Tag Archives: China

     The Government Property Agency is inviting tenders for a three-year tenancy of Shop No. 2 on the ground floor of the Passenger Terminal Building (Public Transport Interchange), Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, New Territories.

     The premises should only be used for general retail purposes (excluding fast food shop, restaurant, godown, residential use and office use, and excluding sale of any goods or commodities that are subject to export control under laws of Hong Kong, any regulations made thereunder and any amending legislations).

     The tender notice was uploaded today (June 28) to the Agency’s website: www.gpa.gov.hk. Tender documents are available for collection at the Government Property Agency, 31/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, during office hours (8.30am to 5.45pm from Mondays to Fridays). The documents can also be downloaded from the Agency’s website.

     Interested tenderers who wish to inspect the site should make prior appointment with the Government Property Agency by calling 2594 7697 on or before July 16 this year.

     Tenderers must submit their tenders by placing them in the Government Logistics Department Tender Box situated on the Ground Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, before noon on July 31 this year. Late tenders will not be accepted. read more

     The Banking (Liquidity) (Amendment) Rules 2019 (BLAR 2019) were gazetted today (June 28) to bring the regulatory regime in Hong Kong up to date and in line with international standards.
 
     The BLAR 2019 seek mainly to expand the scope of high-quality liquid assets recognisable as “level 2B assets” under the Liquidity Coverage Ratio and introduce a stable funding charge of 5 per cent for total derivative liabilities maintained by an authorised institution under the Net Stable Funding Ratio, in accordance with Basel III standards. 
  
     A government spokesman said, “The continued implementation of Basel III standards underlines our commitment to aligning our regulatory regime with the latest international regulatory standards. This is important for Hong Kong as a major international financial centre.”
 
     A Hong Kong Monetary Authority spokesman said, “We have carefully considered the international practices and the banking industry’s views in formulating the rules to ensure that they befit the local circumstances.”
 
     The BLAR 2019 will be tabled before the Legislative Council at its sitting on July 3, 2019 (Wednesday) for negative vetting, and will come into operation on January 1, 2020. read more

     The Task Force on Review of School Curriculum released its Consultation Document today (June 28) to solicit views from members of the public on its initial recommendations for two months.

     The Chairperson of the Task Force, Dr Anissa Chan, said, “In recent years, we have witnessed significant economic, technological and social developments in Hong Kong and around the world. The challenges and opportunities arising from the changes underscore the importance of fostering students’ whole-person development and nurturing in them the values and qualities desirable for the 21st century. A more forward-looking approach to curriculum planning and implementation is needed to meet the needs of our students and society. In particular, the school curriculum should offer a variety of choices to cater for students’ diverse abilities and aspirations, create space and opportunities for the development of different talents, and support students in pursuing multiple pathways.”

     The Task Force was set up by the Education Bureau (EDB) in November 2017 to holistically review the primary and secondary curricula to better prepare students for future challenges, cater for their diverse learning needs, provide ample space and opportunities for their whole-person development, and better articulate learning at the primary and secondary levels. The Task Force has widely engaged key stakeholders to gauge their views on optimising the school curriculum. 

     The Task Force has formulated initial recommendations on various key aspects under six directions. They include:
 

• enhancing curriculum planning at the system and school levels to reinforce the importance of whole-person development and create space for a wider range of learning experiences conducive to students’ balanced development;
• according a higher priority to values education, strengthening life education in particular, and starting life planning education early in schools;
• introducing a differentiated curriculum and assessment design for the four core subjects at the senior secondary level to create space for students and cater for learner diversity;
• further promoting Applied Learning as a valued senior secondary elective subject, including enhancing parents’ and schools’ understanding of its importance from the perspective of vocational and professional education and training, and increasing students’ incentive to take the subject;
• encouraging universities to exercise greater flexibility, especially through a new School Principal’s Nominations 2.0 Direct Admission Scheme, in admitting students who demonstrate talents and competencies in non-academic realms; and
• strengthening STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools so as to develop students’ capacity to apply knowledge and skills acquired in different STEM-related subjects to solve daily problems in an integrated and creative manner, as well as stepping up territory-wide support for STEM education in schools.

     The Consultation Document of the Task Force has been uploaded to the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/about-edb/press/consultation). Members of the public are invited to send their views and suggestions to the Task Force by post (Secretariat, Task Force on Review of School Curriculum, Room 1301, 13/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong), by fax (2573 5299) or by email (taskforce_cur@edb.gov.hk) on or before September 16, 2019.
      
     It is expected that the Task Force will submit its report with directional recommendations to the Government by the end of this year after consolidating and studying all opinions received. read more

     The Award Presentation Ceremony and Project Exhibition of the Smart City Project Programme was held today (June 28) at the Charles K Kao Auditorium of the Hong Kong Science Park. The Under Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, officiated at the ceremony and shared the joy of the awardees.

     Organised by the Education Bureau, the Programme aimed to enhance students’ understanding of the concept of smart city and strengthen their integration and application of related knowledge and skills to support the future development direction of Hong Kong. All primary and secondary students of Hong Kong were invited to participate in the Programme.
      
     Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Choi said that smart city has become a global development trend of advanced cities in the 21st century. It is the vision of the Government to develop Hong Kong into a world-class smart city.
      
     She praised the students’ projects for their unique features and expressed the belief that the Programme had not only greatly enhanced students’ creativity as well as collaborative and problem-solving skills, but also nurtured their humanistic qualities and care for others, giving students meaningful learning experiences.
      
     The Programme received a very encouraging response. Over 320 teams formed by around 1 300 primary and secondary students participated in the Programme, and more than 270 teams completed and submitted their projects. Fifteen teams with projects awarded as “outstanding” have been invited to join Smart City Study Trips outside Hong Kong to learn about the development of smart cities.
      
     The Programme consisted of three categories: primary (Primary Four to Primary Six), junior secondary (Secondary One to Secondary Three) and senior secondary (Secondary Four to Secondary Six). Students who participated in the Programme were invited to conduct projects on smart city under the themes “Smart Living”, “Smart Environment” and “Smart Hong Kong for Tomorrow” respectively. Activities included a project exhibition, supplemented by a series of events for students, such as induction trips on smart city, day camps, study trips outside Hong Kong and summer camps on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, as well as seminars and workshops for both teachers and students, through which students designed projects with STEM-related elements and suggested innovative ways to realise the ideas of smart city in the development levels of home, school, community and city environment.
      
     A list of the awardees has been uploaded to the Liberal Studies Web-based Resource Platform (ls.edb.hkedcity.net/tc/smartcity2019/file/20190524/results_of_2nd_round_adjudication.pdf). read more

     The Government today (June 28) announced that the Financial Secretary has appointed a new member to the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTPC), and re-appointed three incumbent members.
 
     Ms Angel Ng has been appointed as a new board member of the HKSTPC for a period of two years from July 1, 2019.
 
     Ms Cordelia Chung, Mr Kent Ho and Dr Kim Mak have been re-appointed as board members of the HKSTPC for a period of two years with effect from the same date.
 
     The Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, said, “The Science Park is the innovation and technology (I&T) flagship in Hong Kong. Under the guidance of the Board of Directors, the HKSTPC has been actively developing relevant infrastructure and facilities, providing comprehensive support for technology companies and start-ups, and supporting the Government’s re-industrialisation policy. The Corporation plays an indispensable role in Hong Kong’s I&T development. Also, with the additional funding of $10 billion from the Government last year, the HKSTPC has progressively launched a number of new initiatives to enhance the infrastructure in the Science Park and strengthen support for its tenants and incubatees. We are confident that with their devotion and extensive experience and knowledge, members of the Board will continue to guide the Corporation to further enhance Hong Kong’s position as the I&T hub in the region.”
 
     The term of an incumbent board member, Mr Raymond Cheng, will expire on June 30 this year.
 
     “In the past six years, Mr Cheng has actively participated in the work of the Board and has made valuable contribution to the Corporation and the local I&T development. The achievements of the Corporation are due in no small measure to his guidance and wise counsel,” Mr Yang said.
 
     The HKSTPC, which began operation in 2001, manages the Hong Kong Science Park, three industrial estates and the InnoCentre. It provides a comprehensive range of services to cater for the needs of industry at various stages, including nurturing technology start-ups through its incubation programmes, providing facilities and services for applied research and development activities, and providing land and relevant facilities for production. read more