Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, joined the Chinese delegation to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan.
      
     Upon his arrival in Azerbaijan on November 11 (Azerbaijan time), Mr Tse, together with the Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), Ms Salina Yan, met with the Financial Services Development Council and Friends of the Earth (HK) to learn about the outcomes of the side event jointly organised by the two organisations at the China Pavilion in the venue of the COP29 on the same day. They also discussed issues including green finance, green transformation of economies and international carbon market.
      
     Mr Tse and Ms Yan met with the head of the Chinese delegation, Mr Zhao Yingmin, yesterday morning (November 12, Azerbaijan time) to exchange views on the progress of the COP29, the international carbon market, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s work in combating climate change.
      
     Afterwards, Mr Tse held a bilateral meeting with representatives of Bangkok, a member city of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, to share the strategies and experiences of the two cities in combating climate change and to exchange views on co-operation and exchanges between the two places.
      
     In the afternoon, Mr Tse visited the Garadagh (Area 60) Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant to learn about the strategy and progress of energy transition as well as the latest development of and experience in renewable energy in Azerbaijan.
      
     The Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Hong Kong Observatory will hold a side event titled “Climate Action: From Climate Science to Opportunities to Develop New Energy” at the China Pavilion in today (November 13, Azerbaijan time) afternoon. Mr Tse will attend the side event and deliver an opening speech.

        

     Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley today (November 13). The arrangements will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting. A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race    … read more

     In response to media enquiries on rumours on social media claiming that an explosion had occurred at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, a spokesman for the Security Bureau today (November 13) clarified that no notification has been… read more

     The first batch of 207 Hong Kong engineers from the public sector, consultants, and contractors passed the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) engineering “Professional Title” evaluation and obtained corresponding engineering professional qualifications on the Mainland. “Professional Title” is a unique evaluation system for professional qualifications adopted by the Mainland. It is an important benchmark for evaluating the skills and qualification levels of professionals and provides a basis for construction enterprises to recruit and promote talent.

     Speaking at the celebration ceremony organised by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers today (November 12), the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the Development Bureau (DEVB) has been dovetailing with the National 14th Five-Year Plan on the strategy of high-quality development of the GBA, and is committed to driving Hong Kong’s construction and engineering sectors to seize opportunities to pursue development in the Mainland cities of GBA, thereby better integrating into the national development. The successful completion of the first pilot assessment batch of engineering “Professional Title” qualifications creates more opportunities and favourable conditions for the construction industry to expand the territory of professional services. It reflects the country’s support and care for Hong Kong professionals, which is a great encouragement. It also allows Hong Kong professionals to better contribute to the country’s development.

     Due to differences in systems between Hong Kong and the Mainland, it was not easy for Hong Kong professionals to apply for a Mainland “Professional Title” qualification in the past. With the joint efforts of the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments, a new evaluation mechanism of this qualification for Hong Kong professionals was established last year, and implemented as a pilot scheme in five engineering disciplines, namely civil engineering, geotechnical, highway, electrical and measurement, control and instrumentation. The assessment of the first batch of applications for “Professional Title” qualifications has been completed this year with 207 Hong Kong engineers obtaining Mainland “Professional Title” qualifications that include the ranks of “Professorate Senior Engineer”, “Senior Engineer”, “Engineer” and “Assistant Engineer”.

     The pilot mechanism for evaluation of “Professional Title” qualifications is an innovative mechanism for Hong Kong professionals to acquire such qualifications on the Mainland, and represents a major breakthrough in the convergence of the rules between the two places in the area of professional qualifications. Integrating into the Mainland’s evaluation mechanism of “Professional Title” qualifications will help Hong Kong professionals gain recognition of their skill levels and qualifications in the Mainland market, thereby creating favourable conditions for the development of Hong Kong professionals on the Mainland.

     The DEVB will continue to maintain close collaboration with relevant Mainland authorities and co-ordinate the local construction sector to take forward the relevant work, with a view to achieving the indicators for specified tasks of this year’s Policy Address, namely regularising the evaluation mechanism of “Professional Title” qualifications in mid-2025, and extending the mechanism to other construction related professions with the right conditions, such as surveying, architecture, etc.

      

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, and Vice Minister of Science and Technology Ms Lin Xin co-chaired the 18th meeting of the Mainland/Hong Kong Science and Technology Co-operation Committee held in Xi’an today (November 12).
 
     Professor Sun said at the meeting that the National 14th Five-Year Plan indicates clear support for Hong Kong to develop into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, providing Hong Kong with a clear position and mission. With the country’s staunch support, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government was taking forward various important measures in accordance with the directions and strategies set out in the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint to promote the synergistic development among the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, with a view to supporting Hong Kong’s high-quality development, and serving the country’s needs with Hong Kong’s own strengths.
 
     Professor Sun also expressed his gratitude to the Central Government and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) for their staunch support for Hong Kong’s I&T development over the years. He said that in the past year, many important measures have been implemented in the two places, including the continuous expansion of the National Key Research and Development Programme and the National Science and Technology Major Project open to Hong Kong, and the opening up of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China under the National Natural Science Foundation of China to Hong Kong’s young scholars, allowing Hong Kong researchers to participate rigorously in the national science and technology programmes. The assessment exercise of State Key Laboratories in Hong Kong has also been preliminarily completed. In addition, the HKSAR Government and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology signed the Co-operation Agreement on the Development of New Quality Productive Forces and the Promotion of New Industrialisation in September this year, to support Hong Kong’s development of new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions.
 
     Looking ahead, Professor Sun said that the HKSAR Government will continue to adopt a multipronged approach to deepen the co-operation and exchanges in I&T with the Mainland. The HKSAR Government will publish the Development Outline for the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen‑Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co‑operation Zone, setting out innovative policies to facilitate the flow of key elements of scientific research between the two parks of Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Capitalising on the strengths of “one country, two systems” with the geographic advantages of “one river, two banks”, the HKSAR Government will develop the Hong Kong Park in the Loop into a world-class, industry-academia-research platform, an internationally competitive research and development (R&D) transformation and pilot production base for industries, a hub for pooling global I&T resources, as well as a testing ground for institutional and policy innovation, with a view to becoming the bridgehead for intensive I&T co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong, facilitating the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
 
     “The HKSAR Government will continue to go full steam ahead in establishing Hong Kong as an international I&T centre, and accelerate the formation and development of new quality productive forces with Hong Kong’s competitive edge. We will also make good use of Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world, play well our important role as a ‘super connector’ and ‘super value-adder’, with a view to becoming a platform for high-level I&T exchange, dialogue and co-operation, as well as an important bridge and two-way platform connecting the country and the world, thereby better serving the country’s high-quality development,” he added.
 
     Mainland members attended the meeting included representatives from the MOST, the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Government, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, the Beijing-Hong Kong Exchange of Personnel Centre, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Health Commission, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, the Department of Science and Technology of Shaanxi Province, the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Science, Technology and Innovation Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, the Xi’an Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology, and the Development Authority of Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.
 
     The Hong Kong delegation comprised representatives from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Digital Policy Office, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Chengdu, the City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Baptist University, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, the Hong Kong Productivity Council, the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute, the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute and the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians.
 
     In addition, Professor Sun called on the Mayor of the Xi’an Municipal Government, Mr Ye Niuping, to exchange views on deepening I&T co-operation between the two places. He pointed out that Shaanxi and Hong Kong will continue to proactively explore specific measures for deepening I&T cooperation, and jointly promote the advancement of Chinese modernisation.
 
     Professor Sun also visited a number of important science and research platforms in Shaanxi, including the State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering and the Collaborative Innovation Center of High-end Manufacturing Equipment of the Xi’an Jiaotong University, the State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics at the Northwest University, and the Qinchuangyuan Innovation Platform, to understand their latest developments and to explore the room for enhancing co-operation between R&D institutes of the two places.
 
     The State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering focuses on research work in additive manufacturing, micro-nano manufacturing and bio-manufacturing; the Collaborative Innovation Center of High-end Manufacturing Equipment supports the R&Ds and transfer of core and innovative technologies in the high-end manufacturing equipment industry, attracts talents, and serves as a window for international exchanges and co-operation. The State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics carries out original research with a focus on such topics as dynamics, resource-energy effects of tectonic processes, and tectonic-environmental-life co-evolution. The Qinchuangyuan is the general platform for innovation-driven development, co-ordinating the promotion of technological and industrial innovation, and fostering the development of new quality productive forces tailored to local conditions.
 
     Professor Sun will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow (November 13) afternoon.