â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (February 28) that, as advised by the postal administration of Mauritius, due to the impact of severe weather, mail delivery services to the country are subject to delay.

     The Government today announced (February 28) the appointment of Ms Melody Wong Yee-ting and Ms Syalis Kwok Mei-sin as new members to the Advisory Committee on Recycling Fund through the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth (MSSY) for a term from March 1, 2025, to July 31, 2027.

     To facilitate the operation of the Recycling Fund, the Advisory Committee on Recycling Fund was established in August 2015 to advise and make recommendations to the Government on matters relating to the overall administration and operation of the Recycling Fund. Furthermore, the Government regularly recruits young persons aged between 18 and 35 who are eager to serve the community to join the Government's advisory committees through the MSSY with a view to providing more opportunities for young people to participate in policy discussions.

     The membership of the Advisory Committee on Recycling Fund is as follows:
      
Chairperson
Dr Daniel Yip Chung-yin
 
Members
Ms Bonnie Chan Jo-ying
Mr Nathan Chau Cheuk-yin
Dr Chung Shan-shan
Ms Judy Ho Pui-Suen
Dr Amie Lai Gor
Mr Nicholas Lai Yui-man
Dr Barry Lee Chi-hong
Dr Frank Leung Yat-cheong
Mr Yuet Ngai-keung
Dr Edward Chan Chi-wing
Mr Jude Chow Chee-ping
Ms Melanie Kwok Hoi-yee
Prof Raymond Leung Hai-ming
Ms Sabrina Leung Heung-ying
Mr Harvey Liu Wing-tai
Mr Thomas Wong Cheung-chi
Ms Melody Wong Yee-ting*
Ms Syalis Kwok Mei-sin*
 
* New members appointed through the MSSY

     ​Subsequent to the visit by the Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK), Ms Alpha Lau, to Seoul, Korea, last week (February 20 and 21) to promote Hong Kong's business advantages, a delegation of Korean food and beverage companies visited Hong Kong from February 25 to 27 to explore business opportunities in the city. InvestHK and its Korean office, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo) and Korea Franchise Association, co-organised a three-day business delegation trip. The visit facilitated exchanges between the Korean and local food and beverage (F&B) companies, further promoting business opportunities in Hong Kong's F&B industry.
 
     On the first day of the trip, the Head of Tourism and Hospitality at InvestHK, Ms Sindy Wong, shared Hong Kong's business advantages and the local F&B market landscape with the delegation, helping companies gain a deeper understanding of the city's business environment. The event featured a series of themed seminars, networking sessions and business matching opportunities with local restaurant operators. The seminars included case studies and insights into the retail property market.  Additionally, the delegates visited Tai Kwun, Soho, and Tsim Sha Tsui to gain first-hand insights into the latest developments in Hong Kong's F&B and retail property scene. These visits also provided an opportunity for them to explore the potential for Korean specialty cuisine to enter and thrive in the local market.
 
      "Hong Kong and Korea have for a long time enjoyed strong ties across many areas, including trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchanges. We are a city of culinary delights, with over 17 000 places for food, including 79 Michelin-star restaurants, six of Asia's 50 best restaurants, and nine of Asia's 50 best bars,” said Ms Lau. At the welcome dinner on the first day of the trip, Ms Lau warmly welcomed the Korean business delegation and said, "We hope the delegation finds the programme useful and makes great business connections, and also new friends, on this trip. We are confident that they will find partners to establish their restaurants here and join our exciting F&B scene in the near future."

     â€‹Seeing that the visit concluded successfully with a fruitful outcome, the Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative (Tokyo), Miss Winsome Au, stated, "Our office is pleased to drive this first Korean business delegation mission to Hong Kong. Indeed, Korean cuisine is garnering increasing attention in Hong Kong, thanks to the global popularity of K-culture. Our office will continue our efforts in supporting this joint initiative of promoting mutual understanding between Hong Kong and Korean companies, and we hope that these efforts will lead to more investment and collaboration in various fields."
 
     The Chief Executive Officer of PSP F&D Co Ltd, Mr Park Sangyoung, stated, "The vibrant dining atmosphere in Hong Kong makes it an ideal platform to showcase Korean culinary culture. We are very optimistic about the market prospects. This event has given us the opportunity to share Korea's diverse food culture and also helped us build valuable partnerships with Hong Kong's F&B industry. This will serve as a solid foundation for our future expansion into Hong Kong and the wider Asian market."
 
     The Chief Executive Officer of ALL F&B Co Ltd, Mr Bang Kyoungseok, added, "Hong Kong consumers' passion for Korean cuisine, along with their high standards for food quality, perfectly aligns with our brand philosophy. We understand more about the Hong Kong market through this event and will start planning our development here. We look forward to bringing the most authentic Korean dining experience to Hong Kong."
 
     The Chief Operating Officer of LUBUDS, Ms Berfa Chow, said, "Netflix's Korean cuisine reality show 'Culinary Class Wars' has become globally famous, further boosting the popularity of Korean cuisine in Hong Kong's dining scene. We are thrilled for the opportunity to explore collaboration with several renowned Korean restaurant groups. Combining their expertise with our in-depth local market knowledge, we are confident in delivering more top-notch, authentic Korean dining experiences to Hong Kong consumers while seizing this exciting market opportunity."
 
     The Vice Chairman of Fulum Group Holdings Limited, Professor Keith Wu, stated, "From K-dramas and K-pop to Korean cuisine, Korean culture is going viral and young consumers show a strong appetite for authentic Korean dining. We are excited to explore collaborations with well-known Korean restaurant brands, aiming to strategically enhance our offerings with more Korean elements and further enrich our brand portfolio."

          

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the opening of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Belt & Road International Symposium 2025 today (February 28):
     
President Julia Lau (President of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects), 葉副部長 (Deputy Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Ye Shuiqiu), 孟建民副�事長 (Vice Chairman of the Architectural Society of China, Dr Meng Jianmin), Ar Saifuddin (President of Architects Regional Council Asia, Mr Saifuddin Bin Ahmad), Ar Gonthier (President of International Union of Architects, Ms Regina Gonthier), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to join you this morning at the opening of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) Belt and Road International Symposium 2025. This is my first time attending an HKIA event as the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, but actually I am very happy to see many old friends in this distinguished audience.
      
     As an important strategy of the Central People’s Government, the Belt and Road Initiative has entered its golden era. Themed as "Cultiversal – The Tapestry of Cultural Diversity & Universality", the Symposium today is held at an opportune time. I believe many of us would actually look forward to hearing from the prestigious speakers to share their insights on urban-rural integration, heritage and modernity, and other interesting topics on architecture. May I give a warm welcome to these elites from Hong Kong, the Mainland of China and seven other countries. 
      
     In the coming two days, we will be exploring innovative possibilities for the future with a view to promoting Hong Kong's architectural services to the Mainland of China and countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.
      
     Funded by the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, today's Symposium aims at fostering the exchange of local and international professionals in the industry of architecture. The objective also aligns with the policy direction of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under my Bureau.
      
     The CCIDA is dedicated to fostering a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. The architecture sector, being one of the major components of our robust cultural and creative industries, has been a close partner of the CCIDA. We have also sponsored the HKIA Biennale Foundation to organise the Hong Kong Collateral Event at Biennale Architettura – International Architecture Exhibition and Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong) to promote Hong Kong's architecture in the international arena and to the local public. I am thrilled to learn that the Hong Kong Collateral Event has developed into a roving exhibition which also tours in one Belt and Road country and the Mainland of China in each edition.
      
     Speaking of the development of creative industries in Hong Kong, the Government promulgated the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development in November last year, setting out a clear vision, principles and strategic directions for the development of the industries, thereby further consolidating Hong Kong's position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. We will continue to support the cultural and creative industries, including the architecture sector, to tap into new markets and promote cultural exchanges, in particular with Belt and Road countries and regions.
      
     Before I close, I would like to congratulate the HKIA for organising another successful edition of the Symposium. Thank you.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (February 28) the following arrangements on lifesaving services for the period from March 1 to 31: 

Deep Water Bay Beach, Repulse Bay Beach, Stanley Main Beach, Big Wave Bay Beach, Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Silverstrand Beach, Silver Mine Bay Beach, Golden Beach, Lido Beach and Casam Beach
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Lifesaving services provided from 8am to 5pm daily

     The arrangements on lifesaving services in other months and at other gazetted beaches will be announced separately. Swimmers should pay attention to safety when enjoying the fun of swimming, and should only go to beaches where lifesaving services are provided. Please do not enter the water when the red flag is hoisted.