Tag Archives: China

     The Home Affairs Department will open 19 temporary night heat shelters tonight (May 28) for people in need of the service.
      
     The shelters will be open from 10.30pm until 8am tomorrow.
      
     For further information, please call the department’s hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.
      
     The 19 night heat shelters are located at:
 
Hong Kong Districts:
———————
 
Central and Western –
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun
 
Eastern –
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay
 
Southern –
Wah Kwai Community Centre
Wah Kwai Estate, Kellett Bay
 
Wan Chai –
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
 
Kowloon Districts:
——————
 
Kowloon City –
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices
42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom
 
Kwun Tong –
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin
 
Sham Shui Po –
Shek Kip Mei Community Hall
G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po
 
Wong Tai Sin –
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan
 
Yau Tsim Mong –
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei
 
New Territories Districts:
————————–
 
Islands –
Tung Chung North Park (Zone B) Activity Room
29 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung
 
Kwai Tsing –
Kwai Shing Community Hall
Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung
 
North –
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling
 
Sai Kung –
King Lam Neighbourhood Community Centre
King Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O
 
Sha Tin –
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin
 
Tai Po –
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po
 
Tsuen Wan –
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan
 
Tuen Mun –
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun
 
Yuen Long –
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long
 
Yuen Long –
Tin Yiu Community Centre
Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai
 
     The temporary night heat shelters will resume their functions as either community centres or community halls in the daytime for hire by the local community and cannot continue to be open as heat shelters. People may choose to take refuge from the heat during the daytime in the common areas in any of the 22 designated community centres or community halls. Their opening hours are from 9am to 10pm. For the addresses of the community centres and community halls, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf. read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, on the Tuen Ma Line at a media session today (May 28): Reporter: Can the Secretary or the CEO tell us what made it possible for… read more

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today (May 28) filed its first written submission to the panel established under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to consider the dispute raised by Hong Kong with respect to the violation of WTO rules by the requirement of the United States (US) on origin marking for Hong Kong products.

     The submission explains in detail Hong Kong’s position that the US’ requirement, amongst others, unlawfully discriminates against goods of Hong Kong origin, and is inconsistent with multiple WTO covered agreements, including the Agreement on Rules of Origin, the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994.

     “Hong Kong is a founding member of the WTO by virtue of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. Under the Basic Law, Hong Kong is a separate customs territory, and may, using the name ‘Hong Kong, China’ (HKC), participate in relevant international organisations and international trade agreements. The special status of Hong Kong has been widely recognised and respected by the international community, and Hong Kong’s economic and trade status is on par with that of other WTO members,” the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, said.
 
     “The US has imposed such a discriminatory and unjust requirement for political reasons unrelated to a proper determination of the place of origin of the goods as required under the various WTO covered agreements. This approach improperly interjects political considerations into a purely technical exercise to determine a product’s origin under WTO rules. This approach, if accepted, would undermine the critical role that accurate origin determination plays within the rules-based multilateral trading system,” Mr Yau said.

     At the same time, the requirement to mark goods originating in Hong Kong as originating in another WTO member has increased the cost and complexity of exportation for Hong Kong enterprises by forcing them to segregate their products based on different markets of destination, putting them at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis other WTO members, he said.

     The WTO DSB acceded at its meeting on February 22 to Hong Kong’s request to establish a panel to consider HKC’s dispute. The Director-General of the WTO subsequently appointed a three-member panel to examine the dispute on April 29. The panel is proceeding in accordance with procedures as set out in the WTO Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes, including to consider written submissions by HKC and the US as well as 13 other WTO members who have reserved their rights to join as third parties to the dispute. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      As at 9am today (May 28), five COVID-19 confirmed patients (case numbers: 11755, 11764, 11795, 11812 and 11835) were discharged from hospital in the last 24 h… read more

     The “Mediate First” Pledge Event 2021 was held online today (May 28) by the Department of Justice (DoJ) to promote the use of mediation in Hong Kong’s various sectors for dispute resolution, complementing the DoJ’s long-term policy efforts to promote and develop the wider use of mediation. The event attracted more than 1 300 participants from different sectors of 14 jurisdictions around the globe.

     The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, said that the DoJ has spared no effort in promoting mediation both locally and internationally. The relevant work includes the Mediation Mechanism established under the Investment Agreement of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement for the settlement of investment disputes; the Investment Law and Investor-State Mediator Training Course in Hong Kong co-organised with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and the Asian Academy of International Law; working closely with the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province and the Secretariat for Administration and Justice of the Macao Special Administrative Region in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area Legal Departments Joint Conference on the establishment of a GBA Mediation Platform; and the Small Claims Mediation Pilot Scheme at the West Kowloon Mediation Centre which provides mediation services to litigants of the Small Claims Tribunal cases.

     Entitled “Mediate First – Anchoring the Future”, the “Mediate First” Pledge Event 2021 started with a webinar comprising three panel discussions. Speakers with different areas of expertise shared their professional insights and experiences on the use of mediation in resolving disputes relating to private wealth matters, in health care disputes, and in resolving employees’ compensation claims.

     The webinar will be followed by the official launch of the “Mediate First” logo, and the Star Logo Award Presentation Ceremony and Signing Ceremony of the “Mediate First” Pledge. This year, a total of 34 pledgees are awarded the Star Logo for their achievements in promoting and adopting mediation in the course of their business operations.

     Organisations and individuals signing the “Mediate First” Pledge agree to first explore the use of mediation to resolve disputes arising in the course of their business dealings and operations, before pursuing other dispute resolution processes or court litigation.

     In the past year, 46 pledgees have signed the Pledge to support the use of mediation to resolve disputes, bringing the total of organisations and individuals signing the Pledge to more than 700 since its launch in 2009.

     Details on the “Mediate First” Pledge Event 2021 are available on its dedicated website. For more information on mediation, please visit the designated Facebook page, LinkedIn and Weibo.