The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, yesterday (December 6, Dubai time) continued to attend the activities of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and delivered closing remarks at the China Corner's Side Event.
 
     Mr Tse continued to tell the Hong Kong story at the COP28. In his closing remarks, Mr Tse said that the country has set up the dual carbon targets of achieving the peak of carbon emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060. Since Hong Kong's carbon emissions reached its peak in 2014, a more aggressive target of achieving carbon neutrality before 2050 and reducing carbon emissions by half before 2035 has been set up.
 
     He pointed out that the per capita greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 in Hong Kong amounted to about 4.55 tonnes, when comparing with that of around 14.4 tonnes in the United States and of around 7.7 tonnes in the European Union, Hong Kong's decarbonisation progress is not worse than other regions.
 
     Hong Kong has set out four decarbonisation strategies, namely net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction, to actively reduce carbon emissions from source. In the area of energy transition, Hong Kong has ceased to build coal-fired generating units since 1997, and strived to reduce the use of coal in power generation with the target to stop the use of coal for daily electricity generation by 2035; promote the popularisation of electric vehicles and target to stop any new registration of fuel-propelled private cars including hybrid vehicles in 2035 or earlier; and heavily invest in the development of waste-to-energy facilities, so as to achieve "Zero Landfill" by 2035.
 
     Besides implementing decarbonisation strategies, Mr Tse pointed out that, to cope with the extreme weather due to climate change, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has set up a task force led by the Civil Engineering and Development Department to conduct a comprehensive review of the capability of infrastructure to cope with climate change. A steering committee has also been set up to enhance interdepartmental co-ordination in the response and recovery stages.
 
     Mr Tse added that, being an international financial centre, Hong Kong can provide a green financing platform by making use of blockchain technology, fintech, green bonds, etc, so as to make contribution to achieving carbon neutrality by different parts of the world and to developing a more sustainable future.

     This year's China Corner's Side Event was jointly organised by the Friends of the Earth (HK) and the Financial Services Development Council with the theme "Hong Kong's Drive Towards Green and Sustainable Development and Cutting-Edge Innovations". The Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), Ms Salina Yan, also attended the event and delivered opening remarks.
 
     In the morning, Mr Tse and Ms Yan had a meeting with the Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai, Mr Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, to share the strategies and experiences on combating climate change, and exchange views on future collaboration between the two places. After the meeting, Mr Tse visited the innovation centre of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, to learn about the development of renewable energy in Dubai.
 
     Ms Yan also met with the Chief Executive of the Dubai Financial Services Authority, Mr Ian Johnston, in the morning to exchange views on the development and regulation of financial services in the two places.
 
     Mr Tse left Dubai at night on December 6 and arrived in Hong Kong on December 7.

              

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, met with a delegation led by Vice-minister of the National Health Commission (NHC) Mr Yu Xuejun today (December 7) to introduce to them the latest updates in the healthcare policies of Hong Kong and exchange views on strengthening medical collaboration between the Mainland and Hong Kong.

     Professor Lo said, "After the COVID-19 epidemic, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and various Mainland provinces and cities have been engaging in closer and more frequent exchanges and co-operation on healthcare development than ever. Such exchanges and co-operation help promote regional healthcare development. We will continue to strive for the strengthening and deepening of co-operation with the Mainland under the principle of complementarity and mutual benefits, with a view to levelling up the quality and efficiency of the healthcare services in both places, while rallying concerted efforts to build a 'Healthy Hong Kong' for integration into the nation's strategy of a 'Healthy China', thereby contributing to the development of the Greater Bay Area and that of the country as a whole."

     In the afternoon, Professor Lo and Mr Yu attended the closing ceremony of the Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control 2023 organised by the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health (DH).  

     Addressing the closing ceremony, Professor Lo said, "The HKSAR Government is committed to progressively lowering the smoking prevalence from 9.5 per cent at present to 7.8 per cent by 2025. Having consulted citizens earlier on the tobacco control strategies for the next phase, the Government is now consolidating the views collected to derive a consensus on the future tobacco control strategies to be formulated. Our goal is to work with members of the public to build a more vibrant, healthier and tobacco-free society and stride as one towards the vision of a vibrant, healthy and tobacco-free Hong Kong, thereby safeguarding public health as well as rooting out the serious health and economic burden brought about by tobacco to society."

     In April 2012, the DH was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to set up the Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in Hong Kong, to serve as a regional hub supporting smoking cessation training and providing assistance to other member states/regions within the Western Pacific Region. The Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control, which is structured according to the tobacco control measures formulated by the WHO, enables participants to master tobacco control techniques and strategies in areas such as legislation, law enforcement, publicity and promotion, as well as the development of smoking cessation services and assessments to a further extent through overseas and local experts' sharing of their valuable experience in tobacco control work.

     The Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, also attended the exchange activities today. 

    

     A total of 113 cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection were reported to the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) in the third quarter of 2023, taking the cumulative total of HIV infections reported locally to 11 943 since 1984.

     Of the 113 additional cases involving 92 males and 21 females, 52 (46.0 per cent) acquired the infection via homosexual or bisexual contact, 29 (25.7 per cent) via heterosexual contact, one (0.9 per cent) via injecting drug use, and one (0.9 per cent) via mother-to-child transmission. The routes of transmission of the remaining 30 cases have yet to be determined due to incomplete information.

     The new cases were mainly reported by three sources: public hospitals, clinics and laboratories (61 cases); private hospitals, clinics and laboratories (21 cases), and the Social Hygiene Clinics under the DH (13 cases). Also, 71 of the 113 newly reported HIV-infected people have already received HIV specialist services at the DH or the Hospital Authority.

     Regarding cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), 28 new cases were reported in this quarter, of which 12 cases (42.9 per cent) were attributed to homosexual or bisexual contact, and 13 cases (46.4 per cent) were related to heterosexual contact. The route of transmission of the remaining three cases has yet to be determined due to incomplete information. In this quarter, the most common AIDS-defining illness remained as Pneumocystis pneumonia. Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2 469 confirmed AIDS cases has been reported in Hong Kong.

     Reviewing the latest HIV/AIDS situation in Hong Kong, a spokesman for the CHP said, "Sexual transmission remained the major mode of HIV transmission. Members of the public should use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.

     "Besides sexual transmission, HIV can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. Early detection of HIV infection with prompt and appropriate intervention can effectively reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission. In Hong Kong, the Universal Antenatal HIV Testing Programme has been implemented since September 2001. Under this programme, pregnant women are offered with HIV antibody tests as part of antenatal care. Pregnant women should attend antenatal care and undergo testing early to protect the health of their offspring.

     "HIV is the cause of AIDS. Early HIV treatment with antiretroviral drugs effectively prevents progression to AIDS and other complications. Lifelong antiretroviral treatment is indicated for all people with HIV, and the treatment remarkably improves their health and possibility of survival. Moreover, infected people who achieve sustained viral suppression to an undetectable level with treatment will not transmit the virus through sex, i.e. Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).

     "Members of the public with a history of unsafe sex should take an HIV antibody test early. Key populations with a higher risk of infection should undergo regular HIV screening, while people who had sex but do not belong to these key populations should consider getting tested at least once. They can visit the HIV Testing Service website (www.hivtest.gov.hk) to make reservations of AIDS Counselling and Testing Service or order an HIV self-test kit. HIV-positive people should seek specialist care and HIV treatment as soon as possible."

     â€‹The public may visit the following pages for more information on HIV/AIDS: the Virtual AIDS Office (www.aids.gov.hk), the Red Ribbon Centre (www.rrc.gov.hk), the HIV Testing Service website (www.hivtest.gov.hk) and the Gay Men HIV Information website (www.21171069.gov.hk).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced today (December 7) that the Monetary Authority has granted a restricted banking licence to THE ACCESS BANK UK LIMITED (ABUK) under the Banking Ordinance. ABUK is incorporated in the United Kingdom. The granting of this restricted banking licence takes effect today (December 7, 2023).

     After the granting of a restricted banking licence to ABUK, the number of restricted licence banks in Hong Kong is 16.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (December 7) met the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr Daren Tang. The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, and the Director of Intellectual Property, Mr David Wong, also attended the meeting.

      Mr Lee welcomed the visit by Mr Tang and the high-level delegation from the WIPO to Hong Kong to attend the Business of Intellectual Property Asia Forum on December 7 and 8.

     The National 14th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong to develop into a regional intellectual property (IP) trading centre. Mr Lee said that under the "one country, two systems" framework, Hong Kong thrives as an international hub for trade and finance, and is the only common law jurisdiction within the country.  As announced in the Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will leverage the institutional advantages of Hong Kong's legal and IP protection systems, and carry out a number of new measures including enhancing the IP legal regime, implementing the "patent box" tax incentive, planning for regulatory arrangements on patent agent services, and boosting the trading of local original works, with a view to strengthening Hong Kong's status as a regional IP trading centre.

     Mr Lee paid tribute to the WIPO for playing a crucial role in promoting and facilitating global IP development. He said that the HKSAR Government will continue to maintain close communication with the WIPO and explore more co-operation to promote IP development.