Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by the Hon Lam San-keung and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-san, in the Legislative Council today (June 4): Question:     … read more

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Chan Han-pan and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-san, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):

Question:

     Quite a number of members of the public have relayed that the absence of refreshment vending facilities or automatic vending machines in the waiting hall for departing passengers at the West Kowloon Station (WKS) of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, coupled with the many shops that have been left vacant for a long time in the waiting hall area, has affected passengers’ service experience at WKS. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the current vacancy situation of shops in the waiting hall area at WKS, and the main reasons for such shops being left vacant;

(2) as the Government indicated in its reply to a question from a Member of this Council on December 11 last year that it was actively working with the MTR Corporation Limited on the details of the arrangement for providing food and beverages services and shops in the waiting hall at WKS, of the progress of the relevant work; and

(3) as some members of the public have relayed that the relatively basic ancillary facilities of the Lounge at WKS have affected travellers’ perception of WKS, whether the Government has discussed and explored improvement proposals with the relevant parties; if so, of the details of and implementation arrangement for the improvement proposals; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) connects with the over 47 000 kilometres long national high-speed rail network. It is a key component of the highly accessible transport network and economic circle of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and consolidates Hong Kong’s position as a regional transport hub. To fully unleash the transport, social and economic benefits of the XRL and maximise the convenience to passengers, the “co-location arrangement” is implemented at the Hong Kong West Kowloon Station (WEK), enabling passengers to complete the clearance procedures of Hong Kong and the Mainland at the station consecutively.  

     My consolidated reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Chan Han-pan is as follows:

     At the design stage of the WEK, consideration has been given to the operational needs of the station, with spaces reserved for shops. At present, there is a diversity of shops and vending machines on Level B1, B2 and Ground Level of the WEK to meet the different needs of passengers. The majority of the retail spaces have already been leased out. Since the commissioning of the XRL Hong Kong Section and WEK in 2018, the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), as the Hong Kong operator of the XRL Hong Kong Section, has been closely monitoring the operation of the station as well as the travelling pattern and demand of passengers while continuously enhancing the station facilities and XRL services as necessary. The MTRCL also maintains ongoing communication with its tenants and reviews the operation of the shops for continuous enhancement of services and customer experience.

     The waiting hall at the WEK falls within the boundary of the Mainland Port Area (MPA), where all operating arrangements (including the provision of shops) must comply with the “co-location arrangement”. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is actively working with the MTRCL on refining the arrangement for providing food and beverage services and shops at the waiting hall in the MPA. There have been preliminary discussions with the relevant Mainland authorities regarding the feasible arrangements for the operation of shops and the regulatory work. Further follow-up is underway, with a view to providing food and beverage services and shops at the waiting hall as soon as practicable to further enhance the travelling experience of passengers at the WEK.

     At present, both First Class and Business Class passengers departing from WEK may use the VIP lounge while waiting for trains. To further enhance the travelling experience of Business Class passengers, the MTRCL has set up a dedicated lounge for Business Class passengers to provide them with a more comfortable waiting environment. In addition, with a steady growth in patronage since the service resumption of the XRL Hong Kong Section, the MTRCL has re-planned the queueing layout and design of the waiting hall on Level B3 last year, including extending the entrances of some of the boarding gates towards the centre of the hall, enhancing signage and using large electronic displays to provide train information to facilitate the entry and boarding of passengers and enhance their overall travelling experience on the XRL. The MTRCL has also been providing additional seats progressively at all levels of the WEK since August 2024. In particular, a total of over 1 300 seats have been provided at the waiting hall on Level B3 across the various waiting areas for use by passengers in need. Meanwhile, the MTRCL will reserve sufficient queuing space in the waiting areas to ensure that passengers can queue for boarding the trains in a smooth and orderly manner during peak periods. 

     The HKSAR Government and the MTRCL will continue to monitor the operation of the XRL Hong Kong Section and the WEK, and will review and upgrade station facilities in a timely manner to meet the needs of passengers. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (June 4):
 
Question:
 
     It is learnt that with the successive completion of various new government buildings, the Government Property Agency has indicated that it will reduce the leasing of private premises for office accommodation in order to save public money. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of private premises currently leased by various bureaux and government departments for office accommodation, and the rental ranges of these premises, together with a breakdown by the 18 districts across the territory;
 
(2) whether the authorities have formulated plans to relocate from the private premises mentioned in (1); if so, of the details (including the relocation dates and the addresses of the new offices); if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) given that the 2017 Policy Address proposed the redevelopment of the three government buildings on the Wan Chai waterfront, and that according to the Public Accounts Committee Report No. 69, the authorities are required to construct nine replacement buildings for 28 bureaux and departments, as well as the Judiciary, of the specific progress to date of the relocation plan (including how many government departments have yet to move out), and the expected timeframe for completing the entire relocation plan?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Having consulted the Government Property Agency (GPA), our reply to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Lau is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The Government’s policy is to accommodate offices in government-owned premises as far as possible. Leasing private premises for use by departments will only be considered if government-owned premises are unable to meet their locational requirements or operational needs. GPA conducts an accommodation review annually. To reduce rental expenses, GPA will relocate leased offices to government-owned premises, as well as relocate leased offices with higher rent to private premises with lower rent, having regard to the departments’ operational needs and cost-effectiveness.
 
     Information on private premises leased by government bureaux and departments (B/Ds) for use as government offices is set out at Annex. In 2025-26, the Government plans to relocate 26 leased offices to government-owned premises or private premises with lower rent, and is expected to save approximately $130 million annually in rental expenses (including management fees and air-conditioning charges). To avoid affecting negotiations with private property owners, we are unable to provide details of the relocation plans.
 
     GPA will continue to review rental levels and explore ways to control rental expenses with B/Ds, including relocating offices to suitable government-owned premises or private premises with lower rent as far as possible.
 
(3) The Government plans to relocate the three government buildings at the Wan Chai waterfront and construct nine buildings in other areas to relocate those existing government offices. The latest progress is as follows:
 
(a) The West Kowloon Government Offices in Yau Ma Tei, the Government Data Centre Complex and the Treasury Building in Cheung Sha Wan, the Inland Revenue Centre in Kai Tak, and the Immigration Headquarters in Tseung Kwan O have been completed and are in operation;
 
(b) The Tseung Kwan O Government Offices will soon be completed and are expected to commence operation progressively from the second half of this year; and
 
(c) As for the remaining three reprovisioning projects, namely the Drainage Services Tower in Cheung Sha Wan, the Water Supplies Department Building and Correctional Services Headquarters Building in Chai Wan, and the District Court Building in Causeway Bay respectively, the Government aims to complete the relevant construction works by 2026. read more

     The International Science, Technology and Innovation Forum (ISTIF) of the Boao Forum for Asia 2025 Hong Kong Conference will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 6 and 7. Under the theme of “Transitioning Towards the Future: Powered by Science, Technology and Innovation”, the forum will explore how to capitalise on Hong Kong’s unique advantage of being connected to the Mainland and the outside world, and how to foster global co-operation in the field of innovation and technology (I&T).

     Focusing on global innovation issues, the ISTIF is one of the world’s major platforms for high-level I&T co-operation and exchanges. Previously held in Macao, Guangzhou and Zhuhai, the ISTIF will be held in Hong Kong for the first time. Cohosted by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), the ISTIF affirms Hong Kong’s advantages of being highly internationalised and the gateway to both China and the world.

     With an expected attendance of more than 800 top experts, scholars and political and economic leaders from Hong Kong and abroad, the ISTIF will strive to deepen regional and international I&T collaboration, further enhance Hong Kong’s position in the international I&T field, and accelerate the development of Hong Kong into an international I&T hub. Hong Kong will fully utilise its roles as a “super connector” and “super value-adder”, and make good use of its strengths to create a high-quality international science and technology event to inject new impetus to the I&T development in the country as well as the world.

     The Hong Kong Forum, with theme “Leveraging the Advantages of Connecting with Both the Mainland and the World to Foster Global Innovation and Technology Collaboration”, will be staged on June 7, inviting renowned experts as well as political and business leaders from different fields to explore how Hong Kong can fully leverage its unique advantages of internal and external connectivity to promote efficient collaboration among the Government, industry, academia, research and investment, with a view to fostering global collaboration and I&T development.

     In addition, sessions of sub-fora, cutting-edge dialogues and roundtables will be held during the two-day conference, inviting former foreign heads of state and leaders, senior representatives of international organisations, renowned scientists and university academics, entrepreneurs and start-ups from Hong Kong and abroad, as well as youth leaders from various countries, to share their insights on the hottest issues in the I&T field, such as:
 

• Youth Leadership for an Intelligent, Green and Inclusive Future;
• The Arrival of the Quantum Age;
• Innovation Clusters: Promoting the Integration of Innovation Chain and Industrial Chain;
• The Reshaping and Disruption of Life Sciences;
• From “Internet Plus” to “AI Plus”;
• Technological Innovation in Financial Services: The Role of Patient Capital;
• Mobility in the Future;
• Global Science and Technology Governance for Good, for Justice, for Openness, and for Inclusiveness; and
• Science and Technology Innovation: Driving Sustainable Development and Accelerating the 2030 Agenda.

 
     For details of the ISTIF and guest lists, please refer to www.bfa-istif.cn/ISTIF.aspx?lang=EN&tid=2025&tyid=3.

     Headquartered in China, the BFA is an international organisation initiated by 29 Asia-Pacific countries to promote Asia’s economic integration and address global challenges. Since 2019, the ISTIF is held to strengthen global governance of science and technology, promote international science and technology innovation and co-operation, guide the formulation of rules for new technologies and accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced toda… read more