Tag Archives: China

     Hong Kong’s excellence in delivering public works projects received international recognition. The Development Bureau (DEVB) and works departments shone at the 2025 Martin Barnes Awards Ceremony in London, the United Kingdom, on June 16 (London time), winning nine awards from the 27 awards in eight categories (see Annex), including two prestigious winner awards, among 80 entries worldwide.
      
     A prestigious honour in the industry, the Martin Barnes Awards are presented by the New Engineering Contract (NEC) Users’ Group under the Institution of Civil Engineers of the United Kingdom. The awards recognise construction projects, organisations and individuals worldwide that have demonstrated excellence in project delivery through collaborative partnership.
      
     The two winner awards are as follows:
 
1. The winner award for the Climate Change Initiative category was received by the Water Supplies Department (WSD) for the implementation of Shek Wu Hui Water Reclamation Plant. In the construction and operation of Hong Kong’s first large-scale regional water reclamation plant, the WSD worked with the contractor through the NEC mechanism to develop an innovative and cost-effective fully automated reclaimed water production solution that saves energy and helps reduce carbon emissions. The facility supplies water for non-potable uses in Northern District and nearby new development areas. With the production process remaining unaffected by extreme weather, it not only conserves precious water resources but also enhances the resilience of Hong Kong’s water resources portfolio, thus further improving the stability of the city’s water resources.
 
2. The winner award for Distinguished Contribution category was received by Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) Mr Tony Ho, in recognition of his outstanding performance in promoting and deepening the application of the NEC in construction projects over the years, which has contributed to the development of a collaborative culture in the industry. His proactive promotion of the adoption of advanced technologies has also enhanced the overall performance of construction projects.
 
     In addition to the above two winner awards, the DEVB, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, and the Highways Department also received various awards for several notable NEC entries.
      
     The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, extended her congratulations to the project teams on their impressive achievements. She said, “The DEVB and works departments have been committed to promoting collaborative partnerships in the delivery of public works projects through the adoption of the NEC form, enhancing mutual trust and co-operation among different industry stakeholders. Such collaborative partnerships help accomplish the primary goals of project management and enhance management efficiency and cost-effectiveness of projects. The awards fully demonstrate that their efforts and accomplishments have been recognised internationally.”
      
     The NEC Users’ Group also held its 2025 Annual Conference on the same day. The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Poon Kwok-ying, was invited to attend the plenary session to exchange ideas with a group of international experts on how to lead the industry in applying innovative technologies and integrating the use of the NEC form to enhance the effectiveness of implementing infrastructure projects.
      
     Since the DEVB introduced the NEC form for public works projects in Hong Kong in 2009, it has become a key driver in transforming the construction industry. The NEC embraces a collaborative partnership between clients and contractors, thereby enhancing project performance. While the conventional form of contracts focused more on specifying contractual obligations and responsibilities of both parties, the NEC introduces a comprehensive project management system into its contractual provisions, including an early warning mechanism, a compensation mechanism between contractual parties and action plans. It advocates for contractual parties to work together to resolve contractual problems in a proactive and collaborative manner under this management system, thereby achieving win-win situations. As of today, more than 760 public works contracts, with a total value of over HK$510 billion, have adopted the NEC form.

        

     â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 17) that a sample of prepackaged black pepper was found to contain a pesticide, ethylene oxide. Members of the public should not consume the affected product. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected product immediately if they possess it.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: I Love Black Pepper with Grinders 170g
Brand: CAPE FOODS
Place of origin: South Africa
Net weight: 170 grams
Best-before date: November 18, 2027
Distributor: EASTERN ZONE CO. LTD.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from an online vendor for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide. The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop sales and remove from shelves the affected product. According to the CFS’s instructions, the distributor concerned has initiated a recall on the affected product. Members of the public may call its hotline at 2898 8632 for enquiries about the recall of the product concerned.”

     The spokesman continued, “The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen. According to the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM), a food for human consumption containing pesticide residue may only be sold if consumption of the food is not dangerous or prejudicial to health. An offender is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.”

     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing. read more

     The Task Group on New Medical School met separately with the three universities that have submitted proposals for the establishment of the third medical school, namely Hong Kong Baptist University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, for the second time today (June 17) to have a focused exchange on the specific implementation plans of their proposals. Each university further presented to the Task Group its overall plan for implementing the new medical school proposal, including the curriculum content, clinical training for medical students, construction of teaching facilities, and funding arrangements, and responded to the suggestions and targeted questions raised by the Task Group after the first meeting. The Task Group will enhance speed and efficiency in expediting the assessment of the proposals, with a view to completing the assessments and providing a recommendation to the Government within this year.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “I am pleased to see that all the three universities have demonstrated a strong commitment to nurturing medical talent and developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, as well as responded positively to the key concerns raised by the Task Group, in particular, the quality of medical education and clinical training arrangements. As President Xi Jinping said, ‘Health is the most important indicator of people’s happiness.’ The current-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government strives to comprehensively deepen the reform of the healthcare system, and the new medical school will not only shoulder the mission of coping with the rapidly ageing population and the worsening shortage of healthcare manpower, but also collaborate and pursue complementary development with the two existing medical schools, with a view to contributing to the long-term enhancement of the quality, efficiency, and sustainability of Hong Kong’s healthcare system.”

     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said, “The establishment of the new medical school is not only a development project for an individual university, but also an important step in elevating Hong Kong’s position as an international hub for medical education and innovation. The 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education newly released by our nation strives to accelerate the development of world-class universities and advanced disciplines. We expect the selected university to take on the important task of actively promoting curriculum innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and establishing closer ties with regional partners. In addition to facilitating the overall development of the university concerned, the new medical school will also be able to nurture more healthcare talent, raise academic standard and broaden the scope of medical education and research in Hong Kong.”

     Established in October last year, the Task Group comprises seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics in medical education and university management, professionals, representatives from the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, as well as representatives from the relevant government bureaux and departments. It has already set the overall direction and parameters for establishing the new medical school. In December last year, the Task Group issued a letter of invitation to all University Grants Committee-funded universities to invite local universities interested in establishing the new medical school to submit proposals, and three proposals were received by the deadline. The Task Group’s first round of meetings with each of the three universities that have submitted proposals was conducted on May 3 this year to have in-depth discussions on the proposals.  

    

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) emphasised today (June 17) that the FEHD attaches great importance to staff discipline and integrity and will not condone any misconduct or illegal behaviour, following the District Court’s sentencing of eight former Principal Hawker Control Officers for conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. Any staff members found guilty of a criminal offence will not only be subject to court sentencing but will also face disciplinary sanctions by the department in accordance with the established civil service disciplinary mechanism. When conducting civil service recruitment exercises, civil servants must strictly comply with the relevant policies and procedures and ensure that the recruitment process is conducted according to the principles of fairness, transparency, and merits. 
       
     The FEHD will seek advice from the Civil Service Bureau to determine appropriate follow-up actions following the court judgment, including whether to consider cancelling, suspending, or reducing the pension benefits of the officers concerned under Section 29 of the Pension Benefits Ordinance (Cap. 99). 
       
     Following the incident, the FEHD has reviewed the recruitment procedures for Assistant Hawker Control Officers and introduced refinements to the modus operandi and the monitoring mechanism. Such enhancements include emphasising to recruitment board chairpersons and members that failure to uphold the principles of fairness, impartiality, and confidentiality during the selection process may result in disciplinary action or even criminal liability; adjusting the composition of recruitment boards to ensure a more balanced representation of relevant grades and enhance objectivity and diversity in the selection process; providing additional guidance to board secretaries to strengthen their role in supporting procedural fairness; and arranging for supervisory staff to observe interviews on an irregular basis and offer feedback on overall selection arrangements with a view to further ascertaining the propriety of the process. 
       
     In addition, the FEHD has strengthened integrity training for enforcement and supervisory officers at all levels, including inviting officers of the Independent Commission Against Corruption to conduct seminars on anti-corruption laws and related administrative codes to heighten staff awareness of corruption risks and the offence of misconduct in public office. The department also continues to use various channels to remind staff at all levels of the importance of upholding core civil service values and conduct at all times.  read more

     Jointly organised by the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and the Connecting Hearts, the sharing session for the social welfare sector on the 5th anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law concluded today (June 17).

     The sharing session aims to further enhance the awareness of the social welfare sector in implementing the Hong Kong National Security Law and encourage them to safeguard national security proactively. The event was attended by about 300 members from the management level of different social welfare organisations in person, with several thousand representatives from the social welfare sector joining online.

     Addressing the ceremony, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, said that with the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the LWB and the SWD have enhanced relevant mechanisms such as the inclusion of the requirement into the relevant documents for the SWD’s subsidised and subvented services to ensure non-governmental organisations’ compliance with the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in the delivery of services, and the amendments to the Social Workers Registration Ordinance which allow prompt and appropriate actions on registered social workers convicted of offences endangering national security. Upon implementation of these enhancements, Mr Sun said he was pleased to note that the social welfare sector has not only shown a rising awareness of safeguarding national security, but also integrated such awareness into the daily operation of their organisations, fully demonstrating that safeguarding national security is everyone’s responsibility.

     Mr Sun emphasised that the LWB and the SWD will continue to organise activities to promote national security education and patriotism in the sector in partnership with the Connecting Hearts and encourage organisations providing subvented welfare services to make good use of the Dedicated Fund to enhance their staff’s understanding of national affairs by arranging for them to join Mainland exchange tours and national studies programmes. He said that the overwhelming response from social workers on the Thousands of Hong Kong Social Workers Exploring the Motherland and Hong Kong Social Work Teaching Staff Exploring the Motherland tours is a clear indication of the sector’s wish to obtain a better and more comprehensive understanding of the overall national development.

     Hong Kong Special Administrative Region member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Ms Melissa Pang and Board member of the Connecting Hearts Professor Alex Fan were invited to deliver keynote speeches about the Hong Kong National Security Law at the sharing session today. The President of the Connecting Hearts Academy, Professor Annie Tam, also hosted a quiz session for the participants to enrich their understanding of the Hong Kong National Security Law in an interactive approach.