Hong Kong – Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Portugal, Canada and US suspended
Import of poultry meat and products from areas in Portugal, Canada and US suspended
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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 5) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Lisboa District in Portugal, Smoky Lake County of Alberta Province and Rural Municipality of Laird No. 404 of Saskatchewan Province in Canada, and Roseau County of the State of Minnesota in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, no poultry meat or eggs were imported into Hong Kong from Portugal in the first six months of this year. Moreover, Hong Kong imported about 60 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Canada and about 7 360 tonnes of chilled and frozen poultry meat, and about 201.48 million poultry eggs from the US in the first six months of this year.
”The CFS has contacted the Portuguese, Canadian and American authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.
Appointment of CEO of Treasury Markets Association
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Opening remarks by SITI at Opening Ceremony of HK Tech Forum – “Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Environment” (English only)
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Transcript of remarks by FS after Ante Chamber exchange session (with photo/video)
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Red flags hoisted at Shek O Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach
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Hong Kong films showcased in Sweden to commemorate 25th anniversary of establishment of HKSAR (with photos)
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Hong Kong – Appointment of CEO of Treasury Markets Association
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Treasury Markets Association (TMA) announced today (October 5) that Mr Chordio Chan has been appointed to succeed Mr Jack Cheung as the Chief Executive Officer of the TMA with effect from October 6, 2022, upon Mr Cheung’s retirement (Note).
Mr Chan has many years of experience in the treasury markets. He retired from Bank of China (Hong Kong) early this year, after serving the bank for more than 13 years. His last position at the bank was General Manager and Head of Investment Management. Prior to that, Mr Chan worked for about 24 years at Citibank (Hong Kong), taken up various positions at the bank including Head of Capital and Money Market and Head of Risk Treasury.
Mr Chan has actively participated in public and industry bodies. He had served as an Executive Board Member and the Market Practices Committee Chair of the TMA. Mr Chan also used to be a member of Financial and Treasury Services Committee at the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and a member of Products Advisory Committee of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). He is an existing Deputy Chairman of the Leveraged Foreign Exchange Trading Arbitration Panel of the SFC.
Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Chair of the Executive Board of the TMA Mr Edmond Lau, said, “I believe Mr Chan’s extensive experience and passion for the industry will benefit the Association. I also look forward to working with Mr Chan to further develop the treasury markets in Hong Kong and promote Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre.”
Commenting on Mr Cheung’s retirement, Mr Lau said, “I would like to thank Jack for his dedicated service and contributions to the TMA’s work in the past 11 years. The members of the TMA Executive Board, the TMA’s staff and I wish him a very happy retirement life.”
The biography of Mr Chan is at Annex.
Note: Mr Cheung, who retires upon the end of his contract on October 5, 2022, will act as the TMA’s Senior Advisor for 1 year.
Hong Kong – Opening remarks by SITI at Opening Ceremony of HK Tech Forum – “Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Environment” (English only)
Following are the opening remarks by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the Opening Ceremony of HK Tech Forum – “Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Environment” today (October 5):
Professor Jen (Director of the Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy of the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), Professor Alex Jen), Professor Wong (Chairman of the Research Grants Council, Professor Wong Yuk-shan), Michael (Vice-President (Research and Technology) of CityU, Professor Michael Yang), Rebecca (Commissioner for Innovation and Technology, Ms Rebecca Pun), Julie (Associate Provost (Academic Affairs) of CityU, Professor Julie Li), Harry (Principal Advisor of Carbon Neutrality, Electricity and Energy Efficiency Branch of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, Mr Harry Lai), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. I am most happy to be back to CityU and join today’s Hong Kong Tech Forum on Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Environment, which brings together world-renowned scholars and researchers, as well as industry partners, to share their views and explore ways to shape the future of renewable energy transition.
I did not hesitate to join this exciting event after being invited by Professor Jen, as the vision of zero-carbon emissions is always a subject of concern to myself and the whole community. Growing energy shortages and climate changes highlight the unprecedented global energy and environmental crisis. To reaffirm our vision of achieving the goals of a carbon dioxide emissions peak and the carbon neutrality, the Government released Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 last year which highlights four decarbonisation strategies to achieve carbon neutrality through net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction. The Government has also set out bold plans for Hong Kong to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by promoting green innovation and technology.
With no doubt, science and technology will be our strongest asset to tackle climate change and other environmental challenges in long term. One of the most important objectives for the Government to promote I&T (innovation and technology) development is to improve people’s quality of life. Through our Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), we encourage and support the development and adoption of clean environmental technologies in Hong Kong. Moreover, our five public R&D (research and development) centres as well as the local universities have successfully developed many award-winning green technology projects with the support of the ITF over the years. Many of them are also well presented on the Innovation Hub@HK website, our newly launched portal to showcase the R&D outcomes of our public research institutes, thereby facilitating commercialisation and technology transfer.
Government aside, efforts of local organisations and industries deserve our full support. We are happy to see the CityU has been taking a pioneering role in developing the I&T development in Hong Kong. I congratulate CityU for establishing the Hong Kong Institute for Clean Energy (HKICE) last year, which functions as an international hub for talents and provides such dynamism to generate new knowledge and innovative solutions to improve the quality of life in the community. All universities and research institutes like HKICE are pivotal in our plan to drive our sustainability agenda, and are encouraged to make use of the Government’s funding schemes to develop and commercialise the R&D results. We hope that more innovative solutions and breakthroughs in sustainable development could arise from our support. Together, we can develop greater climate, energy and economic resilience, transforming Hong Kong into a world-class smart and green city.
Indeed, the energy transition is a quest that requires us to harness collective strength and efforts that transcend borders. Today, this forum has united global experts, scholars, and professionals to share their insights and perspectives on this journey. This forum provides a good opportunity for policymakers, academics, and industry partners to leverage expertise in harnessing clean energy and improving energy efficiency, as we strike a balance between the energy transition and economic development.
At this important juncture of the biggest energy revolution in history, we must continue to push the frontiers of sustainability. I believe we can address the huge challenges in front of us if we work together to support a low-carbon transition for a sustainable future. May I wish you all a fruitful, enjoyable, and inspiring forum.
Thank you very much.
Hong Kong – Transcript of remarks by FS after Ante Chamber exchange session (with photo/video)
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at a media session after attending the Ante Chamber exchange session this morning (October 5):
Reporter: To maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness, and also to speed up the recovery of the Hong Kong economy, does the Government have any plans? Thank you.
Financial Secretary: Hong Kong, being a small and open economy, is subject to the impact of a number of factors, particularly external factors. Lately, the external environment has not been very positive. Given rising inflation, interest rate hikes will keep on going; and that the monetary policies of major central banks are tightening, their negative impacts are affecting the global economy.
The geopolitical situation is also challenging. No matter it is the Russia-Ukraine conflict or other geopolitical concerns, they are still lingering. It is affecting the supply chain. The supply chain has also been affected by the continuing COVID situation. So you know, the external environment is not positive, and that has impacted on our exports. Our interest rate has also gone up, affecting the borrowing costs of businesses and our private consumption. External factors are also causing volatility in the financial markets. Unavoidably, our financial market has also been affected.
Locally, in Hong Kong, asset prices have been depressed, both property prices and stock prices. So the short-term outlook of the Hong Kong economy is not positive at all. This year, we will unavoidably record a negative growth. The outlook of our economy in the coming year, 2023, is still pretty challenging, given the continuing headwinds in the external market. But for ourselves, in the medium to long term, I remain very positive given the continuing development of our country, in particular the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development. And that our Government will take a more proactive attitude to adopt bold measures to stimulate our economic development and provide new economic impetus.
In about two weeks’ time, the Chief Executive will give his first Policy Address. In attracting investments, business talents and facilitating market development, there will be bold measures.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Hong Kong – Red flags hoisted at Shek O Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (October 4) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Shek O Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
Hong Kong – Hong Kong films showcased in Sweden to commemorate 25th anniversary of establishment of HKSAR (with photos)
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, London (London ETO) supported “Making Waves – Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema”, showcasing a selection of Hong Kong films in Stockholm, Norrköping and Umeå, Sweden, from September 30 to October 9 (Stockholm time). The programme was presented by Create Hong Kong in partnership with the Asian Film Festival.
To start the official opening of the Festival on September 30, the London ETO hosted a reception in Stockholm before the screening of “Keep Rolling”, a biographical documentary directed by Man Lim-chung which portraits the prolific career of Hong Kong director Ann Hui. After the reception, a face-to-face Q&A session between Man Lim-chung and the audience was held.
The Director-General of the London ETO, Mr Gilford Law, addressed the audience at the official opening. Mr Law said, “Talents are the key to artistic and cultural excellence. The HKSAR Government has been putting strong emphasis on nurturing talents in the film industry. Together with the passion of the creative practitioners in Hong Kong films and support of film lovers around the world, we are confident that the industry will continue to flourish.”
Mr Law remarked, “Hong Kong is an international hub for cultural and creative industries with promising development opportunities. With its unique status and strengths under ‘one country, two systems’, Hong Kong is a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures with extensive international connections. We are determined to become an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.”
Mr Law also updated the audience on the lifting of compulsory quarantine requirement for inbound persons from overseas places that started on September 26. “The relaxed arrangement demonstrates Hong Kong’s readiness to connect with the world, without compromising defences against the pandemic and the health of our residents. The HKSAR Government has been implementing measures to consolidate the position of Hong Kong as an international tourism hub. With no more quarantine requirement, it is now the best time to visit Hong Kong, discover everything about our captivating city and see what adventures await in town,” he added.
The programme presented six Hong Kong films, namely “Keep Rolling”, “The First Girl I Loved”, “Limbo”, “Sunshine of My Life”, “Table for Six” and “Tales from the Occult”, to audiences in Sweden. A Q&A session was held before the screening of “Tales from the Occult” on October 1, where film directors Fruit Chan and Andrew Fung conducted a live discussion from Hong Kong with audiences in Stockholm using hologram technology.
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