Tag Archives: China

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 9) detected a case of importing a large quantity of foreign currency banknotes involving an incoming passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point. The amount involved is equivalent to about HK$330,000, and a local woman was arrested.
      
     Customs officers intercepted a 62-year-old female incoming passenger at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point yesterday for Customs clearance. A small batch of undeclared foreign currency banknotes was first found in an eco-bag carried by the female passenger. Then, a large batch of undeclared foreign currency banknotes was found concealed within a tailor-made vest she was wearing during subsequent personal search. The total sum of foreign currency banknotes found is equivalent to about HK$330,000, which has exceeded the limit of HK$120,000 as stipulated by the Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance (CBNIO), and the passenger was subsequently arrested.
      
     Customs reminds members of the public that under the CBNIO, a traveller who arrives in Hong Kong via a specified control point and is in possession of a large quantity of currency and bearer negotiable instruments (CBNIs) (i.e. the total value of which is more than HK$120,000) must make a written declaration to a Customs officer, using the Red Channel under the Red and Green Channel System. Persons who do not comply with the CBNIO will be liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of HK$500,000 and imprisonment for two years. Declaration forms are available at the Red Channel of the Customs Arrival Hall and on the website of the Customs and Excise Department.
      
     Customs also appeals to members of the public to stay alert and not to import or export a large quantity of unknown source of CBNIs on behalf of another party.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected violation of the above-mentioned ordinances 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/).
 

  

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (January 10) the results of the Monthly Survey on Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) for December 2023.
 
     The current diffusion index (DI) on business receipts amongst SMEs increased from 44.0 in November 2023 in the contractionary zone to 45.5 in December 2023, whereas the one-month’s ahead (i.e. January 2024) outlook DI on business receipts was 47.9. Analysed by sector, the current DIs on business receipts for many surveyed sectors rose by varying degrees in December 2023 as compared with previous month, particularly for the retail trade (from 42.0 to 44.9) and import and export trades (from 43.6 to 45.6).
       
     The current DI on new orders for the import and export trades increased from 43.9 in November 2023 to 45.3 in December 2023, whereas the outlook DI on new orders in one month’s time (i.e. January 2024) was 46.7.
 
Commentary
 
     A Government spokesman said that overall business sentiment among SMEs saw some improvement in December. The overall employment situation was broadly stable. Nonetheless, expectations on the business situation in one month’s time weakened slightly.
 
     Looking forward, the spokesman said that business sentiment should be supported by the expected further recovery of consumption- and tourism-related activities, but the challenging external environment and tight financial conditions will continue to be a dampener. The Government will monitor the situation closely.
 
Further information
 
     The Monthly Survey on Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises aims to provide a quick reference, with minimum time lag, for assessing the short-term business situation faced by SMEs. SMEs covered in this survey refer to establishments with fewer than 50 persons engaged. Respondents were asked to exclude seasonal fluctuations in reporting their views. Based on the views collected from the survey, a set of diffusion indices (including current and outlook diffusion indices) is compiled. A reading above 50 indicates that the business condition is generally favourable, whereas that below 50 indicates otherwise. As for statistics on the business prospects of prominent establishments in Hong Kong, users may refer to the publication entitled “Report on Quarterly Business Tendency Survey” released by the C&SD.
 
     The results of the survey should be interpreted with care. The survey solicits feedback from a panel sample of about 600 SMEs each month and the survey findings are thus subject to sample size constraint. Views collected from the survey refer only to those of respondents on their own establishments rather than those on the respective sectors they are engaged in. Besides, in this type of opinion survey on expected business situation, the views collected in the survey are affected by the events in the community occurring around the time of enumeration, and it is difficult to establish precisely the extent to which respondents’ perception of the business situation accords with the underlying trends. For this survey, main bulk of the data were collected around the last week of the reference month.
 
     More detailed statistics are given in the “Report on Monthly Survey on the Business Situation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises”. Users can browse and download the publication at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1080015&scode=300).
 
     Users who have enquiries about the survey results may contact Industrial Production Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7246; email: sme-survey@censtatd.gov.hk). read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 is 104.4 (up 0.2 against yesterday’s index). read more

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.

     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt, and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.

     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.

     From noon on January 9 to noon today (January 10), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 193 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).

     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).

     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 24 389 samples of food imported from Japan (including 16 225 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 6 916 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Edmund Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (January 10):
      
Question:
      
     On May 5 last year, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) relaxed the entry requirements for recruit police constables, probationary inspectors and auxiliary police constables, including the removal of the minimum height and weight requirements and the introduction of the Recruit Police Constable Written Examination (Written Examination) to provide applicants who do not have Level 2 or above in English Language and Chinese Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination or equivalent an alternative way to meet the language proficiency requirements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective numbers of applicants for recruit police constables, probationary inspectors and auxiliary police constables each month since the relaxation of the aforesaid entry requirements and, among them, the respective numbers of applicants who were required to attend the Written Examination and those who had a pass;
 
(2) whether, after the removal of the height and weight requirements, it has observed a decline in the physical fitness of the trainees trained at the Hong Kong Police College as compared with past trainees; if so, whether HKPF will make adjustments to the physical training programmes to enhance the physical performance of the trainees; and
 
(3) as it has been reported that HKPF has recently sent two delegations to Beijing and Shanghai to conduct recruitment activities to solicit applications from Hong Kong students in the Mainland who are interested in joining the Police Force, of the response to the recruitment; whether HKPF will consider sending staff to overseas regions to conduct recruitment; if so, of the details?
 
Reply:
 
President,
     
     The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) has been adopting proactive recruitment strategies to attract high calibre candidates who have the competence to become a police officer, the affection for the Motherland and Hong Kong, and the passion to serve the public, so that the Force can continue to demonstrate its professional capability and maintain Hong Kong as one of the safest cities in the world.
      
     The HKPF regularly reviews its recruitment policy to ensure that the entry requirements are up-to-date while the HKPF’s competitiveness in the human resources market is maintained. For example, since the design of gas mask has been improved to enable spectacled police officers to use it, frontline officers can now carry out their duties with their spectacles without affecting their operational fitness. In fact, after reviewing most of the posts in the HKPF, it is confirmed that police officers who need to wear spectacles or contact lenses can discharge their duties without compromising their operational effectiveness.
      
     With effect from May 5, 2023, the HKPF has adjusted the entry requirements. For the positions of police constable (including auxiliary police constable) and probationary inspector, the minimum height and weight requirements have been removed to align with other disciplined services. Applicants are also allowed to pass the visual acuity test with the use of spectacles or contact lenses, while the requirement for colour perception test remains unchanged. Moreover, for the position of police constable (including auxiliary police constable), applicants may choose to sit for a Recruit Police Constable Written Examination (Written Examination) newly introduced by the HKPF.
      
     After consulting the HKPF, my reply to various parts of the question is as follows:
 
(1) There is no change in the language proficiency requirements for the recruitment of all police officers. Applicants applying for the position of police constable (including auxiliary police constable) should have Level 2 or above in Chinese Language and English Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (HKDSEE) or the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE), or equivalent, and should be able to read and write Chinese and speak fluent Cantonese. To provide police constable (including auxiliary police constable) applicants with an additional means to meet the language proficiency requirements, the Written Examination was introduced on May 5, 2023. Also benchmarked against Level 2 in Chinese Language and English Language in the HKDSEE, the Written Examination has incorporated more tailor-made assessment content to suit the police officers’ practical needs in communication and comprehension when performing their day-to-day duties.
 
     For the position of probationary inspector, no adjustment has been made to the language proficiency requirements. Applicants are required to attain Level 1 in the two language papers (Use of Chinese and Use of English) in the Common Recruitment Examination; or Level 2 or above in Chinese and English in the HKDSEE or HKCEE, or equivalent. Applicants should also be able to read and write Chinese and speak fluent Cantonese.
      
     As at December 31, 2023, the numbers of candidates sitting for the General Chinese Test and General English Test in the Written Examination were 87 and 623 respectively. Among them, 14 candidates took both tests. The passing rates for the General Chinese Test and General English Test were 49.4 per cent (43 candidates) and 27.6 per cent (172 candidates) respectively.
      
     After the adjustment of the entry requirements in May 2023, the monthly average numbers of applicants for the positions of police constable, probationary inspector and auxiliary police constable in the eight months that followed were 644, 478 and 283 respectively, representing a significant increase of more than 80 per cent, 90 per cent and 55 per cent over those in the eight months prior to the adjustment. The monthly numbers of applicants for police constable, probationary inspector and auxiliary police constable in 2023 are at Annex.
 
(2) Notwithstanding the removal of the minimum height and weight requirements, the selection and training standards of the HKPF, and the requirements for physical fitness and professional skills of police officers remain unchanged. All applicants for the positions of police constable (including auxiliary police constable) and probationary inspector must pass the Physical Fitness Test to ensure they are physically capable for the job before they are recruited. All recruits would undergo training at the Hong Kong Police College, where they have to go through physical development training and pass the Final Examination (including knowledge in policing, foot drill, physical fitness and weapons handling) before graduating and serving the public as a member of the HKPF.
 
(3) Apart from local publicity and recruitment campaigns, the HKPF has launched the Police University Recruitment Express (Mainland) since November 2022 in view of the rising number of Hong Kong students studying in the Mainland in recent years, which aims to recruit them and facilitate early commencement of foundation training upon their graduation and return to Hong Kong. Besides Beijing and Shanghai, the HKPF sent delegations to Wuhan, Guangdong, Fujian and Chengdu to deliver recruitment talks, provide recruitment related information and conduct on-site selection processes for Hong Kong students studying in universities thereat. A total of 2 898 Hong Kong students studying in the Mainland participated in the activities, amongst which 852 students applied and participated in the on-site selection processes. In total, 266, 551 and 35 applications for the positions of probationary inspector, police constable and auxiliary police constable were received respectively. As at December 31, 2023, 23 applicants have joined the HKPF as police constables through the Police University Recruitment Express (Mainland), whilst 746 applicants are in various stages of the recruitment process.
 
     In addition, the HKPF has been conducting publicity and recruitment campaigns in overseas cities, such as London, Toronto and Sydney. Since 2018, the HKPF has extended the Police Mentorship Programme (PMP) to include Hong Kong students from overseas universities, with a view to enhancing their understanding of policing work and encouraging them to join the HKPF upon graduation. Since the launch of the PMP, 281 overseas students have participated and 40 of them have joined the HKPF. In the past 12 months, the HKPF has recruited 93 graduates from overseas universities. With relaxation of travel restrictions and social distancing measures after the pandemic, the HKPF will progressively resume the overseas recruitment campaign to attract high calibre candidates to become police officers and facilitate their participation in the recruitment process. It is the HKPF’s initial plan to resume publicity and recruitment campaigns overseas later this year.
      
     The HKPF will continue to keep in view its manpower needs, implement an effective mechanism for overall manpower planning and assessment of the future manpower situation, and regularly review its staff establishment to meet the community’s demand for the HKPF’s services.
      
     Thank you, President. read more