â€‹Invest Hong Kong announced today (December 12) that it has helped French semiconductor company Prophesee set up a regional headquarters in the city to push its neuromorphic artificial intelligence (AI) technology across Asia.
      
     The department welcomed the establishment of Prophesee in Hong Kong. The Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, Dr Jimmy Chiang, said, "We are happy to see that the company capitalises on the city's advantages in research and development capabilities, advanced technology infrastructure, legal system and deep pool of local talent to set up its regional headquarters in Hong Kong."
      
     He added, "With opportunities brought by the National 14th Five-Year Plan and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong can act as a strategic hub for innovative companies, like Prophesee, looking to access the Mainland market."
      
     The Co-founder and CEO of Prophesee, Mr Luca Verre, said that the company's primary objective is to expand the adoption of the neuromorphic AI technology in mass market segments such as mobile phones, augmented reality or virtual reality headsets, and Internet of Things (IoT) cameras, as well as industrial automation and automotive sectors.
      
     He said, "The Greater China region and the broader Asia markets represent the largest and fastest growing market for many of these segments. As we are accelerating our commercial expansion and are already achieving wins with major mobile manufacturers and IoT solution providers in the Greater China region, we think it's an optimal time to come to Hong Kong and make it a regional centre for our further expansion in Asia."
      
     He added, "The new Hong Kong office is not only our regional headquarters in the Asia-Pacific region, but also our new customer innovation centre. It oversees the business operations in the Greater China region, Japan and Korea and develops innovative neuromorphic solutions for our global customers. We will be transferring and also hiring senior executive team members in Hong Kong to facilitate the process."
      
     Prophesee develops a breakthrough Event-Based Vision approach to machine vision. This new vision category allows for significant reduction of power, latency and data processing requirements to reveal what was invisible to traditional frame-based sensors until now.
      
     To get a copy of the photo, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720313317524.
      
     For more information about Prophesee, please visit www.prophesee.ai.

  

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting today (December 12):

Reporter: Good morning, Mr Lee. Some English questions. Firstly, the District Council Election on Sunday had the lowest election turnout since the handover. Does this low voter turnout mean that the new District Council system has low legitimacy with the public, and how would the Government justify the costs of promoting this District Council Election? The second question, how would the Government plan to overcome voter indifference in the coming elections, and do you believe that this persistent situation would be unhealthy going forward? Thank you.

Chief Executive: We had about 1.2 million voters coming out to vote. I think that was a good turnout. First of all, I think each election has its own characteristics. The enhanced and improved District Council election system has the merits of producing the most qualified and competent District Council members to contribute to the well-being of the districts. There are, of course, people who are still trying to sabotage the election. You can see that both the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) and the Police have arrested people who dare to contravene the law to in some ways incite people not to come out to vote. There was resistance by people who have been rejected by the system because they are not qualified or they do not subscribe to the same principle, which is ‘patriots administering Hong Kong’. There are still some people who somehow are still immersed in the wrong idea of trying to make the District Councils a political platform for their own political means, achieving their own gains rather than the districts' gains. There are still people who have ideas that represent as if they are agents of a foreign country. These kinds of soft resistance still exist. Some voters haven't come out to vote for different reasons, but obviously, those who tried to sabotage the election still exist and, of course, they will be trying to do anything they can to make the election not successful.

     But the turnout of 1.2 million voters has indicated that they supported the election, they supported the principles, and they supported the idea that the new District Councils will be producing good candidates, good District Council members for the overall good of each district. What is most important that I want the society to focus on is what the election will produce. We have already passed the election process. It is important that we focus our attention on the outcome of the election. The outcome means a constructive District Council, rather than what used to be a destructive one. The outcome is District Council members who will be monitored for their performance to ensure that they do well, rather than previously, some District Council members pursued their own political interests, sabotaged the system, and reacted against the governance of the Hong Kong Government or the Central Government. The new District Councils will be the one that is constructive, focusing on livelihood issues, local issues and district matters. The new District Council members will be helping those who live in the districts when they have problems they want to solve. The District Council members will be readily available to give their help. This is what is important. The new monitoring performance system will be announced in regard to the details, and people living in the districts are very welcome to join in the monitoring system, so that all the District Council members will be performing to their best for the interests of the local people.

     We did what we need to do to promote the new District Council system, because it is different. I want people to know the big differences of being constructive versus destructive, taking care of people's interests rather than those in the past taking care of their own political interests and sometimes acting as agents of foreign forces. It is also important to tell them the big difference that these District Councils will produce members who will be from different backgrounds, sectors and professions, who will be more representative, more connected to the districts and, of course, more committed to bringing overall good to district residents. This is important because we have now turned over a new leaf. This is going to be what will be good for Hong Kong. That message has to be loud and clear, and received by people of Hong Kong.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (December 13) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Second Reading debates on the Road Traffic Legislation (Enhancing Personalized Point-to-point Transport Services) (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Taxi-Driver-Offence Points Bill will resume. If the Bills are supported by Members and receive their Second Reading, they will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bills and their reports are adopted by the Council, the Bills will be set down for the Third Reading.
 
     Meanwhile, the Nurses Registration (Amendment) Bill 2023, the Electronic Traffic Enforcement (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2023, the Extension of Government Leases Bill and the Building Management (Amendment) Bill 2023 will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debates on the Bills will be adjourned.
 
     On Members' motions, Mr Adrian Ho will move a motion on promoting healthy ageing to create a good quality of life for the silver-haired group. The motion is set out in Appendix 1. Dr Johnny Ng, Ms Elizabeth Quat and Professor Lau Chi-pang will move separate amendments to Mr Adrian Ho's motion.
 
     Ms Chan Yuet-ming will move a motion on proactively responding to national development strategies by following up on the development of the Northern Metropolis. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Dr Lo Wai-kwok, Mr Duncan Chiu, Professor William Wong, Mr Shang Hailong, Ms Carmen Kan, Mr Lau Kwok-fan, Mr Kenneth Lau, Professor Priscilla Leung, Mr Yim Kong, Mr Luk Chung-hung and Dr Hoey Simon Lee will move separate amendments to Ms Chan Yuet-ming's motion.
 
     The Chairman of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Mr Paul Tse, will present the "Committee on Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Progress Report for the period January to December 2023" and address the Council.
 
     In addition, the Chairman of the Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting, Dr Junius Ho; the Chairman of the Panel on Development, Mr Tony Tse; the Chairman of the Panel on Commerce, Industry, Innovation and Technology, Mr Jimmy Ng; the Chairman of the Panel on Constitutional Affairs, Mr Holden Chow; the Chairman of the Panel on Transport, Mr Chan Han-pan; the Chairman of the Panel on Economic Development, Mr Sunny Tan; the Chairman of the Panel on Manpower, Mr Luk Chung-hung; the Chairman of the Panel on Security, Mr Chan Hak-kan; and the Chairman of the Panel on Education, Professor Priscilla Leung, will present the Reports of the related Panels and address the Council respectively.
 
     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

     Police today (December 12) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tuen Mun.

     Fok Hon-nam, aged 79, went missing after he left his residence on Lung Mun Road on December 7 morning. His family made a report to Police on December 9.

     He is about 1.65 metres tall, 63 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a light blue jacket, a blue T-shirt, black jeans and beige shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories North on 3661 3128 or email to rmpu-ntn-1@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

    

     In light of the supply of XBB mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in Hong Kong, the Government today (December 12) announced the latest vaccination arrangements of COVID-19 vaccine, with a view to providing better protection for high-risk priority groups and regularising the relevant vaccination arrangements gradually with COVID-19 being managed as a type of upper respiratory tract infections.
      
     Following the arrival of a batch of 100 000 doses of XBB mRNA vaccines (Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 30mcg/dose) in Hong Kong earlier, another batch of XBB mRNA vaccines (Spikevax XBB.1.5 0.1 mg/mL) from another manufacturer will also arrive in Hong Kong soon. Scientific data shows that the efficacy and safety profile of the two vaccines are similar.
      
     As recommended by the Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH), people belonging to the high-risk priority groups (i.e. persons aged 50 or above including the elderly living in residential care homes (RCHs), adults aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities, persons aged 6 months or above and with immunocompromising conditions, pregnant women and healthcare workers), regardless of the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses they received, can receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine booster for free with a dosing interval of at least six months after the last dose or recovery from COVID-19 infection. Those with higher risks, i.e. adult residents of RCHs and elderly aged 65 or above, would be accorded priority to receive the first batch of XBB mRNA vaccines.
      
     First phase of vaccination arrangements
      
     Starting from 9am on December 13, elderly aged 65 or above can make a booking through the Government online booking system at booking.covidvaccine.gov.hk/forms/index.jsp to receive XBB mRNA vaccine for completing their initial or booster dose on or after December 14 at Private Clinic COVID-19 Community Vaccination Stations or designated general outpatient clinics under the Hospital Authority (HA). Also, designated specialist outpatient clinics of the HA and designated Elderly Health Centres of the DH will also provide XBB mRNA vaccines to patients and members respectively starting from December 14. 
      
     With regard to the use of the two types of XBB mRNA vaccines (Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 30mcg/dose and Spikevax XBB.1.5 0.1 mg/mL), the Government will base on the remaining shelf life to supply different types of XBB mRNA vaccines, which is in accordance with vaccination arrangements for general vaccines (e.g. seasonal influenza vaccines). Eligible persons may still choose to receive inactivated vaccines (CoronaVac/Sinovac). The Government will also continue to provide vaccination for adult residents at RCHs for the elderly and RCHs for persons with disabilities through outreach services under the Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme.
      
     Second phase of vaccination arrangements
      
     The second phase will be extended to cover other high-risk priority groups, including persons aged 50 to 64, adults aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities, persons aged 6 months or above and with immunocompromising conditions, pregnant women and healthcare workers. The Government will closely monitor the demand for XBB vaccines and launch the second phase at appropriate times.
      
     As the local activity of COVID-19 may be higher in winter while a peak of seasonal influenza usually happens also in winter, experts strongly recommended members of the public, especially those high-risk individuals, to receive COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccination to guard against the possible COVID-19 upsurge and influenza season which may appear simultaneously. According to experts' views, all currently available COVID-19 vaccines (i.e. inactivated/mRNA ancestral strain/mRNA bivalent vaccines) are effective in preventing severe disease. Persons aged below 65 should receive any currently available COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible instead of waiting for the XBB vaccines.
      
     A Government spokesman said, "The COVID-19 vaccines available in Hong Kong are all safe and effective, and fulfil quality requirements. The key to maintain the protection conferred by the vaccine is to receive suitable doses according to the vaccination schedule. As the protection conferred by the vaccines will diminish over time, the Government appeals to the members of the public who have not received a suitable number of doses of vaccine to get the dose(s) as soon as possible for self-protection, in particular high-risk persons such as the elderly and RCH residents."
      
     Details of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme can be found at the CHP's website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/106934.html).