Tag Archives: China

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (January 22) detected a large-scale illicit cigarette smuggling case in the waters off Tsing Yi and seized about 15 million suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $67 million and a duty potential of about $49 million, on board a fishing vessel.

     Customs in the early morning of yesterday intercepted a suspicious fishing vessel in the waters off Tsing Yi. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized about 15 million suspected illicit cigarettes inside the compartments of the vessel. During the operation, four non-local men, aged between 32 and 60, suspected to be connected with the case were arrested.

     Customs will continue to trace the source and the flow of the illicit cigarettes. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     The four arrested men were charged with one count of importing unmanifested cargoes. They will appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (January 24).

     Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years upon conviction.

     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

    

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the opening ceremony of Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) Gallery 2024-2025 Flagship Exhibitions – “Tonight with the Impressionists, Paris 1874 – An Immersive Expedition in Virtual Reality” and “The Warm-beings: Guangzhou Design Triennial – Hong Kong Exhibition” today (January 23):

Mr Tony Tai, Chairman of Vocational Training Council, Ms Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good evening. I am most delighted to witness with you the grand opening of two incredible exhibitions – “Tonight with the Impressionists, Paris 1874” and “The Warm-beings: Guangzhou Design Triennial – Hong Kong Exhibition”.

     “Tonight with the Impressionists, Paris 1874” is an innovative exhibition that transports visitors back in time 150 years to the birth of Impressionism. Enriched with unpublished research, unique 3D reconstruction and virtual reality, visitors will meet history-making artists such as Monet and Renoir in a whole new way to discover the works and places that marked the beginnings of the Impressionist movement. I am delighted that this is the second Impressionist exhibition I officiated within a week, as the Hong Kong Museum of Art had just opened its exhibition featuring Cézanne and Renoir last week. I am also very glad to note that the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Design Institute are exploring collaborations on promotion so that lovers of Impressionism can make the most out of the two exhibitions.

     “The Warm-beings: Guangzhou Design Triennial – Hong Kong Exhibition” is a curated edition of Guangzhou Design Triennial 2024 by the Guangdong Museum of Art. With “warmth” as its theme, the exhibition showcases pieces of 17 prominent Mainland and Hong Kong designers and studios, and aims to explore the social value of design. It also offers an opportunity for designers from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and their international counterparts to delve into the development and research of design, as well as the contemporary beliefs and social values.

     The Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) Government promulgated the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development in November 2024. The Blueprint sets out a clear vision, principles and strategic directions for the development of the arts and cultural industries, further consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. The partnership between the Hong Kong Design Institute and cultural institutions from all over the world is essential in underpinning Hong Kong’s status as a global hub for design and creativity.

     My bureau, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, will continue to support and collaborate with key strategic partners and industry stakeholders, including the Vocational Training Council (VTC), to drive the development of arts, culture, and creative industries. In particular, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the VTC for its outstanding efforts in presenting these eye-opening and thought-provoking exhibitions.

     My special thank also goes to Musée d’Orsay, GEDEON Experiences and the Guangdong Museum of Art, for co-organising these exhibitions with the VTC. I am certain that visitors will find great enjoyment in these remarkable and innovative pieces.  

     I wish these exhibitions every success and everybody an enjoyable evening. Thank you. read more

     The Health Bureau (HHB) announced today (January 23) that woman health services under the Department of Health (DH) will be integrated into the district health network, to be named as Women Wellness Satellites (WWS), of the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commision) of the HHB, forming a network with District Health Centres (DHC)/DHC Expresses (DHCEs) in all 18 districts across Hong Kong to provide eligible women with prevention-based and more personalised primary healthcare services. Upon open tendering, the HHB awarded a three-year operation service contract for the three WWSs and the Central and Western (C&W) DHC to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (the operator). The three WWSs and C&W DHC are expected to commence operation within this year.

     In the 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive put forward the initiatives of integrating Woman Health Centres’ services and upgrading more interim DHCEs to DHCs, along with the extension of a multidisciplinary service network. The Primary Healthcare Blueprint also recommended gradually integrating the primary healthcare services under the DH into the district-based community healthcare system. The establishment of WWSs and the upgrading of C&W DHC Express to DHC aim to implement the relevant policy directions for strengthening the prevention-oriented, district-based, and family-centric primary healthcare network.
 
Strengthening women’s health services, promotion and education work in DHCs
 
     Integration of the DH’s existing women’s health services into the district health network will be conducive to shortening the waiting time for services, reducing duplication of healthcare services and promoting primary healthcare development. The PHC Commision will commence the integrated women’s health services within this year in an orderly manner. DHCs/DHCEs across all 18 districts will enhance promotion and education related to women’s health, as well as provide new dedicated nurse clinics for women’s health services to encourage citizens to manage their own health. DHCs/DHCEs will also identify women in need through basic health assessments and individual consultations, and refer them to WWSs or the General Out-patient Clinics (GOPCs) of the Hospital Authority (HA) to receive women’s health services as appropriate.
 
Personalised and value-added women’s health services
 
     The formation of the service network will enhance accessibility to women’s health services. The HA will start to provide preventive care services to the underprivileged, whereas WWSs will focus on addressing specific health needs of women by providing more personalised and value-added primary healthcare services. In addition to the existing services such as health assessments, breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings, WWSs will devise personalised preventive care or specific consultation services according to individual health risks and needs for members’ selection. WWSs will also explore introducing self-sampling for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing to enhance prevention-oriented women’s health services. Furthermore, to promote the “Family Doctor for All” concept, WWSs will explore collaboration with family doctors participating in the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme to support and strengthen comprehensive health management and screening services for women. Details will be announced later.
 
     The three WWSs will be located in Chai Wan, Lam Tin, and Tuen Mun (see Annex). The Chai Wan WWS is expected to start service in June at the earliest, while the Lam Tin and Tuen Mun WWSs are expected to commence operation in September at the earliest. Starting from tomorrow (January 24), DHCs/DHCEs across all 18 districts will accept registration from women aged 64 or below and provide basic women’s health services, conduct initial assessments and arrange referrals to WWSs for scheduling of services as necessary. Women who would like to receive services at WWSs must first register as members at DHCs/DCHEs. 
 
     During the transition period of service integration, the three Woman Health Centres (namely the Chai Wan Woman Health Centre, Lam Tin Woman Health Centre, and Tuen Mun Woman Health Centre) and four designated Maternal and Child Health Centres (namely the Ap Lei Chau Maternal and Child Health Centre, Yaumatei Maternal and Child Health Centre, Fanling Maternal and Child Health Centre, and Ma On Shan Maternal and Child Health Centre) under the DH will cease accepting new appointments for women’s health services starting from tomorrow (January 24). Those who have already made appointments or have paid their annual fee and are still within the service period will continue to receive relevant services from the DH. Details on the relevant transition arrangements are available on the website of the Family Health Services of the DH (www.fhs.gov.hk/english/main_ser/woman_health.html).
 
     To encourage citizens to take primary responsibility for managing their own health, WWS services will adopt a co-payment model, where eligible individuals will receive partial subsidy from the Government and also be required to pay a designated co-payment fee. The co-payment fee for standard services will be similar to the current charges of the Woman Health Centres of the DH, with details to be announced later. Members of the public may also visit the DHC website (www.dhc.gov.hk/en/) for the latest information.
 
Catering for underprivileged women
 
     Meanwhile, GOPCs of the HA will provide new preventive women’s health services with a view to focusing on caring for the underprivileged. Starting from tomorrow (January 24), eligible persons (including Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients or individuals granted medical fee waivers) will be arranged through DHCs/DHCEs to receive women preventive care and health promotion services, which are the same as those in the district health network, at selected GOPCs of the HA.
 
Expansion of C&W DHC Express to DHC
 
     Apart from women’s health services, the operator is required to set up a DHC core centre and a satellite centre in the C&W district within the first year of operation. The core centre of the C&W DHC will be located at 308 Des Voeux Road Central with a total floor area of about 1 000 square metres, and is expected to commence service in the third quarter. The PHC Commision will discuss with the operator and implement a transitional arrangement for upgrading the C&W DHC Express to a DHC to ensure a smooth transition of services. read more

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (January 23) announced the operational arrangements for the GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities during this Lunar New Year (LNY).             … read more

     In response to media enquiries on the United Kingdom (UK) officials meeting with wanted persons suspected to have committed offences endangering national security, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (January 23) responded as follows:

     Regarding the attempt by Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Mr David Lammy, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Ms Catherine West, to interfere in the HKSAR’s enforcement actions in accordance with the law by meeting with the wanted persons suspected to have committed offences endangering national security, the HKSAR Government expressed strong disapproval and condemnation.

     A spokesman for the HKSAR Government said that, “Endangering national security is a very serious crime. No country will watch with folded arms the acts and activities that endanger national security. Those persons who have fled overseas are suspected of continuing to commit offences under the Hong Kong National Security Law. Thus, the Police applied to the court for the arrest warrants in accordance with the law and put them on the wanted list. The UK Government has ignored the malicious acts of those wanted persons, which showcases the hypocrisy with double standards.”

     The spokesman stressed that, “The HKSAR law enforcement agencies have been taking law enforcement actions based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law in respect of the acts of the persons or entities concerned, which have nothing to do with their political stance, background or occupation. The HKSAR Government has the responsibility to pursue the legal liabilities of the persons who are suspected to have committed offences endangering national security and absconded overseas in accordance with the law.

     “Any individuals who endanger national security should not believe that being overseas will allow them to evade criminal responsibility and remain beyond the reach of justice. The HKSAR Government will exhaust all means to pursue and combat criminals absconding overseas and endangering national security, ensuring that violations of the law will be pursued regardless of the distance. The HKSAR Government urged the wanted persons to return to Hong Kong and surrender so as to rectify their mistakes.”

     The spokesman reiterated that, “The Constitution and the Basic Law steadfastly safeguard the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people. Any attempt by foreign countries or external forces to undermine Hong Kong’s situation will only expose their own weakness and faulty arguments and be doomed to fail.

     “The HKSAR Government will, as always, continue to resolutely discharge the duty of safeguarding national security, whilst upholding the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people in accordance with the law, so as to ensure the steadfast and successful implementation of the principle of ‘one country, two systems’. The HKSAR Government strongly demands the UK Government to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong matters which are purely China’s internal affairs.” read more