â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 29) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 6 300 food samples tested were found to be satisfactory except for six unsatisfactory samples which were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.
      
     A CFS spokesman said about 1 100 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, and about 5 200 samples were taken for chemical and radiation level tests.
      
     The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators; the chemical tests included testing for pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others; and the radiation level tests included testing for radioactive caesium and iodine in samples collected from imported food from different regions.
      
     The samples comprised about 2 300 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 500 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 700 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 800 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 800 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 1 200 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).
      
     The six unsatisfactory samples comprised four prepackaged dried lily bulb samples with excessive metallic contaminant, a bottled chili sauce sample in breach of food labelling regulation, and a prepackaged milk product sample not in compliance with the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations.

     The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the above-mentioned unsatisfactory samples including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.
      
     The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.
      
     Separately, as the Japanese Government has commenced the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the CFS will continue enhancing the testing on imported Japanese food, and make reference to the risk assessment results to adjust relevant surveillance work in a timely manner. The CSF will announce every working day on its dedicated webpage (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/daily_japan_nuclear_incidents.html) the radiological test results of the samples of food imported from Japan, with a view to enabling the trade and members of the public to have a better grasp of the latest safety information.

     â€‹The Government today (December 29) announced the appointment of three new members and the reappointment of 10 incumbent members to the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee (CBLPSC) for a term of two years with effect from January 1, 2024.

     The 10 reappointed incumbent members are Ms Debbie Cheung Sui-ki, Mr Stanley Choi Tak-shing, Ms Fang Xin, Mr Kwok Wing-keung, Mr Vincent Lam Tak-hing, Mr Lee Luen-fai, Mr Rex Mok Chung-fai, Mr Perry Suen Pang, Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai, and Mr Eric Yeung Chuen-sing. 

     The new members are Mr Davis Chan Wai-lun, and two members recruited under the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth, Mr Anfield Tam Chi-hin and Ms Venus Kuk Wing-yee.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration and CBLPSC Chairman, Mr Chan Kwok-Ki, thanked outgoing members Ms Viola Chan Man Yee-wai, Ms Carol Wong, and Mr Yu Tai-wai for their contributions and dedication to the work of the CBLPSC. He also welcomed the three new members and said he looked forward to working with them closely.

     Following is the membership list of the CBLPSC with effect from January 1, 2024: 

Chairperson
————–
Chief Secretary for Administration

Non-official Members
————–
Ms Teresa Au Pui-yee
Mr Davis Chan Wai-lun
Ms Debbie Cheung Sui-ki
Mr Stanley Choi Tak-shing
Ms Fang Xin
Dr Wendy Hong 
Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung
Ms Venus Kuk Wing-yee
Mr Kwok Wing-keung
Mr Vincent Lam Tak-hing
Mr Lee Luen-fai
Mr Rex Mok Chung-fai
Ms Melissa Kaye Pang
Mr Perry Suen Pang
Mr Anfield Tam Chi-hin
Mr Henry Tong Sau-chai
Mr Eric Yeung Chuen-sing

Official Members
——————-
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
Secretary for the Civil Service
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
Secretary for Education
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs
Secretary for Security
Solicitor General, Department of Justice
Director of Home Affairs
Director of Information Services
Director-General of Trade and Industry

     â€‹The Government announced today (December 29) that the Chief Executive had reappointed Professor Wong Wing-tak as the Chairman of the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC) for another two years with effect from January 1, 2024.
       
     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, said, "Professor Wong has made remarkable contribution by leading the HKCTC to provide invaluable advice and strategic insights over the past two years. We have full confidence that under the leadership of Professor Wong and with the concerted efforts of the Council members, the Council will continue to support Hong Kong's testing and certification sector to grow further and seize a multitude of opportunities that lie ahead."
      
     The Chief Executive had also reappointed 17 incumbent members, and appointed four new members, namely Dr Crystal Fok Lo-ming, Dr Emmie Ho Ngai-man, Dr Lesly Lam Lik-shan and Ms Fiona Lee, for the same two-year term.
      
     Professor Sun also expressed appreciation to the four outgoing members for their active participation in the Council's work and their substantial contribution to the development of the testing and certification sector. They are Mr Kenneth Lam Kar-kin, Ms Stephanie Lam Yuen-shan, Ms Pearl Tse Pui-pui and Mr Basil Wai Siu-bong.   
      
     The membership of the Council for the new term is as follows:
      
Professor Wong Wing-tak (Chairman)
Ms Bess Choi Siu-fong
Mr Martin Fan
Dr Crystal Fok Lo-ming*
Dr Gray Ho Koon-sing
Dr Emmie Ho Ngai-man*
Ms Denise Hou Yuen-chi
Dr Lesly Lam Lik-shan*
Ms Fiona Lee*
Dr Ann Leung
Mr Kenneth Leung Yuk-wai, JP
Dr Wingco Lo Kam-wing, JP
Mr Robert Andrew Lui Chi-wang
Mr Joseph Poon Tim-leung
Dr Fanny Tang Wai-fan
Ms Gilly Wong Fung-han
Mr Wilson Wong Wing-wa
Executive Director of Hong Kong Productivity Council or representative
Executive Director of Hong Kong Trade Development Council or representative
Executive Director of Vocational Training Council or representative
Government Chemist or representative
Commissioner for Innovation and Technology or representative

* Newly appointed members

     The Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification was established in September 2009 to advise the Government on the overall development strategy of the testing and certification sector.

     The Chief Executive's Policy Unit (CEPU) announced today (December 29) the results of the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (SPPRFS) 2023-24.
 
     The SPPRFS is a government-financed funding scheme dedicated to supporting evidence-based local public policy research by higher education institutions and think tanks in Hong Kong. It aims to support longer-term public policy research on strategic themes and research areas identified by the Government, build up research capacity and facilitate collaboration among institutions/think tanks. The CEPU is its Secretariat. As the Government's internal research unit, the CEPU is set up to enhance the Government's capabilities in research and advocacy on long-term and strategic issues. One of its tasks is to build up an external policy research capacity through measures including administering the SPPRFS. This will be conducive to the achievement of the CEPU's objectives, including to advocate for and assist in the formulation of long-term and strategic policies from a forward-thinking perspective; to keep abreast of national development and analyse and suggest areas of significance in the integration into national development; to examine international relations and situations, and analyse opportunities and risks; and to grasp the sentiments of Hong Kong citizens to understand the general direction and focus of their concerns.

     A total of 32 applications, covering the strategic themes identified by the Government, were received under the SPPRFS 2023-24. On the advice of the Assessment Panel, the CEPU has supported two projects with total funding of about $7.2 million. One of the projects seeks to establish a policy framework for cross-regional co-operation strategies for the construction industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while the other focuses on maximising the use of hydrogen in the transport sector in Hong Kong.
 
      Applications to the SPPRFS are invited once a year in general and assessed by the Assessment Panel which comprises scholars with ample experience. Applications must be made under the specified strategic themes and in line with the specified research areas. Research quality and the strategic relevance of the proposal to the public policy development needs of Hong Kong are the principal criteria of assessment. The Assessment Panel will also take into account comments of outside reviewers who are experienced scholars and experts during the assessment process, and suggestions and views of relevant government bureaux/departments. A declaration of interests system is in place to ensure that the assessments are fair and impartial.

     Details of the funded projects have been uploaded to the CEPU's website (www.cepu.gov.hk/en/PRFS/sppr-granted.html).

      The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will launch its latest "Movie Talk" series in January next year by screening four films produced by internationally renowned film producer Terence Chang at the HKFA Cinema. Chang was also invited to attend post-screening talks on January 20 and 21, 2024, with veteran film producers Linda Kuk and Amy Chin, as well as film experts Sam Ho and Thomas Shin to share his rich recollection of experiences and insights from his film career.

      Chang is a renowned production manager and film producer who has been active in the film industry for more than four decades. He participated in the productions of many Hong Kong and Hollywood classic films. In as early as the 1980s, he started to be involved in film distribution and opened up international markets for the films of several prominent Hong Kong film companies. In the early 1990s, Chang, John Woo and Kuk established Milestone Pictures Limited, which produced a series of popular films, including "Once a Thief" (1991) and "Now You See Love, Now You Don't" (1992). Later, he further developed his film career in Hollywood and Beijing, becoming one of the few producers who could successfully connect the film industries in the United States (US), the Mainland and Hong Kong. He also assisted director Woo, actors Chow Yun-fat and Michelle Yeoh, and other filmmakers to start new chapters in their careers in Hollywood.

      The four popular films selected were initiated and made by Chang during different times in Hong Kong, Hollywood and Beijing. They include jewel-theft action film "Once a Thief" (4K Restored Version), acted by iconic film stars Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung and Cherie Chung. "Face/Off" (1997), a sci-fi action film which was produced by Chang and directed by Woo, revolves around a detective and a terrorist who have their identities and faces swapped. The film was a huge success critically and commercially in Hong Kong and the US, and has become one of the signature Hollywood works of the duo.
 
     Action comedy, "The Big Hit" (1998), is a Hollywood assassin film filled with tension, black humour and absurdity, becoming an antidote to the genre at the time. Another selected film is "Reign of Assassins" (2010), which is a martial arts film tailor-made for Michelle Yeoh. The film not only showcases Yeoh's abilities in martial arts, but also allows her to express complex emotions in various scenes. 

     "Face/Off" and "The Big Hit" are in English with Chinese subtitles, while "Once a Thief" and "Reign of Assassins" are in Cantonese and Mandarin respectively, with Chinese and English subtitles.

      Tickets priced at $45 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme details, please visit the website of the HKFA (www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en/web/hkfa/pe-event-2024-ckc.html) or call 2739 2139.

      The HKFA has organised the "Movie Talk" series since 2013. Each instalment of the series focuses on a filmmaker who selects films for screening and then participates in the post-screening talks at one weekend to intimately share with audiences the inspiration, motivation and process of their creative work.