Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, at the plenary session themed "Trade and investment for an inclusive and interconnected growth" at the 35th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting in Lima, Peru, on November 14 (Lima time):
 
     Thank you, Chair.
 
     I would also like to thank the Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for joining us today and sharing the latest developments in Geneva.
 
     Inclusivity and sustainability are key elements that we, as policy makers, ought to take into consideration when deliberating trade rules and initiatives, so as to ensure that we achieve not only economic gains, but also other equally important objectives such as reducing inequality and tackling climate change. APEC and the WTO, being the prominent regional and global trade arena, have already been integrating these elements into their respective work streams. Yet, each of us has to do more to ensure that these efforts at the APEC and WTO levels are translated into tangible benefits to effectively address the pressing challenges of inclusivity and sustainability.
 
     For instance, inclusivity is at the heart of the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development in the WTO. We are eager to see its early incorporation into the WTO legal architecture, and encourage APEC, as a leading regional bloc, to push for such in order to fully reap the related benefits for all stakeholders concerned.
 
     Similarly, we urge fellow APEC member economies to accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which uses trade rules to achieve sustainability goals, soonest possible, and approach the second-wave negotiations with utmost creativity and flexibility to ensure an early conclusion.
 
     As digitalisation is reshaping our economies, Hong Kong, China (HKC) remains committed to concluding the negotiations of the WTO Agreement on Electronic Commerce in a timely manner and reinvigorating the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, while actively engaging in constructive discussions to seek a permanent solution for the continuation of the e-commerce moratorium.
 
     Over the years, APEC has proposed and implemented numerous innovative and mutually supportive initiatives that complement global trade rules, while addressing the specific needs and dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region such as supply chain disruptions, digitalisation, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and climate change. Some 20 years ago, our business sector, the APEC Business Advisory Council broached the idea of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), and has been looking at different pathways and advising APEC to realise such an idea.
 
     Both the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) serve as crucial pathways towards realising the FTAAP. HKC is actively seeking to join RCEP. We are glad to see the recent adoption of its accession procedures and look forward to launching substantive discussions between RCEP members and HKC. We are more than ready to contribute to this largest free trade agreement of the world as a solid building block in creating a more interconnected region.
 
     Eight years ago, right here in Lima, our Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to realising the FTAAP. Today, HKC remains steadfast in our belief that the FTAAP, when realised, would be a crucial driver of deeper integration and an incubator for trade collaboration in advancing inclusivity, interconnectivity and sustainability. Thanks to Peru for injecting new impetus into the FTAAP agenda this year where all of us have benefitted a lot from the array of activities and discussions. We would like to register our strong support for the "Ichma Statement on a New Look to Advance the FTAAP" so as to renew our collective resolve to this shared vision.
 
     In a world facing unprecedented challenges and uncertainties, I strongly believe that our work under APEC and the WTO will help us build a future that is more resilient, more interconnected and more prosperous for all.
 
     Thank you.

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, at the plenary session themed "Sustainable growth for a resilient development" at the 35th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting in Lima, Peru, on November 14 (Lima time):
 
     Thank you, Chair.
 
     I would like to express our appreciation to Peru for its exemplary leadership in taking forward the sustainable development agenda this year. The adoption of the APEC Policy Guidance to Develop and Implement Clean and Low-carbon Hydrogen Policy Frameworks in the Asia-Pacific, as well as the Trujillo Principles for Preventing and Reducing Food Loss and Waste in the Asia-Pacific Region, is very timely, and once again demonstrates APEC's ability in formulating impactful yet pragmatic initiatives that address the environmental challenges of our time.
 
     APEC should continue to take such collaborative spirit to implement these initiatives and advance other areas of co-operation, leveraging the strengths of the institution as well as those of member economies. On the sustainability agenda, Hong Kong, China (HKC) would like to highlight a few priority areas deserving our attention.
 
     First, we should scale up finance and investment in innovation, research and development to support the transition to a green and low-carbon economy. As a leading green financing hub in Asia, HKC is committed to facilitating the transition in the region. Over the past three years, we issued and arranged an average of over US$63 billion in green bonds and debts annually. We have invested substantial resources in building a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem, focusing on key sectors such as new energy and new materials. To foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, we have injected over US$50 million into the Green Tech Fund to provide funding support for research and development projects on decarbonisation technologies. In this connection, HKC recognises the significant progress made by APEC in sustainable finance and investment this year, in particular the launch of the Sustainable Finance Initiative under the APEC Finance Ministers' Process last month. We look forward to sharing our experiences and joining efforts in advancing this important work stream.
 
     Second, we should leverage APEC as a premier platform for promoting capacity building to complement global efforts in addressing environmental challenges. HKC has launched the Strategy of Hydrogen Development domestically earlier this year with concrete actions to seize the opportunities brought about by the hydrogen economy, and is planning to host an APEC capacity building workshop on the application of hydrogen for land transport next year. We look forward to contributing further our experience and capacity-building efforts to the APEC process under the framework of the APEC Policy Guidance and relevant APEC fora.
 
     Last but not least, we strongly believe that we should strengthen APEC's role as an incubator of ideas in developing solutions and pragmatic initiatives that contribute to our sustainability goals. APEC has long been a leader in fostering trade collaboration, particularly in facilitating and liberalising trade in environmental goods and services. Our efforts, most notably the APEC List of Environmental Goods and APEC Reference List of Environmental and Environmentally Related Services, have served as useful reference points in international discussions including in the World Trade Organization. HKC will remain a strong advocate for APEC's efforts on environmental goods and services, recognising their potential as a catalyst for accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy through the power of trade.
 
     As a leading regional economic forum, APEC is the ideal platform to facilitate international co-operation to promote the world's sustainable development. I would like to reaffirm HKC's commitment to collaborating with Peru and member economies to make APEC 2024 a resounding success.
 
     Thank you.

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, at the plenary session themed "Innovation and digitalisation to promote transition to the formal and global economy" at the 35th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting in Lima, Peru, on November 14 (Lima time):
 
     Good morning, Chair and fellow colleagues.
 
     Let me start off by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to Peru for the excellent arrangements and warm hospitality extended to our delegation.
 
     At the heart of today's agenda is our commitment in APEC to deliver inclusive and sustainable outcomes that address the needs and aspirations of our people. In this regard, Hong Kong, China (HKC) highly commends Peru for its leadership in advancing this year's inclusivity agenda, especially its work in promoting transition to the formal and global economy. Although circumstances may vary among member economies, it remains a common aspiration to create an enabling environment that fosters inclusivity in one's economy. Identified as one of the key economic drivers in the Putrajaya Vision 2040, innovation and technology play a pivotal role in the transition, and I would like to highlight three points from HKC's perspective.
 
     First, harnessing digital technologies can facilitate formalisation. From HKC's experience, digital government services can help slash the cost of doing business and promote participation in the formal and global economy. Currently, HKC is developing a digital corporate identity platform to serve as a common digital key for identity authentication, enabling businesses, small or large, to use e-government services at ease and conduct online business transactions in a secure and efficient manner. The convenience will incentivise businesses to go digital and harness the full benefits of efficiency when using e-government services and transacting with businesses.
 
     Second, investing in digital infrastructure can create an enabling environment for businesses. HKC has invested substantially in this respect. In 2022, we launched the Commercial Data Interchange as a digital infrastructure for voluntary data sharing among banks and businesses to speed up credit underwriting. To unleash the potential of this initiative beyond corporate level, we connected earlier this year the Commercial Data Interchange with the Government's Companies Registry to enable banks to obtain directly company particulars from the Government. This has provided incentives for businesses to register, comply with regulations, and operate transparently. In addition, recognising the challenges faced by our micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), we have been promoting the use of online dispute resolution (ODR) to resolve cross-border commercial disputes in the region. By leveraging advanced technologies such as blockchain, smart contracts and artificial intelligence, the ODR not only enhances MSMEs' access to justice but also streamlines the dispute resolution process, thus fostering a more inclusive business environment for MSMEs. We are glad to see that one-third of member economies have joined this ODR initiative, and we look forward to further collaboration with member economies on this front.
 
     Third, ensuring equitable and affordable access to digital technologies benefits all segments, especially women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Specifically, HKC adopts a targeted and proactive approach in helping the various groups overcome the structural barriers. For example, we have been providing funding support to assist persons with disabilities in acquiring computer facilities for self-employment or receiving supported employment services at home. We look forward to accelerating work on digital inclusion with member economies to unlock the potential of individuals in the transition towards formal and global economy, building on existing initiatives such as the APEC Internet and the Digital Economy Roadmap, the La Serena Roadmap for Women and Inclusive Growth, and the Arequipa Goals.
 
     Lastly, let me once again thank Peru for its steadfast commitment in spearheading this meaningful work in APEC. HKC looks forward to the adoption of the "Lima Roadmap to Promote the Transition to the Formal and Global Economy" at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, charting an inclusive transition for all.
 
     Thank you, Chair.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, arrived and started his visit programme in Lima, Peru, on November 13 (Lima time).
      
     In the evening, Mr Lee and his delegation arrived at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima. He was greeted by the Minister of Energy and Mines of Peru, Mr Romulo Mucho Mamani, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Peru, Mr Song Yang.
      
     On the next day (November 14, Lima time), Mr Lee received President Xi Jinping, who arrived to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting and visit Peru.
      
     Mr Lee then visited a renowned company specialising in alpaca fibres in Peru to learn about the company's development history and product features, as well as the export of its products to Asia, exploring business opportunities to promote co-operation between Peruvian companies and Hong Kong companies.
      
     In the evening, Mr Lee, accompanied by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, attended a dinner with Hong Kong, China's representative to the APEC Business Advisory Council to exchange views on various issues, including promoting Hong Kong's advantages and development opportunities and enhancing the city's collaboration with other economies. Separately, Mr Yau also attended the APEC Ministerial Meeting to share with other ministers Hong Kong's work in promoting digitalisation, and inclusive and sustainable growth of trade.
      
     Mr Lee will participate in the APEC Leaders' Informal Dialogue with Guests, the APEC Leaders' Dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council, and the Gala Dinner hosted by the organiser for participating leaders on November 15 (Lima time). He will also attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held on November 16 (Lima time).

                  

     â€‹The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (November 15) appealed to parents again to arrange early seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) for their children with a view to having better protection in the coming influenza season in winter.
      
     The 2024/25 SIV Programmes started on September 26 this year. At present, around 970 kindergartens and child care centres (92 per cent), 630 primary schools (96 per cent) and 470 secondary schools (93 per cent) have completed or are arranging the SIV school outreach activities. This is higher than the participation rate last year (about 80 per cent of kindergartens and child care centres, about 95 per cent of primary schools and about 70 per cent of secondary schools). As of November 10, 2024, around 1 100 schools have completed the vaccination, and more than 255 000 students have received SIV under SIV school outreach programmes.
      
     The DH continues inviting all schools in Hong Kong through the Education Bureau to participate in outreach programmes. Upon commencement of the 2024/25 SIV Programmes, the DH has reached out to non-participating schools one by one to understand their difficulties, offer necessary assistance and facilitate their participation in the programmes, so as to seize the optimum timing for receiving SIV for schoolchildren.
      
     To boost the SIV coverage rate among schoolchildren, special arrangements have been made under the outreach programmes this year to offer a more flexible choice of vaccine options for kindergartens and child care centres. Kindergartens and child care centres can choose to provide both injectable inactivated influenza vaccines and live attenuated influenza vaccines (i.e. nasal vaccines) (LAIV) at the same or different outreach vaccination activities. As a pilot scheme, LAIV is also provided to selected primary and secondary schools that indicated their preference for LAIV earlier this year.
      
     According to local experience, school outreach can double the SIV vaccination rate of schoolchildren.  School outreach could offer a convenient option for parents and allow students to receive outreach vaccination service by healthcare personnel in a familiar and relaxed environment at school, which effectively strengthen their immunity barrier. Home-school co-operation has been of vital importance in enhancing vaccination coverage.  However, the CHP has noticed that so far there are 145 schools still have not arranged SIV outreach activities. The CHP again strongly urges concerned schools should arrange SIV outreach activities as soon as possible for the convenience of parents as well as to protect students and reduce the chance of influenza outbreaks in schools. For eligible children not receiving SIV through school outreach activities, parents should arrange vaccination for their children as soon as possible at clinics of private doctors enrolled in the Vaccination Subsidy Scheme (VSS). The Government will provide a subsidy of $260 per dose for the vaccination. Over half of the enrolled VSS doctors will not charge extra in addition to the Government's subsidy. For the list of VSS doctors, please visit: apps.hcv.gov.hk/Public/en/SPS/Search.
      
     In addition, as of November 10, the SIV coverage rate for children aged 6 months to under 2 years was at a low level of about 11.5 per cent. To strengthen vaccination services and boost the SIV coverage rate among children aged 6 months to under 2 years, the DH's Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) are open to all children aged 6 months to under 2 years for SIV this year. Children aged 6 months to under 2 years can receive SIV at any MCHCs at the same time when they are attending appointments. Parents may also book an appointment for their children to receive vaccination at designated MCHCs via the online booking system: booking.covidvaccine.gov.hk/forms/sivfhs/index.jsp.
      
     "According to the further analysis of the relationship between SIV and 31 cases of severe paediatric influenza-associated complications and deaths recorded during the influenza season from January to July this year, the CHP found that the rate of children aged between 6 months and 17 years who had not received the SIV of that season and subsequently contracted influenza with severe complications or deaths, was about 3.2 times that of the vaccinated children. The protective effect is more pronounced in younger children, for example, in the 2- to 5-year-old age group, the concerned rate among unvaccinated children was about 6.4 times that of vaccinated children. Based on this, SIV is one of the most effective means to prevent seasonal influenza and its complications. All children aged 6 months or above, except those with known contraindications, are recommended to receive the SIV for personal protection," a CHP spokesperson said.
      
     For the latest information, please refer to the CHP's influenza page and Vaccination Schemes page.