The Government today (December 14) released the Blueprint for the Sustainable Development of Agriculture and Fisheries.
 
     The Blueprint outlines the Government's and the trade's overall vision and work targets for the sustainable development of agriculture and fisheries. The Blueprint proposes various initiatives to promote the upgrading and transformation of the agricultural and fisheries industries towards modernisation and sustainable development, to integrate with the development plan of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and to enhance the quality, quantity, and output value of local agricultural and fisheries products in the long run.
 
     At the launching ceremony of the Blueprint today, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, said, "Hong Kong's agriculture and fisheries industries have a rich and significant history, deeply rooted in the local cultural heritage. The Government has all along attached great importance to the development of local agriculture and fisheries industries. It was mentioned in the Chief Executive's 2022 and 2023 Policy Addresses that the Environment and Ecology Bureau will work hand in hand with the agriculture and fisheries industries to formulate the Blueprint, demonstrating our determination to promote the development of the local agriculture and fisheries industries."
 
     The Blueprint seeks to promote the sustainable development of the agriculture and fisheries industries in the direction of industrialisation, covering areas such as infrastructure support, financial support, application of technology, human resources and training, fostering development of trade organisations, improving operating environment, industrial diversification, opportunity creation, etc. Major initiatives include:
 

• Developing deep sea mariculture;
• Promoting modernised aquaculture;
• Planning for establishing fisheries protection areas;
• Promoting development of offshore fisheries;
• Designating Agricultural Priority Areas;
• Implementing the Agricultural Park project;
• Introducing urban farming;
• Facilitating construction of multi-storey enclosed livestock farms; and
• Developing leisure farming and fisheries.

       
     Since the commencement of the formation of the Blueprint, the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department have participated in nearly 20 consultation activities, reaching out to hundreds of stakeholders in the agriculture and fisheries sectors to understand the problems faced by the trade and to listen to their views, in order to formulate a forward-looking Blueprint that meets the needs of the trade. Mr Tse expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Legislative Council Member of the Agriculture and Fisheries Constituency, Mr Steven Ho, and representatives of the trade for their active participation in the formulation of the Blueprint and for their valuable insights during the consultation period.
 
     The Government will join hands with the trade to progressively implement the initiatives set out in the Blueprint in accordance with the action agenda, to realise the sustainable development of the agriculture and fisheries industries, to attract young people to join the industry and to continue to provide the people of Hong Kong with quality local agricultural and fisheries products as well as employment opportunities.
 
     Full text of the Blueprint has been uploaded to the websites of the Environment and Ecology Bureau (www.eeb.gov.hk/food/en/our_work/afblueprint.html) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (www.afcd.gov.hk/A&Fblueprint.html).

The following is issued on behalf of the Executive Council Secretariat:
      
     Non-official Members of the Executive Council (ExCo Non-official Members) today (December 14) boarded the home-developed aircraft C919 and ARJ21 which are on a visit to Hong Kong, to witness the achievement in civilian passenger aircraft manufacturing of the country.
      
     The ExCo Non-official Members boarded the C919 and the ARJ21 and received a briefing from the staff on the aircraft design and characteristics in the designated area of Hong Kong International Airport where the two domestic aircraft are on static display. The C919 and the ARJ21 are the first two jet aircraft developed by the country. At the invitation of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) participated in the certification project and other areas of the development of the two aircraft.
      
     The Convenor of the ExCo Non-official Members, Mrs Regina Ip, said, "The successful productions of the two civilian passenger aircraft marked a significant milestone for the national aviation manufacturing industry. We are profoundly proud of our country's achievement. The National 14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have clearly supported Hong Kong in consolidating and promoting its position as an international aviation hub. Choosing Hong Kong as the destination of the C919's first voyage out of the Mainland, it fully reflects that the country attaches great importance to and supports the development of Hong Kong's aviation industry and its position as an international aviation hub. It also enables members of the public of Hong Kong to admire the home-grown aircraft up close and witness the country's accomplishment in the development of aviation technologies."
      
     The ExCo Non-official Members commended the CAD's active participation in the research and development of aircraft of the country, saying that it demonstrated the high level of professionalism of Hong Kong in aviation which can contribute to the national development. They expressed the hope that the display event and the related activities will increase members of the public's understanding of the development of the country's aviation industry and technology, and inspire young people's interest in aviation technologies.
      
     The ExCo Non-official Members joining the visit today were Convenor Mrs Regina Ip, Mr Jeffrey Lam, Mr Martin Liao, Mr Joseph Yam, Dr Moses Cheng and Mrs Margaret Leung.

            

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) today (December 14) reminded members of the public to stay alert to fraudulent calls.
      
     As informed by members of the public, people have received calls claimed to be calling from QEH in the form of both pre-recorded messages and in-person conversations, requesting the recipients to follow instructions to collect a document or a medical record. QEH has reported to the Police.
      
     QEH reiterates that hospital staff will contact patients personally by phone, and will provide relevant information to verify the identity of both parties. Members of the public are advised not to disclose personal information during any unidentified phone calls, and report any suspected fraudulent calls to the Police.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority.

     â€‹Regarding an earlier announcement on Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier cases, the spokesperson for Princess Margaret Hospital gave the following update today (December 14):
      
     Following a contact tracing investigation, one more patient, an 82-year-old male in the orthopaedic ward, was identified as a carrier of VRE while not having signs of infection. The patient is in critical condition due to his underlying diseases and is now being treated in isolation.
      
     The ward concerned has adopted the following enhanced infection control measures:
      

1. Enhanced hand hygiene and stringent contact precautions;
2. Enhanced attention to contamination-prone procedures; and
3. Enhanced disinfection and cleaning of the ward concerned.

      
     The hospital will continue the enhanced infection control measures and closely monitor the situation of the ward concerned. The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health for necessary follow-up.

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, officiated at the Cybersecurity Symposium 2023 today (December 14) and shared the latest efforts of the Government in safeguarding cybersecurity and facilitating data flow in Hong Kong. The symposium is co-organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited.

     In his opening remarks, Professor Sun said, "The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau published the Policy Statement on Facilitating Data Flow and Safeguarding Data Security in Hong Kong last week, which puts forward 18 specific action items in five broad categories, including enhancing cybersecurity protection, to support the development of innovation technology, the digital economy and smart city matters in Hong Kong in a co-ordinated and secure manner."

     Professor Sun further said that the National 14th Five-Year Plan clearly supports Hong Kong's development into an international innovation and technology centre, and cybersecurity is the key to achieving this goal. He encouraged public and private organisations to jointly build a strong cybersecurity defence, establish comprehensive cybersecurity policies and procedures, and strengthen their devotion and support in cybersecurity, with a view to enhancing their capabilities in defending against cybersecurity threats and tackling cybersecurity incidents.

     The Cybersecurity Symposium 2023 aims to bring together quangos (quasi autonomous non-governmental organisations), enterprises and other local organisations in Hong Kong to explore industry collaboration in addressing cybersecurity challenges in the digital era. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government attaches great importance to cybersecurity training of information technology personnel and staff members across all departments, and regularly organises information security talks, seminars, workshops and solution showcases for them. For instance, during the period from October to December 2023, the OGCIO organised several thematic activities on cybersecurity risk management, prevention of ransomware, and application security testing. These training activities, attended by over 1 000 officers from various government bureaux and departments, helped enhance the overall cybersecurity defence capabilities of the Government.

     Eight representative cybersecurity companies from the Mainland also participated in the symposium. These companies have either already established or plan to establish their presence in Hong Kong, or will expand their operations here to support the development of the digital economy and strengthen the cybersecurity defence in Hong Kong. The symposium provided a valuable opportunity for participating organisations to establish connections and business engagements with industry peers, as well as jointly explore suitable cybersecurity solutions, thereby strengthening Hong Kong's overall defence and resilience capabilities against cyber attacks.

     In addition, several panel discussion sessions were held during the symposium. Over 10 industry experts and business leaders from the Mainland and Hong Kong, together with over 450 industry professionals representing about 200 public and private organisations, exchanged views on different topics including protection of critical data and the latest technologies and trends in cyber defence matters. The symposium also featured a showcase of cybersecurity solutions, allowing participants to gain insights and engage with industry experts regarding the latest cybersecurity technologies and solutions.

     The Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong, and the Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Tony Wong, also attended the symposium.