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2025
A policy incorporating mediation clauses in government contracts came into effect today. The Department of Justice (DoJ) explained that the clauses outline that contract parties agree to use mediation to resolve disputes first before resorting to arbitration or litigation. In addition, the DoJ today promulgated “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mediation Rules (2025 Edition)”. It stressed that these shall not affect the operation of “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Construction Mediation Rules (1999 Edition)”. The implementation of mediation clauses follows the issuance of a Policy Statement on the Incorporation of Mediation Clauses in Government Contracts on November 6 last year. The DoJ said it anticipates that private organisations will make reference to and adopt similar mediation clauses in their own contracts, thereby deepening a “mediate first” culture.
The Security Bureau today said that a Hong Kong resident who was recently rescued after being detained in Myanmar where she was forced to work illegally, has departed Thailand for Hong Kong this afternoon with the bureau’s dedicated task force. The task force met the Hong Kong resident concerned in Bangkok this morning, following the confirmation of her rescue in Myanmar and safe arrival in Thailand, and was delighted to find that she was in good mental and physical condition. She expressed gratitude for the task force’s active co-ordination and liaison with relevant units of the Thai authorities as well as for the assistance of different parties that enabled her to return home to reunite with her family as soon as possible. The bureau thanked the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand; the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai; the Consulate-General of Myanmar in Hong Kong; the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Hong Kong; and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Bangkok. The task force is actively following up on the remaining nine requests for assistance involving Hong Kong residents who have yet to return.
Police have reported that another large-scale stress test, held tonight with 50,000 spectators attending the Hong Kong Premier League U22 football match, ran smoothly at Kai Tak Sports Park's Main Stadium. The exercise was conducted to assess the operational readiness of the Main Stadium and its surrounding facilities for sports events with maximum attendance. Similar to the previous large-scale stress tests, the drill was co-ordinated by the force's Exercise Team, covering five major testing and evaluation areas: security screening and ticket checks; venue signage and designated seating arrangements; inter-agency co-ordination in response to emergencies; various crowd management measures; and passenger flow management by public transport operators. During the exercise, the Fire Services Department simulated two fire incidents of varying scales, aiming to test the communication and response capabilities of Fire Services personnel in co-ordination with Police, venue security and other emergency response teams. Police also simulated an emergency incident involving public safety and security to test the response of all stakeholders. The stress test was scheduled for a weekday evening, with a slight overlap between the entry time and rush hour after work. Meanwhile, the exercise concluded at a later time, with most participants choosing to leave the park immediately afterwards, thereby increasing the pressure on the transport system. Police implemented new crowd management measures, such as using large display panels along the exit routes to MTR stations to convey crowd management information, playing music and deploying police officers to provide real-time information on the spot to help participants leave safely. In the exercise, the public transport system and surrounding facilities were able to divert the large passenger flows within a short period of time, allowing participants to enter and leave the venue in an orderly manner. The Main Stadium's retractable roof was opened for the first time during the stress test, aligning the testing time and mode more closely to the actual conditions of sports events, and the volume of noise during the test was found to be within the acceptable sound level. A total of 50,000 civil servants, government employees and members of community groups simulated crowd flows during the test.
The Security Bureau tonight confirmed that one more Hong Kong resident who had been detained for illegal work in Myanmar has been rescued and smoothly arrived in Thailand. The bureau added that its dedicated task force has been maintaining communication with Thai authorities and the rescued Hong Kong resident, and will arrange for the individual’s return home as soon as possible.
The Security Bureau today said that a Hong Kong resident who was recently rescued after being detained in Myanmar, where he was forced to work illegally, returned to Hong Kong from Thailand with the bureau’s dedicated task force last night. The task force travelled to Bangkok on confirmation of the Hong Kong resident concerned having arrived there from Myanmar. Its co-ordination and liaison with various other parties resulted in the man being reunited with his family in Hong Kong before the Lunar New Year. The task force expressed gratitude to the Thai authorities for their humane handling of the case, saying it had allowed him to return to Hong Kong as soon as possible. The bureau also thanked the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand; the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai; the Consulate-General of Myanmar in Hong Kong; the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Hong Kong; and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Bangkok. The task force is following up on the cases of the remaining 10 cases of 10 individuals who have not yet returned to Hong Kong. It is exchanging intelligence with directors of special investigations and human trafficking in Thailand’s Ministry of Justice.
Principal officials, accompanied by District Officers, District Council members and District Services & Community Care Team members, paid visits to elderly and grassroots households in Kwun Tong, Eastern, Sham Shui Po and Wong Tai Sin Districts today. By distributing gifts in celebration of the Lunar New Year, the officials aimed to extend warmth and blessings from the Government to citizens. Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang spread festive joy by chatting with elderly individuals living in Kwun Tong District’s Lam Tin Estate. In Eastern District, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung visited an elderly household living in Hong Tung Estate. Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, meanwhile, met an ethnic minority grassroots family in Cheung Sha Wan, Sham Shui Po District, to learn more about their needs and everyday experience. Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong called on an elderly household and a grassroots family in Fu Shan Estate, Wong Tai Sin District.
To facilitate festive events occurring on the first two days of the Lunar New Year, the Government will roll out special traffic and transport arrangements at various locations on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. In connection with the International Chinese New Year Night Parade due to be held in Tsim Sha Tsui at 8pm on January 29, the first day of the Lunar New Year, special traffic arrangements will be implemented in phases starting from 3.30pm that day. They will remain in place until the crowd has dispersed and the roads are safe for re-opening. During this period, the Star Ferry Bus Terminus and the China Ferry Terminal Bus Terminus will not be operational. On-street parking will be suspended, and pick-up/drop-off areas and carparks will be closed. With regard to the Lunar New Year fireworks display, which will be staged at 8pm on January 30, Police will enforce crowd safety management measures and special traffic arrangements on both sides of Victoria Harbour starting from 5pm. In addition, the Marine Department will implement marine traffic control measures and strengthen inspections of spectator vessels to ensure that safety requirements are met.
The Immigration Department today presented a review of its work in 2024, covering passenger traffic at control points and law enforcement, among other things. The department highlighted that a total of around 298 million passengers passed through Hong Kong's control points in 2024, representing an increase of about 41% over 2023 and a return to the 300 million level in 2019. During the year, the total number of visitor arrivals was around 44.5 million, constituting an increase of about 31% when compared with 2023. Meanwhile, the department conducted a total of 13,664 related inspection operations at various immigration control points and intercepted 32,551 passengers for enquiries. In 2024, the department determined over 2,700 non-refoulement claims. As at the end of last year, there were about 850 claims pending screening. Looking ahead, to enhance clearance efficiency, the department said that it will adjust the applicable age of the e-Channel service for Hong Kong permanent residents from the first quarter of this year onwards so that children aged seven or above holding a valid Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport and a Hong Kong permanent identity card can undergo self-service immigration clearance with a smart identity card using facial recognition technology at e-Channels. The department also plans to introduce the new e-Channel at the Hong Kong International Airport's arrival hall in the third quarter of this year, which will enable eligible Hong Kong residents to experience hassle-free self-service immigration clearance through verification of identity by facial recognition technology at the new e-Channel upon arrival. Additionally, the department fully supports the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games to be held this year, whereby special immigration lanes will be provided in the closed areas of designated control points on the Hong Kong side to provide faster and more convenient clearance services for athletes from the Mainland and Macau.
The Security Bureau today said that a Hong Kong resident who had been detained for illegal work in Myanmar, but was recently rescued and safely arrived in Thailand, will return to Hong Kong on Monday with the bureau’s dedicated task force. Members of the task force met the Hong Kong resident at a detention centre last night after his transferral to Bangkok. He was in good mental and physical condition. The task force members expressed sympathy to the individual, who expressed gratitude for their visit to Thailand to follow up on his case. He was also pleased to learn that he will be able to return to Hong Kong on Monday. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said he was relieved that one more Hong Kong resident was rescued and able to return to Hong Kong to reunite with his family before the Chinese New Year. Mr Tang thanked sincerely the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Chinese Embassy in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand, the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Chiang Mai, the Consulate General of Myanmar in Hong Kong, the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Bangkok and the relevant Thai authorities for their support and assistance as well as importance attached to the case, enabling the return of the Hong Kong resident within a short period of time as far as practicable. The security chief also commended the dedicated task force for the committed efforts in following up the case and assisting the Hong Kong resident's return to Hong Kong as soon as possible. The task force, comprising members from the bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Immigration Department, has been contacting and liaising with different parties since their arrival in Thailand on January 21 to discuss the arrangements for the rescued Hong Kong resident to return home as soon as possible and follow up on the 10 remaining request-for-assistance cases.
With effect from today, the Government opened a section of road within the frontier closed area near Lin Ma Hang Village in Sha Tau Kok by exempting it from the requirement that passengers travelling on it by green minibus must apply for a closed area permit. The move is intended to make it easier for members of the public visit to Lin Ma Hang Village and Robin’s Nest Country Park, the Security Bureau explained. It outlined that residents and tourists can go to Robin’s Nest Country Park and areas nearby for sightseeing purposes and to experience Hong Kong’s rich heritage and geological features. From now on, people can take green minibus No. 59K from Sheung Shui MTR Station to reach Lin Ma Hang Village via the newly exempted section of road within the frontier closed area. On alighting, they can visit the MacIntosh Forts and Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine by taking the Lin Ma Hang Country Trail. They can also head in the direction of Sha Tau Kok via the Robin’s Nest Country Trail in order to enjoy the scenery around Yan Chau Tong and Shenzhen Wutong Mountain. The bureau emphasised that the exemption is only applicable to people travelling by green minibus, and does not apply to private vehicles, taxis or other vehicles without a valid closed road permit, or to individuals using other means of travel such as walking or cycling.