The Department of Health (DH) today (February 28) endorsed a licensed wholesaler of proprietary Chinese medicine (pCm), Hong Kong Premier Concentrated Chinese Herbs Limited (Premier), to voluntarily recall a total of three batches of three types of compound Chinese medicine granules because the amount of the excipients in the related products did not match with the particulars of their registration records.  The products are suspected to be unregistered pCm.
 
     The details of the above three compound Chinese medicine granules are as follows:
 

     Acting upon intelligence, the DH immediately conducted investigation at Premier and seized related Chinese medicine granules. According to the information provided by Premier, the amount of excipients used in the production of the above Chinese medicine granules did not match with registered particulars and such change had not been approved by the Chinese Medicines Board under the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (CMCHK), which might render the above products as unregistered pCm.
 
     Preliminary investigation revealed that the related batches of Chinese medicine granules were manufactured in the Mainland and imported by Premier for distribution to local Chinese medicine practitioners. Premier has been voluntarily recalling the above batches of products from the market and set up a hotline (2333 9012) for public enquiries.
 
     "Investigation are ongoing and the DH will closely monitor the recall. So far, no related adverse reports have been received and no evidence on safety issue of the related product was found," a spokesman for the DH said.

     According to section 119 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap 549), no person shall sell, import or possess any pCm unless it is registered. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment. The DH will seek advice from the Department of Justice on prosecution matters upon completion of the investigation, and will refer the case to the CMCHK for consideration of possible disciplinary action.

     Members of the public who have consumed the above Chinese medicine granules and are feeling unwell should seek advice from healthcare professionals.

  

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session in Bangkok, Thailand this afternoon (February 28):

Good afternoon, friends of the media. Today is a very auspicious day for the Hong Kong-Thailand relationship, because I'm coming over to formally open our Bangkok Economic and Trade Office. This is our third office in the ASEAN region, and the first being opened during my term of government. There is a very interesting background to this and a lot of friendship involved between myself, the Prime Minister of Thailand and the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand leading to this very successful establishment of the Bangkok Economic and Trade Office. I'm sure the presence of this office will usher in a new era of closer collaboration between Hong Kong and Thailand, not only in terms of trade and investment and commerce, but also in other areas like culture, education, technology, creative industries and people-to-people exchange. I just wish to thank also the media for covering my visit and the opening of this office. Thank you very much. 

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) 

     A man who went missing has been located.

     Yip Shing, aged 71, entered Hong Kong through Lo Wu Control Point in the afternoon of February 20 and missing since then. His family made a report to the Police on February 22.

     The man turned up to Police to cancel the missing person report this afternoon (February 28). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, in Bangkok, Thailand, today (February 28), officiated at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok (Bangkok ETO), met with the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, and attended a business seminar as well as the opening ceremony of cultural collaboration activities between Hong Kong and Thailand.

     Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, attended the opening ceremony of the Bangkok ETO in the afternoon, with the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Dr Somkid Jatusripitak, invited as the officiating guest. The Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council, Mr Bernard Chan, and a number of people from various sectors in Hong Kong also went to Bangkok to join the ceremony. In her speech, Mrs Lam expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Thailand Government for its support, making it possible for the Bangkok ETO to commence operation just 17 months after she announced the plan in her maiden Policy Address in October 2017. She said she hopes that the Bangkok ETO will play the role of "facilitator", connecting businesses and organisations between Hong Kong and Thailand and fostering co-operation.

     In the morning, Mrs Lam and the other officials met with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr Prayut Chan-o-cha. Mrs Lam said that Thailand is an important partner of Hong Kong and that it was her third visit to the country since taking office. She also met with Mr Prayut at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting earlier. She said such frequent contacts are a testimony of the importance attached to the bilateral relations by both sides. Noting that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Hong Kong and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the related Investment Agreement were signed in late 2017, Mrs Lam thanked the Thailand Government for the co-ordination role it took throughout the negotiations, as well as its timely ratification of the FTA and its effort to encourage other ASEAN member states to expedite their ratification process. She expressed the hope that Thailand will continue to support the early implementation of the FTA to further enhance trade and economic ties between Hong Kong, Thailand and ASEAN. She said she looks forward to strengthening collaboration between Hong Kong and Thailand in different areas, including travel, culture, education, innovation and the creative industries. Mrs Lam also met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Don Pramudwinai, to exchange views on collaboration between the two places.
 
     In the morning, Mrs Lam attended a business seminar co-hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand at which she briefed some 1,000 participants on the latest situation of Hong Kong and the areas in which collaboration with Thailand can be enhanced. At the seminar, Mrs Lam and Dr Somkid witnessed the signing of four Memorandums of Understanding between Cyberport, the HKTDC and a Hong Kong company with the Thailand Board of Investment and InnoSpace Thailand to promote co-operation of start-ups and incubation services in the two places. Addressing the seminar, Mrs Lam spoke on the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area promulgated just 10 days ago, adding that Hong Kong will play a key role in the initiative, especially in the development of an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub in the Greater Bay Area with Hong Kong's advantages. She encouraged Thailand to work with Hong Kong to promote the development of I&T and start-ups.

     At noon, Mrs Lam and the other officials had lunch with Dr Somkid and a number of members of the business sector in Thailand. She briefed them on Hong Kong's latest developments and encouraged the enterprises to leverage Hong Kong's advantages as an international financial, transportation and trade centre to explore together the markets along the Belt and Road and in the Mainland.
 
     Mrs Lam and the other officials also officiated at the opening ceremony of a year-long collaboration between Zuni Icosahedron and the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in the afternoon. Speaking at the ceremony, Mrs Lam said that Zuni Icosahedron is one of Hong Kong's major performing arts groups while the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre is an impressive local centre for contemporary arts and culture, and that the collaboration between them demonstrates the close cultural ties between both places. She added that Hong Kong's arts and culture scene is blooming and said she believes that there is much room for enhancing exchange and co-operation between the two places.
 
     On arrival in Bangkok yesterday afternoon (February 27), Mrs Lam and the other officials met with representatives of Hong Kong organisations to learn about their work and lives in Thailand and attended a dinner hosted by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of Thailand, Mr Lyu Jian, at which Mrs Lam expressed her gratitude to Mr Lyu for his support for the multifaceted exchanges between Hong Kong and Thailand, and the consular assistance provided to Hong Kong people in need.
 
     Mrs Lam departed Bangkok this evening for Beijing to attend the second plenary meeting of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress.

                        

     The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, today (February 28) announced the Government's 2019-20 Land Sale Programme.
 
     "The 2019-20 Land Sale Programme comprises 15 residential sites capable of providing about 8 850 flats, and seven commercial/hotel sites which can provide about 814 600 square metres of gross floor area, including gross floor area capable of providing a maximum of about 2 900 hotel rooms," Mr Wong said.
 
     Among the 15 residential sites included in the 2019-20 Land Sale Programme, eight are rolled over from the 2018-19 Land Sale Programme, capable of providing about 6 180 flats in total, and the remaining seven sites have a capacity to provide about 2 670 flats.  
         
     Apart from the 15 sites for sale, railway property development projects will also continue to contribute to private housing land supply in 2019-20. The property development projects owned by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) at Wong Chuk Hang Station and LOHAS Park are estimated to provide a total of some 2 650 flats. 
 
     "Taking also into consideration the land supply from the projects of the MTRCL and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), as well as private development/redevelopment projects, the total potential private housing land supply in 2019-20 is estimated to have a capacity to produce about 15 540 flats," Mr Wong said.
 
     By comparison, in 2018-19, it is estimated that a total of 13 residential sites will have been sold or put up for sale by the end of the financial year. These 13 sites have a total capacity to produce about 6 460 flats. The aggregate private housing land supply in 2018-19 from different sources, including the sale of government sites, railway property development projects, projects of the URA and private development/redevelopment projects, is estimated to have a capacity to produce about 14 540 flats. 
 
     Pursuant to the announcement by the Government in December 2018, the housing supply target for the coming 10 years is 450 000 units, and the public/private housing split was revised from 60:40 to 70:30. Correspondingly, the 2019-20 target for private housing land supply from various sources is 13 500 flats.
 
     Mr Wong noted that the actual supply of private housing land for 2019-20 will depend on various factors, including the readiness for sale of government sites upon timely completion of relevant procedures/proceedings, the implementation progress of railway property development and the URA's projects, and the progress of developers' private development/redevelopment projects including their initiative to conclude lease modifications/land exchange.
 
     "Seven commercial/hotel sites located at prime sites or major business districts are included in the 2019-20 Land Sale Programme. The potential supply of about 814 600 square metres of gross floor area would be the highest in the recent years. This shows our continued efforts to increase the supply of commercial floor area to meet the economic development needs of Hong Kong," Mr Wong said.
 
     Amongst the seven commercial/hotel sites, one of them is the topside of Hong Kong West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. Capable of providing about 294 000 square metres of gross floor area, this is the largest commercial site put up for sale by the Government in recent years.
 
     For the first quarter of 2019-20, i.e. April to June 2019, the Government will tender two residential sites in Kai Tak which are capable of providing about 2 100 flats in total. Together with the supply from private development/redevelopment projects, the private housing land supply in the first quarter of 2019-20 is expected to have a capacity to produce about 2 400 flats.
 
     Apart from residential sites, the Government will put up for sale in the first quarter of 2019-20 one commercial/hotel site adjoining the Kai Tak Sports Park of approximately 32 000 square meters of gross floor area. The successful bidder of this site will be required to provide a specified amount of floor area for hotel use, which is estimated to provide about 300 hotel rooms.
 
     Mr Wong said that the Government is firmly committed to sustaining a steady land supply through a multi-pronged approach to meet the housing and socio-economic development needs of the community.
 
     "The Government will follow the established practice to announce in advance the quarterly land sale programme to provide transparency and certainty to the market. We may put up additional sites for sale in the course of the quarter depending on the situation in order to flexibly respond to changing market conditions," he added.
 
     The 2019-20 Land Sale Programme can be found on the Lands Department's website (www.landsd.gov.hk).