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Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Department of Health (DH) has planned to revise the Codes of Practice (CoPs) to require that all injectable and infusible products used in licensed private healthcare facilities (PHFs) must fall within three categories.

In response to media enquiries today, the department reminded the public that injection procedures should only be administered by registered medical practitioners or registered dentists.

It stated that since injectable and infusible products intended for human use are high-risk products, the Advisory Committee for Regulatory Standards for Private Healthcare Facilities has endorsed updated regulatory requirements and required that all injectable and infusible products used in licensed PHFs must fall within three categories.

These include Pharmaceutical products registered or exempted from registration under the Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations, Human organ or human tissue products in compliance with the Human Organ Transplant Ordinance, or Medical devices listed under the Medical Device Administrative Control System (MDACS).

In light of the Advisory Committee’s decision, the DH will revise the CoPs for licensed PHFs accordingly and plans to publish them in the Gazette in the fourth quarter this year.

The revised CoPs, except for the sections on medical devices, will take effect one month after publication in the Gazette.

To allow licensed PHFs sufficient time to identify compliant alternative products, the relevant requirement for using injectable and infusible medical devices listed under MDACS will take effect on March 1, 2027.

The department issued a letter on September 9 to notify licensees of PHFs, licence applicants and the medical device industry of the aforesaid requirement. The letter, as well as frequently asked questions, can be viewed online.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today announced that a resident who has completed a sentence in the Philippines has returned to Hong Kong safely accompanied by officers from the Immigration Department (ImmD).

He reunited with his family at the Hong Kong airport upon arrival in the city and expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government for their years of assistance, which enabled his prompt return to the city to reunite with his family after being released.

His family was delighted with the reunion and thanked the Hong Kong SAR Government and the ImmD for maintaining close contact with them and for providing proactive responses to their assistance requests.

The Government stated that it has always attached great importance to cases involving Hong Kong residents detained or imprisoned overseas, safeguarding their legal rights and remaining committed to providing assistance to them.

Upon the ImmD’s receipt of the request-for-assistance from the resident’s family in 2003, the Hong Kong SAR Government maintained close contact with the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR (OCMFA) and the Embassy, making every effort to provide practicable assistance to the resident and his family.

The Embassy also attached great importance to the case, having arranged officials to pay visits to the detained Hong Kong resident during his sentence and actively approached the local judicial authorities to follow up on the situation.

Upon learning that the resident had completed his sentence in the Philippines, the ImmD and the Embassy actively liaised with relevant Filipino authorities to follow up and immediately issued him with travel documents to expedite the overall repatriation procedure.

The Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD also sent officers to the Philippines to co-ordinate the relevant repatriation arrangements with the Embassy and the Filipino authorities.

The Hong Kong SAR Government expressed gratitude to the OCMFA and the Embassy for their support and assistance in facilitating the prompt return of the resident following his release, which resulted in a prompt and smooth repatriation arrangement.

The ImmD will continue to follow up on the case and provide practicable assistance to the resident.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law congratulated cyclists Mok Tsz-chun, To Cheuk-hei and Yung Tsun-ho on winning a bronze medal in the Men’s Team Sprint of Track Cycling at the 20th Asian Games today.

Miss Law said the three cyclists were in excellent form, showing increasing strength throughout the competition and eventually reaching the podium.

It is also the first time Hong Kong, China has won a medal in the Men’s Team Sprint event.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Government today announced the successful pricing of around HK$20 billion worth of digital green bonds denominated in HK dollars (HKD), Renminbi, US dollars and euros under its Sustainable Bond Programme. 

The issuance has once again set a new record for the largest digital bond issuance in the world.

It also reinforced the Government’s commitment to promoting innovation in the bond market.

Alongside traditional settlement rails and the tokenised central bank money option introduced in the previous issuance, tokenised deposits, empowered by EnsembleTX, were incorporated into the primary issuance settlement process for the HKD tranche of this issuance.

It represented the world’s first digital bond that integrates tokenised deposits in HKD, advancing towards a more integrated digital ecosystem, and laying a foundation for exploring the programmable features of digital money.

This issuance also continued to advance adoption of global standards. By adopting the International Capital Market Association’s latest Bond Data Taxonomy Version 2.0, the issuance promoted greater data consistency, interoperability and end-to-end automation across the bond lifecycle.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the Government has successfully issued digital green bonds for the fourth time, totalling HK$20 billion, which is the largest issuance of its kind globally.

He highlighted that the offering was oversubscribed, demonstrating strong market appetite for tokenised products issued in Hong Kong.

Mr Chan also noted that these bonds, denominated in multiple currencies, cater to the asset diversification needs of both local and overseas investors, and have incorporated a range of innovative technologies to further advance innovation in the bond market.

“The Government will continue to issue tokenised bonds on a regular basis, expand the use cases for the underlying technologies, and harness fintech to empower the bond market’s continued development,” he added.

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui said this issuance demonstrated the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting innovative forms of bond issuance and driving green transformation.

He added that it will also further enhance society’s understanding of the integration of sustainable development and fintech, while strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a leading global green and sustainable finance hub.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Hong Kong’s ranking rose by one place to 14th globally among 139 economies and remained 5th in Asia in the Global Innovation Index 2026 published by the World Intellectual Property Organization today.

As regards the two sub-indices under the index, Hong Kong’s ranking in the “Innovation Input” sub-index remained at 8th globally, while its ranking in the “Innovation Output” sub-index rose by one place to 21st.

The Government said that it is pleased to see the good progress Hong Kong has achieved in the index, highlighting that expediting the development of innovation and technology (I&T) has been a policy priority.

The Government also noted that it is fully committed to developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre, following the directions set out in Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan.

Hong Kong will enhance the institutional framework for I&T development, expedite alignment with key national strategies in technology, and develop the new “three major I&T parks and five key research and development institutions” paradigm.

The city will also advance new industrialisation accordingly to establish a framework with Hong Kong characteristics for a new industrialisation system, as well as take forward the AI+ Initiative on all fronts by enhancing the layout of computing infrastructure, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in accelerating their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), and empowering different sectors of the economy through AI technology.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong will leverage the advantage of being closely connected to the Mainland and the world to develop an international hub for science and technology co-operation, as well as deepen the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, thereby attracting global I&T resources and talent.

The Government emphasised that it will strive to realise the vision in the Five-Year Plan that Hong Kong will essentially establish an international I&T centre based in the bay area, serving the entire country, while connecting to the world, after 2030.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Development Bureau today invited the industry to submit applications for inclusion in the pre-qualified lists of consultants and contractors under the new support service for building maintenance works.

 

The application period is from tomorrow to October 27.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said that the bureau, together with the Urban Renewal Authority and relevant departments and agencies, will process the applications at full steam. 

“Our goal is to have the pre-qualified lists available progressively by the end of this year and to begin tendering projects for property owners in the first quarter of next year,” she said.

She highlighted that only consultants and contractors on the pre-qualified lists will be eligible to submit tenders for projects under the new support service in the future. 

Ms Linn called on dedicated and capable consultants and contractors in the industry to apply as soon as possible. 

“Together with other enhanced services in the future, such as tender invitation and evaluation services for property owners, we aim to establish a professional and clean maintenance team to work with the Government to provide property owners with high-quality and reliable services, as well as to foster the healthy development of the industry.”

      

The pre-qualified lists cover inspection consultants, supervision consultants, and building works contractors.

There are four areas of pre-qualification criteria – technical competence, integrity, financial capacity, and past performance – with a biennial review mechanism. 

Click here for application details.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to UNGA statement by Czech President Pavel that UN principles matter across Taiwan Strait

September 25, 2026  
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung expresses sincere appreciation to President Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic for his speech at the General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23, in which he emphasized that UN principles matter across the Taiwan Strait. 
 
In his address, President Pavel stated that countries should draw inspiration from the founders of the United Nations—with the goals of preventing war and destruction and building a predictable international order capable of adapting to change while providing fairness and stability. He noted that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine violated the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law. He further stressed that the United Nations was founded on these principles, which are also of critical importance across the Taiwan Strait. This marks the third time that President Pavel has publicly voiced support for Taiwan at the UNGA General Debate, following previous statements in 2023 and 2025.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the continued support for Taiwan by democratic partners through concrete actions at international events. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is committed to steadily deepening cooperation with the Czech Republic and other like-minded partners to jointly counter the threat of authoritarian expansionism; safeguard such shared values as democracy, freedom, and the rule of law; and uphold peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to European Parliament resolution recognizing Taiwan’s experience in defense resilience and urging expanded Taiwan-Europe cooperation

September 17, 2026  
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely appreciates and welcomes the resolution adopted by the European Parliament in a plenary session on September 16 entitled “Hybrid warfare and the protection of the EU’s territorial integrity and critical security and defence infrastructure.” 
 
The resolution notes Taiwan’s successful experience in enhancing whole-of-society resilience and calls for regular exchanges between the European Union and Taiwan on security issues to strengthen related cooperation. It follows the passing of another resolution friendly to Taiwan on September 15, which was entitled “Findings and recommendations of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield.”
 
The September 16 document points out that Taiwan possesses extensive experience in defending itself against China’s hybrid attacks and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). It also commends Taiwan’s efforts to build whole-of-society resilience, including the establishment of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee and digital resilience networks, as well as the promotion of public preparedness initiatives. 
 
The resolution calls for regular exchanges between the European Union and Taiwan on relevant security issues and for stronger cooperation in countering FIMI and cognitive warfare, protecting critical infrastructure and undersea cables, and fortifying whole-of-society resilience. In addition, it calls on the European Union to expand trade and industrial cooperation with Taiwan, particularly in such areas as semiconductors, 5G/6G telecommunications equipment, drones, and dual-use items. 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanks the European Parliament for adopting resolutions favorable to Taiwan in recent days and recognizing Taiwan’s contributions to bolstering democratic defense and societal resilience. Taiwan will continue to work with the European Union and like-minded partners to deepen collaboration, jointly address the hybrid threats and information manipulation of authoritarian countries, and safeguard the rules-based international order and the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

MOFA response to European Parliament resolution affirming Taiwan’s democratic defense resilience and calling for deeper Taiwan-Europe cooperation

September 16, 2026  
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung sincerely welcomes and appreciates the resolution adopted by the European Parliament in a plenary session on September 15 entitled “Findings and recommendations of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield.” 
 
The resolution affirms Taiwan’s defense resilience and technological strengths and calls for stronger cooperation with Taiwan and other like-minded partners.
 
The resolution also recognizes Taiwan as an important partner in terms of situational awareness and notes its regular large-scale civil defense and resilience exercises aimed at responding to China’s increasing gray-zone tactics. It adds that Taiwan’s practical expertise in whole-of-society resilience can help the European Union develop preparedness concepts and enhance the overall effectiveness of the European Democracy Shield. 
 
Furthermore, the resolution underscores Taiwan’s leading position in the high-tech sector and its long-standing, extensive experience in countering China’s hybrid attacks and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). It calls on the European Union to conduct regular exchanges and deepen cooperation with like-minded partners in East Asia—including Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea—on such issues as countering FIMI and safeguarding undersea cable security.
 
During its inaugural trip to Asia in July 2025, the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield made a dedicated visit to Taiwan. The delegation, led by Chair Nathalie Loiseau, met with President Lai Ching-te, Minister Lin, and officials from relevant agencies for in-depth exchanges on strengthening social resilience and addressing FIMI and hybrid threats.
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its sincere appreciation for the European Parliament’s recognition and support of Taiwan’s democratic resilience expertise. Taiwan will continue to bolster exchanges and cooperation with the European Union and other like-minded partners to jointly defend against FIMI and hybrid threats from authoritarian regimes and make ever greater contributions to peace, security, and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific and the world.

Source: Government of Singapore