Tag Archives: China

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, May 23, 2025 is 103.9 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     â€‹The Town Planning Board today (May 23) announced amendments to the approved Shau Kei Wan Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     The amendments mainly involve (i) rezoning a site occupied by the Former Shau Kei Wan Market (SKWM) Building and the SKWM Building Sitting-out Area from “Government, Institution or Community” (“G/IC”) to “Residential (Group A)7” with stipulation of building height restriction for private residential development; and (ii) rezoning a site occupied by the Kam Wah Street Rest Garden from “G/IC” to “Open Space” (“O”) to reflect the as-built condition.

     The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP are amended to take into account the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zones and the planning scheme area, where appropriate.

     The draft Shau Kei Wan OZP No. S/H9/21, incorporating the amendments, is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Hong Kong District Planning Office, and (iv) the Eastern Home Affairs Enquiry Centre.

     Any person may make written representations in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before July 23. Any person who intends to make a representation is advised to read the Town Planning Board Guidelines No. 29C on “Submission and Processing of Representations and Further Representations” (TPB PG-No. 29C).

     Submission of a representation should comply with the requirements set out in TPB PG-No. 29C. In particular, the representer should take note of the following:

* If the representer fails to provide his or her full name and the first four alphanumeric characters of his or her Hong Kong identity card or passport number as required under TPB PG-No. 29C, the representation submitted shall be treated as not having been made; and
* The Secretariat of the Town Planning Board reserves the right to require the representer to provide identity proof for verification.

     The Guidelines and the submission form are available at the above locations (i) and (ii) and the Town Planning Board’s website (www.tpb.gov.hk).

     Copies of the draft Shau Kei Wan OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board’s website (www.tpb.gov.hk). read more

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 23) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
 
     Thirty beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), nine as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

Big Wave Bay Beach*	Kiu Tsui Beach
Butterfly Beach*	Kwun Yam Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Lo So Shing Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Pui O Beach*
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach*	Repulse Bay Beach*
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Shek O Beach*
Clear Water Bay First Beach	South Bay Beach*
Clear Water Bay Second Beach*	St. Stephen’s Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach*	Stanley Main Beach*
Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach [Non-gazetted beach]	Tai Po Lung Mei Beach*
Golden Beach*	Tong Fuk Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach*	Trio Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach*	Turtle Cove Beach
Kadoorie Beach*	Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach*	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach*
Approach Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Casam Beach*	Silver Mine Bay Beach*
Hoi Mei Wan Beach	Silverstrand Beach*
Lido Beach*

 
Grade 3 beach is:

Ting Kau Beach*

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Clear Water Bay First Beach has been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1. Middle Bay Beach has been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2.
 
     “The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
 
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666. Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the EPD’s dedicated webpage on the beach water quality forecast (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast).
 
Note 1: Lifesaving services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from April 1. For details, please refer to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s Special Announcement (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/index.html).
 
Note 2: This refers to Discovery Bay Tai Pak Beach which has no lifesaving service. 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 is conducting 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 the situation and continue to implement the enhanced testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on May 22 to noon today (May 23), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 148 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, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 138 129 samples of food imported from Japan (including 90 912 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 31 738 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at HKSTP x Würth Elektronik Advanced Manufacturing in Hong Kong: Enabling Global Microelectronics Innovations today (May 23):

Albert (Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Albert Wong), Thomas (Chief Executive Officer of Würth Elektronik eiSos Group, Mr Thomas Garz), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

     Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to join you today to celebrate the launch of the Engineering Service Programme, a groundbreaking partnership between Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) and Würth Electronics at the Advanced Manufacturing Centre (AMC). This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem, as Würth Electronics expands its footprint from R&D (research and development) to advanced manufacturing in our city.  

     As a global leader in electronic components, Würth Electronics is synonymous with innovation, precision, and reliability, the qualities that have made it the key partner of industry giants worldwide. By establishing new engineering, testing, and logistics centres at the AMC, Würth Electronics places its confidence in Hong Kong as an ideal hub for cutting-edge innovation and advanced manufacturing. This move also underscores Hong Kong’s unique advantages: our world-class talent, robust R&D capabilities, and seamless connectivity to global markets.

     And this is just the beginning. The Engineering Service Programme will equip our local ecosystem with specialised tools and expertise, accelerating progress in microelectronics and advanced manufacturing. From R&D to prototyping and small-scale production, this programme will support companies at every stage – perfectly aligning with the Government’s strategy to foster high-value, tech-driven industries and cement Hong Kong’s role in the global I&T landscape. With Würth Electronics’ global network and HKSTP’s local support, the programme is poised to become a testing ground for next-generation industrial solutions.

     Hong Kong has long been a frontrunner in microelectronics, and we are building on this strength. Through initiatives like the New Industrialisation Acceleration Scheme and the establishment of the Hong Kong Microelectronics Research and Development Institute, we are providing targeted support for these critical sectors. Beyond that, we are investing heavily in infrastructure, talent development, and strategic partnerships – all to build a thriving, future-ready I&T ecosystem.  

     This partnership is a prime example of how public-private collaboration can drive innovation forward. Once again, my congratulations to Würth Electronics and HKSTP for their bold leadership in shaping Hong Kong into a global microelectronics hub. Together, let us unite the Government, the industry, academia, research and investment sectors to unlock even greater opportunities for technological advancement and economic growth. Thank you.

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