MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Chief Executive John Lee today attended commemorative events marking the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Mr Lee led a delegation to join the commemorative rally and massive military parade in the morning.

Helicopters flew over Tian’anmen Square formed the number 80 and carried banners that read “Justice Prevails,” “Peace Prevails,” and “The People Prevail.” 

The grand parade included 45 formations and echelons passing through Tiananmen Square or fly crossing the sky. A range of new armaments were also shown.

Eighty thousands pigeons and 80,000 balloons were released to the sky to close the ceremony.

Mr Lee also attended a reception at noon.

The members of the delegation include the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Principal Officials and representatives from the Judiciary, the Legislative Council and the District Councils, as well as patriots who participated in the War of Resistance, veterans and their descendants.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Today (September 3) marks the Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. On this 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, the Public Records Office (PRO) of the Government Records Service (GRS) has specially curated its annual thematic exhibition, this one entitled “Unyielding Land, Eternal Heroes: 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance”, featuring precious archives and documented heritage for members of the public to revisit Hong Kong’s painful period during the Japanese occupation (1941-1945) and understand the heroic resistance of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column against the enemy.

On December 25, 1941, Hong Kong entered three years and eight months of Japanese occupation, during which residents suffered from the invasion, severe food shortages and various hardships. During the early stages of the Japanese occupation, the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column broke through enemy defence lines, successfully rescuing groups of prominent figures in various sectors. Throughout the Japanese occupation, they braved life-and-death danger to engage in combat with the Japanese army, penetrating deep into enemy territories and waters to restrain and attack enemy forces.

This exhibition showcases over 120 selected items, including photographs documenting the daily marches of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column and paintings depicting their heroic victories against the enemy, a name list of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column who died in the defence of Hong Kong, the “Register of Enemy Properties” documenting property confiscated by the Japanese Military Government, etc. Additionally, the items reveal stories including the then Hong Kong Government pursuing after the war the recovery of books from the libraries of the University of Hong Kong looted by the Japanese forces, the demolition of the Japanese War Memorial, etc. The precious documented heritage bears witness to the harsh lives of Hong Kong residents during the Japanese occupation and the fearless spirit of the anti-Japanese heroes.

The thematic exhibition is open from today onwards from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.45pm (except public holidays), at the Exhibition Hall on the second floor of the Hong Kong Public Records Building at 13 Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon. Admission is free. In addition to distinctive photo spots, visitors can also experience the weight of the daily rice ration of “6.4 taels” during the Japanese occupation, understanding the hardships of people’s lives at that time.

To provide members of the public with a better understanding of this history, the PRO has developed a thematic online exhibition (www.grs.gov.hk/ws/online/80VWR/en/home/index.html). Its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/grs.publicrecordsoffice) will regularly share selected exhibition content and historical stories.

The PRO will also organise roving exhibitions of this thematic exhibition in various districts of Hong Kong. Details will be announced on the GRS website (www.grs.gov.hk) and the PRO Facebook page later. For enquiries, please contact the PRO at 2195 7700 or email to proinfo@grs.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (September 3) chaired the 26th meeting of the Commission on Children.
 
     At the meeting, members were briefed by the Hong Kong Police Force on the current initiatives to protect children and prevent them from victimisation, which include various promotional campaigns and the provision of both online and offline resources, thereby creating a safe and healthy environment for children’s growth and development by focusing on the enhancement of education and awareness among children, parents and educators. With the advancement of technology, the Internet has become an integrated part of children’s daily lives. The Police are also stepping up efforts to enhance children’s fraud prevention awareness in the digital era and fostering community collaboration to ensure that children can explore safely in the digital landscape.
 
     The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) also briefed members on their efforts in promoting the arts and cultural development for children. The Government announced the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development in November last year, setting out a clear vision, principles, and strategic direction for the future development of the arts, culture and creative industries. Many of these measures specifically aim at children. The CSTB, Leisure and Cultural Services Department and relevant public organisations have been organising arts festivals and different programmes, promoting arts education and training, and enhancing infrastructure and facilities to foster children’s whole-person development and enhance their cultural confidence, creativity and emotional intelligence.
 
     Members welcomed the various measures implemented by the Government in protecting children and promoting the arts and cultural development for them, and provided suggestions on how to further advance the relevant work.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Government announced today (September 3) that the Chief Executive, on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, has reappointed the following Judges of the Court of First Instance of the High Court as Panel Judges under the Interception of Communications and Surveillance Ordinance (Chapter 589) (the Ordinance):

(1) Madam Justice Lisa Wong Kwok-ying for another term of three years from September 4, 2025, to September 3, 2028; and
(2) Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah for another term of three years from November 4, 2025, to November 3, 2028.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, said, “Madam Justice Lisa Wong Kwok-ying and Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah have demonstrated full dedication in handling the law enforcement agencies’ applications for authorisations under the Ordinance during the past terms. I am confident that, on reappointment, they will continue to work with the other Panel Judge, Mr Justice Poon Siu-tung, to make use of their expertise and experience to ensure the effective operation of the regulatory regime under the Ordinance.”

The Ordinance provides a comprehensive statutory framework for regulating the conduct of interception and covert surveillance by law enforcement agencies, and aims to strike a balance between maintaining law and order and protecting the privacy rights of individuals. Under the Ordinance, Panel Judges shall consider applications for authorisations of interception and Type 1 surveillance and for device retrieval warrants.     

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

​Hong Kong Customs detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport today (September 3) and seized about four kilograms of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of about $2 million.

A 48-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Johannesburg, South Africa, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected methamphetamine inside his check-in backpack. He was subsequently arrested.

The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (September 4).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking 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

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) today (September 3) released the statistics on vessels, port cargo and containers for the second quarter of 2025.
 
     In the second quarter of 2025, total port cargo throughput decreased by 7.5% to 42.4 million tonnes over a year earlier.  Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 11.7% and 0.4% to 25.3 million tonnes and 17.1 million tonnes respectively.
 
     For the first half of 2025, total port cargo throughput decreased by 5.7% to 83.5 million tonnes over a year earlier.  Within this total, inward port cargo decreased by 11.3% to 49.8 million tonnes, while outward port cargo increased by 3.8% to 33.8 million tonnes.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, total port cargo throughput decreased by 7.5% in the second quarter of 2025. Within this total, inward port cargo and outward port cargo decreased by 6.5% and 8.9% respectively compared with the preceding quarter. The seasonally adjusted series enables more meaningful shorter-term comparison to be made for discerning possible variations in trends.
 
Port cargo
 
     In the second quarter of 2025, within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 6.6% and 8.8% to 26.5 million tonnes and 15.9 million tonnes respectively over a year earlier.
 
     In the first half of 2025, within port cargo, seaborne and river cargo decreased by 5.2% and 6.6% to 52.4 million tonnes and 31.1 million tonnes respectively over a year earlier.
 
     Comparing the second quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, a double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Singapore (+31.8%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (-39.9%), Korea (-28.5%), Malaysia (-26.9%), Japan (-25.5%), Thailand (-24.4%), Vietnam (-22.8%) and Chile (-15.6%). For outward port cargo, a double-digit increase was recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Australia (+25.9%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the United States of America (-45.1%), the Philippines (-28.9%), Vietnam (-28.6%), Thailand (-19.9%) and Japan (-13.5%).
 
     Comparing the first half of 2025 with a year earlier, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Chile (+12.5%) and Singapore (+11.4%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo loaded in Indonesia (-27.3%), Vietnam (-26.9%), Malaysia (-24.3%), Korea (-23.9%), Thailand (-22.8%), Japan (-20.0%) and Taiwan (-14.6%).  For outward port cargo, double-digit increases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in Australia (+27.0%), Taiwan (+15.1%) and the mainland of China (+12.0%). On the other hand, double-digit decreases were recorded in the tonnage of outward port cargo discharged in the United States of America (-38.4%), the Philippines (-29.8%), Vietnam (-23.8%), Thailand (-23.2%), Japan (-17.7%) and Malaysia (-16.4%).
 
     Comparing the second quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+28.7%), “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-18.6%), “stone, sand and gravel” (-30.4%) and “coal, coke and briquettes” (-42.3%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel” (+23.5%), “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+19.9%), “pulp and waste paper” (-10.3%) and “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-18.4%).
 
     Comparing the first half of 2025 with a year earlier, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of inward port cargo of “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+26.8%), “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-16.8%), “coal, coke and briquettes” (-27.1%) and “stone, sand and gravel” (-34.0%). As for outward port cargo, double-digit changes were recorded in the tonnage of “stone, sand and gravel” (+58.1%), “metalliferous ores and metal scrap” (+17.8%) and “artificial resins and plastic materials” (-19.5%).
 
Containers
 
     In the second quarter of 2025, the port of Hong Kong handled 3.20 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, representing a decrease of 7.0% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden and empty containers decreased by 5.7% and 12.1% to 2.58 million TEUs and 0.63 million TEUs respectively. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 7.1% and 4.0% to 1.36 million TEUs and 1.21 million TEUs respectively.
 
     For the first half of 2025, the port of Hong Kong handled 6.58 million TEUs of containers, representing a decrease of 2.8% over a year earlier. Within this total, laden containers decreased by 4.5% to 5.16 million TEUs, while empty containers increased by 3.9% to 1.42 million TEUs. Among laden containers, inward and outward containers decreased by 5.0% and 3.8% to 2.75 million TEUs and 2.40 million TEUs respectively.
 
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, laden container throughput decreased by 8.5% in the second quarter of 2025. Within this total, inward and outward laden containers decreased by 11.0% and 5.4% respectively.
 
     In the second quarter of 2025, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 5.1% and 6.9% to 1.82 million TEUs and 0.76 million TEUs respectively over a year earlier.
 
     In the first half of 2025, seaborne and river laden containers decreased by 4.2% and 5.1% to 3.64 million TEUs and 1.52 million TEUs respectively over a year earlier.
 
Vessel arrivals
 
     Comparing the second quarter of 2025 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals increased by 7.3% to 4 900, with the total capacity also increasing by 4.5% to 74.0 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 3.6% to 20 094, while the total capacity increased by 11.6% to 23.6 million net tons.
 
     Comparing the first half of 2025 with a year earlier, the number of ocean vessel arrivals increased by 3.1% to 9 406, with the total capacity also increasing by 0.3% to 144.8 million net tons. Meanwhile, the number of river vessel arrivals decreased by 2.2% to 39 894, while the total capacity increased by 16.8% to 46.7 million net tons.
 
Further information
 
     Port cargo and laden container statistics are compiled from a sample of consignments listed in the cargo manifests supplied by shipping companies and agents to the C&SD. Vessel statistics are compiled by the Marine Department primarily from general declarations submitted by ship masters and authorised shipping agents. Pleasure vessels and fishing vessels plying exclusively within the river trade limits are excluded.
 
     Table 1 presents the detailed port cargo statistics.
 
     Table 2 and Table 3 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by main countries/territories of loading and discharge.
 
     Table 4 and Table 5 respectively present the inward and outward port cargo statistics by principal commodities.
 
     Table 6 presents the detailed container statistics.
 
     Table 7 presents the statistics on vessel arrivals in Hong Kong.
 
     More detailed statistics on port cargo, containers and vessels are published in the report “Hong Kong Shipping Statistics, Second Quarter 2025”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020008&scode=230).
 
     For enquiries about port cargo and container statistics, please contact the Electronic Trading Services and Cargo Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 2126 or email: shipping@censtatd.gov.hk). For enquiries about vessel statistics, readers may contact the Statistics Section under the Planning, Development and Port Security Branch of the Marine Department (Tel: 2852 3662 or email: st-sec@mardep.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region