Tag Archives: China

     The Sai Kung District Office (SKDO) received a report of theft of electronic devices from a Sub-district Care Team yesterday (November 30).

     The operating organisation of the Sai Kung Hang Hau East Sub-district Care Team (i.e. the Hang Hau District Festival and Special Event Preparatory Committee) reported to the SKDO yesterday that there was a theft of a laptop and a mobile phone from a locked room by breaking the door lock of their office located at the address of Hang Hau Rural Committee (1 Hang Hau Road, New Territories). The equipment contain personal data of the service recipients of that Sub-district Care Team. It is estimated that the data involves names and phone numbers of a few hundred persons, some with addresses and identity card numbers. The operating organisation confirmed that they have been complying with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486), and have properly handled and kept confidential the relevant personal data in accordance with the Care Team’s principle of use of data and confidentiality. Both electronic devices and files containing personal data are protected by high-strength passwords. Under these security measures, the risk of data leakage should be relatively low.

     The Police have classified the incident as a burglary case, and the operating organisation has reported the incident to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. The Hang Hau Rural Committee and the operating organisation are reviewing, and will further strengthen, their security measures. They are also reminding residents and service recipients to be vigilant. If anyone suspects a person impersonating a member of the Sai Kung Hang Hau East Sub-district Care Team, residents can contact the Care Team or the SKDO to verify their identity.

     The SKDO sincerely apologises to the persons affected for any inconvenience caused, and has set up a hotline (6278 0536) for enquiries. The SKDO has also reminded all Care Teams to stay vigilant and further strengthen security measures and stressed that they should continue to handle and keep personal data confidential according to the guidelines. read more

     Hong Kong Customs detected a dangerous drugs case involving internal concealment at Hong Kong International Airport on November 29 and seized about 680 grams of suspected cocaine with an estimated market value of about $560,000.

     A 54-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Lagos, Nigeria, via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on that day. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found him to be suspicious and suspected that the passenger had dangerous drugs concealed inside his body cavity. He was then escorted to the hospital for examination.

     Upon examination, the man was confirmed by a doctor to have foreign objects concealed inside his body cavity and was arrested subsequently. As at 5pm today (December 1), the arrested person has discharged 38 pellets of suspected cocaine weighing about 680g in total.

     A holding charge with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug has been laid against the arrested man. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 2).

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

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

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

  

     The BMW Around the Island Race (ATIR) for Coastal Rowing, held on November 30 and December 1, 2024, was successfully concluded. Hosted by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and co-organised by the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association, the event took place at the Victoria Harbour, bringing together over 400 participants from Hong Kong, the Mainland, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, the USA etc, including world champions from 2023 and 2024. To mark the occasion, the Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), Ms Alpha Lau, officiated at its medal presentation ceremony to celebrate the exceptional achievements of the athletes.
      
     Ms Lau said, “Hong Kong has always been a destination for major events, from arts and culture to sports. Our city has hosted international large-scale sports competitions including Hong Kong Sevens, the Hong Kong Marathon and the Hong Kong Tennis Open, to name a few. During the upcoming 15th National Games, we will organise eight competition events including fencing, track cycling, rugby sevens, golf, triathlon, beach volleyball, men’s handball, and under-22 men’s basketball. Hong Kong’s participation in the National Games will further solidify our position as a premier sports destination.”
      
     She added, “Sports events have a profound economic impact. Sports industry brings in economic growth, ranging from sports operation, education, sports-related goods, sports tourism and all kinds of supporting services to sports activities, all contributing to our local economy. Most important of all, Hong Kong is an ideal location to do business, and events like Around the Island Race offers a fantastic opportunity for companies to connect with their target customers and markets, from sports drinks to sports tech, from local sports fan engagement to global sports tourism.”
      
     The ATIR is a 45km coastal rowing competition around Hong Kong Island, starting and finishing at the iconic Victoria Harbour. Beyond the competition, the event also features a 45km indoor rowing challenge hosted at the race village on Kellett Island, engaging over 20 teams from schools, corporations, and sports clubs, including youth, adults and para-athletes. 
      
     According to the latest figures from the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong’s sports and related activities contributed HK$62 billion to the local economy in 2022, accounting for 2.2 per cent of the city’s Gross Domestic Product and creating 74 000 job opportunities. With the Kai Tak Sports Park set to open soon, along with the co-hosting of the 15th National Games by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao next year, it is expected to drive robust growth in related industries such as sports tourism, sports technology, and equipment manufacturing.
      
     Looking ahead, InvestHK is committed to supporting international sports events that enhance the city’s global standing and drive positive economic impact. As a strategic gateway to Mainland China and the Asia-Pacific, combined with its business-friendly environment, the city offers a dynamic platform for companies to unlock growth in one of the world’s most vibrant and rapidly expanding regions.

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Road Safety Council:
 
     The Road Safety Council 51st Anniversary Eggstra Fun Carnival, organised by the Road Safety Council, was held today (December 1) at the Kai Tak Station Square, Kowloon City.
 
     The opening ceremony was officiated by the Chairperson of the Road Safety Council and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) of the Hong Kong Police Force, Mr Joe Chow; the Chairperson of the Road Safety Research Committee and Deputy Commissioner for Transport (Planning and Technical Services), Mr Patrick Ho; and the Chairperson of the Road Safety Campaign Committee, Ms Karin Wong.

     Mr Chow remarked that in the past year, the Council and various stakeholders had spared no effort to promote road safety, resulting in a sustained decrease in the number of fatal and serious traffic accidents. In the first 10 months this year, there were a total of 639 fatal and serious traffic accidents, marking a 34 per cent decrease from 967 during the same period last year. Notably, the number of fatalities among elderly pedestrians dropped from 35 last year to 20 so far this year, marking a 43 per cent year-on-year decline. These are the lowest figures recorded since 1954.
 
     However, there has been a significant increase in fatalities from bicycle accidents during the same period, rising from five people last year to nine people to date this year. All incidents occurred on the road, with four individuals losing control while descending hills, and the remaining five involving collisions with other vehicles. Among them, six of the deceased were not wearing helmets. The Council will continue to enhance road safety efforts across all fronts.
 
     Mr Chow also emphasised the Council’s commitment to promoting road safety education for schoolchildren. This year, the Council organised the Eggcellence Road Safety AI Drawing Competition, aimed at cultivating young people’s awareness of road safety and fostering innovative thinking from an early age.
 
     He expressed heartfelt gratitude to all members of the Council, government departments and other stakeholders for their continuous efforts and contributions. Looking ahead, the Council will continue to collaborate with all road safety stakeholders to organise a variety of promotional activities, deepening the community’s understanding of road safety across different age groups, with a vision of “Zero Accidents on the Road, Hong Kong’s Goal”.

     At the opening ceremony, prizes for the Safety Professional Driver Awards 2024 and Eggcellence Road Safety AI Drawing Competition were presented. The event also featured a range of game booths under the theme of Mr Safegg, a bounce park, children’s electric car experiences, virtual reality games, creative workshops and a photo-taking zone to disseminate road safety messages to the public in a lively manner. read more

     â€‹The Main Programme under the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme (PASS) is inviting a new round of applications for project proposals starting today (December 1) from non-profit-distributing organisations such as professional bodies, trade and industrial organisations and research institutes.
 
     PASS, with a total allocation of $200 million, aims at funding non-profit-making industry-led projects to increase exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong’s professional services and external counterparts, promote relevant publicity activities, and enhance the standards and external competitiveness of Hong Kong’s professional services.
 
     The maximum grant for each approved project under the Main Programme of PASS is $3 million or 90 per cent of the total eligible project cost, whichever is lower. A wide range of professional services, such as accounting, legal and dispute resolution, architecture, engineering, healthcare, information and communications technology, design and technical testing and analysis, are eligible for the Main Programme. Sector-specific projects and cross-sectoral projects are both welcome. Expenses directly incurred for implementing a project, such as manpower costs, venue and set-up costs, production and promotion costs, and the project team and active participants’ travel and accommodation costs outside Hong Kong are typically eligible for funding support under the Scheme. Funding support may also be provided for travel and accommodation costs incurred by participants of relatively longer professional internships or attachment programmes outside Hong Kong which are funded by the Main Programme.
 
     Up to early November 2024, over 110 projects had been funded under the Main Programme, including project deliverables in and outside Hong Kong. The deliverables include capacity-building programmes for enhancing the standards of local professionals, such as training programmes, workshops and study tours; outreach and promotional activities for showcasing the strengths of Hong Kong’s professional services, such as roadshows, promotional seminars and participation in exhibitions outside Hong Kong; exchange activities for deepening interaction between Hong Kong professionals and their external counterparts, such as visits to other economies and international conferences and seminars held in Hong Kong; and research projects on potential external markets for Hong Kong professional services and development of best practice guidelines and manuals for professionals. Details about the Main Programme and its funded projects are available at www.pass.gov.hk/main/en/home.
 
     Furthermore, with a view to stepping up the promotion of Hong Kong’s competitive edges and professional services to Mainland cities (including those in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) and overseas markets, $50 million has been set aside for the Professionals Participation Subsidy Programme (PSP) under PASS to subsidise Hong Kong major professional bodies to participate in relevant activities organised by the Government (such as Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council after the pandemic situation has stabilised. Details of the PSP and its latest list of eligible activities are available at www.pass.gov.hk/psp. Hong Kong professionals from the eligible professional sectors under PASS may make use of the PSP subsidy to join the relevant activities.
 
     The Main Programme and the PSP receive applications for project and activity proposals all year round and they are processed on a quarterly basis. The deadline for the new round of applications is February 28, 2025. A briefing session will be held this month for organisations interested in applying for PASS funding. One-on-one consultations are also available upon request for discussing preliminary project ideas or projects currently in the planning stage. For registration for the briefing session, scheduling a consultation session or other enquiries, please contact the PASS Secretariat at 3655 5418 or pass@cedb.gov.hk. read more