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Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee, accompanied by Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, officiated today at a ceremony held at the Central Government Offices to inaugurate the second-term District Services & Community Care Teams.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Lee recalled that when he ran in the Chief Executive Election in 2022 he proposed in his manifesto to set up care teams in the 18 district. Those teams, he said, are now an integral part of the Government’s efforts to improve district governance.

The Chief Executive highlighted that under the enhanced district governance structure, the District Councils, the “three district committees” and care teams each have well-defined roles, besides maintaining close co-ordination and synergy to help those in need.

This governance structure enables Government services to be rooted in the community and allows the Government to reach out to the public and provide effective relief measures and solutions, he added.

Mr Lee said each care team provides caring services and community activities, helps underprivileged members of society, disseminates government information, and assists the Government in providing relief in times of incidents and emergencies.

He emphasised that the care teams serve without seeking reward and without fear of hardship, thus embodying the spirit of care and compassion.

For the second term of the care team system, the Government has set up three additional care teams in accordance with district needs and has also enhanced the teams’ key performance indicators (KPIs).

The system’s first term is now concluded, with all KPIs being met. During the term, care teams made around 610,000 visits to elderly households and other households in need, provided close to 100,000 instances of basic home or other support services, and organised around 50,000 district-level activities.

The care teams’ second term will run to September 30, 2027.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

In Seoul, South Korea, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today met representatives of the local legal sector with a view to strengthening Hong Kong-Korea legal co-operation. He also attended a joint legal workshop co-organised by the two places.

 

In the morning, Mr Lam visited the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board International and met its chairman, Prof Chang Seung-wha. The two had a lunch together with representatives from the Korean Council of International Arbitration, during which they discussed enhancing co-operation between Hong Kong and Korea on cross-border business dispute resolution and arbitration, and on legal matters.

 

In the afternoon, Mr Lam attended a legal workshop themed “Strengthening Business & Legal Cooperation: Korea & Hong Kong” and co-organised by the Department of Justice and the Korean Ministry of Justice.

 

In his opening remarks, Mr Lam highlighted that Hong Kong, as the only bilingual common law jurisdiction in the world using both English and Chinese, is home to a large pool of lawyers with extensive international experience, and maintains a close connection with the legal system of the Chinese Mainland.

 

As a centre for international legal and dispute resolution in the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong provides fair and efficient dispute resolution services that help enterprises to leverage investment and business opportunities in China, he added.

 

Looking ahead, he said he expects the Department of Justice to continue building on a strong foundation of partnership with Korea.

 

Mr Lam then had dinner with Deputy Minister in the Korean Ministry of Justice’s International Legal Affairs Department Chung Hong-sik, during which they exchanged views on opportunities for legal co-operation opportunities, and on the latest developments in legal and dispute resolution services.

 

Mr Lam will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Immersive Hong Kong roving exhibition, showcasing Hong Kong’s diversity and latest developments, opened in Chengdu today.

Themed “Hong Kong – Where the World Looks Ahead”, the exhibition invites visitors from Chengdu and elsewhere in Sichuan to explore Hong Kong’s unique opportunities and potential in tourism, education, business and investment.

It comprises five thematic zones: Financial Bridgehead; I&T Brain Bank; Blossoming Creativity; Diversity & Greenery; and Buzzing Sports Action.

These each feature interactive art projections, light box installations and naked-eye 3D displays, all representing the distinctive appeal of Hong Kong.

At the opening ceremony today, Director of Information Services Apollonia Liu explained that as 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt & Road Summit – which is hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – three Belt & Road node cities on the Mainland were selected to host the exhibition. Before Chengdu, it was successfully staged in both Shanghai and Qingdao, attracting a total of almost 300,000 visitors.

“We are delighted to bring the roving exhibition to Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan,” Mrs Liu said. “The co-operation and communication between Sichuan and Hong Kong have been strengthening steadily. The two places have reached consensus on strengthening various co-operation areas, including the economic, trade and the Belt & Road Initiative.”

Mrs Liu added that the exhibition has incorporated elements relating to the giant panda for visitors in Chengdu to learn more about the pandas in Hong Kong, while the Buzzing Sports Action thematic zone serves as pre-event publicity for the 15th National Games.

The exhibition is being held at the MixC, a major shopping centre in Chengdu, until November 2. Admission is free.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department today announced that it will set up focal sites at designated sports centres in Hong Kong’s 18 districts to broadcast action from the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG).

Members of the public are welcome to watch the action at these sites in order to cheer for the athletes.

The 15th NG will be held from November 9 to 21, while the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG will run from December 8 to 15. 

The focal sites will be open from 8am to 11pm daily during the games period. Click here for details.

In addition, to encourage public participation and support for the games and to promote sports more broadly, the department will serve as a venue partner for the “JC Fit City – Active 8 National Games is Live Experience”.

Members of the public watching the games at the focal sites will be able to participate in experience sessions for free. Details will be announced on the dedicated JC Fit City website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (October 24) joined the 2025 International Forum on Energy Transition cohosted by the National Energy Administration (NEA), the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government and the International Renewable Energy Agency in Suzhou.

The theme for this year is “A Decade of Collaboration Drives Energy Transitions for a Green Future “. At the High-level Dialogue Session titled “Building a Forward-Looking Framework for Global Clean Energy Cooperation”, Mr Tse shared Hong Kong’s strategies and progress in promoting regional energy collaboration.
 
Mr Tse introduced to the attendees the four major decarbonisation strategies outlined by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in the Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050, namely net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport, and waste reduction, leading Hong Kong towards carbon neutrality.
 
     “In terms of net-zero electricity generation, Hong Kong has gradually phased out coal for daily electricity generation since 1997 and aims to increase the share of zero-carbon energy in the fuel mix for electricity generation to about 60 per cent. We are also committed to measures such as ceasing new registration of fuel-propelled private cars before 2035 and moving away from the reliance on landfills for municipal solid waste management, aiming to achieve a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 and carbon neutrality before 2050,” Mr Tse said.
 
He also mentioned that the HKSAR formulated the Strategy of Hydrogen Development in Hong Kong last year to seize the opportunities brought about by the global development of hydrogen energy and create an environment conducive to the development of hydrogen energy in Hong Kong in a prudent and orderly manner. He said that he was looking forward to continuing to strengthen communication and collaboration with all parties involved in the development of new energy.
 
Mr Tse added that, Hong Kong, as the world’s third-most competitive international financial centre and international centre for green and sustainable finance, can become a hub for green technologies and products, and provide professional services for green development worldwide to work together to promote regional low-carbon green transformation.
 
After the meeting, Mr Tse signed the Cooperation Arrangement on Promoting Interconnectivity of Charging Facilities in the Greater Bay Area with Deputy Administrator of the National Energy Administration of China Mr Song Hongkun.
 
Under the Arrangement, the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the NEA will establish a joint working group to develop a roadmap for the demonstration project of the new electric vehicle charging technology, called ChaoJi, in Hong Kong and confirm the implementation details, which include conducting technical discussions with experts on the research, development, and certification of relevant adapters, as well as preparing for the next stage of work.
 
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Tse said, “By collaborating with the National Energy Administration to implement the Arrangement, the introduction of a pilot scheme in Hong Kong using the ChaoJi charging standard will help the HKSAR to address the issue of different electric vehicle charging standards between the two places in the long run, promote the construction of supporting infrastructure for new energy vehicles, and enhance the interconnectivity and green low-carbon transportation development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as to showcase the technical standard advantages of ChaoJi to the world, aiding the global advancement of China’s electric vehicle technology and charging standards.
 
Mr Tse will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (October 25).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Immigration Department (ImmD) carried out repatriation operations from October 20 to today (October 24). A total of 90 unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants who were illegal immigrants and overstayers were repatriated to their places of origin. The persons removed comprised 46 men and 44 women. Among them were discharged prisoners who had committed criminal offences and had been sentenced to imprisonment.
 
The ImmD has been committed to promptly removing unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong to maintain effective immigration control and safeguard the public interest. Under the updated removal policy effective from December 7, 2022, the ImmD may generally proceed with the removal of a claimant whose judicial review case has been dismissed by the Court of First Instance of the High Court, thereby enhancing the efficiency of and efforts in removing unsubstantiated claimants.

Depending on circumstances and needs, the ImmD will remain committed to expediting the removal process and actively maintain close liaison with governments of major source countries of non-refoulement claimants, airline companies and other government departments to repatriate unsubstantiated non-refoulement claimants from Hong Kong as soon as practicable through all appropriate measures.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The National Games (NG), our country’s highest-level and largest-scale national multi-sport event, are organised by the General Administration of Sport of China once every four years. The 15th NG, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG), co-hosted for the first time by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, will be held from November 9 to 21 and from December 8 to 15 this year respectively. The 15th NG feature 34 competition events and 23 mass participation events, while the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG feature 35 competition events and 11 mass participation events.
 
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will set up the 15th NG, 12th NGD and 9th NSOG Focal Sites at designated sports centres in 18 districts. Under the slogan, “Coalescing together for the National Games”, members of the public will be welcome to watch the competitions at the focal sites and cheer for the athletes. The focal sites will be open from November 9 to 21 (8am to 11pm) and from December 8 to 15 (8am to 11pm). Details are available at the dedicated website. If there are any adjustments to the opening hours of the focal sites, the LCSD will announce the newest arrangements on the dedicated website.
 
To encourage public participation in this important national sports event and promote sports, the LCSD will as a venue partner support the “JC Fit City – Active 8 National Games is Live Experience” to be co-organised by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and the InspiringHK Sports Foundation during the NG period. Members of the public watching the NG at the focal sites may participate in the sports experience sessions for free. Details will be publicised on the website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The “Immersive Hong Kong” roving exhibition, organised by the Information Services Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government to showcase the diversity and latest developments of Hong Kong through interactive art technology, opened in Chengdu today (October 24). 

     Co-organised with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu, the exhibition, themed “Hong Kong – Where the World Looks Ahead”, invites visitors from Chengdu and throughout Sichuan Province to explore the unique opportunities and potential for tourism, education, business and investment in Hong Kong.

     The exhibition enables visitors to delve into different virtual scenes representing the city, with a creative twist. The five thematic zones are “Financial Bridgehead”, “I&T Brain Bank”, “Blossoming Creativity”, “Diversity and Greenery” and “Buzzing Sports Action”. They feature multiple interactive art projections, light box installations and naked-eye 3D displays, representing the distinctive appeal of Hong Kong.

     Visitors may also enjoy Hong Kong’s vibrant and colourful skyline, illustrated by Hong Kong artist Messy Desk (Jane Lee), at a photo corner in the venue. Promotional videos and digital panels presenting information about the city, as well as insights from Chinese Mainland companies about their experiences in Hong Kong are also on display, highlighting why the city is one of the most desirable places to visit, study, live, work and invest.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony today, the Director of Information Services, Mrs Apollonia Liu, noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary edition of the Belt and Road Summit organised by the HKSAR. As such, three node cities along the Belt and Road on the Mainland were selected to hold the exhibition. The first two stops were successfully held in Shanghai and Qingdao respectively, attracting a total of almost 300 000 visitors. 

     “We are delighted to bring the roving exhibition to Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan,” Mrs Liu said. “Since the establishment of the Hong Kong/Sichuan Co-operation Conference mechanism in 2018, the co-operation and communication between Sichuan and Hong Kong have been strengthening steadily. The two places have reached consensus on strengthening various co-operation areas, including the economic, trade, and the Belt and Road Initiative. Data from 2024 shows that Hong Kong is Sichuan’s largest source of external investment and the fourth-largest export area. As of May 2025, more than 40 Sichuan enterprises have been listed in Hong Kong.”

     Mrs Liu added that Sichuan is the world’s largest and most complete habitat for giant pandas. The giant panda is a national treasure that embodies profound Chinese culture and ecological significance, connecting compatriots from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong citizens. The six giant pandas in Hong Kong, including four from Chengdu and a pair of twins born to two of them, are beloved by both residents and tourists. As such, the exhibition has incorporated elements of the giant panda for visitors in Chengdu to learn more about the pandas in Hong Kong.
 
     Mrs Liu pointed out that Hong Kong and Chengdu are both sports event hubs, staging high-quality events this year. In August, Chengdu hosted the 2025 World Games for the first time, while Hong Kong will cohost the 15th National Games with Guangdong and Macao next month. The “Buzzing Sports Action” thematic zone of the exhibition serves as pre-event publicity for the National Games.
 
     To enhance Chengdu residents’ understanding of Hong Kong’s arts and cultural landmark – the West Kowloon Cultural District, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority has also set up a display area at the venue. It showcases the unique features of the cultural district through engaging ways such as a photo corner and a capsule toy game.
 
     A Hong Kong pop music concert by SENZA A Cappella will also be staged at the exhibition venue this weekend.
 
     Mrs Liu expressed hope that the exhibition would spark the interest of friends from Chengdu to learn more about Hong Kong and visit the city. She also said she hopes that Sichuan and Hong Kong would continue to leverage on and integrate their unique advantages to foster win-win co-operation outcomes in various fields.

     During the exhibition, visitors can take part in an interactive game, “Snap a cool shot @Immersive Hong Kong”, with exciting prizes on offer. Prizes include two pairs of round-trip business or economy class air tickets from Chengdu to Hong Kong sponsored by Cathay Pacific, and sets of six giant panda figurines. Visitors playing digital interactive games at the exhibition can also receive souvenirs.

     The exhibition is being held at the MixC, a major shopping centre in Chengdu, until November 2. Admission is free.

     Chengdu is the eighth stop of the exhibition, following successful events in seven cities on the Chinese Mainland, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Middle East between July 2023 and July 2025.

     Supporting organisations of the exhibition include the Belt and Road Office of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Hong Kong Talent Engage, Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Kai Tak Sports Park and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority.

     More information on the exhibition is available on the dedicated page on the Brand Hong Kong website and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu website.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (October 24) the results of the Quarterly Business Tendency Survey for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025.
 
Business Situation
 
For all surveyed sectors taken together, the proportion of respondents expecting their business situation to be better (13%) in Q4 2025 over the preceding quarter is slightly lower than that expecting it to be worse (15%).
 
When compared with the results of the Q3 2025 survey round, the proportion of respondents expecting a better business situation in Q4 2025 is 13%, higher than the corresponding proportion in Q3 2025 (10%). At the same time, the proportion of respondents expecting a worse business situation had decreased from 18% in Q3 2025 to 15% in Q4 2025.
 
Analysed by sector, respondents in quite a number of the surveyed sectors expect their business situation to decrease on balance in Q4 2025 as compared with Q3 2025. In particular, significantly more respondents in the construction sector expect their business situation to be worse in Q4 2025 as compared with Q3 2025. On the other hand, in the retail, financing and insurance and accommodation and food services sectors, more respondents expect their business situation to be better, as compared to those expecting it to be worse.
 
The results of the survey should be interpreted with care. In this type of survey on expectations, the views collected in the survey are affected by the events in the community occurring around the time of enumeration, and it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents’ perception of the future accords with the underlying trends. The enumeration period for this survey round was from September 2, 2025 to October 10, 2025.
 
Volume of Business / Output
 
Analysed by sector, the number of surveyed sectors with respondents expecting their volume of business/output to decrease on balance in Q4 2025 as compared with Q3 2025 is broadly the same as the number of surveyed sectors expecting their volume of business/output to increase. In particular, more respondents in the construction, information and communications and manufacturing sectors expect their volume of construction output/business/production to decrease in Q4 2025 over Q3 2025. On the contrary, in the real estate, retail, accommodation and food services and financing and insurance sectors, more respondents expect their volume of business/sales to increase, as compared to those expecting it to decrease.
 
Employment
 
Respondents in quite a number of the surveyed sectors expect their employment to remain broadly unchanged in Q4 2025 as compared with Q3 2025. However, more respondents in the retail and professional and business services sectors expect their employment to decrease in Q4 2025 over Q3 2025. In the manufacturing and real estate sectors, on the other hand, more respondents expect their employment to increase, as compared to those expecting it to decrease.
 
Selling Price / Service Charge
 
Respondents in most of the surveyed sectors expect their selling prices/service charges to remain broadly unchanged in Q4 2025 as compared with Q3 2025. However, significantly more respondents in the construction sector expect their tender prices to go down in Q4 2025 over Q3 2025.
 
Commentary
 
A Government spokesman said that the overall near-term business outlook among large enterprises improved for the fourth quarter of 2025. The hiring appetite was largely steady on the whole.
 
Looking forward, the spokesman said that local business sentiment will be well underpinned by the sustained expansion in various segments of the Hong Kong economy, notwithstanding the ongoing uncertainties in the external environment. The Government will monitor the situation closely.
 
Further Information
 
The survey gathers views on short-term business performance from the senior management of about 560 prominent companies in various sectors in Hong Kong with a view to providing a quick reference, with minimum time lag, for predicting the short-term future economic performance of the local economy.
 
The survey covers 10 major sectors in Hong Kong, namely manufacturing; construction; import / export trade and wholesale; retail; accommodation and food services (mainly covering services rendered by hotels and restaurants); transportation, storage and courier services; information and communications; financing and insurance; real estate; and professional and business services sectors.
 
Views collected in the survey refer only to those of respondents on their own companies rather than those on the respective sectors they are engaged in, and are limited to the expected direction of quarter-to-quarter change (e.g. “up”, “same” or “down”) but not the magnitude of change. In collecting views on the quarter-to-quarter changes, if the variable in question is subject to seasonal variations, respondents are asked to provide the expected changes after excluding the normal seasonal variations.
 
Survey results are generally presented as “net balance”, i.e. the difference between the percentage of respondents choosing “up” and that choosing “down”. The percentage distribution of respondents among various response categories (e.g. “up”, “same” and “down”) reflects how varied their business expectations are. The “net balance”, with its appropriate sign, indicates the direction of expected change in the variable concerned. A positive sign indicates a likely upward trend while a negative sign indicates a likely downward trend. However, the magnitude of the “net balance” reflects only the prevalence of optimism or pessimism, but not the magnitude of expected change, since information relating to such magnitude is not collected in the survey.
 
Furthermore, owing to sample size constraint, care should be taken in interpreting survey results involving a small percentage (e.g. less than 10%) of respondents in individual sectors.
 
Chart 1 shows the views on expected changes in business situation for the period Q4 2024 to Q4 2025.
 
Table 1 shows the net balances of views on expectations in respect of different variables for Q4 2025.
 
The survey results are published in greater detail in the “Report on Quarterly Business Tendency Survey, Q4 2025”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1110008&scode=300).
 
Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact the Business Expectation Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7263; E-mail: business-prospects@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 3

The Government today (October 24) reminded local and cross-boundary private car drivers that, starting from November 1, child passengers travelling in private cars in Hong Kong must use a Child Restraining Device (CRD), such as child safety seats, to enhance passenger safety. Offending drivers will be subject to a maximum fine of $2,000.

From November 1, unless child passengers aged below 8 reach a body height of 1.35 metres, they must use a CRD in private cars irrespective of sitting in the front or rear seats. Passengers aged 8 or above, or with a body height of at least 1.35m must either use a CRD or wear an adult seat belt. The Police may issue a Fixed Penalty Notice of $230 to offending drivers. Serious cases may be referred to the court, which can impose a maximum fine of $2,000.

When choosing a CRD, members of the public should accord top priority to the height and/or weight range for which the product is suitable. They should also look for any markings indicating compliance with national or international standards recognised and follow the installation guidelines. For enquiries, they should consult the manufacturer or retailer on the product standards to ensure compliance with the requirements specified in the legislation. Apart from child safety seats, portable CRDs such as seat belt adjusters, wearable safety restraint vests and foldable boosters can also be used. Yet, as they do not have protective pads and seat backs on both sides, their protection capabilities in side-impact collisions are in general not as good as those of child safety seats.

The Government has stepped up publicity and public education since February. The Transport Department (TD) has strengthened collaboration with the Police, the Education Bureau, the Information Services Department, Radio Television Hong Kong, the Road Safety Council and the Consumer Council to introduce the legal requirements through website, infographics, videos, media, social media, parent information websites, the “e-Bulletin for Parents” and publicity posters on traffic signal controllers across various districts. In addition, the TD further reminded parents to purchase CRDs as soon as possible for early preparations after Easter holidays, during the Children Products Expo in the summer vacation and prior to the first school day.

Members of the public may refer to the TD’s designated webpage on CRDs (www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/crd), infographics on the Agent T Facebook page and the relevant article in the Consumer Council’s CHOICE Magazine for the legal requirements and selection tips, or call the TD’s hotline 2804 2600 for enquiries.