Tag Archives: China

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (February 14) the Hong Kong’s trade in services (TIS) statistics for 2023, with detailed breakdowns by service component and by main destination/source.
       
     Comparing 2023 with 2022, the value of total exports of services rose by 17.2% to $762.2 billion, and that of total imports of services increased by 24.9% to $618.4 billion. An invisible trade surplus at $143.8 billion, equivalent to 23.3% of the value of total imports of services, was recorded in 2023. This was smaller than the corresponding surplus of $155.4 billion in 2022, equivalent to 31.4% of the value of total imports of services in 2022.
 
Analysis by service component
 
     Analysed by service component, transport was the largest component in exports of services, accounting for 30.8% of the value of total exports of services in 2023. This was followed by financial services (25.7%) and travel (21.4%).
 
     As for imports of services, travel accounted for 28.7% of the value of total imports of services in 2023, followed by transport (22.7%) and other business services (15.8%).
 
     Amongst various service components, the net exports of financial services contributed most significantly to the overall invisible trade surplus, at $132.4 billion in 2023. This was followed by transport ($94.2 billion) and other business services ($16.5 billion).
 
     On the other hand, manufacturing services imported by Hong Kong in outward processing were substantial, resulting in a deficit of $85.3 billion in 2023. This was followed by travel ($14.3 billion) and charges for the use of intellectual property ($8.8 billion).
 
Analysis by main destination/source
 
     The mainland of China (the Mainland) and the United States of America (the USA) were the top two main destinations of exports of services of Hong Kong, accounting for 29.8% and 19.2% respectively of the value of total exports of services in 2023. They were followed by the United Kingdom (the UK) (10.2%), Singapore (5.0%) and Taiwan (3.8%).
 
     The Mainland and the USA were also the top two main sources of imports of services, accounting for 39.0% and 12.4% respectively of the value of total imports of services in 2023. They were followed by Japan (7.7%), the UK (7.0%) and Singapore (5.3%).
 
     Analysed by region, Asia was the most important destination of the exports of services of Hong Kong, accounting for 51.6% of the value of total exports of services in 2023, followed by North America (21.0%) and Western Europe (20.9%).
 
     For imports of services, Asia was also the most important source, accounting for 66.1% of the value of total imports of services in 2023, followed by Western Europe (14.5%) and North America (14.3%).
 
Further information
 
     Table 1 presents exports, imports and net exports of services by service component in 2022 and 2023.
 
     Table 2 presents exports of services by main destination and imports of services by main source in 2022 and 2023.
 
     Table 3 presents exports, imports and net exports of services by region of destination/source in 2022 and 2023.
 
     More detailed TIS statistics will be given in the report “Hong Kong Trade in Services Statistics in 2023”. Users can browse and download this report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020011&scode=240) as from end-February 2025.
 
     The TIS statistics have incorporated the latest international recommendations given in the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services 2010. For details, please refer to the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode240.html). They are compiled mainly based on data obtained from the Annual Survey of Imports and Exports of Services conducted by the C&SD, supplemented by data from other relevant sources. The TIS statistics for 2023 are subject to minor revision when more data from supplementary sources become available.
 
     For enquiries about TIS statistics, please contact the Trade in Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7415; email: tis@censtatd.gov.hk). read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:      The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) issued today (February 14) a tentative issuance schedule for Exchange Fund Bills and Notes (EFBNs) for the c… 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 will conduct 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 and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on February 13 to noon today (February 14), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 218 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 115 810 samples of food imported from Japan (including 75 802 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 26 824 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests. read more

     The Town Planning Board announced today (February 14) that the Secretary for Development has referred two approved outline zoning plans (OZPs) to the Board, namely the approved Ngau Tau Kok and Kowloon Bay OZP and the appr… read more

     The Town Planning Board today (February 14) announced amendments to the approved Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     The amendments are mainly to take forward the proposed developments at Tseung Kwan O Areas 137 and 132 for a new community primarily for residential purposes and accommodation of public facilities serving the region, which marine frontage is required for their operation respectively, and to reflect the proposed reclamation boundary and the existing boundary of Clear Water Bay Country Park. The amendments mainly involve (i) incorporation of two sea areas in Fat Tong O into the planning scheme area, zoning the areas and/or rezoning the adjoining land from “Other Specified Uses” (“OU”) annotated “Deep Waterfront Industry” (“OU(DWI)”) and/or “OU” annotated “Desalination Plant” to “Residential (Group A) 9”, “Residential (Group A) 10”, “Residential (Group A) 11”, “Residential (Group A) 12”, “OU” annotated “Commercial/Residential Development with Public Transport Interchange (1)”, “Government, Institution or Community (10)” (“G/IC(10)”), “Open Space”, “OU” annotated “Effluent Polishing Plant”, “OU” annotated “Green Fuel Station”, “Green Belt” (“GB”) and an area shown as ‘Road’; (ii) rezoning of a site in Fat Tong Chau from “GB” and “OU(DWI)” to “G/IC(10)”; (iii) incorporation of a site occupied by a pier near Tit Cham Chau into the planning scheme area, zoning the site and rezoning the adjoining land from “OU(DWI)” to “OU” annotated “Pier”; (iv) incorporation of a sea area in Chiu Keng Wan into the planning scheme area, zoning the area and/or rezoning the adjoining land from “GB” to “OU” annotated “Electricity Facilities”, “OU” annotated “Construction Waste Handling Facility and Public Fill Transfer Facility”, “OU” annotated “Refuse Transfer Station”, “OU” annotated “Concrete Batching Plant”, “G/IC(10)”, “G/IC”, and an area shown as ‘Road’; (v) incorporation of four sites near Chiu Keng Wan into the planning scheme area and zoning the sites to “GB”; and (vi) excision of five sites within “OU(DWI)” zone from the planning scheme area.

     The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP are amended to take into account the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zones and the planning scheme area, where appropriate.

     The draft Tseung Kwan O OZP No. S/TKO/31, incorporating the amendments, is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Sai Kung and Islands District Planning Office, (iv) the Sai Kung District Office, and (v) the Hang Hau Rural Committee.

     Any person may make written representations in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before April 14. Any person who intends to make a representation is advised to read the Town Planning Board Guidelines No. 29C on “Submission and Processing of Representations and Further Representations” (TPB PG-No. 29C).

     Submission of a representation should comply with the requirements set out in TPB PG-No. 29C. In particular, the representer should take note of the following:

* If the representer fails to provide his or her full name and the first four alphanumeric characters of his or her Hong Kong identity card or passport number as required under TPB PG-No. 29C, the representation submitted shall be treated as not having been made; and
* The Secretariat of the Town Planning Board reserves the right to require the representer to provide identity proof for verification.

     The Guidelines and the submission form are available at the above locations (i) and (ii) and the Town Planning Board’s website (www.tpb.gov.hk).

     Copies of the draft Tseung Kwan O OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board’s website (www.tpb.gov.hk). read more