Author Archives: hksar gov

     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 is conducting 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.
 
     From noon on October 13 to noon today (October 14), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 211 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. 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 50 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, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 267 637 samples of food imported from Japan (including 166 598 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 57 010 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     ​Following is a question by the Hon Elaine Chik and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (October 14):

Question:

     In the 2026 Policy Address, the Government announced that the amount of allowance under the Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families and the Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities (Allowance Schemes) would be increased by 10 per cent to $3,300 per month. However, there are views that despite the large number of unpaid carers in Hong Kong, the current number of beneficiaries under the Allowance Schemes is rather small, and that the existing community support for carers is seriously inadequate, thereby placing many families in which elderly persons are caring for other elderly persons or persons with disabilities under considerable pressure. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the actual number of beneficiaries and the total amount of allowances disbursed under the two aforesaid Allowance Schemes in each of the past three financial years, and the respective percentages of the numbers of such beneficiaries in the total number of unpaid carers and the total number of families of persons with disabilities in Hong Kong;

(2) whether, when determining and adjusting the allowance amount, the authorities have obtained data on the average actual monthly expenditure incurred by long-term carers on items such as medical consumables, transport for accompanying care recipients to medical appointments and day respite services; if so, of the details; if not, the objective criteria adopted by the authorities to assess whether the monthly allowance level of $3,300 is adequate to meet family needs;

(3) of the number of applications rejected under the two aforesaid Allowance Schemes in each of the past three financial years, with a breakdown by major reasons for rejection, including household income exceeding the prescribed limit, receipt of other public benefits, failure to meet the requirement of providing at least 80 hours of care per month, and the care recipient not being on the Central Waiting List for Subsidised Long Term Care Services;

(4) whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the number of carers in Hong Kong who are ineligible to apply for carer allowance by virtue of their current receipt of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), Old Age Living Allowance or Disability Allowance (other allowances); given that subsistence allowances for the grassroots and support for carers are different in nature, whether the authorities will conduct a comprehensive review and remove the restriction that precludes recipients of CSSA or other allowances from applying for carer allowance; if not, of the reasons for that;

(5) whether, during the transitional period prior to the formal commissioning of the inter-departmental “welfare information sharing e-platform”, the authorities will establish an inter-departmental mechanism and specific indicators to proactively identify and reach out to hidden high-risk families in which elderly persons are caring for other elderly persons or for persons with disabilities, so as to address the current passive situation of inadequate publicity for the Allowance Schemes and sole reliance on self-initiated applications by members of the public; if not, what other measures the authorities will adopt to enhance publicity; and

(6) whether the authorities will set up “one-stop carer support centres” in the 18 districts across the territory, study the implementation of a “Carer Pass” to provide public healthcare services and transport concessions, and collaborate with community groups to jointly establish a community safety net; if not, of the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The current-term Government has spared no effort in introducing a range of welfare services and financial assistance to support carers of elderly persons and carers of persons with disabilities, including the enhancement measures announced in the 2026 Policy Address. The Government will continue to expand support channels and increase service capacity, and apply smart technology and big data, so as to put in place a more comprehensive and sustainable suite of carer support measures, and enhance the ability to identify high-risk cases and intervene in crises.

     Our reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) and (3) The Scheme on Living Allowance for Carers of Elderly Persons from Low-income Families (the Allowance Scheme for Carers of the Elderly) and the Scheme on Living Allowance for Low-income Carers of Persons with Disabilities (the Allowance Scheme for Carers of Persons with Disabilities) aim to provide a cash allowance to eligible carers of elderly persons or carers of persons with disabilities, so as to help supplement their living expenses. To strengthen support for carers, the 2026 Policy Address announced that the amount of the two allowances would be increased by 10 per cent to $3,300 per month. An eligible applicant who takes care of more than one elderly person or person with disabilities may receive up to $6,600 per month.

     The two carer allowance schemes were incorporated into the Government’s regular assistance programmes in October 2023. In the past three financial years, the expenses were $110 million, $321 million and $396 million respectively. The annual number of beneficiaries and the breakdown of ineligible cases in the respective years are set out in Table 1 and Table 2. The Government does not maintain the total number of unpaid carers in Hong Kong, and therefore cannot calculate the percentage of which the beneficiaries of the two allowance schemes account for.

Table 1: Number of beneficiaries under the two carer allowance schemes
 

	Allowance Scheme for Carers of the Elderly			Allowance Scheme for Carers of Persons with Disabilities
	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26
No. of beneficiaries	4 194 (Note)	5 507	7 094	3 213 (Note)	3 751	3 983

Note: Counted from the regularisation of the schemes in October 2023. All cases receiving an allowance under the pilot schemes before regularisation were required to submit fresh applications after October 2023. This number includes relevant eligible applications.

Table 2: Number of ineligible cases and reasons for ineligibility under the two carer allowance schemes
 

Reason for ineligibility	Allowance Scheme for Carers of the Elderly			Allowance Scheme for Carers of Persons with Disabilities
	2023-24 (Note 1)	2024-25	2025-26	2023-24 (Note 1)	2024-25	2025-26
(i) Care recipient not waitlisted for the relevant services (Note 2)	2	35	270	55	82	249
(ii) Care recipient already receiving residential care services	28	26	19	32	21	25
(iii) Applicant’s household income exceeding the limit	43	19	24	67	16	9
(iv) Application withdrawn, or insufficient information provided for vetting	51	41	60	48	20	31
(v) Applicant receiving the Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) or Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA)	262	120	96	115	24	21
(vi) Applicant receiving the Disability Allowance (DA) (Note 3)	47	17	26	34	14	17
(vii) Applicant unable to undertake the caring responsibility, except for reason in item (vi) (Note 3)	17	9	24	9	7	3
(viii) Others (e.g. the applicant is not a Hong Kong resident, the care recipient has passed away, or the applicant and the care recipient are the same person, etc.)	77	31	79	13	9	6
Total	527	298	598	373	193	361

Note 1: Counted from the regularisation of the schemes in October 2023.

Note 2: Under the Allowance Scheme for Carers of the Elderly, at the time of application the elderly person being cared for must have been assessed under the Social Welfare Department (SWD)’s Standardised Care Need Assessment Mechanism for Elderly Services (SCNAMES) and recommended as suitable for community care services and/or residential care services, and must still be waitlisted on the Central Waiting List (CWL) for subsidised long-term care services (that is, residential care services and/or community care services). Under the Allowance Scheme for Carers of Persons with Disabilities, at the time of application the person with disabilities being cared for must be waitlisted for any specified rehabilitation services of the SWD, the boarding placement of special schools under the Education Bureau (EDB), or the infirmary service under the Hospital Authority (HA).

Note 3: Under the two allowance schemes, an applicant must be capable of taking up the caregiving role. Persons aged under 15, DA recipients, persons assessed and recommended under SCNAMES as suitable for community care services and/or residential care services, and persons waitlisted on the CWL for subsidised long-term care services or for any specified rehabilitation services of the SWD, the boarding placement of special schools under the EDB or the infirmary service under HA, will not be deemed as fit and capable carers, and are not eligible for the allowance under the schemes.

(2) The Government will take into account a basket of factors, including inflation, the needs of recipients and the affordability of public finance, when reviewing the two allowance schemes and adjusting the amount of allowance as appropriate.

(4) To ensure proper use of public funds and avoid duplication of resources, recipients of CSSA or OALA cannot concurrently receive carer allowances. The number of cases where applicants are ineligible for the two carer allowance schemes due to the above arrangement is set out in item (v) of Table 2. With regard to DA, Note 3 to Table 2 has stated that applicants for the two carer allowances must be capable of taking up caregiving responsibilities. DA recipients are not deemed as capable of taking up caregiving responsibilities, and are therefore ineligible for application. Relevant figures are set out in item (vi) of Table 2.

(5) and (6) The SWD has, based on the information in the CWL, proactively issued invitation letters to eligible carers to apply for the allowance at the pilot stage before regularisation of the two allowance schemes and after regularisation. In addition, the SWD has also introduced online application forms to facilitate public access to relevant information and submission of applications at any time.

     To enhance the ability to identify high-risk carers and intervene in a crisis, the Government has actively applied smart technology and big data in recent years. The Labour and Welfare Bureau and the SWD established the Carer Support Data Platform in July 2025 and launched two schemes. Scheme I consolidates data of the SWD and the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) to identify high-risk households living in public housing, comprising singleton elderly persons and doubleton elderly persons, carers of elderly persons and carers of persons with disabilities who lack community support, and engages the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) to conduct home visits and provide support. These visits were extended in March 2026 to cover high-risk households living in “three-nil” buildings. As at the end of September 2026, Care Teams had contacted more than 36 300 high-risk households and made more than 4 200 referrals for welfare services. Scheme II links up data of the SWD, HA, the HKHA and the Hong Kong Housing Society, and has put in place a notification mechanism. When the SWD is notified that a carer has been admitted to a hospital, it will intervene proactively through the Designated Hotline for Carer Support 182 183 (Hotline) and provide emergency support to the care recipient. As at the end of September 2026, the Hotline had contacted more than 10 500 carer cases, of which five were confirmed to require immediate emergency support, including meal support, home-based respite and escort services. For the remaining cases, the Hotline provided the contact details of social welfare units so that support for care recipients could be arranged when needed. The 2026 Policy Address announced that the Government would enhance the automated operation of the Data Platform and expand its coverage.

     At district level, apart from mobilising Care Teams to proactively visit households in need, the Government has all along been providing various kinds of support for carers through District Elderly Community Centres, Neighbourhood Elderly Centres, District Support Centres for Persons with Disabilities (DSCs), and Parents/Relatives Resource Centres, which cover all 18 districts across the territory. Whether they are frontline staff of service units, the Hotline or members of the Care Teams, when providing or referring support services to carers, they will introduce the two allowance schemes to carers based on their needs, and make every effort to assist carers in making application. The 2026 Policy Address announced that the Government would optimise the system of the Hotline and increase the manpower of DSCs, so as to strengthen early identification of and support for high-risk carers.

     There are various initiatives among the carer support measures implemented by the Government that exemplify collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community. These include the Information Gateway for Carers established by the SWD in collaboration with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and the Pilot Scheme on Installing Intelligent Accident Detection Systems for High-risk Households, which is sponsored by the HKEX Foundation, and implemented and evaluated through collaboration between the Government, various service providers, non-governmental organisations and a university.

     The Government will continue to listen to the views of stakeholders, and work hand in hand with all sectors of the community to continuously enhance the carer support measures. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Lee Chun-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (October 14):

Question: 

     In the 2026 Policy Address (Policy Address), the Chief Executive proposes to deepen patriotic education for young people by making good use of the Mainland’s resources to deliver multi-faceted and content-rich exchange and internship activities as well as designating annual themes, which will enable young people to witness first-hand the country’s development and achievements, deepening their understanding of the nation’s history and culture as well as its enduring bond and kinship with Hong Kong. There are concerns over the implementation details and long-term effectiveness of the relevant programmes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the detailed plans and timetables for implementation of the proposal in the Policy Address to list the Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Shaanxi Province as the second patriotic education base for the youth of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in the Mainland and to designate annual themes, such as the country’s aerospace achievements and the supply of Dongjiang water to Hong Kong for exchange and internship activities;

(2) of the specific criteria and strategy to enhance the quality of youth exchange and study tours to the Mainland and prevent the itineraries from becoming merely a formality; for example, whether it will introduce high-quality thematic project learning and immersive experiences into youth exchange tours and establish quantifiable indicators for performance assessment to ensure that the exchange activities can truly deepen young people’s recognition of the nation’s history, development and achievements; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) while national education and the Values Education Curriculum Framework have now been formally implemented in all primary and secondary schools across the territory, whether the Government will, together with the Working Group on Patriotic Education, make use of new media platforms, such as short videos and interactive games or partner with youth hostels and local clansmen associations to establish dedicated promotional networks for tertiary students who have graduated or left school, or for young people who are in employment or not in education, so as to prevent a gap in national education; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Having consulted the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau and the Education Bureau (EDB), the reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Lee Chun-keung is as follows:

(1) The 2026 Policy Address stipulates that the Government will deepen patriotic education for young people by making good use of the Mainland’s resources to deliver multi faceted and content rich exchange and internship activities as well as designating annual themes, such as the country’s aerospace achievements and the supply of Dongjiang water to Hong Kong. This will enable young people to witness first hand the country’s development and achievements, deepening their understanding of the nation’s history and culture as well as its enduring bond and kinship with Hong Kong, thereby strengthening young people’s sense of national identity, national pride and cultural confidence.

     This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March. Yan’an is a sacred place of the Chinese revolution and the cradle of New China. With the support of the Central Government, the HKSAR Government will list the Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Shaanxi Province as the second patriotic education base for the youth of the HKSAR in the Mainland, and encourage students and young people to visit the place for study. The HKSAR Government is now liaising with the relevant Mainland authorities on the timing and other arrangements for the establishment of this base. 

     The EDB has been arranging for students to visit the Mainland for learning through the Mainland Exchange Programmes for Primary and Secondary School Students (MEPs) and the Senior Secondary Citizenship and Social Development (CS) Mainland Study Tours. The Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Shaanxi has been incorporated into the routes of the MEPs and CS Mainland Study Tours, with a view to enabling students to learn, through visits, about the journey of the Red Army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the Long March, its establishment of a foothold in Yan’an, and the history of Yan’an once serving as the seat of the CPC Central Committee. In addition, other relevant visiting spots, such as Zhuhai Aerospace Land in Guangdong, the source of Dongjiang water at Sanbai Mountain in Jiangxi, and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, have also been incorporated into the routes of the MEPs and CS Mainland Study Tours. The EDB will continue to review and optimise the arrangements for Mainland exchange activities for students, maintain close communication and liaison with relevant Mainland units, and disseminate successful experiences for enhancing the effectiveness of the study tours.

     At present, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) provides funding for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to organise youth exchange projects in the Mainland through the HYAB Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland (FSYEM). The FSYEM aims to enhance young people’s understanding of the country’s culture, history, way of life and latest developments, and strengthening exchanges with their Mainland peers. Applications for the 2027-28 FSYEM will open in mid-November this year. The HYAB will actively encourage NGOs to arrange for youth participants to visit the patriotic education bases for Hong Kong and Macao youth in their exchange projects, and relevant applications will be given priority consideration. Furthermore, to deepen patriotic education for young people, the HYAB will designate annual themes for 2027-28, which include: (i) the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland; (ii) the 100th anniversary of the founding of Chinese People’s Liberation Army; (iii) the country’s aerospace achievements; and (iv) supply of Dongjiang water to Hong Kong.

(2) The EDB has been collecting views from different stakeholders, taking various factors into consideration, and maintaining close exchanges with relevant Mainland authorities to adjust and optimise the arrangements for Mainland exchange activities for students in each school year. Like a “walking classroom”, the exchange programmes enable students to gain first-hand understanding of national affairs and the latest development of our country. Apart from emphasising close connection with curriculum elements, the EDB has also enriched relevant visiting spots and learning objectives in response to the latest national developments and major historical events. For instance, inclusion of the Museum of the War of the Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing and the Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Shaanxi, both being patriotic education bases for Hong Kong and Macao youth, and designated itineraries for the theme of the 80th Anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance. The cross-province route in Jiangxi and Guangdong, on the theme of “Remembering the Source When Drinking Water”, combines the history of the Long March and revolutionary deeds, allowing students to appreciate, through thematic project-based learning and immersive experience, the profound affection of our country towards Hong Kong. The EDB will continue to gauge the learning effectiveness of Mainland exchange activities for students through participant questionnaires, school visits, inspections, collection of student works (including photos, video clips and student reflections), and interviews with teachers and students, using quantifiable performance indicators. The EDB also regularly organises experience-sharing sessions to promote professional exchanges among teachers, and showcase the outcomes of students’ experiential learning through diversified means, such as the CS Mainland Study Tour Project Learning Report Award Scheme.

     The HYAB provides young people with Mainland exchange opportunities outside of those that complement the school curriculum, allowing them to choose exchange activities with different themes based on their interests and gain more in-depth experience of the latest developments in various aspects in the Mainland. Funded exchange projects under the FSYEM should feature specific themes, such as understanding the National 15th Five-Year Plan, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Belt and Road initiative, as well as national history, economy, science, culture, etc. In the past two years, the HYAB has also strongly encouraged funded NGOs to organise exchange projects centered on themes such as the 80th Anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, the 60th Anniversary of Dongjiang Water Supply to Hong Kong, the 90th Anniversary of the victory of the Long March, and the 160th Anniversary of Dr Sun Yat-sen’s birthday. Through thematic exchanges and immersive experiences, these projects enable young people to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s historical development and achievements, thereby further enhancing their sense of national identity and patriotism. Upon completion of the exchange projects, participants are invited to fill in evaluation questionnaires, from which the HYAB can gauge their feedback and monitor project effectiveness and quality. Representatives of the HYAB and the Youth Development Commission also attend local activities (such as sharing sessions) organised by the funded NGOs to gather participants’ views on the projects and monitor their effectiveness and quality.

(3) In 2024, the Government established the Working Group on Patriotic Education (the Working Group) under the Constitution and Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. The Working Group is responsible for co-ordinating the work of government departments and NGOs in taking forward patriotic education in Hong Kong. Four sub-groups of the Working Group focus on school education, community engagement, cultural and historical promotion, and media publicity. The Working Group has been emphasising on conducting patriotic education through a soft and heart-moving, as well as innovative and diversified approach for comprehensive patriotic education in various aspects for all walks of life. The Working Group will continue its work under this approach, including to further adopt new media platforms, to take forward patriotic education in Hong Kong. 

     For recent graduates, working youth and out-of-school youth, the HYAB has been working closely with the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education to promote civic and national education (including patriotic education) to general public outside schools and within the community through different channels and diverse means. These efforts include disseminating information via the Committee’s website and social media pages; organising the Basic Law Quiz Competition and Basic Law Seminars, etc; and sponsoring eligible organisations (including various youth organisations and district clansmen associations) to host activities in promoting national and patriotic education under the Community Participation Scheme. Also, through the Youth Hostel Scheme, the HYAB and the operating organisations provide various activities on national education to the youth tenants, such as visits and guided tours to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center, the National Security Exhibition Gallery and Xuelong 2; sharing sessions on the spirit of the “two sessions”; and exchange tours to the Mainland, in order to deepen their understanding of the country. In terms of the adaption of new media, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, the Information Services Department (ISD), in collaboration with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), have produced a 5-episode mini-drama titled “Victory in War of Resistance” and have the series available on the official websites and social media platforms of the ISD and RTHK, to enhance public awareness of the War of Resistance on the Chinese Mainland and in Hong Kong, to allow citizens to remember history, honour martyrs, and cherish and safeguard peace. read more

     The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB), with the Tourism Commission (TC), today (October 14) invites interested parties to submit expressions of interest (EOIs) for the development of an onshore power supply (OPS) facility at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT). 

     The use of green energy is a major trend in the international shipping industry. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target to peak greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or around 2050, taking into account different national circumstances. Hong Kong, China, as an associate member of the IMO, has long been supporting the related emission reduction target. Installing OPS facilities at cruise terminals allows cruise ships to connect to the onshore power grid while at berth, helping to reduce GHG emissions and fuel consumption from the ship’s auxiliary engines, and abating emissions of air pollutants including nitrogen oxides. 

     The KTCT had reserved space for setting up OPS facilities during its construction. In view of the growing adoption of OPS in the international cruise industry in recent years, the EEB, in collaboration with the TC, commissioned a consultancy study on the installation of OPS facilities at the KTCT. The study includes reviewing the trend of developing OPS facilities in major ports around the world, analysing the installation of onboard systems for onshore power connection and their use by cruise ships in various places, and examining the technical requirements and development costs for installing such facilities at the KTCT. The study reveals that installing OPS facilities at the KTCT is technically feasible, yet its long-term economic benefits and costs would require further examination. Therefore, the Government is conducting an EOI exercise to gauge the private sector’s interest in investing in and operating the facilities, and to assess their commercial viability, with a view to formulating the development arrangements.

     A spokesperson for the EEB said, “Developing OPS facilities will help advance Hong Kong’s transition towards green shipping. We encourage interested parties to submit EOIs to provide views and proposals on the development of OPS facilities at the KTCT, including delivery model, OPS facility design, operational plan and cost effectiveness analysis. The EOI exercise is not a tender exercise and does not form part of any procurement process.”

     The deadline for submission of EOIs is noon on December 14, 2026 (Monday). Details of the EOI invitation can be found on the webpage of the EEB (www.eeb.gov.hk/en/business_job/business_opp/eoi/ops-ktct.html). read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
     
     The Chongqing and Hong Kong authorities announced today (October 14) the launch of the Chongqing-Hong Kong Cross-boundary Data Validation Platform (CQ-HK DVP).  
      
     As set out in the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address, this new cross-boundary data validation mechanism jointly established with Chongqing is one of the measures for encouraging the orderly flow of financial elements between the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) facilitated the establishment of the CQ-HK DVP (Note 1) together with authorities including the People’s Bank of China Chongqing Municipal Branch, the Office of the Financial Commission of the Chongqing Municipal Committee, the Office of the Cyberspace Affairs Commission of the Chongqing Municipal Committee, and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government.
      
     Leveraging blockchain technology and data coding (i.e. hash values), the CQ-HK DVP enables the verification of data presented by customers without involving the cross-boundary transfer or storage of the original documents. The relevant innovative technologies and mechanism have been successfully applied and proven to be stable and effective via the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cross-boundary Data Validation Platform (Note 2).
      
     The CQ-HK DVP will mainly support cross-boundary financial use cases at the outset. Banks in Chongqing and Hong Kong are actively advancing use cases involving the validation of both Northbound and Southbound data flows, which will support customers in the two places to engage in diverse banking services, including account opening and loan applications.   
      
     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “Under the ‘Fintech 2030’ strategy, the HKMA is committed to creating next-generation data infrastructure. The CQ-HK DVP will further foster secure and efficient cross-boundary data flow between Chongqing and Hong Kong. We will maintain close liaison with the relevant Mainland authorities, the banking industry, frontier technology companies and other stakeholders to continuously enhance the platform. This, in turn, will benefit residents and corporates from both places and support the development of the real economy.”

Note 1: The platform is operated by Chongqing Credit Co., Ltd and WeBank Technology Services Limited in Chongqing and Hong Kong respectively.

Note 2: The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cross-boundary Data Validation Platform (SZ-HK DVP) was pilot launched in May 2024 and linked up with the HKMA’s Commercial Data Interchange in April 2025. To date, the usage of the SZ-HK DVP has surpassed 40 000 times, and it has successfully provided assistance to over 10 banks across more than 10 business scenarios, including the validation work required for bank account opening, remittances, and loans. Both Northbound and Southbound data flows have been covered.  read more