MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Today (April 25) is the sixth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five middle-zone floors of Wang Cheong House and 11 high-zone floors of Wang Yan House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.
 
A total of 123 households (444 people) registered to return to their units today through the “one social worker per household” service, while 124 households (459 people) actually turned up. 
 
The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 33 minutes, with the shortest time being 21 minutes and the longest four hours and eight minutes. About 65 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 27 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About four per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.
 
A total of 54 households (125 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 30 households (83 people) made one additional trip, 15 households (27 people) made two additional trips, 5 households (9 people) made three additional trips, and 4 households (6 people) made four additional trips.

The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received 9 cases requesting police assistance and 1 case involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort.
 
The 9 cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including watches, jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and lost property was recovered in 6 cases. In another 3 cases, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire.

The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents. 
 
Under the “Government-wide Mobilisation” mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Lands Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department. They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, while those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day (including today) are from the EMSD and LCSD.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​A delegation of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government on a national affairs study led by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, visited the Hong Kong and Sichuan Youth’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community in Chengdu this morning (April 25).
 
Located on the campus of a vocational college, the Community features an integration of industry and education, connecting several Hong Kong tertiary institutions. It assists Hong Kong youth in starting businesses in Sichuan, and provides them with opportunities to learn and intern at Sichuan enterprises.
 
Hong Kong will have a bright future only when its young people have good career prospects. Mrs Yeung, along with several Permanent Secretaries responsible for youth, education, entrepreneurship and employment, took the opportunity to chat with Hong Kong youth who are starting businesses or studying in Chengdu to learn about their living conditions and career plans.
 
     The Sichuan Youth’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Community offers another pathway for Hong Kong youth. Among them, some pursue advanced studies in Chinese medicine in Chengdu after graduating from universities in Hong Kong; some leverage their knowledge as baristas and on confections to start businesses in the community; and some, drawn by Chengdu’s trendy culture and music, come to the city to pursue their passion for music.
 
Summing up the study programme, Mrs Yeung said that under the thoughtful arrangements of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government and the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, the most senior officers in the civil service of the HKSAR Government concluded their study and visits in Beijing and Chengdu. In addition to studying at the National Academy of Governance, officers have gained, from the on-site visits in Chengdu, deeper understanding of the implementation and experience of national planning at the local level, as well as the latest developments across various sectors including high-tech industrial park, innovation and technology, low-altitude mobility, cultural tourism and conservation. This trip will certainly benefit officers in their future work, while strengthening ties and friendnship between officials of Sichuan and Hong Kong, as well as Chengdu and Hong Kong.
 
Mrs Yeung added that the Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments play crucial roles in the formulation of Hong Kong’s first five-year plan. They will then focus on seizing opportunities to promote high-quality economic developments and the well-being of the people in Hong Kong, while integrating into and serving the national overall development.
 
The delegation of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of the HKSAR Government on a national affairs study departed for Beijing and Chengdu for study and duty visit on April 19. They concluded the visit in Chengdu and departed for Hong Kong this afternoon.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, inspected the passing-out parade for 34 probationary inspectors and 165 recruit police constables at the Hong Kong Police College today (April 25), and witnessed their official transition from trainees to law enforcers, taking on the responsibility of serving and protecting society with utmost professionalism.
 
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Lam said that the rule of law is the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s success, with the Force as the first line of defence in upholding it. He said policing is not only about enforcing the law but, more importantly, about providing assurance to citizens and creating a safer society through its operations. The challenges in policing nowadays have become increasingly complex. Whether it is safeguarding national security, combating technology crimes, or managing large-scale events, police officers have to possess legal knowledge and be able to make the right decisions in dynamic environments. Upholding such professionalism is by no means easy.
 
He said that a harmonious and stable society is built upon mutual trust between the Police and the community. He expressed the hope that every graduate would carry out their duties in the future with fairness and impartiality, safeguarding the rule of law while attending to the needs of the public. He said he believed that as long as police officers adhere to their principles, while also being reasonable and compassionate, convincing others through sound reasoning and treating them with sincerity, they will earn the respect and support of citizens, thereby ensuring smoother law enforcement.
 
Mr Lam pointed out that Hong Kong is at the crucial stage of advancing from stability to prosperity. Despite the challenges ahead, he had full confidence in the graduates, who have undergone the most professional training and have shouldered the expectations of the community.
 
He said the graduates are the future of the Force and Hong Kong, and encouraged them to stay true to their original aspirations. They should uphold the rule of law and serve the people in the spirit of the Police motto “Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty”, and steadfastly contribute to safeguarding national security and ensuring the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, DC, (HKETO, Washington DC), hosted on April 24 (Washington time) a briefing on opportunities in Hong Kong’s life and health sciences industry.
 
The event, entitled “Hong Kong: Current Landscape and Development Opportunities in the Life Sciences Sector”, was held under the Economic and Trade Express initiative. It was jointly organised by Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) New York Office. The event featured a presentation by co-founder of ElohaX, co-director of the University of Hong Kong-Cambridge AI to Advance Wellbeing and Society Research Platform and Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge, Professor Jacqueline Lam, on leveraging the strength of Hong Kong being a global “super connector” as well as a hub for converging talent, AI innovation and translational research that successfully transforms research into commercialisation.
 
The event was attended by members of the Washington Intergovernmental Professional Group and locals from various sectors, including life and health science professionals, federal and local government representatives of the United States (US), think tanks, businesses and other private sector entities.
 
The Director of the HKETO, Washington DC, Ms Elania Luk, said that with Hong Kong’s prominent status as an international financial centre and international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, good human capital (including world-class education institutions and top talent attraction programmes), holistic government support and a strong business and start-up presence, Hong Kong is poised for strong growth in the life and science sector. 
 
“Hong Kong is the second-largest biotech funding hub globally, following only New York. Our listing rules allow pre-revenue companies to list and raise capital. In addition, Hong Kong is home to five of the world’s top 100 universities with a world-class research landscape supported by the Hong Kong Science Park and the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone.
 
“Hong Kong is actively advancing the integrated development of life and health technology at upstream, midstream and downstream levels. On upstream research and development (R&D), we will pursue its development through Life and Health Technology Research Institute and various R&D centres under the InnoHK research clusters. On midstream outcome transformation, the Research, Academic, and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme has supported 15 projects. As for downstream industries, three major I&T parks together host nearly 500 relevant enterprises and organisations, creating a vibrant ecosystem,” Ms Luk added. 
 
The Head of Business and Talent Attraction/Investment Promotion at InvestHK New York Office, Ms Xie Yi, spoke of how the office can provide bespoke services to US companies wishing to set up or expand their operations in Hong Kong to capitalise on regional markets and shared success stories of life and health sciences companies using Hong Kong as a platform for business development and expansion.
 
The Director (New York & Midwest) of the HKTDC, Mr Curtis Louie,  introduced how the Asia Summit on Global Health – one of Hong Kong’s flagship exhibition events which will take place on May 11 and 12 – would be relevant for American businesses and how the office’s support services and strong networks can facilitate commercial and market opportunities.
 
Professor Lam shared how ElohaX seeks to improve health and quality of life through AI innovation, particularly with regard to research and therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. She spoke of Hong Kong being a launch pad for interdisciplinary AI innovation.
 
Attendees also enjoyed an exhibition of curated paintings under the theme of “Hong Kong: Our Home”. The paintings were commissioned by the Social Welfare Department under the Arts Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities, in collaboration with various non-governmental organisations. The paintings, among other things, exemplify Hong Kong’s efforts in unleashing the potential of persons with disabilities in artistic activities and their contribution to society.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its seventh day today, with the reopening of five middle-zone floors at Wang Cheong House and 10 low-zone floors at Wang Tao House. 

Supported by the “one social worker per household” service, 424 residents from 116 households returned to their units – slightly exceeding the 418 individuals initially registered. The Government described the access arrangements as orderly. 

Residents spent an average of two hours and 26 minutes on-site. Recorded stays ranged from a minimum of 21 minutes to a maximum of nearly four hours. Approximately 77% of residents completed their visits in under three hours, while 26% stayed for less than two hours and 4% left within an hour. 

Regarding movement, 151 individuals from 62 households made multiple trips to their units. Most made one or two additional entries, while a small group of nine people from six households made up to six trips.

The integrated enquiry counter handled nine requests for assistance today, including seven cases requiring police attention, one report of physical discomfort, and one request for psychological counselling services. 

The police cases primarily concerned suspected property loss, involving items such as watches, jewellery, cash and gold. Officers were immediately deployed to assist with searches, successfully recovering lost property in five cases. The remaining two cases are under further investigation. 

The Government noted that over 1,000 personnel are deployed daily to support residents returning to their units. This multi-departmental team includes staff from Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department and the Housing Bureau, alongside members of District Services & Community Care Teams. 

Additionally, under the Government-wide Mobilisation mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau co-ordinated nine departments to form the Government Quick Response Unit to facilitate access arrangements. Civil servants mobilised today were drawn from the Lands Department and the Water Supplies Department.

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

President Lai addresses banquet for visiting dignitaries to Kingdom of Eswatini via video  
On the morning of April 26, President Lai Ching-te addressed a banquet for visiting dignitaries hosted by the Kingdom of Eswatini, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan, at Eswatini’s International Convention Centre via video. In his remarks, President Lai congratulated King Mswati III on the 40th anniversary of his accession and commemorated Eswatini’s historic triple milestone of 58’s on behalf of the people of Taiwan.
Noting that these milestones have been the result of His Majesty’s brilliant and outstanding leadership over the past 40 years, President Lai stated that Eswatini shines due to its tremendous progress in the areas of infrastructure, social welfare, healthcare, and regional stability. He also stated that the outcomes of our countries’ efforts to foster mutual prosperity have shown the world our robust partnership. The president thanked Eswatini for staunchly supporting Taiwan’s international participation, and emphasized that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign country that belongs to the world. He indicated that its 23 million people have the right to engage with the international community, and that no country has the right to block, or should seek to block, Taiwan’s efforts to contribute to the world. President Lai stated that Taiwan will strengthen its capabilities and steadily deepen global engagement.
A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows:
It is a great honor to represent the people of Taiwan today to commemorate the Ruby Jubilee of His Majesty King Mswati III and celebrate the historic triple milestone of 58’s in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
The three milestones are His Majesty’s 58th birthday, the 58th anniversary of the kingdom’s independence, and 58 years of diplomatic relations between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Eswatini. This special occasion is a national celebration in Eswatini. It is also a powerful symbol of the staunch partnership between our two countries.
These achievements have been the result of His Majesty’s brilliant and outstanding leadership over the past 40 years. Today, Eswatini shines as a jewel of Africa due to its tremendous progress in the areas of infrastructure, social welfare, healthcare, and regional stability. In particular, over 85 percent of the people of Eswatini now have access to electricity, one of the highest rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Over these 58 years, Eswatini’s economy has witnessed 61-fold growth. The kingdom enjoys strong prospects, and its sovereignty is more secure than ever.
The outcomes of our countries’ efforts to foster mutual prosperity have shown the world that sincere friendship and robust cooperation between nations can forge a brighter future for both peoples.
I still vividly remember His Majesty’s visit to Taiwan two years ago. He led a delegation to attend my and Vice President [Bi-khim] Hsiao’s inauguration. At that time, he highlighted such projects as the women’s microfinance revolving fund and the strategic oil reserve facility.
Current tensions in the Gulf region are a clear reminder of the importance of energy security. The strategic oil reserve facility that Taiwan and Eswatini are working together to establish is scheduled for completion in 2028. This initiative will help safeguard against future energy shocks. It also reflects His Majesty’s foresight, commitment, and courage to protect his country.
Furthermore, the Taiwan Industrial Innovation Park is expected to attract more foreign capital and companies to Eswatini, thus generating more jobs for the people.
Beyond national development, Taiwan looks forward to cooperating with Eswatini to make even greater contributions to the world.
Your Majesty and the Eswatini government have staunchly supported Taiwan’s international participation. The people of Taiwan and I are extremely grateful. I wish I were there to extend the best wishes of the people of Taiwan to Your Majesty and to the people of Eswatini.
The ROC (Taiwan) is a sovereign country; it belongs to the world. Our 23 million people have the right to engage with the international community. The greater the external pressure we face, the more courage and resolve we have. We will strengthen our capabilities and steadily deepen our global engagement. No country has the right to block our efforts to contribute to the world, nor should any seek to do so.
To us, the people of Eswatini are like family. We will continue to work with you to overcome all challenges ahead.
Your Majesty, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I wish you a most joyful birthday, and your beloved kingdom everlasting prosperity. May our friendship remain as strong and precious as ever.
Dear people of Eswatini, siyabonga kakhulu! Thank you.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

“We used simple machine learning frameworks with Python and the Raspberry Pi platform to train image classification and object detection models.”

Secondary Four student Camilla Yip was among the participants who joined an on-campus artificial intelligence (AI) programme, focused on fish identification and ecosystem monitoring, at Kowloon True Light School last year.

Driven by a fascination with fish ecology since childhood, Camilla signed up for the three-month course as soon as she learned about it.

The after-class workshop was split into two parts: first, students deepened their understanding of fish ecology through dissection and specimen preparation; then, they shifted to AI, collaborating to build a functional surveillance system using a single-board computer and an AI-powered camera.

Interdisciplinary alchemy

“Different fish species may attack each other due to contrasting sizes and habits when they are living in the same tank,” explained Camilla, highlighting the need for round-the-clock monitoring.

To train the system, Camilla gathered many pictures of various fish species and annotated the images by labelling the species and location of each fish. “I learned that AI depends on extensive data and constant fine-tuning to perform well,” she noted.

Camilla found that while manual inspection of images is slow and prone to error, AI can automatically analyse video footage to identify fish species and detect unusual behaviour.

“For example, if a fish is swimming slowly, it might mean the water quality is bad. Or it can alert us when the fish that should not be together are in the same tank.”

Camilla added that while her interests once lay solely in ecology, this experience showed her how AI can make ecological monitoring both faster and more accurate.

Cultivating capabilities

The Government is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of innovation and technology leaders.

The Digital Policy Office oversees the IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools programme and the Knowing More About IT programme for primary schools. By funding extra-curricular activities, these initiatives allow students to dive deep into emerging fields such as AI, blockchain, cloud computing and big data.

Kowloon True Light School STEAM Co-ordinator Lam Chun-tung said the course was supported by a $50,000 grant from the IT Innovation Lab in Secondary Schools programme, which enabled the school to hire external tutors and purchase specialised experimental equipment.

Mr Lam explained that the school joined the initiative to weave cutting-edge technology into the curriculum, creating a future-ready learning environment. He emphasised that by mastering AI, students learn to bridge the gap between theory and sustainable, real-world solutions.

Looking back at the group of 15 participants, he recalled that most had no prior experience with Python before joining the workshop.

“Throughout the process, students demonstrated outstanding collaborative spirit and achieved a significant breakthrough in their AI model training proficiency,” said Mr Lam.

Remarkable results

Digital Policy Office Assistant Commissioner for Digital Policy (Common Services & Sourcing) Wendy Kwan described the response as enthusiastic, with more than 500 secondary schools and 520 primary schools getting involved.

To date, more than $1.07 billion in funding has been approved, and over 10,000 technology-related activities have been organised, benefiting more than 790,000 students.

“These figures clearly show that the programmes have successfully promoted an innovative culture in schools, inspired students’ potential and enhanced their information technology skills,” commented Ms Kwan.

She cited an award-winning project in which pupils developed an intelligent recycling bin. The system used a small robot and an AI camera to recognise various types of waste and automatically open the correct recycling lid. The project won the Student Innovation (Primary) Bronze Award at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024.

Ms Kwan also highlighted another activity where students deployed Internet of Things sensors for real-time environmental monitoring, using AI to optimise the pearl farming process.

The Government’s commitment to digital excellence will continue after the two programmes conclude later this year.

To keep the momentum going, the Education Bureau has set aside $2 billion under the Quality Education Fund to encourage schools to further develop digital education. The bureau will also release the Blueprint for Digital Education later this year, setting a definitive course for AI literacy in the classroom.

In addition, the 2026-27 Budget proposed $50 million to fuel a city-wide AI culture – supporting public bodies, technology companies and tertiary institutions in hosting courses and competitions as part of a roadmap to integrate AI education into everyday life.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The phased return of residents to Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po entered its sixth day today, with the reopening of five middle-zone floors at Wang Cheong House and 11 high-zone floors at Wang Yan House.

Through the “one social worker per household” service, 459 people from 124 households returned to their units, exceeding the 444 individuals from 123 households who had initially registered. The Government said the access arrangements as orderly.

Residents spent an average of two hours and 33 minutes entering and leaving the buildings. The shortest stay recorded was 21 minutes, while the longest was four hours and eight minutes.

In terms of duration, approximately 65% of residents remained in the buildings for less than three hours, while 27% stayed for less than two hours. About 4% of residents concluded their visits in under an hour.

Regarding resident movement, 125 individuals from 54 households made multiple trips to and from their units. Specifically, 83 people from 30 households made one additional trip, while 27 people from 15 households made two. A smaller number of residents – 15 people from nine households – made three or four additional trips.

The integrated enquiry counter handled 10 requests for assistance today, including nine cases requiring police attention and one involving a resident who felt physically unwell.

The police assistance cases primarily concerned suspected property loss, involving items such as watches, jewellery, cash and gold. Officers were immediately deployed to assist with searches, successfully recovering lost property in six of the cases. In the remaining three cases, the units involved were severely damaged; following investigations, residents believed their property may have been destroyed by fire.

The Government noted that over 1,000 personnel are deployed daily to support residents returning to their units. The multi-departmental team includes staff from Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department and the Housing Bureau, alongside members of District Services & Community Care Teams.

Additionally, under the Government-wide Mobilisation mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau co-ordinated nine departments to form the Government Quick Response Unit to facilitate the access arrangements. Civil servants mobilised today were drawn from the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department and the Leisure & Cultural Services Department.