Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the National Day Reception of Hungary Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight today (October 21):

Acting Consul-General Dr Olga Gégény (Acting Consul-General of Hungary to Hong Kong), Deputy Commissioner Hua You (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

          Good evening. It is a pleasure to be here with you tonight in honour of Hungary’s National Day – this year celebrating the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

          This month also marks the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China, our country, and Hungary.

          Under the “one country, two systems” principle, Hong Kong enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage. We are dedicated to our role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” between our country and the world. That very much includes Hungary. Last year, about US$1.2 billion – nearly 8 per cent of the total trade between the Chinese Mainland and Hungary – was routed through Hong Kong. 

          Hong Kong was also Hungary’s third-largest Asian investor in 2024, with an inward foreign direct investment stock of 4.1 billion euros.

          I’m pleased to note that the ties between Hong Kong and Hungary are strong and growing.

          Last month, our Trade Development Council organised a Hong Kong Logistics Services Mission to Budapest. The mission helped to better realise the long-term promise in combining the strengths of our respective logistics hubs. Together, I’m confident we can boost connections between our two economies, and between Central and Eastern Europe and Asia.

          Last month, too, our Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, was in Hungary, looking to expand I&T (innovation and technology) links between our two economies. There, he visited the Center for Molecular Fingerprinting, which is dedicated to the early detection of diseases through infrared, electric-field molecular technology. And I’m pleased to note that the Center will work with one of our universities and carry out research projects in our city.

          In March, Corvinus University of Budapest signed a co-operation agreement with an InnoHK Centre of another one of our universities. Their joint research project seeks to enhance the trustworthiness of artificial intelligence.

          Supported by the National 15th Five-Year Plan and spurred by Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan, we are committed to developing Hong Kong into an international I&T centre. There is much Hong Kong and Hungary can achieve in working together, given your country’s strong industrial base and world-class I&T talent and capabilities.

          Hong Kong is fast rising as an I&T hub, anchored by the Northern Metropolis development and our growing integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. And I invite Hungarian companies and strategic professionals to look to the Northern Metropolis, and Hong Kong in general, for their innovative future.

          I see, also, vast opportunities for our co-operation in finance. I’m pleased to note that the National Bank of Hungary plans to send a high-level delegation here next month for our annual Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival. 

          Last year, this event attracted a record high of over 45 000 professionals from some 120 economies. It also featured over 1 000 speakers, more than 30 Mainland and international delegations and some 800 exhibitors, including Hungary’s National Innovation Agency. 

          Beyond business and finance, Hong Kong has enjoyed a wealth of Hungarian arts and cultural performances this year, with more on the way. 

          That includes the culture of wine. Hungary, one of the world’s oldest wine-producing countries, will feature a fine wine pavilion at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair next month. And, needless to say, Hungarian wine will be turning heads at the Wine & Dine Festival, set to make its highly anticipated return next week. 

          On that note, I wish Hungary continued prosperity in the years to come, and all of you a wonderful evening. Thank you very much. read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 21) announced that an imported crab sample from the Philippines was detected to contain cadmium, a metallic contaminant, at a… read more

     Hong Kong Customs detected three suspected smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels in October. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $23.6 million were seized.
          
     Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Customs thus formulated enforcement operations. 
      
     In the first case, three suspicious containers scheduled to depart from Hong Kong to Malaysia via ocean-going vessels were selected for inspection. Upon examination, Customs officers found large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including over 11 000 hair curlers, hair dryers, hair straighteners and hair brushes from the three containers, which were declared as carrying parts of vacuum cleaners.
          
     In the other two cases, two suspicious containers scheduled to depart from Hong Kong to Australia via ocean-going vessels were selected for inspection. Upon examination, Customs officers found large batches of suspected smuggled goods, including about 2.4 million suspected illicit cigarettes, as well as electronic products, household products and cosmetic products from the two containers, which were declared as containing plastic films, mattresses and storage racks; and ceramic ornaments, trolleys and mattresses respectively.
      
     Investigations on the three cases are ongoing. The likelihood of arrests is not ruled out.
          
     Being a government department primarily responsible for tackling smuggling activities, Customs has long been combating various smuggling activities at the forefront. Customs will keep up its enforcement action and continue to fiercely combat sea smuggling activities through proactive risk management and intelligence-based enforcement strategies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt relevant crimes.
          
     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.
     
     Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

      

     The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) 2026 concluded successfully in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Representatives from APEC member economies and international organisations engaged in in-depth exchanges on major issues concerning regional economic development, reaching broad consensus and achieving practical outcomes.

     On its second day today (October 21), the FMM issued the 2026 APEC Finance Ministers’ Joint Statement, reaffirming the commitment to building an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040 for the prosperity of all our people and future generations. The statement also noted that meaningful discussions were held on fiscal policy supporting households, digital infrastructure financing, financial access and opportunity for all, and welcomed the convening of the Young Financial Talents Dialogue, to promote the prosperity and resilience of the region.

     The agenda of the FMM today included discussions on advancing financial inclusion through approaches tailored to the circumstances of individual economies, and strengthening exchanges and co-operation among young financial professionals across APEC. Speaking during the discussion sessions, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, said that the key to advancing financial inclusion was to enable individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access affordable and reliable financial services safely and conveniently. He shared Hong Kong’s experience with the Commercial Data Interchange, which facilitates data sharing between businesses and banks to improve the efficiency of credit assessment and help SMEs access finance. He emphasised that consumer protection, sound data governance and clear accountability must be integral to innovation.

     Mr Chan also expressed Hong Kong’s support for continuing the Young Financial Talents Dialogue in 2027 to nurture a new generation of professionals with technical expertise, sound judgement, international perspectives and the ability to work across borders. He suggested focusing exchanges on practical policy issues, including responsible AI adoption, digital infrastructure financing and financial access, and building a lasting network among participants to promote continued learning and long-term co-operation.

     At the closing session of the meeting, the Minister of Finance, Mr Lan Fo’an, said that all parties should firmly implement the consensus reached at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, uphold multilateralism, and deepen practical co-operation in fiscal and financial affairs, with a view to contributing to regional economic and financial stability and long-term sustainable growth.

     A press conference was also held after the meeting. Mr Lan said that, with the joint efforts of all participants and the high-quality services provided by the HKSAR Government, the FMM had successfully completed all agenda items and delivered a series of practical deliverables. He noted that the meeting had deepened consensus among Asia-Pacific economies in three areas, namely strengthening communication and co-ordination on macroeconomic policies to jointly respond to external risks and challenges; promoting practical financial and economic co-operation to support long-term sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region; and advancing regional economic integration and fostering an Asia-Pacific community.

     Following the meeting, tours were arranged for members of delegations from participating economies and international organisations during their stay in Hong Kong. These activities offered them first-hand experience of Hong Kong’s unique charm – a city where Eastern and Western cultures converge and development goes hand in hand with culture. The itineraries included visits to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Palace Museum, as well as a boat tour to enjoy the renowned views of Victoria Harbour.

     The APEC FMM 2026 showcased Hong Kong’s unique advantages as an international financial centre, strongly supported by the Motherland and closely connected to the world, as well as its capability to host major international conferences. Hong Kong will continue to leverage its roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to deepen exchanges and co-operation with APEC member economies and contribute to regional economic and financial development.

  

     The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau sponsored the Hong Kong Brand Toy Association to participate in the 24th China international trade fair for toys – China Toy Expo in Shanghai from today (October 21) to October 23, and set up the inaugural Hong Kong Art Toy Pavilion to unveil original intellectual property (IP) creations by Hong Kong art toy companies and designers.
 
     The Hong Kong Art Toy Pavilion is a key project under the inaugural CCIDA-sponsored Hong Kong Art Toy Maker Incubation Programme. The Pavilion adopts pixel art as its core visual language and integrates retro-gaming aesthetics, digital culture and art toy presentation, creating a playful, distinctive and recognisable “Pixel Land from Hong Kong”. Eight original IP creations were selected from over 40 shortlisted entries and were sponsored to be developed into large-scale 3D models and showcased to global buyers and licensees at the China Toy Expo for the first time. 
 
     Organised by the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association, the China Toy Expo is one of the largest and most influential toy events in Asia. Participation in the Expo highlights Hong Kong’s creative strengths in the art toy sector, while promoting the creative achievements of the local industry to the Chinese Mainland market and deepening exchanges and collaboration in the fields of art toys and licensing, thereby helping the industry expand its international trade networks.
 
     CCIDA will continue to promote promising cultural IP projects, drive the industrialisation of cultural IPs, and support the Hong Kong art toy industry in exploring business opportunities.
 
     For more information about the Expo, please visit www.china-toy-expo.com/en.