Tag Archives: China

     Hong Kong Customs held the Passing-out Parade for the 147th Inspector Induction Courses and the 511th-512th Customs Officer Induction Courses at the Hong Kong Customs College today (November 4). Mr Richard Tang officiated at the passing-out parade to inspect nine Probationary Customs Inspectors and 35 Probationary Customs Officers on parade.

     Speaking at the passing-out parade, Reviewing Officer Mr Tang said that under Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong closely adheres to the principle of “leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths to serve the country’s needs”. Building on the bridging role between the Mainland and the world, Hong Kong endeavours to advance the development of the “four centres and one hub” and deepen its integration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). As the core department for external connection and the guardian of the country’s gateway, Hong Kong Customs is a vital force of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in carrying out Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and aligning with national strategies. 

     He added that the development of control points under the National 15th Five-Year Plan has given Hong Kong Customs a new mission. With the smart upgrade of the Huanggang Port, the implementation of “hard and soft connectivity”, the optimisation of customs clearance mechanisms in GBA boundary control points, as well as the advancement of AI, big data and smart equipment, Hong Kong Customs plays an indispensable role in implementing Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan.
      
     Mr Tang encouraged the passing-out officers to uphold loyalty and enforce the law for the people, to keep pace with the times and embrace innovation, and to pass on the torch and remain devoted to the city and country at this critical juncture marked by a new plan and new mission. Noting that national strategies and the opportunities brought by the GBA have opened up a broad arena for Hong Kong, he expressed hope that the passing-out officers would contribute to Hong Kong’s high-quality development and long-term stability.

        

     The new flagship international exhibition on premium lifestyle brought in by the Government, The Festival of Connoisseurs (TFOC), officially opened at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) today (November 4). The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, joined by other guests, witnessed the launch of this major exhibition event.
 
     Addressing the opening ceremony, Mr Chan said that TFOC brings together exquisite craftsmanship and innovative ideas. Hong Kong, leveraging its role as a “super connector” and its unique advantages including free flow of capital, goods, talent and information, a simple and low tax regime, as well as its position as the gateway to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, provides an ideal platform for international brands to showcase quality products, expand their customer base, build partnerships and explore more business opportunities.
 
     Mr Chan added that the Government has earmarked $100 million in the Budget this year to attract high-quality, large-scale international exhibitions to Hong Kong, and TFOC was the first exhibition funded under the initiative. The success of TFOC was attributable to the close collaboration between the organiser and local partners, fully demonstrating the fruits of creativity and co-operation. The Government will continue to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as an international trade centre and world-class convention and exhibition (C&E) hub, support brands to expand their markets and bring richer experience to visitors.
 
     The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) is responsible for implementing the initiative, and will make good use of the funding to proactively attract more suitable international exhibitions with a view to developing Hong Kong into the first-choice platform for showcasing Mainland and international brands and driving high value-added economic activities.
 
     TFOC, organised by Informa Markets, will be held at AWE for three consecutive days starting from today (November 4 to 6). Instead of the traditional indoor and single venue format, the event extends beyond indoor exhibition halls to outdoor venues for showcasing various global and Mainland renowned brands centred around high-end lifestyle themes such as superyachts and supercars, offering a brand new experience for visitors and attracting a large number of premium exhibitors, buyers and visitors from overseas and the Mainland.
 
     In addition, the organiser has launched a series of pre-exhibition events since November 1 and will partner with the Lantau Yacht Club to stage a crossover between its Festa Nautica 2026 and TFOC, creating a grand event for the yachting sector while enabling the public to enjoy the immersive experience brought by this mega event.
 
     The Government expects exhibitions of such kind will generate new business opportunities, attract high-spending visitors, and enhance brand effects, thereby benefiting Hong Kong’s C&E industry and related sectors. The CEDB will continue to work with relevant organisations to identify other international exhibitions of various themes for staging in Hong Kong.
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     The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)’s 60th anniversary celebration event was held at the Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 today (November 4). Over 700 people from more than 40 jurisdictions registered for the event to reflect on UNCITRAL’s achievements in fostering the progressive harmonisation, unification and modernisation of international trade law in the past six decades, and examine how UNCITRAL could further support cross-border commerce in the digital era.
 
     “UNCITRAL’s Contribution to the International Transport of Goods in the Digital Economy – A Celebration of UNCITRAL@60 at Hong Kong Legal Week” featured discussions on UNCITRAL’s contribution to the international transport of goods and trade finance, and the challenges and opportunities faced in an increasingly paperless and digitally enabled ecosystem for global commerce.
 
     Delivering his welcome remarks, the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, said that UNCITRAL’s contribution to the international transport of goods in the digital economy is not just on legal texts, but also on reducing trade barriers and ensuring interoperability, and creating a digitally enabled ecosystem for global commerce with legal certainty. Mr Lam said that as an international trade centre, Hong Kong has been committed to promoting the development of digital trade by including the introduction of legislative amendments to foster trade, and the collaboration between the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and UNCITRAL to strengthen exchanges and talent training.
 
     The Secretary of UNCITRAL, Ms Anna Joubin-Bret, thanked the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for its continuous support to UNCITRAL’s work in her welcome remarks.
 
     At the conference, the Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation, Professor Teresa Cheng, delivered her keynote speech on the contribution of Hong Kong towards advancing the rule of law in international trade and commerce.
 
     Across the four panel discussion sessions, a number of experts with extensive knowledge of international trade discussed UNCITRAL’s current initiatives and future development of international trade on dimensions including the digitalisation and platformisation of trade finance; enabling paperless trade in cross-border scenarios; the impact of negotiable cargo documents on digital transformation in transport and beyond under the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents; and how the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships facilitates cross-border recognition of judicial sales of ships through digital tools.
 
     In his closing remarks, the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said that sharing among experts from the judicial, legal and public policy sectors during the panel discussions fully reflects UNCITRAL’s enduring efforts on and contribution to the international transport of goods. He stressed that international co-operation is the bedrock of promoting a seamless global trading system. Dr Cheung said that, looking forward, different parties should actively embrace digitalisation and promote legal harmonisation together.
 
     Also, one of the highlight events, the Hong Kong LawTech Fest, has returned to the Hong Kong Legal Week. For three days from today, the LawTech Fest features the LawTech Forum, LawTech Exhibition, and the Insight Stage, showcasing the latest developments in lawtech and fostering a critical dialogue on the ethical and professional implications of the adoption of AI for the legal sector. Mr Lam and Dr Cheung visited the LawTech Exhibition and exchanged views with the sector this morning to learn more about the latest developments of lawtech products and services. They encouraged the Hong Kong legal sector to join the Funding Scheme for LawTech Solution Subscription by the Hong Kong Legal Sector newly launched by the Department of Justice to enhance their capability to adopt lawtech.
 
     The LawTech Exhibition gathers 15 lawtech service providers, including the designated service providers under the Funding Scheme, to showcase their latest lawtech solutions and introduce how AI and other technologies can enhance efficiency and elevate the service quality of the legal sector. Through interactive workshops and live demonstrations, the Insight Stage allows legal professionals to experience firsthand how to leverage lawtech and AI solutions, including legal research, automated review and data analysis, workflow management, document drafting and hearing support service to enhance the competitiveness of the sector.
 
     The LawTech Forum, the highlight event of Hong Kong LawTech Fest, will be held tomorrow (November 5) afternoon with the theme “Human in the Loop, Integrity at the Core – Redefining Legal Practice with LawTech”. Leading experts from the lawtech field and stakeholders with different backgrounds will exchange views on AI governance and explore how the legal sector can make good use of lawtech while upholding integrity, trust and professional responsibility.
 
     The Hong Kong Mediation Lecture 2026 will be held in the evening on the same day. It will introduce the recent efforts of the Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited to strengthen professional standards and public confidence in the mediation profession, and explore its role in performing statutory mediator appointment functions envisaged under the proposed legislative amendments.
 
     For more details of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2026, please visit the dedicated website at www.legalweek.hk. A live broadcast will be available on the dedicated website and at webcast.info.gov.hk.

                    

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Festival of Connoisseurs Gala Dinner today (November 4):

Patrick (Group Chief Operating Officer of Informa Markets, Mr Patrick Martell), Margaret (President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Informa Markets Asia, Mrs Margaret Connolly), Vivian (CEO of the Airport Authority Hong Kong and the Chairman of AsiaWorld-Expo, Mrs Vivian Cheung), Peter (Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Dr Peter Lam), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good evening. It is a pleasure to join you for the gala dinner of the Festival of Connoisseurs. I extend a particularly warm welcome to our friends visiting from overseas.

     This morning, we admired the craftsmanship on display. Tonight, we meet the people behind it.

     My sincere thanks go to Informa Markets and its partners for bringing this inaugural festival to Hong Kong. You have assembled nine premium clusters, more than 50 world-renowned brands and over 3 000 overseas visitors. To have achieved this in less than a year is truly impressive.

     With fine jewellery, exceptional wines and spirits, supercars and superyachts on display, there is so much to admire, and no shortage of temptation. If you are here with your spouse, I suggest agreeing early on what counts as a souvenir.

     Hong Kong knows how to bring together good food, fine wine, elegant craftsmanship and people who appreciate them all. This festival has found the right home.

     Tonight gives us time to get to know one another over dinner. I also hope our overseas guests will take the opportunity to discover more of Hong Kong.

More reasons to stay

     Giving visitors more to enjoy is central to our tourism and events strategy. This year, we have more than 230 events on the calendar, spanning finance, business, culture, sports and entertainment.

     We also schedule events close together, so that visitors can enjoy several in one trip. This week is a good example, with FinTech Week, the Global Financial Leaders’ Investment Summit and this festival.

     A visitor arriving for a conference may stay for an exhibition, enjoy a concert or bring the family to our theme parks. That gives people more reasons to come and to stay, and the benefits reach beyond the venues to our hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions.

     To sustain that appeal, we keep introducing new experiences, so that returning visitors always find something fresh.

     That is why I allocated $100 million in the Budget this year to attract high-quality, large-scale international exhibitions with distinctive new elements. I am delighted that the Festival of Connoisseurs is the first exhibition supported under this initiative.

From art to wealth 

     Our vision, however, goes beyond a longer visit. We are developing Hong Kong into a leading international wealth management centre, and wealthy families are gathering here in growing numbers. Last year, Hong Kong counted more than 18 000 ultra-high-net-worth individuals, ranking second among cities worldwide. We also hosted more than 3 300 single family offices, an increase of over 25 per cent in two years. And this year, Hong Kong became the largest cross-boundary wealth management centre in the world.

     These families share more than a need for wealth management. Many are passionate collectors of art, wine, jewellery and the finer things in life. This festival speaks directly to those interests, bringing discerning customers together with brands and specialists who understand what they value.

     Art is a good example. Hong Kong is already among the top three arts trading centres in the world, and we intend to become a global hub for premium arts trading.

     Under Project Skytopia, the Airport Authority is developing an art and valuables storage facility. Scheduled to open in early 2027, it will offer museum-grade storage and private viewing rooms for collectors and art businesses.

     Facilities like this form part of a broader effort to make Hong Kong a place where wealth owners and their families can manage their assets, pursue their passions and plan for the generations to come.

     Increasingly, these families are asking not only how to grow their wealth, but what it should achieve. Hong Kong is a natural place to find the answer. We have a long and generous tradition of philanthropy, with more than 11 000 recognised charities and some of the most active foundations in Asia. Together with deep capital markets and strong professional services, this city has every ingredient to become a leading centre for impact capital in the region.

     We are building on that advantage. Our Impact Link platform connects family offices with accredited charitable projects in Hong Kong and beyond. The latest Policy Address goes a step further, matching resources from family offices and businesses with community welfare projects.

A place to call home

     Of course, no family chooses a home for its financial services alone. They choose it for the life they can lead. In Hong Kong, that means world-class dining and a vibrant wine culture, outstanding museums and galleries, and country parks, beaches and beautiful sailing waters within easy reach of the city centre. Few cities offer so much, so close together.

     For the brands and businesses in this room, all of these adds up to more than a finance story. It means customers and partners who value art, culture and the craftsmanship you represent. And beyond our city lies the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a market of more than 88 million people with rising wealth and a growing appetite for quality products and exceptional experiences. So a conversation that begins at this festival can become an enduring presence in this region.

Looking forward to a bigger festival

     Ladies and gentlemen, an inaugural festival asks a great deal of everyone involved. The organisers took a leap of faith. The brands brought their finest pieces halfway around the world. And many of you travelled a long way to be here. Thank you for your confidence in Hong Kong.

     I understand that next year’s festival will be even bigger. As Financial Secretary, I am always pleased to hear about growth. And tonight, I am happy to leave the spending decisions to you.

     I wish you all a wonderful evening, and the best of health and business in the year ahead.

    

The following is issued on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Water Supplies:
 
     A delegation of the Advisory Committee on Water Supplies (ACWS) departed for Guangdong Province this morning (November 4) to begin a two-day visit to the Dongjiang (DJ) Water Supply System and learn about the latest developments of matters in relation to the DJ water supplied to Hong Kong.
      
     This morning, the delegation visited the Gaoxinsha Reservoir in Nansha, Guangzhou, to see the Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation Project. The project, commissioned in 2024, diverts water from the Xijiang River to the eastern part of the Pearl River Delta, providing a new water source for Nansha of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan and other regions, and enabling the DJ and Xijiang Rivers to complement each other. The Committee was pleased to learn that the project will help relieve the demand for DJ water in the cities along the DJ River’s course, and will also provide an emergency backup source of water for Hong Kong, thereby enhancing the water security of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and optimising the region’s water resources allocation capabilities.
      
     In the afternoon, the delegation proceeded to the Greenway in Huizhou, which runs along the banks of the DJ River, to observe the quality of the DJ water supplied to Hong Kong at a close distance and to receive briefings from the relevant Guangdong authorities on the water quality protection measures. The delegation then visited the DJ River Basin Water Quantity and Quality Monitoring and Control Centre in Huizhou to learn how the Centre leverages an advanced intelligent platform for real-time control of water supply facility operations as well as close monitoring of water quality along its course. The Committee considered that the intelligent platform adopted by the Centre can effectively enhance operational efficiency and incident response capabilities, thereby further safeguarding the stable supply and water quality of the DJ water supplied to Hong Kong.
      
     The delegation will continue its visit tomorrow (November 5) to inspect the intake point of the DJ water supplied to Hong Kong in Dongguan and various major operation points downstream, and to meet with local government officials. The visit will conclude tomorrow afternoon, with the delegation returning to Hong Kong thereafter.
      
     The terms of reference of the ACWS are to advise the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through the Director of Water Supplies on matters relating to water supplies, including water resources, network management, regulation and control of inside services, water conservation and other operational matters. Its membership comprises academics, green advocates, professionals, representatives from the trade, and officials from related government departments and bureaux.