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Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:      The Marine Department today (March 14) reminded masters, coxswains and persons… read more

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the preview and opening reception of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia – A Conversation today (March 13):
 
Mr Henry Tang (Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority), Mr Bernard Chan (Chairman of the M+ Board), Mr Nicolas D Hunsworth (Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club), Mrs Christile Drulhe (Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macao), Mrs Cécile Debray (President of the Musée national Picasso-Paris), Ms Pansy Ho (Co-chairman of the Board of French May Arts Festival), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening and a very warm welcome to a full house of audience here. I’m so happy to see you all. I am most delighted to be in M+ Museum with you all here tonight to celebrate the opening of this extraordinary exhibition “the Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia – A Conversation”. The power of artwork in telling stories and evoking emotions is universally acknowledged, and I believe art lovers would agree with me that Pablo Picasso is a master of the masters in terms of his ability to highlight, or more precisely, to breakdown the subject of his paintings to evoke a strong sense of emotion in the viewers. 
      
     I know that this exhibition, which features over 60 of Picasso’s materpieces in dialogue with works from the M+ Collections by Asian and Asian-diasporic artists, has been long-awaited and eagerly anticipated by many, including me of course. Instead of a straightforward showcase of famous pieces, this exhibition shows innovative curatorial vision by creating a dynamic conversation between the brilliance of Piccaso’s work and the richness of Asia’s artistic traditions.
      
     This innovative curatorial approach aligns perfectly with the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development promulgated by my Bureau (Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau) in November 2024. The Blueprint sets out, among other important features, a clear vision of Hong Kong becoming an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, under which we would like to attract tourists through international arts and cultural exhibitions and performances, thereby promoting the integration of culture and tourism. 
      
     High quality exhibition such as today’s will certainly help Hong Kong leap forward towards fulfilling the vision and, as a result, it should not come as any surprise that this exhibition is supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under my Bureau, and that it is high on our list of signature events in the Hong Kong Super March programme.
      
     Indeed, this March, Hong Kong is filled with a fascinating array of world-class events attracting participants from various sectors, and tourists from all over the world. Apart from the official opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park, World Snooker Grand Prix (2025) and LIV Golf (Hong Kong) 2025 that took place in the past fortnight, upcoming highly anticipated events in the lineup include ComplexCon Hong Kong, Art Central, Art Basel Hong Kong and Hong Kong Sevens, just to name a few. 
      
     I sincerely invite all of you, my friends, to take part in at least some of these exciting Super March events.
      
     Before I close, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible efforts of M+ Museum in presenting this eye-opening and thought-provoking exhibition. My special thanks also go to Musée national Picasso-Paris for co-curating the exhibition.
      
     May I wish the exhibition every success and everyone here an enjoyable evening. Thank you.
       read more

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at Ireland’s National Day Reception today (March 13):

Minister Browne (Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of Ireland, Mr James Browne), Ambassador Dr O’Brien (Ambassador of Ireland to China, Dr Nicholas O’Brien), Consul General Bourke (Consul General (CG) of Ireland to Hong Kong and Macao, Ms Jennifer Bourke), CGs, Commissioner Pan Yundong (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’s a pleasure to be here with you in celebration of St Patrick’s Day. Your national day is truly one of the world’s most captivating events, as popular parades take to the festive, flag-waving streets of Dublin. 

     Tonight, we will share in your joy as we look forward to a splendid Irish dance performance following the ceremonies.

     I would like to extend a special warm welcome to Minister Browne, who is currently visiting Hong Kong. I understand you have a busy schedule here. This is indeed good news, as it signifies the vast potential for collaboration between Hong Kong and Ireland, ranging from construction and housing development to trade and investment relationships. And, of course, horse racing too! 

     Indeed, the trade ties between our two economies are flourishing. Last year, our trade in goods surged by over 40 per cent year on year, while trade in services increased by 15 per cent.  

     I can tell you our trade has ample room to grow. As mentioned by the Consul General, last October, we reduced the import duty on liquor to promote high-value liquor trade in Hong Kong. The statistics since then are encouraging: the volume of liquor imported has increased by around 40 per cent, while its value by 130 per cent. We believe this presents just a fantastic opportunity for Irish whiskey distilleries to expand their presence in this region. In fact, many here in Hong Kong are avid fans of Irish coffee as well, including this speaker.  

     More than your fine Irish spirits, there are many commonalities between Hong Kong and Ireland. They suggest that we can collaborate in more areas.  

     One such area is our shared commitment to multilateralism and free international trade. In the face of rising protectionism and the threat of unilateral tariffs, it is vital that we work together to sustain a stable global supply chain and maintain an open, friendly and welcoming environment where businesses can thrive.  

     Our mutual goal in combating climate change is another area of co-operation. Both of our economies aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. But the journey toward that goal is fraught with challenges. We need funding, technologies and policy incentives to drive this process forward.  

     Here in Hong Kong, we see the opportunities. We have set forth a vision to become an international green finance and green tech centre, through leveraging our leading position in green finance in Asia and a burgeoning ecosystem of green tech start-ups. We believe Hong Kong and Ireland can enhance co-operation and exchanges in this domain. Together, we can make valuable contributions to the regional and global decarbonisation process.
 
     Moreover, we both place a high value on innovation and technology. Hong Kong is rapidly building dynamic ecosystems in AI, biotech, and fintech. These are also the areas where Ireland excels.  

     With our country’s focus on adopting the “AI+” strategy, Hong Kong is well-positioned to become a hub for AI. We serve as a pivotal convergence point for data and talent from both the Mainland and abroad. It helps that Hong Kong is home to five of the world’s top 100 universities, three of which rank among the world’s top 20 in data science and AI, in the freshly released QS world university rankings 2025.  

     In my Budget delivered just two weeks ago, I put a spotlight on innovation and technology, with particular emphasis on the development of AI as a core industry for Hong Kong. 

     We see vast potential for co-operation with Ireland in the I&T sectors. We warmly welcome tech companies from Ireland to consider Hong Kong as the gateway and platform for business expansion into China and the Asian region. 

     And of course, our exchanges extend to culture and sport, as the Consul General mentioned. I hope to see plenty of Irish rugby fans at the Hong Kong Sevens later this month. Two weeks from tomorrow, the event kicks off at the brand-new Kai Tak Stadium, with its retractable roof, South Stand views to Victoria Harbour, and seating for 50 000 rugby-and-fun-loving fans. Plenty of room, too, at the Stadium’s 100-metre-long Champions Bar, where you can enjoy a good pint of Guinness.   

     Thank you all, and Happy St Patrick’s Day! read more

     Invest Hong Kong and the Trade and Industry Department today (March 13) cohosted a reception for the Ibero-American community to celebrate their contributions to Hong Kong’s economic development and to promote further collaboration through, among other initiatives, trade and investment agreements.

     Speaking at the reception, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said that Hong Kong has developed strong connections with Ibero-American economies, with a strong growth of 14.4 per cent in the total merchandise trade in 2024. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to fostering closer trade and economic ties with the Ibero-American region, which offers enormous trade and investment opportunities and growth potential for Hong Kong businesses.

     Mr Yau emphasised the importance of collaboration particularly at times when uncertainties and challenges from isolationism and protectionism are looming on global trade, and expressed his gratitude to Ibero-American enterprises for their steadfast support in deepening business collaboration and fostering robust partnership with Hong Kong.

     He also highlighted the enormous business opportunities created through the many trade initiatives, notably the trade and investment agreements Hong Kong has signed with Ibero-American economies, which reduce entry barriers for goods, services and investments, thereby strengthening the mutually beneficial trade and investment flows.

     “They unlock business potential and opportunities of the signing economies and, more importantly, provide a favourable platform for trade and business network to expand across the region,” Mr Yau said.

     Citing the latest free trade agreement (FTA) signed between Hong Kong and Peru in November last year, Mr Yau said that service providers and investors of the two places can benefit from the legal certainty of better market access and national treatment when entering and operating in each other’s economy. Exporters and manufacturers can likewise benefit from tariff elimination of trade in goods. He added that the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement negotiations with Peru have also commenced right after the signing of the FTA.

     “Hong Kong’s trade and investment agreements with Chile, Peru and Mexico are trade and investment enhancement in their own right, and together they create synergies that would multiply to promote deeper, stronger and broader economic integration between our respective regions across the Pacific Ocean. Hong Kong welcomes opportunities to expand the network further and sign similar agreements with other interested economies of the region,” Mr Yau said.

     Noting that such trade and investment agreements also help Ibero-American businesses expand into Hong Kong, and through Hong Kong to other exciting markets of the region, in particular the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Mr Yau encouraged Ibero-American companies to leverage Hong Kong’s international and local business knowledge as well as experience and connection to tap into the vast consumer market and industrial ecosystem of the GBA, and to foster partnership and collaboration in the many emerging sectors and industries such as agritech, fintech, biotechnology, e-commerce, digital trade, logistics and sustainability.

     “With our world-class financial services, professional expertise, and strategic location, Hong Kong serves as an ideal platform for Ibero-American businesses to expand into fast-growing markets in Asia and along the Belt and Road,” Mr Yau said.

     Today’s reception was attended by around 300 guests from the consulates, chambers of commerce and companies from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Spain and Venezuela. 

    

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (March 13) urged the public not to consume two kinds of bottled fruit jam and spread products from France as the products might contain mould. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batches of the products immediately if they possess any of them.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: Chestnut Cream
Brand: Bonne Maman
Place of origin: France
Weight: 225 grams
Best-before date: June 30, 2026
Barcode: 45108082
Importer: Getz Bros. & Co. (Hong Kong) Limited

Product name: Fig Jam
Brand: Bonne Maman
Place of origin: France
Weight: 225 grams
Best-before date: May 31, 2026
Barcode: 45119668
Importer: Getz Bros. & Co. (Hong Kong) Limited

     A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS noted notices from the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Department of Food Safety of Macao that the above-mentioned products might contain mould and are being recalled. The CFS confirmed that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batches of products concerned.”

     The importer concerned has stopped sales and removed from shelves the affected products and has initiated a recall according to the CFS’s instructions. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 3126 2303 during office hours.

     The spokesman advised members of the public to stop consuming the affected products and seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the products concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the products concerned immediately.

     The CFS has alerted the trade to the incidents and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing. read more