Tag Archives: China

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the opening of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects Belt & Road International Symposium 2025 today (February 28):
     
President Julia Lau (President of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects), 葉副部長 (Deputy Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Ye Shuiqiu), 孟建民副ç�†äº‹é•· (Vice Chairman of the Architectural Society of China, Dr Meng Jianmin), Ar Saifuddin (President of Architects Regional Council Asia, Mr Saifuddin Bin Ahmad), Ar Gonthier (President of International Union of Architects, Ms Regina Gonthier), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to join you this morning at the opening of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) Belt and Road International Symposium 2025. This is my first time attending an HKIA event as the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, but actually I am very happy to see many old friends in this distinguished audience.
      
     As an important strategy of the Central People’s Government, the Belt and Road Initiative has entered its golden era. Themed as “Cultiversal – The Tapestry of Cultural Diversity & Universality”, the Symposium today is held at an opportune time. I believe many of us would actually look forward to hearing from the prestigious speakers to share their insights on urban-rural integration, heritage and modernity, and other interesting topics on architecture. May I give a warm welcome to these elites from Hong Kong, the Mainland of China and seven other countries. 
      
     In the coming two days, we will be exploring innovative possibilities for the future with a view to promoting Hong Kong’s architectural services to the Mainland of China and countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.
      
     Funded by the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, today’s Symposium aims at fostering the exchange of local and international professionals in the industry of architecture. The objective also aligns with the policy direction of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under my Bureau.
      
     The CCIDA is dedicated to fostering a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. The architecture sector, being one of the major components of our robust cultural and creative industries, has been a close partner of the CCIDA. We have also sponsored the HKIA Biennale Foundation to organise the Hong Kong Collateral Event at Biennale Architettura – International Architecture Exhibition and Hong Kong Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong) to promote Hong Kong’s architecture in the international arena and to the local public. I am thrilled to learn that the Hong Kong Collateral Event has developed into a roving exhibition which also tours in one Belt and Road country and the Mainland of China in each edition.
      
     Speaking of the development of creative industries in Hong Kong, the Government promulgated the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development in November last year, setting out a clear vision, principles and strategic directions for the development of the industries, thereby further consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. We will continue to support the cultural and creative industries, including the architecture sector, to tap into new markets and promote cultural exchanges, in particular with Belt and Road countries and regions.
      
     Before I close, I would like to congratulate the HKIA for organising another successful edition of the Symposium. Thank you. read more

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (February 28) the following arrangements on lifesaving services for the period from March 1 to 31:  Deep Water Bay Beach, Repulse Bay Beach, Stanley Main Beach, Bi… read more

     The Government announced today (February 28) the appointment of Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan as the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Chinese Medicine Development Fund, as well as the appointment of 16 new non-official members and the reappointment of nine incumbent non-official members to the Committee.
 
     The aforementioned appointments will take effect from March 1, 2025, for a term of two years.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, welcomed the new Chairperson and members to the Committee. He also expressed gratitude to the outgoing Chairperson, Professor Douglas So Cheung-tak, for the Committee’s effective operation under his leadership over the past six years, making a valuable contribution to the development of the Chinese medicine (CM) sector. Professor Lo also thanked the outgoing members for their insights and contributions to the Committee during their tenure. 

     Officially launched in June 2019, the Chinese Medicine Development Fund (CMDF) is the first dedicated fund set up to support CM development, with the objective of enhancing the overall standard of the CM sector to promote the high-quality development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts. Having regard to the needs of different stakeholders in the sector, the CMDF has launched various support programmes of different aspects to provide support in areas such as talent nurturing, quality enhancement, market development, public education as well as scientific research and innovation.

     As of the end of January this year, an accumulative total of more than 8 800 funding applications were approved by the CMDF, benefitting more than 3 million members of the sector, the general public and relevant organisations, including registered and listed Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs), CM drug personnel, CM clinics, manufacturers and wholesalers of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms), retailers and wholesalers of Chinese herbal medicine (Chm), CM-related organisations, local universities and education institutions. Major achievements of the CMDF are listed below: 
 
• Talent nurturing: Close to 3 500 CMPs and CM drug personnel have received subsidies to attend CM professional training programmes for continuously upskilling their professional knowledge and ability. The CMDF has also supported programme providers to design and organise innovative training projects, benefiting over 41 300 practitioners. The CMDF has supported 85 CMPs and CM drug personnel to participate in the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Talent Training Programme co-organised by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Health Bureau to cater for the need of establishing a talent pool;
 
• Quality enhancement: The CMDF has supported more than 550 CM clinics and 220 Chm retailers/wholesalers to upgrade their facilities and equipment with a view to enhancing service quality and the safety and quality control of CM drugs. The CMDF has also supported nearly 180 pCm manufacturers/wholesalers to engage consultancy services or technical support for over 760 pCm products, thereby levelling up the quality of Hong Kong-registered pCm products;

• Market development: The CMDF has provided subsidies for 12 Hong Kong-registered pCm products for external use to be registered and sold on the Mainland through streamlined approval procedures to promote industry development;

• Research and applied studies: The CMDF has supported the commencement of 72 CM research and applied studies projects which are instrumental in driving academic and clinical research as well as the professional and industry development of CM in Hong Kong; and
 
• Publicity and promotion: The CMDF has supported more than 1 100 CM publicity and public education activities of various forms, targeting audiences such as kindergarten, primary and secondary school students, and elderly persons.

     The membership of the Committee with effect from March 1, 2025, is as follows:

Chairperson
———–
Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan

Non-official members
—————————
*Mr Au Ho-ting
#Dr Chris Chan Kam-wa
#Professor Chen Haiyong
#Ms Rosanna Choi Yi-tak
*Mr William Chung Wai-lim
#Mr Fong Wai-leuk
#Dr Gan Pei-tzeng
#Ms Ada Ho Ching-ying
#Dr Ku Ping-yui
#Dr Kwok Tsz-kin
#Mr Dominic Lam Chun-hong
*Mr Lam Kar-yeung
*Miss Anita Lee Yan-kwan
#Ms Catherine Leung Chau-yung
*Mr Samuel Li Hin-yeung
*Mr Ling Kwan-yee
#Mr Ling Wai-man
*Mrs Vivian Mak Tang Wai-man
#Professor Anderson Shum Ho-cheung
*Dr Timothy Tam Tin-lok
*Mr Sky Tang Man-chun
#Dr Tse Man-li
#Dr Tung Shong
#Mr Harry Yeung Kwok-chun
#Professor Jerry Yeung Wing-fai

Ex-officio members
——————–
Representative(s) from the Health Bureau
Representative(s) from the Department of Health
Representative(s) from the Hospital Authority
Representative(s) from the Innovation and Technology Commission 
 
Note:
# New appointees
* Reappointees read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Law Reform Commission:

     The Law Reform Commission (LRC) today (February 28) announced that Professor Xi Chao has been appointed by the Chief Executive as a new member of the LRC for three years with effect from March 1, 2025.

     Professor Xi, who is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Law of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, will succeed Professor Lutz-Christian Wolff, who has been an LRC member since 2020. Professor Xi specialises in Chinese law, corporate law and governance, securities regulation, financial regulation, and empirical legal studies. The LRC believes that Professor Xi’s breadth of knowledge and insights will benefit the LRC’s work in law reform.

     The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, who is also the Chairman of the LRC, expressed his appreciation to Professor Wolff for his valuable contributions and advice to the LRC’s work over the years.

     With this latest appointment, the LRC comprises the following members:
     
Secretary for Justice (Chairman)
Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal (ex officio member)
Law Draftsman (ex officio member)
Mr Justice Johnson Lam Man-hon
Ms May Chan Suk-mei
Mr Stephen Hung Wan-shun
Mrs Janice Choi Kwan Wing-kum
Mr Chan Chak-ming
Mrs Margaret Leung Ko May-yee
Professor Alexander Loke
Professor Michael Jackson
Ms Frances Lok Man-yin, SC
Professor Xi Chao read more

     â€‹The Commissioner for Labour today (February 28) gave notices in the Gazette under section 16(1A) and/or section 18(2) of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance (Chapter 380) for cases with ex gratia paymen… read more