Tag Archives: China

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 is 104.8 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). 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.
 
     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 12 to noon today (May 13), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 141 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 135 528 samples of food imported from Japan (including 89 287 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 31 236 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     The Candidate Eligibility Review Committee (CERC) published a notice in the Gazette today (May 13) to declare that 36 registrations of ex-officio members of the Election Committee (EC) are valid.
      
     In accordance with section 5J of the Schedule to the Chief Executive Election Ordinance (Cap. 569), a person holding a specified office under Part 2A of the Schedule may register as an ex-officio member of the EC. If the specified person is not eligible to be registered as an ex-officio member or is the holder of more than one specified office, he/she may designate another person who is holding an office in a relevant body in relation to the specified office to be registered as an ex-officio member.
      
     The Registration and Electoral Office has received 36 registrations of ex-officio members. After review, the CERC has determined that these 36 registrations are valid. The subsectors and specified offices involved are listed below:
 

Subsector	Specified Office
Architectural, surveying, planning and landscape	The President of The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors The President of The Hong Kong Institute of Planners The Chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Society The Chairman of the Antiquities Advisory Board The Chairman of the Harbourfront Commission The Chairman of the Land and Development Advisory Committee
Education	The Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong The Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong The President of the City University of Hong Kong The President of The Education University of Hong Kong The President of Lingnan University The office specified by the Po Leung Kuk The office specified by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
Engineering	The Chairman of the Board of the Airport Authority The Chairman of the Transport Advisory Committee The Chairman of the Electrical Safety Advisory Committee The Chairman of the Gas Safety Advisory Committee The Chairman of the Energy Advisory Committee The Chairman of the Advisory Committee on the Appearance of Bridges and Associated Structures The Chairperson of the Drinking Water Safety Advisory Committee
Medical and health services	The Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong The President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine The Chairman of the Midwives Council of Hong Kong The Chairman of the Chiropractors Council The Dean of Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong The Commissioner of the Auxiliary Medical Service
Social welfare	The Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service The Chairperson of the Social Workers Registration Board The Chairman of the Council of the Institute of Social Service Development The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Po Leung Kuk The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Yan Chai Hospital The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pok Oi Hospital The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Yan Oi Tong Limited The Chairman of the Executive Committee of The Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society Kowloon The Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Social Workers Across Borders Limited

 
     The CERC is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, with three official members (the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; and the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak Mei-kuen) and three non-official members (Miss Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Mrs Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai and Professor Lawrence Lau Juen-yee). In accordance with Annex I to the Basic Law, the CERC is responsible for reviewing and confirming the eligibility of candidates for the membership of the EC (including ex-officio members). The CERC decides whether such persons comply with the legal requirements and conditions of upholding the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and bearing allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC. read more

     The Government announced today (May 13) that the Cash Allowance Trial Scheme (CATS) will be concluded on June 30, 2025. The Housing Department (HD) will notify eligible applicant households who are currently receiving cash allowance individually and make the last disbursement of the allowance on June 30.
 
     For Public Rental Housing (PRH) General Applicant (GA) households who will have waited for PRH for more than three years in June 2025, the Cash Allowance Office (CAO) of the HD will issue a notification letter and the Application Form for Cash Allowance to them in late May. Eligible households who wish to apply for the cash allowance for the month of June 2025 should submit the completed application form, together with the required document(s), on or before the deadline as specified in the notification letter. Late applications will not be processed.
 
     If the cash allowance disbursement of an applicant household has been suspended and the household’s eligibility is reaffirmed upon review after termination of the CATS, the CAO will reimburse the cash allowance during the suspended period (if applicable) to the household.
 
     The Government launched the three-year CATS in late June 2021 to provide cash allowance to eligible PRH GA households, and it was later announced that the Scheme would be extended for one year until the end of June 2025 in the 2024-25 Budget. For enquiries, please email to enquiry@cashallowance.gov.hk or call the hotline on 3105 3333. read more

     The Civil Aid Service (CAS) organised an exercise codenamed "WINDSTORM", at Wan Tuk Creek on Lantau Island today (May 13) to enhance its communication, co-ordination, contingency planning and mobilisation capabilities for … read more