Tag Archives: China

     â€‹The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (February 27) strongly condemned individual members of the United States (US) House Committee on Foreign Affairs, through introducing a so-called resolution against Hong Kong, for making baseless allegations against Hong Kong and smearing the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO). The HKSAR Government strongly condemned and opposed such despicable political maneuvering and reckless clamoring, and urged the US to stop undermining Hong Kong’s international reputation, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong matters, which are purely China’s internal affairs.
      
     A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said, “The US politicians have repeated their tactics and breached the international law and the basic norms underpinning international relations, and wantonly interfering with Hong Kong matters by passing the so-called resolution, which is a despicable political manipulation. The US politicians have time and again made skewed remarks about Hong Kong’s situation and advocated to impose the so-called ‘sanctions’ on Hong Kong pursuant to its domestic law, attempting to interfere with Hong Kong’s law-based governance and undermine the city’s rule of law as well as its prosperity and stability. The HKSAR Government strongly condemned its political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all.”
      
     The spokesman said, “National security is the foundation for prosperity and stability in society, as well as the well-being of the people. Only with security could there be development. While the ‘black-clad violence’ and the Hong Kong version of ‘colour revolution’ back in 2019 have severely damaged the social stability of Hong Kong. With the promulgation and implementation of the HKNSL, its effect in stopping violence and curbing disorder as well as quickly restoring social stability in the Hong Kong community was immediate. With the concerted efforts of the HKSAR Government, the Legislative Council and all sectors of the community, the HKSAR fulfilled its constitutional duty by enacting the SNSO last year to improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security, enabling Hong Kong’s transition from chaos to order and its advancement from stability to prosperity.”
      
     “In fact, the implementation of the HKNSL in the past four years or so has enabled the livelihood and economic activities of the Hong Kong community at large to swiftly resume to normal and the business environment to be restored and improved continuously. In the Economic Freedom of the World 2024 Annual Report, Hong Kong ranks as the world’s freest economies among 165 economies. In the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, Hong Kong’s ranking improved by two places to fifth globally. Last year, Hong Kong ranked among the top three international financial centres and the top four initial public offering markets in the world. It is evident that international funds and investments are confident in Hong Kong’s development.”
      
     The spokesman pointed out, “In accordance with international law and international practice based on the Charter of the United Nations, it is each and every sovereign state’s inherent right to enact laws safeguarding national security, and it is also an international practice. With at least 21 pieces of laws safeguarding national security, the US politicians have displayed hypocrisy and exposed their double standards by pointing fingers at the HKSAR’s legal system and enforcement mechanism to safeguard national security.”
      
     The spokesman emphasised, “The legal framework for safeguarding national security in the HKSAR is fully in compliance with the international standard for the protection of human rights. The HKNSL and the SNSO clearly stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security. The rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applicable to the HKSAR are protected in accordance with the law. By wantonly neglecting the relevant provisions and lashing out, the US politicians have fully exposing its malicious intentions.”
      
     “The offences endangering national security stipulated by HKNSL and SNSO target acts endangering national security with precision, and define the elements and penalties of the offences with clarity. The HKSAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. Any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts is no different from advocating a special privilege to break the law, and this totally runs contrary to the spirit of the rule of law.”
      
     The spokesman also reiterated, “All cases are handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law. All defendants will receive fair trial strictly in accordance with laws applicable to Hong Kong (including the HKNSL) and as protected by the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights. As the legal proceedings involving Lai Chee-ying are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for any person to comment on the details of the case.”
      
     “The HKSAR Government will, as always, resolutely, fully and faithfully implement the HKNSL, the SNSO and other relevant laws safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, to effectively prevent, suppress and impose punishment for acts and activities endangering national security in accordance with the law. At the same time, it protects the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law, ensuring the steadfast and successful implementation of ‘one country, two systems’.” read more

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Dubai (Dubai ETO), in collaboration with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), hosted gala dinners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 24 (Riyadh time) and in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 25 (Dubai time) to celebrate the Year of Snake with Saudi and UAE communities, and promote Hong Kong as well as its unique advantages and culture to locals from various sectors.
      
     A total of over 450 guests from the government, business and cultural sectors as well as the local Hong Kong community attended the two gala dinners. Among them were the Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE, Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, Ms Ou Boqian, and the Chairman of the Saudi Chinese Business Council, Mr Mohammed Al Ajlan.
      
     In his welcoming remarks to the guests, the Director-General of the Dubai ETO, Mr Damian Lee, highlighted the closer-than-ever relations and booming exchanges between Hong Kong and the Middle East region, marked by robust and active trade and economic co-operation as well as deepening collaboration in tourism, culture, education and many areas, since the establishment of the Dubai ETO more than three years ago and successive visits to Gulf countries by the Chief Executive and various Principal Officials.
      
     Mr Lee also shared with guests how Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages of having strong support of the country while maintaining unparalleled connectivity with the world render the city her role as a bridge linking the Mainland China and the rest of the world. He encouraged local business operators to make good use of Hong Kong’s measures dovetailing with national development strategies to expand their business in Hong Kong.
      
     “Like the virtuous snake in the Chinese zodiac, Hong Kong demonstrated her wisdom, flexibility and resilience amidst global uncertainties: in 2024, Hong Kong remained the world’s freest economy and the third-largest global financial centre with a record number of 10 000 non-local firms, a 10 per cent increase on the previous year and a testament to the abundant confidence of people from around the world. Hong Kong also launched the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme last year, further enhancing our attractiveness to foreign capital and talents. In the Year of Snake ahead, Hong Kong and the Middle East will definitely build upon the strong foundation of our relationship for further collaborations.”
      
     The Dubai ETO also invited Legislative Council Member and Associate Vice-President of Lingnan University, Professor Lau Chi-pang, to deliver a keynote presentation, on Hong Kong’s rich intangible cultural heritage, as guests marvelled at the diversity, openness and the unique mix of Eastern and Western cultures of Hong Kong. During the dinners, representatives from Invest Hong Kong and HKTDC also shared respectively Hong Kong’s promising investment opportunities and the upcoming trade fairs and activities in Hong Kong, and encouraged local businesses to invest and join fairs in Hong Kong.
      
     The events also featured cultural performances, including the ancient Chinese theatrical art form from Sichuan opera – face-changing, as well as fascinating and interactive magic shows with Hong Kong elements by Louis Yan, an internationally renowned champion magician from Hong Kong who has won the Merlin Award, also known as the “Oscars” among professional magicians. The performances received enthusiastic applause from the audience who were deeply impressed by the beauty of the traditional Chinese culture and the authentic local culture of Hong Kong.

                          

     The Education Bureau (EDB) held the “Set Sail for Hong Kong – International Assessments” Ceremony today (February 27) to encourage the education sector and students to actively participate in international assessments, showcasing Hong Kong’s educational excellence and the exceptional capabilities of its students. About 450 principals, teachers, students and parents attended.
 
     Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, expressed her gratitude to all stakeholders for their efforts in nurturing students. She encouraged schools and students to actively participate in international assessments, which could allow schools to gain a deep understanding of factors affecting students’ study with a view to formulating more effective education strategies.
 
     Dr Choi also encouraged students who would be representing Hong Kong in the international assessments. She noted that their participation was not only meant to test their abilities; it was also set out to be an invaluable learning journey. She said that she hoped students will give full play to their strength in embracing various experiential learning opportunities to bring glory to Hong Kong.
 
     At the ceremony, student representatives from 18 districts led a procession into the venue, carrying the designs of the winning entry of the Mascot Design Competition for Hong Kong’s Participation in International Assessments. The procession was followed by the presentation of awards for the competition. The winning entries incorporated a variety of elements, with designs that reflected the significance of Hong Kong’s participation in international assessments, showcasing students’ creativity and talents. The competition received enthusiastic responses, with over 800 students from more than 90 secondary schools participating.
 
     In addition, student representatives shared their learning experiences from past participation in international assessments. They said that the assessments gave them opportunities to apply knowledge, think and solve real-life problems. These experiences had not only broadened their horizons but also motivated them to take a more proactive approach to learning and apply what they have learnt in daily life. They encouraged future student participants in international assessments to cherish these learning experiences.
 
     For more than two decades, Hong Kong has been participating in various international assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. For this event, the EDB also invited the PISA 2025 Project Team from the University of Hong Kong to introduce various experiential learning activities related to international assessments. These included educational activities for students and professional development programmes for teachers, aimed at deepening the understanding of international assessments among schools, teachers and students, as well as enriching students’ learning experiences.
 
     The Main Study of PISA 2025 will be conducted from late May to early July this year, with approximately 230 schools and 8 000 15-year-old Hong Kong students participating.

        

     The 15th National Games Triathlon test event will be held at the Central Harbourfront and Victoria Harbour on March 1 (Saturday) and 2 (Sunday). Members of the public are welcome to watch the races on-the-spot.
 
     A total of around 110 athletes from the Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao will compete in the men’s individual, women’s individual, and mixed relay events, of whom 6 male athletes and 5 female athletes are from Hong Kong. The women’s individual and men’s individual races are scheduled for 8am and 10.30am respectively on March 1. The mixed relay race will take place at 2pm on March 2. It will be participated by 15 teams, each of which will comprise 2 male athletes and 2 female athletes.
 
     The starting point of the races will be located at the waterfront of the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade. Athletes will complete the swimming segment, immediately followed by the cycling segment and running segment. The cycling route will be between Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai and International Finance Centre in Central, and the running route will mainly loop around the Central Harbourfront Promenade, passing by several iconic Hong Kong landmarks, including the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Central Government Offices, the Legislative Council Complex, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, with the finish line located at the Central Harbourfront Event Space. It is the first time that Hong Kong holds a triathlon mixed relay event and that part of the course and public seats are placed in the Central Harbourfront Event Space to facilitate the public viewing of the races.
 
     Members of the public who wish to have a close sight of the athletes competing in the races may visit the public viewing area at the Central and Western District Promenade (Central Section), which is accessible from MTR Admiralty Station Exit A via Tamar Park. No seating will be arranged. Tickets have been distributed to the public through the Triathlon Association of Hong Kong China. For those who possess a ticket may watch the event at the spectator stand in the Central Harbourfront Event Space after security check. Locations of the public viewing area and public entrance can be found in the annex. A small number of tickets have been reserved for each event day. Members of the public may get a ticket at the public entrance for admission while stocks last.
 
      Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) will provide live webcast of the events on the two days (RTHK weblink: www.rthk.hk/nationalgames and RTHK YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/RTHK).
 
     To facilitate the arrangement for the event, the Police will implement intermittent road closures and temporary road closure measures in the vicinities of Central Harbourfront and Wan Chai North (including Lung Wo Road, Yiu Sing Street, Lung Hop Street, Expo Drive, Expo Drive Central, and Expo Drive East). Intermittent road closures will be implemented from 5am to 8am on February 28, while temporary road closure measures will be put in place from 2am to 2pm on March 1 and from 8am to 6pm on March 2.
 
     In addition, the Police will set up a temporary restricted flying zone (RFZ), extending two kilometres outwards, from the race track from 7am to 1.30pm on March 1 and from 1pm to 5.30pm on March 2. No small unmanned aircraft, except those duly authorised, will be permitted to enter the zone. Details of the temporary RFZ will be shown on the electronic portal for small unmanned aircraft “eSUA”.
 
     For details of the special traffic and transport arrangements for the triathlon test event, members of the public may refer to the press release on the special traffic arrangements for the test event issued by the Police (www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202502/24/P2025022400395.htm) and the Transport Department’s relevant notice (www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_13/TDN%20-Triathlon%20Test%20Event%20-%20eng%20v3.pdf), its mobile application “HKeMobility”, passenger notices issued by the relevant public transport operators. read more

     In view of the recent increase in measles cases in some overseas countries, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (February 27) reminded the public to ensure that they have completed two doses of measles vaccination before travelling abroad to reduce the risk of infection.

     The CHP is concerned about the recent measles outbreaks in Texas of the United States (US). At least 124 cases of measles have been reported since the end of January this year, mostly in people who had not received measles vaccination or whose vaccination history was unknown. Over 80 per cent of the cases involved children under 18 years old, including one fatal case in a school-aged child who had not been vaccinated against measles. The CHP has taken the initiative to contact the US health authorities to learn more about the situation.

     Apart from the US, measles outbreaks have occurred in neighboring countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, due to suboptimal overall measles vaccination coverage.

     The Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, stressed that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles.

     “The measles situation outside Hong Kong reflects the importance of vaccination in preventing measles. Under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme, the overall immunisation coverage in Hong Kong has been maintained at a very high level through the immunisation services provided by the DH’s Maternal and Child Health Centres and the School Immunisation Teams. As evidenced by the findings on vaccination coverage of primary school students and the territory-wide immunisation surveys conducted regularly by the DH, the two-dose measles vaccination coverage has remained consistently high, well above 95 per cent, and the local seroprevalence rates of measles virus antibodies reflect that most of the people in Hong Kong are immune to measles. On the whole, the risk of a large-scale outbreak in Hong Kong is low. Also, no measles cases have been reported so far this year.”

     “However, as a city with a high volume of international travel, Hong Kong still faces the potential risk of importation of measles virus and its further spread in the local community. Hence, a small number of people who have not completed measles vaccination (such as non-local born people including new immigrants, foreign domestic helpers, overseas employees and people coming to Hong Kong for further studies) are still at risk of being infected and spreading measles to other people who do not have immunity against measles, such as children under one year old who have not yet received the first dose of measles vaccine,” he said.

     Dr Tsui added that people born before 1967 could be considered to have acquired immunity to measles through natural infection, as measles was endemic in many parts of the world and in Hong Kong at that time. He urged people born in or after 1967 who have not yet completed the two doses of measles vaccination or whose measles vaccination history is unknown, to consult their family doctors as soon as possible to complete the vaccination and ensure adequate protection against measles. For those who plan to travel to measles-endemic areas, they should check their vaccination records and medical history as early as possible. If they have not been diagnosed with measles through laboratory tests and have never received two doses of measles vaccine or are not sure if they have received measles vaccine, they should consult a doctor at least two weeks prior to their trip for vaccination.

     “The incubation period of measles (i.e. the time from infection to onset of illness) is seven to 21 days. Symptoms include fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes. When such symptoms appear, people should wear surgical masks, stay home from work or school, avoid crowded places and contact with unvaccinated people, especially those with weak immune system, pregnant women and children under one year old. Those who suspected they are infected should consult their doctors as soon as possible and inform healthcare workers of their history of exposure to measles,” he said.

     For more information on measles, members of the public may visit the CHP’s thematic webpage. For those who are planning to travel, they may also refer to the DH’s Travel Health Service’s webpage for information on measles outbreaks in places outside Hong Kong. read more