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Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government conducted its first large-scale drill at the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area today to prepare for the port’s upcoming official opening.

The exercise mobilised approximately 1,000 civil servants from over 20 departments. It successfully tested the overall management of passenger and vehicular flows at both the port building and the public transport interchange (PTI).

During the drill, participants took various modes of public transport, including franchised buses, short-haul cross-boundary coaches, green minibuses and taxis, to reach the PTI on the second floor of the port building. They then proceeded through the fifth-floor departure hall and the fourth-floor arrival hall before returning to the PTI to leave the port.

Participants and operator-dispatched vehicles conducted cyclical trials involving more than 120 departures to simulate realistic arrival and departure conditions. The trials operations specifically assessed passenger and vehicular flow management, passageway capacity, on-site guidance, traffic control and various supporting facilities.

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan inspected the drill on-site.

Mr Tang noted that the entire drill flowed smoothly and achieved its expected testing objectives through close interdepartmental co-operation. He added that identified areas for improvement will be addressed in subsequent exercises, with larger drills planned for the future to ensure comprehensive preparation for the port’s opening.

Ms Chan stated that this initial drill primarily tested local and cross-boundary public transport services alongside their ancillary arrangements. She highlighted that passengers boarding, alighting, queuing and traffic management all operated smoothly, delivering a positive passenger experience.

The Transport & Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department will continue to refine these arrangements based on user needs.

A wide range of bureaus, departments and public transport operators took part in the exercise. Participants included the Security Bureau, the Transport & Logistics Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health and the Fire Services Department.

Also participating were the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Government Property Agency, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department, the Civil Aid Service and the Auxiliary Medical Service.

Meanwhile, the Transport Department confirmed it will continue conducting road and facility testing with operators. Ongoing tasks include evaluating transit routes and facilities, training bus drivers and testing traffic diversions – all of which have progressed smoothly.

The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to run drills of various scales to assess the capacity of the Huanggang Port and its surrounding infrastructure. It remains in close liaison with Shenzhen authorities to press ahead with preparatory tasks, and the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will announce the official opening date once the port is fully ready for safe and smooth operation.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Housing Bureau announced today that the latest quarterly Composite Waiting Time for Subsidised Rental Housing (CWT) is 4.8 years, a slight increase of 0.1 years from the previous quarter.

This figure is calculated based on general applicants – family and elderly one-person applicants – who were housed to public rental housing (PRH) or Light Public Housing (LPH) in the past 12 months as at end-June 2026, the bureau explained.

It also highlighted that compared with the highest level of 6.1 years before the current-term Government took office, the CWT has been shortened by 1.3 years. It remains lower than the 2018-25 records, and continues to remain under five years.

In the second quarter of 2026, the bureau arranged about 4,400 general applicants to be housed to PRH or LPH. These units included about 720 newly completed PRH flats, about 2,400 recovered PRH flats, and about 1,300 LPH units.

Among the general applicants housed to PRH and LPH units over the past 12 months, the proportion of those located in urban districts and extended urban districts reached 74%. Moreover, 81% of the recovered PRH units were located in urban districts and extended urban districts.

The waiting time for urban districts and extended urban districts is generally over a year longer than that for the New Territories. When factored into the latest calculation, this resulted in a slight increase of 0.1 years in CWT.

The waiting time for PRH units in the urban districts in the past 12 months was about six years.  

During the same period, the average waiting time of general applicants who were housed to LPH was three years, while the waiting time for LPH units in the New Territories was only about two years.

Over the past 12 months, the Government’s overall supply of PRH and LPH has risen to about 7,400 units per quarter, which is around double the average quarterly supply of 3,800 units during the three years before the current-term Government took office.

As at end-June 2026, there were about 100,500 general applications for PRH, and about 81,000 non-elderly one-person applications under the Quota & Points System. Compared with the highest level of 156,400 cases and 143,700 cases of general applications and non-elderly one-person applications, the number of applications decreased significantly by over 30% and over 40% respectively.

Among them, the number of non-elderly one-person applicants aged below 30 recorded an even sharper decline of about 60% over the 10-year period, from about 71,500 at end-June 2016 to about 29,500 at end-June 2026. The bureau said this clearly shows that the PRH waiting queue is being reduced.

For the next five years from 2026-27 onwards, the overall public housing production, including subsidised sale flats, PRH and LPH, will be about 196,000 units, around 85% higher than when the current-term Government took office. About 115,000 PRH flats will be completed, reaching the peak in supply.

In respect of LPH, about 19,130 units have been completed, among which about 9,650 units have been fully occupied as at the second quarter of 2026. About 10,670 and 210 units will be successively completed in the remainder of 2026 and early 2027, steadily moving towards the target of completing the construction of about 30,000 LPH units by 2027-28.

The bureau said that, as the PRH applicants who have a longer waiting time are being housed to PRH, the short-term fluctuations in the average waiting time for PRH proved that the Government is effectively tackling the long-standing backlog of waiting cases. The CWT will move towards the target of reducing it to 4.5 years in 2026-27, the bureau added.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

President Lai attends reception marking 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
On the evening of August 12, President Lai Ching-te attended a reception marking the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In remarks, President Lai said that since establishing diplomatic relations 45 years ago, Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have always supported one another and walked shoulder to shoulder, upholding the spirit of mutual trust and benefits. The president pointed out that our countries have continued to deepen cooperation in such areas as talent development and infrastructure. He expressed hope that more young people will inject new energy into the collaboration between our nations, sustaining and strengthening our ties.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
It is a great pleasure to join you today to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. I once again want to thank Prime Minister Godwin Friday and his wife Mrs. Kathryn Ave Friday for leading a delegation to visit us, demonstrating their deep friendship with Taiwan. I also express my gratitude to all our friends here tonight for consistently supporting the ties between Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and for being here to witness this important moment.
We are both maritime countries. We share the universal values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The distance between us has never been an obstacle to our genuine friendship. Just as Prime Minister Friday pointed out, the international situation has been in a state of constant flux over the past 45 years. The world has faced many challenges. But no matter how things have changed, Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have always supported one another and walked shoulder to shoulder, upholding the spirit of mutual trust and mutual benefit.
Prime Minister Friday and I are both very determined to broaden the horizons of the friendship between our countries as we look forward to an even more brilliant 45 years ahead. In recent years in particular, our countries have continued to deepen cooperation in such areas as industrial exchanges, talent development, and infrastructure. The Arnos Vale Acute Care Hospital construction project, the Youth Farmers Training Project, and the Improving of Livestock Rearing Project have all produced tangible benefits for the Vincentian people and further cemented our friendship. Exchanges and cooperation as well as the affection between our peoples have also grown stronger, making Taiwan and Saint Vincent even closer partners.
The international community is currently confronted by formidable challenges, including expanding authoritarianism, climate change, public health issues, and digital security threats. No country can face these alone. Now more than ever, we understand that democratic partners must unite and work together – not just to advance their national development but to build a more robust international network so that we can jointly safeguard global democracy, peace, and prosperity.
Prime Minister Friday’s visit, which comes as we hold our reception marking 45 years of diplomatic ties, reaffirms that Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines hold the same ideals and objectives. We will continue to make progress together as we engage with and embrace the world.
We are gathered here today to celebrate the achievements of our 45 years of diplomatic relations. And there is no one who better exemplifies those achievements than Ambassador Kenton X. Chance. When he presented his credentials to me this year, he told me he had just turned 45 years old, meaning that he was born the same year our diplomatic bonds were forged. In 2006, Ambassador Chance came to Taiwan to study. This year, he returned as ambassador. He is living proof of our bilateral cooperation in education and shows how our friendship has been sustained and gradually strengthened by generation after generation of young people.
Tonight, we are joined by representatives of Vincentian students in Taiwan. I want to tell everyone who came here for studies or exchanges that your participation and dedication all point to a future full of hope for our relations. We look forward to more young people bearing witness to and engaging in diplomatic relations, injecting new energy into the collaboration between our nations. And I hope that all the young people who come here grow to treat Taiwan as a second home, and see us all as one family. 
I am convinced that through our joint efforts, Taiwan and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will not only be able to respond to global changes but also create new opportunities amid challenges. Lastly, on behalf of our government and all the people of Taiwan, may our diplomatic bonds only grow stronger with time. And may you all enjoy success, good health, and domestic happiness. 
Also in attendance were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment, and Diaspora Affairs Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble; Attorney General Sarah Louise Mitchell; Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Saint Lucia Ambassador Robert Kennedy Lewis; and members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Taiwan.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Transport & Logistics Bureau, in collaboration with the Civil Engineering & Development Department, today invited market expressions of interest (EOI) to develop selected land parcels for a modern logistics cluster (HSK Logistics Cluster) in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area.

The five selected sites, ranging from 3.1 to 5 hectares, were identified following a preliminary market sounding exercise. They comprise three parcels in Zone B, which focuses on e-commerce logistics, one in Zone A, focused on high-value goods logistics, and one in Zone C, which focuses on freight forwarding and the low-altitude economy.

Development will be implemented in phases with Zone B forming the first batch. The three parcels within Zone B will become available by late 2027 or early 2028 at the earliest. If combined, they can cater to larger-scale development. The single land parcels in Zones A and C will be made available at a later stage.

Through this EOI exercise, the Government aims to gauge industry interest in developing the first five available sites within the HSK Logistics Cluster. It is also seeking views on the proposed development terms, infrastructure requirements, development scenarios, land disposal options and financial viability.

The feedback collected will help the Government formulate the land lease terms and development mode.

The deadline for EOI submissions is noon on November 13. A briefing session will be held on September 11, with details available on the  HSK Logistics Cluster webpage.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), with the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), today (August 13) invites the market to submit expressions of interest (EOI) for the development of selected land parcels of a modern logistics cluster (HSK Logistics Cluster) in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK/HT NDA).

To address the logistics industry’s long-term demand for logistics sites, the Government has reserved about 32 hectares of land in the HSK/HT NDA for the development of a modern logistics cluster. Strategically located in the western part of the Northern Metropolis, the HSK Logistics Cluster enjoys a prime geographical location of being in proximity to Shenzhen Bay Port and conveniently connected to Hong Kong International Airport and the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals, providing favourable conditions for the development of modern logistics activities.

The findings of the planning study of the development of the HSK Logistics Cluster were announced in January this year, proposing the adoption of an enterprise-oriented principle, creating a market-enabling environment and adopting an innovative approach to drive industry development. 

The planning study also put forward a conceptual plan (Annex 1) for the HSK Logistics Cluster, establishing five indicative functional zones:

Zone A: focuses on high-value goods logistics;

Zone B: focuses on e-commerce logistics;

Zone C: focuses on freight forwarding and the low-altitude economy;

Zone D: reserved for the depot of the proposed smart and green mass transit system (SGMTS) for the operation of the SGMTS in the region providing convenient transport services for the logistics cluster; and

Zone E: a future expansion zone in response to future demand and trends in logistics development. 

Following a preliminary market sounding-out, three sites in Zone B, one site in Zone A and one site in Zone C, with their respective areas ranging from 3.1 to 5.0 hectares, have been selected for this EOI exercise. Their development will be implemented by phases (see Annex 2 for the site plan), with Zone B being the first batch of the development. The three land parcels within Zone B will be available by end 2027 or early 2028 at the earliest and, if combined, may cater for larger-scale development. Zones A and C, each composed of one land parcel, will be available later.

A TLB spokesman said, “The HSK Logistics Cluster is a key initiative to promote the development of modern logistics in Hong Kong and further reinforce Hong Kong’s position as an international logistics hub. Through the EOI, the Government hopes to gauge the industry’s interest in developing the first five available sites in the HSK Logistics Cluster, as well as their views on the proposed development terms, infrastructure requirements, development scenarios, land disposal options, financial viability, etc. Taking into account the views to be collected, the Government will formulate the land lease terms and development mode. We encourage interested parties to submit EOIs.”

The deadline for submitting the EOI is noon on November 13, 2026 (Friday). The TLB, together with the CEDD, will hold a briefing session on the EOI invitation on September 11, 2026 (Friday). Details of the EOI invitation and briefing session are available on the webpage of the HSK Logistics Cluster (www.lc-hskht.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Joint Opening Ceremony of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Food Expo PRO, Hong Kong International Tea Fair, Food Expo, Home Delights Expo and Beauty & Wellness Expo today (August 13):

Jonathan (Member of the HKTDC, Dr Jonathan Choi), Sophia (the Executive Director of the HKTDC, Ms Sophia Chong), 趙鵬副主席 (the Vice Chairman of the People’s Government of the Xizang Autonomous Region, Mr Zhao Peng), 張建副主席 (Vice Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of Hunan Federation of Industry and Commerce, Mr Zhang Jian), Consuls-General, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 
     Ladies and gentlemen, as you taste and explore your way through these fairs, I hope you will take away not only great products and promising leads, but also a fresh appetite – for good living as much as for good business.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region