Tag Archives: China

     The Government is pleased to note that University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities have been highly rated in the World University Rankings 2025 published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), an international higher education organisation. The rankings of six universities have risen, with five of them staying in the world’s top 100. 
 
     A spokesman for the Education Bureau said today (June 5), “UGC-funded universities continue to be highly rated in international rankings, and are among the best in Asia. The ranking results highlight that Hong Kong’s universities are highly reputable in the global academic community, with excellent performances in terms of quality of teaching and research, and internationalisation. We are deeply encouraged.
 
     “The results add confidence and cohesion to the Government’s commitment to developing Hong Kong into an international education hub and a cradle of future talent. We will continue to work closely with the higher education sector in capitalising on Hong Kong’s strengths to attract more talent from all over the world, broaden the international outlook of local students, nurture diversified talent, enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness, and strengthen Hong Kong’s momentum of development as well as contribute to the nation’s development.”
 
     The Government will continue to promote the internationalisation and diversification of the higher education sector. Through various key initiatives, the Government will support expansion and quality enhancement of institutions, promote academic exchanges and research collaborations, and promote a more diversified campus culture, so as to enhance the competitiveness of the institutions and students in the globalised environment. read more

     The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, visited Zhanjiang today (June 5) to learn about the latest logistics developments in the western part of Guangdong.

     Mr Lam attended a meeting of the task force for collaboration on Guangdong-Hong Kong transportation in Guangzhou yesterday (June 4) afternoon. He proceeded to Zhanjiang by high-speed train to explore collaboration opportunities between Hong Kong and Zhanjiang, with a view to enhancing Hong Kong’s logistics and maritime development. 

     In the morning, Mr Lam visited the Zhanjiang Port and the Zhanjiang Comprehensive Bonded Area and received a briefing on the operational model of the sea-rail intermodal transport at the Zhanjiang Port, as well as how the Comprehensive Bonded Area leverages its big data to enhance information systems, thereby accelerating cargo flow and facilitating customs clearance. He then paid a visit to a leading cold-chain logistics company in Guangdong Province to see their advanced facilities.

     Mr Lam also met with the Mayor of the Zhanjiang Municipal Government, Mr Zeng Jinze, and officials of the Zhanjiang Municipal Government to exchange views on issues of mutual concern. Mr Lam said, “Since the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the driving distance between Hong Kong and the western part of Guangdong is shortened extensively, which presents unprecedented opportunities for deeper collaboration between the two places. Underpinned by an open and free market, a well-established legal system, premier financial and professional services as well as comprehensive intermodal transport networks connecting the Mainland and other nations, Hong Kong is the prime gateway for trade and logistics between southern China and the world.”

     Mr Lam further added that Hong Kong has a distinct role as an international shipping centre, an international aviation and logistics hub as well as an international trade centre. The western part of Guangdong, on the other hand, has a huge base of industries with a booming bulk commodity trade in Zhanjiang, and is well-connected to the southwest provinces. Adding up the strengths of Hong Kong and Zhanjiang, he believes that the two places will definitely create strong synergies and open up a new logistics and trade corridor.

     Mr Lam concluded his two-day visit to Guangdong today and will return to Hong Kong in the evening.

              

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (June 5):
 
Question:
 
     It has been learnt that the number of Hong Kong residents travelling to the Mainland has been on the rise recently, with most of them visiting Mainland cities for day trips or consumption activities, while at the same time Mainland visitors are the main source of customers for local tourism and retail services. On promoting the development of the local consumption market, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of visits made by Hong Kong residents to the Mainland via various land boundary control points (BCPs) (including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port) and the rates of change in each of the past 12 months; the number of visits made by Mainland tourists to Hong Kong via these BCPs during the same period;
 
(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of visits made by Hong Kong residents to the Mainland in the past 12 months, together with a breakdown by age group;
 
(3) whether it has conducted studies to find out the reasons why different groups of Hong Kong residents travel to neighbouring Mainland cities for “cross-city consumption”, and the impact of such a situation on the local consumption market;
 
(4) whether it has conducted survey studies to find out the consumption preferences and interests of local and mainland youths; if so, whether the authorities have, based on the findings of the survey studies, organised mega events targeting young people to attract the participation of local youths and those from neighbouring Mainland cities, thereby promoting local economic activities; if so, of the number and details of such events;
 
(5) whether it will introduce measures to enhance and promote the consumer environment, including the establishment of a dedicated organisation to assist young people from outside Hong Kong in setting up businesses and shops locally, so as to create a diversified retail environment and increase consumption choices, and the introduction of a tourist pass valid for more than one day to enrich tourists’ travel experience, thereby encouraging them to extend their stay in Hong Kong; and
 
(6) whether it has an overall plan to promote “two-way travel” and “two‍-‍way consumption” between Hong Kong and the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will formulate such a plan expeditiously?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The six parts of the question cover a wide range of programme areas that fall within the purview of different policy bureaux other than the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau. Having consulted the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB), the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), the Security Bureau, the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Office of the Government Economist and the Census and Statistics Department, our consolidated reply is as follows:
 
(1) In the past 12 months, the monthly outbound passenger trips of Hong Kong residents and inbound passenger trips of Mainland visitors via the land boundary control points (including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge) and the percentage change against the previous month are set out at Annex.
 
(2) The Immigration Department does not maintain a breakdown of the statistics mentioned in the question.
 
(3), (4) and (6) The Government has not conducted formal studies on the reasons of Hong Kong residents travelling to and spending in the Mainland (especially the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)). Nevertheless, Hong Kong has been getting increasingly integrated into the Mainland economically since its return to the motherland. As various large-scale cross-boundary infrastructure, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, were completed, Hong Kong’s cross-boundary transportation capacity has been greatly strengthened, facilitating the two-way flow of people between the Mainland and Hong Kong and bringing enormous opportunities for the connectivity within the GBA and its overall development. Under the overarching set-up of “one-hour living circle” within the GBA, Hong Kong residents spending in other GBA cities or residents of other GBA cities spending in Hong Kong are economic activities that happen naturally. They are also, to a certain extent, a proof of the efforts made on the GBA development throughout the years, which have yielded solid results.
 
     Nevertheless, the change in the consumption patterns of visitors and the Hong Kong residents’ increased spending in the Mainland, etc. have indeed posed challenges to the operations of certain local small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Government has been providing assistance to SMEs (including those in the retail sector) having regard to the economic situation and the needs of the trade, with a view to helping them cope with liquidity shortage, and encouraging them to enhance their competitiveness and develop more diversified markets. Specific measures include the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme, the SME Export Marketing Fund and the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme, which help alleviate the operating pressure on the retail sector and help the sector further develop businesses. The continued growth of Hong Kong’s economy and the increase of visitor arrivals will provide further support to the local retail sector.
 
     Besides, Hong Kong has long been recognised as an events capital. At least about 210 mega events will be held throughout 2024, with over 100 events both in the first and second halves of the year. These events have different target audiences and are in various nature and formats, but they all attract both local people and visitors from places around the world to experience Hong Kong and its vibrancy. Among the mega events, a number of them are particularly attractive to the younger generation. For example, the CSTB sponsored the ComplexCon Hong Kong 2024 through the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund, bringing the event to Asia and Hong Kong for the first time. The three-day event held in March 2024 attracted over 32 000 participants, including many young people, from around the world who were enthusiasts of trendy culture and renowned figures from various sectors.
 
     Meanwhile, the Government will continue to maintain close communication with the relevant Mainland authorities and strive for policy initiatives that are conducive to Hong Kong’s tourism development, with a view to facilitating more Mainland visitors (including those from the Mainland cities in the GBA) to experience Hong Kong’s rich tourism resources in a more convenient and flexible way in a bid to promote the vibrant development of tourism-related industries (such as the retail sector) and to boost the local consumption market.
 
     The Government is also conducting trade consultation on the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0 (Blueprint 2.0) and targets to publish it within the year. The Blueprint 2.0 will outline the goals and key directions for furthering tourism development as well as fostering collaboration of different industries with a view to enhancing the speed and quality of the growth of the industry.
 
     As regards youth, the HYAB has been gauging the needs of young people and keeping tabs on their pulse through diverse means and channels, including the Youth Dashboard, and the feedback received from members of the Youth Link and participants of various youth initiatives under the HYAB. Their views will be taken into account when planning the various youth activities organised by the HYAB, so as to ensure that they suit the needs of young people.
 
(5) Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) is a dedicated agency of the Government that proactively attracts and assists overseas and Mainland enterprises (including those established by young people from places around the world) that are interested in setting up and expanding their businesses in Hong Kong. InvestHK offers one-stop customised support services to them, from the planning to implementation stages.
 
     As regard facilitating young people to start their businesses, the HYAB subsidises non-governmental organisations to implement youth entrepreneurship projects through the Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the Youth Development Fund. The Entrepreneurship Scheme provides local young people interested in starting their businesses in Hong Kong and Mainland cities of the GBA with start-up capital and an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and experience on entrepreneurship and business operation during the funding period. The new round of the Entrepreneurship Scheme was rolled out in early April 2024.
 
     As regards the suggestion relating to tourist passes, at present, tourist passes offering a bundle of activities and attractions in Hong Kong are widely available in the market, covering major attractions such as Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park, Ngong Ping 360, M+, Hong Kong Palace Museum, Peak Tram, Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, Noah’s Ark Hong Kong, etc. Tourists are also offered a great range of choices in terms of validity of the passes, which spans from one day to up to 30 days. By using these tourist passes, visitors can experience different tourism offerings and extend their stay in Hong Kong.
 
     As regards transportation services, various public transport operators currently provide a host of tourist-oriented products and concessions, including Star Ferry Harbour Tour, TramOramic Tour, Citybus Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus tour, as well as tourist passes valid for specific time periods (such as Four-day tourist ticket of Star Ferry which allows unlimited rides on designated ferry services for four consecutive days, MTR Tourist Day Pass which allows unlimited rides on local MTR services within 24 hours, as well as KMB Tourist Day Pass which allows unlimited rides on KMB and LW routes within 24 hours). The Government would continue to encourage the operators to introduce more suitable products and concessions for tourists. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (June 5):
 
Question:
 
     There are views that at present, Hong Kong people learn about the policies and information of the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) mainly through the GBA portal (the portal) operated by the Mainland Government, the Official Page of GBA (the Official Page) operated by the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, and the GoGBA one-stop platform (the one-stop platform) operated by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), but there is no clear division of work among the three. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will co-ordinate with the Mainland Government and the HKTDC on the contents of the three websites; if so, (a) whether it will discuss with the Mainland Government the positioning of the portal as a database on the GBA policies, and continuously update information on the policies introduced by the Mainland Government which are relevant to Hong Kong people; (b) whether the content of the Official Page will (i) focus on issues of concern to young people in Hong Kong, with relevant information selected from the portal for publication on the Official Page, and (ii) include analyses of Mainland policies, so as to help young people in Hong Kong understand the development of Mainland policies; and (c) whether it will draw reference from the “Guide for Public Services for Hong Kong and Macao Residents” published by the Jiangmen Municipal Government of the Guangdong Province, and propose that the HKTDC, together with other municipal governments of the Mainland in the GBA, compile a guide for living and entrepreneurship, including contents such as the key points of entrepreneurship policies, incubators and ancillary facilities, so as to strengthen the function of the one-stop platform in disseminating practical local information?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (CMAB) and its Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office (GBA Office) have been making use of diversified and multi-media means and channels to promote the enormous opportunities brought about by the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to local, Mainland and overseas stakeholders.
 
     In respect of online publicity and promotion, the GBA Office has launched a one-stop thematic website of the GBA (bayarea.gov.hk) (thematic website), the main objective of which is to introduce to visitors, including the public and enterprises of Hong Kong, information about the development directions and policy measures of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government in various areas to take forward the GBA development, as well as information on the characteristics and development priorities, etc of various cities of the GBA. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area portal (the portal) managed by the Guangdong Provincial Office of the Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is a formal channel through which the Mainland authority disseminates detailed information about the GBA, including GBA policies promulgated by the Central Government, Guangdong Province and various Mainland cities of the GBA. The portal also provides links to the relevant websites of the cities of the GBA (including the link to the thematic website of the GBA Office of the HKSAR Government). As regards the GoGBA Digital Platform and WeChat Mini Programme (GoGBA Platform) managed by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), they aim to provide people and enterprises interested in tapping the Mainland market of the GBA with practical economic and trade information, including tools facilitating business travel, such as a “day counter” for calculation of the days of residence in the Mainland, etc. The positioning and information coverage of the three above-mentioned online platforms are different. For example, the portal and thematic website are more comprehensive in scope, whereas the GoGBA platform mainly provides information relating to business and entrepreneurship. This notwithstanding, the thematic website is linked to the webpages of the other two platforms to facilitate users to access more information on different aspects of the GBA.
 
     Take the content of the GBA Office’s thematic website as an example, in view of the development needs of young people, the thematic website specifically covers information on the development opportunities for young people in the GBA as well as relevant policies on youth innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition, the “Resource Centre” section of the thematic website consists of a database on “Mainland Policies and Measures”, which includes the GBA policy measures promulgated by the Central Government, Guangdong Province and different Mainland cities of the GBA that have been uploaded onto the portal or other official websites of the Mainland, so as to facilitate users to search for relevant information based on filtering criteria such as policy area and year of promulgation.
 
     The development of the GBA is ubiquitous, with relevant policy measures spanning across different areas, bringing tremendous development opportunities for different sectors of the community. Therefore, apart from the thematic website, the GBA Office also makes use of other effective means and channels to disseminate more important information about the GBA development to different sectors of the community including young people, etc. Specifically, these include:
 
(i) supporting the HKTDC to roll out information on the GoGBA platform useful to Hong Kong young people for pursuing development in the Mainland cities of the GBA. In collaboration with the HKTDC, the GBA Office also organises the “GoGBA Development Day” events in Hong Kong and the Mainland cities of the GBA every year to introduce, on a theme basis, the business opportunities of different industries in the Mainland cities of the GBA; 

(ii) organising various kinds of exhibitions such as the “Education and Careers Expo” and the “Entrepreneur Day”, as well as staging roving exhibitions at local universities to introduce the latest development of the GBA to young people in Hong Kong; 

(iii) producing promotional videos and television programmes to showcase the different facets and real-life stories of the Mainland cities of the GBA, stories of Hong Kong young entrepreneurs as well as the development opportunities in Qianhai, etc;

(iv) setting up “Greater Bay Area Information Station” digital information platform in all 18 districts of Hong Kong to provide the public with a wealth of information about the GBA; 

(v) establishing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Promotion Centre (Promotion Centre) in Guangzhou. Through collaborating with the HKTDC, Invest Hong Kong and the relevant organisations in the Mainland, the Promotion Centre organises different forms of activities, including seminars on policy analysis, study missions, etc, to promote the opportunities in the GBA to Hong Kong residents and enterprises interested in pursuing development in the Mainland cities of the GBA, and to gain a better understanding of their needs so as to provide them with practical assistance; and 

(vi) the Economic and Trade Office of the HKSAR Government in Guangdong (GDETO) has also published a booklet entitled “Practical Guide for Hong Kong Residents Living in the Mainland” to provide Hong Kong people with useful information on living and pursuing development in the Mainland. The GBA Office and the GDETO have also jointly produced a series of short videos to provide practical guide for Hong Kong residents living in the Mainland, covering practical information about opening a bank account, applying for a residence permit, taking out social insurance, as well as seeking medical treatment, pursuing studies and purchasing properties, etc. The video series has been uploaded to the thematic website, streaming platforms and the Greater Bay Area Information Station, etc for easy reference by Hong Kong residents interested in living and pursuing development in the Mainland cities of the GBA. 

     The HKSAR Government will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach to provide rich and diversified content to different sectors of the community through various channels, and encourage and support Hong Kong people and enterprises to capitalise on the opportunities of the GBA development. The HKSAR Government will also maintain liaison with the Mainland and Macao authorities with a view to building an information network for online users through web links to facilitate members of the public and enterprises to gain convenient access to the latest practical information on the GBA development. read more

     â€‹Hong Kong Customs conducted a special operation in Mong Kok and Fo Tan yesterday (June 4) to combat the sale of counterfeit goods and seized about 5 000 items of suspected counterfeit goods with an estimated market value of about $620,000.
      
     Customs earlier received information alleging that suspected counterfeit goods were put on sale in shops. After an in-depth investigation and with the assistance of the trademark owners, Customs officers yesterday took enforcement action, and raided three retail shops in Mong Kok and a storage facility in Fo Tan where the batch of suspected counterfeit goods, including medicines and cosmetics, was seized.
      
     During the operation, Customs arrested three men and two women, aged between 28 and 90, including three shop proprietors and two staff members.
      
     All arrested persons were released on bail pending further investigation. An investigation is ongoing and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out. Samples of the suspected counterfeit goods involved in the cases will be sent to the Government Laboratory for safety testing.
      
     Customs will continue to step up inspection and enforcement to vigorously combat the sale of different kinds of counterfeit goods.
      
     Customs reminds consumers to procure goods at reputable shops and to check with the trademark owners or their authorised agents if the authenticity of a product is in doubt. Traders should also be cautious and prudent in merchandising since the sale of counterfeit goods is a serious crime and offenders are liable to criminal sanctions.
      
     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeit activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).