In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on March 15 to noon today (March 18), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 282 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category, in the past three days (including last Saturday and Sunday). No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 150 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 36 833 samples of food imported from Japan (including 24 673 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 10 228 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Weizhong, at Government House today (March 18) to exchange views on a wide range of issues including further strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangdong 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 Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip; and the Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan.
      
     Mr Lee welcomed Mr Wang's visit to Hong Kong with his delegation. Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to Hong Kong's better integration into national development and the formulation of strategic plans for Hong Kong to dovetail with the national strategies. The current-term Government has established the Steering Group on Integration into National Development to steer and co-ordinate the work on Hong Kong's integration into the overall national development, including the key national strategies such as the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the development of the GBA and the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as regional co-operation between the HKSAR and various provinces, cities and autonomous regions on the Mainland, Mr Lee added.
      
     Mr Lee said that the HKSAR Government will continue to actively maintain close communication with relevant central ministries and the Guangdong Provincial Government and strengthen publicity and briefing of several important planning documents promulgated by the Central Government to promote the development of the GBA, including the Overall Development Plan for the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone and the Three-year Action Plan for the Development of International First-class Business Environment in the GBA. The HKSAR Government will also continue to enhance co-operation with the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, with a view to fostering a greater flow of people, goods, capital and information within the GBA and enhancing wider and deeper interconnectivity among GBA cities.

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (March 19) at 9am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Second Reading debate on the Safeguarding National Security Bill (the Bill) will resume. The meeting will only deal with the legislative proceedings of the Bill. No other business will be transacted at the meeting.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website.

     A man who went missing in Tai Po has been located.

     Ng Duan-man, aged 70, went missing after he left a caring centre on Kau Hui Chik Street on March 10 noon. The staff of caring centre made a report to Police on March 11.

     The man was located in Yau Ma Tei Community Centre Rest Garden this afternoon (March 18). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.

     A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (March 18) said that the Community Recycling Network in Public Rental Housing Estates (PRHs) has been expanding continuously to strengthen community recycling support in PRHs.
 
     The EPD has been gradually expanding the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY to 50 PRHs. The first two Recycling Stores located in Kwai Fong Estate and Tai Wo Hau Estate respectively have commenced services in June last year. In December last year, the EPD has awarded 19 operation service contracts of the Recycling Stores in PRHs, with each service contract covering two to three PRHs for a period of 28 months.
 
     Over the past two months, the contracted operators have been fully engaged in preparatory work. Among them, six Recycling Stores have been put into service from December last year to February this year, including GREEN@KAI YIP, GREEN@ON TING, GREEN@YAN TIN, GREEN@WAN TSUI, GREEN@YUE WAN, and GREEN@CHUN YEUNG. The remaining Recycling Stores will be opened in succession from the second quarter of this year after the completion of renovation works. Meanwhile, the EPD has arranged for the operators to set up temporary collection booths within the PRHs by March 1. The operating hours are from 10am to 8pm daily until the Recycling Stores in the respective estates commence service. Please refer to the attachment for the locations and operating hours of each Recycling Store and temporary collection booth opened in PRHs.
 
     A spokesperson for the EPD said, "With the Recycling Stores of the Community Recycling Network in PRHs starting to operate, the number of collection points of GREEN@COMMUNITY has now increased to about 220 in Hong Kong. We will continue to set up more public collection points at suitable locations. Residents can earn GREEN$ and redeem gifts by recycling at each GREEN@COMMUNITY collection point. Moreover, all PRHs have already set up recycling bins for paper, metals, and plastics under the EPD's Source Separation of Domestic Waste programme for residents to use."