MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Two incoming passengers were both sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts today (October 15) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
 
     Customs officers intercepted a 47-year-old incoming female passenger and a 43-year-old incoming male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport on October 13. A total of about 24 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with a total estimated market value of about $98,000 and a total duty potential of about $79,000, were seized from their personal baggage. They were subsequently arrested.
 
     The passengers were both sentenced to three months’ imprisonment and fined $2,000 in contravention of the DCO today.
 
     Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence imposes a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.
 
     Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
 
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Health Bureau (HHB) and the Operator of The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) announced today (October 15) that CMHHK will commence services in phases starting from December 11. In the first year after the service commencement, CMHHK will provide outpatient and day-patient services and fully launch six specialised Chinese medicine (CM) services, along with 12 special disease programmes.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “CMHHK is the first CM service-predominant hospital in Hong Kong. As a highly anticipated CM flagship project, the hospital will help further promote the high-quality and high-standard development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts. Upon its service commencement, CMHHK will lead the way for Hong Kong’s CM services to go beyond primary healthcare and play a part in secondary and tertiary healthcare services, bringing significant breakthroughs in the development of CM in Hong Kong. I am very excited that the hospital is about to commence its service, and look forward to its development of a ‘Hong Kong model’ for pure CM services, services with CM playing the predominant role and integrated Chinese-Western medicine (ICWM) services, providing more comprehensive CM services to members of the public.

     “Meanwhile, as a flagship CM institution in Hong Kong, CMHHK will undertake five key missions of development. Apart from providing healthcare services to members of the public, its missions include training and education, research, collaboration and creating health values. CMHHK will give full play to its role as a ‘change driver’ to drive CM development in Hong Kong and in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through close collaboration with the CM sector and stakeholders, as well as to assist CM services to go global, thereby contributing to the national development of CM.”

     CMHHK is a hospital controlled by the Health Bureau and not a public hospital managed by the Hospital Authority under the Hospital Authority Ordinance (Chapter 113). The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong Ordinance (Chapter 655), which took effect in May this year, ensures the smooth daily operation of the hospital. CMHHK will also collaborate with public and private healthcare institutions to provide quality CM services for members of the public.

Clinical services of CMHHK

     In the first year, CMHHK will provide outpatient and day-patient services and fully launch six specialised CM services, namely Internal Medicine in CM, External Medicine in CM, Gynaecology in CM, Paediatrics in CM, Orthopaedics and Traumatology in CM, and Acupuncture and Moxibustion in CM. It will also provide 12 special disease programmes including those for elderly degenerative diseases and stroke rehabilitation.

     For outpatient services, government-subsidised services cover General Clinic, Specialised Clinic and Integrated Allied Health Clinic services, while market-oriented services cover Private Clinic and Integrated Allied Health Clinic services.

     Day-patient services also cover both government-subsidised services and market-oriented services. Twenty-five beds will be provided in the first year, primarily for CM cases requiring longer treatment time or more complicated procedures, providing patients with one-stop comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment.

     Inpatient services will mainly commence from the second year, with other services expanding year by year, including the remaining 11 special disease programmes. It is expected that by the end of 2030, CMHHK will provide full inpatient services with 400 patient beds, as well as outpatient services of 400 000 annual attendance.

     CMHHK’s government-subsidised services, which are accessible to eligible Hong Kong citizens, will account for 65 per cent of the hospital’s total service volume, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to public health. The hospital will also provide market-oriented services to foster positive interaction with the private market.

Service highlights

     The services of CMHHK will feature the following highlights:

(i) Specialised CM services and special disease progarmmes: Adhering to the principle of “Pursuing speciality in specialised CM services and exceling in special disease programmes”, the hospital will pool talent, experience, knowledge and techniques to focus on the development of key areas where CM has distinct advantages, offering effective treatment outcomes for members of the public.

(ii) CM playing the predominant role and ICWM: The hospital is committed to preserving and inheriting CM theory and practice, while also developing evidence-based innovative treatment plans for pure CM services and services with CM playing the predominant role. The hospital will also actively develop an ICWM service model, combining the strengths of both Chinese and Western medicines to formulate treatment plans, supplemented by multidisciplinary healthcare teams, thereby providing comprehensive and optimal clinical support for patients.

(iii) Galaxy of talent: The hospital will bring together an elite team of Hong Kong, the Mainland, and international CM expert teams across multiple disciplines at the hospital to participate in short-term services, training, and research, leveraging their outstanding capabilities to drive the hospital’s development.

(iv) Personalised services: The hospital will uphold the traditional CM philosophy of “treatment based on pattern differentiation”. Through providing wholehearted services together with professional and precise analysis, the hospital will tailor-make personalised care services for patients to resolve their problems. 

Fee arrangements

     CMHHK will take on the role of a “change driver”, driving the development of the CM market with a primary focus on “develop and transfer”. CMHHK has fully considered factors such as market prices, public affordability and service costs when formulating its service fee models, with a view to ensuring members of the public can access the services at reasonable and affordable prices.

     The hospital adopts fee models including package charges, simplified itemised charges and combined charges to enhance fee transparency, enabling members of the public to easily understand the fee arrangements and manage their healthcare expenses. This approach also encourages members of the public to select services according to their actual needs and make optimal use of resources. A medical fee waiver mechanism will be in place in CMHHK. Specified patient groups will be eligible for a full fee waiver. Other patients facing financial hardship and cannot afford the medical expenses may also apply to the hospital for fee waiver.

     To encourage citizens in need to experience the services of the first CM hospital in Hong Kong, CMHHK will offer a special experience discount in its first year of operation. Selected designated services will be offered at a promotional rate of 10 per cent to 30 per cent off the original price.

     Fees for subsidised services and market-oriented services are listed at Annex 1 and Annex 2.
 
Information and appointment booking

     CMHHK has launched its new website (www.cmhhk.org.hk). Members of the public can make appointments via the website or the hotline (3121 3121) from November 1 onwards. Moreover, members of the public can make appointments through the hospital mobile application to be launched on December 1. In-person appointments can be made at CMHHK from December 11 onwards. In addition, members of the public are welcome to join the open day activities organised by the hospital with details to be announced in due course.

     Located at 1 Pak Shing Kok Road in Tseung Kwan O, CMHHK adopts a public-private partnership model with its construction fully funded by the Government. Hong Kong Baptist University was selected as the Contractor through tendering procedures in 2021 and it subsequently incorporated a company as the Operator responsible for the overall services of the hospital, including its management, operation, and maintenance, according to a service deed. Funding arrangements for subsidised services, education and training, and research, as well as the overall fee setting, are all executed in accordance with the service deed signed among the Government, the Contractor and the Operator.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Jeffrey Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):

Question:

     This year’s Policy Address has proposed to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the Government has indicated that it will adopt diversified development models including large-scale land disposal to promote market participation for expediting the development of the Northern Metropolis, and intends to roll out the Hung Shui Kiu pilot area for large-scale land disposal in the fourth quarter of this year, as well as the pilot areas in Fanling North New Development Area and San Tin Technopole next year, of the specific tendering procedures for these three pilot areas, and when the relevant timetable will be announced;

(2) as it has been reported that the Government plans to adopt the “two-envelope approach” in the tender exercises for certain land projects in the Northern Metropolis, so that factors such as the technical, economic and tax contributions of the bidding enterprises can be considered at the same time during the assessment process, of the specific scoring criteria for such tender exercises (including the respective weightings for the technical and price aspects); how the Government will ensure the openness and transparency of the assessment process; and

(3) of the latest leasing position of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in the Northern Metropolis, including the number of enterprises that have signed leases to date, and the expected date of commencement of operation of the first batch of tenants; the further supporting and preferential measures put in place by the authorities to attract high-end innovation and technology enterprises to the Park?

Reply: 

President,

As an important engine for the future development of Hong Kong and the transformation of industries, as well as a new platform for coordinated development with other cities in the Greater Bay Area, the Northern Metropolis (NM) will enhance Hong Kong’s role as the key node connecting the Mainland with the world. Given the sheer size of the NM and the magnitude of the investment required, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region adopts innovative and diverse development approaches to leverage the resources from the Government and the market to take forward the project.

Having consulted the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB), my reply to various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) Under the large-scale land disposal approach, the successful bidder will comprehensively develop sizable land parcels including residential and industrial sites with commercial value, as well as public facility sites. The Government has proposed three pilot areas which are located in Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK), Fanling North New Development Area and San Tin Technopole respectively. 22 submissions were received under the expression of interest exercise earlier, providing us with market views before we finalise the tender terms.

We plan to start with the tendering of the HSK pilot area by end of this year. Tenders for the remaining two pilot areas will be put up progressively next year. We are now adjusting the relevant arrangements and requirements for the HSK pilot area in response to the market views, including increasing the number of private residential sites from two to three and taking out the requirement for bidders to construct a major road, so as to reduce the requirements for constructing public facilities and increase the project’s financial viability. There are three Enterprises and Technology Park sites within the pilot area. Originally, we required the successful tenderer to develop and operate one of them, while the remaining two should be returned to the Government after the sites are formed. We are now considering providing an option in the tender, so that tenderers who are willing to participate in developing more industrial sites within the pilot area will be given more marks for such additional undertaking under the two-envelope approach. Besides, we are considering allowing a longer building covenant and a more flexible land premium payment arrangement, including payment by instalments. We will announce the final arrangements when we launch the tender at the end of this year.

(2) We will employ flexible land grant arrangements in the NM, encouraging enterprises to set up businesses and invest in the area. If a tendering approach is adopted, depending on the circumstances, we may consider the premium offer only, or to adopt a two-envelope approach in the tendering. The Sandy Ridge Data Facility Cluster site recently put up by the ITIB has adopted the two-envelope approach, and we are inclined to adopt this approach for the HSK pilot area as well. The adoption of a two-envelope approach in the tendering will consider the non-premium and premium proposals comprehensively, with the weightings and elements for assessment set to suit the individual circumstances. Taking the tendering of Sandy Ridge as an example, the weightings of non-premium and premium proposals are 70 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The non-premium proposal will assess the bidders’ contribution to Hong Kong in terms of investment and development of industries, such as the number of persons employed, the investment scale and the period for commencement of operation. To ensure that the tendering work is open and transparent, the assessment criteria will be set out in the tender documents, so that bidders may thoroughly understand the project requirements and the marking scheme. The Government will set up a tender assessment panel comprising relevant bureaux and departments for assessing the tenders objectively and professionally in accordance with the Stores and Procurement Regulations. The assessment result will be submitted to the Central Tender Board under the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau for approval.

(3) The construction of the first three buildings in Phase 1 of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Hong Kong Park) has been completed. The Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited (HSITPL) is pressing ahead with the relevant leasing work. Currently, in-depth discussion with around 30 enterprises, universities and research organisations from the Mainland, Hong Kong, and around the world regarding their plans to set foot in the Hong Kong Park has been carried out. Among which, a significant portion has signed tenancy agreements. The first batch of tenants covering pillar industries such as life and health technology, microelectronics, new energy, and AI are expected to enter into operation officially before the end of this year. As the leasing work of the HSITPL is in progress, the number of enterprises and organisations signing tenancy agreements will increase gradually.

The HSITPL will provide supporting facilities, such as talent accommodation, commercial and other ancillary facilities to support the operation of enterprises and organisations in the Hong Kong Park. Meanwhile, the HSITPL is actively preparing the launch of “Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Incubation Support Programme” within 2025-26, to provide funding and support services to start-up teams and enterprises so as to fully realise the notion of attracting talent with industries. Besides, the Government is exploring, under the dedicated legislation for the NM being prepared, facilitating measures for cross-boundary flow of personnel, data and materials, etc for designated areas. Also, the Financial Secretary will lead the relevant policy bureaux in formulating packages of preferential policies covering land grants, land premiums, financial subsidies or tax incentives. These strategic measures will help attract research and high-end manufacturing industries to establish a presence in Hong Kong including the Hong Kong Park.      

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Education Bureau (EDB) today (October 15) held the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” Joint School National Education Activities Kick-off Ceremony in celebration of the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. In view of the regularisation and popularisation of the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities starting from the 2025/26 school year, the EDB will continue to lead government schools and collaborate with more school sponsoring bodies (including Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Po Leung Kuk, the Hong Kong Council of the Church of Christ in China, the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon, the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui) and school councils to jointly plan and implement the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities. It will foster patriotic education through collaboration across school sponsoring bodies and among schools, with a view to strengthening students’ sense of national identity and cultural confidence.

The Acting Secretary for Education, Dr Sze Chun-fai, together with representatives from school sponsoring bodies, school councils and school head associations involved in organising the activities, jointly officiated at the kick-off ceremony. About 2 500 representatives from the EDB and school sponsoring bodies, principals, teachers, students and parents attended.

Addressing the event, Dr Sze said that starting from this school year, as announced by the Chief Executive in the 2025 Policy Address, the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities will be regularised and popularised to further strengthen collaboration across school sponsoring bodies and among schools. The EDB will invite all schools in Hong Kong to apply for the Title Scheme for the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities to organise quality joint school national education activities, thereby pooling the resources and strengths of different schools to maximise the impact of patriotic education.

This year marks the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Dr Sze emphasised the importance of remembering the history of the Chinese people’s perseverance and solidarity in resisting foreign aggression, jointly safeguarding national security, and cherishing the hard-earned peace. The EDB will continue to support schools in integrating patriotic education into daily learning and teaching through a multipronged and co-ordinated approach, with the aim of deepening students’ affection for and sense of belonging to the country. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the school sponsoring bodies, school councils and fellow educators for their continuous collaboration in fostering national education and nurturing a healthy new generation with affection for the country and Hong Kong.

The kick-off ceremony featured a variety of programmes, including the performance of the magnificent “Yellow River Cantata” by a joint school Chinese orchestra comprised of nearly 80 students; lion dances, literary recitation and Cantonese opera performances by over 100 students; and a song performed by a choir composed of 80 students from different school sponsoring bodies, school councils and government schools, marking the finale of the ceremony. All the participants joined together to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and witness the “Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country” series of activities embark on a new chapter.

Highlights of the kick-off ceremony will be broadcast on RTHK TV 31 at 2pm on November 22 (Saturday).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (October 15) released the second batch of gravidtrap indexes and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in October, covering eight survey areas, as follows:
 

District	Survey Area	October 2025
		First Phase Gravidtrap Index	First Phase Density Index
Eastern	Chai Wan West	0.0%	N/A
Wan Chai	Happy Valley	0.0%	N/A
Kowloon City	Ho Man Tin	0.0%	N/A
Tai Po	Tai Po West	3.4%	1.0
	Tai Po East	0.0%	N/A
North	Sheung Shui	0.0%	N/A

 

District	Survey Area	October 2025
		Area Gravidtrap Index	Area Density Index
Eastern	North Point	2.7%	1.0
Wan Chai	Wan Chai North	0.9%	1.0

Among the second batch of First Phase Gravidtrap Indexes covering six survey areas and Area Gravidtrap Indexes covering two survey areas in October, all were below 10 per cent.

The FEHD has so far released two batches of gravidtrap indexes for Aedes albopictus in October 2025, covering 14 survey areas. Among these 14 survey areas, nine recorded a decrease or remained unchanged in the individual gravidtrap index as compared to the Area Gravidtrap Index last month, i.e. September 2025, representing that the areas’ mosquito infestation improved or maintained a low level. Five other areas recorded a slight increase, but the indexes were lower than 10 per cent.

Public participation is crucial to the effective control of mosquito problems. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to work together in strengthening personal mosquito control measures, including:

• tidy up their premises and check for any accumulation of water inside their premises;
• remove all unnecessary water collections and eliminate the sources;
• check household items (those placed in outdoor and open areas in particular), such as refuse containers, vases, air conditioner drip trays, and laundry racks to prevent stagnant water;
• change the water in flower vases and saucers of potted plants at least once every seven days;
• properly cover all containers that hold water to prevent mosquitoes from accessing the water; and
• properly dispose of articles that can contain water, such as empty lunch boxes and cans.

Starting in August this year, following the completion of the surveillance of individual survey areas, and once the latest gravidtrap index and the density index are available, the FEHD will disseminate the relevant information through press releases, its website, and social media. It aims to allow members of the public to quickly grasp the mosquito infestation situation and strengthen mosquito control efforts, thereby reducing the risk of chikungunya fever (CF) transmission.

Following the recommendations from the World Health Organization and taking into account the local situation in Hong Kong, the FEHD sets up gravidtraps in districts where mosquito-borne diseases have been recorded in the past, as well as in densely populated places such as housing estates, hospitals and schools to monitor the breeding and distribution of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, which can transmit CF and dengue fever. At present, the FEHD has set up gravidtraps in 64 survey areas of the community. During the two weeks of surveillance, the FEHD will collect the gravidtraps once a week. After the first week of surveillance, the FEHD will immediately examine the glue boards inside the retrieved gravidtraps for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes to compile the Gravidtrap Index (First Phase) and Density Index (First Phase). At the end of the second week of surveillance, the FEHD will instantly check the glue boards for the presence of adult Aedine mosquitoes. Data from the two weeks’ surveillance will be combined to obtain the Area Gravidtrap Index and the Area Density Index. The gravidtrap and density indexes for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas as well as information on mosquito prevention and control measures are available on the department’s webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Gravidtrap_Index_Update.html#).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Vegetable Marketing Organization:
 
The Vegetable Marketing Organization (VMO) announced today (October 15) that an information security incident involving a ransomware attack had been detected on part of its computer systems on October 13. Upon discovery, the VMO immediately suspended the operation of its network systems and disconnected relevant computer servers from external connections to prevent further hacker intrusion. The incident has been reported to the Police, the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.
 
Preliminary investigation indicates that the incident involves the gate and accounting systems of the Cheung Sha Wan Vegetable Wholesale Market. Such computer systems contain particulars of about 7 000 market users, and data of some market users in the systems may be affected. The VMO is conducting an investigation to assess whether any personal data has been leaked. The VMO will promptly notify affected individuals when necessary.
 
The VMO has engaged an external contractor to expedite system restoration and assist with the investigation. The Market maintains normal operation overall, with processes such as invoicing and payments being handled manually. The VMO is pressing ahead with restoring full services as soon as possible.
 
The VMO attaches great importance to cybersecurity and will conduct a comprehensive review of this incident and further strengthen its information and network protection measures to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.
 
For enquiries, please contact the VMO at 2710 0964 or 2710 0931.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Maggie Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):

Question:

The Government has indicated in the 2025 Policy Address that the Northern Metropolis (NM), which covers a land area and planned population intake accounting for about one-third of Hong Kong’s total, is our city’s strategic development area. There are views that the development of the NM provides opportunities for young people in Hong Kong to achieve upward mobility and build a happy life. Regarding measures in the NM to support upward mobility for young people, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the Government has planned an upward mobility ecological chain for young people, covering such areas as education, employment, home ownership and entrepreneurship, in relation to the future development of the NM; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) given the projection in the 2025 Policy Address that the NM will create about half a million new job opportunities, of the distribution and proportions of such jobs by type; whether it has formulated training programmes and strategies for nurturing local talent in close alignment with such new jobs to assist young people in seizing the relevant opportunities;

(3) in light of the population influx into the NM brought by the aforementioned half a million new job opportunities, whether it has assessed the sufficiency of residential units in the NM to meet the demand of young families; if so, of the housing plan formulated based on the assessment results, as well as the respective numerical proportions of public housing units, Home Ownership Scheme units and private residential units therein; and

(4) whether it has planned to build facilities (including youth hostels, Youth Post hostels, childcare service centres, kindergartens, and primary and secondary schools) in the NM to support the working youth and their families; if so, of the details of the plan; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

The Northern Metropolis (NM), a strategic development area in Hong Kong, is a major investment and construction we have made for the future, including the next generation. With an area and planned population accounting for around one-third of Hong Kong’s totals, the NM will provide more than 3 000 hectares of new development land. The land for different industries in the NM would drive the development of innovation and technology (I&T) and other industries, and create more than 500 000 quality and diversified job opportunities. The NM is also a key source of public and private housing supply in the future, which will provide approximately 500 000 new residential units. The planning of the NM will also promote better home-job balance, bringing jobs closer to homes, as well as providing supporting facilities for residents and workers which improve the quality of life.

In response to the question raised by the Hon Maggie Chan, after consulting the relevant bureaux, the reply is as follows (as Parts 1 to 3 are related, we prepared a consolidated reply for these parts):

(1) to (3) In planning the land use in new development areas (NDAs) in the NM, the Development Bureau, in collaboration with relevant departments, has been adopting a diversified development approach in order to accommodate the needs of young people at different stages of life (such as education, employment and housing).

On education, during the planning of the NDAs within the NM, we have reserved sufficient land for the development of primary and secondary schools in accordance with the requirements of the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines and relevant government departments, as well as land or floor space for kindergartens and other government, institution and community facilities to meet the demands assessed by the relevant departments. To support Hong Kong’s development into an international hub for post-secondary education, the Government has reserved land for the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town. This initiative will not only meet the demand of young people for post-secondary education, but also support Hong Kong to build the “Study in Hong Kong” brand. Furthermore, a considerable amount of land has been reserved in the NM for cultural and sports development, providing ample space for young people with diverse interests to unleash their full potentials.

On employment and entrepreneurship, the NM adopts an “industry-driven” development mode, offering vast development space for various industries and creating a huge number of quality and diverse jobs, thereby meeting the employment needs of young people while fostering a favourable environment for entrepreneurship. To take the I&T industry as an example, the San Tin Technopole in the NM, including the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hetao Hong Kong Park), will provide 300 hectares of land for I&T, capable of offering a gross floor area of about 7 million square metres, equivalent to 17 Hong Kong Science Park, and significantly enhancing space for the development of the local I&T industry and start-ups. In addition, Lau Fau Shan will be positioned as a digital technology hub to capitalise on advanced technologies and promote integration of new and traditional economies, as well as to serve as an incubation base for young talent and start-ups. The NDAs within the NM are currently at various planning and construction stages. Based on the assumptions adopted at the planning stages, more than 500 000 new jobs are expected to be created with the estimations of distribution by industry set out in the Annex. Regarding these new jobs, relevant bureaux and departments will provide corresponding local talent training programmes in response to the latest development and manpower requirements across various industries.

On housing, the NM will be the major source of future housing supply in Hong Kong, which is estimated to provide approximately 500 000 new residential units to meet the demand for housing of families of different strata (including young families). The NDAs would also provide opportunities to respond to the public aspiration for larger home space. In line with the recommendations in the Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030 (Hong Kong 2030+), an enhanced home space by 10 to 20 per cent on average is assumed for the residential sites in the NDAs within the NM under more recent planning (including San Tin Technopole, Ngau Tam Mei, the Lau Fau Shan area, New Territories North New Town and Ma Tso Lung), offering flexibility for creating more quality living space in the future. In addition, we have allowed flexibility in adjusting the public/private split of housing supply in individual NDAs, taking into consideration the industry positioning of these NDAs and the needs of people from different strata. The respective public/private splits of housing supply in Kwu Tung North/Fanling North and Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen NDAs are approximately 70:30 and 60:40, with both public rental housing and subsidised sale flats in the public housing development. The public/private splits of housing supply in other NDAs will be flexibly determined at the later implementation stage, taking into account the positioning of respective NDAs and the overall supply and demand for public and private housing.

(4) On the childminding service, there will be 100 aided child care centre service places per 25 000 general population in accordance with the planning ratio on a population basis, so as to cater for the service demand brought about by the population inflow in the NDAs within the NM. On youth support, one integrated children and youth services centre will be planned for every 12 000 children/young persons in the 6-24 age group. The NM could also provide suitable sites for relevant facilities such as Youth Post hostels and youth hostels, subject to policy support. In line with the policy objectives of the Youth Development Blueprint, the Government plans to build youth facility buildings and relevant facilities in the NM (for example, in Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen NDA) to support youth development. The facilities will include venues for exchange, interaction and collaboration between young people from the Mainland and Hong Kong, spaces for youth interactions and activities, innovation and entrepreneurial bases for young people, and base facilities for youth uniformed groups. As for the planning of kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools, please refer to the reply above.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport), announced today (October 15) the second cohort of the Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenA.I.) Sandbox. Building on the foundation of the first cohort, this coming cohort demonstrates a significant industry shift from experimenting with AI’s capability to enabling its secure and reliable implementation.
 
From over 60 proposals, a total of 27 use cases from 20 banks and 14 technology partners have been selected (see Annex). All submissions were prioritised based on innovation, technical complexity and potential value to the industry.
 
A defining theme of this cohort is the proactive approach to AI governance, with use cases pioneering “AI vs AI” strategies, such as leveraging AI to conduct automated quality checks on AI-generated outputs, improving accuracy and consistency at a scalable level.
 
In response to the emerging risk of deepfake-related fraud, the Sandbox will also serve as a testing ground for advanced defence mechanisms. Several participants will conduct adversarial simulations, using AI to stress-test and fortify their systems against sophisticated digital fraud.
 
     Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA Mr Arthur Yuen said, “The second cohort represents a major leap forward in making AI adoption safer and more robust. The diverse representation of banks in this cohort highlights the industry-wide consensus on AI’s transformative potential. The growth in collaboration between the banking, technology, and academic sectors is a testament to our commitment to fostering the local fintech ecosystem. I would also like to express my gratitude to Professor Chan (Note 1), Professor Yang (Note 2) and Professor Yiu (Note 3) for their valuable expert advice as members of the selection committee.”
 
Participants will gradually onboard to the designated platform by Cyberport’s Artificial Intelligence Supercomputing Centre later this year, with trials commencing in early 2026. Leveraging the GenA.I. Sandbox as the core, the HKMA will continue to share good practices and promote the responsible adoption of AI within the financial sector.

Note 1: Professor Chan Chun-kwong, Programme Director, MSc/PgD in Financial Technology, Faculty of Engineering; and Professor of Practice in Financial Technology, Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Note 2: Professor Yang Hongxia, Executive Director of PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence; Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences; Director of the University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics; and Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Note 3: Professor Yiu Siu-ming, Master Programme Director and Professor, School of Computing and Data Science, The University of Hong Kong

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
Result of the tenders of RMB Sovereign Bonds held on October 15, 2025: 
 

Tender Result
*******
Tender Date	:	October 15, 2025
Bonds available for Tender	:	2-year RMB Bonds
Issuer	:	The Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China
Issue Number	:	BCMKFB25004 (Further Issuance)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	October 17, 2025
Maturity Date	:	February 21, 2027 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Coupon Rate	:	1.75 per cent
Application Amount	:	RMB 11,599 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 4,000 million
Average Accepted Price	:	100.37
Lowest Accepted Price	:	100.33
Highest Accepted Price	:	100.47
Allocation Ratio (At Lowest Accepted Price)	:	Approximately 79.94 per cent

 

*******
Tender Date	:	October 15, 2025
Bonds available for Tender	:	3-year RMB Bonds
Issuer	:	The Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China
Issue Number	:	BCMKFB25005 (Further Issuance)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	October 17, 2025
Maturity Date	:	February 21, 2028 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Coupon Rate	:	1.80 per cent
Application Amount	:	RMB 12,044 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 4,000 million
Average Accepted Price	:	100.69
Lowest Accepted Price	:	100.66
Highest Accepted Price	:	100.93
Allocation Ratio (At Lowest Accepted Price)	:	Approximately 97.31 per cent

  

*******
Tender Date	:	October 15, 2025
Bonds available for Tender	:	5-year RMB Bonds
Issuer	:	The Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China
Issue Number	:	BCMKFB25006 (Further Issuance)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	October 17, 2025
Maturity Date	:	February 21, 2030 (or the closest coupon payment date)
Coupon Rate	:	1.88 per cent
Application Amount	:	RMB 10,779 million
Issue Amount	:	RMB 3,000 million
Average Accepted Price	:	101.02
Lowest Accepted Price	:	100.76
Highest Accepted Price	:	101.60
Allocation Ratio (At Lowest Accepted Price)	:	Approximately 97.50 per cent

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Carmen Kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (October 15):

Question:
 
According to data from the Hong Kong Police Force, there were 20 760 ‍deception cases in Hong Kong in the first half of this year, representing a 4.3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, and accounting for about 48 per cent of the overall crime figure. Regarding stepping up efforts to combat fraud, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of telephone fraud cases reported to the police annually since the implementation of the Real-name Registration Programme for Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Cards, with a breakdown by whether the SIM cards held by the fraudsters were registered to Hong Kong residents, and the age groups and occupational backgrounds of the victims; the publicity strategies adopted by the authorities to prevent fraud among different groups of people and whether an assessment has been conducted on their effectiveness;

(2) as some members of the industry have pointed out that the frequent occurrence of fraud cases stems from vulnerabilities in the first line of defence where telecommunications operators verify the identities of SIM card users, whether the authorities will study ways to strengthen the relevant identity verification requirements, such as mandating that telecommunications operators must verify original copies of customers’ identity documents on the spot before issuing SIM cards, and explore feasible solutions to effectively detect the authenticity of the identity documents used by customers for registration; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) as the Government indicated at the meeting of the Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting of this Council on July 14 this year that it intended to amend legislation to combat the improper use of registered SIM cards, of the current progress of the legislative amendment exercise and the legislative timetable;
 
(4) when carrying out the legislative amendment exercise as mentioned in (3), whether the Government will study setting separate upper limits on the total number of SIM cards that can be registered by Hong Kong residents and visitors, in order to step up the combat against telephone fraud; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(5) as it is learnt that places such as the Mainland and Singapore have enacted specific legislation to prohibit activities such as the sale or rental of bank accounts in order to step up the combat against stooge accounts, whether the authorities will make reference to such experiences and study the feasibility of enacting specific legislation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(6) as the Law Reform Commission (LRC) recommended the extra-territorial application of Hong Kong law to certain offences in the Consultation Paper on Cyber-Dependent Crimes and Jurisdictional Issues published in 2022, and in order to combat cross-border crimes more effectively, including the resale of SIM cards to lawbreakers outside Hong Kong, whether the authorities will make reference to LRC’s recommendations to incorporate an “extraterritoriality” provision into relevant legislation as appropriate; if so, of the details; if not, what other effective strategies the authorities have in place to address cross-border fraud crimes;
 
(7) as the Banking (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, which took effect on November 3 this year, introduces a voluntary mechanism for banks to share information of corporate and individual accounts via electronic means with other banks and relevant law enforcement agencies through secure platforms designated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) when they become aware of suspected prohibited conduct (e.g. money laundering), thereby better protecting the public from fraud, of the details of the secure platform designated by the HKMA (including the current progress of the system’s preparation); the number of institutions that have so far confirmed their participation in this mechanism to share account information; and

(8) to effectively assist Hong Kong banks in verifying the identities of Mainland residents and enterprises in Hong Kong and properly carrying out the “Know Your Customer” procedures, so as to prevent individuals from opening accounts and obtaining fraudulent loans in Hong Kong through unlawful means, what is the current progress of implementing Cross Boundary Credit Referencing and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-boundary data validation platform, and whether any performance indicators have been set for these initiatives?
 
Reply:
 
President,

Deception is a serious crime. Any person who commits the offence of “fraud” under section 16A of the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210) is liable to imprisonment for up to 14 years, while any person charged with “obtaining property by deception” under section 17 of the same Ordinance is liable to imprisonment for up to 10 years. In addition, any person charged with “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence” under section 25 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455) for proceeds of deception is liable to maximum penalties of 14 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.

     In consultation with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA), the reply to the Member’s question is as follows:
 
(1) The second phrase for the Real-name Registration Programme for Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) Cards (RNR Programme)’s second phase was implemented in 2022, enabling users to start real-name registration of their SIM cards since March 2022. The number of telephone scam cases reported to the Police since 2022 is as follows:
 

	2022	2023	2024	January to August 2025
Number of cases	2 831	3 213	9 204	4 922

The age distribution of victims varies across different types of major telephone scam cases. For “impersonation of customer service staff” and “guess who” cases, over half of the victims in the first eight months of 2025 were aged 60 or above, accounting for 54 per cent and 58 per cent respectively. 
 
More than 70 per cent of the calls involved in telephone scam cases in the first eight months of 2025 originated from Hong Kong. The Police do not maintain a breakdown of the statistics on the victims by occupation.
 
Regarding scam prevention, the Police have been analysing the trends and intelligence of latest scam cases (including telephone scams), and have been releasing the latest anti-scam messages in a timely manner, including making use of platforms such as press conferences, social media accounts of the Police and the CyberDefender website to warn the public about the latest scam tactics. Targeted publicity was also launched for different groups of people.
 
The Police have introduced an anti-scam mascot “The Little Grape” since 2020 to explain the latest tactics of fraudsters and to disseminate simple, easy-to-understand anti-scam messages in a friendly and interactive manner. Anti-scam information is posted on different social media platforms using “The Little Grape” as the theme, such as “The Little Grape” Animation Picture book. Also, offline interactions between “The Little Grape” and primary and secondary students are arranged through visits to primary and secondary schools by “The Little Grape” and the anti-scam promotional vehicle to convey anti-scam messages.

To heighten the alertness of students and the public against telephone and online scams and pitfalls, the Police have been maintaining close communication and collaboration with telecommunications service providers (TSP) and social media platform operators. In particular, anti-scam promotional leaflets are distributed through TSPs. The promotional materials are updated from time to time, so as to remind members of the public to be watchful over the latest fraud tactics. Should suspected fraudulent content be found, the Police will request the social media platforms concerned to immediately remove the content and take appropriate follow-up actions. From January to August of 2025, the platforms concerned have reviewed and removed over 67 000 items of fraudulent content at the request of the Police.
 
For the elderly and retirees, the Police deliver anti-scam messages, in particular those on prevention of telephone scams, to these groups under the theme of “live healthily and stay away from scams; good fortune is always around”. Specifically, the Police collaborate with health examination centres and Elderly Health Centres of the Department of Health to disseminate anti-scam information, and distribute anti-scam information packs to the elderly with the aid of social welfare organisation networks and the Care Teams. The Police also continue to organise anti-scam activities through the Senior Police Call and other community networks. Among others, the Senior Police Call launched the “IT Captain” training programme in May 2025, the content of which included teaching the elderly how to use the “Scameter+”, enabling them to be aware of the latest scam tactics and cyber pitfalls and encouraging them to spread scam prevention messages in the community.
 
Targeting high-risk groups of telephone scam victims such as new arrivals and Mainland students, the Police have earlier on produced anti-scam video clips in collaboration with the National Immigration Administration, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security and the Immigration Department (ImmD) of Hong Kong. Starting from June 2025, the videos are broadcast across boundary control points, exit-entry service halls on the Mainland as well as Xiaohongshu, Douyin, etc. In addition, the Police distribute anti-scam booklets and leaflets to new arrivals through the six regional public service counters of the ImmD, the Labour and Welfare Bureau and various tertiary institutions. These materials include methods to prevent telephone scams. The Police have also launched an online learning package for new arrivals, Mainland students, etc, to learn about the scam tactics and advise them on counter measures.

Besides, the Police held a joint press conference with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, in August 2025 to alert the public of the latest scam tactics involving messaging applications and social networking platforms. The public were also notified of the operators’ anti-scam counter measures, which include the strengthened use of artificial intelligence technology for detecting and removing fraudulent content and accounts.
 
(2) to (4) Since the full implementation of the RNR Programme in February 2023, the OFCA has introduced various enhancement measures based on operational experience, including requiring TSPs to adopt “iAM Smart” as the default registration method for Hong Kong Identity (HKID) card holders since October 2024. For non-HKID holders registering pre-paid SIM cards (PPS cards) under the RNR Programme via an online registration platform, TSPs will first verify the identification documents through their system and then activate the relevant PPS cards, followed by manual checks to verify the authenticity of the identification documents provided. Any PPS cards found to be non-compliant with the regulatory requirements will have their registration cancelled. In addition, all TSPs are required to conduct regular sampling checks on the registered PPS card information, strengthen the verification of suspicious cases and refer suspected illegal cases to the Police for further handling. As at end-August 2025, around 5.2 million PPS cards were rejected for registration as clients failed to provide information in compliance with the registration requirements, and the registration records of about 3.67 million non-compliant PPS cards were deregistered.

The Government is comprehensively reviewing the overall implementation of the RNR Programme. In July 2025, the Government briefed the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting on the enhancement proposals, which include significantly reducing the maximum number of registered PPS cards allowed for each individual user (both Hong Kong resident and non-Hong Kong resident) from 10 PPS cards per TSP per person to 3 PPS cards per TSP per person, and introducing new offences to combat improper uses of registered SIM cards. The Government is currently reviewing the feedback collected and actively preparing for the drafting of legislation, with a view to submitting the proposed legislative amendments to the LegCo for scrutiny in 2026.
 
(5) The Police have taken targeted enforcement actions against stooge accounts frequently used by fraudsters in order to destroy the fraud industry chain. In the first eight months of 2025, a total of 4 906 people were arrested for fraud and money laundering offences, of which about 70 per cent of the arrestees are stooge account holders. The Police have deployed manpower and allocated resources to expedite the handling of cases involving stooge accounts and are working with the Department of Justice to speed up the prosecution process.
 
Furthermore, since end-2023, the Police have applied to the courts for invocation of section 27 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance to seek enhanced penalties for cases involving stooge accounts. As at end-August 2025, the sentences of 169 stooge account holders have been enhanced by 10 per cent to more than 30 per cent, with terms of imprisonment ranging from 21 to 75 months. The Police will continue to publicise the cases with successful application for enhanced sentences to further increase the deterrent effect.

The Police have also launched a number of measures with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the banking sector to combat money laundering activities by criminal syndicates using stooge accounts. These include the Financial Intelligence Evaluation Sharing Tool (FINEST) launched in June 2023. This electronic platform provides a secure and efficient means for sharing data of corporate clients related to suspected financial crimes among the banking institutions. The Police also organise targeted publicity and education activities for members of the public and various groups in the community. For instance, with the collaboration of the HKMA and the banking sector, desktop display stands and stickers with anti-money laundering messages are placed at counters of retail banks to remind those intending to open bank accounts not to fall into the trap of “renting, lending or selling their accounts”. Additionally, a promotional truck was arranged to tour around various districts, distributing publicity materials to members of the public.

Moreover, the HKMA has been closely monitoring the risks of scams and money laundering activities, and has worked closely with the banking industry, law enforcement agencies and other regulators to launch a series of measures to combat scams, specifically targeting stooge account networks that are used by criminals for money laundering. These measures include requiring banks to expand their use of the Police’s Scameter database to identify suspicious accounts early and alert customers of the associated risks, amendments to the Banking Ordinance to facilitate information sharing among banks, and issuance of detailed guidelines to banks on good practices for protecting customers and combating stooge accounts. Furthermore, the HKMA has stepped up publicity and education efforts, including issuing social media posts and collaborating with banks and law enforcement agencies to organise a series of outreach activities under the campaign “Don’t Lend/Sell Your Accounts”, with a view to raising awareness among members of the public about anti-money laundering and anti-scam.

The Government will continue to make good use of the existing legislations to combat stooge accounts through targeted actions, closely monitor their effectiveness and consider in a timely manner the need to review the existing legislations.

(6) A sub-committee set up under the Law Reform Commission (LRC) completed the first stage of public consultation on cyber-dependent crimes and jurisdictional issues in October 2022. The LRC is now conducting the second stage of the study, focusing on the traditional crime of leveraging computer network to expand the scope of criminal activities. The Government will closely monitor the progress of the LRC’s study and the final recommendations made by the LRC.

Meanwhile, the Police have been taking proactive measures in investigation and intelligence gathering in order to combat the offence of fraud. The Police will also strengthen collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and relevant stakeholders to jointly combat criminal syndicates and cross-boundary/transnational criminal organisations involved in fraudulent activities.
 
Among others, the cross-border anti-fraud collaboration platform “FRONTIER+” was established in October 2024. As of now, the platform comprises a total of 10 countries and regions, namely Australia, Canada, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Indonesia, Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, as its members. During the first joint operation in April this year, “FRONTIER+” successfully identified and dismantled multiple cross-border fraud syndicates, resulting in the arrest of a total of 1 858 people, who were involved in more than 9 200 fraud cases and a total loss amounting to over HK$1.5 billion. More than 32 000 bank accounts were frozen and approximately HK$160 million fraudulent funds were intercepted during the operation.

(7) The HKMA intends to facilitate information sharing among banks under the Banking (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 (the Ordinance) through two designated platforms. The main platform is FINEST operated by the Police, which is already in use by 10 banks for sharing information of corporate accounts. FINEST is currently being upgraded to accommodate information sharing on individual accounts and the 10 banks will transition to the new upgraded platform when it is launched. The other platform is ICLNet, an information platform operated by a subsidiary of Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited. The intention of the HKMA is to let the aforementioned 10 banks to use ICLNet for sharing information in the initial stage. Currently, FINEST and ICLNet have been widely used by the banking sector and banks are not unfamiliar with using these platforms. The HKMA also plans to gradually increase the number of participating banks in order to enhance the effectiveness of information sharing.
 
The HKMA is now working closely with the Police and the banking sector to complete the relevant preparatory work, including the system upgrade of FINEST and formulation of relevant guidelines. The objective is to implement the measures as soon as practicable after the Ordinance comes into operation to further enhance banks’ ability to combat fraud through wider information sharing.

(8) Cross-boundary Credit Referencing (CBCR)
 
Following the launch of the pilot programme of the CBCR initiative by the HKMA and the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) in 2024, the HKMA has been following up with local banks and credit reference agencies to implement and optimise the testing of end-to-end data transmission workflows for corporate and personal customers, which included the integration of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-boundary data validation platform into the processing workflows in April 2025. So far, Southbound data transfers under the pilot programme have facilitated over 20 corporate and personal loans approval amounting to more than HK$260 million, and the “Know-Your-Customer” (KYC) and account opening processes of over 200 businesses. Following the successful pilot outcomes, the HKMA hosted an industry symposium on October 10, 2025 to announce, among others, the regularisation of the CBCR initiative, with a view to supporting the industry in productising the pilot outcomes into market-driven solutions. Based on market needs and feedback, the HKMA will continue to maintain close liaison with the PBoC and other relevant Mainland authorities to explore possible enhancements to the initiatives to facilitate more efficient and scalable transfer, which will in turn benefit businesses and residents on the Mainland and Hong Kong, and contribute to the real economy.
 
Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-boundary data validation platform (DVP)
 
The DVP utilises advanced technologies such as blockchain to enable banks to validate the authenticity of cross-boundary data presented by their customers in a safe and innovative way. Since pilot launching in May 2024 with the support of the HKMA and relevant mainland authorities, the DVP has already provided services to over 10 banks and credit reference agencies and implemented more than 10 business scenarios, including to support Hong Kong banks to validate documents provided by Mainland residents and enterprises to conduct due diligence and risk management work related to account opening and loan approval in a more effective manner. 
 
To make it more convenient for banks to use the DVP, the HKMA facilitated its connection with the Commercial Data Interchange (CDI) in April this year, allowing banks to more simply and directly access the DVP’s services leveraging the existing CDI interface. The HKMA will continue to work with the government, relevant Mainland regulatory authorities and the industry to explore further enhancements and development of the DVP in terms of data types and sources, geographic coverage within the Greater Bay Area and customer experience and user interface, with a view to facilitating Hong Kong banks to provide banking services to Mainland residents and enterprises in Hong Kong while managing the related risks.