Tag Archives: China

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
     
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public in Hong Kong that the firm as referred to on the website (https://www.bancobursatil.com) does not have the authorization of the Monetary Authority (MA) under the Banking Ordinance (the Ordinance) to carry on banking business, or the business of taking deposits, in Hong Kong; and it does not have the approval of the MA to establish a local representative office in Hong Kong under the Ordinance.
      
     Given the global nature of the Internet, members of the public are reminded to verify the status of any organisation making use of the Internet to offer bank accounts to, or to solicit deposits from, the public in Hong Kong prior to transferring any funds to, or providing any personal information to, any such organisation.
      
     A list of authorized institutions is available on the HKMA’s website (www.hkma.gov.hk). Members of the public may also check the status of any entity which appears to be soliciting deposits from the public in Hong Kong, or holding itself out as a bank or deposit-taking company in Hong Kong, by emailing the HKMA’s public enquiry service (publicenquiry@hkma.gov.hk). read more

     â€‹The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met with the Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Meng Fanli, at Government House today (April 24) to exchange views on further deepening Hong Kong’s co-operation with Shenzhen and promoting the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Also attending the meeting were the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong; and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip.
      
     Mr Lee welcomed Mr Meng’s visit to Hong Kong with his delegation. Mr Lee said that the relationship between Hong Kong and Shenzhen has always been close, with frequent flows of people. Under the Hong Kong/Shenzhen co-operation mechanism, Hong Kong and Shenzhen have set up various working groups to promote collaboration in a wide range of key areas including the Northern Metropolis, innovation and technology, finance, commerce and trade, youth employment and entrepreneurship, and Qianhai. The governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen have been making steady progress in various co-operation areas to propel the co-operation of the two places to new heights.
      
     Mr Lee pointed out that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government jointly held the first meeting of Task Force on the Development of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone in early February this year to exchange views on promoting and implementing the Overall Development Plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone more effectively, and deepening the collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The HKSAR Government will continue to actively maintain close communication with the Shenzhen Municipal Government, and enhance collaboration to jointly promote the high-quality development of the GBA.
      
     The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Co-operation Zone) lies at the convergence of the Northern Metropolis and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen innovation and technology corridor, and is one of the major platforms for co-operation in the GBA under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. Noting that the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park will soon enter its operational phase, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong will continue to work closely with Shenzhen to leverage the advantages of “one zone, two parks” under the “one country, two systems” principle in the Co-operation Zone to create new quality productive forces at a faster pace.
      
     Mr Lee said that Hong Kong will continue to capitalise on its advantages in basic scientific research, finance, talent and professional services, and internationalisation, with a view to playing its crucial role in leading the development of the GBA, and implementing the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits with Shenzhen to make greater contributions to the country’s development.

  

     The Civil Service College (CSC) of the Civil Service Bureau held the “Holistic View of National Security” seminar series, on the topic of “Global Economic Change and National Security”, today (April 24). The seminar was delivered by the Director for the Institute of World Economic Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, Mr Zhang Yuncheng.
 
     On the 10th anniversary of the promulgation of the holistic approach to national security, Mr Zhang highlighted in the seminar China’s achievements in safeguarding and strengthening national security over the past decade. He also discussed the current global situation on economic and financial security and how they could be safeguarded by adopting the holistic approach to national security, enlightening civil servants on how Hong Kong could play a more active role in co-ordinating development and security.
 
     Addressing the seminar, the Head of the CSC, Mr Oscar Kwok, stressed that national security training forms a significant part of national studies training. Following the implementation of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, relevant contents of civil service training have been suitably updated. Apart from strengthening civil servants’ basic understanding of national security legal provisions, training offered by the CSC places emphasis on the holistic approach to national security. It aims to deepen civil servants’ in-depth and comprehensive understanding of national security concepts and enable them to act in concert with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in fulfilling its responsibility of safeguarding national security. With Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, civil servants must understand the country’s development and challenges in economic and financial security and effectively prevent and mitigate risks.
 
     Over 200 officers, including middle and senior-level civil servants and politically appointed officials, attended the seminar today, and some participants took part in the seminar through video-conferencing.
 
     The series consists of seven seminars, covering topics such as national security in the rise and fall of great nations, and the opportunities and challenges of technological development for safeguarding national security. The series provides a comprehensive and multi-perspective analysis of the development of the holistic approach to national security, its main content, the challenges of safeguarding national security, and its significance to the country’s development. The seminars are delivered by experts from China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations or the Center for a Holistic Approach to National Security.

      

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (April 24): Question:      Since the … read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Maggie Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in the Legislative Council today (April 24):

Question:

     To better leverage Hong Kong’s advantage of being “backed by the motherland and connected to the world” and nurture high-quality foreign-related legal talents with an international perspective, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has, with the support of the Central Government, built close co-operative relationships and made standing secondment arrangements with various international legal bodies, including the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific. Nine young solicitors, barristers and Government Counsels have been seconded to the HCCH and the UNIDROIT so far. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) how the Department of Justice (DoJ) selected legal professionals in the public and private sectors who applied for various secondment programmes to international organisations (secondment programmes) in the past three years;

(2) of the number of solicitors at local small and medium-sized law firms selected for various secondment programmes in the past five years;

(3) whether the DoJ has plans to build co-operative relationships with more international legal bodies, so as to provide continuous training opportunities in the practice of foreign-related legal affairs for local legal talents; if so, of the details; and

(4) how the DoJ plans to integrate the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy to be established with various existing secondment programmes, so as to enhance Hong Kong’s function as an international legal services centre?

Reply:

President,

(1) Regarding the secondment programmes to the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), information about the secondment programmes (including eligibility criteria and application procedures) and promotional materials will be posted on the website of the Department of Justice (DoJ) during the application period. Through the relevant open recruitment procedures, legal professionals from the public and private sectors may apply to participate in the secondment programmes. The present arrangement (including eligibility criteria for the secondees) was the outcome of discussion between the Administration and the international organisations concerned. In the selection process, through the written applications submitted and various rounds of interviews, the applicants are assessed as to whether they possess the required knowledge and skills and their suitability evaluated.

(2) Regarding the secondment programmes to the HCCH and the UNIDROIT, all qualifying legal professionals from the public and private sectors (irrespective of the size of the law firms they work in) are welcome to apply. Since the standing arrangements have been put in place, a total of nine local legal professionals have participated in the said secondment programmes, three of them are solicitors in private practice (i.e. one third of the said total) who have worked in law firms of different sizes.

(3) Apart from establishing close collaborative relationships with the HCCH, the UNIDROIT and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the DoJ has also developed co-operative linkages with the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre and the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) Preparatory Office. The AALCO Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre officially settled in the Hong Kong Legal Hub in May 2022 and, for the first time, organised the third AALCO Annual Arbitration Forum 2023 on December 5 and 6, 2023, in Hong Kong. The DoJ further looks forward to establishing a closer collaborative relationship with IOMed after its establishment and official settlement in Hong Kong.

     The DoJ will continue to actively explore the development of and deepen the collaborative relationship with various international legal organisations, including seconding local legal personnel to these organisations, jointly organising various practical legal courses, seminars and international exchange activities, with a view to providing local legal personnel with continual training opportunities on foreign-related legal matters, and to facilitating local legal personnel to enhance professional exchanges of experience with the counterparts, experts and academics in the Mainland and overseas.

(4) The DoJ will set up a dedicated office and an expert committee within 2024 to facilitate the establishment of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. Riding on the existing foundation of a capacity building centre, the Academy will organise regular practical legal courses, seminars, international exchange activities, etc, in order to actively nurture legal talents, facilitate talent exchange along the Belt and Road regions, and nurture legal talents conversant in international law, common law, civil law and national legal systems for our country (including the Greater Bay Area) and other Belt and Road countries.

     The DoJ anticipates that the Academy will co-ordinate the existing capacity building programmes and relevant resources and, together with the current secondment programmes with various international legal organisations, strengthen the role of Hong Kong as an international legal services centre and fully utilise Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a common law jurisdiction. The dedicated office to be set up within 2024 will holistically review the relevant factors and formulate a long-term plan, which would include the training of talents conversant in foreign-related legal matters, secondment and training opportunities, as well as the resources requirements of the Academy. read more