Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Asian Financial Forum 2019 cocktail reception at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this evening (January 14):

Diana (Group General Manager and Chief Executive, Hong Kong of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Ms Diana Cesar), Margaret (Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
     Good evening.

     Welcome to the cocktail reception of the 12th Asian Financial Forum.  After a long and rewarding day, you all deserve a refreshing pause.  Now is a good time to slow down and chat with some of the more than 3 300 business leaders and investors, government officials, academics, regulators and professionals from all over the world, here in Hong Kong for this two-day financial summit.

     Now is a chance, too, to digest some of that invaluable financial intelligence and insights you've heard today, while making plans for tomorrow.

     If you haven't already done so, I recommend you pay a visit to the Fintech Showcase newly launched this year.  With financial innovation continually reshaping and reimagining the global marketplace, the FinTech Showcase features the latest fintech solutions, as well as the companies and entrepreneurs behind them.  You can see from there the shape of the future, explore business opportunities and invest in your own future.

     That, of course, is what the Forum does so well.  What Hong Kong is renowned for.  Bringing people together, creating connections, finding ways to excel, at local, regional and global levels.

     Hong Kong has long been the international financial bridge connecting the Mainland and the rest of the world, bringing investment, capital, ideas and talent together. 

     In a world today buffeted by trade clashes, Hong Kong remains open and inclusive, embracing challenges as opportunities.

     Our markets remain open and welcoming.  Our legal system is built on the rule of law and buttressed by an independent judiciary.  Information flows as freely as global capital.  And our regulatory regime is transparent and aligns with international standards.

     In short, you can count on Hong Kong, on our status as one of the world's leading international financial centres, and China's international financial capital.

     We take pride in our place and achievements in the global economy.  And we are determined to build on them, to expand our role as the go-to economy – with financial and professional services that embrace the traditional and the innovative, the global and the local, the corporate and the start-ups.

     It's why, last year, the Government implemented a new listing regime, enabling the listings of companies from the emerging and innovative sectors.

     It's why, just a few months ago, we launched the Faster Payment System, which allows the public to transfer funds anytime, anywhere, across banks and stored-value operators, almost instantly. 

     It's why we will, very soon in the coming months, announce Hong Kong’s first batch of virtual bank license.

     Looking ahead, I can tell you we will take full advantage of the opportunities that China, the world's second-largest economy, presents.  That, ladies and gentlemen, very much includes the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the far-reaching Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the financial services, investment and business promise they offer Hong Kong today and long down the road. 

     As for tomorrow, day two of the Asian Financial Forum, the agenda will be led by financial technology and the boundless prospects they offer us all.

     The InnoTalks series tomorrow spotlights a dazzling range of transformative technology, from fintech and blockchain to cyber security and AI.

     Then there's InnoVenture Salon, which includes a start-up zone showcasing some 50 start-ups, and their products and concepts.  The Salon also features Investor Alley.  There, start-ups get to pitch their ideas – their future and of course ours – to investors at project demonstration sessions.

     Now in its second year, the Salon is supported by some 60 investment mentors.  This year, we welcome new collaborators from Germany, Korea, Singapore and the United States, all eager to meet with participating start-ups.

     Those looking to find an investor also turn to the Forum's annual Deal Flow Matchmaking Session.

     Last year, more than 90 per cent of Deal Flow participants found AFF Deal Flow effective in identifying potential deals and investors.  This year, I'm told, nearly 700 one-on-one meetings have been arranged, the majority of them taking place tomorrow.  I’d say that adds up to a full and, no doubt, fruitful day.

     Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will enjoy this evening's well-deserved break.  I wish you the best of business at the Asian Financial Forum, and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2019.

     Thank you very much indeed.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (January 14) investigating an outbreak of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) at a kindergarten-cum-child care centre in Tuen Mun, and hence reminded the public and management of institutions to maintain personal and environmental hygiene against AGE.

     The outbreak involves 17 boys and 18 girls aged 2 to 5, as well as two female staff members, who developed vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fever since January 10. Twenty sought medical attention and three of them required hospitalisation for further management. All patients have been in a stable condition.
 
     Officers of the CHP conducted a site visit and provided health advice to the staff of the school concerning proper and thorough disinfection, proper disposal of vomitus, and personal and environmental hygiene. The school has been put under medical surveillance.
 
     The CHP's investigations are ongoing.
 
     A spokesman for the CHP advised members of the public to take heed of the following preventive measures against gastroenteritis:
 

• Ensure proper personal hygiene;
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and eating, after using the toilet or after changing diapers;
• Wear gloves when disposing of vomitus or faecal matter, and wash hands afterwards;
• Clean and disinfect contaminated areas or items promptly and thoroughly with diluted household bleach (by adding one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite to 49 parts of water). Wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Pay attention to food hygiene;
• Use separate utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Avoid food that is not thoroughly cooked;
• Drink boiled water; and
• Do not patronise unlicensed food premises or food stalls.

     
     The public may visit the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk) or call the Health Education Hotline (2833 0111) for more information.

     The Department of Health (DH) today (January 14) appealed to the public not to buy or use a facial mask named MYRTUS 8 MASK, which was found to contain an undeclared and controlled substance.
 
     Acting upon a public enquiry, the DH found that the above facial mask has been offered for sale at two retail shops in Causeway Bay. Samples of the product were collected from the two shops for analysis. The Government Laboratory's test results revealed that the samples contained fluocinolone acetonide, a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138).
 
     Fluocinolone acetonide is a steroid substance. Products containing fluocinolone acetonide should only be sold at pharmacies under the supervision of registered pharmacists upon a doctor's prescription. Inappropriate or excessive application of steroids could cause skin problems and body-wide side effects like moon face, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, muscle atrophy, adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis.    
 
     According to the Ordinance, illegal sale and possession of Part 1 poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.    
 
     The DH's investigation is ongoing.
 
     People who have purchased the above product should stop using it and consult healthcare professionals if they are in doubt or feeling unwell after use. They can submit the product to the DH's Drug Office at Room 1856, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, during office hours for disposal.

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson of Kwai Chung Hospital made the following announcement today (January 14):
 
     Five patients (aged from 28 to 78) of a female psychiatric acute ward presented with respiratory symptoms since January 11. Appropriate viral tests were arranged for the patients and their test results were positive for Influenza A. The patients concerned are being treated under isolation and are in stable condition.
 
     Admission to the ward and visiting have been suspended. Infection control measures have already been stepped up according to established guidelines. All other patients in the ward are under close surveillance.
 
     The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

     The latest test results of the opening-up investigation in the second stage of the holistic assessment strategy for the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) project (as at January 14) are now available at the Highways Department's website for the SCL project (www.hyd.gov.hk/en/road_and_railway/railway_projects/scl/index.html) for reference by the public.