Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, attended a press conference for the World Internet Conference (WIC) Asia-Pacific Summit in Beijing this morning (March 17) together with the Secretary General of the WIC, Mr Ren Xianliang, to announce the launch of the Asia-Pacific Summit 2025 in Hong Kong.
 
     In addition to the highly acclaimed annual Wuzhen Summit, the WIC has designated Hong Kong for the first time to host the Asia-Pacific Summit. Organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and co-organised by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB), the Summit will be held April 14 and 15 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre under the theme of “Integration of AI and Digital Technologies Shaping the Future – Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace”.
 
     The Summit is expected to attract around 1,000 participants from the Mainland and overseas, including representatives from governments and enterprises, international organisations, leading corporations, experts and scholars. Through exploring the latest trends in various technology areas and in-depth exchanges of views and experiences, the Summit aims to enable all parties to seize the development opportunities brought about by digital and intelligent transformation, promoting high-quality development in innovation and technology (I&T), strengthening digital collaboration, and creating new momentum and new advantages for the development of the Asia-Pacific region.
 
     Mr Ren said that the WIC has chosen to organise the Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong to leverage Hong Kong’s unique advantage of global connectivity, fostering a cross-regional, cross-sector and cross-cultural dialogue platform to inject new impetus and create new opportunities for building an open, inclusive, innovative, connected and co-operative community with a shared future for the Asia-Pacific region.
 
     Professor Sun expressed his gratitude to the WIC for choosing Hong Kong as the host city of the 2025 Summit, affirming Hong Kong’s pivotal role of bridging the country and the world as a dual platform. This creates a top-notch platform for exchanges, dialogue and co-operation in I&T, further strengthening Hong Kong’s position as an international I&T centre. The HKSAR Government endeavours to collaborate with the WIC in jointly making the Summit into the most influential regional I&T mega event. Professor Sun said he believes that the Summit will deepen regional co-operation in the I&T field, support Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T centre, as well as foster the vibrant development of the digital economy across the Asia-Pacific region.
 
     The rich content of the Summit will include the opening ceremony and the main forum on “The Future of Digital Intelligence”, and three sub-forums on “Large Artificial Intelligence Models”, “Digital Finance” and “Digital Government and Smart Life” on the second day of the Summit, when internationally renowned speakers will share their insights to explore the future development and potential across various domains in digital technology. The Summit will also organise a series of affiliated activities including a government-enterprise dialogue session, a cybersecurity emergency response advanced training programme and an information meeting on Practice Cases and Awards for Pioneering Science and Technology. Details of the Summit are available from the WIC announcement www.wicinternet.org/2025-03/17/c_1079097.htm.
 
     In addition to the Summit, Hong Kong’s annual I&T mega event, the Business of Innovation and Technology Week (BIT Week) will take place concurrently in April to feature a series of exciting I&T activities. Co-organised by the ITIB and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, InnoEX will take place from April 13 to 16, bringing together major I&T elites from the Mainland and overseas, industry leaders and buyers from around the world. Through a large-scale exhibition, seminars and a series of business networking events, InnoEX will foster exchanges and dialogues, enabling participants to grasp the latest advancements and applications in I&T and explore global collaboration opportunities.
 
     Professor Sun concluded his visit and returned to Hong Kong in the evening. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

    The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (March 19) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Second Reading debate on the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (Computer Systems) Bill will resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.

     The Second Reading debate on the Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Bill 2024 will also resume. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council. After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.

     Meanwhile, the Stamp Duty (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Inland Revenue (Amendment)(Tax Concessions) Bill 2025, the Air Passenger Departure Tax (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Registration of Titles and Land (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025, the Post Secondary Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debates on the Bills will be adjourned.

     On Government motions, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury will move a proposed resolution under the Public Finance Ordinance to seek the Council’s approval to give for a sum not exceeding $177,748,880,000 to be charged on the general revenue for expenditure on the services of the Government in respect of the financial year commencing on 1 April 2025. The proposed resolution is set out in Appendix 1. 

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare will move four proposed resolutions under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, the Pneumoconiosis and Mesothelioma (Compensation) Ordinance, the Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Ordinance and the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance respectively. The proposed resolutions are set out in Appendices 2-5 respectively.

     On Members’ motions, Mr Kenneth Lau will move a motion on making good use of Hong Kong’s island and coastline resources to promote the development of marine tourism. The motion is set out in Appendix 6. Ms Elizabeth Quat, Mr Kwok Wai-keung, Mr Yim Kong, Dr Hoey Simon Lee and Dr So Cheung-wing will move separate amendments to Mr Lau’s motion.

     Professor Priscilla Leung will move a motion on developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a world-class corporate restructuring centre. The motion is set out in Appendix 7. Dr Kennedy Wong will move an amendment to Professor Leung’s motion.

     Mr Robert Lee will move a proposed resolution under section 34(4) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to extend the period for amending subsidiary legislation. The proposed resolution is set out in Appendix 8.

     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats. read more

     â€‹The Government announced today (March 17) that the Task Group on New Medical School has received a total of three proposals for the establishment of the third medical school before the submission deadline. These proposa… read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (March 17) investigating a cluster of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) symptoms among six secondary students who participated in an exchange tour to Xiamen last week. In view of the recent high activity of norovirus, the CHP has issued a letter to all schools in Hong Kong to provide health advice on the transmission, prevention and infection control of AGE. The CHP also organised an online meeting for the Education Bureau (EDB) and the service contractors of exchange tours on March 13 to provide health advice on the prevention of communicable diseases and food safety during the trip. The CHP will continue to provide health tips on outbound travel to students, teachers and parents through these service contractors. Furthermore, the CHP has stepped up publicity and education efforts at various boundary control points to remind members of the public to observe hygiene and be vigilant against viral gastroenteritis.
 
     The latest cluster involves a secondary school in Kwun Tong District. A total of 36 teachers and students participated in an exchange tour to Xiamen between March 13 and 15, during which six students developed AGE symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhoea and fever, from about 9pm on March 14 to about 7am the next morning. Five of them sought medical attention in Xiamen, and none required hospitalisation.
 
     The CHP is investigating the source of this AGE outbreak from different aspects. Preliminary epidemiological investigations revealed that all six affected persons had not consumed any common food items other than the group meals and had no other common exposure history in Hong Kong prior to their departure. Hence, at this stage, the CHP could not rule out the possibility that the cases were infected by consuming contaminated food. The CHP has notified the Mainland health authority of the relevant epidemiological investigations and information regarding the restaurants concerned. The CHP is collecting stool specimens from the patients for laboratory testing and has notified the EDB of the relevant assessment.
 
     Regarding the three clusters of students participating in exchange tours to Shaoguan who developed gastroenteritis symptoms earlier, the CHP’s follow-up investigation found that three more students developed gastroenteritis symptoms on March 7 and 9 respectively, bringing the total number of affected persons from the previously announced 52 teachers and students to 55. Among them, 16 have sought medical attention, and three have tested positive for norovirus. The CHP will continue to work closely with the Guangdong authority and take necessary follow-up actions.
 
     Apart from the Mainland, there have been recent outbreaks of AGE in other popular travel destinations for Hong Kong citizens. In Japan, the number of patients seeking medical attention for infective gastroenteritis has increased in recent weeks, and large-scale food poisoning outbreaks caused by norovirus have been reported in various places in recent months. In Singapore, the number of medical consultations related to acute diarrhoeal illnesses was higher than the same period last year. In Taiwan, the number of medical consultations related to diarrhoea has remained high in recent months, reaching a record high over the same period in the past five years. Test results showed that the majority of the outbreaks were caused by norovirus. Members of the public should remain vigilant and maintain personal, environmental and food hygiene at all times to minimise the risk of being infected while travelling.
 
     Viral gastroenteritis is more commonly seen in cooler months and can be caused by a variety of viruses, most commonly norovirus and rotavirus. The main symptoms of viral gastroenteritis are diarrhoea and vomiting. Other symptoms include headache, fever, and abdominal cramps. In general, the symptoms begin one to two days following infection with a virus that causes gastroenteritis. Depending on the type of viruses causing the illness, however, the symptoms may last for one to 10 days.

     Alcohol-based handrub should not substitute hand hygiene with liquid soap and water, as alcohol does not effectively kill some viruses frequently causing AGE, for example, norovirus. To prevent foodborne diseases, members of the public are advised to observe good personal, food and environmental hygiene. When eating out, the following points should be observed:
 

• Ensure proper personal hygiene;
• Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and eating, after using the toilet or after changing diapers;
• Wear gloves and surgical mask when disposing of vomitus or faecal matter, and wash hands afterwards;
• Clean and disinfect contaminated areas or items promptly and thoroughly with diluted household bleach (by adding one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite to 49 parts of water). Wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Pay attention to food hygiene;
• Use separate utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Avoid food that is not thoroughly cooked;
• Drink boiled water; and
• Do not patronise unlicensed food premises or food stalls.

     
     â€‹The public may visit the CHP’s website for more information and preventive advice on viral gastroenteritis.
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     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 17) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly pat… read more