Tag Archives: China

     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 21 to noon today (May 22), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 134 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 52 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 137 881 samples of food imported from Japan (including 90 764 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 31 688 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

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 Chong Hing Bank Limited relating to a fraudulent website and an internet banking login screen, which have 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 website or login screen 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

     With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching and dragon boat races being held, the Marine Department (MD) reminded the organisers of dragon boat races and relevant associations at a preparation meeting for a major dragon boat race today (May 22) that the Marine Safety (Alcohol and Drugs) Ordinance (the Ordinance) has been in force since January 1 this year to regulate drink and drug boating in Hong Kong waters, thereby enhancing marine safety and protecting the safety of persons on board a vessel. The MD emphasised that the Ordinance applies to all vessels navigating in Hong Kong waters, including non-mechanised vessels such as dragon boats and kayaks.
 
     The Ordinance stipulates that any person involved in operating a vessel or performing designated duties relating to the safety and security of a vessel, or the protection of the marine environment, commits an offence if he/she is under the influence of alcohol or drugs to such an extent that he/she becomes incapable of having proper control of the vessel concerned or performing designated duties properly, or has an alcohol level exceeding the prescribed limit in the person’s body, or has any specified illicit drugs in the person’s body. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for three years as well as disqualification from operating or performing designated duties on board or operating a vessel in Hong Kong waters for life.
 
     A spokesman for the MD said, “As everyone on board a dragon boat (including the helmsman, drummer, and paddlers) must work together to propel and navigate the boat, they are all considered as persons operating the boat under the Ordinance and are subject to the regulation of the Ordinance.” The MD urges members of the public not to paddle dragon boats while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in order to avoid accidents caused by impaired judgment and alertness, which may endanger their own safety and the safety of other people at sea.
 
     The MD has earlier briefed 11 sports associations or dragon boat competition organisations, and issued letters to organisers of dragon boat races, explaining the scope of the Ordinance. In order to strengthen publicity on the Ordinance, the MD also displayed banners at popular dragon boat venues, such as Shing Mun River in Sha Tin and typhoon shelters, as well as distributed posters and leaflets to dragon boat associations and paddlers.
 
     Water sports are popular among the public in summer. The MD therefore also reminds members of the public that individuals operating non-motorised vessels such as kayaks are subject to regulations under the Ordinance as well. Regular swimmers using buoyancy devices such as swimming rings and floating beds in a normal manner are not considered as operating vessels.
 
     The MD is actively helping members of the public to better understand the contents of the Ordinance through a series of promotional activities, including distributing leaflets to the public, displaying posters and banners at water sports hotspots, organising briefings for maritime industry players and stakeholders, and broadcasting a TV Announcement in the Public Interest (API) and a radio API. Members of the public are welcome to browse the MD’s website for details of the Ordinance. read more

     â€‹ The Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, continued her visit to Paris, France, yesterday (May 21, Paris time) to introduce the potential and opportunities of Hong Kong’s housing technology development.

     Ms Ho first visited the Innovation Hub of Schneider Electric to learn how the company applies the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and robotics to promote building energy efficiency retrofits and achieve smart energy management and net-zero power generation. Ms Ho and the delegation of the Housing Department introduced to them the experience of applying innovative technologies in public housing development in Hong Kong and shared with them how the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) promotes and advances the development of innovative technologies at the planning and design, construction and inspection stages of works, and fosters optimisation and upgrading of the construction sector. Under the Housing•I&T initiative this year, the Housing Bureau is promoting new technologies in several areas, which can be categorised into three groups, namely smart housing design, construction and management; robotics applications; and smart estate management. Three self-developed projects by the HKHA, namely the HA-Project Information Management and Analytics Platform (HA-PIMAP), the Development and Construction Site Mobile System (DCSMS), and the BIM-enabled Systematic Approach to Foundation Design (BIM-SAFD), help enhance the effectiveness of the projects and enhance speed, quantity, quality, efficiency and safety, while at the same time lowering costs.

     Ms Ho went to the headquarters of Saint-Gobain Group in the afternoon. She visited the Group’s iconic Saint-Gobain Tower and its research centre in Paris to learn more about their research, development and production process of green building materials for lowering costs, saving energy and reducing carbon emissions while enhancing indoor comfort. The HKHA has also been promoting low-carbon construction and the use of environmentally friendly materials to help Hong Kong achieve the goal of carbon neutrality before 2050.

     In the evening, Ms Ho had dinner with representatives of the Business Environment Council and the largest employers’ association in France, Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF). They exchanged views on the application of construction technology by frontline staff and the development of smart cities, as well as sharing experiences on promoting occupational safety and sustainable development in the two places.

     Ms Ho will continue the last day of her visit to Paris today (May 22, Paris time) before departing for Hong Kong.

            

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced that a WSD-registered consumer of a flat with subdivided units in Tsuen Wan, New Territories, was convicted today (May 22) of failing to comply with the Water Authority’s request to provide relevant information or documents for a suspected case of overcharging for water, in contravention of regulation 47A of the Waterworks Regulations. The consumer pleaded guilty to the offence at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts.
      
     A spokesman for the WSD said that the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (the amended WWO) has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence, and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging tenants of subdivided units (SDUs) for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment. 
 
     The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press “7” for reporting to staff directly.
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