Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by the Hon Jeffrey Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (January 17):
 
Question:
 
     The Chief Executive announced in the 2023 Policy Address that adjustments would be made to the demand-side management measures for residential properties (commonly known as “the harsh measures”), including shortening the applicable period of the Special Stamp Duty from three years to two years, reducing the respective rates of the Buyer’s Stamp Duty and the New Residential Stamp Duty from 15 per cent to 7.5 per cent, as well as introducing a stamp duty suspension arrangement for eligible incoming talents’ acquisition of residential properties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has assessed the impact of the aforesaid adjustments on the transaction volume and prices of residential properties so far since the implementation of such adjustments on October 25 last year; if so, of the outcome; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) given that following the implementation of the aforesaid adjustments, eligible incoming talents who purchase their first residential property in Hong Kong may apply to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) for suspension of the relevant stamp duty payment, of the current number of such applications received by the IRD; and
 
(3) of the number of residential mortgage loans in negative equity last year, and whether it has assessed the resultant negative impact on Hong Kong’s economy; whether the Government will consider expeditiously assessing if it should further “reduce the harsh measures”, and make preparations in respect of the timing and strength for the related arrangements; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Maintaining the healthy and steady development of the private residential property market is one of the important objectives of the Government’s housing policies. With the increasing housing supply in Hong Kong in the coming years and having considered the overall situation, the Chief Executive announced the adjustments to the demand-side management measures (DSMMs) for residential properties in the 2023 Policy Address, including (i) shortening the applicable period of the Special Stamp Duty (SSD) from three years to two years; (ii) reducing the respective rates of the Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) and the New Residential Stamp Duty (NRSD) from 15 per cent to 7.5 per cent; and (iii) providing a mechanism for suspension of payment of BSD and NRSD for incoming talents’ acquisition of residential properties in Hong Kong (the Suspension Mechanism). The relevant adjustments will be implemented through the Stamp Duty (Amendment) (Residential Properties) Bill 2023 (the Bill). I would like to express my gratitude to the Bills Committee for the completion of scrutiny of the Bill last week. The Bills Committee will present the relevant report to the House Committee this Friday (January 19), and the Government plans to resume the Second Reading debate on the Bill at the Legislative Council meeting on January 31. In consultation with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), my reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Lam is as follows:
 
(1) The residential property market is affected by various factors, including the global and local economic outlook, interest rates trend, the local housing demand-supply situation, etc. It is hence difficult to assess the impact of individual factors or measures on property prices and transaction volume. Hong Kong is a small and open economy susceptible to the influence of external economic environment. With the external environment remaining challenging at the moment and interest rates staying at a relatively high level, the market sentiment has been more cautious. We observed that since the announcement of the adjustments to the DSMMs on October 25 last year, the number of sale and purchase agreements for residential property received by the Land Registry in December 2023 was 2 929. While the number may not be comparable to the monthly average of 4 370 cases in the first half of 2023, it represents an increase in two consecutive months as compared to 2 123 cases in October and 2 554 cases in November. As for property prices, the overall residential property prices continued to adjust downward slightly in recent months, with the month-on-month statistics in November falling by about 2 per cent. That said, the adjustments are still in an orderly manner.
 
(2) With regard to the number of applications of the Suspension Mechanism, within a short span of roughly two months from the announcement of the measure to January 12, 2024, the Inland Revenue Department has received 474 suspension applications from incoming talents, of which 394 applications have been approved. As demonstrated by these figures, the Suspension Mechanism is well-received by incoming talents, and helps increase the incoming talents’ sense of belonging and propensity of staying in Hong Kong for development. It also underlines the attractiveness of Hong Kong.
 
(3) With regard to the figures of residential mortgage loans (RMLs) in negative equity, as we all know, the figure only represents an estimate of the situation where the assessed market value of the mortgaged property is below the outstanding loan amount. It neither means that the relevant owner could no longer continue to make mortgage repayment on schedule, nor the property concerned has already been sold at a low price. As property prices began to soften since the latter part of the second quarter of 2023, based on the statistics published by the HKMA earlier, statistical estimation of RMLs in negative equity of the banking sector was 11 000 as at end-September 2023. Among the number, the majority are RMLs under the Mortgage Insurance Programme, which generally have a higher loan-to-value (LTV) ratio that can be as high as 90 per cent. Hence, in case of downward adjustment of property prices, those properties with higher LTV ratio are more prone to becoming so-called properties in negative equity under statistical estimation. It is worth noting that, even if the properties are statistically estimated to be in negative equity at the moment, the relevant repayment rate of RMLs has remained very high in recent years, standing at 99.98 per cent as at end-September 2023. As the vast majority of residential mortgage borrowers are able to continue making mortgage repayments on schedule, banks would not demand early repayment of RMLs merely due to a decline in the value of the mortgaged properties. As such, the HKMA assessed that the current situation as reflected by the statistics would not cause significant impact on the local economy.
 
     The adjustments to the DSMMs in the 2023 Policy Address are pragmatic arrangements by the Government after careful evaluation of the overall economic and market situation. We consider that the relevant adjustments can strike a proper balance between responding to market changes appropriately under the current circumstances, and safeguarding the effectiveness of the DSMMs while addressing the home ownership needs of Hong Kong Permanent Residents (young families and young people in particular). After all, the current mortgage-to-income ratio (i.e. the home purchase affordability ratio) is 72 per cent, which is higher than the long-term average of 51 per cent over the 20-year period from 2003 to 2022. On the housing supply side, the projected supply of first-hand private residential units for the coming three to four years stayed at a high level of around 107 000 units, reflecting a stable supply in the private residential property market. The Government will continue to closely monitor the property market to ensure its healthy and steady development.
 
     Thank you President. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Lai Tung-kwok and a written reply by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, in the Legislative Council today (January 17):   Question:      &nbsp… read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Dominic Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (January 17):
 
Question:
 
     The Government will implement the municipal solid waste (MSW) charging on 1 April this year, with charges to be levied by purchasing and using either designated bags (DBs) or designated labels (applicable to waste which cannot fit into DBs). However, it is learnt that many members of the public, residents’ organisations, property management companies and private enterprises are not clear about the relevant arrangements. Regarding encouraging the public in practising waste reduction and recycling, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it will consider, during the first six months of implementation of MSW charging, distributing 30 free DBs to each residential unit every month, so as to facilitate the public to adapt to the charging arrangements, thereby ensuring the smooth implementation of the relevant charging;
 
(2) whether it will provide additional resources (e.g. provision of DBs) to the relevant organisations of buildings as well as the District Service and Community Care Teams, so that such organisations can have sufficient resources to help promote MSW charging and encourage the public in practising waste separation and recycling;
 
(3) apart from the 12th Recycling Station under GREEN@COMMUNITY, which is expected to commence operation in the fourth quarter of this year, whether the authorities will set up more Recycling Stations so as to make waste separation a part of people’s life;
 
(4) during the initial stage of implementation of MSW charging, whether the Government will increase the bonus points earned by members of the public who deliver recyclables to facilities under GREEN@COMMUNITY, in a bid to encourage their more active participation in waste separation and recycling; and
 
(5) as it is learnt that a number of cases have occurred earlier involving fly-tipping of construction waste or refuse on private land, in rural areas or on idle sites, and there are views that such a situation may be aggravated by the implementation of MSW charging, whether the Government has put in place a mechanism to prevent the occurrence of such a scenario after the implementation of MSW charging; of the government department responsible for law enforcement and instituting prosecutions in respect of the relevant non-compliant acts?
 
Reply: 
 
President,
 
     My consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Dominic Lee is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The policy objective of municipal solid waste charging (MSW charging) is to encourage the community to reduce waste at source and strengthen recycling efforts by creating financial disincentives through quantity-based charging, with a view to reducing the overall waste disposal amount. To be prudent in the use of public resources, we will focus on assisting households that genuinely require more support in adapting to MSW charging. The Government will distribute free designated bags (DBs) to residents of “three-nil” buildings, rural village houses and public rental housing (PRH) estates during the initial stage of implementation of MSW charging, taking into account that many of the “three-nil” buildings and rural village houses are old buildings without proper building management hence their residents might require longer time and more support to adapt to MSW charging as compared with residential buildings with property management companies. Moreover, residents of PRH estates account for about 30 per cent of the Hong Kong population with grassroots as the majority, and many of whom are the elderly. They might also need more backing to adapt to MSW charging and change their habits.
 
     As for other private residential premises, property management, security or cleaning companies may apply for bulk purchase of DBs from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) with the approval of relevant owners’ organisations, and distribute the DBs to residents for use to facilitate the residents to adapt to the MSW charging arrangements. After the applications are approved, the EPD will offer a service fee equivalent to 3 per cent of the statutory price of each DB to applicants so as to cover their additional operating expenses.
 
     Furthermore, we have arranged briefings for different building organisations (including the property management trade, cleaning companies and owners’ organisations). As at end December 2023, the EPD has organised 52 briefings, reaching out to over 6 000 stakeholders. To facilitate the property management industry in better understanding the arrangements of MSW charging, the EPD is working with the Property Management Services Authority to organise continuing professional development seminars on MSW charging under its Continuing Professional Development Scheme, which are targeted at holders of the Property Management Practitioner Licence and representatives of licensed property management companies, to enhance their knowledge on MSW charging for handling property management duties.
 
     The EPD’s Green Outreach has commenced promotion for MSW charging in mid-August 2023 by providing support for waste reduction and recycling in the community and through promotional activities and on-site demonstrations at housing estates, residential buildings, GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities (such as Recycling Spots in old districts), etc, to engage different groups of citizens, including students, the elderly, housewives, residents of single-block buildings and “three-nil” buildings, foreign domestic helpers, ethnic minorities, etc, so as to enhance public understanding of MSW charging and educate citizens and frontline staff of housing estates and residential buildings to comply with the legislative requirements and proactively practise waste reduction and recycling for the implementation of MSW charging. As at end December 2023, the Green Outreach has organised about 900 promotional activities in relation to MSW charging, attracting over 90 000 participants, with the promotions covering housing estates and residential buildings which house around 60 per cent of the Hong Kong population. We are also discussing with the Home Affairs Department on promoting MSW charging through Care Teams in the 18 Districts at their respective districts.
 
(3) To encourage members of the public for the active participation in waste separation and recycling, the EPD has been expanding the community recycling network to strengthen support for recycling facilities at the district level. There are currently 11 Recycling Stations emphasising on both environmental education and recycling support, 34 Recycling Stores located in close proximity to residential buildings and over 130 Recycling Spots operating weekly at fixed time and locations in the form of kerb-side collection booths under the GREEN@COMMUNITY throughout the 18 districts in Hong Kong for the collection of nine common types of recyclables. These include glass containers, plastics, small electrical appliances, fluorescent lamps, rechargeable batteries and beverage cartons, which are lack of commercial recycling values. The service of GREEN@COMMUNITY has already covered about 80 per cent of the single-block buildings (including “three-nil” buildings) across the territory.
 
     The 12th Recycling Station, GREEN@WONG TAI SIN, is currently under construction and expected to commence services in the fourth quarter of 2024. Moreover, GREEN@TSING YI, the first Recycling Store located inside an MTR station, will also commence services in the first quarter of 2024. The operator has already started providing Recycling Spots and housing collection services in Kwai Tsing district since October 2023.
 
     The strengthening of the recycling support in PRH estates will support the implementation of MSW charging. The EPD is establishing small-scale Recycling Stores in 50 PRH estates progressively, thereby providing a more convenient means for PRH and nearby residents to practise clean recycling so as to complement the implementation of MSW charging. Three of the small-scale Recycling Stores have already commenced operation, including GREEN@KWAI FONG, GREEN@TAI WO HAU and GREEN@KAI YIP, with the rest of these Recycling Stores to commence operation gradually from this month onwards. The EPD will review from time to time the operation of all community recycling facilities and specific needs of individual districts for recycling facilities with a view to improving the service of the community recycling network.
 
(4) The implementation of MSW charging will help promote and encourage the public to actively participate in waste separation and recycling, thereby reducing the cost of purchasing DBs. We will closely monitor the recycling situation in the early stage of implementing MSW charging, and review and improve the measures including the GREEN$ Electronic Participation Incentive Scheme so as to further draw and encourage more members of the public to participate in clean recycling. Currently, the general public can use GREEN$ to redeem gifts and daily necessities. We plan to include DBs in the gift redemption list before the implementation of MSW charging. Details will be announced later.
 
(5) The Government is committed to enhancing the environmental hygiene and cityscape of Hong Kong. In 2023, the Government amended the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction) Ordinance (Cap. 570) to raise the fixed penalty level for the scheduled offences under the Fixed Penalty Ordinance, with a view to enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness and deterrent effect of enforcement actions against environmental hygiene problems. To tackle illegal disposal of a large amount of construction waste or other waste, the fixed penalty for “unlawful depositing of waste” has been increased from $1,500 to $6,000. The relevant enforcement departments including the EPD, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and the Housing Department will monitor the illegal waste disposal situation and take enforcement actions in accordance with their respective authorities.
 
     The EPD and the FEHD have installed surveillance camera systems, which operate 24 hours a day, at more than 600 popular locations across Hong Kong for illegal disposal of construction waste or refuse. They use the information collected from the video footage to institute prosecutions and plan more effective law enforcement actions, so as to increase deterrence.
 
     The FEHD will also adopt a risk-based approach and flexibly deploy internal resources to strengthen special cleaning and clearance operations at black spots of illegal refuse disposal in public places, as well as strengthening inspections and monitoring, etc.
 
     Relevant departments have been maintaining close communication through inter-departmental collaboration, including exchange of intelligence, sharing of information and holding joint meetings, etc, to collectively monitor the overall illegal waste disposal situation and make concerted efforts to combat illegal disposal activities. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hok-fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (January 17):
 
Question:
      
     It has been reported that on New Year’s Eve last year, the day on which the “Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations” fireworks musical on Victoria Harbour (the Show) was held, about 200 000 Mainland travellers entered Hong Kong throughout the day. However, the two boundary control points (BCPs), which operated overnight, and the cross-boundary transport services were unable to cope with the flow of outbound passengers after the Show, resulting in some travellers sleeping on the floor of MTR stations and many feeling disappointed. On the other hand, the Financial Secretary indicated last month that more mega events and activities would be staged in 2024 to attract tourists. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the various relevant policy bureaux have undertaken any planning in respect of tourist reception options prior to the staging of the Show; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) as the Government has indicated after the aforesaid incident that it will discuss with the relevant Mainland authorities the extension of the opening hours of some rail-based BCPs on days when large-scale events are held, whether the Government will introduce the relevant measure before the Lunar New Year next month; if so, of the details;
 
(3) as the Government has indicated that on the day of the Show, about 20 000 travellers chose to return to the Mainland on the same day, whether the Government will consider enquiring about the itinerary arrangements of travellers upon their entry into Hong Kong, so as to enable the various relevant policy bureaux to obtain the latest big data through the e-government concept, thereby facilitating better planning for the transport arrangements; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(4) whether it will study the enhancements to transport arrangements on the days of large-scale events, such as accepting reservations online or through social media to enable travellers to take cross-boundary coaches in urban areas after the events, or arranging special departures on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link to the Mainland;
 
(5) as it has been reported that on New Year’s Eve last year, many taxis displayed an “Out of Service” sign, and some taxi drivers did not charge fares according to taximeters, whether the Government will deploy additional manpower (e.g. civil servants of the non-‍disciplined services) to crack down on such situations during large-scale events, and whether it will introduce an online hailing taxi service for travellers (e.g. a designated hotline for the Huanggang Port) in view of large-scale events to facilitate travellers’ immigration clearance and at the same time improve the business environment of the taxi trade; and
 
(6) given the chaos in transport connectivity during the arrival of a mega cruise vessel in Hong Kong in August last year and the incident on the night of the Show, whether the Government has conducted another comprehensive assessment to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents; if so, of the details?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In respect of the question raised by the Hon Chan Hok-fung, having consulted the Security Bureau and the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the reply is as follows:

(1) The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) organised the largest-ever “Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations” firework musical on New Year’s Eve, which was one of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government’s mega events in 2023. The event attracted a total of 480 000 locals and tourists on both sides of the Victoria Harbour to welcome 2024. Visitors had very high satisfaction towards the fireworks according to the HKTB’s analysis. Various media from the Mainland and overseas made live broadcast or reported the event, which brought great publicity and promotion to Hong Kong. In preparation for the firework musical, the Tourism Commission and the HKTB held an inter-departmental meeting with relevant government departments and maintained close communication with them to facilitate various departments to grasp detailed information and operational issues of the event for planning ahead matters related to major events under their respective portfolios such as crowd control, land and sea transportation, as well as emergency rescue services, with a view to ensuring the smooth implementation of the event. 
 
     Relevant departments of the HKSAR Government have been maintaining close liaison with relevant Mainland and Macao authorities to make comprehensive preparation and planning before festive periods, deploy staff flexibly and formulate contingency measures with a view to ensuring the orderly operation of boundary control points (BCPs).

(2) In view of the resumption of normal travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong since early February last year, the Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments have been closely monitoring the demand for clearance services at various land BCPs. On the basis of the 24-hour passenger clearance services at Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Control Point and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port, we may discuss with Mainland authorities on extending the operating hours of the passenger clearance service at certain land BCPs as and when necessary to further facilitate the flow of people between the two sides.
 
     Regarding extension of service hours of land BCPs prior to Lunar New Year next month, the HKSAR Government is actively discussing different proposals, including extending service hours of certain land BCPs, with Mainland authorities with a view to facilitating the dispersal of cross-boundary visitors during special days or major events.

(3) Prior to major long holidays, the HKSAR Government will announce through press releases and social media apps the expected passenger flow during the holiday period, and encourage the public and passengers to plan their trips in advance and make good use of BCPs with less passenger traffic, while appealing to Mainland travellers and Hong Kong residents planning to enter or leave Hong Kong to cross the border during non-peak hours as far as possible, with a view to minimising the congestion at land BCPs during the morning and evening peak hours during holiday periods.

(4) Currently, if visitors would like to take cross-boundary coaches to travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong, apart from purchasing tickets at cross-boundary coach terminus, they may also pre-order coach tickets on websites of relevant cross-boundary coach operators, or through mobile applications such as WeChat and Alipay. The Transport Department (TD) has all along been maintaining close liaison with the cross-boundary coach trade and urged the trade to further enhance the use of social media of the Mainland to disseminate information on the operation and ticketing in relation to cross-boundary coach service with a view to facilitating Mainland visitors to plan their journey in advance.
 
     The HKSAR Government will also co-ordinate with public transport operators (including the MTR Corporation Limited) on public transport service arrangements, in order to tie in with the opening hours of BCPs.

(5) Under the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374D) (the Regulations), the fare for hiring of taxis should generally be calculated in accordance with the scale of fares specified in Schedule 5 to the Regulations (i.e. the fare as shown on the taximeter). If a taxi picks up passengers directly on the street or at a taxi stand on a non-booked basis, the taxi driver should charge the meter fare. Besides, under Regulation 38 of the Regulations, a registered owner of a general taxi may also hire the taxi to a hirer on a hire-as-a-whole basis.
 
     On the enforcement front, the Police has been closely monitoring and following up complaints about taxi drivers suspected of committing offences. If a member of the public suspects that a taxi driver has committed offences such as refusal to hire and overcharging, he or she can record the name of the driver, vehicle registration mark, time and location, etc., and report the matter to the Police. If there is sufficient evidence, the Police will definitely take enforcement action. Besides, the Police conducted a special operation during the National Day Golden Week last year to combat illegal activities of taxi drivers. The Police will continue to deploy appropriate resources to combat taxi driver-related offences.
      
     To facilitate passenger diversion during major festivals, the TD will continue to remind the taxi trade to pay special attention to the situation at BCPs and areas with more tourists. At present, there are already taxi operators providing online taxi booking services to facilitate hailing of taxis by passengers. The HKSAR Government has also amended the legislation to introduce a taxi fleet regime, under which taxi fleet licensees will be required to provide online booking channels (including mobile application and website) for passengers to hail fleet taxis. The TD plans to invite applications for taxi fleet licences in the first half of this year so that the fleet taxis may commence operation as soon as possible.

(6) The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism convened a meeting on January 15, 2024, to co-ordinate the preparation for visitor arrivals to Hong Kong during the eight-day Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland from February 10 to 17. In view of the anticipated increase of visitor arrivals to Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland, various relevant departments of the HKSAR Government and organisations are working closely together, making early preparations for deployment of resources as well as stepping up co-ordination and communication with their respective Mainland counterparts so as to create good travel experiences for the visitors arriving in Hong Kong during the Golden Week.
 
     In view of the surge in passenger and vehicular flow during festive periods, the Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre, composed of relevant departments including the Customs and Excise Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, and the Immigration Department, will be activated during the period to monitor the situation at each BCP and take contingency actions where necessary. Manpower will be deployed flexibly according to the passenger flow, and more e-Channels and counters will also be opened to facilitate passenger and vehicular movement, so as to ensure that BCPs are operating in an orderly manner. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (January 17):

Question:

     It has been learnt that in recent years, many Mainland netizens have expressed their complaints against Hong Kong through the social platform Xiaohongshu, with some Mainland bloggers describing this as “bashing Hong Kong has now become a kind of political correctness”, and the relevant contents have aroused enormous reverberations from the HKSAR Government. For example, following the disrespectful remarks and behaviour of an airline’s cabin crew towards Mainland passengers, the Chief Executive immediately gave a high-profile response, pointing out that the incident had “hurt the feelings of Hong Kong and Mainland compatriots”; in the light of allegations of impolite treatment of Mainland tourists during their stay in Hong Kong, the authorities immediately encouraged the trade to promote courtesy activities; after the “Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations” fireworks musical on Victoria Harbour on New Year’s Eve last year, when a large number of Mainland tourists were stranded on the streets, Mainland netizens criticized Hong Kong for its lack of contingency measures and poor hospitality to visitors, the Government also immediately held an interdepartmental meeting to formulate measures for a prompt response. Some members of the public have relayed to me that while Mainland residents’ remarks are often taken very seriously by the HKSAR Government, on the contrary, the persistent views of many members of the public in Hong Kong have not received the same level of attention and response from the official authorities over a long period of time (e.g. calls for the suspension of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions or payments for MPF contributions to be made by the Government on people’s behalf during periods of economic downturn, tax rebates, withdrawal of the “harsh measures”, stamp duty reduction, concession of Government rent of owner-occupied properties, expansion of public dental services to provide the grass roots with, among others, services that are expensive in the private market such as endodontic treatment, dental prosthetics and dental implant), and this will easily lead to the perception of favouritism and even “Xiaohongshu administering Hong Kong”. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the authorities have reviewed the views directed against all major and minor issues in Hong Kong expressed through Xiaohongshu, and of the criteria adopted for determining whether and how to handle such views;
 
(2) of the government departments or officials currently responsible for monitoring, collecting and handling complaints or views about Hong Kong expressed on Mainland social platforms; and
 
(3) whether the Government will take into account views expressed on social platforms such as Xiaohongshu when formulating policies that may involve Mainlanders; of the Government’s approaches and the criteria for (i) handling such views, and (ii) balancing the interests of both sides when discrepancies arise between such views and the mainstream views in Hong Kong, so as to avoid the aforesaid unnecessary perception among members of the public?
 
Reply:
 
President,

     In consultation with the Information Services Department (ISD), the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Paul Tse is as follows:
 
     In considering the formulation of various policies and measures, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has all along adhered to the “people-oriented” philosophy of governance, actively listened to the aspirations and views of the public from different sectors through various channels, and responded to their needs by making appropriate arrangements. ISD has been monitoring media reports and messages posted on major social media platforms to assist bureaux and departments in gauging public opinion in a timely manner. ISD is committed to raising public awareness and support for government policies and measures through dissemination of news and information through multiple channels, such as print and digital media, the Internet, social platforms, press conferences and briefings. Views on Hong Kong, whether expressed on local or Mainland social media, carry equal weight to the Government of the HKSAR.
 
     We have noticed that Mainland residents from time to time shared and occasionally commented on content related to Hong Kong, including pop culture, social customs and tourist attractions on social media platforms, such as WeChat, Douyin, Sina Weibo, Kuaishou, Xiaohongshu and Bilibili, etc. Some of these posts may lead to heated discussion and feedback from netizens. The Mainland Offices of the Government of the HKSAR (Mainland Offices) and ISD have been keeping abreast of the reports and views related to Hong Kong on digital media and social platforms in the Mainland, responding to them when necessary and referring them to the relevant bureaux and departments for follow up as appropriate. At the same time, the Mainland Offices have made good use of the Mainland social media to promote Hong Kong’s advantages and enhance Mainland residents’ understanding of Hong Kong.
 
     The Government of the HKSAR will continue to listen carefully to the views of all parties and continue to enhance various policy measures in a pragmatic manner, with a view to facilitating the overall development of Hong Kong and enhancing people’s sense of happiness and contentment. read more