Tag Archives: China

     The first Belt and Road Joint Conference was convened in Beijing today (June 12) by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO) as well as other relevant central ministries.  The Joint Conference mechanism was agreed at the meeting, at which the strategy for promoting Hong Kong’s full participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and the work priorities for the year were also discussed.

     The Vice Chairman of the NDRC, Mr Ning Jizhe, attended today’s Joint Conference on the HKSAR Government’s account of and suggestions of participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.  Other central ministries in attendance included the HKMAO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Commerce, the People’s Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, etc.  Relevant ministries noted at the meeting that co-operation with the HKSAR Government in the areas of finance and investment; legal and dispute resolution services; construction and works related services; project interfacing; and investment promotion would be deepened.

     The HKSAR Government officials attending today’s meeting were the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip; the Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan; and officials from the Development Bureau and Invest Hong Kong.  Representatives of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Insurance Authority and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council were also present.

     Ms Cheng said the HKSAR Government attached great importance to the Belt and Road development, and hoped that the relevant central ministries would support Hong Kong to provide international legal and dispute resolution services on Belt and Road.

     At the Joint Conference, relevant ministries also discussed how Hong Kong would develop green finance and insurance services related to the Belt and Road, and ways to encourage Mainland enterprises to use Hong Kong as the base to “go global”, as well as strengthen collaboration in project interfacing.

     Mr Yau pointed out that the Belt and Road Initiative was a key impetus in driving Hong Kong’s future social and economic development.  The HKSAR Government would strive to take forward the Initiative, and would make the most of the Belt and Road Joint Conference mechanism to strengthen communication, collaboration and mutual support with the central authorities. As the key link for the Belt and Road, Hong Kong would leverage its advantages in meeting the country’s needs.

     The establishment of the Joint Conference mechanism was set out in the Arrangement between the NDRC and the HKSAR Government for Advancing Hong Kong’s Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative signed by the HKSAR Government and the NDRC last December. At today’s meeting, it was agreed that the Joint Conference would be convened at least once a year as a platform for regular and direct communication.

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 12) investigating a suspected case of food poisoning related to the consumption of wild mushrooms, and urged the public not to pick and eat wild mushrooms.

     The three patients, a man and two women aged 37 to 58, developed symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting about two to three hours after consuming mushrooms at home yesterday (June 11). They attended the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital on the same day and did not require hospitalisation. They are in stable condition.
 
     Initial investigations revealed that the patients had consumed wild mushrooms picked from the roadside near Laguna Park in Kwun Tong yesterday. The CHP’s investigation is ongoing.
 
     “Members of the public should not pick wild mushrooms for consumption as it is difficult to distinguish edible mushroom species from inedible ones,” a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     “Mushroom poisoning is generally acute. Common presentations include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain appearing shortly after ingestion. Depending on the mushroom species, patients may also have other symptoms like profuse sweating, hallucination, coma or other neurological symptoms, as well as liver failure. Death may result in severe cases,” he added.
 
     “If mushroom poisoning is suspected, the patient should seek immediate medical attention and bring along any available remnant for identification,” the spokesman said. read more

     A company was fined $6,000 at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (June 12) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in October last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at a club on Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC).
      
     The OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for drinks without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. Also, the staff of the club failed to show the registered drawings upon the OLA officers’ request. Conditions 17 and 19 of the CoC were breached.
      
     The company, being the CoC holder of the club, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
      
     A spokesman for the department reminded all CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club operations. read more

     A woman was fined $8,000 at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (June 12) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in November last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Queen’s Road East in Wan Chai. During the inspection, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on a daily basis.
      
     According to the OLA’s records, the guesthouse did not possess a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman responsible for managing the premises was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
      
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application “Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses”. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Independent Review Committee on Hong Kong’s Franchised Bus Service:
 
     The Independent Review Committee on Hong Kong’s Franchised Bus Service will hold a hearing to receive oral evidence from nominated representatives of the New Lantao Bus Company (1973) Limited next Tuesday (June 19) from 10am to 5.30pm (with a break between 1pm and 2.30pm) at the Auditorium of the Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar. The Committee’s rules of procedure for the receipt of oral evidence and notice to the public attending the hearing to receive oral evidence are available on the Committee’s website (www.irc-bus.gov.hk/eng/press.html).
 
     Having received and considered written submissions from various interested parties, and in order to obtain further information, the Committee is in the process of inviting specific interested parties to give oral evidence to the Committee through nominated representatives. Three hearings have been held so far to receive oral evidence from representatives of the Transport and Housing Bureau, the Transport Department and the New World First Bus Services Limited and Citybus Limited. A transcript of that evidence (and a translation in Chinese) is available on the Committee’s website (www.irc-bus.gov.hk/eng/transcripts.html).
 
     The Committee wishes to invite family members of the victims and passengers on board the bus involved in the fatal incident on Tai Po Road, and other recent serious incidents involving franchised bus services, to attend the hearing, and invites them to contact the Secretariat in advance of the hearing if they wish to attend. Except for seats reserved for such persons as well as the media and specifically identified interested parties, all available seats in the Auditorium of the Central Government Offices will be open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. A registration counter will open at 9.30am on June 19.
 
     Enquiries regarding the hearings may be directed to the Secretariat of the Committee at 2867 5324. read more