Tag Archives: China

     The Information Expo on Multiple Pathways 2025 (Info Expo) organised by the Education Bureau (EDB) will be held today and tomorrow (May 23 and 24) at Hall 1B of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. With the participation of around 30 post-secondary institutions and organisations, the latest information on multiple pathways is provided to senior secondary school students, parents and teachers with a view to better preparing students for further studies and career paths. 

     A spokesman for the EDB said that with the parallel development of the self-financing and publicly funded post-secondary education sectors, the Government has long been committed to providing quality, flexible and diversified study pathways with multiple entry and exit points for secondary school graduates.

     In the 2025/26 academic year, there are about 49 800 full-time locally accredited post-secondary places to be provided by various institutions, comprising about 22 600 undergraduate places and about 27 200 sub-degree places. Some institutions also provide the Diploma of Applied Education (DAE) and other programmes. Hence, there will be sufficient places for eligible students to pursue further studies in Hong Kong.

     The opening ceremony of the Info Expo was officiated by the Chairman of the Committee on Self-financing Post-secondary Education (CSPE), Dr Alex Chan, with CSPE members and representatives of self-financing post-secondary institutions and relevant organisations in attendance. 

     The Info Expo provides information on locally accredited post-secondary programmes (including programmes eligible for government subsidy schemes, vocational and professional education and training programmes and applied degree programmes), DAE programmes, as well as relevant online platforms, such as the Information Portal for Accredited Post-secondary Programmes (iPASS), the Electronic Advance Application System for Post-secondary Programmes (E-APP), the Concourse for Self-financing Post-secondary Education (Concourse), and the Qualifications Framework. There are also more than 10 thematic talks on various programmes, preparation and strategies for articulation to post-secondary education, and experience sharing by post-secondary students. 

     Admission is free for the two-day Info Expo, and prior registration is not required. Secondary students, especially current graduates, parents and teachers, are all welcome to participate. There are interactive games at the EDB’s booth in the Info Expo. Participants who have completed designated tasks will receive a gift while stock lasts.

     For details of the Info Expo, please visit the event website (www.cspe.edu.hk/en/Resources-CareerGuidance-MultiplePathwaysExpo.html).     

      

     The Department of Health (DH) today (May 23) announced a series of promotional activities for the Quit in June campaign in response to World No Tobacco Day on May 31 and to encourage smokers to quit smoking in order to reduce their risk of tobacco-related diseases and deaths.

     The World Health Organization designates May 31 as World No Tobacco Day. The theme for this year is “Unmasking the appeal: Exposing industry tactics on tobacco and nicotine products”, which reveals the tactics used by the tobacco industries to make their harmful tobacco products more appealing.

     “The DH launched the Quit in June campaign in 2021 to promote smoking cessation services. Starting in 2022, one-week trial packs of smoking cessation drugs (nicotine replacement therapy) have been offered to smokers free of charge to alleviate withdrawal symptoms and increase the success rate of quitting smoking. Last year (2024), the DH distributed over 3 000 trial packs throughout Hong Kong. The trial packs were well received by smokers who wanted to quit smoking. In view of this, the DH will continue to offer the trial packs this year through more than 250 community pharmacies, smoking cessation clinics, District Health Centres and District Health Centre Expresses, as well as DH clinics to help smokers quit,” the Head of the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the DH, Dr Manny Lam, said.

     “Furthermore, the DH introduced a trial programme under the campaign on the use of Chinese medicine (CM) ear points patches for smoking cessation last year, which involves the application of ear points patches on the surface of the smoker’s ear(s) to stimulate relevant ear points. Most of the smokers who have tried the ear points patches considered that they can help alleviate the symptoms of addiction, and the results were satisfactory. In view of this, the DH will continue to distribute the CM ear points patches this year and will expand to more than 50 CM clinics operated by Pok Oi Hospital, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, and United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service across the territory, covering more than 200 locations in total,” he added.  

     Starting from May 30, smokers who wish to quit smoking can go to the locations displaying the orange stickers for the CM ear points patches, or the green stickers for the one-week smoking cessation drugs trial pack. After a brief assessment, they can scan the QR code with the “Quit Smoking App” and receive free CM ear points patches or a one-week trial pack of smoking cessation drugs.

     “Apart from the integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline, which was set up by the DH to handle general enquiries and provide professional counselling on smoking cessation, there are also a number of smoking cessation clinics and District Health Centres/District Health Centre Expresses throughout Hong Kong that provide free smoking cessation services. People who wish to quit smoking can make an appointment at any time. They may also make use of the mail-to-quit service to receive free cessation medications by post and follow-up phone calls, which meet the needs of different people. Moreover, the DH has subvented three more CM smoking cessation service providers (increasing from one to four) this year to operate smoking cessation clinics with an emphasis on counselling and acupuncture. It is expected that the number of service users will double. Quitting smoking at any age brings immediate and long-term health benefits. Smokers who stay tobacco-free for four weeks are five times more likely to quit for good. For the health of yourself and your family, don’t hesitate. Don’t make any more excuses to postpone quitting. Make a resolution to start quitting smoking in June,” Dr Lam added.

     The DH has started broadcasting “We are all in this together. Quit Now” television and radio announcements in the public interest and has stepped up promotion through public transportation networks and social media to encourage smokers to quit and support them during Smoke-Free Month.

     Members of the public can call 1833 183 or visit the smoking cessation thematic website (www.livetobaccofree.hk) for more information on quitting and the available supporting tools and services. They can also download the “Quit Smoking App” to keep track of their progress in quitting and obtain tips on dealing with cravings to stay tobacco-free.

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:
 
     Chief Justice Andrew Cheung, Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal, will lead a Judiciary delegation to visit Xi’an in Shaanxi Province and Yinchuan in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region tomorrow (May 24). The delegation will meet with the Executive Vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court, Mr Deng Xiuming, and Vice-president of the Supreme People’s Court Mr Mao Zhonghua. They will also engage in professional exchanges with other Mainland judges, and visit local courts at various levels. This visit is part of the ongoing exchanges between the Judiciary and the Mainland courts.
 
     Other members of the delegation include Mr Justice Jeremy Poon, Chief Judge of the High Court; Madam Justice Carlye Chu, Vice-President of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; Mr Justice Godfrey Lam, Justice of Appeal of the Court of Appeal of the High Court; Mr Justice Leung Chun-man, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the High Court; and the Judiciary Administrator, Ms Esther Leung.
 
     The delegation will return to Hong Kong on May 31. During Chief Justice Cheung’s absence from Hong Kong, Mr Justice Roberto Ribeiro, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, will be the Acting Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal. read more

     The Government today (May 23) announced the reappointment of  Mr Philip Chen Nan-lok, Mr Laurence Li Lu-jen, SC, and Dr Lo Wai-kwok as members of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) for a term of three years with eff… read more

     Seventy-eight convictions were recorded in April 2025 for breaches of legislation enforced by the Environmental Protection Department.
 
     Thirty-one of the convictions were under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, three were under the Noise Control Ordinance, 13 were under the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation, 28 were under the Waste Disposal Ordinance and three were under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance.
 
     An owners’ corporation was fined $40,000, which was the heaviest fine in April, for discharged waste/polluting matter into the water control zone. read more