Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at regular intervals: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department… read more
​The Government announced today (June 20) that the Chief Executive has appointed Mr Roden Tong Man-lung and reappointed Mr Victor Dawes, SC, and Mr Carlson Tong as members of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission for the period from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027.
Meanwhile, Ms Melissa Kaye Pang, a serving member of the Commission, will retire from the Commission on June 30, 2025.
“We wish to express our gratitude to Ms Melissa Kaye Pang for her invaluable advice rendered to the Commission during her term of office and for her contributions to upholding Hong Kong’s judicial independence,” a Government spokesman said.
The functions of the Commission are to advise or make recommendations to the Chief Executive regarding the filling of vacancies in judicial offices, representations from a judicial officer concerning conditions of service referred to it by the Chief Executive, and any matter affecting judicial officers which may be prescribed or which the Chief Executive may refer to it.
The membership list with effect from July 1, 2025, is as follows:
Ex-officio Chairman
———–
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal
Members
———–
Secretary for Justice (ex-officio member)
Mr Justice Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor
Madam Justice Carlye Chu Fun-ling
Mr Victor Dawes, SC
Mr Roden Tong Man-lung
Mr Carlson Tong
Mr Philip Chen Nan-lok
Professor Nancy Ip Yuk-yu 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.
From noon on June 19 to noon today (June 20), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 233 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 145 285 samples of food imported from Japan (including 95 422 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 33 142 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, arrived in Bordeaux on June 19 (France time) to continue his visit to France.
Mr Yau first held a business roundtable with representatives of La French Tech Bordeaux, a start-up network, and Bordeaux-based technology start-ups to update them on Hong Kong’s latest start-up ecosystem and business-friendly environment for start-ups and entrepreneurs to thrive.
Mr Yau highlighted that Hong Kong’s start-up community has seen remarkable growth and diversification in recent years. In 2024, the number of start-ups in the city reached a record high of approximately 4 700, up about 10 per cent from the previous year. The founder base is notably diverse, with around 28 per cent of start-up founders coming from outside Hong Kong. The encouraging result is a testament to Hong Kong’s attractiveness to innovators, assisted by several key advantages such as a low and simple tax system, world-class financial services and the accessibility to both Mainland and international business opportunities.
He said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is firmly committed to positioning Hong Kong as a leading innovation and technology hub where start-ups play a pivotal role. He encouraged Bordeaux’s start-up community to expand their operations into Hong Kong, leveraging the city’s strategic position as a gateway to the vast markets on the Mainland and in Asia.
Mr Yau also paid a courtesy call on the Mayor of Bordeaux, Mr Pierre Hurmic, to brief him on Hong Kong’s latest initiatives to drive economic development, such as the reduction of liquor duty, and exchange views on forging closer bilateral relations in various areas such as start-ups, and wine and liquor industries.
In the evening, Mr Yau attended the Bordeaux Wine Festival, the leading wine event in France, to learn about the latest developments of Bordeaux wine and liquor.
Mr Yau will continue his visit to Bordeaux.
The Government announced today (June 20) the appointment of three new non-official members and the reappointment of 10 serving non-official members to the Green Technology and Finance Development Committee for a period of two years from June 23, 2025, to June 22, 2027.
The membership list in the new term is as follows:
Chairman
——-
Financial Secretary
Non-official members (in alphabetical order of surnames)
————————-
Ms Clara Chan Yuen-shan
Dr Vincent Cheng Sai-yau
Dr Dai Fan (newly appointed)
Ms Loretta Fong Wan-huen
Professor Gong Peng (newly appointed)
Professor Alex Jen Kwan-yue
Ms Poman Lo
Mr Lu Jiahui (newly appointed)
Dr Ma Jun
Mr Philip Ng Kim-lam
Dr Conrad Wong Tin-cheung
Miss Vriko Yu Pik-fan
Dr Martin Zhu Yihao
Official members
——————-
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
Secretary for Environment and Ecology
Secretary for Housing
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry
Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services)
Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics 1
Head of Project Strategy and Governance Office, Development Bureau
Chairman, Council for Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Development
Chief Executive Officer, Securities and Futures Commission
Chief Executive Officer, Insurance Authority
Deputy Chief Executive, Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited
Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited
Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
A Government spokesman said, “Since its establishment in June 2023, the Committee has provided valuable insights across various areas, including fostering the creation of a green technology ecosystem, developing green finance, green transportation and green buildings, as well as promoting and highlighting Hong Kong’s strengths in these areas. We firmly believe that, with the extensive market experience and professional expertise of the Committee members, their invaluable advice will further advance the development of green technology and finance in Hong Kong.
“We express our gratitude to the outgoing members, Mr Wang Hongbo, Dr George Lam, and Mr Jonathan Drew for their contributions to the work of the Committee during their tenure.”
The Committee was established on June 23, 2023, to assist in the formation of an action agenda for promoting the development of Hong Kong into an international green technology and financial centre. Members of the Committee include representatives from relevant policy bureaux, departments and financial regulators, as well as non-official members from the finance, technology, academic, professional services sectors, etc. read more