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Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government concluded a two-month public consultation for Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan today, drawing an enthusiastic response from the community.

Speaking at a media session this afternoon, Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Janice Tse said the general public and various sector stakeholders have taken the plan’s formulation very seriously and contributed keen insights.

The Government organised over 100 consultation sessions throughout the period. The Chief Executive personally led about 30 of these sessions to listen directly to views from different industries and sectors.

“As of today, we received over 16,000 submissions from different sectors, the general public and stakeholders from different backgrounds. The public’s very strong support for our effort is most appreciated,” Ms Tse said.

She added that the plan will help the city better seize both international and national development opportunities.

“Hong Kong’s Five-Year Plan is a major initiative to integrate into and serve the overall development of the country, and at the same time, a milestone for public administration in Hong Kong,” she remarked.

Ms Tse also noted that the Government will continue its efforts to collate and analyse the views and suggestions, and strive to publish the formal document within September.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) announced today that the Government has received and completed the review of the full investigation report submitted by Cathay Pacific Airways (CPA) regarding a flight that temporarily lost communication with air traffic control.

The incident occurred on a London-bound flight from Hong Kong on July 4.

The report indicated that the aircraft’s communication equipment was operating normally. The loss of communication happened because the flight crew mistakenly responded to air traffic controllers’ instructions meant for another flight, leading to an incorrect radio frequency selection. The crew did not subsequently realise that communication had been lost.

Following the incident, CPA implemented a series of improvement measures in mid-July. These include enhancing operational and monitoring procedures for flight crews regarding communication systems, as well as reminding crews to maintain high vigilance at all times.

The department expressed serious concern over the incident and instructed CPA to robustly follow up on the relevant improvement measures. This includes providing additional training and assessments for the involved flight crew.

The department reiterated that maintaining good communication between flight crews and air traffic controllers is vital to ensuring aviation safety. It also instructed CPA to enhance its overall reporting mechanism for aviation safety incidents.

The CAD stressed that it will continue to closely monitor the effectiveness of the safety measures implemented by CPA.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government has received two tenders for the Smart & Green Mass Transit System (SGMTS) in Kai Tak following the closure of the open tender at noon today.

The Tender Assessment Panel will evaluate the submissions immediately, with the target of awarding the contract within the year.

The Government said it is pleased to see the market’s positive response, noting that bids came from consortia comprising both Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises. These include companies with extensive experience in railway construction, public transport operation and property development.

Implementing the SGMTS will benefit the community, foster corporate collaboration and drive economic growth, the Government added.

A two-envelope approach will be adopted for the assessment. The non-price and price proposals will carry weightings of 60% and 40% respectively. Tenderers must possess experience in operating mass transit systems, undertake the design and construction of system infrastructure, and have the financial capacity to leverage property development for project financing.

Spanning approximately 3.5km, the system will feature six elevated stations. Its termini will connect to the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and the MTR Kai Tak Station. It aims to provide a convenient feeder transport service between the former runway area and the MTR station, strengthening connectivity among local residential, commercial, tourism, cultural, sports and recreation, and community facilities.

Targeted for completion in 2031, the project is Hong Kong’s first SGMTS launched through open tender and a transit-oriented development (TOD) approach.

To provide financial support, the Government has reserved the property development rights for three nearby sites on the former Kai Tak runway: Kai Tak Area 4B Site 5, Kai Tak Area 4C Site 4 and Site 5.

The Government explained that the TOD approach allows the winning tenderer to formulate a holistic plan tailored to the Kai Tak Development Area’s specific needs. This will foster synergy to unleash the area’s development potential while boosting ridership.

Awarding both the transit system and the property development of the three sites to the same entity will also enhance overall efficiency, the Government said.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) will hold open days on September 12 and 13 to celebrate its 80th anniversary, with free admission tickets available for online registration starting today. Themed “Safeguarding Civil Aviation for 80 Years: Passing the Torch, Shaping the Future”, the event aims to strengthen community ties and promote aviation knowledge.

The open day will feature a wide range of activities, including an Air Traffic Control Tower Simulator experience, thematic talks on aviation, and a career exhibition on CAD professional grades. Visitors can also join guided tours of the Aviation Education Path, enjoy interactive game booths, and participate in a treasure hunt.

To enhance the visitor experience, the event will be split into three sessions. The first session will run from 2pm to 5pm on September 12. On September 13, the morning session will take place from 9.30am to 12.30pm, followed by an afternoon session from 2pm to 5pm.

Online pre-registration is required as admission is free but limited. Each applicant may select one preferred session and request a maximum of three tickets. If applications exceed capacity, tickets will be allocated through a computer ballot.

The registration is open from today until August 24, successful applicants will receive their QR code admission tickets by email on or before September 4.

Click here for details.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

President Lai meets Former Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan Nagashima Akihisa
On the afternoon of August 11, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Japanese House of Representatives Member Nagashima Akihisa, who formerly served as special advisor to the prime minister. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan and Japan have not only faced natural disasters and a pandemic together, but also share the challenge of confronting authoritarian expansion. He noted that Taiwan is expanding this year’s Han Kuang military exercises and Urban Resilience Exercises, and will continue strengthening its national defense capabilities and whole-of-society defense resilience. He expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan will deepen cooperation in areas including disaster prevention and early warning, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, undersea cable security, and the semiconductor industry, working together to build more resilient democratic supply chains and safeguard the happiness of the people of both countries.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
I have the great pleasure of meeting with two old friends at the Presidential Office today. I recall that my last meeting with Representative Nagashima was in December of last year. For this visit, he is in Taiwan to participate in a Taiwan Strait policy simulation exercise jointly organized by the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies (JFSS) and the Formosa Republican Association (FRA). I would like to express my sincere appreciation for his continued commitment to peace in the region and his concern for Taiwan.
Also joining us is Koiso Akira, special advisor to the Liberal Democratic Party’s Japan-Taiwan parliamentarians’ friendship league in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly. Special Advisor Koiso has been an old friend of mine since my days as mayor of Tainan. In 2024, he made a special trip to Taiwan to attend my and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao’s inauguration ceremony. I am particularly pleased to see him again today and very much look forward to our conversation later.
Taiwan and Japan are geographically close, and our peoples share a close bond. We also share the universal values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights, and our friendship has long surpassed that of ordinary friends, being more like the bond between family members. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan and Japan provided medical supplies to each other, and following the Noto Peninsula and Hualien earthquakes in 2024, people of both countries immediately reached out to offer a helping hand. When a major earthquake struck Kumamoto last month, the people of Taiwan were also deeply concerned, and both the government and civil society quickly launched relief efforts. I once again extend my condolences to those affected, and hope that the injured recover soon and that reconstruction in the affected areas proceeds smoothly and successfully.
Taiwan and Japan have faced natural disasters and a pandemic together, while also jointly confronting the challenges posed by authoritarian expansion. I have always believed that peace is priceless and that there are no winners in war. However, peace cannot be left up to hope for good faith by the aggressors; it must be backed by strength. Since taking office, I have specially designated a National Solidarity Month, integrating Taiwan’s most important annual military exercises, the Han Kuang exercises, with Urban Resilience Exercises conducted region by region nationwide. This year, both exercises have been expanded compared to previous years, and will be conducted even more comprehensively in the future. Taiwan will continue strengthening its national defense capabilities and whole-of-society defense resilience, and I also look forward to deepening cooperation with Japan in areas such as disaster prevention and early warning, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and undersea cable security.
Taiwan holds advantages in semiconductors and AI, while Japan possesses strong capabilities in key materials, equipment, and precision manufacturing. Together, we can build more resilient democratic supply chains. The 17 strategic sectors proposed by Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and the 13 strategic industries proposed by Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) both cover fields such as semiconductors, AI, and information and communications technology. I firmly believe that Taiwan-Japan industrial exchanges will continue to grow closer in the future, and that the path we walk together will grow ever wider and more stable.
Finally, I would like to once again thank Representative Nagashima and Special Advisor Koiso for their longstanding support for Taiwan. I look forward to continuing to work together to safeguard the happiness of the people of both our countries.
Representative Nagashima then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking the time to meet with him during the Han Kuang exercises. He also thanked President Lai and people across Taiwan for their heartfelt condolences and support following the recent major earthquake in Kumamoto.
Representative Nagashima went on to say that in the face of severe and intense military and economic pressure from a neighboring country, President Lai and Taiwan have consistently demonstrated a firm and unwavering stance. He reiterated his high regard and admiration for this, adding that there is much that Japan can learn from Taiwan.
Representative Nagashima said that he came to Taiwan this time to participate in a trilateral policy simulation involving Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, jointly organized by the JFSS and the FRA. He noted that participants agreed that experts from countries including the Philippines and Australia should be invited to participate next year; in addition, some from the US emphasized that the countries within the first island chain should stand united and continue working to maintain regional peace and stability. Representative Nagashima also noted that the policy simulation gave participants an even deeper understanding of the importance of solidarity and cooperation among countries in the region.
Representative Nagashima also mentioned that human rights and democracy are extremely important shared values between Japan and Taiwan. He once again expressed his heartfelt respect for Taiwan’s steadfast commitment to protecting these values, and that going forward, Taiwan and Japan should deepen their ties not only in areas of security, but also in human rights and democracy.
The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) today (August 12) stated that prosecution has been instituted under section 20 of the Rabies Regulation (Cap. 421A) against a local woman on suspicion of keeping 136 dogs without valid licences.

Following complaints received earlier concerning an animal shelter located in Yuen Long District, the AFCD immediately conducted a blitz inspection of the premises. During the operation, a total of 136 dogs were suspected of being kept without valid licences. The case will be mentioned at Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on September 2.

Under the Rabies Regulation (Cap. 421A), all dogs over 5 months old are required to hold a valid licence, which must be renewed at intervals not exceeding three years thereafter. Any person convicted of an offence is liable to a maximum fine of $10,000.

An AFCD spokesman reminded dog keepers that regular rabies vaccinations and licensing of dogs are not only statutory obligations, but also important measures to safeguard animal health and public safety. The AFCD will proactively conduct dog licence inspections in public places and institute prosecutions against dog keepers found without valid licences.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, today (August 13) led a delegation to commence their visit to Hainan Province to meet with local health officials and visit the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone (Pilot Zone) in Hainan.

     Professor Lo met with Deputy Director of the Hainan Medical Products Administration Mr Wang Gang in the morning, and highlighted the important measures put forward by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in the aspect of developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub. 

     Professor Lo said, “Hong Kong is proactively aligning with the direction of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and pressing ahead with the development of Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub by complementing technological innovation with institutional innovation. We are enhancing the regulatory standards for drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong on all fronts, including the implementation of the ‘1+’ drug approval mechanism, the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, and the implementation of the ‘primary evaluation’ mechanism for new drug registration since March this year. In addition, Hong Kong is actively taking forward the standardisation of clinical data in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with a view to expediting the registration and launch of innovative drugs and medical devices in Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas markets.”

     At his subsequent meeting with the Director of the Health Commission of Hainan Province, Mr Li Wenxiu, the two sides had a detailed exchange on issues including the development of Chinese medicine (CM), the high-quality development of public hospitals, and information sharing on the prevention and control of diseases.

     Professor Lo said, “The HKSAR Government has long been actively promoting the development of CM, including the release of the first Chinese Medicine Development Blueprint last year, and the commissioning of the two flagship projects for CM development, namely The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the permanent premises of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute. These measures will further consolidate Hong Kong’s role as a bridgehead for the global expansion of CM, to better serve and contribute to the overall national development of CM.”

     Regarding the high-quality development of public hospitals, Professor Lo emphasised that the HKSAR Government will continue to actively promote the accreditation of more public hospitals under the China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version), with a view to ensuring the management and healthcare quality of local hospitals are on par with international standards while demonstrating the excellence of the national healthcare standards to the international community, thereby facilitating the national standards to go global.

     In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Boao Hope City Ever Lasting International Innovation Medicine Exhibition, Ruijin Hainan Hospital (Boao Research Hospital), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and the Boao Yiling Life Care Center located in the Pilot Zone, and met with the Chief Director of the Administration of the Pilot Zone, Mr Fu Sheng. Professor Lo said, “Serving as an important strategic node of the country’s healthcare reform, the Pilot Zone is the only special medical zone on the Mainland benefitting from preferential policies. Focusing on introducing innovative drugs and medical devices from around the world and developing medical tourism, the Pilot Zone is a pioneer of the country’s efforts to promote real-world data studies and a testing ground for major national projects of innovation in new drugs and healthcare technologies. Hainan Province’s accumulated experience in areas such as the approval of drugs and medical devices for clinical use and the development of cross-boundary healthcare serves as a valuable reference for Hong Kong.

     “Hong Kong and Hainan Province enjoy a close co-operative relationship. On the basis of complementarity and mutual benefits, we will further promote exchanges and mutual learning of experiences between the two places in the healthcare field, and jointly promote the development of ‘Healthy China’.”

     Members of the delegation include the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; the Senior Advisor (Secretary for Health’s Office), Dr Joe Fan; the Director of the Real-World Study and Application Centre, Professor Cheung Ching-lung; as well as officers of the Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority. They will visit a local pharmaceutical enterprise tomorrow before returning to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region