MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

To recognise the longstanding support for Taiwan and outstanding contributions to advancing Australia–Taiwan relations, Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu, on behalf of Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Lin Chia-lung, presented the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy to Hon. Anthony Roberts MP, Chair of the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Taiwan, and Co-Chair Dr. Hugh McDermott MP at the New South Wales Parliament.
DG Wu noted that the award recognises the two parliamentary leaders’ longstanding efforts to strengthen Australia–Taiwan relations and reflects Taiwan’s high regard for its partnership with New South Wales.
In their remarks, both recipients highlighted Taiwan’s critical role in the global semiconductor supply chain and the development of artificial intelligence. They emphasised that like-minded Indo-Pacific partners, including Australia, Japan, Taiwan and the United States, share a commitment to democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law, which are fundamental to regional peace, stability and prosperity.
Established on 23 May 2013, the NSW Parliamentary Friends of Taiwan has become one of the strongest voices supporting Taiwan in the NSW Parliament. Chaired by Hon. Anthony Roberts MP since its founding, with Dr. Hugh McDermott MP serving as Co-Chair, the group enjoys broad bipartisan support from members across the Parliament.
In 2024, the NSW Parliament became the first state parliament in the world to pass a motion opposing the PRC’s distortion of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758. In 2025, it further demonstrated its bipartisan support by passing a motion supporting Taiwan’s participation in World Health Organization meetings, reaffirming the shared values and strong partnership between New South Wales and Taiwan.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA welcomes joint statement by foreign and defense ministers of Australia and Germany underscoring importance of Taiwan Strait peace and stability

Date：2026-06-11
Data Source：Department of European Affairs

June 11, 2026  
No. 262  

Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung welcomes and commends the joint statement issued following the Australia-Germany 2+2 Ministerial Consultations on June 8. The statement stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, reaffirmed the two countries’ shared opposition to any unilateral action to change the status quo by force or coercion, and conveyed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations.
 
The consultations took place in Berlin. They were attended by German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong.
 
This is the third occasion this year that Australia and Germany have issued joint statements emphasizing the importance of Taiwan Strait peace and stability. Joint statements issued in February by their foreign ministers and in March by their defense ministers expressed the same position, fully demonstrating that maintaining the status quo of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an international consensus.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to cooperate with Australia, Germany, and other like-minded countries so as to jointly defend peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific and safeguard freedom, democracy, and the international rules-based order. (E)

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Security Bureau today launched an interactive drama titled Community Chef Challenge: Security Brings Prosperity at the East Kowloon Cultural Centre to mark the sixth anniversary of the National Security Law’s implementation.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung emphasised that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of China. He stressed that safeguarding national security is both a constitutional duty of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and an obligation for every citizen.

The production features national security comics characters Andy and Security Bear. It uses everyday examples to explain key national security concepts to the audience.

Mr Tang pointed out that the format helps spectators, particularly young people, understand how every community member can contribute to national security.

To highlight the theme that “security brings prosperity”, the drama introduces a new character to underscore the importance of a safe and secure home for everyone.

The interactive drama runs today and tomorrow.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today gazetted the Northern Metropolis Development Bill to streamline planning and lands procedures, expedite construction works and facilitate industry operations for the Northern Metropolis (NM).

The proposed legislation will be introduced into the Legislative Council for its first and second readings on July 8, with the Government aiming to secure its passage within the year.

The bill outlines six specific policy areas to accelerate development. It empowers the Chief Executive-in-Council to enact subsequent subsidiary legislation, allowing authorities to formulate detailed implementation rules.

According to the Development Bureau, this framework gives the Government the necessary flexibility to adjust operational details swiftly to meet the evolving development demands of the NM.

The bureau noted that the primary bill establishes the legal foundation for various upcoming legislative proposals. These include delineating the official boundaries of the NM, streamlining town planning procedures and expediting land resumption compensation payments.

It also covers measures to foster innovation and quality in construction works, simplify Construction Noise Permit application processes, ease the cross-boundary flow of production factors and establish statutory corporations for designated areas.

The Government has submitted the draft for the first batch of subsidiary legislation together with the bill for the council’s preliminary review.

It emphasised that the draft subsidiary legislation is submitted for council members’ reference only, enabling them to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the details of the measures when scrutinising the bill.

Once the bill passes, the Government will formally submit the first batch of subsidiary legislation to the council.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee today presented accolades to educators at the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence (CEATE) presentation ceremony in recognition of their outstanding professional performance.

The 2025-26 CEATE received around 200 nominations spanning secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens and special schools. During the ceremony, Mr Lee presented the Award for Teaching Excellence to eight educators, while two received the Award for Budding Teachers and one was honoured with the Award for Education Innovation.

Furthermore, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin presented Certificates of Merit to six additional teachers.

The next CEATE will feature specific accolades to recognise teachers excelling across the Arts Education, Technology Education and Special Educational Needs key learning areas, alongside the regular Award for Budding Teachers and the Award for Education Innovation.

Nominations for the next round will be accepted from July 6 to October 2.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government has received two tenders for the first large-scale land disposal pilot area in the Northern Metropolis (NM), located in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, which closed at noon today.

The Development Bureau noted that this project serves as the inaugural pilot area under the Government’s large-scale land disposal model. Spanning about 11 hectares, the site allocates about 2.6 hectares of residential development and 5.5 hectares for industrial use, alongside dedicated zones for public facilities and pedestrian walkways.

The bureau highlighted that every bid received represents a consortium combining property developers and industry operators. This collaborative framework demonstrates how the multi-sector layout successfully unites varied corporate expertise to accelerate development across the NM, forging a new direction for the area’s diversified growth models. 

The procurement utilises a two-envelope tendering system, assigning a 30% evaluation weighting to the premium proposal and a 70% weighting to the non-premium elements. 

A dedicated Tender Assessment Panel has been formed to process the submissions under standard public procurement guidelines. Chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands), the panel includes directorate officers from several government bureaus and departments.

The assessment process will begin immediately, with the target of awarding the tender by the end of August.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the 2026 Colloquium on International Law today (July 3):

Dr Neoh (Chairman of the Asian Academy of International Law, Dr Anthony Neoh), Deputy Commissioner Zhang (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr Zhang Changwei), Professor Cheng (Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), Professor Teresa Cheng), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning. On behalf of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR), it is my great pleasure to welcome you all today, with a special welcome to our guests who have travelled from overseas.

For most of us in Hong Kong, “outer space” long felt like a distant concept. Apart from the Chinese folklore associated with the moon during celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival and some science fiction movies, outer space used to be considered as far beyond us and disconnected from our real day-to-day lives here in this bustling commercial city.

But more recently, outer space is no longer a too distant concept for us in Hong Kong. Today, Hong Kong feels a profound sense of pride: our city’s first astronaut is currently aboard China’s Tiangong Space Station, as a payload specialist in the crew of the Shenzhou-23 mission. This milestone has fundamentally shifted our perspective. We realised that outer space is not as far away or irrelevant to us as we might believe. Knowing that one of our fellow citizens is looking down on us from orbit makes the space economy real, tangible, and directly relevant to our future, including the creation of a new vision to the next generation and the generations to come.

A personal reflection on space law

I would also like to share with you my own transition from viewing space as a fantasy to understanding it as a legal domain began during my legal studies. In the early 1990s, while pursuing my LL.M. in international law, one of the subjects that I studied was space law. I still vividly recall studying the leading text by Professor Bin Cheng, Studies in International Space Law, and I still have some vague recollections about the Moon Treaty discussed in a dedicated chapter in the book.

At that time, my interest in the subject was purely academic. I remember wondering how many lawyers in Hong Kong would ever actually need to engage space law in their practice, say, to litigate a dispute over a lunar base.

Today, I am genuinely glad to be proved wrong. Nowadays, space law has matured into a discipline of much greater practical significance. International space law is no longer a collection of theoretical principles for a distant future – we may well be arbitrating satellite collisions, licensing lunar landings, and debating resource rights for asteroid mining in our day-to-day lives. The subject has become imminent, asking for literally down-to-earth solutions.

The national mandate: the 15th Five-Year Plan

This imminent need is also recognised at the highest level of national policy. The development of outer space across scientific, commercial, and strategic domains is explicitly highlighted in China’s 15th Five-Year Plan. As an integral part of China, Hong Kong has both the opportunity and responsibility to contribute its unique strengths to this great endeavour.

The question is no longer “if” Hong Kong should participate, but “how”. In this regard, I can see three distinct avenues where Hong Kong can make a real impact.

(a) Aerospace science and engineering

First, we may begin with our strength in science and aerospace engineering. Hong Kong’s universities are no longer just teaching aerospace theory, they are designing and manufacturing hardware that goes into orbit. Local research institutions are conducting cutting-edge work on space-bound devices for telecommunications, earth observation, and life sciences.

In fact, Dr Lai Ka-ying, our Hong Kong astronaut, is tasked with operating the city’s first scientific payload developed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on the Tiangong Space Station. The Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory, or the MUSICO, is the world’s first lightweight, high-resolution, high-precision synergistic carbon dioxide and methane point-source detector. This is a matter of immense pride and proof that Hong Kong’s innovative capabilities can deliver under the demanding conditions of space. We must continue to back these frontier scientific research in space.

(b) Professional services for commercial space activities

The second avenue leverages Hong Kong’s sharpest competitive edge on professional services. As the global space sector transitions from state-led exploration to commercial exploitation, we are seeing a surge in private satellites, space tourism, and off-world mining. These activities require robust financial, legal, and risk-management frameworks.

Launching a commercial satellite requires far more than rocket fuel. It demands massive capital investment, complex contracts for payload integration and spectrum rights, specialised insurance to underwrite the risks of launch failure or orbital collision, as well as collaborative orderly regulation among states. The modern satellite industry also involves a complex web of system operators, manufacturers, launch providers, and insurers. Their relationships are governed by a dense network of procurement contracts, launch agreements, insurance policies, and leasing arrangements. International agreements may also come into play as well. For example, the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, which is applicable to the HKSAR, governs matters of compensation for damages caused by launching a State’s space object, for which legal and other professional services may also be required to determine the issue of liability and the amount of compensation.

Furthermore, dispute resolution services will also be required to resolve any dispute in relation to the above. As a leading international arbitration centre, Hong Kong is exceptionally well-positioned to resolve these disputes. Thanks to the principle of “one country, two systems”, our common law system, independent judiciary, and multilingual pool of experts make us an ideal venue. Arbitration is suited to the space industry for several reasons:

(i) Neutrality and flexibility: It offers parties a voluntary, customisable process.

(ii) Enforceability: It results in final, binding awards enforceable in over 170 jurisdictions under the New York Convention.

(iii) Specialisation: Procedures can be tailored specifically to the sector. For instance, the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s optional rules for outer space disputes provide for specialised panels with technical expertise and strict confidentiality regimes to protect trade secrets.

Apart from international arbitration, such disputes may also be resolved through international mediation. The IOMed, as headquartered in Hong Kong, is the world’s first intergovernmental organisation dedicated exclusively to international mediation and can surely handle such inter-State space-related disputes for amicable resolution.

(c) Capacity-building

Thirdly, in addition to being a leading dispute resolution hub, Hong Kong serves as a vital centre for capacity building and the exchange of legal expertise on both doctrinal studies and practical application of space law. In this connection, the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy launched by the Department of Justice in 2024 has played a pivotal role in hosting international scholars, training officials in different areas of laws including space law, and advancing awareness among practitioners.

We also welcome collaboration with other leading institutions like the Asian Academy of International Law and international organisations such as IOMed, the Hague Conference on Private International Law – Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Asian African Legal Consultative Organization Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre, whose presence in Hong Kong could create synergy for capacity building in tackling complex, cross-border and other emerging challenges confronted by the space industry.

Lastly, I would like to highlight that as part of China, the Government of the HKSAR is deeply committed to supporting a stable, rule-based legal order for outer space to facilitate its peaceful use for all in an equitable manner. At the same time, creating new opportunities in space law, finance, and technology allows us to generate high-quality jobs, attract premier global talent, which will also contribute to the long-term prosperity of Hong Kong. Let’s continue our collaboration and work together.

On this note, I wish you all a fruitful forum today and for those coming from overseas a memorable and enjoyable stay in Hong Kong. Thank you.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region