Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Task Group on New Medical School met separately with the three universities that have submitted proposals for the establishment of the third medical school, namely Hong Kong Baptist University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, for the second time today (June 17) to have a focused exchange on the specific implementation plans of their proposals. Each university further presented to the Task Group its overall plan for implementing the new medical school proposal, including the curriculum content, clinical training for medical students, construction of teaching facilities, and funding arrangements, and responded to the suggestions and targeted questions raised by the Task Group after the first meeting. The Task Group will enhance speed and efficiency in expediting the assessment of the proposals, with a view to completing the assessments and providing a recommendation to the Government within this year.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “I am pleased to see that all the three universities have demonstrated a strong commitment to nurturing medical talent and developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, as well as responded positively to the key concerns raised by the Task Group, in particular, the quality of medical education and clinical training arrangements. As President Xi Jinping said, ‘Health is the most important indicator of people’s happiness.’ The current-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government strives to comprehensively deepen the reform of the healthcare system, and the new medical school will not only shoulder the mission of coping with the rapidly ageing population and the worsening shortage of healthcare manpower, but also collaborate and pursue complementary development with the two existing medical schools, with a view to contributing to the long-term enhancement of the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of Hong Kong’s healthcare system.”

     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said, “The establishment of the new medical school is not only a development project for an individual university, but also an important step in elevating Hong Kong’s position as an international hub for medical education and innovation. The 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education newly released by our nation strives to accelerate the development of world-class universities and advanced disciplines. We expect the selected university to take on the important task of actively promoting curriculum innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and establishing closer ties with regional partners. In addition to facilitating the overall development of the university concerned, the new medical school will also be able to nurture more healthcare talent, raise academic standard and broaden the scope of medical education and research in Hong Kong.”

     Established in October last year, the Task Group comprises seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics in medical education and university management, professionals, representatives from the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, as well as representatives from the relevant government bureaux and departments. It has already set the overall direction and parameters for establishing the new medical school. In December last year, the Task Group issued a letter of invitation to all University Grants Committee-funded universities to invite local universities interested in establishing the new medical school to submit proposals, and three proposals were received by the deadline. The Task Group’s first round of meetings with each of the three universities that have submitted proposals was conducted on May 3 this year to have in-depth discussions on the proposals.  

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     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) emphasised today (June 17) that the FEHD attaches great importance to staff discipline and integrity and will not condone any misconduct or illegal behaviour, following the District Court’s sentencing of eight former Principal Hawker Control Officers for conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. Any staff members found guilty of a criminal offence will not only be subject to court sentencing but will also face disciplinary sanctions by the department in accordance with the established civil service disciplinary mechanism. When conducting civil service recruitment exercises, civil servants must strictly comply with the relevant policies and procedures and ensure that the recruitment process is conducted according to the principles of fairness, transparency, and merits. 
       
     The FEHD will seek advice from the Civil Service Bureau to determine appropriate follow-up actions following the court judgment, including whether to consider cancelling, suspending, or reducing the pension benefits of the officers concerned under Section 29 of the Pension Benefits Ordinance (Cap. 99). 
       
     Following the incident, the FEHD has reviewed the recruitment procedures for Assistant Hawker Control Officers and introduced refinements to the modus operandi and the monitoring mechanism. Such enhancements include emphasising to recruitment board chairpersons and members that failure to uphold the principles of fairness, impartiality, and confidentiality during the selection process may result in disciplinary action or even criminal liability; adjusting the composition of recruitment boards to ensure a more balanced representation of relevant grades and enhance objectivity and diversity in the selection process; providing additional guidance to board secretaries to strengthen their role in supporting procedural fairness; and arranging for supervisory staff to observe interviews on an irregular basis and offer feedback on overall selection arrangements with a view to further ascertaining the propriety of the process. 
       
     In addition, the FEHD has strengthened integrity training for enforcement and supervisory officers at all levels, including inviting officers of the Independent Commission Against Corruption to conduct seminars on anti-corruption laws and related administrative codes to heighten staff awareness of corruption risks and the offence of misconduct in public office. The department also continues to use various channels to remind staff at all levels of the importance of upholding core civil service values and conduct at all times.  read more

     Jointly organised by the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and the Connecting Hearts, the sharing session for the social welfare sector on the 5th anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law concluded today (June 17).

     The sharing session aims to further enhance the awareness of the social welfare sector in implementing the Hong Kong National Security Law and encourage them to safeguard national security proactively. The event was attended by about 300 members from the management level of different social welfare organisations in person, with several thousand representatives from the social welfare sector joining online.

     Addressing the ceremony, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, said that with the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the LWB and the SWD have enhanced relevant mechanisms such as the inclusion of the requirement into the relevant documents for the SWD’s subsidised and subvented services to ensure non-governmental organisations’ compliance with the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in the delivery of services, and the amendments to the Social Workers Registration Ordinance which allow prompt and appropriate actions on registered social workers convicted of offences endangering national security. Upon implementation of these enhancements, Mr Sun said he was pleased to note that the social welfare sector has not only shown a rising awareness of safeguarding national security, but also integrated such awareness into the daily operation of their organisations, fully demonstrating that safeguarding national security is everyone’s responsibility.

     Mr Sun emphasised that the LWB and the SWD will continue to organise activities to promote national security education and patriotism in the sector in partnership with the Connecting Hearts and encourage organisations providing subvented welfare services to make good use of the Dedicated Fund to enhance their staff’s understanding of national affairs by arranging for them to join Mainland exchange tours and national studies programmes. He said that the overwhelming response from social workers on the Thousands of Hong Kong Social Workers Exploring the Motherland and Hong Kong Social Work Teaching Staff Exploring the Motherland tours is a clear indication of the sector’s wish to obtain a better and more comprehensive understanding of the overall national development.

     Hong Kong Special Administrative Region member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Ms Melissa Pang and Board member of the Connecting Hearts Professor Alex Fan were invited to deliver keynote speeches about the Hong Kong National Security Law at the sharing session today. The President of the Connecting Hearts Academy, Professor Annie Tam, also hosted a quiz session for the participants to enrich their understanding of the Hong Kong National Security Law in an interactive approach.

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     The Department of Health (DH) today (June 17) appealed to the public not to buy or use four types of topical products as they were found to contain undeclared controlled drug ingredients. These products include:
      

Product name	Part 1 poisons found
1. Zangyao xuanduwang	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
2. King poison to itch Antibacterial cream	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
3. HE SHENG MEI LANG DU WANG	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
4. ZHONG HUA ZHEN JUN WANG Antibacterial cream	Clobetasol propionate and miconazole

 
     Acting upon intelligence, the DH has collected samples of the above-mentioned products from a retail stall in Tuen Mun for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the above products contained undeclared controlled drug ingredients, which are Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138). These products are also suspected to be unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH, in collaboration with the Police, took enforcement action at the premises today. During the operation, a 51-year-old woman was arrested for suspected illegal sale and possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH’s investigation is still ongoing.
      
     Clobetasol propionate is a steroid substance for treating inflammation. Inappropriate application of steroids could cause skin problems and systemic side effects such as moon face, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis. Products containing clobetasol propionate are prescription medicines that should be used under a doctor’s directions and be supplied in the premises of an Authorized Seller of Poisons (i.e. a pharmacy) under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor’s prescription. Ketoconazole and miconazole are used for the treatment of fungal infections with side effects including local irritation and sensitivity reactions. Topical products containing ketoconazole and miconazole should be supplied in a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
      
     According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is a criminal offence. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
      
     The DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy or use products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of “HK-XXXXX”. The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.
      
     People who have purchased the products concerned should stop using them immediately and consult healthcare professionals if in doubt or if they feel unwell after use. They may submit the products to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1804-06, 18/F, Wing On Kowloon Centre, 345 Nathan Road, Kowloon, during office hours for disposal. read more

     Following is the speech by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, at a special session of “The Great Unity – Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties in Shaanxi Province” Exhibition today (June 17):

The Honourable Commissioner Cui Jianchun (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Mr Gary Chan (Legislative Council Member), Ms Starry Lee (Legislative Council Member), Mr Holden Chow (Legislative Council Member), Acting Secretary Lau (Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau), Director Chan (Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan), consuls-general, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It is great pleasure to welcome you to this special session of “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Great Unity – Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties in Shaanxi Province” Exhibition.  

     President Xi Jinping has, on many occasions, made important remarks on strengthening the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and promoting China’s magnificent traditional culture. Hong Kong has an important role to play here: deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture and extensively connected to the international communities, we are well positioned as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange to promote Chinese culture and history to the world and encourage mutual learning across nations and regions.  

     The Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government established the Chinese Culture Promotion Office (CCPO) last year. The CCPO is dedicated to promoting Chinese culture and history-related activities, exchanges and collaborations, thereby enhancing the public’s cultural confidence and national identity. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Museum of History, the CCPO launched in 2024 the first flagship project – the “General History of China Series” – for the public to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the development of Chinese civilisation. Last year, the first exhibition in the series, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Ancient Civilisation of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties in Henan Province” and the inaugural Chinese Culture Festival have attracted more than 1 million in physical attendance, including 10 000 teachers and students, in the same place that we are standing today.  

     Following that remarkable success, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Great Unity – Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties in Shaanxi Province” is the much yearned for second major exhibition in the General History of China Series. Qin and Han, spanning the 440 years from 221 BC to 220 AD, were two dynasties of immense significance. The Qin period saw the first unification of China in terms of adopting: political centralism, the system of prefectures and counties, “li shu” as the common written words, common currency, common weights and measures etc. Whereas the Han period saw the defeat of neighbouring and invading foreign tribes, the expansion of the national boundary, the prosperity of external trade via the Silk Road, and the adoption of Confucianism as the orthodox thinking and value etc. These developments profoundly influenced the course of China’s development for over 2,000 years.  

     The capital of Qin and Western Han was respectively Xianyang and Changan, which are today’s Xianyang and Xi’an in the province of Shaanxi. With the staunch and generous support of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, about 110 sets of priceless exhibits from Shaanxi, including figures from the world-renowned terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi-huang (秦始皇), and warrior and animal figurines of Emperor Jing (漢景å¸�), the sixth emperor of Western Han, are presented in this exhibition. Among the exhibits, 11 are grade-one national treasures brought to Hong Kong under the auspices of Shaanxi Province, with four on exhibition outside Mainland China for the first time. We earnestly hope that the wide array of exhibits will give our distinguished guests today a taste of the grandeur of the two dynasties and a deeper appreciation of the richness and beauty of traditional Chinese culture.

     I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong SAR and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong for organising this special viewing session. I look forward to having more exhibitions of national treasures from different Chinese provinces in Hong Kong under the General History of China Series to further introduce Chinese culture and history to the global audience.

     In closing, I hope you like the exhibition and have a delightful afternoon meeting the art pieces from 2 000 years ago. Thank you very much.

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