The Government today (February 4) expressed deep disappointment over Messi not playing at Tatler XFEST Hong Kong, Hong Kong Team vs Inter Miami CF, and the organiser failing to provide a detailed explanation promptly.

     The event has been awarded "M" Mark status, as well as a matching grant of 15 million and a grant for venue of 1 million by The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC). The Government has also provided a variety of coordination and assistance, including venue arrangement and crowd management, in order to offer football fans a wonderful game and an opportunity to witness the world-class player showcasing his skills.

     Many Hong Kong fans looked forward to the match with enthusiasm, and a lot of tourists came to Hong Kong particularly for the match. The Government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed that Messi could neither play in the friendly match, nor explain to the fans in person upon request. The way that the organiser and Inter Miami CF handled the situation could not meet the expectations of the fans who showed strong support to Messi, especially those visitors who came all the way here for the match.

     The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the MSEC, will rely on the terms and conditions of the agreement in requiring the organiser to take responsibility, including a reduction of the amount of funding as a result of Messi being not able to play in the match.

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported the Chinese Cinema Project in staging an immersive screening of "In the Mood for Love" at the Garden Cinema in London, the United Kingdom (UK), on February 3 (London time) to showcase Hong Kong's unique culture. 
 
     The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, addressed the audience before the screening of the film. "Director Wong Kar-wai's legendary career stands as a shining example of 'Hong Kong story', a narrative where talents from around the globe find opportunities to thrive in Hong Kong. Through his lens, Director Wong has masterfully promoted Hong Kong's unique East-meets-West culture, capturing the essence of the city's vibrant identity."
 
     Mr Law stressed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to supporting Hong Kong's role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange as underpinned by the 14th Five-Year Plan as well as promoting the filming and creative industries, for instance through the injection of HK$4.3 billion to the Film Development Fund and other relevant initiatives. He also encouraged the audience to visit the "modern Hong Kong", in addition to immersing in the charm of "old Hong Kong", and choose from a wide variety of international events of different natures hosted by the city.
 
     As regards the Chinese Cinema Project, it is dedicated to promote the work of Chinese filmmakers in the UK via regular screening and cultural promotion. The immersive screening of "In the Mood for Love" greeted over 100 guests and unveils the Year of the Dragon edition of the programme. Before the screening of the film, local audience enjoyed a night of cultural experience, including cheongsam exhibition, Mahjong trial session, and theatrical recreation of classic scenes of the movie.

        

     The 2024 Lunar New Year (LNY) fairs are being held at 15 locations for seven days from today (February 4) to 7am on February 10. A spokesman for the Food and Environment Hygiene Department (FEHD) said that the operation of the LNY fairs has been smooth in general on the first day. Members of the public visiting the LNY fairs are appealed to watch out for the visitor flow of the fairs and to use public transport as far as possible.

     The spokesman also reminded members of the public to stay tuned to the crowd safety management measures and special traffic arrangements implemented by the Police and the Transport Department. Apart from the vicinity of LNY fairs, special arrangements are also being implemented at Mong Kok Flower Market Road area.

     The spokesman said that the FEHD has all along maintained close communication with relevant departments in drawing up timetable and arrangement for loading/unloading of goods according to the location of individual LNY fair venues and the nearby traffic. Given the limited capacity of the venues and for the sake of public safety, loading/unloading of goods is only allowed at designated spots and/or timeslots in some of the venues. The FEHD urged members of the public and the licensees to follow the instructions of the FEHD staff and the Police on site.

     The spokesman added, "The venues of the LNY fairs will be monitored using technology measures and crowd control will be implemented when necessary. The footfall of the 15 LNY fairs will be displayed in a 'green, amber and red lights' format on the FEHD website to enable the public to know about the crowds at the fairs. A green light means few people are inside the fair, the amber light indicates the fair venue is slightly crowded, while the red light shows that the fair venue is very crowded.

     "Furthermore, admission to the LNY fairs will cease 15 minutes prior to the closing time every day. Persons who are interested in visiting are advised to reserve sufficient time to enjoy the LNY fairs."

     The spokesman also urged members of the public to keep the environment clean and not to litter while enjoying the festive season. Stall operators should also properly dispose of waste and keep their stalls and the surroundings clean and tidy.

     The 2024 LNY fairs offer about 1 500 wet goods, dry goods, fast food and thematic stalls to enable the public to buy festive plants and flowers, LNY food, decorations and spring couplets (fai chun) to welcome the LNY. For information on the LNY fairs including the locations and opening hours, please visit the FEHD website.

     In response to media enquiries relating to Tatler XFEST Hong Kong, Hong Kong Team vs Inter Miami CF today (February 4), a Government spokesman gave the following response:

     The event has been awarded "M" Mark status, as well as a matching grant of 15 million and a grant for venue of 1 million by The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC).

     Regarding Messi not playing the match today, the Government, as well as all football fans, are extremely disappointed about the organiser's arrangement. The organiser owes all football fans an explanation.

     The MSEC will take follow-up actions with the organiser according to the terms and conditions, which includes reducing the amount of funding as a result of Messi not playing the match.

     Hong Kong Customs today (February 4) distributed pamphlets to stall operators at various Lunar New Year Fairs to remind them not to sell infringing goods.

     The Divisional Commander (Intellectual Property General Investigation) of the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau of Customs, Mr Nick Tse, said today that Customs will conduct inspections in various districts, including all 15 Lunar New Year Fairs, and take stringent enforcement actions against infringing activities to protect consumer interests.  

     Last November and December, Customs distributed leaflets to successful bidders for Lunar New Year Fair stalls reminding them to be cautious about the authenticity and origin of their purchased goods. They were also reminded to verify with the corresponding agents or representatives of trademark and copyright owners if in doubt.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with forged trademark commits an offence.  The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Under the Copyright Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any infringing goods commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy and imprisonment for four years.
     â€‹
     Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).