Author Archives: hksar gov

     An exhibition entitled “The Road to Modernisation – 70 Years of the People’s Republic of China” will open tomorrow (July 3) at the Hong Kong Museum of History. Featuring some 210 invaluable relics, including nine grade-one national treasures, the exhibition will illustrate the modernisation of the People’s Republic of China during the 70 years since its founding.
      
     An opening ceremony was held today (July 2). Speaking at the ceremony, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, said that Hong Kong has played a unique role in the reform and opening up of China, and the future of Hong Kong will continue to be tied to the development of the country. The connection of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link with the Mainland’s network, together with the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, has further fostered Hong Kong’s integration into the overall development of China, he said.
      
     Mr Lau added that the exhibition provides a good opportunity for visitors to learn about the achievements of China over the past 70 years. He also expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for its support, and the National Museum of China (NMC) for providing its precious cultural relics on loan to Hong Kong.
      
     Showcasing some 170 exhibits including pictorials, newspapers, medals, certificates, artworks and models from the NMC, and some 40 exhibits from the Hong Kong Museum of History, along with multimedia programmes and videos, the exhibition focuses on the modernising achievements of China in the areas of the economy, education, technology, culture, sports and people’s livelihood.
      
     Highlight exhibits include the first volume of the Citizen Literacy Textbook compiled and printed by the Taiyuan Association for the Elimination of Illiteracy; a uniform worn by members of China’s Arctic Scientific Expedition Team during their expedition to the North Pole; the training diary of astronaut Yang Liwei; a share of the Shanghai Feilo Acoustics Company Limited purchased by Meng Jinmei for RMB50; “Dunhuang Paradise”, a boxwood carving created by master of Chinese arts Gao Gongbo; grade-one national treasure inscriptions on the Monument to the People’s Heroes by Zhou Enlai; and a section of the first China-made seamless steel pipe presented to Mao Zedong by staff of Anshan Iron and Steel Company.
      
     Other officiating guests included the Director of the NMC, Mr Wang Chunfa; Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Ms Lu Xinning; the Chairman of the Museum Advisory Committee, Mr Stanley Wong; the Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Culture), Ms Elaine Yeung; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Museum of History, Ms Belinda Wong.
      
     This exhibition is one of the programmes celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. It will run until August 26 and admission is free. It is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the NMC.
      
     The Hong Kong Museum of History is located at 100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui. For details of the exhibition, please visit hk.history.museum/en_US/web/mh/exhibition/current.html, or call 2724 9042 for enquiries. read more

     The bean product factory of Sun Fat Heung Food Product Limited located at Pat Heung, Yuen Long discharged untreated industrial wastewater into a river twice at the end of last year. The company was fined a total of $40,000 by the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today (July 2) for contravening the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO).
 
     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) received a complaint in October last year that wastewater containing remnants of tofu was being discharged into Kam Tin River, causing environmental pollution. The EPD enforcement officers then conducted an ambush operation in November last year and successfully detected that Sun Fat Heung Food Product Limited’s bean product factory at Pat Heung, Yuen Long, was discharging untreated industrial wastewater into an adjacent river at midnight, seriously polluting nearby waters. Despite the fact that the EPD enforcement officers told the person-in-charge of the factory the department might consider initiating a prosecution for the above offence and warned them not to discharge substandard wastewater, the person-in-charge ignored the warning from the EPD. The factory was again found illegally discharging turbid wastewater by EPD enforcement officers during another ambush operation in early December last year.
 
     After evidence gathering, the EPD initiated prosecutions against Sun Fat Heung Food Product Limited for the aforementioned incidents of discharging wastewater under the WPCO.
 
     A spokesman for the EPD said that any direct discharge of untreated industrial wastewater would pollute nearby waterways and adversely affect public hygiene. The spokesman reminded members of the trade that they must install wastewater treatment facilities that are up to standard and ensure the effective operation of the facilities to treat wastewater with a view to avoiding environmental pollution.
 
     Under the WPCO, anyone who discharges wastewater into Hong Kong waters commits an offence. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months’ imprisonment. A maximum fine of $400,000 and six months’ imprisonment may be imposed on second or subsequent convictions.
 
 

  

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (July 2) that a sample of loose-packed Shanghai noodles was found to contain a preservative, benzoic acid, at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.
      
     A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a shop in Kwai Chung for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained benzoic acid at a level of 1 590 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 1 000 ppm.”
      
     The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop sale of the affected product. The CFS is tracing the source of the affected product.
      
     Benzoic acid is a preservative of low toxicity. Based on the level detected in the sample, adverse health effects will not be caused under usual consumption.
      
     The spokesman reminded the food trade that the use of preservatives in food must comply with the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap 132BD). Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction.
      
     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing. read more

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (July 2) welcomed the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC) Chairman’s plan to proactively undertake a detailed study on the recent large-scale public order events pursuant to its statutory functions as set out in the IPCC Ordinance (Cap. 604).  

     “I am in full support of the study and have pledged that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will render full co-operation in the course of the IPCC’s work and will ensure that sufficient resources are provided to the IPCC secretariat.  

     “In view of the huge public interest involved in the study, I have requested the IPCC to consider submitting the study report, together with any recommendations, to me within six months, and making public the report as soon as practicable,” Mrs Lam said. read more

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:      Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:      As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.1 has been i… read more