Tag Archives: China

     The Education Bureau (EDB) organised a Mental Health Fun Day at Ocean Park Hong Kong today (March 7) to promote mental health awareness among students. The event had the participation of and received support from the Department of Health, the Advisory Committee on Mental Health (ACMH) and the “Shall We Talk” Initiative.

     The Fun Day enabled students to understand the lives and characteristics of different animals through participating in exploratory activities organised by Ocean Park Hong Kong to experience the four key elements of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter (4Rs Charter) – Rest, Relaxation, Relationship, and Resilience.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, said that the purpose of implementing the 4Rs Charter is to help students develop healthy habits, foster a healthy culture in schools and comprehensively enhance the mental health of students, school staff and parents. Currently, more than 650 schools have joined the 4Rs Charter, demonstrating the support and commitment of the school sector in nurturing students’ physical and psychological well-being. 

     She said that the EDB will continue to optimise the school curriculum and implement various student growth programmes, helping students develop positive values and enhance resilience. Meanwhile, the EDB will provide schools with more resources and professional support as well as arrange non-governmental organisations to conduct various mental health activities at schools with a view to strengthening the promotion of students’ mental health in schools. 

     At the opening ceremony, Dr Choi; the Chairman of the ACMH, Dr Lam Ching-choi; the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam; and the Chief Executive of the Ocean Park Corporation, Mr Ivan Wong, together with the mascots of Ocean Park Hong Kong, Whiskers and Bao Bao, and other guests, relaxed their body and mind and relieved stress through stretching exercises. In addition, among the other guests in attendance at the opening ceremony were representatives of school councils and school heads’ associations of primary and secondary schools, the principals from schools participating in the 4Rs Charter, as well as partner organisations of the 4Rs Charter, joining hands to enhance students’ physical and psychological well-being.

     The Fun Day featured eight checkpoints where students could learn tips about sleep and rest. Through learning about animals’ characteristics, they could also experience how to relax and release emotions through their five senses. Students worked in groups to complete different problem-solving tasks, fostering teamwork among peers, understanding the importance of building emotional connections with those around them as well as experiencing the benefits of positive attitudes and applying strategies, thereby developing their resilience.

     The EDB appeals to all schools in the territory to join the 4Rs Charter, instil a sense of well-being in students’ everyday lives, and work together for their healthy development. The EDB will continue to strengthen the synergy through cross-departmental and cross-sector collaboration to help schools utilise external and community resources for promoting students’ mental health.

     Details of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter are set out in the EDB Circular Memorandum No. 60/2024 (applications.edb.gov.hk/circular/upload/EDBCM/EDBCM24060E.pdf) and the 4Rs Mental Health Charter designated webpage (mentalhealth.edb.gov.hk/tc/promotion-at-the-universal-level/promotional-resources-for-schools/121.html).
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     Seventeen landlords of subdivided units (SDUs), who contravened Part IVA of the Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) Ordinance (Cap. 7) (the Ordinance), pleaded guilty and were fined a total of $44,400 today (March 7) at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts. Since the Ordinance came into force, the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) has successfully prosecuted 610 cases involving a total of 522 SDU landlords, with fines ranging from $400 to $34,800, amounting to a total of $1,438,310.
 
     The offences of these 17 landlords include (1) failing to submit a Notice of Tenancy (Form AR2) to the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation within 60 days after the term of the regulated tenancy commenced; and (2) requesting the tenant to pay money other than the types permitted under the Ordinance (including requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance). One of the landlords committed seven offences under (1) and (2) and was fined $7,600.

     The RVD earlier discovered that the landlords failed to comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance. Upon an in-depth investigation and evidence collection, the RVD prosecuted against the landlords.
 
     A spokesman for the RVD reiterated that SDU landlords must comply with the relevant requirements under the Ordinance, including prohibiting landlords from doing any act calculated to interfere with the peace or comfort of members of the tenant’s household, with the intention of causing the tenant to give up occupation of the SDU; or requiring the tenant to pay an amount of rent for the second-term tenancy exceeding the maximum amount of rent permitted under the Ordinance, and also reminded SDU tenants of their rights under the Ordinance, including a four-year (i.e. two years plus two years) security of tenure. He also stressed that the RVD will continue to take resolute enforcement action against any contraventions of the Ordinance. Apart from following up on reported cases, the RVD has been adopting a multipronged approach to proactively identify, investigate and follow up on cases concerning landlords who are suspected of contravening the Ordinance. In particular, the RVD has been requiring landlords of regulated tenancies to provide information and reference documents of their tenancies for checking whether the landlords concerned have complied with the requirements of the Ordinance. If a landlord, without reasonable excuse, refuses to provide the relevant information or neglects the RVD’s request, the landlord commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine at level 3 ($10,000) and to imprisonment for three months. Depending on the actual circumstances, and having regard to the information and evidence collected, the RVD will take appropriate actions on individual cases, including instigating prosecution against suspected contraventions of the Ordinance.
 
     To help curb illegal acts as soon as possible, members of the public should report to the RVD promptly any suspected cases of contravening the relevant requirements. Reporting can be made through the telephone hotline (2150 8303), by email (enquiries@rvd.gov.hk), by fax (2116 4920), by post (15/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon), or in person (visiting the Tenancy Services Section office of the RVD at Room 3816-22, 38/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, and please call 2150 8303 to make an appointment). Furthermore, the RVD has provided a form (Form AR4) (www.rvd.gov.hk/doc/en/forms/ar4.pdf) on its website to facilitate SDU tenants’ reporting to the RVD.
 
     The RVD reminds that pursuant to the Ordinance, a regulated cycle of regulated tenancies is to comprise two consecutive regulated tenancies (i.e. the first-term tenancy and second-term tenancy) for an SDU, and the term of each regulated tenancy is two years. A tenant of a first-term tenancy for an SDU is entitled to be granted a second-term tenancy of the regulated cycle, thus enjoying a total of four years of security of tenure. Since the first batch of regulated tenancies has already approached their second-term tenancies, the RVD has started a new round of publicity and education work in order to assist SDU landlords and tenants to understand the important matters pertaining to the second-term tenancy, and procedures that need to be followed about two months prior to the commencement of the purported second-term tenancy. In addition, the RVD has started issuing letters enclosing relevant information to the landlords and tenants concerned of regulated tenancies in batches, according to the expiry time of their first-term tenancies, to remind them about their respective obligations and rights under the Ordinance. These landlords and tenants may also visit the dedicated page for the second-term tenancy on the RVD’s website (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/tenancy_matters/second_term_tenancy.html) for the relevant information, including a concise guide, brochures, tutorial videos and frequently asked questions. SDU landlords and tenants are also advised to familiarise themselves with the relevant statutory requirements and maintain close communication regarding the second-term tenancy for handling the matters properly and in a timely manner according to the Ordinance.
 
     For enquiries related to regulated tenancies, please call the telephone hotline (2150 8303) or visit the RVD’s webpage (www.rvd.gov.hk/en/our_services/part_iva.html) for the relevant information. read more

     The Government announced today (March 7) the following senior appointments: (a) Mr Tom Yip Chi-kwai, Principal Government Town Planner, will take up the post of Director of Planning on March 18, 2025, to succeed Mr Ivan Chung Man… read more

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (March 7) released the latest grading of water quality for 10 gazetted beaches that are open for swimming, including six that are open to swimmers all year round and four others that are open for swimming since March 1.
 
     Nine beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), and one as Fair (Grade 2).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

Big Wave Bay Beach	Lido Beach
Casam Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Golden Beach

 
Grade 2 beach is:

Silverstrand Beach

 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
 
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.  Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the EPD’s dedicated webpage on the beach water quality forecast (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast). read more

     The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Promotion Centre, under the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Office of the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, held the Guangdong-Hon… read more