Tag Archives: China

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Transport visited Hung Hom Station today (January 17) for the Station Rail Voyage Exhibition of the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), which features new exhibits including the Kowloon-Canton Railway Through Train (Ktt), to gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s railway culture and development history.

     Members first attended the opening ceremony for the new exhibits of the Station Rail Voyage Exhibition hosted by the MTRCL. Accompanied by the MTRCL representatives, Members then previewed the new display, including the Ktt and other exhibits such as the uniform accessories of past train attendants. The Station Rail Voyage Exhibition, which has been opened to the public since April 2024, features a collection of retired trains.

     During the visit, Members exchanged views with the MTRCL representatives on issues including the exhibition’s effectiveness in promoting railway culture, the continued enhancement of MTR service efficiency and the progress of new railway projects.

     Members who participated in the visit were the Chairman of the Panel, Mr Chan Siu-hung, the Deputy Chairman of the Panel, Mr Yiu Pak-leung, Panel members Mr Michael Tien, Mr Chau Siu-chung and Mr Gary Zhang; as well as a non-Panel member Mr Lau Kwok-fan.

      

     The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health held a meeting yesterday (January 16) to discuss the use of respiratory syncytial vi… read more

      The Immigration Department (ImmD) carried out a repatriation operation today (January 17). A total of 24 Vietnamese illegal immigrants and overstayers were repatriated to Vietnam. The persons removed comprised 11 men and 13 women, … read more

     The Security Bureau (SB) has always attached great importance to cases where Hong Kong residents are suspected of being lured to Southeast Asian countries and detained to engage in illegal work. Since the second quarter of 2024, there have been signs of a resurgence in the situation where Hong Kong residents are suspected of being lured to Southeast Asian countries and detained to engage in illegal work. In view of recent developments, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (January 17) raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) level for Myanmar (south-eastern regions) to red, while maintaining an amber OTA for the rest of the country.

     A Government spokesman said, “Residents who plan to visit south-eastern regions of Myanmar, including Myawaddy district, Hpapun district, Hpa-An district and Kawkareik district should adjust their travel plans and avoid non-essential travel there. For those who are already there, they should monitor the situation, exercise caution and attend to personal safety.”

     Moreover, the SB has already updated the OTA webpage regarding supplementary information for Cambodia with a view to reminding residents to exercise caution and beware of overseas job scams.

     The SB will continue to closely monitor the situation in Myanmar and Cambodia. Any updates will be issued through the media, the Bureau’s mobile app and the OTA webpage (www.sb.gov.hk/eng/ota). The Immigration Department (ImmD) will continue to maintain close contact with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR and the Chinese diplomatic and consular missions there to follow up relevant cases.

     Hong Kong residents in Myanmar and Cambodia who need assistance may call the 24-hour hotline of the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit of the ImmD at (852) 1868, call the 1868 hotline using network data or use the 1868 Chatbot via the ImmD Mobile Application, send message to the 1868 WhatsApp assistance hotline or 1868 WeChat assistance hotline, submit the Online Assistance Request Form, or contact the Chinese Embassy there (consular protection hotline in Myanmar: (95) 943209657; consular protection hotline in Cambodia: (855) 023210206).

     â€‹Hong Kong residents are encouraged to use the online Registration of Outbound Travel Information service (www.gov.hk/roti) of the ImmD to register their contact details and itinerary when outside Hong Kong. The information provided allows the ImmD to disseminate practical information to them through appropriate means, including SMS on mobile phones, on a timely basis when necessary. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
 
     At the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) meeting today (January 17), the HA endorsed the Corporate Plan for 2025/26 and the 2025/26 Proposed Budget.
 
     In 2025/26, the HA will continue to focus its efforts on providing quality homes, promoting sustainable living, optimising and rationalising the use of public resources and enhancing the attractiveness of commercial properties. Based on these four themes, a total of 21 Key Activities and 17 Key Performance Indicators have been drawn up for the 2025/26 Corporate Plan.
 
     “The Corporate Plan is the platform through which the HA directs its work and focuses its efforts to address the challenges of public housing. Upon the 50th anniversary of HA in 2023, the HA has conducted a comprehensive review on the its Vision, Mission, Core Values and Strategic Objectives to better reflect the HA’s spirit of being “creative”, “attentive”, “responsible” and “enthusiastic” and to correspond to the Government’s policy objectives. In his 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive (CE) reiterated that the Government would enhance the housing ladder to address the aspiration of the public for home ownership and announced a series of new housing measures, some of which are to be implemented by the HA in the coming financial year,” a spokesman for the HA said.
 
     “In 2025/26, we will continue to work at full steam to develop both public rental housing (PRH) units and subsidised sale flats (SSF) with a view to increasing the supply of public housing units, and furthermore assist young people in purchasing SSF and expedite the circulation of PRH units. On development and construction of public housing, we will continue enhancing residents’ living environments and promoting their well-being by enhancing the design for public spaces, facilities and estate environment. On estate management, we will continue to step up our efforts in combating tenancy abuse to safeguard the rational use of public housing resources,” the spokesman added.
 
     The HA also endorsed the 2025/26 Proposed Budget today. It is projected that the HA will be able to meet its recurrent and capital expenditure (including construction expenditure) up to 2028/29. The annual construction expenditure will continue to rise year by year. It is expected to rise from $28 billion in 2024/25 to $49 billion in 2029/30. Apart from an increase in the number and scale of Public Housing Development (PHD) projects, this is also due partly to the continuous rise in the costs of construction works. The HA will review critically the design and programme plan of PHD projects in the pipeline with an aim to contain the project costs. 
 
     The HA’s cash and investment balance is projected to decrease from around $65.8 billion in early April 2025 to around $40.2 billion by the end of March 2029.
 
     “In the coming year, we will strive to strengthen cost-saving measures and continue to review operational and expenditure needs to formulate cost control/cost-saving measures, as well as consider proposals to increase revenue,” said the spokesman.
 
     Furthermore, the HA will gradually adjust the ratio between PRH/Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme and other SSF. The target is to gradually adjust the relevant ratio from 70:30 to 60:40 in the next decade (i.e. 2025/26 to 2034/35), which could increase the revenue from SSF.
 
     The HA’s 2025/26 Corporate Plan and Proposed Budget will be submitted to the CE for approval in accordance with Housing Ordinance. read more