London-based architecture and interior design firm, Design Haus Liberty (DH Liberty), announced today (August 20) that it has opened its global office in Hong Kong to realise opportunities in the growing Asia-Pacific and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area markets.
     
     Although the company was established only six years ago with its headquarters in London, it has quickly gained a reputation as a "young, up-and-coming" leader with an emphasis on maximising users' experiences in its design philosophy, according to Founder, Ms Dara Huang. She said that over the past two years, her company has been engaged in design projects in the Greater Bay Area, hence having a base in Hong Kong with its international recognition offers a lot of convenience and efficiency to their operation.
     
     Ms Huang said, "We have provided design work in the Greater Bay Area on several significant projects over the past two years. Our clients are based in Hong Kong, so we have been flying from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong every month. In order to provide better services to existing clients and reach out new ones in the region, we are moving to Hong Kong to build our local team, oversee current projects and maintain close relationships with local clients."
     
     She added, "Hong Kong's open-for-business attitude, financial flexibility with overseas banks, open-mindedness as well as the efficiency and speed at which the city operates make it an easy and efficient place to set up a company. The tax savings offered and its welcoming presence is also appealing for Western companies trying to establish themselves out East."
     
     Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, Dr Jimmy Chiang, said, "We are happy to see that DH Liberty has set up its global office in Hong Kong. While the Greater Bay Area will boost the overall business and economic integration of its cities, Hong Kong is already recognised as its international hub. The sooner companies decide to build a base in Hong Kong, the more first-mover advantages they will enjoy vis-à-vis their competitors as they secure a foothold in this massive lucrative market."
     
     
About Design Haus Liberty
     
     Founded in 2013, the award-winning London-headquartered Design Haus Liberty has been broadening the definition of architecture culture to include new build, interior design, lighting and branding. Design Haus Liberty manages interior and exterior projects that range from private to public. Its clients include hotel groups Four Seasons and Starwood Capital, and companies such as Emaar Properties, Knight Dragon, LVMH and Cartier. For more information, please visit www.dhliberty.hk.
     
About Invest Hong Kong
     
     Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
     
     For an event photo, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157710342475406.

  

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (August 20):
 
Reporter: Carrie Lam, one quarter of the population of Hong Kong came out in the rain and marched peacefully. How long are you going to continue to ignore the demands that are made of you? It’s been nearly three months now.
 
Chief Executive: I have just explained and elaborated on two important areas of work that we are doing. One is an important fact-finding study in addition to a very robust system to investigate and look at the complaints against police over this prolonged period of confrontation and violence. The other, a more rare arrangement, is for the IPCC, which is statutory and independent, to create a fact-finding study into the causes and the facts of these incidents. I hope that this is a very responsible response to the aspirations for better understanding of what has taken place in Hong Kong.  And most important of all, it is not just fact finding to provide the sequence of facts. It also will provide the Government with recommendations on how to move forward and also to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents.
 
     The second area of work that I have announced, which will give us much better basis to address some anxieties and differences in society, is we will start immediately a platform for dialogue with people from all walks of life. This is something that we want to do in a very sincere and humble manner. I and my principal officials are committed to listen to what the people have to tell us, and we want to reach out to the community as soon as possible.
 
Reporter:  Mrs Lam, numerous Hong Kong companies, like Cathay, have been forced by Beijing and state media to act against employees and actively publish pro-government statements. Is Hong Kong still the world’s freest economy? How can businesses possibly invest with such risk of interference in their operations? And secondly, you’ve repeated it’s dead, you’ve said it won’t be brought back, please can you give a clear reason as to why the extradition bill cannot be simply withdrawn from the legislature? Precisely why not?
 
Chief Executive: On the second question I have repeatedly replied on various occasions and I can give you this very clear commitment at the political level that the bill is dead. There is no plan to revive this bill, especially in light of the public concerns.
 
     The first point in your two-pronged question, I cannot comment, as the Chief Executive, on the commercial decisions of individual companies. I hope you understand that. But I remain convinced that Hong Kong has her unique advantages. In attracting overseas companies to come to Hong Kong, one of the most important strengths is the rule of law. That’s why we have been doing so much to ensure that the rule of law is being upheld and respected in Hong Kong.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)  
 

     Police today (August 20) reclassified a dead body found case happened in Tuen Mun on August 14 as murder and suicide.

     At about 12.37pm that day, Police received a report that a 61-year-old woman and her 31-year-old daughter were found collapsed inside a unit on Tuen Mun Heung Sze Wui Road.

     Police sped to the scene and located the duo lying unconsciously on a bed. They were certified dead at scene.

     Upon further investigation, Police believed that the 31-year-old woman committed suicide after attacking her mother inside the unit.

     A knife in suspected connection with the case was found at scene.

     Post-mortem examinations have been conducted but the cause of death is to be ascertained pending toxicological examinations.

     Active investigation by the District Crime Squad of Tuen Mun District is underway.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

     Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 20) that due to an insufficient number of lifeguards on duty, the lifesaving services at Golden Beach in Tuen Mun District are suspended until further notice.

     First aid service will be maintained at the beach.

     Hong Kong Customs seized about 250 000 e-cigarettes, suspected of containing nicotine oil and without an import licence, with an estimated market value of about $12.8 million at Man Kam To Control Point on August 17.

     Customs officers intercepted an incoming container truck for inspection at Man Kam To Control Point in the afternoon on that day. After inspection, Customs officers seized the batch of e-cigarettes inside 516 carton boxes on board the truck.

     The 58-year-old male driver was arrested. Investigation is ongoing.

     Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person who imports pharmaceutical products without a valid import licence commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).