Tag Archives: China

     The Department of Health (DH) today (June 17) appealed to the public not to buy or use four types of topical products as they were found to contain undeclared controlled drug ingredients. These products include:
      

Product name	Part 1 poisons found
1. Zangyao xuanduwang	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
2. King poison to itch Antibacterial cream	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
3. HE SHENG MEI LANG DU WANG	Clobetasol propionate, ketoconazole and miconazole
4. ZHONG HUA ZHEN JUN WANG Antibacterial cream	Clobetasol propionate and miconazole

 
     Acting upon intelligence, the DH has collected samples of the above-mentioned products from a retail stall in Tuen Mun for analysis. Test results from the Government Laboratory revealed that the above products contained undeclared controlled drug ingredients, which are Part 1 poisons under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138). These products are also suspected to be unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH, in collaboration with the Police, took enforcement action at the premises today. During the operation, a 51-year-old woman was arrested for suspected illegal sale and possession of Part 1 poisons and unregistered pharmaceutical products. The DH’s investigation is still ongoing.
      
     Clobetasol propionate is a steroid substance for treating inflammation. Inappropriate application of steroids could cause skin problems and systemic side effects such as moon face, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, adrenal insufficiency and osteoporosis. Products containing clobetasol propionate are prescription medicines that should be used under a doctor’s directions and be supplied in the premises of an Authorized Seller of Poisons (i.e. a pharmacy) under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor’s prescription. Ketoconazole and miconazole are used for the treatment of fungal infections with side effects including local irritation and sensitivity reactions. Topical products containing ketoconazole and miconazole should be supplied in a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.
      
     According to the Ordinance, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is a criminal offence. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.
      
     The DH strongly urged members of the public not to buy or use products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of “HK-XXXXX”. The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.
      
     People who have purchased the products concerned should stop using them immediately and consult healthcare professionals if in doubt or if they feel unwell after use. They may submit the products to the Drug Office of the DH at Room 1804-06, 18/F, Wing On Kowloon Centre, 345 Nathan Road, Kowloon, during office hours for disposal. read more

     Following is the speech by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, at a special session of “The Great Unity – Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties in Shaanxi Province” Exhibition today (June 17):

The Honourable Commissioner Cui Jianchun (Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Mr Gary Chan (Legislative Council Member), Ms Starry Lee (Legislative Council Member), Mr Holden Chow (Legislative Council Member), Acting Secretary Lau (Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau), Director Chan (Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan), consuls-general, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     It is great pleasure to welcome you to this special session of “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Great Unity – Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties in Shaanxi Province” Exhibition.  

     President Xi Jinping has, on many occasions, made important remarks on strengthening the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and promoting China’s magnificent traditional culture. Hong Kong has an important role to play here: deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture and extensively connected to the international communities, we are well positioned as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange to promote Chinese culture and history to the world and encourage mutual learning across nations and regions.  

     The Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government established the Chinese Culture Promotion Office (CCPO) last year. The CCPO is dedicated to promoting Chinese culture and history-related activities, exchanges and collaborations, thereby enhancing the public’s cultural confidence and national identity. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Museum of History, the CCPO launched in 2024 the first flagship project – the “General History of China Series” – for the public to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the development of Chinese civilisation. Last year, the first exhibition in the series, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Ancient Civilisation of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties in Henan Province” and the inaugural Chinese Culture Festival have attracted more than 1 million in physical attendance, including 10 000 teachers and students, in the same place that we are standing today.  

     Following that remarkable success, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Great Unity – Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties in Shaanxi Province” is the much yearned for second major exhibition in the General History of China Series. Qin and Han, spanning the 440 years from 221 BC to 220 AD, were two dynasties of immense significance. The Qin period saw the first unification of China in terms of adopting: political centralism, the system of prefectures and counties, “li shu” as the common written words, common currency, common weights and measures etc. Whereas the Han period saw the defeat of neighbouring and invading foreign tribes, the expansion of the national boundary, the prosperity of external trade via the Silk Road, and the adoption of Confucianism as the orthodox thinking and value etc. These developments profoundly influenced the course of China’s development for over 2,000 years.  

     The capital of Qin and Western Han was respectively Xianyang and Changan, which are today’s Xianyang and Xi’an in the province of Shaanxi. With the staunch and generous support of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, about 110 sets of priceless exhibits from Shaanxi, including figures from the world-renowned terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi-huang (秦始皇), and warrior and animal figurines of Emperor Jing (漢景å¸�), the sixth emperor of Western Han, are presented in this exhibition. Among the exhibits, 11 are grade-one national treasures brought to Hong Kong under the auspices of Shaanxi Province, with four on exhibition outside Mainland China for the first time. We earnestly hope that the wide array of exhibits will give our distinguished guests today a taste of the grandeur of the two dynasties and a deeper appreciation of the richness and beauty of traditional Chinese culture.

     I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong SAR and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong for organising this special viewing session. I look forward to having more exhibitions of national treasures from different Chinese provinces in Hong Kong under the General History of China Series to further introduce Chinese culture and history to the global audience.

     In closing, I hope you like the exhibition and have a delightful afternoon meeting the art pieces from 2 000 years ago. Thank you very much.

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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 the press releases issued by the banks listed below relating to fraudulent websites, internet banking login screens, phishing emails or other scams, which have been reported to the HKMA. Hyperlinks to the press releases are available on the HKMA website.
      

Bank	Type of Scam
The Bank of East Asia, Limited	Fraudulent website and internet banking login screen
Shanghai Commercial Bank Limited	Fraudulent website and internet banking login screen
Chong Hing Bank Limited	Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited	Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens

 
     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 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 scams concerned, should contact the relevant bank with the information provided in the corresponding press release, and report the matter to the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. read more

     â€‹The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, paid a two-day visit to Shanghai and met with local government officials as well as trade representatives on transport and logistics issues.

     Upon her arrival yesterday (June 16), Ms Chan first had a meeting with the Director of the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Mr Yu Fulin, and other officials to exchange views on issues of mutual interest, including traffic management, shipping and aviation. She also visited an all-electric ferry, which commenced operation in April, to learn about Shanghai’s progress in promoting green transport.

     She subsequently met with representatives of the China Shipowners’ Association to give an overview of the latest developments of Hong Kong’s maritime services. She encouraged Mainland shipowners and shipping enterprises to register their ships in Hong Kong. Hong Kong ranks fourth globally in shipping registration and the quality of the Hong Kong flag has long been internationally renowned, with its port detention rate consistently among the top three lowest in the world. Additionally, the Government will introduce tax concessions for commodity trading, further generating new impetus for the maritime services sector. Combined with the market influence of Mainland shipowners and the shipping sector, this initiative will reinforce the influence of the country in the international shipping community.

     Ms Chan visited the Yangshan Port in Shanghai today (June 17) to gain insights into the operations of its automated terminal. She said, “The Port of Shanghai and ports in Hong Kong are advancing in unison towards greening, digitalisation and adoption of smart technologies. The visit has deepened exchanges between the two sides on high-quality port development and allowed us to draw on Yangshan Port’s experience to facilitate discussions with port operators on a roadmap for the smart transformation of Hong Kong’s ports. The Port of Shanghai leverages technology to drive port development, and I look forward to further strengthening exchanges and co-operation with it in the future, consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s strengths as the ‘southern gateway’ of the country.”

     She continued that Shanghai and Hong Kong are both vital shipping centres to the country, ranking third and fourth respectively in the 2024 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index Report. She expressed hope that through this visit and exchanges, both cities can work together to strive toward the country’s strategic goal of becoming a maritime powerhouse and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration.

     Ms Chan concluded her duty visit to Shanghai and returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.

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     â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (June 17) that, due to events in the region, Hongkong Post has suspended all postal services to Iran with immediate effect until further notice. read more