Tag Archives: China

     â€‹The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, today (May 20, Geneva time) attended the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
      
     Professor Chan attended the 72nd WHA as a member of the People’s Republic of China delegation. The agenda of this year’s assembly will cover a wide range of issues with public health importance requiring global attention and concerted efforts from all member states, including health and environment and climate change, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, ending tuberculosis and global shortage of, and access to, medicines and vaccines.
      
     In addition to the plenary session, Professor Chan also attended a side event with the theme “Primary Health Care towards Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goal” to listen to a presentation by the Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Ma Xiaowei, about the on-going development of primary healthcare services in the Mainland.
      
     She also took the opportunity to learn about the experience of other countries in developing primary healthcare services.
      
     “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to enhancing district-based primary healthcare services in Hong Kong with an emphasis on medical-social collaboration and public-private partnership,” Professor Chan said.
      
     “The Government will set up a District Health Centre (DHC) in all districts in the next few years. The services offered in the DHCs will focus on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, including health promotion, health assessment, chronic disease management and community rehabilitation.
      
     “This new service model of DHCs will echo the principle of universal health coverage. We will share with the WHO our insight and experience gained from this new service model and our upcoming blueprint for primary healthcare development of Hong Kong.”
      
     Professor Chan also exchanged views on healthcare-related issues with senior officials of other member states and WHO at the WHA.
         
     Professor Chan will continue to attend the WHA tomorrow (May 21, Geneva time). She will depart Geneva in the morning on May 22 and arrive in Hong Kong on May 23.

      

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (May 22) at 11.30am (or immediately after the meeting for the Chief Executive’s Question Time to be held at 11am) in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex.  During the meeting, Mr Tommy Cheung will move a motion for the adjournment of the Council under Rule 16(4) of the Rules of Procedure.  The motion states: “That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating the following issue: the relaxation of the internship requirement of the non-locally trained specialist doctors by the Medical Council of Hong Kong.”
 
     Members will also debate a motion on the Report of the Subcommittee to Follow Up Issues Relating to the Unified Screening Mechanism for Non-refoulement Claims.  The motion, moved by Dr Elizabeth Quat, states: “That this Council notes the Report of the Subcommittee to Follow Up Issues Relating to the Unified Screening Mechanism for Non-refoulement Claims.”
 
     In addition, Dr Priscilla Leung will move a motion on keeping up with technological development and enhancing the protection of people’s privacy.  The motion states: “That serious incidents relating to large-scale leakage of personal privacy and data have occurred many times in Hong Kong, for example the uncovering of the resale of the data of 2.4 million customers by the Octopus Card Limited to other companies for marketing use in 2009, the Registration and Electoral Office’s loss of a notebook computer containing the personal data of 3.78 million Geographical Constituencies electors across the territory in 2017, and the leakage of the personal data of 9.4 million passengers by the Cathay Pacific Airways in 2018; the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance came into force in 1996 and the Government only amended the Ordinance once in 2012, and given that the rapid technological development of the Internet, social media, big data, artificial intelligence, etc. has created privacy risks and that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union (EU) has come
into force, the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance has appeared to be even more lagging behind and its personal data privacy protection is apparently inadequate; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to keep up with technological development and comprehensively review the policy on personal data privacy protection, so as to enhance the protection of people’s privacy; the relevant proposals include:

1. by drawing reference from EU’s GDPR and the relevant laws of other jurisdictions, amending the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance expeditiously and comprehensively, including requiring data users to notify the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) and data subjects of any data leakage incidents within a specified timeframe and raising the penalty to enhance the deterrent effect;
 
2. conferring on PCPD the power to exercise administrative penalties (such as fines);

3. requiring all government departments and public and private organisations to review their policies on processing personal data and security precautions, so as to avoid the recurrence of infringement of people’s personal data privacy; and

4. enhancing public promotion to raise the understanding and awareness of the people as well as of public and private organisations on protecting and respecting personal data privacy.”

     Mr Alvin Yeung, Mr Charles Mok and Dr Elizabeth Quat will move separate amendments to Dr Priscilla Leung’s motion.

     During the meeting, Members will also ask the Government 21 questions on various policy areas, 6 of which require oral replies.

     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk).  Please note that the agenda is subject to change, and the latest information about the agenda could be found on the LegCo Website.

     Members of the public are welcome to observe the proceedings of the meeting from the public galleries of the Chamber of the LegCo Complex.  They may reserve seats by calling 3919 3399 during office hours.  Members of the public can also watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (May 20) investigating a case of measles infection.        The case involves a worker at a shop in Tsim Sha Tsui w… read more

     Following is the English translation of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session on the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 today (May 20):
      
     Thank you for coming to the Central Government Offices. In accordance with Rule 54(5) of the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council (LegCo), I issued today a letter to the chairman of the House Committee of LegCo, proposing to make preparation for the resumption of the Second Reading debate of the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 on June 12, 2019. In accordance with Rule 54(5) of the Rules of Procedure, the public officer in charge of the Bill may, after consultation with the chairman of the House Committee, give a written notice to the office of the Clerk of the LegCo to resume the Second Reading debate.
      
     Since the Government has proposed the legislative amendments, we have been engaging different sectors of the community to explain, listen and collect their views, and elaborate the legislative objective to combat against crimes, the content of the proposals and human rights safeguards therein. The Security Bureau introduced the Bill into the LegCo on April 3, 2019, for First and Second Reading. The Government team, comprising the officers of the Security Bureau and the Department of Justice, has been fully prepared for the scrutiny of the Bill, and has all along been hoping to interact with members, listen to their views and answer their questions through the platform of the Bills Committee, with a view to improving the Bill. After the House Committee’s decision to form a Bills Committee on April 12, 2019, the Government has actively co-operated with the Bills Committee for its work, including the presence of the team at the LegCo to prepare for attending the Bills Committee on its meeting dates and provision of detailed information to explain the Bill in response to the request of the legal adviser of the Bills Committee.
      
     Regrettably, despite the fact that the Bills Committee has been formed more than five weeks, it has not been able to operate properly. The Government team has not had an opportunity to explain and commence normal interactive discussion with members on the Bill at the Bills Committee.
      
     First of all, no chairman was elected after two meetings of a total of four hours on April 17 and 30, 2019, at which Hon James To was the presiding member. This situation was unprecedented.
      
     At its special meeting on May 4, 2019, the House Committee of the LegCo agreed to provide guidelines to the Bills Committee in accordance with the Rules of Procedure which specify that until the chairman of the Bills Committee is elected, Hon Abraham Shek, member of the Bills Committee, shall determine the date, time and place of the meeting(s) of the Bills Committee, and shall be responsible for presiding at the election of the chairman of the Bills Committee during the meeting(s).
      
     You should have all noted from the media reports that there were serious commotions, confrontations and physical scuffles at the meeting presided by Hon Shek on May 11, 2019, in pursuance to the House Committee’s guidelines. A number of members were injured with several members subsequently making reports to the Police. There were again commotions and arguments at the meeting on May 14, 2019. No chairman was elected at both meetings presided by Hon Shek. On the two above-mentioned meeting dates, Hon To convened purported Bills Committee meetings at the same venue but at an earlier time. The commotions, confrontations and arguments at the two meetings have caused grave public concern, undermined the LegCo’s solemnity and its reputation of bill scrutiny, and tarnished its public image.
      
     On May 16, 2019, eight members representing both sides met to discuss the matter. Members who had participated in the said meeting subsequently made public statements that the two sides remained at loggerheads. The side supporting to act in accordance with the House Committee’s guidelines did not accept the legitimacy of the meetings convened by Hon To as Bills Committee meetings, while the other side insisted on its legitimacy. At the subsequent two-hour House Committee meeting on May 17, 2019, members had divergent views on the different options being raised, and no consensus could be reached on the way forward. 
      
     It has always been the Government’s stance to assist LegCo pragmatically in scrutinising the Bill through the platform of a Bills Committee. This has been the normal procedure in scrutinising the bills.  Given the aforesaid circumstances, the current scrutiny of the Bill by the Bills Committee has become ineffectual and I do not see any way out of the present predicament. As there is time consideration for the Bill and after careful consideration, I had little choice but to make this difficult decision. I wrote today to the chairman of the House Committee, in accordance with Rule 54(5) of the Rules of Procedure, for consideration in preparation for resumption of Second Reading debate on June 12, 2019. Meanwhile, we will continue to explain to various stakeholders on the Bill so as to enhance the public understanding of its content. read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session at the Central Government Offices on Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 today (May 20):
 
Reporter: Mr Lee, as you said, this is a very difficult decision to make. I understand you talked about the time issue. But with Taiwan already repeatedly saying that they would not accept surrendering or asking for the suspect under the current situation, why do you insist that there is such an urgent need to table the bill to the full Council next month? And my second question would be, are you basically ignoring all the opposition to this? Or are you actually taking the Liaison Office’s open rallying for support of this bill as a backup that you have indeed actually the support of society at large for this bill to pass? Thank you.       
 
Secretary for Security: I think I have repeatedly explained to you and members of the public about the legal vacuum regarding the law to deal with a request for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters or surrender of fugitive. Because the law at present does not apply to Taiwan, so simply we do not have any law to deal with the request, so what the proposal intends to do is to create the law so that we have a legal basis to go ahead, to try to make the suspect face the justice he deserves to face. We will be making every possible effort to let Taiwan understand that we have to create the law so that we can offer the assistance which they have asked for at a very early stage. We will do it with respect. We will only look at the case details and talk about the legal matters as well as the subsequent arrangements to hand over the person to Taiwan so that he will face the justice he should face.             
 
     I have also noted that the Taiwan side has indicated that they also believe that a suspect should face the justice that he should face. And also that the door is always open for negotiation for mutual legal assistance matters, so with that in mind and the aim of justice are being one of the main reasons why we make the proposal. I want first of all to have the law to enable us to do it. And then we will be trying all our best to work towards the goal of ensuring that the suspect faces the justice he deserves.  
 
     We understand that on the government bill, different people have been expressing different opinions about the government bill. There are those who support and there are those who disagree. I think it is every people’s rights to express their view. And the Central Government of course has supported the Hong Kong SAR Government (HKSARG) to go ahead with matters that are in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong, so ensuring that things that need to be done should be done, and there is policy that needs to be made should be made, and there are laws that need to be created to be created. And it has often been the stated stance that the Central Government supports HKSARG to administer Hong Kong in accordance with the law.           
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) read more