Tag Archives: China

     Hong Kong Customs yesterday (April 24) detected a passenger drug trafficking case at Hong Kong International Airport and seized about 1 kilogram of suspected cocaine and about 1 gram of suspected cannabis buds with an estimated market value of about $1.2 million.
      
     A 54-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Mexico City, Mexico, via Paris, France, yesterday. During Customs clearance, Customs officers found the batch of suspected cocaine concealed inside a false compartment of a backpack in his check-in suitcase. The man was then arrested. Subsequently, Customs officers also found about 1 gram of suspected cannabis buds inside his carry-on sling bag.
      
     An investigation is ongoing.
      
     Following the increasing number of visitors to Hong Kong, Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
      
     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002/).

  

     In response to a media report on the quality and professional qualifications of personnel of private health check centre, a spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) today (April 25) said that the professional registrati… read more

     Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the King’s Day of the Kingdom of the Netherlands today (April 25):

Consul-General van den Berg (Consul-General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hong Kong, Mr Arjen van den Berg), Commissioner Li Yongsheng (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), ladies and gentlemen,

     Good evening.

     I am delighted to join you, tonight, here to mark King’s Day, the annual celebration honouring His Majesty King Willem-Alexander. I’ve seen pictures of the festive holiday, and all I can say is that the Dutch know how to throw a birthday party. The revelry is nationwide, packed with street and canal parties, flea markets full of “treasures” and everyone with a glass or two of orange bitters in their hands. King’s Day is a happy time here in Hong Kong as well.

     I’m told that the Consul-General will host a “King’s Games” event here, in the garden of his official residence, this Saturday for schoolchildren. And I guess many of the thousands of Dutch nationals residing in Hong Kong will be dressed in orange deep into the weekend.

     Hong Kong and the Netherlands have much to celebrate. And not only on King’s Day.

     Just five months ago, Barbera Wolfensberger, Director-General of Culture and Media in the Netherland’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, led a Dutch delegation of some 50 members to visit Hong Kong. They included design and business leaders, as well as government officials, to help open the Business of Design Week, BODW, here. And much more: the Netherlands was BODW’s partner country last year, after taking on the role as a strategic partner since 2022.

     We are working together to boost trade, as well. Over the past four years, our bilateral trade had grown despite the pandemic.

     We would like to invest in each other’s opportunities, too. Hong Kong’s stock of direct investment to the Netherlands reached some US$45 billion in 2022; ranking fifth among Hong Kong’s major investment destinations.

     Not surprisingly, the Dutch business community maintains a significant presence here, with some 190 Dutch companies operating in Hong Kong, ranking third among European nations. I know that a good many Dutch companies are with us this good evening.

     And I’m confident you will be with us for the long haul, for the rewarding future here for all of us. Thanks to our “one country, two systems” framework, Hong Kong is blessed with opportunity.

     Looking to the future, for Hong Kong and the Netherlands, there is much we can work together on.

     Sustainability and circularity, the theme of this year’s King’s Day celebrations, hold tremendous promise.

     The green transition process in Hong Kong and the broader region requires expertise and specialised technologies, and we know that many Dutch companies offer advanced green technology solutions. I invite Dutch companies to join us, to capture the opportunities in this region.

     We are a rising hub for innovation and technology, too. Dutch companies will find enormous opportunities in a number of new star industries: artificial intelligence, biomedicine, fintech, new energy and new materials.

     We are systematically building to realise a flourishing future. Since the end of 2022, OASES, our Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises has helped about 50 such high-tech companies set up or expand their presence here in Hong Kong, with total investments exceeding $40 billion.

     Our vision also includes the Northern Metropolis, which will host a cluster of high-tech industries that will take full advantage of the synergy with Shenzhen, our fast-moving neighbour.

     Just last week, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park held a Partnership Launching Ceremony, with some 60 innovative companies from all over the world taking part.

     They will add their strategic expertise to the Park and to Hong Kong’s I&T (innovation and technology) future. The Park, by the way, is rapidly taking shape. Two laboratories and an accommodation building will be completed, progressively, from the end of this year.

     For all these and other opportunities, we welcome Dutch businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators.

     Consul-General, you and your colleagues have long taken an active role in forging closer economic ties and cultural exchanges with Hong Kong. For that, I am grateful.

     I know you will complete your assignment here in Hong Kong in June. My congratulations on your new posting – as Ambassador for Central America. You will be missed.

     Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you a very happy King’s Day. Thank you.

  

     The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today (April 25) announced the latest implementation status of the SMS Sender Registration Scheme (the Scheme), and encouraged more industries to actively participate in the Scheme.
 
     The Scheme has been launched since the end of last year, and has been opened up to all industries for participation since February this year. To date, nearly 170 organisations have joined the Scheme (see Annex for details), including telecommunications service providers, banks and 31 government departments and statutory bodies which need to communicate with members of the public via SMS messages (including the Immigration Department, the Department of Health, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department, the Transport Department, the Consumer Council and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority). The Director-General of Communications had previously sent letters to all other government departments and the Legislative Council Secretariat inviting their participation in the Scheme. OFCA has also allocated additional resources and manpower to process relevant applications.
 
     According to the Scheme, only those companies or organisations being Registered Senders under the Scheme are able to send SMS messages to local subscribers of mobile services using their Registered SMS Sender IDs with the prefix “#”. Any SMS messages with sender IDs containing “#” but not sent by Registered Senders will be blocked by the telecommunications networks.
 
      “Under the Scheme, members of the public can easily identify whether an SMS message is from a Registered Sender by looking for the prefix ‘#’ in the SMS Sender ID, thereby reducing the risk of SMS fraud. We are encouraged by the widespread support for the Scheme, and call for more companies or organisations to join the Scheme and become Registered Senders, with a view to enhancing the security and credibility of SMS messages and providing better protection to members of the public,” a spokesman for OFCA said.
 
      “We will continue to review the various measures from the telecommunications perspectives to curb telephone and SMS scams by interception at source, including blocking or suspending services of telephone numbers and websites suspected of committing fraud based on fraud records provided by Police, fully implementing the real-name registration programme for SIM cards, sending voice or text alerts to users for calls originating from places outside Hong Kong prefixed with ‘+852’, so as to combat fraudulent calls and messages in a comprehensive manner,” the spokesman added.
 
     For details of the Scheme, please visit the dedicated webpage (www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/guide/hot_topics/ssrs/) or call OFCA’s hotline (2961 6333). read more

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at South African National Day Cocktail today (April 25):
 
Honourable Consul-General Mojalefa Mogono (Consul-General of South Africa in Hong Kong), Deputy Commissioner Pan Yundong (Deputy Commissioner of Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good evening to you all. I am pleased to have this welcome opportunity to speak to you tonight, as we celebrate the 30th Freedom Day of the Republic of South Africa.
 
     Thirty years ago, when President Nelson Mandela addressed his country in an inaugural speech, he passionately said, and I quote, “We enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.”
 
     And walked tall you have. The rainbow nation now has the biggest securities exchange, busiest airports and longest road network in Africa. Your vibrant mix of cultures, abundance of thrilling landscapes and majestic wildlife fascinates millions of visitors every year. Please join me in a round of applause to congratulate the people of South Africa, for the great strides you have made in the past three decades!
 
     Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa. During his state visit to South Africa last year, President Xi Jinping met with His Excellency President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. President Xi remarked that China is ready to work with South Africa to carry forward the friendship, deepen co-operation, and strengthen coordination, in an effort to take the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights, and build a high-quality China-South Africa community with a shared future.
 
     The Hong Kong SAR maintains a strong and committed partnership with South Africa. With South Africa as our largest trading partner in Africa, Hong Kong’s success is closely intertwined with the country, particularly as we look to further strengthen our relations with new markets such as those in Africa.
 
     Last year, the total merchandise trade between Hong Kong and South Africa amounted to 1.9 billion US Dollars, with about 6.6 per cent of the total trade in goods between Mainland China and South Africa routing through Hong Kong.
 
     This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Hong Kong SAR and South Africa, an important agreement that has strengthened our economic ties, and facilitated trade and investments between the two places.
 
     As the relations between our two countries continue to grow, Hong Kong SAR is eager to contribute, as it always has, as a key gateway for South Africa’s entry to the vast Chinese market.
 
     Under “one country, two systems” principle , Hong Kong is the only city in the world that enjoys both the China advantage and the global advantage. Hong Kong is well-known to be a “super connector”, connecting the international market with the Mainland market. Hong Kong is, also, a “super value-adder”. Our multi-lingual and multi-talented workforce provides world-class professional services, to global investors. Accountants, lawyers, bankers, engineers, architects, surveyors, IT specialists, the list just keeps going on.
 
     Hong Kong is determined to serve as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” between the Mainland and Belt and Road countries. South Africa, I am pleased to note, was the first country in Africa to sign a co-operation agreement with our country on the Belt and Road Initiative. We welcome our friends from South Africa to join us in this journey of opportunities.
 
     Arts and culture is another area of collaboration between Hong Kong and South Africa. In February this year, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council entered into a global strategic partnership with the National Arts Council of South Africa. This partnership facilitates international market access for Hong Kong and South African artists, and lays a solid foundation for their future collaboration.
 
     This October, the inaugural Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo will be launched. I’m pleased to note that one of the Expo’s programmes, “Journey of Discovery”, will showcase a collaboration of young musicians from Hong Kong and South Africa, bringing our cultural ties to a new and higher level.
 
     The Hong Kong SAR Government looks forward to continue working closely with the South African Consulate-General in Hong Kong, and promote stronger connections in business and trade, culture and education, and many more areas with South Africa in the years ahead.
 
     Ladies and gentlemen, may I wish the people of the Republic of South Africa the best of health and harmony. A happy Freedom Day! Thank you!