Police today (May 14) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Yuen Long.

     Lau Pui-shan, aged 33, went missing after she was last seen at Fung Lok Lane on May 8 morning. Her boyfriend made a report to Police on May 10.

      She is about 1.6 metres tall, 55 kilograms in weight and of medium build. She has a long face with yellow complexion, and short and curly blonde hair. She was last seen wearing a black top, long black trousers, pink shoes, and carrying a grey bag.

      Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3113 or 6273 5787 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.  
     

  

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 14) that a fresh beef sample was found to contain sulphur dioxide, a preservative which is not permitted to be used in fresh meat. The CFS is following up on the case.
 
     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS took the above-mentioned fresh beef sample from a stall in Tung Yick Market, Yuen Long for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained sulphur dioxide at a level of 726 parts per million."
 
     According to the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap 132BD), it is an offence to add sulphur dioxide to fresh or chilled meat. The maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and six months' imprisonment.
 
     The CFS will inform the vendor concerned of the abovementioned irregularity.
 
      Sulphur dioxide is a commonly used preservative in a variety of foods including dried fruits, pickled vegetables and meat products such as sausages and grilled burgers, but under the Regulation it is not permitted in fresh or chilled meat. Nonetheless, individual meat traders may illegally use sulphur dioxide to make meat look fresher. This preservative is of low toxicity. As it is water soluble, most of it can be removed through washing and cooking. However, susceptible individuals who are allergic to this preservative may experience breathing difficulties, headache and nausea.
 
     The spokesman reminded the food trade to comply with the law and not to sell fresh or chilled meat adulterated with sulphur dioxide. Members of the public should purchase meat from reliable market stalls or fresh provision shops. They should avoid buying or consuming meat which is unnaturally red and maintain a balanced diet to avoid malnutrition or excessive exposure to chemicals from a small range of food items.
 
     The CFS will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.

     The Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum (the Council) held a ceremony today (May 14) at Government House Ballroom to celebrate the launch of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum. The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, attended the ceremony as the Guest of Honour.
 
     The Forum aspires to be a world-class academic exchange event to connect the current and next generations of scientific leaders, and to promote understanding and interests among the young generation in Hong Kong and around the world in science and technology. The inaugural Forum will be held in November 2021 in Hong Kong and applications to attend the Forum are expected to start in 2020.
 
     The Forum aims to inspire young scientists from around the world through participation in a week-long programme comprising world-class seminars, dialogues, workshops and more. The Forum will also provide ample opportunities for exchanges between Shaw laureates and young scientists.
 
     In his welcoming remarks, the Chairman of the Council, Professor Timothy W Tong, said that the Council was determined to make the Forum an international platform to foster cross-cultural scientific dialogue that will contribute to furthering the understanding of science and enriching humanity.
 
     Mrs Lam said innovation and technology has topped her Government's policy agenda since she took office on July 1, 2017.
 
     "If Hong Kong is to realise the compelling promise of innovation and technology, we must ensure a sustainable flow of talent by providing and promoting science and technology education in our schools at every level, from primary and secondary through to our post-secondary institutions and technical colleges," said Mrs Lam.
 
     Mrs Lam pointed out that the Hong Kong Laureate Forum could build an interest and enthusiasm for science among the younger generation by creating opportunities for direct exchange and inspiring dialogue with some of the brightest minds in science.
 
     At the launch ceremony, Professor Tong signed a sponsorship agreement with the Director of Lee Shau Kee Foundation, Mr Martin Lee. The Lee Shau Kee Foundation is the Forum's principal sponsor, and has pledged full sponsorship to the Forum for five years, starting in 2019. Professor Tong also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shaw Prize Foundation Chairman, Mr Raymond Chan, to foster collaboration and exchanges among laureates of the Shaw Prize and young scientists from Hong Kong and all over the world. The two signing ceremonies were witnessed by the Chief Executive.
 
     Four Shaw laureates, namely Professor Steven A Balbus, Professor John F Hawley, Professor E Peter Greenberg, and Professor Simon D M White attended the ceremony to pledge their support, as well as sharing their scientific experience and insights at a panel discussion.
 
     Over 150 guests including the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, members of the Executive Council and Legislative Council, council chairmen and presidents of universities, academics, scientists, senior members of research institutions, consuls general and nearly 60 young scientists, attended the ceremony.
 
     While the Forum was conceived by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, it will be organised by the Council formed by distinguished personalities and academics of Hong Kong. The Council is a non-profit making organisation. Its membership is as follows:
 
Chairman
———– 
Professor Timothy W Tong
 
Members
———- 
Mr Raymond Chan (representing the Shaw Prize Foundation)
Dr Moses Cheng
Mrs Rita Fan
Mr Henry Fan
Dr Victor Fung
Dr Colin Lam (representing the Lee Shau Kee Foundation)
Mr Martin Lee (representing the Lee Shau Kee Foundation)
Mr Carlson Tong
Professor Tsui Lap-chee
Mr Joseph Yam
Professor Kenneth Young
 
     The Council has invited Dr Kan Tai-keung, an acclaimed local designer, to design the Forum logo. The three spheres of the logo symbolise the diversity and broad horizon of science, while the three arcs represent the forces of science while also resembling the shape of a laurel wreath, symbolising eminent Hong Kong scientists in discussion with young scientists, thereby creating an continuous drive to pursue science. 
 
     For details about the Forum, please visit its website at (hklaureateforum.org/en/). The Chief Executive's blog of April 22 also gives an account of the launch of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum.

          

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     Members of the Legislative Council (LegCo) held separate meetings today (May 14) with members of the Sham Shui Po District Council (DC) and the Southern DC respectively at the LegCo Complex to discuss and exchange views on matters of mutual interest.
 
     During the meeting with the Sham Shui Po DC, LegCo Members discussed and exchanged views with DC members on the redevelopment of a number of old buildings at Shek Kip Mei Estate; improving the pedestrian facilities connecting Tai Po Road to the vicinity of Lei Cheng Uk Swimming Pool and upgrading the facilities of Lei Cheng Uk Swimming Pool Rest Garden; providing covers and installing barrier-free access facilities at public walkways; relocation of Yen Chow Street Temporary Hawker Bazaar; problems of unlicensed hawkers at Pei Ho Street, Tai Nan Street, Ki Lung Street and Kweilin Street; establishment of litigation funding mechanism for supporting the legal expenses of DC members; and strengthening the enforcement actions against illegal home-stay lodgings, hostels and guesthouses in private residential buildings in Sham Shui Po.  The meeting was convened by Mr Wu Chi-wai and attended by Mr Wong Ting-kwong, Dr Priscilla Leung, Mr Yiu Si-wing, Dr Helena Wong, Dr Chiang Lai-wan, Dr Lo Wai-kwok, Mr Chung Kwok-pan, Mr Wilson Or, Mr Luk Chung-hung, Mr Lau Kwok-fan, Mr Vincent Cheng and Ms Chan Hoi-yan.
 
     As for the meeting with the Southern DC, LegCo Members discussed and exchanged views with DC members on the South Island Line (West) and economic development in the Southern District; Market Modernization Programme in Aberdeen; district facilities and development; and communication mechanism between DCs, Government departments and LegCo. The meeting was convened by Mr Kenneth Leung and attended by Mr Abraham Shek , Mrs Regina Ip, Mr Paul Tse, Mr Kwok Wai-keung, Mr Poon Siu-ping, Dr Lo Wai-kwok, Mr Wilson Or, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, Mr Lau Kwok-fan and Mr Au Nok-hin.

            

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Hong Kong Laureate Forum launching ceremony today (May 14):

Commissioner Xie Feng (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), the Honourable Andrew Leung (President of the Legislative Council), Professor Timothy Tong (Chairman, Council of Hong Kong Laureate Forum, Professor Timothy W Tong), members of the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum, distinguished Shaw laureates, consuls-general, scientists, students, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good afternoon. I am delighted to welcome you all to Government House. Today, we come together, from so many disciplines and professions and aspirations, with one happy purpose: to celebrate the founding of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum.

     On this auspicious occasion, I'm pleased to welcome four Shaw laureates, each of whom has made a profound impact on our lives through transformative research. They're here from the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, to pledge their personal support for the Hong Kong Laureate Forum. For that, I am much encouraged and extremely grateful.

     I am also grateful, as we all are, for Hong Kong's "One Country, Two Systems" principle, which creates opportunities available to no other economy. As Chief Executive, my goal is to make use of this singular advantage to develop Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub.

     To that end, innovation and technology has topped my Government's policy agenda since I took office in July 2017. To date, we have committed HK$100 billion, or about US$12.5 billion, to drive innovation and technology development in Hong Kong through a variety of policies and programmes. They include the establishment of two research clusters at the Hong Kong Science Park, one focused on health technology, the other on artificial intelligence and robotics, where our local universities and renowned overseas institutions will do collaborative research. At the same time, we are strengthening R&D through direct government funding and matching grants for scientific research in our universities as well as tax incentives for local enterprises to invest in R&D. We have launched talent nurturing and admission schemes to ensure we have a sustainable pool of researchers to work in Hong Kong.

     Hong Kong's leading efforts in R&D are timely and essential to the aspiration for developing an international innovation and technology hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Comprising nine prosperous cities in Guangdong Province, together with the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, this city cluster has a total population of 71 million and a collective GDP amounting to US$1.6 trillion, all in an area of 56 000 square kilometres. I would call that a global powerhouse economy in the making. The Greater Bay Area's Outline Development Plan released by the Central Government in February this year emphasises co-operation and complementarity, taking full advantage of the varying strengths of each city. The Plan also reaffirms one of the key targets of the Greater Bay Area, which is to develop an international innovation and technology hub. With the support of the Central Government, we will work with other cities of the Greater Bay Area to enhance basic research capability and cross-boundary co-operation, better integrate industries, academia and research, develop platforms for innovation and promote commercial application of technological achievements.

     However, if Hong Kong is to realise the compelling promise of innovation and technology, we must ensure a sustainable flow of talent. And that, ladies and gentlemen, means providing and promoting science and technology education in our schools at every level, from primary and secondary through to our post-secondary institutions and technical colleges.

     I believe, as well, that the surest way to build an interest and enthusiasm for science among our younger generation is by creating opportunities for direct exchange and inspiring dialogue with some of the brightest minds in science. Having attended the 2017 and 2018 Shaw Prize ceremonies, presenting awards to eight Shaw laureates, I came to realise that the answer was right here in Hong Kong, Asia's world city. That by linking the Shaw Prize and its laureates to a youth-centred, science-driven, Hong Kong-based programme, we could make an impactful difference.

     After all, the Shaw Prize is dedicated to recognising and rewarding outstanding international contributions in three scientific disciplines: astronomy, life science and medicine, and the mathematical sciences. Established less than two decades ago, the Shaw Prize has become a world-renowned award. Of the nearly 80 Shaw laureates since the first awards in 2004, 12 are Nobel Prize winners, five are Fields Medalists and two are Abel Prize recipients.

     With the support of the Shaw Prize Foundation, I wrote to each and every Shaw laureate in January this year. I told them of our plans for an annual Hong Kong Laureate Forum and invited them to take part in the first Forum, scheduled for November 2021. I'm delighted that, to date, more than two-thirds have indicated their interest in participating, and four of them are with us today. It is their commitment that has brought us together today to launch the Hong Kong Laureate Forum.

     Apart from the Shaw laureates, I'm grateful as well to the Lee Shau Kee Foundation, which has very generously agreed to support the Forum as its principal sponsor. My thanks, too, to the Council of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum led by Professor Timothy Tong. The Council's Board has been entrusted with the critical responsibility of organising the Forum on an ongoing basis, beginning in 2021.

     In short, this visionary venture could only have come together through cross-sector collaboration on both a local and global basis. The results of that extraordinary connectivity are clearly visible in our esteemed audience today. They are academics and scientists, council chairmen and university presidents, senior members of research institutions and science and technology organisations, Executive Council and Legislative Council representatives, as well as consuls general and their colleagues from all over the world. There are, let me add, nearly 60 young and ambitious scientists among us. More than a few are potential participants in the inaugural Forum in 2021. We all look eagerly forward to that.

     Ladies and gentlemen, let's join hands to make the Hong Kong Laureate Forum a shining example of furthering the understanding of science and its contribution to humanity. Thank you very much.