MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) announced that, as of 5pm today (August 21), no new case of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded.

“Although there have been no new imported cases of CF in the past six consecutive days, high temperatures and rainfall levels continue to pose a risk of outbreaks of various mosquito-borne diseases in Hong Kong and around the world. Members of the public must remain vigilant and take proper mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and during travel. Individuals experiencing relevant symptoms should seek medical advice promptly and inform their doctors if they have travel history,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui said.

“As the new school year is about to begin, the CHP also urges educational institutions to follow the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)’s anti-mosquito guidelines to strengthen efforts to clear stagnant water on school premises and eliminate mosquito breeding sites. Through the Education Bureau, the CHP will once again remind schools, staff and students to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases on campus. While mosquito-borne diseases are not transmitted from person to person, but it requires the collective effort of the entire community to eliminate mosquito breeding sites in order to effectively prevent such diseases and protect one’s own health and one’s family members,” Dr Tsui added.

The following is the latest situation and relevant health information on major mosquito-borne diseases in Hong Kong and worldwide:

1. CF
 
Hong Kong has recorded nine imported CF cases this year, involving six males and three females aged between 8 and 79 years. Five cases involved individuals who had travelled to Foshan in Guangdong Province during the incubation periods, while four involved individuals who had travelled to Bangladesh. Three patients developed symptoms before returning to Hong Kong and the remaining six patients developed symptoms between the first and the fifth day after returning. Regarding symptoms, all patients experienced fever, and the vast majority (eight cases) reported joint pain, which typically appeared on the same day or the day after the onset of fever. The most commonly affected body parts were the wrists, elbows, knees and ankles.

The public should be aware that, in addition to Foshan in Guangdong Province, many countries worldwide are currently experiencing outbreaks of CF. Before travelling aboard, it is essential to pay attention to the situation of the destinations, and take mosquito prevention and personal protection measures. After returning to Hong Kong from affected areas, it is also necessary to continue monitoring one’s health condition.
 
2. Dengue Fever (DF)

No DF cases were recorded in Hong Kong between August 15 and 20. There have been 41 imported DF cases recorded so far this year. Although the figure is slightly lower than the same period last year, the DF situation remains severe in Hong Kong’s neighbouring regions and worldwide. Hence, the risk of continual occurrence of imported cases is still high.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global incidence of DF has markedly increased over the past two decades. In 2024, over 14 million cases were recorded, setting a new record high. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have each recorded over 20 000 cases so far this year. Singapore has also recorded over 3 000 cases. Meanwhile, according to the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangdong Province has recorded a total of 586 locally infected cases so far this year, with relatively more cases in Guangzhou, Foshan, Chaozhou and Shenzhen.

DF is also transmitted to humans through the bite of female Aedes mosquitoes carrying the DF virus. Symptoms are similar to those of CF, including high fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. The incubation period is usually four to seven days. Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a severe form of DF with increased bleeding tendency; the mortality rate can be as high as 20 per cent. Patients who have a second infection with a different serotype of DF virus are more likely to result in DHF.
 
3. Japanese encephalitis (JE)
 
The CHP yesterday announced an imported case of JE, marking the first such case recorded in Hong Kong since 2020. The primary vector of JE is the Culex tritaeniorhynchus. Mosquitoes breed in areas where there is a lot of stagnant water, such as rice paddies, and become infected when they bite pigs or wild birds infected with the JE virus. The infected mosquitoes then transmit the virus to humans and animals during biting. JE is prevalent in rural areas of Asia and the Western Pacific Region, especially in hot season. In the subtropics and tropics, transmission can occur year-round, often with a peak during the rainy season.

The incubation period from infection to onset of symptoms is four to 14 days. Most patients with JE have mild symptoms, with no significant symptoms other than fever and headache. However, approximately one in every 250 infections is associated with severe illnesses characterised by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis, and even death.
 
4. Zika virus
 
No infection case of Zika virus had been recorded in Hong Kong this year. However, there were two and three imported cases recorded in 2023 and 2024 respectively, involving patients who had visited India and Thailand during incubation period. Surveillance data revealed that a relatively higher number of infection case of Zika virus have been recorded in the Southeast Asia, India and the Americas.

Aedes aegypti, which is the primary vector for Zika virus, is currently not found in Hong Kong, but other Aedes mosquito species (such as Aedes albopictus) are also considered as potential vectors. Symptoms of Zika including rash, fever, conjunctivitis, headache, muscle and joint pain, but most people infected with Zika Virus are asymptomatic. Zika virus infection during pregnancy is a cause of microcephaly and other congenital malformations in infants. Thus, pregnant women should pay close attention to the infection risk and adopt precautions against mosquito-borne diseases if they travel to affected areas.

To raise awareness among the elderly about preventing mosquito-borne diseases, the Visiting Health Teams under the Elderly Health Service of the DH have been advising the elderly on mosquito-borne diseases prevention and tips on travel health at health talks conducted at District Elderly Community Centres and Neighbourhood Elderly Centres. Besides, the Visiting Health Teams have also reminded all residential care homes for the elderly in Hong Kong to enhance mosquito control measures. The DH’s Maternal and Child Health Centres, Student Health Service Centres and Special Assessment Centres also advise pregnant women, infant carers and students on symptoms and preventive measures of the mosquito-borne diseases.

Avoiding mosquito bites and eliminating mosquito breeding sites are effective ways to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. Aedes albopictus, which is the vector for CF, DF and Zika virus, is common in Hong Kong, and Culex tritaeniorhynchus, the primary vector for JE, can also be found in Hong Kong. Members of the public should maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and when travelling outside Hong Kong.

Members of the public returning to Hong Kong from areas affected by mosquito-borne diseases should continue to apply insect repellent and monitor their personal health condition. If they feel unwell, they should seek medical attention immediately and inform their doctors of their travel history. The public should avoid using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), to prevent aggravating the risk of haemorrhage. In general, children should not take medications containing aspirin to relieve fever or other symptoms because it may lead to Reye’s syndrome, a serious and potentially fatal complication.

Members of the public may visit the following pages for more information on mosquito prevention and control: the CF page of the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, and the CHP Facebook Page, Instagram Account and YouTube Channel, and also the Mosquito Prevention and Control dedicated page of the FEHD.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hongkong Post announced today (August 21) that, as advised by the postal administration of Israel, mail delivery services previously affected by the circumstances in the region have returned to normal. Hongkong Post will resume e-Express+, and air letter and packet services to Israel from August 22. However, mail delivery services to Israel are subject to delay.

Members of the public may visit the webpage of Hongkong Post at  www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_1460.html for information on the service availability to various destinations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hongkong Post announced today (August 21) that, as advised by the postal administration of Iraq, mail delivery services previously affected by the circumstances in the region have returned to normal. Hongkong Post will resume air and surface letter and packet services to Iraq from August 22.

Members of the public may visit the webpage of Hongkong Post at www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_1460.html for information on the service availability to various destinations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hongkong Post announced today (August 21) that, as advised by the postal administration of Iran, mail delivery services previously affected by the circumstances in the region have returned to normal. Hongkong Post will resume Speedpost and airmail services to Iran from August 22.

Members of the public may visit the webpage of Hongkong Post at  www.hongkongpost.hk/en/about_us/whats_new/notices/index_id_1460.html for information on the service availability to various destinations.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

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

The Hong Kong Fixed Income and Currency (FIC) Forum 2025, jointly organised by the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), will take place on September 25 (Note 1).

Hong Kong, as the leading Asian international bond issuance hub (Note 2) and the 4th largest global foreign exchange market (Note 3), is actively exploring ways to solidify and advance its position in the FIC markets.

This forum aims to provide a dynamic and multilateral platform for FIC market participants, senior executives from leading financial institutions, senior government officials and regulators. The goal is to facilitate the exchange of strategic insights and visions for the development of Hong Kong’s FIC markets, share perspectives on Hong Kong’s policies in the FIC sector, and discuss latest developments in FIC markets across the Asia-Pacific region.   

     Details of the event programme and other relevant information can be accessed via our dedicated webpage.

Note 1: The FIC Forum is to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong and attendance is by invitation only.

Note 2: The Asian International Bond Markets: Issuance Trends and Dynamics (Fifth Edition, March 2025), the International Capital Market Association, see www.icmagroup.org/assets/documents/About-ICMA/APAC/ICMA-Report-The-Asian-International-Bond-Markets-Issuance-Trends-and-Dynamics-Fifth-Edition-March-2025-110325.pdf.

Note 3: Triennial Central Bank Survey of foreign exchange and Over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets in 2022 (October 2022), the Bank of International Settlements, see www.bis.org/statistics/rpfx22.htm.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui; the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), Mr Andrew Lai; and the Director of Government Logistics, Mr Carlson Chan, met the media after the first meeting of the Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime today (August 21). Following are the remarks:
 
Reporter: Secretary, first of all, looking back at the tendering process so far, can you tell us what specific red flags do you think were missed and how many of those have been caught earlier? And you mentioned that there will be some improvement measures to be carried out in the mid-term of the review by the Task Force. Can you specify what do you mean by mid-term and what kind of measures will be carried out? And finally, you mentioned that the GLD is the primary party to be held responsible for the matter. Have any officials in the department been carried out any sort of disciplinary action?
 
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury: That’s exactly the purpose of my chairing the task force this morning, to make reference to this incident and to identify any systemic issues that we need to deal with at the system and also at the process level. In particular, as you highlighted in your second question, we will look at areas like in terms of the due diligence required and the issues on the contract management and also quality control. These are the relevant aspects that will be covered in our interim result, because what we would expect is that before we make the final announcement, we hopefully would like to get the result earlier than the three months that we said earlier.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, arrived in Beijing yesterday afternoon (August 20) to begin his visit.
 
     Mr Chan first called on the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xu Qifang, and briefed Mr Xu on the latest developments in advancing patriotic education and the progress of organising the 15th National Games in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, also attended the meeting.
 
     Mr Chan stated that since the establishment of the Working Group on Patriotic Education last year, it has formulated short-, medium-, and long-term objectives and policy measures tailored to Hong Kong’s specific circumstances. The group has actively carried out extensive work and achieved remarkable results. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the Central Government for its continued care and support of the HKSAR Government’s promotion of patriotic education. On the other hand, the HKSAR Government is collaborating closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government on preparations for the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games, contributing to the country’s efforts to become a sporting powerhouse. The Government will also leverage this opportunity to deepen co-operation with cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and jointly build a world-class bay area.
 
     This morning (August 21), Mr Chan attended the establishment ceremony of the Patriotic Education Base for Hong Kong and Macao Youth. With the support of the Central Government, the first Patriotism Education Base for Hong Kong and Macao Youth has been established at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, located by the Lugou Bridge. The base aims to provide young students and teachers from Hong Kong and Macao with enhanced first-hand experience, enabling them to study and understand the country’s development, helping them develop a sense of nationhood and national identity, and inspiring patriotic sentiments. The establishment of the first education base holds particular significance as it coincides with the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
 
     At the establishment ceremony, Mr Chan said that the establishment of the Education Base marks an important milestone in Hong Kong’s implementation of patriotic education. The Education Base will serve as a crucial platform for deepening Hong Kong and Macao youth’s affection for their home and country, and their understanding of the country’s history, as well as enhancing their sense of patriotism, which is highly significant in nurturing a new generation devoted to the country and ready to shoulder their mission. He expressed his hope to develop more patriotic education resources nationwide in the future, enabling more Hong Kong and Macao youth to strengthen their national and ethnic identity through site visits and cultural exchange, gain a deeper understanding of the history and achievements of the country, and work together to create a brilliant future for the motherland.
 
     Officials attending the ceremony today included Mr Xu; Vice Mayor of Beijing, Mr Xia Linmao; Mr Chan; Mr Tsang; and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Ms O Lam. The Convenor of the Working Group on Patriotic Education under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee, Dr Starry Lee, also attended the ceremony.
 
     Mr Chan and the delegation concluded their visit and returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Hong Kong Customs has long been committed to promoting Customs co-operation in the Asia-Pacific (A/P) region to combat cross-boundary illicit cigarette activities at source. Fruitful results have been achieved, with various kinds of cross-boundary cigarette smuggling cases detected. During the first half of this year, Customs detected 84 large-scale illicit cigarette smuggling cases and seized about 278 million illicit cigarettes in total, with an estimated market value of about $1.25 billion and a duty potential of about $920 million.
 
Following the Regional Conference on Combating Illicit Cigarettes cohosted with the Australian Border Force in November last year, Hong Kong Customs continues to actively strengthen regional co-operation in the A/P region, and adjusts its enforcement strategies in response to evolving smuggling trends to further step up enforcement actions to curb the inflow of illicit cigarettes at source.
 
Early this year, Hong Kong Customs and the anti-smuggling departments of Mainland Customs mounted a joint radar surveillance operation targeting maritime cigarette smuggling syndicates, detecting four large-scale maritime illicit cigarette smuggling cases, seizing a total of about 49 million illicit cigarettes on four fishing vessels. 
 
Between March and July this year, Hong Kong Customs and Singapore Customs mounted a joint operation codenamed “Cutflow” and detected multiple large-scale cigarette smuggling cases by sea, seizing a total of about 107 million illicit cigarettes in 33 sea-borne containers arriving in Hong Kong from Singapore.
 
Customs also reinforced enforcement actions against air smuggling of illicit cigarettes. During the first half of this year, Customs mounted a special enforcement operation against illicit cigarette smuggling activities involving air passengers, and detected 44 related cases with 48 passengers arrested and a total of about 1.4 million illicit cigarettes seized. Moreover, Customs detected multiple smuggling cases of illicit cigarettes through air parcels and seized a total of about 130 million illicit cigarettes. Eleven controlled delivery operations were conducted, and seven persons were arrested.
 
Customs will continue to maintain close liaison and strengthen intelligence exchanges with Mainland and other law enforcement agencies to vigorously combat cross-boundary illicit cigarette activities.
 
Customs stresses that smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction. Moreover, under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two 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 Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, convened the first meeting of the Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime today (August 21) to follow up on the incident regarding the Government’s procurement of bottled drinking water. Utilising a cross-bureau and cross-departmental approach, the Task Force will review the existing Government procurement regime and procedures arising from the recent incident on the Government’s procurement of bottled drinking water to perform its gatekeeping role effectively and remedy deficiencies.

     The Task Force is chaired by Mr Hui, with members that include the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), Mr Andrew Lai; the Director of Government Logistics, Mr Carlson Chan; and representatives from the Civil Service Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Development Bureau and the Department of Justice.

     The meeting established the direction and scope of the review, and identified certain areas of oversight or deficiencies at the organisational, systemic and implementation levels. In addition, the meeting discussed various improvement proposals.

     The Task Force also set a timetable for the upcoming work with a view to putting forward a review report on the preliminary recommendations available after three months.

     Mr Hui said, “In order to enhance the tendering and procurement procedures at the earliest time, in the interim, we have plans to put forward ready-to-implement proposals on major areas such as due diligence, tender requirements, contract management and quality assurance to enhance gatekeeping at different aspects and remedy deficiencies.”

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), as representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR Government), announced that a tender of 3-year RMB institutional Government Bonds through the re-opening of existing Government Bond (issue number 03GB2807001) under the Infrastructure Bond Programme was held today (August 21).
 
A total of RMB1.25 billion 3-year Government Bonds were offered today. A total of RMB1.793 billion tender applications were received. The bid-to-cover ratio, i.e. the ratio of bonds applied for to bonds issued, is 1.43. The average price accepted is 99.78, implying an annualised yield of 1.673 per cent.
 
HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds Tender Results
 
Tender results of 3-year RMB HKSAR Institutional Government Bonds:
 

Tender Date	:	August 21, 2025
Issue Number	:	03GB2807001 (Re-open)
Stock Code	:	85039 (HKGB1.59 2807-R)
Issue and Settlement Date	:	August 25, 2025
Tenor	:	3 years
Maturity Date	:	July 28, 2028
Coupon Rate	:	1.59 per cent
Amount Applied	:	RMB1.793 billion
Amount Allotted	:	RMB1.25 billion
Bid-to-Cover Ratio*	:	1.43
Average Price Accepted (Yield)	:	99.78 (1.673 per cent (Note 1))
Lowest Price Accepted (Yield)	:	99.43 (1.799 per cent (Note 1))
Pro-rata Ratio	:	About 56 per cent
Average Tender Price (Yield)	:	99.61 (1.735 per cent (Note 1))

* Calculated as the amount of bonds applied for over the amount of bonds issued.
 
Note 1: The yields stated above are annualised yields. For reference, the semi-annualised yields corresponding to the average price accepted, lowest price accepted, and average tender price are 1.666 per cent, 1.791 per cent, and 1.728 per cent respectively.