Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Mr Eddie Mak, and the Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Ms Wang Yueqin, co-chaired the 20th meeting of the Guangdong/Hong Kong Expert Group on Co-operation in Technology and Innovation held in Jiangmen today (March 12).

     Mr Mak said at the meeting that, with the country’s staunch support, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been moving towards the vision of developing Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre along the directions and strategies set out in the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint. He said that the HKSAR Government promulgated the Development Outline for the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hetao Co-operation Zone) in November 2024. Capitalising on the strengths of “one country, two systems” and the geographic advantages of “one river, two banks”, as well as the arrangement of “one zone, two parks”, the HKSAR Government will strive to develop the Hong Kong Park into a world-class industry-academia-research platform, and an internationally competitive research and development (R&D) transformation and pilot production base for industries at full speed, with a view to facilitating the high-quality I&T development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

     Mr Mak also expressed his gratitude to the Guangdong Provincial Government for its staunch support for Hong Kong’s I&T development over the years. He said that in the past year, the two sides had continuously deepened their exchanges and co-operation, including the continuous implementation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Technology Cooperation Funding Scheme, supporting the scientific research institutions in the two places to carry out joint technology R&D, co-operation in technology transfer and industrialisation, and the continued opening up of Guangdong Province’s key R&D programmes and major scientific research infrastructure to Hong Kong. The HKSAR Government will continue to work closely with the relevant Mainland authorities to expedite the development of the Hetao Co-operation Zone, and to boost both the speed and quantity in developing the Hong Kong Park by leveraging market forces.

     “We will make good use of Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, to deepen I&T co-operation with Guangdong Province as well as international exchanges. We will give full play to our critical roles as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’, with a view to contributing to the country’s high-quality development,” he added.

     Mainland members attending the meeting included representatives from the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, the Development Authority of Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, the Qianhai Authority of Shenzhen, Science, Technology and Innovation Bureau of Jiangmen, and other education and I&T-related agencies of Guangdong Province and GBA cities. The Hong Kong delegation comprised representatives from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the Innovation and Technology Commission. The Secretary of the CPC Jiangmen Municipal Committee, Mr Chen Anming, has also exchanged views on the I&T co-operation between Hong Kong and Jiangmen with the HKSAR government delegation. 

     After the meeting, Mr Mak visited the Jiangmen Laboratory of Carbon Science and Technology (JCL) to understand its latest developments and to explore opportunities for enhancing co-operation between R&D institutes of the two places. JCL was jointly founded by the Jiangmen Municipal Government and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou).

     Mr Mak concluded his visit and returned to Hong Kong this evening (March 12).

        

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) today (March 12) announced that Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) has been successfully accredited under China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version). It is one of the public hospitals in the first batch to obtain such accreditation.
      
     The Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko, said, “The accreditation of the Prince of Wales Hospital is a testament to its high-standard management and quality services. The HA will continue to co-ordinate with more public hospitals to participate in the accreditation process to ensure the quality of healthcare services in public hospitals meets international standards.
      
     “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the expert team from the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center and the local experts for their collaboration in formulating the regional operating manual for Hong Kong. These guidelines ensure the evaluation standards are relevant and applicable to Hong Kong. During the consultancy visit and on-site survey, the experts provided valuable suggestions that are significant for our ongoing efforts to improve healthcare quality.”
      
     Experts from the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center, who are responsible for the accreditation, praised PWH’s leadership for their dedication to healthcare quality and technical management. They highlighted the hospital’s strong focus on patient safety and risk management, as well as its commitment to community engagement, all of which were crucial for obtaining accreditation. The expert team also commended the hospital for its robust management structure, efficient emergency response capabilities, commitment to patient-centred care, and continuous innovation in healthcare technology and service models. These factors were recognised as essential foundations for a hospital seeking international accreditation.
      
     The Hospital Chief Executive of PWH, Dr Chung Kin-lai, expressed gratitude to the Health Bureau and the HA Head Office for their support. He said, “This accreditation reaffirms that the services and management standards at PWH have reached international levels and are aligned with national standards.
      
     “We consider this accreditation a significant opportunity to evaluate our existing services thoroughly. We welcome feedback and recommendations from experts, aiming to transform their insights into motivation for improvement. This will help us cultivate a culture of continuous quality improvement, ultimately enhancing our overall services comprehensively.”
      
     PWH will strengthen both its hospital and departmental management frameworks, enhance humanistic care initiatives, improve emergency preparedness, and remain committed to optimising healthcare technology and service models. Furthermore, the hospital will continue to deepen its community engagement, utitlising community resources to provide more compassionate and thoughtful care to patients.
      
     Dr Chung said, “Accreditation is not the end but rather a new beginning for our continuous progress. I extend my heartfelt thanks to all hospital staff for their efforts over the past year in preparing for the accreditation, which enabled PWH to achieve this milestone smoothly. PWH will continue to uphold the spirit of continuous improvement and provide high-quality healthcare services to Hong Kong people.”
           
     In line with the policy direction regarding hospital accreditation put forward in the Chief Executive’s Policy Address, PWH and Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) had implemented the hospital accreditation programme by adopting the China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version) earlier. PYNEH has already achieved the relevant accreditation in December 2024.     

  

     â€‹â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 12) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of hi… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Shanghai Commercial Bank Limited relating to fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.
      
     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
      
     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the websites or login screens concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.
 
  read more

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (March 11) detected a case involving possession of etomidate, the main ingredient of the “space oil drug”, which is under the Dangerous Drug Ordinance, by an incoming passenger at the Lo Wu Control Point. Four suspected “space oil drug” capsules and two vape sticks containing the suspected “space oil drug” were seized.

     A 17-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Shenzhen yesterday. During Customs clearance, four suspected “space oil drug” capsules, two vape sticks containing the suspected “space oil drug” and one other vape stick were found on him. The man was subsequently arrested. The arrested person, who claimed to be unemployed, has been released on bail pending further investigation.  

     Customs will continue to step up enforcement and combat against trafficking of the “space oil drug”.

     Under the Dangerous Drug Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour report hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).