Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by the Hon Chau Siu-chung and a reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (January 22):
 
Question:
 
     The Government launched the Top Talent Pass Scheme at the end of 2022. It has been reported that some of the persons admitted to Hong Kong via the Scheme have been unable to find jobs matching their academic qualifications or professions and thus have remained unemployed or have only been able to take up lower-level posts, giving rise to the problem of “under-utilisation of high-calibre talents”. The authorities have pointed out that they will play a stringent gatekeeping role for each application for extension of stay, and the terms of employment of applicants must be commensurate with their academic qualifications. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective numbers of applications for extension of stay received, approved and rejected so far, together with a breakdown by the three application categories; the average vetting and approval time for approved applications, as well as the reasons for rejecting applications;
 
(2) in respect of cases of approved applications, of the following information (set out by the three application categories) on persons employed in full-time jobs: the major industries and occupations in which they are engaged; the average duration of employment; the highest, lowest and median amounts of monthly salaries; and the respective numbers of persons with a monthly salary below $20,000, between $20,000 and below $30,000, between $30,000 and below $50,000, and of $50,000 or above; and
 
(3) whether it will consider making public the specific requirements for vetting and approving applications for extension of stay, including the income levels of applicants, the business turnovers of the companies set up by applicants, etc.; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
(1) and (2) In face of the widening manpower shortage, the Government has been implementing various talent admission schemes with different positioning to proactively trawl for talent with diversified backgrounds to come to Hong Kong to fill the local job vacancies and enrich our talent pool. Among others, the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS), launched in end-2022, seeks to attract individuals of different professions with high income or full-time bachelor’s degree from top universities/institutions to pursue development in Hong Kong. The eligibility criteria of the TTPS are concise and clear, and the required information and documents are relatively straightforward. Eligible talents are not required to have secured offers of employment in Hong Kong before applying for visas through the TTPS to explore opportunities in Hong Kong. Yet, they, upon expiry of the first visas, will have to be employed, or have established or joined in business in Hong Kong so that extension of stay can be granted.
 
     The TTPS has received enthusiastic responses since its launch. As at end-December last year, we received over 116 000 applications and approved nearly 92 000. Of these, more than 75 000 talents arrived in Hong Kong with their families. The Government has been keeping track of their situation and providing them with diversified and pertinent support through the Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE). HKTE not only assists them in adapting to the life in Hong Kong, but also co-organises with different parties job fairs for employers and talent to be directly engaged in job-matching.
 
     While trawling for talent, the Government also focuses on retaining talent. The 2024 Policy Address has thus set a key performance indicator of approving at least 50 000 visa extension applications annually for talent from 2025 to 2027. Of course, it takes time for talent and the local job market to acclimate which is a normal interactive process. Whether a talent can ultimately be granted an extension of stay or chooses to stay in Hong Kong for development depends on his/her own conditions and other different factors. The role of the Government is not merely to provide the necessary support for talent, but also to continue the efforts in boosting the economy and the growth of emerging industries so as to provide a favorable environment for the development of local and overseas talent. This would provide concrete support for the establishment of an international hub for high-calibre talent.
 
     The TTPS has been launched for just two years. The Government is pleased to note that many talents have gradually embarked on their careers in Hong Kong. According to the follow-up surveys earlier conducted by the Labour and Welfare Bureau, more than half of the incoming talents have been in employment, mainly taking up managerial and professional jobs with median monthly employment earnings of about $50,000. The monthly employment earnings of about a quarter of the talents reach $100,000 or above. In addition, nearly 20 per cent of their spouses have also taken up employment, mostly engaged in high-skilled jobs. Based on these survey results, the TTPS entrants and their spouses contribute directly to Hong Kong’s economy. More than half of them are aged under 40, with many bringing their young children to settle in Hong Kong. This adds new impetus to the local labour force and brings about positive impact on Hong Kong’s demographic structure.
 
     The first batch of visas under the TTPS has just started to expire at the end of last month. The Immigration Department (ImmD) generally takes two to three weeks to complete the processing upon receipt of the applications for extension of stay and necessary documents. At present, only a small number of applications have been processed. There is insufficient relevant data for meaningful statistical analyses. The Government will analyse in detail the relevant statistics as a certain number of applications for extension of stay have piled up and release them at an opportune time.
 
(3) Starting from November 1, 2024, the ImmD allows persons admitted under the TTPS to apply for extension of stay three months before expiry of their limit of stay, so that applicants will have sufficient time to prepare the necessary documents for their applications. When applying for extension of stay, applicants are required to provide the ImmD with concrete supporting information and documents to prove either that they have taken up employment in Hong Kong with a stable income, or they have established or joined a business in Hong Kong. The specific requirements for assessing applications for extension of stay under the TTPS are set out in detail in the Guidebook for TTPS and on the ImmD’s website. The ImmD also avails of its social platforms, seminars and media briefings, etc, to explain in detail the relevant requirements. The HKTE also disseminates relevant information through various channels.
 
     Applicants who have taken up employment are required to submit employment contracts, which should set out the details of the position, remuneration, other benefits, the employment period, etc. In general, the jobs secured by the applicants who are granted extension of stay should be at a level commonly taken up by degree holders and the remuneration package should be at market level. If applicants are employed by non-local enterprises and assigned to work in Hong Kong under the intra-company transfer arrangement in managerial or professional positions, their applications for extension of stay will also be considered. The ImmD will take various factors into account when assessing their applications for extension of stay, including the applicants’ remuneration packages, economic benefits (e.g. tax paid in Hong Kong) brought about by their work, and duration of their stay in Hong Kong.
 
     For applicants who have established or joined in a business in Hong Kong, they are required to provide the proof of business, which should clearly show that the business is indeed operating healthily and sustainably in Hong Kong with contribution to the local economy. In assessing an application, the ImmD will take into account various factors, including the operation and development of the business, such as the turnover, financial resources, investment sum, number of jobs created locally, economic benefits brought by the business, and duration of the applicant’s stay in Hong Kong.
 
     The ImmD has all along been playing a robust gatekeeping role to ensure that only applicants meeting the relevant requirements will be granted extensions of stay. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Joephy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (January 22):
 
Question:
 
     Some members of the local community have relayed that the number of private medical clinics in the shopping centres of public housing estates (PHEs) under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) and in the nearby shopping malls has decreased significantly in recent years, and there is not even a single western medicine practitioner in some of the shopping centres of PHEs (e.g. Cheung Shan Estate, On Yam Estate and Choi Hung Estate which will soon be redeveloped), resulting in local residents having to seek medical treatment in other districts or concentrating on the remaining few private medical clinics for treatment, thus increasing the waiting time and causing great inconvenience. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on (i) the number of private general medical clinics in the shopping centres of PHEs under HA and in divested shopping centres of PHEs under HA, and (ii) the respective numbers of such clinics providing evening consultation services in the past five years, with a tabulated breakdown by shopping centre;
 
(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the following information of the shopping centres in PHEs under HA (including divested shopping centres) in which “zero” private general medical clinic was found in the past five years: names of the shopping centres, years of occurrence and the duration of each occurrence; and
 
(3) whether HA has formulated policies or indicators to regularly review and assess the demand for and supply of private medical clinic services in the shopping centres of PHEs (including divested shopping centres), and to take proactive measures to increase the number of such clinics as necessary, so as to ensure that the residents can have access to adequate and convenient private healthcare services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The consolidated reply of the Housing Bureau and the Health Bureau to the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan is as follows:
 

(1) and (2) The primary function of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) is to provide affordable rental housing to low-income families with housing needs. At the same time, the HA also provides various ancillary facilities, such as retail facilities in which the medical clinic is included in the trade mix, in its public housing estates (PHEs) to cater for the daily needs of residents. 

     Currently, there are a total of 61 medical clinics situated in 55 shopping centres under the HA, with about 80 per cent of the HA’s shopping centres furnished with at least one medical clinic. Additionally, tendering exercises for 5 clinic premises located in different shopping centres are underway. Together with the 16 medical clinics located in other commercial premises of the HA’s PHEs, there are a total of 77 medical clinics under the retail facilities of the HA, providing medical consultation services to residents at their convenience. These medical clinics determine their opening hours for consultation services based on factors such as individual circumstances and residents’ demand for medical services. The HA does not request these clinics to provide evening medical consultation services. The shopping centres in the HA’s PHEs with medical clinics available in the past five years are set out at Annex. As regards the non-domestic properties divested by the HA, the owners of the divested properties are governed by laws, conditions of land leases, Deed of Mutual Covenant and the relevant restrictive covenants in the assignment deeds. The HA does not interfere with the daily operation and commercial decisions of the owners concerned, nor does it compile statistics on the type of shops in the shopping centres of divested properties. 

(3) The HA has all along been letting out its commercial premises according to business principles. In general, commercial premises are let out through invitation of tenders, and the rental amount is assessed based on the prevailing market value. The HA understands the demand of residents for medical consultation services. Therefore, in arranging the letting of commercial premises, the HA gives priority to the trade of medical clinics. The HA has also set up a hotline to provide leasing information on its commercial premises, so that interested potential tenants may contact the HA directly. Besides, QR codes are added onto leasing posters to facilitate potential tenants in browsing the latest tender notices and subscribing to tender information related to commercial premises, thereby enabling the setting up of more medical clinics in PHEs.

     When the HA invites tenders for vacant shops, apart from putting up leasing posters outside the shops, placing tender advertisements on newspapers and uploading tender notices onto the websites of the HA/Housing Department, the HA also takes the initiative to contact potential tenants who have submitted bids for the same trade (including medical clinics) but in vain. In addition, the HA informs the Hong Kong Doctors Union and the Hong Kong Medical Association by email and post of the shops available for tender, so that they may relay the message to their doctor members who are interested in bidding for the shops. This will in turn increase the chance of successful letting of commercial premises as medical clinics. According to our record, the number of medical clinics in the HA’s retail facilities increased by around seven per cent from 2020 to 2024, with a total of 77 medical clinics available (provided in commercial premises in shopping centres or not). Whether the premises will be let out for the purpose of medical clinics is however a business decision made by the service provider after taking into consideration various factors such as the location, operating cost and target clients of a clinic.

     In planning and developing the overall primary healthcare services, the Health Bureau takes into account a number of factors, including the delivery model of primary healthcare services, demographic changes and distribution of service targets, the provision and needs of both public and private primary healthcare services in the districts, etc. Therefore, the distribution of private doctors and primary healthcare service providers varies across districts. In accordance with the Primary Healthcare Blueprint (Blueprint), the Government has been reserving sites in different districts for the long-term development of primary healthcare services, exploring how to plan and develop healthcare service facilities more effectively, as well as enhancing co-ordination of development and redevelopment of government buildings and premises of healthcare facilities in the community, including re-provisioning, expanding or consolidating the existing healthcare facilities under the principle of optimising land use. The Government will also consider various measures, such as examining the feasibility of providing accommodation space therein for non-governmental organisations or private healthcare service providers to provide primary healthcare services as set out in the Blueprint, so as to promote the inclusion of private or non-governmental organisation healthcare service providers in the district-based community healthcare system. read more

     Regarding a report released by the Office of the Ombudsman today (January 22) on its direct investigation into “Government’s Work in Combating Abuse of Public Housing Resources”, the Housing Department (HD) thanked the Ombudsman for appreciating the initiative of the Housing Authority (HA)/HD in the work of combating tenancy abuse and especially mentioning in the report that the HA has achieved remarkable results through the sequential launching of various intensified measures and enhanced Well-off Tenants Policies from mid-2023.

     Since the current-term Government assumed office, the HA/HD has commenced a series of reviews to explore enhancements to the measures combating tenancy abuse. These enhanced measures have been successively implemented since mid-2023, including requiring all public rental housing (PRH) tenants to declare in batches starting from October 2023 their occupancy status and whether they own domestic property in Hong Kong every two years since admission to PRH; establishing a data matching and verification mechanism with the Land Registry to conveniently check the property ownership of PRH tenants; setting up a task force composed of retired disciplinary force officers to assist in the investigation of rather serious and hidden suspected cases and the provision of training on detection and investigation techniques to frontline staff; and implementing an award system for property management companies and security services contractors to encourage them to assist in detecting tenancy abuse. These showed the HA/HD’s determination to combat the abuse of public housing resources.

     In 2022/23 and 2024/25 (up to November 2024), the HA recovered over 7 000 PRH flats due to tenancy abuse and breaches of tenancy agreements or housing policies, equivalent to a large housing estate. The HA/HD will continue to work hard and proactively explore more feasible measures to enhance the accuracy, effectiveness and comprehensiveness of detection and investigation efforts.

    “We just launched the Report Public Housing Abuse Award on January 15, hoping to gather more accurate intelligence on tenancy abuse for taking action. To strengthen the deterrent effect and gradually reduce the abuse of public housing resources, we are also actively exploring amendments to the Housing Ordinance to criminalise the act of serious tenancy abuse, targeting to have the Bills passed in the Legislative Council in mid-2025. We hope that capable tenants will surrender their PRH flats so that precious public housing resources can be allocated to those in genuine need, optimising the use of public housing resources,” a spokesman for the HD said.

     “Regarding the direct investigation report initiated by the Ombudsman, we thank the Ombudsman for the affirmation and recognition of our work in combating tenancy abuse, and we appreciate its valuable views on our current mechanisms and measures. We will review and study the relevant recommendations in detail and continue to enhance the existing measures to combat tenancy abuse and actively explore various new methods to ensure the optimal use of public housing resources,” the spokesman said. read more

     The National Security Department (NSD) of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested a 36-year-old man in Eastern District yesterday (January 21), on suspicion of committing "knowingly publishing publications that had a sedi… read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Lam San-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, in the Legislative Council today (January 22):

Question:

     â€‹It is learnt that the Secretary for Justice (SJ) has made multiple visits outside Hong Kong since July 2022 to actively promote Hong Kong’s legal services to the international community while creating more opportunities for the legal sector to deepen co-operation, thereby enabling Hong Kong to play a greater role in the overall development of the country. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of visits made by SJ outside Hong Kong so far since July 2022; under which names such visits have been conducted and the expenses incurred; and

(2) given that the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan has established Hong Kong’s positioning as centres for development in eight key areas (i.e. the international financial centre, international innovation and technology centre, East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, international trade centre, international transportation centre, international aviation hub, centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in Asia-Pacific region, and regional intellectual property trading centre), of the respective weightings given to such centres for development in key areas when SJ promotes them during his visits outside Hong Kong?

Reply:

President,

     Concerning the question raised by the Hon Lam San-keung, our consolidated reply is as follows:

     The Secretary for Justice has been committed to tell the good and accurate stories of Hong Kong through duty visits, promoting the unique strengths of Hong Kong’s common law system and the solid and robust foundation of the rule of law under “one country, two systems”, so as to establish Hong Kong as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.

    The Secretary for Justice has conducted a total of 23 duty visits since July 2022, involving a total expenditure of nearly HK$1,000,000. read more