Tag Archives: China

     â€‹A delegation of politically appointed officials on a national studies programme and duty visit led by the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip, completed its study programme at the National Academy of Governance (NAG) this morning (November 22).
      
     The Executive Vice President of the NAG in charge of daily operations, Professor Xie Chuntao, gave the last lecture of the study programme on the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and presented Certificates of Completion of the NAG to the delegates.
      
     At the closing ceremony, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council Mr Wang Linggui congratulated the delegation for completing its study programme. He encouraged members of the delegation to learn more and to capitalise on Hong Kong’s strengths to serve the country’s needs.
      
     Ms Yip expressed gratitude to the HKMAO of the State Council and the NAG for the meticulous programme arrangements. She pointed out that the scholars and experts have reiterated in their lectures the unique role and contributions of Hong Kong as a special administrative region in the process of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the face of unprecedented changes of the century, the country steadfastly adheres to the path of peace, development, co-operation, and win-win outcomes, upholding the diplomatic policy objective of safeguarding world peace and promoting common development, and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Hong Kong should take up a greater and more significant role in this process, she said.
      
     Ms Yip said she believes that upon their return to Hong Kong, members of the delegation will apply what they have seen, heard, and learned during the programme in their respective positions to tell the good stories of Hong Kong and the country. 
      
     In the afternoon, the delegation visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to learn about the centennial history of the CPC.
      
     Led by Ms Yip, the delegation comprises 13 Under Secretaries and 19 Political Assistants. The delegation will depart for Nanjing tomorrow (November 23) to obtain a deeper understanding of the development of innovation and technology, smart city, environmental ecology and culture and tourism there.

read more

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, led a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) delegation to attend the 2nd National Conference on the Development of Human Resources Services commencing in Shenzhen this morning (November 22).

     The theme of the two-day Conference is unleashing the strong impetus of human resources to make contributions for a strong country. The Labour Department (LD) of the HKSAR Government and Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) also participated in the exhibition at the Conference. Accompanied by the Commissioner for Labour, Ms May Chan, and the Director of HKTE, Mr Anthony Lau, Mr Sun briefed the Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, Ms Wang Xiaoping, during her visit to the HKSAR exhibition area, on an array of policy initiatives to attract and retain talent set out in the Policy Address to raise Hong Kong’s competitiveness and continue to create a strong impetus for growth. Mr Sun also updated Ms Wang on the achievements of the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme (GBA YES) upon collaboration with Guangdong counterparts and partners of various municipalities.

     Mr Sun had a lunch meeting with the Chairman of China International Intellectech Group Co Ltd, Mr Bu Yulong, at noon. The Company is one of the enterprises approved by the relevant competent commerce department of the Mainland to engage in labour service co-operation with the HKSAR. They exchanged views on protecting imported workers’ employment rights and benefits.

     In the afternoon, Mr Sun and his delegation called on Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Mr Yu Jiadong, and exchanged views on deepening talent collaboration. Mr Sun said, “As one of the country’s gateways for talent, the HKSAR has been striving to contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) into a high-quality talent hub. The newly established HKTE will maintain close liaison with talent service units in the GBA to promote Hong Kong’s role as the GBA’s talent service hub.” The HKSAR Government will continue to foster talent co-operation with the Mainland and promote the training and mutual recognition of qualifications of vocational skilled talent. In addition, the HKSAR Government welcomes relevant government agencies, manpower organisations and enterprises in the GBA to participate in the Global Talent Summit cum Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area High‑quality Talent Development Conference to be held in the second quarter of 2024 in Hong Kong to jointly promote regional exchanges and co‑operation in talent attraction as well as development opportunities in the GBA for international talent.

     Mr Sun then gave a presentation on Hong Kong talent admission policies and the GBA YES to job seekers and students at a recruitment event for youth talent in the GBA under the Conference, and had thorough discussions with provincial and municipal leaders at a forum on the high-quality development of human resources services in the GBA. The delegation also toured an exhibition on the achievements of human resources in the GBA and an exhibition on leading enterprises and key employers of human resources services to learn more about the development of various industries in the GBA and the country, and the talent they need.

     Before their departure, Mr Sun and his team met officials of the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau of Dongguan, and the delegation arrived in Hong Kong this evening. The delegation comprised over 30 representatives of the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the LD, HKTE and the Hong Kong human resources service sector.

read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Martin Liao and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (November 22):

Question:
 
     It is learnt that recently, Hong Kong’s economic growth has been unsatisfactory, with a low turnover in the stock market, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected that the global economic growth will slow down significantly in the next five years. On the other hand, the Government pointed out on August 11 this year that inbound tourism and private consumption would remain the major drivers of economic growth for the rest of the year. Regarding measures to boost Hong Kong’s economy, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as a survey has been reported to have pointed out that the overall Hong Kong Consumer Confidence Index in the third quarter has fallen by 2.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter, and also in view of the craze for going north for spending among Hong Kong people, how the Government will, in response to the changes in the consumption demand of members of the public, take corresponding actions in respect of consumption supply to enhance Hong Kong people’s consumption confidence and make them stay and spend in Hong Kong; how the Government will assist enterprises in re-positioning themselves in the market to meet the demands of consumers;
 
(2) given that in September this year, Shenzhen published the Shenzhen Municipality’s Certain Measures on Promoting Consumption which contains many measures facilitating Hong Kong people to go to Shenzhen for spending, whether the Government will, in the light of the very high savings rate of Mainland residents, launch similar facilitation measures to attract Mainland residents to come to Hong Kong to unleash their huge spending power, so that Hong Kong’s economy can benefit therefrom; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) as there are views pointing out that although Hong Kong’s economy enjoys the strong support of the motherland, our country currently needs to face problems such as the debt problems in relation to Mainland real estate companies, and it has been reported that an IMF report has adjusted downward the projected growth of China, and also in view of the withdrawal of some foreign capital from the Hong Kong market due to geopolitical issues, it is necessary for Hong Kong to explore more sources of foreign capital, and while Hong Kong is exploring the Middle East market, Hong Kong businessmen may not be familiar with the business environment there, how the Government will assist Hong Kong businessmen in expediting their entry into the Middle East market; of the new strategies put in place by the Government to attract enterprises from other countries or regions to develop their business or invest in Hong Kong?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     Having consulted the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), my consolidated reply to the Hon Martin Liao’s question is as follows:
 
(1) To assist Hong Kong enterprises in seizing opportunities brought about by the return to normalcy, and to allow the general public to experience and partake in the diverse charisma of local culture, eateries and shops, as well as to showcase the appeal of our vibrant city, thereby revitalising consumer sentiment, the Government has launched a series of measures as follows.
 
     A series of “Happy Hong Kong” events, launched since April, including various Gourmet Marketplaces organised in different parts of the city, the summer Harbour Chill Carnival on the Wan Chai promenade, the Cinema Day and other events, have all contributed to the energetic atmosphere on our streets. Subsequently, through the “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign which commenced in September, the Government, joining hands with various organisations, held an array of night-time events with Hong Kong’s unique appeal and attractiveness, encompassing themes such as leisure, arts, culture and retail consumption, spanning festivities including the National Day, Halloween, Christmas and the New Year until early 2024. There has been positive response to the campaign from various sectors in Hong Kong. As at October 31, some 270 000 people have visited the night-time events at the three harbourfront sites; meanwhile, the events specifically designed for different Chinese and western festivals have drawn the enthusiastic participation of many residents. For instance, the lantern carnivals held during the Mid-Autumn Festival recorded a cumulative attendance of around 660 000, with more than 300 000 visiting the lantern carnival at Victoria Park. In addition, the National Day Fireworks Display attracted over 430 000 spectators on both sides of the Victoria Harbour. These events were conducive to the fostering of a revitalised post-pandemic atmosphere and encouraged consumer spending.
 
     Apart from the consumption brought about by injecting impetus into the night economy, the Government has also dedicated its efforts towards promoting and taking advantage of Hong Kong’s unique culture appeal as a dynamic and vibrant city, to provide residents and tourists with a diverse living experience, and enhance consumer sentiment by holding various large-scale and mega events. In 2023-24, such events organised or under planning in Hong Kong include the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, Harbour Chill Carnival, Hong Kong Cyclothon, Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival, Hong Kong WinterFest, Art Basel Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Sevens, Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2023, Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations, and Hong Kong Chinese New Year Celebrations next year.
 
     In addition to conducting large scale events, the Government has also provided funding support through the SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) to encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to participate in marketing activities, assist them in exploring markets and entice relevant consumer spending. Starting from end-April 2021, a special measure has been introduced under the EMF to expand the funding scope to cover exhibitions targeting the local market and online exhibitions. As at end-September 2023, over 16 000 applications concerning exhibitions targeting the local market and online exhibitions have been approved under the EMF, involving a funding amount of nearly $400 million. This special measure has been extended to end-June 2026, with a view to assisting more SMEs in promoting their products through various means to attract consumers.
 
(2) To attract visitors to Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government launched the “Hello Hong Kong” large-scale global promotional campaign in February 2023. The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has rolled out a series of promotional activities to send a welcoming message to the world to entice visitors to come experience first-hand Hong Kong’s diverse appeals. Among the activities, the HKTB has distributed around two million “Hong Kong Goodies” visitor consumption vouchers, each with a value of $100. Visitors could redeem the vouchers for a free welcome drink at designated bars, restaurants and hotels, or choose an offer at dining and retail outlets, attractions or transport.
 
     Since reopening, Hong Kong has topped the list of outbound travel destinations for users of the Mainland online platform Xiaohongshu. In collaboration with Xiaohongshu, the HKTB launched the “Hong Kong Travel Time Machine” and “Art Travel to Hong Kong” programmes in the first half of this year, which generated more than 200 million total exposure for Hong Kong tourism. The HKTB also collaborated with Xiaohongshu to launch the “Hong Kong Citywalk Guide” in September, introducing five distinctive Hong Kong itineraries for Mainland visitors to assist them in conveniently planning their trips. The itineraries cover popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong and introduce major festivals and events.
 
     Apart from the above, riding on the “Night Vibes Hong Kong” campaign, the HKTB has since November been handing out one million sets of new “Hong Kong Night Treats” visitor dining coupons, each with a value of $100, to encourage visitors to go out and enjoy the city’s night-time offerings and experience Hong Kong’s captivating wine and dine. Visitors can redeem the coupons for a $100 discount after 6pm at participating bars and restaurants. The HKTB has also launched a special offer for an open-top bus night tour to visitors to Hong Kong. From November 2023 to January 2024, visitors can enjoy tours on three night bus routes for $20, exploring various attractions and landmarks in Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Not only can they immerse themselves in the city’s evening charm, but they may also hop on and off at their favourite spots as they wish for exploration, dining and shopping.
 
     In addition, the Tourism Commission held the new phase of “Design District Hong Kong” creative tourism project from August to October this year, promoting Tsuen Wan as an emerging tourist destination to visitors through art installations as well as a series of cultural activities, and the second edition of the “Sai Kung Hoi Arts Festival 2023” between November 15, 2023 and January 14, 2024. Apart from displaying artworks on Yim Tin Tsai, Sharp Island, Kau Sai Chau, High Island and Sai Kung Waterfront Park, guided tours and programmes of various themes are offered to participants free of charge during the Festival. We envisage that through the in-depth tourism products, more Mainland visitors would be attracted to come to Hong Kong to experience our diverse appeals.
 
     Meanwhile, to further facilitate the development of tourism, the Government announced in the 2023 Policy Address that the Cultural and Heritage Sites Local Tour Incentive Scheme will be transformed into the Characteristic Local Tourism Incentive Scheme to provide more in-depth itinerary design, training, etc., in order to encourage the trade to develop more thematic tours.
 
     Apart from the various abovementioned promotion measures which aim at attracting Mainland visitors, the Government, as mentioned in part (1) of the reply, will continue to stage and support various large-scale tourism events, and create a unique festive ambience to display the charm of Hong Kong and diversify visitors’ experiences.
 
(3) The Middle East region has a plethora of natural resources. In recent years, it has sought to diversify economically and reduce reliance on income from the oil industry, thereby creating more novel business opportunities and investment projects. The region is also one of the key areas in the Nation’s Belt and Road Initiative. The HKSAR Government accords great importance to bilateral relations between Hong Kong and Middle Eastern countries, and has always dedicated itself to the promotion of trade and economic ties. In February 2023, the Chief Executive led a high-level business delegation to visit the Middle East region, and promoted to local government and business sectors in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the unique advantages of Hong Kong. During the visit, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabian and the UAE enterprises and institutions signed a total of 13 high quality memoranda of understanding or letters of intent, all of which constructed a sturdy basis for the long-term development of Hong Kong businesses in the Middle East region, while simultaneously attracting local businesses and capital to invest in Hong Kong.
 
     Riding on the fruitful outcomes of the Chief Executive’s visit to the Middle East region, the HKSAR Government jointly organised the 8th Belt and Road Summit with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council in September 2023. Newly launched at this year’s edition of the Summit, the “Middle East Forum” promoted some 50 investment/co-operation projects in the Middle East region. During the Summit, a total of 21 memoranda of understanding or letters of intent were signed, six of which were related to the Middle East region, covering various areas such as sustainable energy, construction resources, and research and development.
 
     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in Dubai (Dubai ETO), which commenced operation in October 2021, is our 14th overseas ETO and the first ETO in the Middle East region. The Dubai ETO has been fostering closer trade and economic ties between Hong Kong and trading partners in the region, especially member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Note). Taking advantage of various platforms for interaction and co-operation on government and business levels, the Dubai ETO has encouraged Hong Kong enterprises and professionals, including those in the fields of logistics, construction, finance, law, accounting and management, to expand into the rapidly developing Middle East market.
 
     Moreover, under “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong has the distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the Motherland and being closely connected to the world. Hong Kong is not just a “super connector”, but also a “super value-adder” that offers abundant opportunities to enterprises and investors from the Middle East, in seizing the unprecedented potential of national development strategies such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Belt and Road Initiative. To consolidate and continually strengthen the basis for trade and economic co-operation between Hong Kong and countries in the Middle East, Hong Kong has concluded investment agreements with Kuwait and the UAE, and is conducting investment agreement negotiations with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia with a view to concluding relevant discussions as soon as possible. At the same time, we are proactively seeking to explore bilateral free trade agreements with economies in the Middle East (such as the UAE).
 
     As for attracting enterprises from other countries or regions to develop or invest in Hong Kong, the HKSAR Government has adopted relevant measures in various areas. For example, the Chief Executive announced in his Policy Address that the Government will introduce a mechanism to facilitate companies domiciled overseas to re‑domicile in Hong Kong. Moreover, the Government will continue to vigorously attract global family offices and asset owners to Hong Kong and, through measures such as the new Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, tax exemptions and reductions, and the Network of Family Office Service Providers launched in June 2023, promote the various opportunities in Hong Kong. We also plan to organise more delegations for Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises to visit countries along the Belt and Road, and promote to local business sectors, in the process, the multi-faceted advantages of Hong Kong including our world class professional services, with an aim to attracting local enterprises to develop in Hong Kong.
 
     Indeed, the current term Government places much emphasis on investment promotion. The Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), responsible for attracting high potential and representative enterprises of importance from around the globe to Hong Kong, was established in December 2022. Since its inception, the OASES has reached out to over 200 strategic enterprises, of which 30 are planning to establish a foothold or expand their operations in Hong Kong. A total of about $30 billion of new investment is involved, with around 10 000 employment opportunities expected to be created. With the Launching Ceremony of OASES Partnership held in October 2023, the OASES has become an official partner of the first batch of 20 strategic enterprises setting up or expanding their business in Hong Kong. They will work together to promote the development of the innovation and technology ecosystem of Hong Kong.
 
     Meanwhile, Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) continues to actively provide high-quality and comprehensive support for other overseas and Mainland enterprises interested in setting up or expanding their operations in Hong Kong. Apart from setting up consultant offices in Nairobi of Kenya, Africa and Almaty of Kazakhstan, Central Asia, the InvestHK also strengthened the investment promotion network under the Dubai ETO. In the first nine months of this year, the InvestHK assisted 300 Mainland and overseas enterprises in establishing or expanding their operations in Hong Kong, representing an increase of more than 25 per cent over the same period last year. The fact that these enterprises came from across the globe and various trades and industries is a testament to Hong Kong’s attractiveness to enterprises as an international business centre. The InvestHK and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council will set up consultant offices along the Belt and Road in 2024-25 to proactively reach out to high-potential enterprises and talents, with a view to further attracting high-potential enterprises from emerging countries to set up businesses in Hong Kong.
 
Note: The member states of the Council are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (November 22):
 
Question:

     According to “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030”, the number of private housing units aged 70 years or above (i.e. completed in 1976 or before) is expected to be about 326 000 by 2046, nearly 300 times of the building stock of the same age in 2015. Regarding urban renewal, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the following information on (a) Urban Renewal Authority projects and (b) private redevelopment projects in each of the past 10 years: (i) the number of private housing units supplied, and (ii) the numbers of demolished private residential buildings and housing units involved;

(2) given that in the Urban Renewal Strategy (URS) promulgated in 2001, the authorities stated their aim to achieve the target of redeveloping some 2 000 ageing and dilapidated buildings through a 20-year urban renewal programme, but this target was removed from the new URS promulgated in 2011, whether the authorities will set a target afresh and include it in URS in order to expedite the redevelopment of old and dilapidated buildings; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(3) how it will assess the effectiveness of urban renewal and the implementation of the new URS?

Reply:

President,

     Having consulted the Housing Bureau (HB), the Buildings Department (BD), the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) and the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), my reply is as follows: 

(1) Based on the data gathered from different bureaux and departments as consolidated by the HB, the numbers of private residential flats supplied by redevelopment projects in the past decade (2013-2022) are shown in Table 1:

Table 1
 

Year	Number of private residential flats supplied by redevelopment projects* (based on the year in which the occupation permits were issued)
	URA projects	Private redevelopment projects	Total
2013	300	3 000	3 300
2014	1 300	3 000	4 300
2015	1 700	2 100	3 800
2016	1 300	3 700	5 000
2017	200	2 600	2 700
2018	800	4 600	5 400
2019	400	3 000	3 400
2020	2 500	2 400	4 900
2021	1 200	2 400	3 500
2022	300	3 700	3 500
Total	9 900	30 500	40 400

*: Individual figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.

     Based on data gathered from the RVD and the URA, the numbers of private residential flats demolished in redevelopment projects in the past decade (2013-2022) are shown in Table 2:

Table 2
 

Year	Number of private residential flats demolished in redevelopment projects* (Note 1)
	URA projects	Private redevelopment projects	Total
2013	1 000	600	1 600
2014	900	1 600	2 500
2015	400	1 600	2 000
2016	500	600	1 100
2017	100	1 400	1 600
2018	200	700	900
2019	100	800	900
2020	100	800	900
2021	1 100	1 300	2 500
2022	1 200	1 200	2 400
Total	5 600	10 600	16 200

*: Individual figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.

     Based on data gathered from the BD, the numbers of private buildings (Note 2) demolished in redevelopment projects in the past decade (2013-2022) are shown in Table 3:

Table 3
 

Year	Number of private buildings demolished in redevelopment projects*  (based on the year the Certificate on Completion of Demolition Works is acknowledged by the BD)
	URA projects	Private redevelopment projects	Total
2013	40	320	360
2014	30	80	110
2015	40	120	150
2016	30	80	110
2017	10	80	90
2018	2	70	80
2019	10	90	90
2020	0	170	170
2021	20	180	200
2022	60	220	290
Total	240	1 410	1 650

*: Individual figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.

(2) and (3) The achievements of the work of the URA over the past some 20 years is evident to all. To date, the URA has taken forward 73 redevelopment projects (of which 46 projects have been completed), which are expected to provide a total of 33 200 new residential units (of which 14 300 units have been completed). In order to implement the Urban Renewal Strategy (URS) revised in 2011, the URA has adopted a new approach in taking forward these redevelopment projects over the past decade or so. Instead of focusing on redevelopment of individual old buildings located in different areas as announced in 2001 URS, the URA has shifted to taking forward urban renewal under the “planning-led and district-based ” approach as promulgated by the 2011 URS which capitalises on the opportunity brought by redevelopment to re-plan traffic routes, pedestrian facilities as well as greening and leisure areas, etc, within the district. This will enhance the planning benefits of the projects, with more emphasis on quality rather than quantity. Moreover, the role of the URA in planning for old districts and proposing new planning tools to facilitate redevelopment has become increasingly important. Specific examples include the District Study for Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok completed in 2021 and the ongoing district studies for Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po. Also as a response to the redevelopment-cum-rehabilitation strategy recommended by the 2011 URS, the URA’s work in the past decade or so has placed greater emphasis on building rehabilitation than in the past. The Government has allocated a total of $19 billion for implementing various building rehabilitation support schemes and the URA, being responsible for the implementation of these schemes, is the Government’s most important partner in building rehabilitation.

     Although Table 3 shows that the URA projects and private redevelopment projects had in total demolished over 1 650 private buildings in the past 10 years, urban renewal remains a very tough task ahead. With the number of private buildings aged 50 or above increasing from 4 500 to 9 600 in the past 10 years, together with the about 3 100 “three-nil” buildings in Hong Kong, we need to adopt more effective policy measures to expedite the pace of redevelopment.

     To this end, apart from raising the URA’s borrowing limit in mid-2023 and continuing to provide the URA with land for development at nominal land premium, the Government has also promulgated in the 2023 Policy Address to formulate policy measures to speed up urban renewal. With a view to encouraging more private land owners to participate in urban renewal, the Government will introduce an amendment bill into the Legislative Council by end-2023 to update and streamline the compulsory sale regime under the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance (Cap. 545), including lowering the compulsory sale application threshold, facilitating adjoining-lot compulsory sale application, streamlining the legal process for compulsory sale application and enhancing support for minority owners affected by compulsory sale.

     In addition, the Government will embark on a study this year to explore feasible measures with more ground-breaking policy means to use part of the reclaimed land outside the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands central business district to facilitate implementation of urban redevelopment projects by the public and private sectors, so as to address the problem of urban decay in a sustainable manner.

     On building maintenance, we will continue to review and enhance the arrangement of building rehabilitation schemes. For example, the 2023 Policy Address has proposed reviewing the workflow of various stages of the Operation Building Bright 2.0 (OBB 2.0) (Note 3), and to assist and urge owners or owners’ corporations who have applied for the subsidy to expedite actions to comply with the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) notices as early as possible. We will put forth specific recommendations in the first quarter of next year.

     With the support of the above policies as well as the policy interaction between redevelopment and building rehabilitation, we will have a better basis to explore whether quantitative indicators should be set for future redevelopment work. We maintain an open attitude in this regard.

Note 1: Figures for URA projects are based on the year of commencement of the demolition contracts, while figures for private redevelopment projects are based on the year in which the demolished residential units are deleted from the Valuation List of the RVD.

Note 2: Excluding New Territories Exempted Houses, government buildings and buildings under the Hong Kong Housing Authority.

Note 3: The Government has allocated $6 billion for the URA to launch the OBB 2.0 to subsidise eligible owners in co-ordinating inspection and repair works in respect of common parts under the MBIS. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Benson Luk and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (November 22):

Question:

     It has been reported that from July to the end of October this year, there were about 18 suicide deaths or suicide attempts among students. Moreover, according to the information of the Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong, the number of suicide deaths among young people aged 19 or below has almost doubled from 20 in 2012 to 39 in 2022. It has been learnt that the number of fatal suicide cases among young people aged 19 or below has also been on the rise in the past five years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has analysed the causes of youth suicide in recent years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of students among young people who have attempted suicide in recent years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) whether it has conducted studies and surveys on the phenomenon of the increasing number of suicides among young people in recent years; if so, of the main causes of suicide in order of importance; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of cases of suicide attempts by students in recent years which were successfully prevented by the “early identification and intervention” approach; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) of the resources (both personnel and funding) allocated by the Government in the past three years to organisations/professionals such as schools, teachers, counsellors and social workers for the prevention of student suicide; whether the Education Bureau has urged schools to formulate corresponding measures in view of the continuous increase in the number of student suicide cases, including organising courses on the prevention of student suicide, conducting seminars and enhancing counselling services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,

     The Government has always attached great importance to the mental health of young people. To address the recent tragic incidents of students, the Government is pooling efforts from all parties through cross-sectoral collaboration to strengthen support for schools, students and parents so as to build a stronger safety net for students. Regarding the question raised by the Hon Benson Luk, after consulting the Health Bureau (HHB), the Security Bureau and the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the comprehensive reply is as follows:
 
(1) to (3) Relevant international and local studies have pointed out that suicide is a complicated problem, involving the interaction of multiple risk and protective factors, therefore cannot be attributed to any single factor. The Government has reviewed the recent suicide cases of primary and secondary school students and analysed the risk factors that have emerged. The major risk factors are related to interpersonal relationships (including family, social and relationship problems) and personal problems (such as learning and school adjustment, depressed mood and mental illness). The Government will continue to review and optimise the existing services and support provided to students, strengthen protective factors for students’ mental health, and reduce the impact of risk factors on students.

     The Education Bureau (EDB) has been requiring primary and secondary schools to report suspected fatal suicide cases of students so that appropriate professional support to the schools concerned can be provided. In the past three years (i.e., 2020 to 2022), the numbers of suspected fatal suicide cases reported by all primary and secondary schools in the territory were 21, 25 and 25 respectively, while the number as of October 2023 is 27. It is believed that the upward trend may be affected by the epidemic and the greater challenges facing students after the resumption to normalcy. The EDB does not collect data on attempted suicide cases of students from schools or keep such statistics.

(4) and (5) The EDB has been encouraging schools to adopt the Whole School Approach directed at three levels, namely Universal, Selective and Indicated, to promote mental health amongst students and to enhance support for students with mental health needs, including those with suicide risk.

     At the Universal level, to lead a Healthy Lifestyle is one of the seven learning goals of school curriculum. Relevant learning elements are already embedded in certain subjects. The EDB has been continuously promoting diversified programmes on student growth, with a view to enhancing students’ resilience and helping them embrace challenges with courage and an optimistic and proactive attitude. The EDB provides comprehensive student guidance and support services in primary and secondary schools through the Whole School Approach and multi-disciplinary collaboration. This includes early identification and support of students with mental health needs through collaboration among teachers and professionals from different disciplines in schools (including guidance personnel, school social workers and school-based educational psychologists). The EDB provides resources for public sector primary schools to implement the policy of “one school social worker for each school”. The expenditure on students’ guidance services for public sector primary schools is $490 million, $493 million and $498 million (revised estimate) in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years respectively. The Social Welfare Department (SWD) has put in place in secondary schools the arrangement of “two school social workers for each school” with supporting manpower strengthened on school social work service in secondary schools. The expenditure on school social work service for secondary schools is $749 million, $758 million and $786 million (revised estimate) in 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years respectively.

     At the Selective level, the EDB is committed to providing “gatekeeper” training for teachers, parents and students to enhance their ability to identify and support students with warning signs of suicide. On teacher training, the EDB provides teachers a 60-hour thematic training course regularly. Up to the 2023/24 school year, the number of training places has increased to 320. Basic “gatekeeper” training is also provided for newly joined teachers by the EDB. The EDB will organise a series of workshops for teachers, social workers, school guidance personnel, etc., with more focus on enhancing their relevant knowledge and skills. For parents, the EDB has been organising “Parent Workshop on Gatekeeper Training” on a regular basis. The number of workshops has increased to 12 in the 2023/24 school year. In addition, the EDB organises thematic “gatekeeper” online workshops and produces videos for parents from time to time. The corresponding videos were uploaded onto the “Mental Health@School” website and “Smart Parent Net” website for easy browsing of parents. We also produce pamphlets giving a brief introduction on various types of mental illness (including depression and anxiety disorder) and the “Safeguard Children’s Mental Health – Prevent Youth Suicide” factsheet for parents. These materials have been uploaded onto the “Mental Health@School” website. For students, the EDB has commissioned a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to launch the “Peer Power – Student Gatekeeper Training Programme” which aims to enhance their understanding of mental health and skills in coping with their own stress and emotions, equip them to identify and address the needs of their peers, and promote positive coping and help-seeking culture in schools. The number of participating schools has increased to 50 in the 2023/24 school year.

     In addition, the SWD set up five Cyber Youth Support Teams (CYSTs) in December 2018 to proactively approach the at-risk and hidden youths through online platform commonly used by young people including those with unstable emotion and suicidal ideation with timely intervention, support and counselling service through online and offline mode. The SWD has strengthened the supporting manpower for the five CYSTs since October 2021. Moreover, starting from 2019-20, the SWD has increased annual provision of around $56 million to integrated community centres for mental wellness to extend their service targets to secondary school students with mental health needs, and strengthened the support for them, their parents and their carers.

     At the Indicated level, the EDB provides public sector ordinary schools with the Learning Support Grant, which covers students with mental illness, so that schools can have additional resources to support the needs of these students. Moreover, the HHB, in collaboration with the EDB, the Hospital Authority (HA) and the SWD, has launched the Student Mental Health Support Scheme. A multi-disciplinary team is formed in each participating school to provide multi-disciplinary support services to students with mental health needs in the schools. Participating schools discuss with the professional teams every year to conduct mental health screening for students at a particular level and provide intervention based on the students’ situations.  In the 2022/23 school year, the number of participating schools has increased to 210.

     Early identification and early intervention to support students in need are ongoing tasks of the school. The schools have no way of assessing whether students have eliminated the idea of committing suicide due to the school’s intervention and support. Therefore, we do not have the relevant statistics.

     Since students still need time to gradually adapt to the various changes after the epidemic, they may experience pressure as they face the approaching tests and examinations.  In November 2023, the EDB issued a circular memorandum calling on all schools in the territory to carry out “Spread the Love, Care and Shine” Campaign, and recommended schools to make time and space to care for their students. The EDB has also launched “Mental Health Literacy” resource package for upper primary students in November 2023, and will gradually develop resource packages suitable for different key stages and organise relevant teacher training. Moreover, in order to support schools to promote mental health effectively and flexibly, the EDB will provide Mental Health@School One-off Grant and One-off Mental Health Grant for Parents and Students to all publicly funded primary and secondary schools and Parent-Teacher Associations to assist them in organising activities or purchasing services or supplies related to supporting students’ mental health. The expenditure of the two grants involves about $80 million.

     In response to the recent tragic incidents of students, the Government will strengthen the collaboration between different bureaux and departments, including the HHB, the EDB and the SWD, to establish a three-tier school-based emergency mechanism as set below, to address the situation with the joint effort from schools, parents and various stakeholders in society.

(i) The first-tier mechanism is to assist schools to early identify students with higher suicide risk or mental health needs, with a view to giving priority to provide timely and appropriate intervention to them.

(ii) The second-tier mechanism is to organise an “off-campus support” network through cross-departmental, cross-professional and cross-sectoral co-operation to enhance “external support” for schools. If the school’s manpower is insufficient to meet the needs of students, the Government will help the school connect to “external support” for additional support. Relevant support includes registered social workers and paramedical professionals from the SWD and subvented NGOs, as well as educational psychologists from the EDB. It aims to facilitate multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral teams to provide immediate and appropriate services to at-risk students in schools.

(iii) For the third-tier mechanism, school principals can directly refer students with severe mental health needs to the psychiatric specialist services of the HA. The HA will give priority to those students.

     The Government will continue to work with various stakeholders to promote the mental health of young people and prevent student suicide in a more holistic way, jointly establish a support network and create a culture of acceptance and care, and enhance the mental health literacy of parents, teachers, and students, thereby promoting students’ physical and mental well-being. read more