Tag Archives: China

     â€‹The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, met with Vice-minister of the National Health Commission Ms Guo Yanhong in Beijing today (December 4) to introduce multiple initiatives to develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub and deepen the reform of the healthcare system as set out in “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address”. They also engaged in in-depth discussions on the latest situation and measures of tobacco control in Hong Kong.
 
     Professor Lo said, “In the Resolution of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, it mentions the further reform of the medical and healthcare systems, and support for the development of innovative drugs and medical devices. The Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Development Plan for Shenzhen Park) promulgated by the State Council in August last year put forward the co-ordinated development of ‘one zone, two parks’ between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, expressing clear support for the innovative application of advanced biomedicine technologies. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is determined to leverage the advantages of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle and Hong Kong’s healthcare professional system to develop Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub to expedite patients’ access to advanced diagnostic and treatment services, and promote the development of the biomedicine research and development industry, while actively integrating into the national development by showing support for fostering new quality productive forces in biomedicine technologies, as set out in the Resolution and the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park.
 
     “Established and wholly owned by the HKSAR Government, the Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trial Institute was officially opened in the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (HTCZ) last month. The Greater Bay Area International Clinical Trials Center of the Shenzhen Municipality was also opened in the Shenzhen Park on the same day. The establishment of ‘one institute, one center’ marked the first benchmark for co-ordinated development under ‘one zone, two parks’ of the HTCZ.”
 
     In terms of deepening reform of the healthcare system, Professor Lo emphasised that the reform seeks to improve healthcare protection and quality, as well as to strengthen the sustainability of the public healthcare system, with a view to enhancing citizens’ health.
 
     Professor Lo said, “The HKSAR Government will continue improving public healthcare services, scaling up medical collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and exploring the setting up of a standing organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism, with a view to helping to uphold the global standing and regional advantage of Hong Kong’s healthcare professions.”
 
     During the meeting, the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, introduced to Ms Guo the utilisation of acupuncture in supporting smoking cessation by the Department of Health (DH). They also engaged in in-depth discussions on the latest situation and measures of tobacco control in Hong Kong.

     Professor Lo fully concurred with the ban on selling flavoured e-cigarettes on the Mainland, noting that flavoured cigarettes do pose tremendous adverse impacts on citizens, teenagers and women in particular.
 
     Professor Lo is leading a delegation to attend the 2024 World Conference on Traditional Medicine in Beijing. Members of the delegation include Dr Lam; the Commissioner for Chinese Medicine Development of the Health Bureau (HHB), Dr Vincent Chung; the Head of the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the DH, Dr Fung Ying; the Assistant Director of Health (Chinese Medicine), Dr Edmund Fong; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Henry Fan; the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko; as well as officials of the HHB, the DH and the HA. The Hospital Chief Executive of the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong, Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, also joined the delegation for the conference. Professor Lo will return to Hong Kong this afternoon.

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     Following is a question by the Hon Tang Ka-piu and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, in the Legislative Council today (December 4): Question:      Regarding the manpo… read more

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, leading a delegation of over 30 representatives from Hong Kong’s legal sector, will depart for Guangzhou for a three-day visit to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) tomorrow (December 5). The delegation comprises representatives from 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.

     Mr Lam and his delegation will visit Guangzhou and Shenzhen to meet with local government representatives to learn more about the latest developments in Guangdong and the GBA, and to explore opportunities for further co-operation between the Hong Kong legal sector and Mainland authorities, as well as legal and business sectors of the Mainland. They will also hold discussions with representatives from Guangdong legal and business sectors in Guangzhou and with representatives of Mainland courts and law-related organisations in Shenzhen to discuss various topics of mutual interest and share practical experiences. Mr Lam and his delegation will also visit an innovation and technology enterprise’s headquarters in Shenzhen and meet with its representatives.

     Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on December 7. During his absence, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, will be the Acting Secretary for Justice. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Duncan Chiu and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, in the Legislative Council today (December 4):
     
Question:

     There are views that while the Government has made efforts to promote the popularisation of electric vehicles (EVs) in recent years, the relevant legislation is outdated and restricts the use of some deployed features of many electric private cars imported into Hong Kong. This not only undermines the maximum efficiency of EVs and the convenience they bring to drivers, but may also reduce the public’s desire to switch to EVs, thus hindering the progress of the extensive use of EVs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) regarding EVs currently imported into Hong Kong, whether it has studied and consolidated the deployed features that are restricted from use in Hong Kong; if so, set out the individual features that are restricted from use by EV brands, and the legislation involved;

(2) whether it will conduct a comprehensive review on all the provisions under the Road Traffic Ordinance which involve restrictions on the use of EV features, and study the possibility of gradually relaxing the relevant restrictions, as well as formulate a specific timetable for amending the relevant legislation; and

(3) whether it will review afresh and explore ways to improve the content of the relevant policies, regulations and testing standards, etc., so as to provide a more friendly “barrier-free” space and environment for the use of imported EVs?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the Transport Department (TD) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, my consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Duncan Chiu is as follows:

(1) and (2) The TD has always kept an open mind to new vehicle technologies.  When formulating relevant legislation and technical guidelines to promote the adoption of new technologies in Hong Kong, the TD conducts timely reviews on the advancement in technology and liaises closely with the trade for feedback, while taking road safety, local traffic conditions as well as the regulatory experience of other jurisdictions into consideration. All vehicles, including electric vehicles (EV), should make reference to the corresponding technical guidelines, in accordance with the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) and its subsidiary regulations, to pass the TD’s vehicle approval mechanism, such that the design, construction and emission of vehicles comply with the legal requirements and are fit for road use before they are registered, licensed and used on roads in Hong Kong. The Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations (Cap. 374G) also set out relevant traffic equipment, traffic regulations and traffic control matters to ensure road safety. 

     Considering the above factors, except for the following two functions, the TD has already approved the usage of all advanced driver assistance systems on the market including automatic parking, side collision warning, vehicle hold, automatic steer, automatic lane change, lane keeping, cruise control and automatic emergency braking system, etc. under specific driving environments in compliance with the China National Standards (GuoBiao) or relevant internationally recognised standards. 

     Currently, the Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374A) does not allow vehicles, not limited to EV, to display information other than driving information in visual display unit in front of the driver’s seat. In addition, if a driver uses a mobile phone or mobile communication device to remotely park a vehicle, he will contravene the Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations (Cap. 374G) which stipulates that a driver is prohibited from holding a mobile phone or a mobile communication device while driving a car. The Government is actively working on the legislative amendment and plans to submit the proposals to the Legislative Council within this year, such that the vehicle trade will be able to introduce the above two functions for drivers’ use under the premise of ensuring road safety.

(3) The Government strives to promote the green transformation of vehicles, including offering first registration tax concessions to encourage purchase of EV. The government is also taking a multi-pronged approach to expand the EV charging network, to ensure sufficient and convenient charging facilities to cater for the needs of different types of EV. 

     The TD has been working closely with the Environmental Protection Department to support the policy of carbon neutrality and climate action plan that promote the use of EV. For instance, with a view to supporting the introduction of different new energy vehicles, the TD issued a guideline document titled “Vehicle Construction Approval Requirements for Electric Vehicles” in 2010 to elaborate in detail the technical and safety requirements for EV in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the TD has also reviewed and updated guidelines, including the adoption of the GuoBiao safety requirements for EV. The latest version was released in May 2023, providing further guidance and specifications on the technical and safety requirements for EV and facilitating the vehicle trades in providing relevant information on EV to the TD to simplify applications for EV approval. The TD also updated the annex to the above guidelines in June 2024 to accept applications for vehicle type approval of EV with battery swapping technology.

     In fact, over the past three years, the annual number of pure EV passing vehicle type approval has generally increased from a total of 145 pure EV models in 2021 to 164 models in 2023. As of the end of October 2024, the TD approved 144 EV models from the Mainland and 400 EV models from other regions.

     To promote the usage of EV and meet the needs of drivers, the Government introduced EV maintenance service to the “Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Mechanics” and the “Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Maintenance Workshops” in July 2024, so as to keep up with providing continuous professional training to related technicians. As of November 2024, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has received approximately 400 applications from registered vehicle maintenance technicians seeking to add EV maintenance service qualifications, and the applications are being processed.

     The TD will continue to maintain close communication with the trade, update technical guidelines and streamline approval process in a timely manner, to facilitate the introduction of more EV models that comply with relevant technical requirements.

     Thank you.  read more

     â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Lillian Kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (December 4):
 
Question:
 
     In Hong Kong, there are a number of counselling, treatment and other support services provided for people with gambling disorders and those affected by them. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the monthly number of user-times of various gambling counselling hotlines and gambling counselling centres in the past five years and, among them, the respective ratios of first-time and repeated service users;
 
(2) whether the Government has explored introducing a wider range of gambling counselling services or programmes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) of the average expenditure on civic education about anti-gambling and publicity about gambling counselling in each of the past five years, and the percentage of the part spent on anti-gambling publicity in schools;
 
(4) whether the Government will assess the effectiveness of the work mentioned in (3); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(5) of the names of gambling counselling organizations subsidised by the Government in the past five years and the amounts of subsidies, as well as the support services provided by such organisations?
 
Reply:
 
President,

     It is the Government’s policy not to encourage gambling. To address problems caused by gambling, the Government adopts a multi-pronged strategy, including regulation over gambling activities through legislation, stringent law enforcement against illegal gambling, public education on the harms of gambling addiction, and provision of counselling and support services to people in need. On public education and provision of counselling and support services front, the Government set up the Ping Wo Fund (the Fund) in 2003 to fund preventive and remedial measures to address the gambling-related problems. The Government also established the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee to give advice to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs on the use and application of the Fund.
 
     The Government’s reply to Hon Lilian Kwok’s question is as follows:
 
(1) The Fund has been funding four counselling and treatment centres (counselling centres), namely Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Even Centre, Caritas Addicted Gamblers Counselling Centre, Zion Social Service Yuk Lai Hin Counselling Centre and Sunshine Lutheran Centre of the Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, to provide telephone counselling, face-to-face counselling and other professional treatment services for people with gambling disorders as well as their family members and friends. The four counselling centres also assist in the operation of the gambling counselling hotline (1834 633) and answer enquiries from those in need and the members of the public through their instant messaging applications and social media platforms.
 
     The monthly figures on the enquiries received by the four counselling centres through channels such as the hotline, as well as the number of clients who received services provided by the counselling centres in the past five years are at Annex. We do not maintain the breakdown of the frequency of the individuals using the hotline and counselling services.
 
(2) Apart from financing the operation of the above-mentioned four counselling centres, the Fund is engaging a non-governmental organisation to establish and operate an online counselling platform having regard to the trend that people having gambling-related problems tend to make enquiry and seek assistance through online means. The platform will utilise a chatbot service to offer preliminary anti-gambling advice to individuals seeking help and encourage them to have further telephone or face-to-face counselling services.
 
(3) and (4) On public education and publicity front, in order to promote the no-gambling messages to members of the public, in particular the youth, the Fund has been funding non-governmental organisations and schools to organise anti-gambling public education activities under the Ping Wo Fund Sponsorship Scheme (Sponsorship Scheme) and the Ping Wo Fund School Project Grants (School Project Grants) since 2009 and 2010 respectively. The Fund has also publicised the harms of gambling at school and community levels and the ways to prevent and alleviate gambling-related problems through the public education activities organised by the four counselling centres, as well as a publicity truck programme. In addition, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) and the Fund have been launching territory-wide anti-gambling publicity and public education campaigns during mega football events (such as FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Football Championship) to raise public awareness (including the students) of the gambling-related problems.
 
     The Fund also continues to enhance the publicity efforts made via traditional media as well as online and social media platforms, including advertising on public transport and online platforms. These efforts aim to promote the gambling counselling hotline (183 4633) and the related anti-gambling messages and encourage individuals to promptly seek assistance. 
      
     The Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee and its secretariat conduct regular reviews of the effectiveness of relevant measures, which include evaluating the outcomes of the sponsored activities when processing the reimbursement claims from the funded organisations, and exchanging views with stakeholders to enhance the overall effectiveness.
      
     The funding support to public education and other publicity measures (including those provided to schools) by the Fund to prevent and alleviate gambling-related problems in the past five years are as follows:
 

Year	Funding support
	Public Education^ (including Sponsorship Scheme and School Project Grants)	Other publicity measures (including publicity truck programme)
2019	About $4.0 million	About $8.5 million*
2020	About $3.9 million	About $1.9 million
2021	About $4.9 million	About $1.3 million
2022	About $4.8 million	About $6.6 million*
2023	About $5.3 million	About $8.0 million*

^Not all projects under the Sponsorship Scheme involve publicity at schools. Hence, we do not maintain the breakdown of the funding support provided for promoting the anti-gambling messages at schools.
*Including the funding support provided for the territory-wide anti-gambling publicity and public education campaigns during the mega football events.

(5) As mentioned in the first part of the reply, the Fund has been funding four counselling centres to provide telephone counselling, face-to-face counselling and other professional treatment services for people with gambling disorders, as well as their family members and friends. The centres also offer preventive public education on gambling-related problems to the community and schools, as well as professional training for the industry or interested organisations to enhance understanding about the behaviour and risk factors of gamblers with gambling disorder. Furthermore, the centres will render advice to the Fund to facilitate the development of the best practices for the screening of and remedial services and treatments for gamblers with gambling disorder.
 
     The total funding support provided to the four counselling centres in the past five years is tabulated below:
 

Year	Total funding support
2019	About $22.5 million
2020	About $23.5 million
2021	About $24.2 million
2022	About $24.2 million
2023	About $24.6 million

     The HYAB will continue to closely collaborate with the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee, observe the prevalence of gambling activities among Hong Kong people, maintain communication with relevant departments and optimise efforts to prevent and alleviate problems relating to gambling. read more