Tag Archives: China

     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, today (December 6) attended the launch symposium on the latest results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Asia at the University of Tokyo, Japan, to discuss the way forward for education with representatives of the education sector from other regions. Organised by the University of Tokyo and co-organised by the OECD, the symposium brought together around 500 participants from, among others, the education and business sectors around the world.
 
     At the panel discussion session of the symposium, Dr Choi talked about how the Hong Kong education system supports students’ learning and wellbeing. She said that the PISA 2022 results reaffirmed the merits of the Hong Kong education system. In terms of education equity, Hong Kong ranked second among countries or economies with high academic achievements, indicating that the socio-economic status of Hong Kong students has minimal bearing on their performance.
 
     She pointed out that the Education Bureau (EDB) has been optimising the school curriculum and proactively implementing various student development programmes to nurture students with positive thinking and to strengthen their resilience. The EDB also assists schools in providing comprehensive student guidance and support services through the Whole School Approach and multidisciplinary collaboration. In addition, the EDB has strengthened the promotion of home-school co-operation and parent education as well as cross-sectoral collaboration to support students with mental health needs.
 
     “The EDB will continue to work with various stakeholders to create a support network and to foster an accepting and caring school culture for students, enhancing their physical and psychological wellbeing through concerted efforts,” she said.
 
     Yesterday (December 5), Dr Choi paid a courtesy call on the President and Board Chairperson of the Japan-China Friendship Center, Mr Masashi Ogawa. The Japanese Government has entrusted the Center to organise the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths Programme and has invited Hong Kong students to join the Programme since 2008. This year, the Hong Kong delegation will depart for Japan to conduct exchange activities from December 10 to 16. Dr Choi also met Hong Kong students and youngsters studying and working in Japan to learn about their study and life experiences in the country.
 
     Tomorrow (December 7), Dr Choi will pay a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Mr Wu Jianghao, and meet the Superintendent of the Saitama City Board of Education, Ms Hideko Takei, to exchange views on education issues. She will also visit Saitama Municipal Omiya International Secondary School to observe class activities and tour the school facilities.
 
     Dr Choi will return to Hong Kong on Friday afternoon (December 8).

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     The Outside Investigation Section of the Immigration Department (ImmD) has smashed a bogus marriage syndicate. Two masterminds, female Hong Kong residents aged 70 and 64, pleaded guilty to 23 and 17 counts of conspiracy to defraud respectively today (December 6) at the District Court. The two masterminds were both sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment.
 
     The ImmD has been gravely concerned about non-local residents obtaining residencies by means of contracting bogus marriages with Hong Kong residents. After an in-depth analysis and investigation of dozens of suspected bogus marriages in a similar mode of operation, the ImmD identified a crime syndicate active in New Territories West recruiting Hong Kong residents to engage in bogus marriages with non-local residents. The syndicate built up and expanded their social network through mobile games to solicit local residents in New Territories West area to engage in bogus marriage activities. The syndicate would also disseminate messages via instant messaging software and offer large remunerations to induce local residents to contract bogus marriages with Mainland residents who intend to settle in Hong Kong. The syndicate was believed to have arranged more than 128 bogus marriages. The estimated transaction amount involved in the cases is over $7 million.
 
     The ImmD successfully smashed the syndicate in a series of operations conducted since August 2019. During the operation, a total of 154 persons (78 males and 76 females aged 25 to 70) including the two masterminds, were arrested. Of them, 93 were Hong Kong residents and 61 were Mainland residents. Apart from the two masterminds who were sentenced to imprisonment today, 12 persons involved were sentenced to 10 to 20 months’ imprisonment earlier. The operation is ongoing and more arrests may be made.
 
     The ImmD will continue to spare no effort in combating bogus marriages and other related illicit activities to obtain Hong Kong residency. For people who have obtained their residence in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be invalidated according to the laws of Hong Kong. They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin.
 
     An ImmD spokesman urged the public not to defy the law by participating in activities related to bogus marriages anywhere or not to make a false oath before Immigration Officers for the purpose of procuring a marriage in Hong Kong. Those directing others to contract a bogus marriage may also be guilty of the offence of conspiracy to defraud. The spokesman also urged the public to be vigilant when using social networking platforms, and to avoid contravening the law inadvertently.
 
     Under the laws of Hong Kong, it is an offence to make false representation to Immigration Officers. Offenders are liable to prosecution and to a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and the same penalties. Any person who for the purpose of procuring a marriage, or a certificate or license for marriage, knowingly and wilfully makes a false oath or makes or signs a false declaration shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to, upon conviction, imprisonment for seven years and a fine. Anyone who commits the offence of conspiracy to defraud is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years. read more

Attention TV/Radio Announcers:           Please announce the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals.      The Home Affairs Department has announced th… read more

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Johnny Ng and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):

Question:

     During the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic, the Government launched the Special 100% Loan Guarantee (Special Loan) under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme, with the Government providing 100% guarantee to assist small and medium enterprises in alleviating financial difficulties and tiding over the difficulties. In addition, the Financial Secretary proposed in the Budget delivered in February this year that the application period of the Special Loan be extended to the end of March next year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of applications received, approved, rejected and being processed by the lending institutions participating in the vetting and approval of applications for the Special Loan since April this year (with a tabulated breakdown by industry), and the amount of money involved in the approved applications;

(2) of the current default rate and amount of default claims of the Special Loan; whether the Government has projected the future default situation, and whether the guarantee amount of the default loans concerned will constitute a burden on the Government’s finance; and

(3) as it has been reported that some swindlers have obtained the Special Loan by deception through various means (including the use of false instruments), and some applicants have even closed down their businesses after obtaining loans and have defaulted on the loans on the pretext of emigration, which has reduced the Special Loan to “a cash withdrawal machine” for swindlers or people with ill intentions, whether the Government has assessed the situation of the Special Loan being abused and estimated the number of approved applications which will involve loan defaults; whether it will rigorously combat the relevant fraudulent and defaulting behaviours to ensure the proper use of public money?

Reply:

President,

     The Government helps businesses obtain commercial loans by providing loan guarantees under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme (SFGS). To assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) hard hit by the epidemic in coping with cash flow problems, the Government launched in April 2020 the Special 100% Guarantee Product under the SFGS to provide low-interest concessionary loans, and introduced enhancements several times and extended the application period to end March 2024, with a view to benefitting more SMEs.

     The Government’s reply to the three parts of the question is set out below:

(1) From April to end October 2023, the application figures of the Special 100% Guarantee Product are as follows:
 

Number of applications received	4 282
Number of applications approved	3 685
Number of applications under processing	330
Number of applications rejected (Note)	161
Total loan amount of approved cases ($)	12.6 billion

     The figures of the major beneficiary sectors of the applications approved are as follows:
 

Beneficiary sector	Number of applications approved
Trading, wholesale and retail	1 265
Engineering and construction	313
Manufacturing	133
Others (e.g. catering, transportation)	1 974

(2) From its launch in April 2020 to end October 2023, the application and default figures of the Special 100% Guarantee Product are as follows:
 

Number of applications approved	65 049
Total loan amount of approved cases ($)	136.9 billion
Number of default cases	3 585
Loan guarantee amount of default cases ($)	7.5 billion
Default rate	5.49%

     The default rate is subject to change having regard to various factors, such as the overall economic environment, the business situation of individual sectors, and some loans still subject to principal moratorium or partial principal repayment arrangements. So far the default rate is lower than the assumed default rate of 25 per cent.
 
(3) Stringent vetting procedures have been put in place under the SFGS. Lending institutions are required to check the eligibility of enterprises with their professional knowledge, judgement and due diligence, and submit the verified applications with the necessary documents to HKMC Insurance Limited (HKMCI) for final assessment and approval. To avoid abuse of the SFGS, in the event that an application is suspected to be involved in illegal activities, HKMCI and lending institutions will reject the application and report to law enforcement agencies. HKMCI and lending institutions so far have referred a number of cases suspected to be involved in illegal activities to law enforcement agencies for follow-up, and will continue to communicate and co-operate closely with them with a view to guarding against and handling properly applications that may involve in illegal activities.
 
     The Government will continue to monitor closely the applications and the operation of the SFGS, and review its effectiveness.
 
Note: Apart from rejected applications, some applications were withdrawn by the applicant enterprises. read more

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 5) detected two passenger drug trafficking cases at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 3.4 kilograms of suspected cannabis resin and about 500 grams of suspected cocaine with a total estimated market value of about $700,000. 

     In the first case, a 27-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Delhi, India, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 3.4kg of suspected cannabis resin and about 180g of suspected cocaine concealed inside a false compartment of his checked-in suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.

     The second case involved a 48-year-old male passenger who arrived in Hong Kong from Paris, France, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers suspected that the passenger had dangerous drugs concealed inside his body cavity. He was then escorted to the hospital for examination. Upon examination, he was confirmed by a doctor to have foreign objects concealed inside his body. He was arrested immediately. As at 5pm today (December 6), the arrested man has discharged 23 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 320g in total.

     The arrested man of the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 7). The investigation of the second case is ongoing.

     Following the increasing number of visitors to Hong Kong, Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

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