Travel Scheme will initially be open to applications from four cities in Guangdong Province (namely Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Jiangmen), to be gradually extended to other cities in Guangdong Province after six months.
 
Port carparks
 
     As part of the Southbound Travel Scheme, the automated “Park & Fly” carpark of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) will be officially commissioned, providing a new experience for cross-boundary self-drive travellers who transfer to a flight. The “Park & Fly” carpark will provide 1 800 parking spaces, allowing 24-hour automated parking and drop-off/pick-up services.
 
     The AAHK has launched a one-stop booking platform, allowing eligible applicants from Guangdong to book a parking space for each trip on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants are required to submit information on their designated driver and all accompanying flight transfer passengers, including identification documents and travel documents, vehicle details, scheduled travelling dates, and valid air tickets. They are also required to prepay the relevant parking fees and take out third-party risk insurance policies in advance. The submitted application details will be forwarded to the relevant Mainland authorities for approval and record. Upon completion of processing, the system will confirm the booking with applicants. Each applicant and his/her vehicle may make a booking for one of the following services per day, namely “park and fly”, drop-off or pick-up. To provide convenience to travellers, the HKSAR Government has exempted southbound vehicles using the port carparks from the licensing and vehicle inspection requirements in accordance with the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374).
 
     Starting from November 15, vehicles with a successful booking can travel to and from the “Park & Fly” carpark via the HZMB, according to the booking confirmation notification. “Park and fly” travellers may park their vehicles using the automated parking system. Having their documents and air tickets verified, they will take a bonded bus to the SkyPier Terminal to check in with their baggage, and then proceed directly to the Terminal for boarding without going through Hong Kong immigration clearance in the process. Upon their return to Hong Kong, travellers will only need to confirm their booking at Transfer Desk E2 in the restricted area of ​​Terminal 1 before proceeding to the SkyPier Terminal to take the bonded bus bound for the “Park & Fly” carpark to retrieve their vehicles. As for drop-off or pick-up, designated drivers may, in accordance with the respective booking, drive to the “Park & Fly” carpark to transfer to a flight, or from the “Park & Fly” carpark back to the Mainland, without having to use the automated parking system. All vehicles must enter and exit the carpark according to the designated routes. Signage has been added to the Hong Kong section of the HZMB to guide drivers to and from the “Park & Fly” carpark.
 
     For details regarding the eligibility, methods and procedures, as well as travel guidance for using the “Park & Fly” carpark, please visit the website of the AAHK’s automated carpark online booking platform (autoparking.hkairport.com/).
 
Entry into urban area
 
     To better control the overall number of vehicles entering Hong Kong and provide a better travel experience, the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments have agreed to set a daily cap on the number of vehicles entering Hong Kong, starting with 100 vehicles per day for a stay of up to three days per Guangdong vehicle. 
 
     Interested applicants must first register for a computer-based balloting through Guangdong’s information platform of the Southbound Travel Scheme before formally submitting their applications starting from December 9. Applicants should allow time for completing various relevant procedures in accordance with the requirements of the Mainland and Hong Kong departments, including for designated drivers to hold a valid Hong Kong driving licence, their Guangdong vehicles to be inspected according to Hong Kong regulations to ensure compliance with Hong Kong requirements, and to have obtained valid third-party risk insurance, in order to complete the vehicle licensing application procedures. The validity period of the relevant licences for the Southbound Travel Scheme is up to one year.
 
     Applicants who have completed the above procedures may make bookings through the online travel booking system and, starting from December 23, travel to Hong Kong via the HZMB according to the successfully booked designated dates. If the number of booking registrations exceeds the booking quota, it will be allocated by computer-based balloting.
 
     For details regarding the application and booking for entry into the urban area, please visit the website of Guangdong’s information platform, the Transport Department’s dedicated webpage for the Southbound Travel Scheme (www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/licences_and_permits/southboundtravel/stfgveiua/index.html), and the dedicated webpage jointly developed by the Insurance Authority and the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (sbt.hkfi.org.hk/).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The value of total retail sales in September, provisionally estimated at $31.3 billion, was up 5.9 % compared with the same month in 2024, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the provisional estimate for the month was 4.8% higher year-on-year.

Online sales accounted for 12.5% of the total retail sales figure for the month. Provisionally estimated at $3.9 billion, the value of online retail sales rose 27.3 % compared with a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the value of sales of electrical goods and other consumer durable goods not elsewhere classified increased by 31.3 %.

There were also increases in the value of sales in the following categories: supermarkets (+2%); “other consumer goods not elsewhere classified” (+6.9%); jewellery, watches and clocks, and valuable gifts (+9.1%); food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco (+3.9%); medicines and cosmetics (+7.6%); commodities in department stores (+2.8%); and optical shops (+1.5%).

By contrast, the value of sales of wearing apparel decreased by 5.4% for the period. Also down were sales of motor vehicles and parts (-4.1%); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (-5.3%); fuels (-13.4%); footwear, allied products and other clothing accessories (-10.2%); furniture and fixtures (-17.3%); and Chinese drugs and herbs (-2.4%).

The Government said the retail sector continued to recover in September. Looking ahead, improving local consumer sentiment and sustained growth in inbound tourism should continue to render support to retail businesses.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     A spokesperson for the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) said today (October 31) that to help the trade better understand the content and the application arrangements of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Inspection, Quarantine and Hygiene Requirements for Meat Products Exported from Hong Kong to the Mainland and the Cooperation Arrangement for the Export of Dairy Products from Hong Kong to the Mainland (collectively referred to as co-operation agreements), the EEB, together with the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Trade and Industry Department, held two briefing sessions for the trade on October 24 and October 30. The sessions received strong support from nearly 100 members of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong.
 
     The sessions introduced the requirements and procedures for exporting meat products and dairy products manufactured in Hong Kong to the Mainland (including how to apply for “Registration of Overseas Manufacturers of Imported Foods” from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) and “Recommendation on Food Manufacturer Registration” from the CFS), the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, as well as the preference of zero tariff under the Trade in Goods Agreement. These efforts aim to encourage food enterprises to seize the opportunity and export food products that satisfy the prescribed requirements to the Mainland. Representatives of Invest Hong Kong also attended the event to address questions from the trade.
 
     The EEB and the GACC signed co-operation agreements in Hong Kong on May 19 this year, facilitating food trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The operational details of the aforesaid co-operation agreements have been finalised by the CFS and the GACC as of now. The respective application platform of the CFS (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/export/export_fem/recommendation_meat_and_dairy_product.html) and that of the GACC (www.singlewindow.cn/#/) are now open for applications to be submitted.    
 
     Details of the co-operation agreements, frequently asked questions by the trade, and relevant application guidelines have also been uploaded to the above-mentioned CFS website. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, at the Hong Kong Exporters’ Association 70th Anniversary Cocktail Celebration today (October 31):

Mr Eric Sun (Chairman of the Hong Kong Exporters’ Association), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

A total of 25 nomination forms for the 2025 Legislative Council General Election were received today (October 31) by the Returning Officers for the 10 geographical constituencies, the 28 functional constituencies and the Election Committee constituency.

     This brings to 134 the total number of nomination forms received since the start of the nomination period on October 24. The nomination period will continue until November 6.

The number of nomination forms received for each geographical constituency is as follows:
 

Geographical constituency	No. of nomination forms received today	Cumulative total
Hong Kong Island East	0	5
Hong Kong Island West	0	5
Kowloon East	0	2
Kowloon West	1	3
Kowloon Central	0	6
New Territories South East	0	5
New Territories North	1	5
New Territories North West	0	5
New Territories South West	0	5
New Territories North East	0	5
Total	2	46

The number of nomination forms received for each functional constituency is as follows:
 

Functional constituency	No. of nomination forms received today	Cumulative total
Heung Yee Kuk	1	2
Agriculture and fisheries	1	2
Insurance	1	1
Transport	0	2
Education	0	1
Legal	0	2
Accountancy	0	2
Medical and health services	0	2
Engineering	0	0
Architectural, surveying, planning and landscape	0	0
Labour	1	5
Social welfare	0	2
Real estate and construction	1	2
Tourism	0	1
Commercial (first)	0	2
Commercial (second)	0	0
Commercial (third)	0	2
Industrial (first)	2	2
Industrial (second)	1	2
Finance	1	1
Financial services	0	2
Sports, performing arts, culture and publication	0	2
Import and export	2	2
Textiles and garment	2	2
Wholesale and retail	0	2
Technology and innovation	1	2
Catering	1	2
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region deputies to the National People’s Congress, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and representatives of relevant national organisations	0	2
Total	15	49

     The number of nomination forms received today for the Election Committee constituency is eight and the cumulative total number is 39.

Particulars of the nominated persons received today will be uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Hong Kong’s economy in the third quarter increased 3.8% year-on-year, picking up from the 3.1% growth in the preceding quarter.

The Census & Statistics Department announced the figures today as it released its advance estimates on gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter.

On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter basis, real GDP rose further by 0.7%.

Commenting on the figures, the Government said Hong Kong’s economy staged a robust performance in the third quarter, driven by a continued surge in exports and sustained expansion in domestic demand.

Total exports of goods continued to grow markedly in the third quarter, propelled by strong demand for electronic-related products and buoyant regional trade flows.

Exports of services also expanded notably, mainly supported by continued growth in inbound tourism and vibrant cross-boundary financial activities amid rises in global stock markets.

Domestically, private consumption expenditure grew further. Overall investment expenditure saw an accelerated increase alongside the economic expansion and stabilisation in the residential property market.

Looking ahead, the Hong Kong economy should see further solid growth for the rest of 2025. Sustained moderate growth of the global economy in the near term, together with the persistent stellar demand for electronic-related products of late, should provide further support to Hong Kong’s exports of goods.

Continued increase in visitor arrivals and vibrant financial market activities should provide further impetus to exports of services.

On the domestic front, the renewed interest rate cuts in the US since last month are conducive to boosting asset market sentiment.

Coupled with a gradual recovery in consumption confidence and also a visible improvement in business sentiment from earlier this year, these developments should lend support to local consumption and investment activity.

The Government’s various measures to develop the economy and diversify markets will also provide support.

Nevertheless, external uncertainties, especially those arising from the ongoing impacts of trade barriers on the global economy, international trade and financial conditions still warrant close monitoring, the Government added.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The men’s handball competition of the 15th National Games (NG) will commence at the Kai Tak Arena of the Kai Tak Sports Park at 2pm tomorrow (November 1) and will run until November 10.
 
　    Hong Kong will stage the men’s handball events, and one gold medal will be awarded. A total of about 180 athletes from 10 teams from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao will participate in the competition. Among them, Hong Kong will send 18 athletes to compete. After the heat and knockout rounds, the final will be held on November 10. The competition schedule is as follows:
 

• Heat: 2pm – 9.30pm, November 1 to 5
• Knockout round: 9am – 9.30pm, November 7; 2pm – 9.30pm, November 8
• Final: 2pm – 9.30pm, November 10
   

      The Hong Kong team will battle against an Anhui team, a Shanghai team and a Macao team respectively from November 1 to 3 at 8pm, as well as compete with a Beijing team on November 4 at 4pm.
 
     Members of the public can purchase e-tickets through the 15th NG official ticketing website (ticket.baygames.cn) or by searching for the “15th NG official ticketing” official mini programme on WeChat, after completing a real-name account registration. Services are also available for physical ticket purchases at the ticket office of the competition area. Real-name registration for ticket sales is adopted. Spectators who purchased tickets for their family members or friends using their own accounts via the 15th NG official ticketing platform should transfer the tickets to their family members or friends 24 hours prior to the start of the relevant session. Each person should carry their own e-tickets to facilitate verification and multiple entries/exits.
 
     An official franchised merchandise store will be set up on-site, selling a variety of franchised products with Hong Kong characteristics incorporated and related to the competition events. Members of the public are welcome to visit and make purchases.
 
     There will also be a competition village with various game booths in Kai Tak Station Square, including digital interactive games and booth games themed around the competition events hosted by Hong Kong, art workshops, handball experience activities, and photo spots. The competition village will be open on November 7, 8 and 10 from 11am to 9pm. Members of the public are welcome to try the games and purchase tickets to watch the competitions and cheer for athletes in person.