Hong Kong Customs yesterday (December 4) conducted an operation to combat the online sale of copyright infringing children's learning cards. During the operation, one person was arrested and a mobile phone suspected to be involved in the case was seized.

     Customs earlier received a complaint from a copyright owner alleging that suspected infringing children's learning cards were put on sale through an online platform. After an in-depth investigation, Customs officers found that a seller solicited the business via an online marketplace. Upon receiving an order, the seller would ask the buyer to transfer money to a designated electronic payment account. After that, a hyperlink for downloading the suspected infringing children's learning cards would be sent to the buyer via email.

     With the assistance of the copyright owner, Customs officers took enforcement action yesterday and raided a domestic premises in Tsuen Wan. A 42-year-old woman suspected to be involved in the case was arrested and a mobile phone suspected to be connected with the case was seized. The woman has been released on bail pending further investigation.

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Customs appeals to the public to respect intellectual property rights and not to sell infringing articles.

     Under the Copyright Ordinance, without the licence of the copyright owner, any person who sells or possesses for sale any infringing goods commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a term of imprisonment for four years and a fine of $50,000 per infringing copy.

     Members of the public may report any suspected infringing activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

     Following are the remarks by the newly appointed Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, at a media session today (December 5):

Reporter: What are your expectations and priorities of your new role? What do you want to achieve in the coming two and a half years? Also, the CE mentioned that he is confident in your leadership and articulation skills and also proactiveness. How do you plan to use such qualities to serve the general public? Thank you.
 
Secretary for Transport and Logistics: Thank you for your questions. I have been the Permanent Secretary in the Transport and Logistics Bureau. I have good knowledge of the policy areas under my portfolio. I know my colleagues well. I am action-oriented and have a proactive working style. I am confident that I will bring impetus to the Bureau in taking forward the various policy initiatives as set out in "The Chief Executive's 2024 Policy Address". In particular, our focus will be to further develop Hong Kong as an international shipping centre and an international aviation hub. Apart from that, the transport and railway development is very pivotal to the economic development of Hong Kong. As I've just mentioned, we have promulgated a transport blueprint (Hong Kong Major Transport Infrastructure Development Blueprint), which lists out a number of railways and road projects. In the coming years, I will be leading my Bureau in taking forward steadfastly in order to make sure that these projects are implemented and constructed on time within budget in order to better serve the population intake in various areas. As regards aviation and the shipping centres, Hong Kong has been a very international city. We have extensive connections with the various parts of the world. It is important that we leverage on our unique advantage of being part of the Mainland and our advantage under the "one country, two systems" principle in order to connect ourselves with the Mainland markets and the global markets. We should better serve our motherland as a "super-connector" in order to enable the various industries and enterprises to use Hong Kong as a platform in order to better connect with the world. With the development and implementation of the Three-Runway System, my Bureau will take a more proactive and more strategic framework and approach in extending and negotiating discussions with our aviation partners in order to unleash our potential in the Hong Kong International Airport in order to build our connections to better connect to the Mainland cities as well as the global markets. Lastly, as regards the shipping centre, no doubt that we are facing a lot of serious challenges but this is a good opportunity for us to work in partnership with our stakeholders to build Hong Kong's brand and to rebuild our competitiveness. The recent promulgation of our Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering lists out a number of measures which I am confident that with the industries' support and participation, we will increase and enhance our competitiveness and be more proactive in attracting more ocean-going vessels to come to Hong Kong to add their green fuel as well as to enable them to come to Hong Kong to do business. Thank you.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

　　The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (December 5) met with the visiting Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to exchange views on issues of mutual interest. The Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, and the Director-General of Trade and Industry, Mr Aaron Liu, also attended the meeting.
　　 
　　Mr Lee welcomed Dr Okonjo-Iweala's visit to Hong Kong. He said that Hong Kong, China is a founding member of the WTO and remains firmly committed to the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. Mr Lee said that he is encouraged by the commendation by WTO members during the Trade Policy Review meeting in December last year, which recognised Hong Kong, China's commitment to promoting global trade liberalisation and the city's measures to enhance business facilitation, as well as the city's continuous efforts to reinforce its role as an international investment and trading hub.
　　 
　　Noting that Hong Kong has been actively seeking early accession to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and signed a Free Trade Agreement with Peru last month, Mr Lee said that these moves will sustain and reinforce Hong Kong's distinctive advantages as a global city and the important role it plays in offering high value-added supply chain management services for international trade. He also said that multilateral trading system remains at the core of Hong Kong's trade policy, and that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to expand the city's global economic and trade networks through various means including forging free trade agreements.

  

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, leading a Hong Kong delegation of over 30 representatives of foreign-related legal talent from Hong Kong, began his visit to the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) today (December 5). The delegation comprises office bearers of the Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association, as well as representatives from local, international and registered foreign law firms, including various non-Chinese lawyers and GBA Lawyers. Upon arrival at the first stop of the visit, Guangzhou, the delegation visited the People's Government of Guangdong Province and met with representatives from the local legal and business sectors.

     In the morning, Mr Lam called on the People's Government of Guangdong Province and met with Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province Mr Liu Guozhou. A meeting was held between the two sides, and was joined by the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, as well as the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Guangdong Province to learn about the latest developments in Guangdong Province and the GBA. They also exchanged views on the opportunities for further co-operation between the Hong Kong legal sector, and the Mainland authorities, legal and business sectors.

     In the afternoon, Mr Lam and the delegation held discussions with representatives from the Guangdong legal and business sectors, including the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Guangdong Committee, the Guangdong Lawyers Association, the Guangdong Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment and the Guangdong Federation of Industry and Commerce. Through exchanges on common practical issues, the two sides explored foreign-related legal issues relevant to Guangdong enterprises going global, including corporate finance and the handling of foreign-related commercial disputes, and shared practical experiences in tackling those issues. The participants also explored how law firms in both places can further co-operate and provide high-quality legal services to jointly contribute to the construction of the country's foreign-related rule of law.

     In the evening, Mr Lam and the delegation will visit one of the heritage revitalisation and conservation projects in Guangzhou, the Shamian Cluster, which is a national heritage conservation unit listed by the State Council.

     Mr Lam and his delegation will depart for Shenzhen tomorrow (December 6) to continue their GBA visit.

            

     Sure Able Limited and a crane operator were fined $83,000 and $80,000 respectively at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (December 5). The prosecutions were launched by the Labour Department.
      
     Sure Able Limited violated the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance whereas the crane operator violated the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear) Regulations.
      
     The case involved a fatal accident that occurred on December 8, 2022, at a recycling yard in Tuen Mun. A lorry-mounted crane in use overturned and bumped into a stack of metal channels causing the metal channels to collapse. The collapsed metal channels struck a staff member of the yard. The staff member sustained serious head injuries and passed away on the same day.