Tag Archives: China

     Hongkong Post announced today (September 23) that, as advised by the postal administration of Italy, due to a local strike, mail delivery services to Italy are subject to delay. read more

     ​Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and Beijing government authorities cohosted a series of thematic seminars during the Beijing Hong Kong Economic Cooperation Symposium and the Hong Kong Investment Promotion Conference (the Symposium) in Beijing on September 21 to provide an update on Hong Kong’s new business opportunities, especially in supply chain internationalisation and co-operation in innovation and technology. The objective is to encourage Beijing enterprises to make use of Hong Kong’s business advantages and opportunities to accelerate their overseas expansion.
     
     This year’s Symposium aimed to promote complementarity to achieve shared prosperity. It featured 15 thematic promotion events and other activities, focusing on Hong Kong’s unique advantages, business environment, and measures to facilitate co-operation between enterprises in Beijing and Hong Kong.
     
     On the morning of September 21, InvestHK jointly organised the first special promotion activities on regional strategic connection with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the Beijing Federation of Industry and Commerce, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, entitled Leverage Complementarity Advantages and Jointly Promote the International Development of Industrial and Supply Chains in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Region. The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, said, “More and more Mainland manufacturers are leveraging both domestic and overseas production capabilities to form multinational supply chains, which has greatly increased the demand for professional services. Hong Kong as an international financial, trading, shipping and aviation centre, provides them with comprehensive and high-quality professional services to meet their business needs in Asia and overseas. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is actively developing the city into a multinational supply chain management centre to seize the opportunities from the overseas expansion of industrial supply chains on the Mainland. Together with Hong Kong’s various business advantages, the city can help Mainland enterprises to ‘go global’ with high quality.”
     
     By way of the historical opportunities brought by the country’s 14th Five-Year Plan, the HKSAR Government has been moving at full steam to develop emerging industries such as innovation and technology in recent years, and is actively developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre. On the same day, InvestHK promoted Hong Kong’s new opportunities in technological innovation to entrepreneurs in Beijing at the two thematic events.
     
     The first technological innovation thematic event was jointly organised with the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Administrative Commission of Zhongguancun Science Park and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and was entitled Forum on Creating the Future Technology Innovation Cooperation in Beijing and Hong Kong through ‘Intelligence’ and the 7th ‘Beijing – Hong Kong Youth Innovation Cup’ Final”. Ms Lau said, “The HKSAR Government is accelerating the development of building the city into an innovation and technology hub. Together with Hong Kong’s unique business advantages, the city is an ideal platform for Mainland enterprises to enhance their new quality productive forces and international competitiveness, as well as being an ideal base for start-ups to set up. According to InvestHK’s survey, Hong Kong has more than 4 200 start-ups with both the number of start-ups and their number of staff employed reaching a new record high and demonstrating a vibrant start-up ecosystem.” Ms Lau encouraged more innovative enterprises in Beijing to consider using Hong Kong as the platform to expand overseas. She was also invited to join the unveiling and project-signing ceremony of the Beijing-Hong Kong science and technology innovation co-operation during the event.
     
     The second technological innovation thematic event was entitled Empowering AI, Investing in Haidian Smartly and was a Haidian District special promotion event. It was co-organised by InvestHK and the People’s Government of Haidian District of Beijing Municipality. Ms Lau said, “Hong Kong has world-class universities and cutting-edge research institutions, bringing together overseas and domestic higher-education resources and scientific research talent. The HKSAR Government is actively developing innovation and technology from various aspects and is promoting the development of an artificial intelligence technology ecosystem. With the establishment of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, it aims to attract and assist high-potential and representative strategic enterprises from around the world to set up in the city. Together with a series of new policy initiatives to attract talent, we believe that it can bring more momentum to Hong Kong’s future development and further enhance the city’s competitiveness in artificial intelligence.”
     
     The Senior Vice President from the Startups team of InvestHK, Mr Lu Chin Yung, also introduced Hong Kong’s business environment and the latest start-up ecosystem in the two technological innovation thematic events.
     
     For photos of the conference, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720320537188.

      

     Hongkong Post announced today (September 23) that a stamp sheetlet and associated philatelic products on the theme of “The 150th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union” will be released for sale on October 9 (Wednesday).
 
     In 1874, 22 countries gathered to sign the Treaty of Bern, establishing the General Postal Union, which was renamed as the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1878. This initiative realised the vision of establishing a single postal territory to serve people everywhere. Today, the UPU has evolved into a postal network of 192 member countries that fosters co-operation and communication among postal administrations worldwide, and provides latest updates to ensure a universal network of postal products and services. It also fulfils a number of other functions, such as providing advisories, mediation services and liaisons.
 
     The year 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the UPU. Hongkong Post, as a member of the China Delegation, will issue a stamp sheetlet and associated philatelic products with the theme of “The 150th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union” to commemorate this occasion.
 
     The stamp sheetlet features a carrier pigeon, composed of various triangular shapes, delivering mail around the world. This represents the UPU’s efforts to strengthen connections, communication and co-operation among postal administrations worldwide. The stamp sheetlet also displays the theme logo for the 150th anniversary of the UPU.
 
     Official first day covers for “The 150th Anniversary of Universal Postal Union” will be on sale at all post offices and on Hongkong Post’s online shopping mall ShopThruPost (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) from September 24 (Tuesday). The stamp sheetlet and associated philatelic products will be on sale at all post offices and on ShopThruPost from October 9, while serviced first day covers affixed with the stamp sheetlet will be available at philatelic offices only.
 
     A hand-back date-stamping service will be provided on October 9 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address.

     Information about the stamp sheetlet and associated philatelic products is available on the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk).

      

     â€‹A registered specialist contractor (sub-register of demolition works category) (RSC) and its technically competent person (TCP), who had deviated in a material way from demolition works shown in a plan approved by the Buildings Department (BD), and carried out the works in a dangerous manner, were found guilty of offences under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123) and were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment suspended for 36 months and a community service order of 240 hours respectively at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on September 9.

     The case involved a fatal incident that occurred at a demolition site on Robinson Road on July 7, 2022. A worker fell from the roof floor to the ground floor through floor openings and died as a result of the incident. An investigation by the BD found that the RSC had failed to comply with the plan approved by the BD. Specifically, no plastic refuse chute had been erected through the openings for debris removal, no railings were installed around the floor slab opening and no warning signs were in place to prevent workers from entering the work area before demolition commenced, contravening section 40(2A)(b) and section 40(2B)(a) of the BO. Pursuant to section 40(5) of the BO, the TCP employed by the RSC, who was directly concerned in the demolition works, permitted the commission of the above offences was deemed guilty of such offences. The BD instigated prosecution action against the RSC and the TCP last year. Both were convicted at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on August 22. The RSC, i.e. the sole director and authorised signatory of the RSC, and the TCP were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment suspended for 36 months and a community service order of 240 hours respectively on September 9.

     A spokesman for the BD said today (September 23) that contractors should carry out building works in accordance with the approved plans, provide adequate precautionary measures before the commencement of works, and carry out the works in accordance with the BO to ensure site and public safety.

     Pursuant to section 40(2A)(b) of the BO, any person for whom any prescribed inspection or building works or street works are being carried out and any authorised person, registered structural engineer, registered geotechnical engineer, registered inspector, qualified person, registered general building contractor, registered specialist contractor or registered minor works contractor directly concerned with any such inspection or works who, diverges or deviates in any material way from any work shown in a plan approved by the BD shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for three years.

     Pursuant to section 40(2B)(a) of the BO, any person directly concerned with any prescribed inspection, site formation works, piling works, foundation works or other form of building works, who carries out or has carried out such inspection or works, or authorises or permits or has authorised or permitted such inspection or works to be carried out, in such manner that it causes a risk of injury to any person or damage to any property, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for three years.

     Moreover, pursuant to section 40(5) of the BO, any person, being a person directly concerned in or with any building works or street works, who permits the commission of any offence specified in this section shall be deemed to be guilty of such offence and shall be liable to the penalty prescribed therefor. 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