Tag Archives: China

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 Livi Bank Limited relating to a fraudulent social media account, which has 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 social media account 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

     The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, today (August 15) concluded his visit to Hangzhou.
 
     Mr Sun began his visit on August 13. Accompanied by the Director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, Mr Anthony Lau, he first visited Zhejiang University to meet with Vice President of the University Professor Zhou Jianghong. He then toured the University with mentees of the Strive and Rise Programme to learn more about the campus and facilities, as well as to interact with the mentees.
 
     Mr Sun and other delegates toured the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base for High-level Overseas Talents yesterday morning (August 14), accompanied by the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government, Mr Xu Junmin, to understand the local work on attracting high-level talent and its effectiveness. Mr Sun also accepted an invitation to visit an enterprise in Hangzhou, where he listened to the sharing of its senior management to gain a deeper understanding of the implementation of local talent policies and their roles for enterprises.
 
     Subsequently, Mr Sun called on Standing Committee member and Chief of the Organization Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Ms Liu Pinjun, to discuss the talent policies of the two places. Mr Sun also welcomed Mainland youths to develop their careers in Hong Kong via suitable talent admission schemes.
 
     In the afternoon, Mr Sun and other delegates visited an elderly care service centre to learn more about the local community care and support services, and were briefed on relevant residential care services. In the evening, Mr Sun attended the tour-closing dinner for the Hangzhou study tour under the Strive and Rise Programme. He thanked the Hangzhou Municipal Government for its full support for the tour, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club for sponsoring the tour. He also wished the mentees to set goals for their future while being inspired by the visits and expanding their horizons.
 
     Today, Mr Sun paid a courtesy call on the Director-General of the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Zhejiang Province, Mr Wu Weibin, to introduce the latest developments in labour, manpower and welfare policies in Hong Kong. Thereafter, Mr Sun and the delegation visited the Hangzhou City Planning Exhibition Hall to have a better understanding of the planning and development of Hangzhou. Before leaving Hangzhou, Mr Sun met with Hong Kong people working in Hangzhou to learn more about their daily lives and to encourage them to promote Hong Kong’s talent policies to local people. He then returned to Hong Kong with his delegation.

                          

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, August 15, 2024 is 104.8 (same as yesterday’s index). read more

     In response to the Japanese Government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on August 14 to noon today (August 15), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 131 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the “aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt” category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS’s thematic website titled “Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan” (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD’s website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO’s website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 76 565 samples of food imported from Japan (including 49 169 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 17 748 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

　　The Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s Great Music 2024 will continue to bring spectacular performances to Hong Kong in this October and November, featuring five world-class musicians. The programme enables audiences to feel the city’s arts and cultural buzz through music, showcasing the unique charm of Hong Kong as a cultural hub.
 
　　Programme details are as follows:
 
Duo Recital by Gautier Capuçon (Cello) and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Piano)
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Date and time: October 3 (Thursday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $680
 
　　Cellist Gautier Capucon and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet coming from France will present a duo recital with a programme of music composed by Schumann, Brahms, Debussy and Shostakovich for piano and cello to share their mastery of techniques and rapport.
 
Elīna Garan�a Gala Concert
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Date and time: October 29 (Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280
       
　　Mezzo-soprano ElÄ«na GaranÄ�a will make her Hong Kong debut in October, accompanied by conductor Karel Mark Chichon and the Macao Orchestra, to perform opera excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orleans”, Massenet’s “Thaïs”, Bizet’s “Carmen”, and more.
 
Piano Recital by Krystian Zimerman
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Date and time: November 11 and 12 (Monday and Tuesday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280
       
　　After a hiatus of 12 years, Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman is coming back to Hong Kong in November for two recitals. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest pianists, and has worked with the most distinguished musicians and orchestras, as well as giving recitals in the world’s leading concert halls. The programmes of the two concerts are partly different, including works by Chopin and Szymanowski and more.
 
Piano Recital by Evgeny Kissin
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Date and time: November 16 (Saturday), 8pm
Venue: Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Ticket prices: $280 to $1,280
       
　　Evgeny Kissin, born in Russia and one of the finest pianists of the age, will give a recital with a programme of formidable complexity, including sonatas by Beethoven and Prokofiev as well as music pieces by Brahms and Chopin, to conclude this year’s Great Music on a high note.
 
　　Tickets for the above programmes will be available from August 21 (Wednesday) onwards at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/groups_1682.html. The above-mentioned programmes are the celebratory programmes of the 35th anniversary of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, while the “ElÄ«na GaranÄ�a Gala Concert” and the “Piano Recital by Krystian Zimerman” are also programmes of this year’s Asia+ Festival.