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Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Police today (August 21) appealed to the public for information on a man and his son who went missing in Hung Hom.

     Tong Kin, aged 49, and his 12-year-old son Tong Mang-shun, Theo, were last seen on Po Loi Street on August 11 morning. Their family made a report to Police on August 19.

     Tong King is about 1.73 metres tall, 65 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a long face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a green T-shirt, blue trousers, black shoes, a pair of black-rimmed glasses and a black cap. Tong Mang-shun, Theo is about 1.45 metres tall, 40 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, light-coloured shorts and black and white shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the two missing persons or may have seen them is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon West on 3661 8038 or 9020 6542, or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Film Programmes Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present the programme “!NSPIRE Series 2025: Integrating the Modern and the Traditional: Chinese Humanism and Hong Kong Cinema” from September 21 to October 25, showcasing 12 films highlighting humanistic values at the Cinema of the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA). Selected films are presented under four themes, namely “Ethos of Family and State”, “Spirit of the Literati”, “The Shine of Being Woman” and “The Legal Dimension”, each comprising two Hong Kong films showcasing Chinese culture and one foreign film as a cultural reference.

     Under the theme “Ethos of Family and State”, “It Was a Cold Winter Night” (1955), adapted from a novel by Ba Jin, depicts the conflicts and struggles of a well-educated married couple in the face of war and between old and new cultures. “The Warlords” (2007) features epic battle scenes as well as multifarious struggles between loyalty and politics in the Taiping Rebellion during the late Qing dynasty. The Japanese film “The Wife’s Confession” (1961) (4K restored version) tells the story of a wife who becomes a suspect in the murder of her husband, prompting reflection on traditional marriage and female representation.
 
     In the theme “Spirit of the Literati”, “Chu Yuan” (1977), written, directed and starring Bow Fong, expresses the patriotic poet Qu Yuan’s political ideals in a solemn manner. Director Ann Hui’s “The Golden Era” (2014) tells of writer Xiao Hong’s devotion to writing during times of material scarcity and political upheaval. Based on the history of the Joseon era, the film “The Book of Fish” (2021) is about the encounters and friendship between an exiled scholar and a local fisherman with a desire for knowledge.
 
     Films in the theme “The Shine of Being Woman” convey the struggles of modern women. In “It So Happens to a Woman” (1955), Hung Sin Nui plays the role of a career woman in the 1950s when society is in the ebbs and flows of the cultures of old and new, illustrating women’s struggles between family and career. “Sisters of the World Unite” (1991) is a story about how two sisters, played by Sylvia Chang and Sally Yeh, in their middle age with distinct personalities and fates support each other through thick and thin. In Korean film “Bound by Chastity Rule” (1962), a young widow becomes pregnant after falling in love with a young man working in a rural village but is separated from her lover and newborn son under the arch of chastity.
 
     In the theme “The Legal Dimension”, the film “The Adulteress” (1962) tells the story of Xiao Bai Cai, who is defiled by the son of a local government official, and later falsely accused of adultery and murdering her husband with her former lover. In “Lawyer Lawyer” (1997), Chan Mong-gut, a legendary lawyer, defends his apprentice framed for a crime in a court of law, reflecting the mentality of ordinary people in a satirical way. The classic American courtroom film “Anatomy of a Murder” (1959) (4K restored version) revolves around a murder case with plenty of complex emotions and motives coming to light as the defence attorney unravels the intricate murder, revealing the thin line between good and evil.
 
     Tickets for film screenings priced at $75 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2734 2900 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en/listing.html?id=80.
 
     All screenings of the Hong Kong films will be accompanied by post-screening talks, hosted by co-curator Sam Ho, film critics Thomas Shin, Caily Mak, Shum Long-tin, and Matthew Cheng, director Lau Shing-hon, as well as scholars Dr Kwok Sze-wing and Prof Yau Ching. Ticket holders of respective screenings will be admitted to the talks with priority. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with free admission.
 
     Four seminars, titled “The Times They are a-Changin'”, “Character, Virtue and the Literati”, “Changing the Gaze” and “Court of Law or Court of Justice?” will be held. The seminars will be hosted by co-curators Sam Ho and Joyce Yang with speakers including scholars Prof Eva Man and Prof Cheng Pei-kai, directors Oliver Chan and Jeffrey Lam, as well as actresses Rachel Leung and Louisa So. The seminars will be conducted at the Cinema of the HKFA and the Function Room AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis with free admission.
 
    The screening programme is also one of the activities in the Chinese Culture Promotion Series. The LCSD has long been promoting Chinese history and culture through organising an array of programmes and activities to enable the public to learn more about the broad and profound Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.ccpo.gov.hk/en/.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 21) that the Environmental Protection Department has classified the water quality at Deep Water Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, as Grade 2, which means the water quality has improved and the beach is suitable for swimming. The red flag has been lowered.

The red flag was hoisted on the beach earlier due to the water quality being classified as Grade 4 and unsuitable for swimming.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Labour Department will conclude the Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work on September 22 as planned, in view of the participation rate and the need to utilise public resources effectively.

Making the announcement today, the department said that as of the end of July, a total of 2,309 injured employees, or about half of the original estimate, had joined the pilot scheme, with 1,729 of them having recovered after treatment.

The programme will stop accepting new applications from September 23, although the relevant office will continue to provide assistance to cases that still require rehabilitation treatment and follow-up services.

Launched on September 23, 2022, the three-year pilot adopts a case-management approach to provide timely private outpatient rehabilitation treatment services to injured construction employees.

The scope of the scheme was later was extended to cover the catering and hotel sector, as well as transportation and logistics.

Call 2293 7000 for enquiries.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui today convened the first meeting of the Task Force on Review of Government Procurement Regime to follow up on the incident regarding the Government’s procurement of bottled drinking water. 

Mr Hui, who chairs the task force 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.”

Apart from establishing the direction and scope of the review on the existing government procurement regime and procedures, certain areas of oversight or deficiencies at the organisational, systemic and implementation levels were also identified.

The task force also discussed various improvement proposals and set a timetable for the upcoming work with a view to putting forward a review report on the preliminary recommendations which will be available after three months.

Members of the Task Force include Permanent Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury (Treasury) Andrew Lai, Director of Government Logistics Carlson Chan and representatives from the Civil Service Bureau, the Commerce & Economic Development Bureau, the Development Bureau and the Department of Justice.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Overall consumer prices rose 1% in July, a smaller increase than the 1.4% registered in June, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

Netting out the effects of the Government’s one-off relief measures, the underlying inflation rate was 1%, the same as that seen in June.

Compared with a year before, price increases were recorded in July in the following categories: housing; alcoholic drinks and tobacco; transport; meals out and takeaway food; miscellaneous services; electricity, gas and water; and miscellaneous goods.

Meanwhile, year-on-year decreases were logged in clothing and footwear; durable goods; and basic food.

The Government said consumer price inflation stayed modest in July, and that price pressures on major components were largely contained.

As pressures from domestic costs and external prices stay broadly in check, overall inflation should remain modest in the near term, it added.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Labour Department (LD) announced today (August 21) that the Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work (Pilot Programme) will cease accepting applications starting September 23.
 
A spokesperson for the LD said, “As of the end of July 2025, a total of  2 309 injured employees have participated in the Pilot Programme, and 1 729 of them have recovered after treatment, with the number of participants about half of the original estimate. Having considered the participation rate of the Pilot Programme and the need to utilise public resources effectively, the LD decided that the Pilot Programme will conclude on September 22, 2025, as originally scheduled, and cease accepting applications.”
 
The Work Injury Rehabilitation Office (WIRO) will continue to operate for a period under the Pilot Programme after September 23, 2025, to provide services to cases admitted before this date that still require rehabilitation treatment and follow-up services.
 
The LD launched the three-year Pilot Programme on September 23, 2022. The Pilot Programme adopts a case-management approach to provide timely private outpatient rehabilitation treatment services to participating injured employees. During this period, the LD promoted the Pilot Programme through various rehabilitation bodies, labour organisations, employer associations, the media, and others. In May 2024, the LD expanded the coverage of the Pilot Programme from the construction industry to the catering and hotel industry, as well as the transportation and logistics industry.
 
For details, please visit the dedicated webpage of the WIRO (www.prp-wiro.gov.hk) or call 2293 7000 for enquiries.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (August 21) the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for July 2025. According to the Composite CPI, overall consumer prices rose by 1.0% in July 2025 over the same month a year earlier, smaller than the corresponding increase (1.4%) in June 2025. The smaller increase in July 2025 was mainly due to the lower ceiling of rates concession in June 2025 when compared with the same month last year, whereas there was no such concession in July in both years. Netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures, the year-on-year rate of increase in the Composite CPI (i.e. the underlying inflation rate) in July 2025 was 1.0%, the same as that in June 2025.

     On a seasonally adjusted basis, the average monthly rate of change in the Composite CPI for the 3-month period ending July 2025 was 0.2%, and that for the 3-month period ending June 2025 was 0.0%. Netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures, the corresponding rates of change were both 0.1%.

     Analysed by sub-index, the year-on-year rates of increase in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 1.5%, 0.9% and 0.6% respectively in July 2025, as compared to 2.1%, 1.3% and 0.9% respectively in June 2025. Netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures, the year-on-year rates of increase in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 1.4%, 0.9% and 0.6% respectively in July 2025, as compared to 1.5%, 0.9% and 0.7% respectively in June 2025.

     On a seasonally adjusted basis, for the 3-month period ending July 2025, the average monthly rates of change in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 0.4%, 0.2% and 0.1% respectively. The corresponding rates of change for the 3-month period ending June 2025 were all 0.0%. Netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures, the average monthly rates of change in the seasonally adjusted CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) for the 3-month period ending July 2025 were 0.1%, 0.1% and 0.0% respectively, and the corresponding rates of change for the 3-month period ending June 2025 were 0.2%, 0.1% and 0.0% respectively.

     Amongst the various components of the Composite CPI, year-on-year increases in prices were recorded in July 2025 for housing (1.8%), alcoholic drinks and tobacco (1.7%), transport (1.4%), meals out and takeaway food (1.3%), miscellaneous services (1.0%), electricity, gas and water (0.7%), and miscellaneous goods (0.3%).

     On the other hand, year-on-year decreases in the components of the Composite CPI were recorded in July 2025 for clothing and footwear (-3.3%), durable goods (-2.3%), and basic food (-0.1%).

     Taking the first 7 months of 2025 together, the Composite CPI rose by 1.6% over a year earlier. The respective increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 2.2%, 1.4% and 1.1% respectively. The corresponding increases after netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures were 1.2%, 1.5%, 1.0% and 0.9% respectively.

     For the 3 months ending July 2025, the Composite CPI rose by 1.5% over a year earlier, while the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) rose by 2.1%, 1.3% and 0.9% respectively. The corresponding increases after netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures were 1.0%, 1.4%, 0.9% and 0.7% respectively.

     For the 12 months ending July 2025, the Composite CPI was on average 1.7% higher than that in the preceding 12-month period. The respective increases in the CPI(A), CPI(B) and CPI(C) were 2.2%, 1.5% and 1.3% respectively. The corresponding increases after netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures were 1.2%, 1.4%, 1.1% and 1.0% respectively.

Commentary

     A Government spokesman said that consumer price inflation stayed modest in July. The underlying Composite CPI increased by 1.0% over a year earlier, same as the increase in the preceding month. Price pressures on major components were largely contained.

     Looking ahead, as pressures from domestic costs and external prices stay broadly in check, overall inflation should remain modest in the near term.

Further information

     The CPIs and year-on-year rates of change at section level for July 2025 are shown in Table 1. The time series on the year-on-year rates of change in the CPIs before and after netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures are shown in Table 2. For discerning the latest trend in consumer prices, it is also useful to look at the changes in the seasonally adjusted CPIs. The time series on the average monthly rates of change during the latest 3 months for the seasonally adjusted CPIs are shown in Table 3. The rates of change in the original and the seasonally adjusted Composite CPI and the underlying inflation rate are presented graphically in Chart 1.

     More detailed statistics are given in the “Monthly Report on the Consumer Price Index”. Users can browse and download this publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1060001&scode=270).

     For enquiries about the CPIs, please contact the Consumer Price Index Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7374 or email: cpi@censtatd.gov.hk).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Opening Ceremony of the Belt and Road Software Pavilion (Hong Kong) 2025 today (August 21):

Duncan (President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council and Member of the Legislative Council, Mr Duncan Chiu), 錦� (Honorary President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council and Member of the Legislative Council, Professor William Wong), Tony (Chair of the Organising Committee of the Belt and Road Software Pavilion 2025, Mr Tony Hau), Consuls-General, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to join you all today at the opening ceremony of the second edition of the Belt and Road Software Pavilion. Let me first extend my sincere thanks to the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council and the Chamber of Hong Kong Computer Industry for organising this important flagship event. To all our distinguished guests who have travelled from near and far, a very warm welcome to Hong Kong.

As we speak about the Belt and Road, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on the enduring spirit of the Initiative. Since it was first proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative has been guided by the core principles of connectivity, openness, mutual respect and shared prosperity. Over the years, its breadth and depth of co-operation have been continuously expanding. Beyond physical infrastructure development across continents, technological collaboration has become an increasingly vital dimension.

Recent studies show that China’s technology-related investments in Belt and Road countries have grown significantly, from US$24 billion in 2023 to over US$30 billion in 2024. In just the first half of this year, such investments have already reached US$23 billion, more than doubling year on year. 

We take pride in China’s emergence as a global leader in innovation – particularly in cutting-edge areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and green tech. Chinese innovators and start-ups are making their mark on the global stage by offering solutions that not only rival the best in the world, but are also open, cost-effective and inclusive. These advancements are creating real impact, improving lives, and enabling sustainable growth in Belt and Road economies.   

In today’s interconnected world, digital transformation is reshaping industries, governments and communities. At the same time, it has also brought about daunting challenges – from widening digital divide and rising cybersecurity risks, to increased technological fragmentation. These challenges cannot be addressed by any single economy alone. They demand open dialogue, deeper collaboration and cross-border partnerships. 

That is why I am pleased to see events like today’s to take place in Hong Kong. The Pavilion this year brings together over 120 innovation and technology enterprises from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and beyond. From fintech and smart healthcare, to cloud computing, 5G technology and city management, this place showcases a broad spectrum of digital solutions. It is a vivid demonstration of how we can work together to harness the power of innovation and technology to uplift communities and improve lives across regions. 
 
Today’s event also highlights two key value propositions of Hong Kong. First, under the “one country, two systems” framework, Hong Kong remains a free and open economy with the free flow of capital, data, talent and goods. We serve as a “super connector”, a platform that welcomes and facilitates technological exchanges, collaboration and investment. For users and partners from Belt and Road countries and the Global South, Hong Kong offers access not only to world-class technologies and expertise from across the globe, but also a full range of funding support. For solution developers and tech providers, Hong Kong offers internationally acknowledged testing grounds, professional services, and seamless access to global markets and capital. 

Second, Hong Kong – together with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – is fast emerging as the world’s leading centre for I&T. I am confident that many of our homegrown innovations, which are showcased here today, will attract international interest. Indeed, many of our start-ups have already found success in overseas markets. Over the past few years, we have launched a comprehensive strategy to accelerate I&T development in four key areas: AI, biotech, fintech, and new energy and new materials. We have made substantial investments to build a vibrant eco-system. From supporting basic translational research and commercialisation, to incubating start-ups and attracting enterprises and talent, we are scaling up Hong Kong’s tech ecosystem from upstream to downstream.  

In terms of digital policy, over the past two years, we have put in place an action plan, covering such areas as digital infrastructure and governance, digital transformation, cross-boundary flows of data and talent development. Our vision is to unlock the full value of data, and enhance economic inclusiveness through digitalisation. In particular, Hong Kong’s unique position as a convergence point for both Mainland and international data gives us a distinct advantage in developing data-driven industries such as AI and biotech. 

As of last year, Hong Kong was home to around 4 700 start-ups, representing a 40 per cent increase since 2020. Notably, about 30 per cent of these start-ups were founded by entrepreneurs from outside Hong Kong, reflecting our city’s global connectivity and appeal. Our tech ecosystem is open and welcoming, and we look forward to more talent from around the world to join us and thrive together. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot better conclude by reiterating the spirit of openness, mutual respect, collaboration and shared progress that lies at the heart of the Belt and Road Initiative. This is what this event echoes. I am confident that the event today will once again be a dynamic platform for experience sharing, knowledge exchanges and partnership-building. I wish you all a fruitful, rewarding and inspiring event, and the best of health and business for the time to come. 

Thank you.