Tag Archives: China

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department indicated today (December 17) that with effect from 9pm tomorrow (December 18), the trade could import fresh aquatic products via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) during a designated period.
 
     Under the current arrangement, all goods vehicles carrying fresh food and livestock by land from the Mainland must enter Hong Kong via the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point for inspection by CFS staff. Other land-based boundary control points, including the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF) of the HZMB, are not equipped with facilities for inspection of fresh food.
  
     At the Government’s invitation, the Airport Authority Hong Kong is now conducting a study for the topside development on the HKBCF Island and will later submit a development proposal, including a feasible site for providing facilities for inspection of fresh food (not including livestock). Pending the formulation of the development proposal of food inspection facilities at the HZMB in the long run, the Government has taken heed of some trade members’ wishes to import fresh aquatic products via the HZMB to save transportation time and increase the survival rate of the products. Having discussed with the trade and Mainland authorities, the CFS decided to implement an interim measure effective from December 18 to allow the trade to import fresh aquatic products via the HZMB during a designated period after the closure and before the opening of Man Kam To Boundary Control Point, i.e. 9pm to 5am, for inspection by CFS staff.
 
     The inspection procedures of the CFS at the HKBCF will be similar to those for vehicles importing fresh aquatic products via Man Kam To, including examining details of import documents and conducting physical inspection of aquatic products.
 
     A spokesperson for the CFS stressed that the interim measure only applies to fresh aquatic products so as to facilitate the wholesale and trading of that specific type of food which is relatively more perishable. Other fresh food such as meat, poultry and eggs, if imported by land, must continue to enter Hong Kong via the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point. read more

     Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley tomorrow (December 18). The arrangements will come into effect one and a half hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

1. Road closure

     Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp outside Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.

2. Traffic diversions

– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Traffic along eastbound Queen’s Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen’s Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road except for vehicles heading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen’s Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen’s Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.

B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting

1. Road closure

     The following roads will be closed from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen’s Road East.

     In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversions

     The following traffic diversions will be implemented from about 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

– Eastbound Queen’s Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.

C. Learner drivers prohibition

     Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:

– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.

D. Suspension of parking spaces

     Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.

     Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.

     Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site. read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting this morning (December 17):
 
Reporter: About the new Mainland checkpoint on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, why didn’t the Hong Kong Government announce such an arrangement to the public beforehand? And have actually the Mainland authorities informed the Hong Kong Government about this? And the second question is concerning the remarks given by Law Chi-kwong yesterday, saying that the independent review committee would not be able to compel witnesses to give evidence, so how can the Hong Kong Government convince the public that the committee is just and fair? Thank you. 
 
Acting Chief Executive: The first question relates to operational matters, security matters on the Mainland and Macao. It’s beyond Hong Kong’s control. In fact, it’s not Hong Kong’s purview. As it is operational matter on the part of the Mainland authorities, so I am not prepared to comment on that. But it’s perfectly justified for them to exercise jurisdiction within their own territory. It’s entirely legal and justified. 
 
     The second question about this independent review committee, we’ve repeatedly said that it’s meant to take a macro view of what happened actually in the lead up to the social events, and in fact the circumstances surrounding the current crisis we are facing – the why’s and the what’s and so on . In the process, to identity the deep-seated social conflicts, fundamental social conflicts, embedded in community for a long, long time, for example, wealth gap, and also land, housing supply, youth mobility, upward mobility of youngsters and so and so forth. So it’s a host, a basket of problems we’re tackling. Now this is a mammoth exercise, and calls for independent, so called, high level, high powered, research committee, to head up the whole task. That’s why we are identifying suitable candidates to head the committee, and as well as to really to join the committee as well. It’s going to be a mammoth task, but it’s a very important task that we will pursue, that we need to pursue in earnest. 

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      Members of the public are invited to attend the Hospital Authority (HA) Board Meeting to be held on December 19 (Thursday) at 4pm.      &nbsp… read more

     A girl who went missing in Kwai Chung has been located.      Chong Man-ki, aged 12, went missing after she was last seen on Wo Yi Hop Road on December 11 afternoon. Her family made a report to P… read more