Attention TV and radio duty announcers:

     Please broadcast the following special announcement as soon as possible, and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     A fire broke out at a construction site near 8 Yin Ping Road in Shek Kip Mei at 0am today (December 10). The Fire Services Department is conducting a firefighting operation. 

     Members of the public who are being affected by the smoke and an unusual odour carried by the wind are advised to close their doors and windows and stay calm.

     Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) commended Hong Kong, China (HKC) for its continued adoption of free and open trade policies and for maintaining strong fiscal and financial fundamentals even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic at the Trade Policy Review meeting successfully concluded in Geneva, Switzerland on December 8, Geneva time. 
      
     Leading the HKC delegation, the Director-General of Trade and Industry, Ms Maggie Wong, said, "We are encouraged by WTO Members' commendation for HKC's free and open trade regime as well as our unwavering support for the multilateral trading system. We also take pride in Members' recognition of our commitment to promoting global trade liberalisation, our measures to enhance business facilitation, and our continuous efforts to reinforce HKC as an international investment and trading hub."
      
     "In the midst of increasing unpredictability of the world economy, a rules-based, non-discriminatory and transparent multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core becomes all the more important," Ms Wong also said.

      "HKC will continue to work with all WTO Members to address these common challenges and advance ongoing WTO negotiations and reform discussions, which will ultimately strengthen the multilateral trading system and benefit the global economy," Ms Wong added.
   
     At the meeting, Ms Wong elaborated on HKC's efforts, amongst others, in enhancing intellectual property right protection in the present-day digital environment. She also stressed that HKC would engage constructively with fellow Members in striving for meaningful outcomes at the forthcoming Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference. 

     Ms Wong said that "one country, two systems" had stood the test of time and proven to be the solid foundation for HKC's continued prosperity and stability. She added that HKC remained a free port and a separate customs territory as provided for under the Basic Law, while HKC's capitalist system, free economy and common law system were robustly maintained. She also dismissed misleading concerns about HKC's high-degree of autonomy. 

      "HKC continues to exercise a high-degree of autonomy, with the rule of law and judicial independence at the heart of our legal system. Hong Kong residents continue to enjoy the rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Basic Law and other relevant laws. With the implementation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, social and economic activities have returned to normal and business confidence has been restored," said Ms Wong.

     Taking this opportunity, Ms Wong updated WTO Members on the latest strategies of HKC in fostering its long-term, high-quality development and competitiveness, including efforts in attracting talents and enterprises, implementing the innovation and technology blueprint, fostering an inclusive and sustainable economy that entails green transition and enhanced support for women and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in exploring business opportunities.
 
     The Discussant for the Trade Policy Review, Mr Pedro Antonio Bravo Carranza of Peru, remarked that "during the period under review, which straddled the COVID-19 pandemic, HKC has shown remarkable resilience, maintained strong and steady economic growth, and in a forward-looking and strategic manner, implemented trade policies and measures to promote inclusive, digital and green trade". He said, "HKC has demonstrated strong commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core". He praised HKC's timely ratification of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and our constructive engagement in WTO committees and active participation in all Joint Statement Initiatives.
      
     In his concluding remarks, the Chairperson of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body, Ambassador Saqer Abdullah Almoqbel of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, remarked that during the period under review, HKC had "maintained its status as one of the most prominent international trade and financial hubs, and as a market-orientated economy". He praised HKC for the "detailed and informative updates on HKC's trade and economic policies, including on financial services, intellectual property rights, trade facilitation, SMEs, women participation and green transition". He added that Members' statements during the meeting had shown "an appreciation for HKC's continued adoption of a free and open trade policy and commitment to the multilateral trading system including its notification obligations, its constructive participation in WTO committees and WTO reform", and noted HKC's business friendly rankings, predictable tax environment and legal system made HKC an important trade hub. 
      
     The Trade Policy Review examined HKC's trade and investment regimes in detail, covering trade in both goods and services including green and pro-innovation government procurement policy, protection of intellectual property rights and support measures to SMEs, as well as new measures to enhance HKC's growth and competitiveness including various initiatives on investment promotion, green transition and high-quality development. It also gave an overview of its economic environment and deepening trade relationships with Mainland China and other trading partners, including the expanding network of Free Trade Agreements and Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements.
      
     The WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism enhances the transparency and understanding of Members' trade policies and practices, thereby facilitating the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, using the name "Hong Kong, China" and being a separate customs territory as provided for under the Basic Law, is a founding member of the WTO, and is subject to regular Trade Policy Reviews. The last review took place in 2018.

    

     â€‹A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that due to a fire at the Hung Hom Market Cooked Food Centre this morning (December 9), the operation of the Centre has been suspended tonight. 

     At around 11.20am today, a fire broke out at a stall in the Hung Hom Market Cooked Food Centre. The fire was put out at around 30 minutes. During the incident, one male staff member of the stall sustained slight injuries and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. 

     The officers of the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) were immediately deployed to carry out repairs. As a precautionary measure, the ArchSD and the EMSD officers have inspected relevant electrical and mechanical equipment in the Cooked Food Centre. It is expected that the Centre will be reopened for business tomorrow. 

     Police today (December 9) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Hung Hom.

     Choi Kin-fan, aged 55, went missing after he left his residence on Ko Shan Road on November 30 night. His family made a report to Police yesterday (December 8).

     He is about 1.63 metres tall, 77 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a green long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and purplish blue 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 Kowloon West on 3661 8036 or 9020 6542 or email to rmpu-kw@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:

     The 2023 District Council Ordinary Election (DCOE) will be held tomorrow (December 10). The Chairman of the Electoral Affairs Commission (EAC), Mr Justice David Lok, and the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, accompanied the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, to visit the District Council geographical constituency polling station at Ningnan Secondary School to inspect the set-up and on-site rehearsal this morning (December 9).
 
     Mr Justice Lok said, "Arrangements for the elections are ready and electoral staff are in the final preparation and rehearsal, and will spare no efforts to discharge their duties to ensure a smooth and accurate conduct of the poll and count tomorrow."
 
     He said, "More than 600 District Council geographical constituency (DCGC) polling stations will be set up to serve about 4.33 million electors for this election. A total of 18 District Committees constituency (DCC) polling stations will also be set up across the territory for about 2 500 DCC electors to cast their DCC votes."
 
     EAC members Professor Daniel Shek and Mr Bernard Man, SC, also inspected different polling stations today to see for themselves the electoral preparation work, such that the poll and count tomorrow would be carried out smoothly.
 
     Mr Justice Lok reminded DCC electors to cast their DCC and DCGC votes respectively at two polling stations. Polling hours for DCGCs will be from 8.30am to 10.30pm (14 hours in total) while those for DCCs will be from 8.30am to 2.30pm (six hours in total).
 
     All electors should have received their poll card. Electors can log in to the Online Voter Information Enquiry System (vr.gov.hk) to check their electors' status and their allocated polling station if they have yet to receive their poll card. They can also call the hotline of the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) at 2891 1001 for enquiries. Electors are required to bring the original of their Hong Kong identity card to vote at the designated polling station tomorrow. Electors may vote only at the polling station allocated to them; and the polling station allocated to them in this election may be different from those in the past. Thus, electors should carefully read the name and address of the polling station on the poll card.
 
     Mr Justice Lok and Mr Tsang, together with the two EAC members, Professor Daniel Shek and Mr Bernard Man, SC, then inspected the near boundary polling stations (NBPSs) set up at Hong Kong Taoist Association Tang Hin Memorial Secondary School and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Kap Yan Directors' College. Mr Justice Lok said, "To enable electors living on the Mainland or those who need to travel to and from the Mainland on the polling day to cast their votes, the REO will set up four NBPSs at two secondary schools in the vicinity of Sheung Shui MTR Station."
 
     Electors who have successfully registered to vote at the NBPSs should have received the notification of registration result sent by the REO via SMS and/or email. They may ignore the polling station information on the poll card. The REO will arrange shuttle bus to carry electors to and from Sheung Shui MTR Station and the NBPSs tomorrow.
 
     Mr Justice Lok extended his thanks to colleagues of the REO and other relevant bureaux/departments for their efforts and called on registered electors to fulfil their civic responsibility to vote tomorrow.
 
     The REO has produced a set of TV and radio Announcements in the Public Intereston polling procedures which have been uploaded to the election website (www.elections.gov.hk) for electors' reference. For enquiries, members of the public may call the REO hotline on 2891 1001, or visit the election website for more information about this election.