Tag Archives: China

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 is 106.8 (up 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Steven Ho and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that a suspected incident of food poisoning happened recently in which a doctor of the Princess Margaret Hospital passed away unfortunately. The incident has aroused widespread concern, and there have also been cases of food poisoning since last year involving star hotels, restaurants providing meals for tour groups and so on, which have aroused public concern about food safety. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of (i) the number of food poisoning cases involving restaurants/food factories received by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) (and the number of persons involved) in each quarter from 2022 to last year, and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by (ii) licensed premises (and the number of persons involved) and (iii) unlicensed premises (and the number of persons involved);
 
Table 1
 

Food poisoning cases	The first quarter of 2022	……	The fourth quarter of 2024
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

(2) of (i) the causes, (ii) the corresponding preventive measures, (iii) the number of cases (and the number of persons involved) regarding the food poisoning cases received by the CFS last year, (iv) the number of cases received (and the number of persons involved) in each year from 2021 to 2023, and (v) the changes in the figures upon comparisons between the numbers in (iii) and (iv), and set out in Table 2 the corresponding breakdown;
 
Table 2
 

(i) (set out according to the number of cases involved in descending order)	(ii)	(iii)	(iv)	(v)

(3) of the prosecutions instituted against and penalties imposed on the food premises involved in the cases mentioned in (1) last year, as well as the difference between the penalties imposed on licensed and unlicensed premises;
 
(4) regarding the causes of food poisoning mentioned in (2), whether the Government has conducted studies on the reasons for the increase in the number of cases arising from the corresponding causes, for example, whether it was due to the failure to fully observe the relevant food safety guidelines as a result of manpower shortage in the catering industry; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(5) regarding the various measures mentioned in (2)(ii), whether the Government will consider supporting restaurants in making better use of technology to reduce food safety risks (e.g. requiring the use of food containers with temperature keeping functions for transportation of raw oysters), and exploring the feasibility of including such requirements in the relevant licensing requirements; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(6) regarding perishable food such as raw oysters and dairy products, apart from formulating the relevant food safety guidelines, whether the Government has provided relevant training for the practitioners; whether the Government has taken relevant actions against the practitioners who are found during inspections to have breached the guidelines;
 
(7) as it is learnt that a number of food poisoning cases are related to “preparing food too early in advance”, but there are views that it is inevitable for food suppliers of take-away and catering food, rice with two sides, etc, to prepare food in advance, whether the Government will, apart from formulating guidelines on food safety, step up inspections and monitoring efforts (especially in respect of the handling of perishable food such as poon choi, siu mei, etc); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(8) given that there were cases in which food poisoning incidents occurred repeatedly in the same food premises, of the number of food premises which had been prosecuted by the Government more than once within a short period of time in the past three years; how the Government assesses the effectiveness of the existing monitoring and punishment mechanism, and whether it will take further improvement measures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(9) whether the Government has currently provided clear information about the channels for pursuing claims and the related support services for members of the public affected by food poisoning, so that they can claim compensation from restaurants and food suppliers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH), my reply to the question from the Hon Steven Ho is as follows:
 
(1) The number of food poisoning cases referred to the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) by the CHP of the DH each year and the number of persons involved are tabulated as follows:
 

		2022	2023	2024
Number of food poisoning cases involving food premises (number of persons involved)	First quarter	6 (15)	107 (365)	52 (184)
	Second quarter	25 (74)	42 (182)	68 (181)
	Third quarter	40 (215)	40 (173)	22 (154)
	Fourth quarter	46 (196)	30 (118)	50 (220)
	Total	117 (500)	219 (838)	192 (739)
Number of food poisoning cases involving licensed food premises (number of persons involved)	First quarter	6 (15)	106 (363)	52 (184)
	Second quarter	24 (68)	42 (182)	67 (180)
	Third quarter	39 (213)	39 (171)	22 (154)
	Fourth quarter	46 (196)	30 (118)	50 (220)
	Total	115 (492)	217 (834)	191 (738)
Number of food poisoning cases involving unlicensed premises (number of persons involved)	First quarter	–	1 (2)	–
	Second quarter	1 (6)	–	1 (1)
	Third quarter	1 (2)	1 (2)	–
	Fourth quarter	–	–	–
	Total	2 (8)	2 (4)	1 (1)

(2) and (4) Overall, from 2020 to 2022, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong at that time, the authorities implemented a series of regulatory measures to safeguard public health, resulting in fewer food poisoning cases in food premises during that period. The number of food poisoning cases related to food premises in 2024 was similar to that of 2023.
 
     In 2024, the three most common causes of food poisoning cases were consuming raw food, food contamination by dirty utensils, and undercooked food. Relevant information is tabulated below:
 

Causes	Number of cases in 2024 (Note) (number of persons involved)	Number of cases in 2021-2023 (Note) (number of persons involved) (Annual average)	Degree of change in the number of cases
Consuming raw food	78 (259)	81 (279)	-3.7%
Food contamination by dirty utensils	31 (121)	66 (254)	-53%
Undercooked food	40 (115)	37 (137)	+8%

Note: Each case may involve more than one cause.
 
     Upon receipt of notifications of suspected food poisoning cases from the CHP of the DH, the CFS will promptly collaborate with staff of the Environmental Hygiene Branch of the FEHD to investigate the relevant food premises, review food preparation processes and hygiene conditions, collect food and environmental swab samples for testing, and instruct food premises operators to carry out cleaning and disinfection as well as to improve the food handling/cooking processes. To address the causes of suspected food poisoning cases, the CFS will also provide the food trade with relevant food safety guidelines and preventive measures recommendations, as well as offer food safety and health education to food handlers.
 
(3) The FEHD has established guidelines on handling food poisoning cases. Apart from conducting thorough inspections to the food premises concerned, the FEHD will increase the frequency of subsequent inspections and continue to monitor their environmental hygiene and food safety conditions. If any irregularity is found in the premises, the FEHD will take appropriate action in accordance with the relevant legislation.
 
     The numbers of prosecutions instituted by the FEHD against licensed and unlicensed food premises which had contravened the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) (the Ordinance) and its subsidiary legislation over the past three years are set out below. The FEHD does not maintain breakdown figures on inspection reasons for prosecution cases (such as whether suspected food poisoning cases are concerned).
 

	Number of prosecutions against licensed food premises	Number of prosecutions against unlicensed food premises
2022	905	3 592
2023	1 099	3 624
2024	777	3 337

     If any person is found operating food business without permission, the FEHD will institute prosecution. The maximum penalty is a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for up to six months, plus a daily fine of $900. As for other environmental hygiene-related legislative requirements, etc, the penalties vary according to the severity of the offences. For the above prosecution cases, the maximum penalty imposed is a fine of $50,000.
 
(5) and (6) The CFS has all along been promoting Good Hygiene Practices to the trade through different channels and providing training resources, such as preparing and organising seminars, compiling publications, developing educational materials, and holding regular trade consultation forums. The CFS has issued food safety guidelines for certain high-risk foods, such as raw oysters and frozen confections, to identify critical control points in the food production process for food businesses’ reference and application. In addition, the CFS conducts on-site inspections at concerned food premises where food incidents occur and provide food safety advice to the persons-in-charge, as well as health education to the relevant food handlers on the causes of the incidents.
 
     The Food Hygiene Code published by the FEHD facilitates food businesses to comply with the various environmental hygiene and food safety requirements as stipulated in the Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, including the approved sources and other food safety practices for high-risk foods such as raw oysters and milk. Any food business operator who contravenes the relevant legislative requirements may be prosecuted.
 
(7) The FEHD adopts a Risk-based Inspection System to regulate licensed food premises. It will assess the risk potential of individual food premises (including the types and risk level of the food sold, the mode of operation, any history of food poisoning cases and any previous prosecution on environmental hygiene matters) so as to determine the inspection frequency. The FEHD will review the system as well as the risk type of individual premises from time to time to make optimal use of inspection resources and ensure food safety and environmental hygiene. In the event of food poisoning in licensed food premises, the FEHD will elevate the risk potential and enhance the inspection frequency.
 
     The CFS has issued food safety guidelines and organised trade seminars on takeaways and meal delivery and the safe handling of various high-risk foods (including “rice with two sides”, poon choi, and siu mei). It has also compiled relevant publications and educational materials for the food businesses’ reference and application. In addition, the CFS also organises regular trade consultation forums to strengthen communication with the trade and promote good hygiene practices.
 
(8) In addition to taking out prosecution against non-compliant licensed food premises, the FEHD implements the Demerit Points System (DPS). Under the DPS, licensees who are prosecuted and convicted for contravention of food safety and environmental hygiene-related requirements in the Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation will be registered with demerit points by the FEHD. The number of demerit points ranges from five to 15. Upon accumulation of 15 points, licensees may, depending on the situation of the case, face suspension or even cancellation of licence. The number of demerit points registered depends on the nature and severity of the offence. For example, in cases involving sale of adulterated or unfit food, 15 demerit points will be registered. The numbers of cases in which a food business licence was suspended or cancelled under the DPS in the past three years are set out below:
 

	Number of cases (Year)
Penalty	2022	2023	2024
Suspension of licence for 7 days	60	94	54
Suspension of licence for 14 days	13	10	9
Suspension of licence for 21 days (Note)	2	3	3
Cancellation of food business licence	1	1	6
Total	76	108	72

Note: These cases had been subject to a 7-day licence suspension (first suspension), immediately followed by a 14-day licence suspension (second suspension).
 
     The existing penalties under the Ordinance and the DPS already have a strong deterrent effect on licensed food premises. The FEHD will continue to conduct inspections to food premises based on risk assessment, and take enforcement actions and execute the DPS against irregularities.
 
(9) The FEHD is responsible for regulating food premises in accordance with the Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, but it generally does not intervene in civil proceedings. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Lai Tung-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):

Question:

     At present, the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health is mainly responsible for matters relating to tobacco control and taking enforcement action under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371). From time to time, TACO conducts plainclothes inspections or test purchases, and conducts investigations in the form of joint operations with other law enforcement departments, while the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) combats smuggling and trading activities of illicit cigarettes on different fronts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of inspections conducted and fixed penalty notices issued by TACO in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by smoking offences;

(2) of the respective establishment and strength of frontline law enforcement officers of different ranks in TACO in each of the past three years;

(3) of the details and results of C&ED’s efforts to combat smuggling and trading activities of illicit cigarettes in the past three years;

(4) on import cases, of the following information in each of the past three years: the number of referrals received by TACO from C&ED and the number of summonses issued, the number of cases convicted in the court, and other details of the relevant cases;

(5) on in-town enforcement, of the number and results of various investigation actions (including plainclothes inspections, test purchases, and joint operations) conducted by TACO in each of the past three years; and

(6) how the authorities plan to enhance interdepartmental collaboration in the future to combat the sale of duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products?

Reply:

President,

     Having consulted the Department of Health (DH) and the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), the consolidated reply to the various parts of the Hon Lai Tung-kwok’s question is as follows:

     The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the DH is the principal enforcement agency for the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) and the Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) Ordinance (Cap. 600) (with the number of full-time enforcement staff in the approved establishment provided at Annex I). The TACO mainly enforces (i) offences relating to illegal smoking in statutory no-smoking area (including aiding and abetting smoking offences and obstruction of inspectors’ duties); (ii) offences relating to tobacco advertisement and sale; and (iii) offences relating to alternative smoking products (ASPs). The C&ED is the principal enforcement agency responsible for the suppression of smuggling activities, including collecting and protecting revenue from dutiable commodities stipulated in the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109). At present, combating illicit cigarettes is mainly the responsibility of the C&ED. The numbers of inspections conducted, fixed penalty notices (FPNs)/summonses issued by the TACO between 2022 and 2024 for smoking and other related offences are at Annex II.

     As regards illegal smoking offences, under the prevailing legislation, any person who commits the act of smoking in a designated no smoking area is liable to a fixed penalty of $1,500. To effectively mitigate the impact of secondhand smoking on the public and enhance the deterrent effect against illegal smoking, the TACO has flexibly deployed resources and adopted new enforcement strategies since 2023, which included extending the time of surveillance and inspections in no smoking areas, deploying plain-clothes officers to take proactive enforcement actions, and would issue FPNs to smoking offenders without warning.

     The number of prosecutions against illegal smoking has surged due to the aforementioned new enforcement strategies. The number of FPNs issued increased from 6 296 in 2022 to 10 261 in 2023 and 13 488 in 2024. Besides, to step up efforts in targeting venues (e.g. bars and restaurants) that offer waterpipe tobacco to customers, the TACO, on its own and in conjunction with the Police, has taken over 400 enforcement actions in the past three years. In addition to prosecution against illegal smoking, the TACO has also initiated prosecutions against persons suspected of inciting, aiding and abetting smoking offenders (including bar operators who have committed aiding and abetting smoking offences).

     As regards smoking product advertisements, under the prevailing legislation, no person shall display or distribute smoking product advertisements (including leaflets) or place smoking product advertisements on the Internet. Offenders are liable to a fine of $50,000. The TACO has been actively conducting market surveillance, and in order to further curb the situation of illicit cigarette leaflets, the TACO has been strengthening joint operations since 2023, including joint operations with the Police, the Housing Department (HD) and the C&ED against complaints of distributing illicit cigarette leaflets. A total of over 250 joint operations were conducted in the past three years. Since 2021, the TACO has successfully prosecuted 17 offenders for distributing smoking product leaflets. The highest penalty for these convicted cases was a fine of $8,000. For online advertisement, apart from conducting investigations and prosecutions upon receipt of complaints or referrals, the TACO also actively carries out online surveillance. Upon identification of smoking product advertisements, the TACO will ask the relevant internet service providers and social media platforms to remove such contents as soon as possible. The TACO has removed over 3 200 webpages and social media accounts or posts involving smoking product advertisements in aggregate in the past three years.

     As regards the ASP ban, with effect from April 30, 2022, no person may import, promote, manufacture, sell, or possess for commercial purposes ASPs, in accordance with the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) and the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60). The C&ED is responsible for intercepting illegally-imported ASPs at import level with intercepted cases referred to the TACO for follow-up and prosecution, the TACO is also responsible for market surveillance and instituting prosecution.

     For cases involving import of ASPs, as at December 31, 2024, the TACO issued 1 272 summonses to offenders of importing cases, of which offenders in 694 cases were convicted by court and were fined $300 to $42,000. During the same period, the C&ED detected 52 cases involving offences under the C&ED’s enforcement and illegal import of ASPs concurrently, of which 26 were convicted and the highest fine and sentence imposed were $5,000 and four months’ imprisonment respectively. Besides, the TACO also monitors the sale of ASP on the Internet, and conducts test buy for follow-up investigation, as well as liaises with relevant organisation to assist in removing the illegal online content. For cases of suspected sale or possession for commercial purposes of ASPs, the TACO issued 24 summonses to offenders, of which 20 cases were convicted by court and sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at most.

     The relevant ban on ASPs has been in force for nearly three years. At present, there are no legal channels to import or purchase ASPs, and ASPs purchased for personal use before the ban came into effect should have been largely consumed after a certain period of time. Prevailing legislation does not prohibit the possession of ASPs for non-commercial use. To suppress the continued circulation of ASPs, which are hazardous novel tobacco products, in Hong Kong and to tackle the problem of using e-cigarette devices to abuse drugs at its root, the Health Bureau will further strengthen the regulation of ASPs, including banning the possession of relevant products. Details will be announced later.

     On the other hand, as an important pillar under the tobacco control strategy, the Government will spare no efforts in combating illicit cigarettes. At present, combating illicit cigarettes is mainly the responsibility of the C&ED. The C&ED will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach and take stringent enforcement actions at all levels to combat the sale of illicit cigarettes. The C&ED exchanges intelligence with the Police from time to time and conducts joint operations in a timely manner, including combating cases of cigarette smuggling and illicit cigarette storage in downtown. In addition, the C&ED has been maintaining close intelligence exchange and co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies to combat cross-boundary cigarette smuggling activities.

     The enforcement figures against illicit cigarettes (including smuggling, storage and distribution as well as sale) in the past three years are set out at Annex III. The increase in the number of seizures of illicit cigarettes reflects the effectiveness of the C&ED’s stepped-up actions against illicit cigarettes and the success of its enforcement strategy does not denote an expanding scale of illicit cigarettes activities. The Government announced the “10 measures for tobacco control” in June last year. Stepping up actions against illicit cigarettes was accorded the highest priority among the 10 measures, including:

(i) introducing a duty stamp system to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from non-duty-paid cigarettes;
(ii) requiring tobacco products being sold at a price lower than the tobacco duty need to be proved duty-paid;
(iii) increasing the maximum penalty for handling, possessing, selling or buying duty-not-paid cigarettes; and 
(iv) listing the relevant offences under the Schedule of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO) (Cap. 455), so as to enable the C&ED to freeze and confiscate illicit proceeds and assets associated with illicit cigarette activities by virtue of the OSCO.

     On duty stamp system, taking into account factors such as enforcement effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, the Government proposes to require the affixing of duty-paid labels on the retail packages of cigarettes at this stage. Through the application of anti-forgery features and related digital technologies, frontline officers of the C&ED would be able to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones in a more effective manner, thereby enhancing enforcement efficiency. The C&ED expects that a pilot scheme on the duty stamp system will be rolled out in the middle of this year to work out the practical operating requirement of the relevant scheme, which will then be launched next year at the earliest. The Government expects that the above measures will increase the deterrent effect and enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement departments in combating illicit cigarettes. 

     The relevant Government departments, including the TACO, the C&ED, the Police and the HD will continue to work together to enhance intelligence exchange and deepen the co-operation mechanism, as well as to make adjustments to their enforcement strategies having regard to the actual situation, and to take joint enforcement actions and refer suspected illegal cases, with a view to taking forward the work of tobacco control and enforcing the relevant legislation. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
 
Question:
 
     This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, and it is learnt that the Government will host a series of commemorative activities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it will set up a “Preparatory Committee for commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of Hong Kong’s victory in the War ‍of Resistance” led by the Working Group on Patriotic Education, and extensively invite the participation of representatives of community organisations to co-ordinate the relevant activities; if so, of the expected time to commence such work;
 
(2) of the key activities to be hosted to commemorate the 80th ‍anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, so as to strengthen the sense of patriotism among the public while disseminating the message of peace;
 
(3) how it will take the opportunity to make good use of the rich resources of the history of the War of Resistance in Hong Kong to promote the development of red tourism; and
 
(4) how it will collaborate with the relevant Central authorities and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in jointly commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Having consulted the relevant bureaux, a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Chan Yung is as follows:
      
     This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance. The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government will host commemorative activities to strengthen the sense of patriotism. In terms of implementation, the Working Group on Patriotic Education led by the Chief Secretary for Administration will co-ordinate relevant bureaux and departments in launching a series of commemorative activities, including:
 
(a) The HKSAR Government will host a solemn official ceremony at the Hong Kong City Hall Memorial Garden on September 3, the Victory Day of the War of Resistance, to honour the occasion. The commemoration will feature a rendition of the national anthem, ceremonial flag raising, a Rifle Volley by the Police Rifle Squad, an observation of silence, and bowing in tribute. The attendance at the ceremony will include the Chief Executive and senior government officials, representatives of the organs of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong, former Chief Executives, members of the Executive Council, members of the Legislative Council, representatives of war veterans’ groups, HKSAR deputies to the National People’s Congress, HKSAR members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, representatives of District Councils, representatives of Heung Yee Kuk, representatives of district organisations, members of uniformed groups and youth groups, etc;
 
(b) With the funding and support from the Home Affairs Department, three major associations, namely the Hong Kong Island Federation, the Kowloon Federation of Associations and the New Territories Association of Societies, will organise activities on September 3 to commemorate the victory of the War of Resistance. Examples of these activities include a talk by veterans to recount their experiences during the War and a film show about the War, with a view to deepening the understanding among members of the public about the historical events of the War of Resistance on the Mainland and in Hong Kong and fostering their sense of patriotism;
 
(c) The Hong Kong Museum of History (HKMH) under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is currently liaising closely with the National Museum of China on co-organising a large-scale thematic exhibition scheduled to launch in early September for a period of about three months. The exhibition will mainly feature our country’s unyielding spirit of resistance during the War, as well as contents on Hong Kong people’s support for the Mainland compatriots, and the three years and eight months of Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, with a view to giving Hong Kong citizens (particularly the younger generation) a better understanding of the War of Resistance;
 
(d) The Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence (MWRCD) is planning to collaborate with the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History to jointly organise a thematic exhibition on the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance. The exhibition will focus on an overview of the anti war activities of the Chinese Communist Party in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong during the War of Resistance. Through the display of valuable exhibits, historical photographs and multi-media programmes, the exhibition aims to enlighten the public about the history of the War, thereby promoting and inheriting the spirit of patriotic education;
 
(e) The LCSD museums will also organise a diverse array of public and educational programmes, including thematic talks, workshops, field trips, and film screenings to raise public awareness of the history of the War of Resistance;
 
(f) The LCSD will, from August to December, organise a thematic talk “Reapproaching the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong from interactive map, 1941-1945” and a book display “Days of War” at the Hong Kong Central Library, as well as book displays, photo exhibitions and thematic talks at public libraries in different districts to introduce relevant collections and information, so as to enable citizens to learn about the history of the War of Resistance as well as the unity and resilience of the Chinese people in the fight for peace. These include the thematic talk cum roving exhibition “War of Resistance in Hong Kong: Sai Kung” to be held in Sai Kung District, guided tours of the Hong Kong Sha Tau Kok Anti-war Memorial Hall to be held in North District, and thematic talk series “Wartime Sham Shui Po” to be held in Sham Shui Po District, etc;
 
(g) In terms of teachers and students, the Education Bureau (EDB) has always attached great emphasis on the education about the history of the War of Resistance, and continuously organises relevant activities for teachers and students to help them understand the history of the War and the heroic deeds of the martyrs, experience the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation, learn to cherish peace through remembering history, as well as cultivate their sense of identity, belonging, responsibility and patriotic spirit. On teacher training activities, the EDB plans to organise an academic seminar on the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, lecture on the contributions of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column, visits to places such as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center at Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks, the Hong Kong Sha Tau Kok Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall, and the Wu Kau Tang Martyrs Memorial Garden, as well as a study tour for teachers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area themed on the footprints in relation to the War of Resistance. On student activities, the EDB plans to roll out the “Visual Narrative of the War of Resistance: Territory-wide Creative Competition”, the History e-Reading Award Scheme themed on the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, the second “Learn from Museums – Novice Curator Training Programme” co-organised with the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence, as well as field study activities related to the history of the War of Resistance in both the local region and the Mainland; and
 
(h) The Information Services Department is actively planning to collaborate with relevant government organisations on programme production under the theme of “Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance”, so as to promote patriotic education through storytelling in a vivid manner.
 
     To make good use of the abundant resources relating to the history of the War of Resistance in Hong Kong to promoting characteristic tourism, the Tourism Commission, in collaboration with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), has been taking forward the Enhancement of Hiking Trails (the Project) since 2018 to enhance the tourism supporting facilities of 20 hiking trails in country parks which are popular and with tourism potential. The Project covers hiking trails relating to war history, namely Lion Rock Historic Walk, Shing Mun War Relics Trail and Luk Keng War Relics Trail. The AFCD completed the enhancement works at Lion Rock Historic Walk in December 2023, whereas those at Shing Mun War Relics Trail and Luk Keng War Relics Trail are expected to be completed progressively in 2026. In addition, the AFCD installed at the Robin’s Nest Country Park interpretation panels about its war relics and the deeds of nearby villagers at the War of Resistance, and produced a video for broadcasting on social media platforms, thereby showcasing the history of the War of Resistance at the Robin’s Nest Country Park. The HKSAR Government will continue to encourage the trade to make better use of the abundant resources relating to the history of the War of Resistance to develop more unique tourism products covering different themes of in-depth tours.
      
     Besides, to preserve the history of the War of Resistance in Hong Kong, the MWRCD has commenced relevant historical research with a view to providing related historical information for the War of Resistance heritage trails to be set up by responsible government departments in the future. The information will offer the public an insight into the history of the War of Resistance, and enrich their travel experience. read more

     The Government announced today (February 26) the appointment of Professor Tsui Lap-chee as an expert advisor to the Task Group on New Medical School.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, said, “Professor Tsui is an internationally renowned expert in the field of molecular human genetics, the incumbent Chair of the College Council of the Hong Kong Chu Hai College and the former President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, with extensive experience in leading both the higher education sector and the area of academic research. The next stage of the work of the Task Group will be to assess the proposals submitted by universities interested in establishing the new medical school according to the devised parameters. I am very confident that Professor Tsui will definitely be able to provide invaluable advice to the Task Group in its new stage of work, particularly in the consideration of the governance and scientific research development strategies of the new medical school.”

     The Chief Executive announced in his 2024 Policy Address that the Government supports the establishment of a third medical school by a local university, with a view to nurturing more talented medical practitioners in support of the local healthcare system to provide quality service, while at the same time driving Hong Kong’s development into an international medical training, research and innovation hub. The Government invited seasoned local, Mainland and overseas academics for medical teaching and university management, professionals, the Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong and the President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, together with relevant Directors of Bureaux and Heads of Departments of the Government, to form the Task Group. The Task Group is responsible for devising the direction and parameters for the new medical school, as well as selecting a suitable university for setting up the new medical school. 
     
     â€‹Since its establishment in October 2024, the Task Group has formulated the directions and parameters for establishing the new medical school, and issued a letter of invitation in December last year to local universities interested in establishing the new medical school for submission of proposals by March 17 this year. In the next stage of the work of the Task Group, concrete criteria for assessing proposals will be formulated to ensure that a qualified and eligible university will be selected in a transparent and fair manner for the establishment of the new medical school. It is anticipated that the Task Group will complete its assessments and make recommendations to the Government within this year.

     The biography of Professor Tsui is as follows:

     Professor Tsui is an expert in the field of molecular human genetics with outstanding achievements in the realms of genetic research and medical innovation. Professor Tsui served as the 14th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong and is the Founding President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences. He is also currently the Chairman of the University of Hong Kong Foundation for Educational Development and Research, and Emeritus University Professor at the University of Toronto.

     The membership of the Task Group with effect from February 26, 2025, is as follows:

Co-chairmen
————
Secretary for Education
Secretary for Health

Alternate Co-chairmen
——————
Permanent Secretary for Education/Under Secretary for Education
Permanent Secretary for Health/Under Secretary for Health

Expert advisors
————
Chairman of the Medical Council of Hong Kong
President of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (or representative)
Professor Nivritti Gajanan Patil
Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu
Professor Zhao Yupei
Professor Tsui Lap-chee *
Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung

Official members
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Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands) (or representative)
Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry (or representative)
Secretary-General of the University Grants Committee (or representative)
Director of Health (or representative)
Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (or representative)
Deputy Secretary for Education (1)
Deputy Secretary for Health 3
Commissioner for Primary Healthcare (or representative)

* New appointment read more