​Hongkong Post announced today (November 6) that, as advised by the postal administration of Cayman Islands, due to the impact of severe weather, mail delivery services to Cayman Islands are subject to delay. read more
Following is a question by the Hon Tang Fei and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (November 6):
Question:
There are views that with the integration of Hong Kong into the overall development of the country, raising the public’s Putonghua standard is of significance to enhancing their sense of national identity and patriotic education, and being conversant with Putonghua can help the public better understand the policies, culture and history of the country, thereby deepening their patriotic sentiments and sense of belonging. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the specific measures currently taken by the Government to raise the Putonghua standard of Hong Kong students, so as to enhance their sense of national identity and awareness of patriotism; whether it has plans to increase the proportion of school curriculum using Putonghua as the teaching medium;
(2) to facilitate the implementation of Putonghua education, whether it has provided targeted professional training to teachers to raise their standard of teaching in Putonghua; whether a dedicated training fund or scholarship has been established to support teachers to pursue further studies in Putonghua;
(3) whether it has policies or plans to raise civil servants’ Putonghua standard; whether it will include the Putonghua proficiency test as a criterion for the recruitment and promotion of civil servants; if so, of the specific arrangements; and
(4) whether it has conducted surveys on the implementation of Putonghua education in Hong Kong at present to assess its effectiveness; if so, of the assessment outcome for recent years; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Under the “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong’s policy on language education is to develop the biliterate and trilingual abilities of our students, enabling them to express themselves and communicate fluently in Putonghua, English and Cantonese. Putonghua is the standard Chinese language of our country. It is also a symbol of our nation. A good mastery of Putonghua not only enhances expression and communication but also facilitates integration into the overall development of the country, boosting national pride and confidence.
Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Tang Fei is as follows:
(1), (2) and (4) The Education Bureau (EDB) has been actively promoting the teaching and learning of Putonghua, and adopting a multi-pronged strategy, which covers the aspects of curriculum, learning and teaching support, student activities and teachers’ professional development, to promote students’ learning of Putonghua within and beyond the classroom.
Curriculum
Since 1998, Putonghua has officially been included as a core subject at the primary and junior secondary levels to ensure that all primary and secondary school students can master Putonghua. We will continue to review the curriculum, closely keep in view the grading standards and the testing outlines of the Putonghua Proficiency Test for secondary and primary school students (pilot version) promulgated by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and the State Language Commission (SLC), and make timely refinement to the curriculum of the Putonghua subject for primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, so as to align with the national standards and enhance the effectiveness of Putonghua learning and teaching.
Learning and teaching support
To support the learning and teaching of Putonghua, the EDB has been developing diversified learning and teaching resources for reference and use by teachers and students. These include enhancing the content and the functions of the “Tong Da Xue Pu” self-learning website, producing resource materials such as a Glossary of Easily-mispronounced Terms, a game booklet on the Correct Pronunciation and Application of Putonghua and the “Voice and Expression: Learning Materials for Reading Aloud in Putonghua with Background Music for Primary and Secondary Schools”, as well as preparing school exemplars.
Furthermore, the EDB provides school-based support services for primary and secondary schools, collaborating with teachers to enhance the learning and teaching of Putonghua in schools such as developing Pinyin teaching, encouraging students to read aloud, telling stories relating to classical Chinese poetry, and designing various Putonghua learning activities. The EDB also works under the Mainland-Hong Kong Teachers Exchange and Collaboration Programme to arrange for Mainland expert teachers to enhance teachers’ professional capacity in implementing Putonghua teaching through on-site collaboration, teacher networks, open lessons and teacher professional development activities.
To further promote the effective use of Putonghua by students so as to boost their national pride and national confidence, the Chief Executive has also announced in his 2024 Policy Address that the EDB would earmark approximately $200 million in the Language Fund for providing a one-off grant to each public sector primary and secondary school in the 2024/25 school year. This grant aims to enrich the Putonghua language environment and enhance the atmosphere for learning Putonghua.
Multifarious activities and Mainland exchange
The EDB has all along been encouraging schools to organise multifarious activities to give students more opportunities to use Putonghua on and off campus. The EDB also collaborates with schools, educational organisations and social organisations to regularly organise various kinds of Putonghua activities for students such as the Putonghua Public Speaking Competition for Primary and Secondary Schools. The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) makes use of the Language Fund to encourage and provide funding to different sectors of the community to conduct a variety of Putonghua activities, thereby creating a diversified Putonghua learning environment for students outside the classroom. Since the 2019/20 school year, a total grant of over $60 million has been approved by the SCOLAR to fund projects initiated by different organisations for the promotion of Putonghua, including interactive theatres, radio dramas, video production, quiz competitions, public speaking contests and community exploration activities, and the attendance of beneficiary students has exceeded 400 000. According to the feedback gathered by the organisers and the observations by the SCOLAR Secretariat, participating students were able to speak Putonghua with enthusiasm and they demonstrated good Putonghua proficiency in general.
In addition, by means of the Sister School Scheme and Mainland exchange and study tours, students are provided with opportunities to practise Putonghua, enrich their vocabulary and enhance their communication skills in an authentic environment through interacting and exchanging with their Mainland counterparts, touring different visiting spots and participating in relevant learning activities, etc.
Professional training and development of teachers
The policy on Language Proficiency Requirement (LPR) has been implemented by the EDB since the 2000/01 school year. Under this policy, all teachers of the Putonghua subject holding a regular post in publicly-funded schools (Note) have to fulfil the language proficiency requirements. With the introduction of the enhanced LPR announced by the EDB recently, starting from the 2024/25 school year, all new or newly deployed teachers of the Putonghua subject holding a regular post should attain Grade A, Level 2 or above in the Test of Proficiency in Putonghua conducted by the SLC and obtain the attained result in the Classroom Language Assessment within the first year of taking up teaching the subject.
To further encourage teachers to enhance their mastery of Putonghua, this year the EDB launches the Sponsorship Scheme for Teachers Taking the National Putonghua Proficiency Test, under which all serving and prospective teachers (including but not limited to teachers teaching Chinese Language and Putonghua subjects) employed in publicly-funded primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong will be fully sponsored by the Language Fund to take the Putonghua Proficiency Test once. The aim is to reinforce the atmosphere for using Putonghua in school.
Other than these, the EDB provides in-service training on different themes for Putonghua teachers every year, which includes curriculum interpretation, teaching of listening and speaking, teaching of Pinyin, tackling learning difficulties, learning assessment and creating an environment conducive to language learning. These training courses aim to enhance the teaching quality and skills of in-service teachers with contents further expanded to include performing arts, pragmatics, as well as communication and application of Putonghua to enhance their linguistic competence. In addition, the EDB encourages teachers to enrol in the online programme on Capacity Building Relating to the Teaching and Promotion of Putonghua for Teachers of Primary and Secondary Schools in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao offered by the Ministry of Education. Literary and cultural study trips to the Mainland have also been organised for teachers to promote exchanges, broaden their horizon and enhance their teaching abilities.
The EDB and the Department of Education of Guangdong Province co-organise the Advanced Course on Teaching of Putonghua every year to uplift the professional standards of Putonghua teachers through immersive training courses and lesson observation activities. So far, 612 Putonghua teachers have completed the course since its first launch in 1999.
Effectiveness evaluation
The EDB has been using different channels such as curriculum development visits and inspections to understand the work of schools in uplifting students’ language proficiency (including the promotion of Putonghua education) and will make recommendations on improvement as necessary. Following the introduction of the enhanced School Development and Accountability framework in the 2022/23 school year, schools have to focus more on the seven learning goals (including language proficiency of students) in conducting the annual school self-evaluation (SSE). During the process, schools will collect the SSE information and data for integrative use to evaluate their effectiveness in related work. As observed from school inspections, schools would take into account their school-based circumstances and adopt diversified approaches to encourage students’ learning of Putonghua through application. For example, they would create a rich Putonghua learning environment within the schools and arrange students to participate in Putonghua-related activities held inside and outside their schools so as to increase students’ ability and interest in the use of Putonghua.
According to the results of the 2021 Thematic Household Survey published by the Census and Statistics Department, 85.7 per cent of the responding students perceived their language competence in Putonghua for daily use as totally sufficient, sufficient or average. The percentage has been rising steadily over the past ten years.
The EDB will continue to create more opportunities for teachers and students to practise Putonghua and enrich the Putonghua learning environment to enhance the Putonghua proficiency of teachers and students in Hong Kong.
(3) Having consulted the Civil Service Bureau, response to part (3) of the question is set out below:
Chinese and English are both the official languages of Hong Kong. It is the Government’s policy to maintain a fully biliterate and trilingual civil service to ensure effective communication with the public in discharging their official duties.
Heads of Department/Grade would, having regard to the job requirements of the grades under their purview, specify appropriate language proficiency requirements as part of the entry requirements of the grades concerned. In assessing whether candidates meet the Putonghua proficiency required by the grade concerned, the recruiting department/grade may, having regard to its operational needs, decide on the appropriate assessment method(s), such as requiring candidates to answer questions in Putonghua during selection interviews, or requiring candidates to attain specific results in designated Putonghua proficiency tests.
While maintaining the standard of public services, the Government will from time to time review the language proficiency requirements of various civil service grades to ensure that they commensurate with the job requirements and allow people of different backgrounds to join the civil service. The Civil Service Bureau is also dedicated to strengthening Putonghua training through arranging courses and web resources for civil servants. The contents include Putonghua for conducting exchange at work, methods to learn and better communicate in Putonghua, with a view to enhancing the overall ability of the civil service in using Putonghua.
Note: These include all teachers of Putonghua holding a regular post in aided schools, as well as teachers of Putonghua in government schools, caput schools, Direct Subsidy Scheme schools and private primary/secondary day schools offering a formal curriculum who are comparable to teachers holding a regular post in aided schools. read more
​The Buildings Department (BD) will hold Building Safety Carnivals at Tuen Mun Town Plaza Phase One and Olympian City Two on November 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday); and November 16 and 17 (Saturday and Sunday) respectively.
Building Safety Carnival is one of the major events of Building Safety Weeks 2024. The carnival will feature game booths with an aim to help members of the public acquire proper building safety knowledge in a fun and engaging way. Participants will receive souvenirs upon completion of the games. The BD’s mascots Ah Build and Ah Ding will also attend to meet visitors and pose for photos.
Details of the Building Safety Carnival are as follows:
Date: November 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday)
Time: 11am to 8pm
Venue: Main Atrium, 1/F, Tuen Mun Town Plaza I
Date: November 16 and 17 (Saturday and Sunday)
Time: 11am to 8pm
Venue: Event Hall, G/F, Olympian City 2
Admission is free and members of the public are welcome. read more
Following is a question by the Hon Robert Lee and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, in the Legislative Council today (November 6):
Question:
The 2024 Policy Address has proposed to propel Hong Kong into an international gold trading centre and create a commodity trading ecosystem, so as to further consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) given that the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has recently announced the expansion plan of the Hong Kong International Airport Precious Metals Depository, under which its vaulting capacity will be expanded up to 1 000 tonnes in phases, whether the Government knows the timetable of the expansion plan, and how AAHK will make full use of the potential of the facility;
(2) how the Government will make good use of the only exchange in Hong Kong which trades physical gold and silver, i.e. the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society, so that it can actively tie in with the Government’s policies to propel Hong Kong into an international gold trading centre;
(3) regarding the development of Hong Kong into an international gold trading centre, of the Government’s initial thinking on improving the relevant financial infrastructures and support (e.g. mode of regulation, bank account opening process, testing and certification of gold, talent training, etc.), as well as helping the industry enhance its service quality to align with international standards;
(4) given that the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Registration Regime (the Regime) was implemented on April 1 last year, of the implementation situation of the Regime (including the number of applications); whether the Government has reviewed the effectiveness of the Regime, as well as its burden and impact on the operation of the industry;
(5) given that some members of the industry have suggested that the Government should strive to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as soon as possible, so that the industry can enjoy zero tariff for exporting gold and other precious metals from Hong Kong to RCEP member states, of the current progress of Hong Kong’s application for accession to RCEP, and whether the Government has assessed the impact of RCEP accession on enhancing the global competitiveness of Hong Kong’s precious metals industry; and
(6) whether the Government has studied how to strengthen the co-operation between the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and major commodities and futures exchanges in the Mainland, so as to contribute to enhancing our country’s pricing power in the international commodities market?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with relevant bureaux including the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, our consolidated reply to the six parts of the question is as follows:
(1) to (3) and (6)The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee) adopted the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization. The Resolution calls on Hong Kong to fully harness the institutional strengths of “one country, two systems” while consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre.
In the Policy Address this year, the Chief Executive has emphasised the need to explore new growth areas. Building an international gold trading centre is a new growth point for Hong Kong to consolidate and enhance its status as an international financial centre. Gold serves as a crucial anchor in the precious metals category, possessing multiple attributes as a commodity, a reserve asset, and an investment product. Under increasing global political and economic uncertainties, gold is one of the key hedging tools. With the geopolitical environment becoming more complex and some regional situations remaining unclear, it is expected that global demand for gold will remain substantial. Many investors would like to store physical gold in different geographical locations, which presents opportunities for Hong Kong to develop the gold market.
Financial trading of gold generally refers to investors on the basis of needs making use of standard or tailored contracts to buy and sell physical gold or related spot or futures financial products (e.g. funds, forwards, swaps and futures). Experiences of overseas trading show that commodity markets, including those specialising in financial trading of gold, have their own characteristics. It takes time to build up trading and the ecosystem. While Hong Kong has the potential for both on and off-exchange transactions, the relevant development requires detailed planning and a gradual and orderly progression.
As the first step, the Government will focus on the development of world-class gold storage facilities, thereby attracting more investors and users to store gold in Hong Kong. Since 2009, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has been operating the Precious Metals Depository at the Hong Kong International Airport to provide storage and physical settlement services for precious metals. As the depository is nearing its full capacity, AAHK is planning to expand the storage in support of the Government’s initiative to develop world-class gold storage facilities and establish Hong Kong as an international gold trading centre. The expansion will be implemented in phases. During the initial phase, the capacity will be increased from the existing 150 tonnes to 200 tonnes, which will further be increased to up to 1 000 tonnes in subsequent phases with room reserved for further development. The Government is also pleased to see the industry’s other plans to establish or expand gold storage, and will provide appropriate assistance if necessary.
Based on increased storage, we expect to scale up associated support services in insurance, testing and certification, logistics, etc, while in parallel expanding related transactions including collateral, loan and hedging, hence creating a comprehensive ecosystem. This will drive all-round multi-currency trading, clearing and delivery, as well as the development of the regulatory system, thereby establishing a holistic gold trading centre with an industry chain. We will also as appropriate explore mutual access with the Mainland financial market, covering spot and futures markets.
In the proactive development of gold trading in Hong Kong, the wisdom, contributions and concerted efforts of different sectors involved are needed. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau will set up a working group within this year to formulate plans on enhancing the trading and regulatory mechanisms of the market. Topics to be looked into will include gold supply and demand, product development, application of standards, clearing mechanism, logistics and storage, testing and certification, talent training, promotion in the Mainland and overseas regions, cross-boundary collaboration, etc. We are considering the composition of the working group, which will encompass industry professionals and local exchanges (e.g. the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange). We will also communicate and liaise with the Mainland exchanges concerned.
(4) In response to the fourth round of mutual evaluation report completed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) from 2018 to 2019, which proposed that Hong Kong should regulate precious metals and stones dealers, we amended the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615) in 2022 to introduce the regulatory regime for precious metals and stones dealers. The regime implemented from April 1, 2023 is administered by the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED). Anyone who intends to conduct business on precious metals and stones in Hong Kong and conducts transactions (whether making or receiving payments) totaling HK$120,000 or more in Hong Kong in the course of the business must apply to C&ED for registration. As of end-September 2024, C&ED has registered 8 000 dealers. Overall, the regime has been operating smoothly.
C&ED is proactive in conducting publicity to the industry and the public, by means of distributing promotional videos through different channels, holding public lectures, and conducting territory-wide outreach activities to communicate with dealers. Meanwhile, C&ED has provided relevant guidance to the industry, and set up an online system to receive and process applications, providing convenience for dealers to apply for registration. C&ED has also established the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Sector Advisory Group to liaise with different industry stakeholders periodically. Since the implementation of the regime, the industry has responded positively, generally expressing understanding of the need for the regime and actively co-operating in fulfilling Hong Kong’s responsibilities as a member of FATF.
The regime effectively regulates registered precious metals and stones dealers in implementing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing requirements in compliance with international standards. The Government will continue to monitor market conditions and risks, and analyse transaction information submitted by registered dealers in formulating comprehensive strategies and prioritising regulatory actions to enhance the effectiveness of the regime.
(5) The development of financial trading of gold will also help further consolidate gold trade and related retail businesses. The Government has been actively seeking early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Right after RCEP came into force on January 1, 2022, the Government promptly submitted Hong Kong’s formal accession request. At the same time, the Government has proactively made use of different occasions to express Hong Kong’s keen interest in joining RCEP to its members and explained Hong Kong’s active role in promoting regional economic integration and development. The Central People’s Government fully supports Hong Kong to join RCEP. During overseas visits, senior officials of the Government have also expressed to the relevant leaders of RCEP members that Hong Kong is ready to join RCEP, and have received positive responses. We welcome the adoption of the Procedures for Accession to the RCEP Agreement by the RCEP Joint Committee in September 2024. We will actively follow up with the RCEP Joint Committee, and strive to build consensus from different sectors and places to support Hong Kong to join RCEP as soon as possible. Upon Hong Kong’s accession, the tariff concession and other trade facilitation measures under the Agreement will help enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s related industries and their products in the RCEP markets. read more
Following is a question by the Hon Luk Chung-hung and a reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (November 6):
Question:
There are views that most waste furniture is reusable, and for Hong Kong, collaborating with the Mainland in waste treatment is not only a superior mode of co-operation leveraging on the strong support of the motherland, but also crucial to the city’s efforts in reducing waste generation, turning waste into resources, and promoting environmental protection and sustainable development. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the quantity of waste furniture disposal as measured by weight in the past five years, together with a breakdown by household furniture and commercial furniture;
(2) as some members of the public have relayed that at present, they have to deliver waste furniture to public refuse collection points themselves, which is very physically demanding, whether the Government will, by drawing reference from the practice of treating and recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment, introduce a producer responsibility scheme on furniture, and commission contractors to provide services for to-the-door collection of waste furniture and the delivery of used furniture in suitable conditions as a donation to the underprivileged groups, so as to assist members of the public in the disposal of waste furniture and promote the turning of waste into resources; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) as it is learnt that Hong Kong will explore with the Mainland the integration of waste resources in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, whether the Government will consider collaborating with the Mainland in creating new green industries for the treatment of household or commercial waste furniture that has a value and is reusable, and establishing a “green lane” for exporting waste furniture to the Mainland with the provision of tax incentives; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Government has all along been attaching great importance to promoting the culture of “use less, waste less”, and vigorously promoting community-wide participation in waste reduction at source and clean recycling, with a view to achieving full utilisation of materials and minimisation of resources wastage. The Government’s support to the recycling industry is primarily based on the principles of market economy and fair competition. Meanwhile, consideration is also given to the feasibility of converting different types of waste into energy or resources, as well as the cost effectiveness of recycling, when determining priority and appropriate measures for various types of recyclables. In view of the diverse types of waste, in order to optimise the use of government resources, the priority of Government’s support measures will be accorded to the treatment of two types of wastes, including (i) wastes containing hazardous substances, which will pose hazards to the environment and human health (such as waste electrical and electronic products), and (ii) wastes of relatively large quantities that will be more cost-effective in alleviating burden on the landfills (such as waste plastics and food waste). For these two types of wastes, we will fill the gaps in the market through appropriate measures based on the relative economic value and environmental benefits of recycling. As regards recyclables with stable market value or items with an active second-hand market, the Government will allow the recycling industry and the private market to handle them in accordance with market principles which will be conducive to enhancing the economic value of recovery and recycling, thereby building a circular economy in the long run.
On the handling of used furniture, the second-hand market and trading platforms for used furniture are active in Hong Kong, and members of the public are aware of the mode of operation of the relevant market. For example, members of the public could arrange for the proper disposal of used furniture through furniture companies or trading platforms, or arrange for door-to-door collection by themselves in the course of purchasing new furniture.
The reply to the question raised by the Hon Luk Chung-hung is as follows:
(1) The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) does not keep separate statistics on the amount of furniture disposed of and thus is unable to provide relevant figures.
(2) At present, there are different channels and platforms in the market for second-hand sale, exchange, donation, refurbishment, and facilitating the reuse of furniture, including commercial organisations, social enterprises, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social media, to assist members of the public to handle used furniture. The public may choose suitable channels for trading, exchanging or donating their used furniture according to different circumstances and needs, such as the quality and quantity of the furniture, as well as their district of residence.
If members of the public need to dispose of used furniture, there are companies that provide furniture disposal services, the charges of which depend on the size, type and weight of individual furniture, as well as the relevant removal condition and the districts concerned. On the other hand, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and its contractors collect domestic waste, including disposed furniture, from its public refuse collection points, as well as the refuse collection points in public and private housing estates. Some residential buildings employ their own contractors to deliver disposed furniture by their residents, from the refuse collection points of their residential buildings to the public refuse collection points under the FEHD, or directly to the refuse transfer stations or landfills under the EPD for disposal. The arrangement for relevant disposal services has been operating effectively, and is generally in line with the “polluter pays” principle. Therefore, at present, we do not consider it necessary for the Government to provide door-to-door disposal services for used furniture for the public through a designated operator.
As most of the furniture is made of composite materials, containing a wide range of substances, such as plastics, wood trimmings, wood or other plant fibres, these composite materials are difficult to be separated into single materials for recycling by simple means, leading to very high cost of recycling and relatively higher carbon footprint in the process of recycling. Therefore, recycling is generally not a suitable outlet for used furniture. Encouraging members of the public to reuse the used furniture would better comply with the environmental principles and should be more cost-effective than recovery and recycling through producer responsibility schemes or other measures.
(3) We will continue to promote waste reduction at different levels of the community, maintain communication with the trade and stakeholders and join hands to publicise and promote the culture of “use less, waste less”, so as to cultivate a culture and habit of reusing, exchanging and donating used furniture in the society. Specific measures include collaborating with NGOs to explore ways to step up publicity and education on the donation or exchange of second-hand furniture at the community level, promoting the culture of “use less, waste less” through the Big Waster’s social media platform and the Government’s “Hong Kong Waste Reduction Website”, as well as further disseminating the relevant message at the district level through the community network of the “Green Outreach”.
As for the co-operation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Ecological Environmental Protection Plan” promulgated by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment vigorously promotes the development of a “Zero Waste” Bay Area. With this opportunity, Guangdong and Hong Kong have established a close co-operation and exchange mechanism on environmental issues to jointly explore the capacity and modes for developing a circular economy in the region, leveraging the competitive advantages of the two places, complementing each other’s strengths, and mutually developing green industries, green energy and related facilities. We believe that this will bring greater opportunities for the recycling industry in Hong Kong in the future.
We will continue to monitor the market situation and maintain communication with the trade, with a view to further fostering a culture of “use less, waste less” in the community and encouraging the reuse and donation of used furniture.
Thank you, President. read more