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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (June 22) the preliminary Balance of Payments (BoP), International Investment Position (IIP) and External Debt (ED) statistics of Hong Kong for the first quarter of 2026.

I. Balance of Payments

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     According to the statistics on persons engaged and vacancies released today (June 22) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), total number of persons engaged in the private sector surveyed decreased by 0.4% or 10 100 persons in March 2026 compared with a year earlier. The total number of vacancies was 48 610, representing a decrease of 12% or 6 560 over the preceding year.

Persons engaged statistics”Quarterly Report of Persons Engaged and Vacancies Statistics, March 2026″
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050003&scode=452″Quarterly Report of Manual Workers and Vacancies at Construction Sites, March 2026″
(www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050004&scode=452

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Financial Secretary Paul Chan will depart for Dalian and Xi’an tomorrow afternoon to lead a high-level delegation at the Summer Davos forum and explore investment opportunities. He will return to Hong Kong on Saturday. 

Mr Chan will lead a delegation of more than 30 members to the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026, also known as the Summer Davos forum, held in Dalian from June 23 to 25.

Under the theme “Innovating at Scale”, this year’s meeting will gather over 1,700 leaders from government, business and academia across more than 90 countries and regions. Discussions will focus on global trade shifts, China’s economic development, technological innovation, inclusive growth and the energy transition.

During the forum, Mr Chan will deliver speeches and attend thematic sessions. The Hong Kong delegation will participate in business networking and enterprise matching activities.  

The delegation includes senior executives from the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), Invest Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC), the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation, Cyberport and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation & Technology Park. Heads of nurtured or attracted innovation and technology (I&T) enterprises spanning artificial intelligence, biomedical technology, new energy and advanced manufacturing will also join, alongside representatives from Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited (HKEX).

While in Dalian, Mr Chan will meet with officials from central ministries, Liaoning Province and Dalian Municipality, as well as global political and business leaders.

The Financial Secretary will proceed to Xi’an on Thursday to call on provincial and municipal leaders. He will speak at a local university to outline Hong Kong’s latest developments and its role under the National 15th Five-Year Plan.

On Saturday, Mr Chan will address the inaugural Western Commercial Aerospace Conference, organised by the Chinese Society of Astronautics and the Commercial Space Innovation Consortium.

His Xi’an itinerary also includes hosting a symposium and visiting local I&T firms. Senior management from OASES, the HKIC and HKEX will participate in the Xi’an programme to attract investment and enterprises.

During Mr Chan’s absence, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong will act as Financial Secretary.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Home & Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) recently launched two interactive youth spaces, offering young people opportunities to broaden their horizons, develop positive thinking and expand their social networks.

One of these, “Youth Link．Nam Cheong”, serves as an interactive space offering a wide range of activities for young people. Reflecting on her experiences at the centre, a young woman named Winnie said the singing bowl workshop she had participated in was deeply relaxing.

“I found this workshop and this topic are very interesting and new to me. After the course that I have experienced here, you know yourself better and also you will find that life is not only about just work and then going back home.”

Wide-ranging facilities

The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address proposed establishing a physical platform to enhance interaction among “Youth Link” members. Located at Nam Cheong District Community Centre, “Youth Link．Nam Cheong” is being opened in phases, with its Phase I and Phase II facilities already in service.

The venue includes a music room, a dance studio, quiet pods, multi-purpose activity areas and a co-working space, providing young people with opportunities to pursue their interests and connect with others.

“I think the facilities are very helpful,” Winnie remarked. “We can play in a band, dance, and also explore different kinds of themed topics here. If I want to meet a new friend, find a place which is very convenient, or if you want to just catch up, grab a coffee, I would love to pick this place to gather around.”

Dionne Kung, who is Deputy CEO of the centre’s operator, the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation, explained that young people aged 12 to 39 can register as Youth Link members through the “HKYouth+” mobile application. This allows them to take part in diverse activities and use all the facilities at the centre.

“By the end of the year, we will launch the final phase of facilities, which comprises creative and cultural exhibition areas and markets for young people to express their creativity and showcase their talent.”

Supporting dreams

Another interactive space dedicated to Hong Kong’s youth is the “HYAB JC Y Cube”. Launched recently by the HYAB, it is supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, which provided $150 million in funding.

Located at Youth Square in Chai Wan, the “HYAB JC Y Cube” includes a cosy lounge area, a “makerspace”, a cooking studio, a reading corner and a video studio. The centre supports Hong Kong youths in exploring development opportunities in innovation and technology, the arts and culture, media production and sports.

Ackie Au, who runs a baking class at the centre, praised the facilities, adding that by sharing her expertise, she hopes to encourage young people to pursue their dreams.

“I can make good use of the time during the lessons to share my baking journey, because I had been a social worker for 10 years. It was such a big surprise also for me that I changed my career from a social worker to a pastry chef. I really want to share those experiences with my students.

“If they have a strong motive or strong goal, there must be a way to support them to meet their goal, but it takes time and courage for them to build up their network.”

Jason Wong, who is Chairman of the centre’s operator, the Y.Elites Association, described the “HYAB JC Y Cube” as a vibrant and interactive space for young people.

“It is a convergence of different themes, allowing youngsters to explore different possibilities. It is also a space that supports youth development, skills enhancement and helps young people implement their own ideas into reality. Looking ahead, Y Cube will focus on the theme of ‘Good Stories of Hong Kong Youth’.”

Since the soft opening of “Youth Link．Nam Cheong” and the “HYAB JC Y Cube” last December, the former has recorded about 4,000 visits and more than 50 activities, with the latter hosting over 60,000 visits and more than 300 activities.

Digital integration

Complementing its physical spaces, the HYAB launched the “HKYouth+” mobile application, which provides a one-stop platform to disseminate comprehensive information on youth development and related activities. Through integrating online and offline resources, the bureau aims to implement policies that better meet the needs of young people.

Under Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Clarence Leung outlined the app’s two main functions.

“One is that our editorial team will post regularly different topics that are of interest to our young people. For example, posts about mental wellness, what to do during a day off, and some arts and culture-related posts as well.

“The second function is that you can find all the activities organised or sponsored by HYAB. We are using online means to reach out to them. From offline means, that will also give us very good feedback for us to organise different events or different programmes for them in the future.”

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun said today the Government will look into expanding the coverage of the high-risk family list provided to District Services & Community Care Teams for home visits.

Mr Sun made the remarks today, noting that the current resident list provided by the Housing Department leverages big data to target elderly households aged 80 or above.

He said the Government is exploring co-operation with the Hospital Authority to add individuals under the age of 80 who suffer from chronic diseases and require constant care to the list.

“Once the list is expanded, we can hand it over to the care teams and visit them. If they are not under the care of our social welfare network, we can refer them to a nearby non-governmental organisation to take care of them,” he added. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, continued his visit programme in Nanjing today (June 19).

He called on the Governor of Jiangsu Province, Mr Liu Xiaotao, and the Secretary of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee, Mr Zhou Hongbo, respectively, to discuss further deepening co-operation between Jiangsu and Hong Kong, and between Nanjing and Hong Kong. Mr Chan said that Jiangsu and Hong Kong have all along maintained close and multi-level co-operation, with frequent economic and trade exchanges and fruitful results in areas such as finance, innovation and technology (I&T), education, and youth visits and exchanges.

He pointed out that Jiangsu has strong capabilities in technological innovation and advanced manufacturing, a solid industrial foundation, and a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem, with a number of sectors taking leading positions globally. Hong Kong, meanwhile, has the advantages of being an international financial centre and a business environment that is friendly and highly internationalised, making it an important platform for Mainland enterprises to “go global”. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has set up a Go Global Task Force, which co-ordinates at a high level resources in policy, funding, external promotion agencies and professional services, pooling strengths and proactively dovetailing with and better serving the needs of Mainland enterprises going global. He said that, building on the current sound foundation for co-operation, the two places could explore more modes of co-operation and launch more collaborative projects, including organising delegations from Hong Kong’s financial, I&T, logistics and professional services sectors to visit Jiangsu, so as to further deepen exchanges and co-operation between the two places.

In the morning, Mr Chan attended an exchange session for technology enterprises organised by Huatai Securities, where he had in-depth exchanges with more than 10 I&T entrepreneurs from Jiangsu and other provinces. The participating enterprises covered frontier areas including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductors, embodied intelligence, the low-altitude economy and advanced manufacturing. They are all industry leaders, and many hold important positions in the global market and relevant production and supply chains. Mr Chan listened to their briefings on trends in the relevant industries and their development plans in the respective areas. He also briefed them on the latest overall economic situation of Hong Kong, as well as the key focuses during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, in particular the four centres and one hub, and the strategy for the integrated development of education, technology, talent and industries. He welcomed them to make good use of Hong Kong’s internationalised platform as their first stop and support base for going global and expanding their global businesses. The HKSAR Government has set up a task force to organise cross-sectoral efforts to accompany them in going global.

Speaking at the exchange session, Mr Chan noted that the country is accelerating the promotion of high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, and has already taken global leading positions in many I&T areas. As leading Mainland enterprises accelerate innovation and expand into international markets, they need to connect with international capital markets. On the one hand, they can capitalise on the current positive sentiment among international investors towards China’s technological development; on the other hand, they can further align their corporate governance with international standards and best practices, gain greater recognition from investors, and enhance their international visibility. He also encouraged enterprises to actively consider listing in Hong Kong, establishing international business headquarters and cross-boundary treasury centres in the city, and making full use of Hong Kong’s quality financial and professional services, as well as relevant tax concession policies, to strengthen their own development and better position their production and supply chains in response to geopolitical challenges.

Mr Chan also visited two representative I&T enterprises in Nanjing today to gain an in-depth understanding of the city’s cutting-edge developments in high-end manufacturing as well as life and health technology. One of the enterprises specialises in intelligent equipment and industrial robots, with products widely applied in advanced manufacturing scenarios. The other focuses on biotechnology research and development and is at the international forefront in areas such as gene and cell engineering. Both enterprises are listed on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, leveraging Hong Kong’s capital market to accelerate the commercialisation of scientific research and their global deployment. Mr Chan encouraged them to continue to expand and strengthen their businesses through Hong Kong.

Mr Chan concluded his visit to Nanjing this evening and will return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning (June 20).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin), promoted Hong Kong’s unique advantages and strategic roles at the seminar “Hong Kong’s strategic role amidst geopolitical tensions” on June 18 (Munich time) in Munich, Germany
 
Senior executives, investors, and experts from the business community came together at the seminar for in-depth discussions on Hong Kong’s unique positions as a global financial, trade, and innovation hubs amidst evolving international dynamics. The Director of the HKETO Berlin, Mr Indiana Wong, highlighted that current geopolitical tensions and escalations are prompting investors and entrepreneurs to reassess their global strategies. Hong Kong has proven itself to be a safe, stable and secure business and investment hub with abundant opportunities for German businesses.
 
“With close connectivity with both the Chinese Mainland and the world under ‘One Country, Two Systems’, Hong Kong serves as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’, offering a favorable business environment and an unparalleled access point to the vast Asian markets.” Wong said.
 
Wong also highlighted that Hong Kong continues to excel in various international rankings, including those for economy, finance, and talents. The World Competitiveness Yearbook 2026 published by the International Institute for Management Development yesterday (June 18) saw Hong Kong’s ranking rising for the third consecutive year to second globally this year.
 
Representative of InvestHK also joined the discussion with German business community, sharing how Hong Kong serves as a premier gateway connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world, leveraging Hong Kong’s robust common law system, free flow of capital and information. The event is part of the joint business and investment promotion events under the Economic and Trade Express.
 
During his stay in Munich, Wong also called on the Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Consulate-General in Munich, Mr Guo Fang, to exchange views on bilateral relations between Hong Kong and Germany.
 
About HKETO Berlin
 
HKETO Berlin is the official representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Financial Secretary Paul Chan today continued his visit to Nanjing, where he met provincial and municipal officials, attended an exchange session for technology enterprises and toured local innovation and technology (I&T) companies.

Mr Chan called on Jiangsu Governor Liu Xiaotao and Secretary of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee Zhou Hongbo to discuss deepening co-operation between Hong Kong, Jiangsu and Nanjing.

He noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has established a Go Global Task Force to better serve Mainland enterprises expanding internationally.

Building on a solid foundation, Mr Chan suggested that Jiangsu and Hong Kong explore new models of collaboration. This includes organising delegations from Hong Kong’s financial, I&T, logistics and professional services sectors to visit Jiangsu to deepen bilateral exchanges.

Speaking at a technology enterprise exchange session this morning, the Financial Secretary listened to industry briefings on business trends and development plans. He shared updates on Hong Kong’s economic landscape and its integration with the 15th Five-Year Plan, encouraging Mainland firms to use the city’s international platform to expand globally.

Mr Chan remarked that as leading Mainland enterprises expand outward, they need to connect with international capital markets. Doing so allows them to capitalise on positive sentiment towards China’s technological development, align corporate governance with international practices and gain greater investor recognition.

He also urged the enterprises to consider listing in Hong Kong, establishing business headquarters and setting up cross-boundary treasury centres to better navigate geopolitical challenges by leveraging the city’s financial services, professional services and tax concession policies.

Separately, Mr Chan visited two Nanjing-based I&T enterprises to learn about their latest advancements in high-end manufacturing and life and health technology. He encouraged both firms, which are already listed in Hong Kong, to continue expanding their businesses through the city.

Mr Chan will return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association organised the industry to participate in the 22nd China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) held in Hangzhou from June 15 to 19. To promote Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries, the Hong Kong Pavilion themed “Designer Toy, Game, Animation and Comics” was set up to showcase art toys, games, animations, comics, virtual idols, and merchandise and spin-offs derived from cultural intellectual properties (IPs). The Hong Kong Pavilion was well received during the five-day festival period, demonstrating the keen interest in Hong Kong’s dynamic and vibrant digital entertainment industry.
 
     CCIDA sponsored the Hong Kong Pavilion at the CICAF for the third consecutive year. A total of 16 Hong Kong enterprises were invited to participate this year, showcasing nearly 20 IPs of a diverse range and their creative products. The pavilion presented not only art toys, games, animations, and comics that blend authentic Hong Kong characteristics with trendy elements, but also interactive creative products integrating augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. The exhibits demonstrated integration of technology and culture while offering visitors an immersive experience at the exhibition. The participation at the CICAF not only highlighted Hong Kong’s unique strengths in the digital entertainment sector, but also promoted the local industry’s outstanding creativity and capabilities to the Chinese Mainland market, deepened exchanges and co-operation in the cartoon and animation industry in the two places, and helped the industry expand its commercial and trade networks.
 
     Hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration, China Media Group, and the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, the CICAF is one of the largest high-profile and highly influential cartoon and animation festivals on the Chinese Mainland. For more information on the CICAF and the Hong Kong Pavilion, please visit cicaf.hzxcw.gov.cn and www.hkdea.org.