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2025
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung will visit Jiangsu Province tomorrow to lead 75 members of the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum, and members of Shenzhen University and youth groups of the public security forces of Macau to continue a study tour there for a better understanding of the country's history and culture, as well as its modern development. The six-day study tour, which started on July 15, took place in Nanjing and will proceed to Wuxi. Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk joined the visit on July 15 and 16. Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on July 20. During his absence, Mr Cheuk will be Acting Secretary.
The Security Bureau today said all analogues of etomidate and another six substances will be listed as dangerous drugs under the law from Friday, following the publication of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Amendment of First Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2025 in the Gazette that day. The order, which is subject to the Legislative Council’s negative vetting procedure, will take effect on the same day. The bureau said the amendment aims to deter any potential trafficking and abuse of those dangerous drugs, and will help fortify Hong Kong's defence against drugs. It added that illegal use of etomidate and its analogues are addictive and would seriously damage one's health. The bureau also pointed out that recent scientific analysis has shown that certain analogues of etomidate may potentially be abused. It highlighted that the Government is determined to safeguard the public, thus taking a pre-emptive step to strengthen the control of all etomidate analogues. Under the strict control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking and manufacturing of those substances are liable to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $5 million. Possession and consumption of those substances in contravention of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance will be subject to a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. The bureau also said the Government has launched a preventive education and publicity strategy against the “space oil drug”, apart from legislation and law enforcement. It added that the Government will continue to adopt targeted and innovative strategies to combat drug-related harm in partnership with the community.
Two amendment regulations will be published in the Government Gazette this Friday mandating the installation of Journey Recording Systems (JRSs) in all taxis and requiring all taxi drivers to allow fares to be paid by electronic payment (e-payment) means. The two amendments – named the Road Traffic (Construction & Maintenance of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 and the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 – are aimed at enhancing overall service quality for members of the public through technology. The Transport & Logistics Bureau said the JRSs should be capable of making "in-vehicle recordings" – video recordings, with audio, made inside taxi compartments – as well as recordings of taxis' front and rear views. It added that JRSs should capture data concerning taxis' location via a global navigation satellite system. The bureau said it believes the functions will help deter malpractices by taxi drivers, enhance driving safety and safeguard the interests of both drivers and passengers in the event of disputes. To assist the trade in preparing for new requirements relating to the JRSs, the Transport Department will inform the trade of these through various channels, including its own website, the regular Taxi Newsletter, publicity leaflets and regular meetings with the trade, in the second half of this year. The department will also carry out work relating to the authorisation of suppliers starting from the fourth quarter of this year, so that the trade can start installing JRSs inside taxi compartments next year. Upon completion of installation in all taxis, the JRSs will be ready to come into operation and will have to be connected to the department’s centralised information system. To protect the privacy of passengers and drivers, the recordings and data captured by JRSs should be encrypted. Law enforcement agencies, the Commissioner for Transport and authorised persons will be able retrieve or access in-vehicle recordings only for specified purposes. The bureau outlined that, as many taxis still only accept cash, causing great inconvenience to passengers, especially tourists, all taxi drivers will be required to allow fares to be paid by e-payment means. The requirement will come into effect on April 1 next year. To help drivers to prepare for it, the department will co-ordinate with various e-payment platforms to arrange workshops or briefings to assist drivers in learning how to collect fares through e-payment means.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today said it strongly condemned organisations in the US and other Western countries for slandering and smearing the Hong Kong SAR Government for its handling, in accordance with the law, of the case of Lai Chee-ying and related custodial arrangements. In a press statement, the Government said such slanders had fully exposed the malicious and despicable intentions of anti-China organisations and media to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong. The Government highlighted that it has emphasised time and again that as legal proceedings involving Lai Chee-ying are ongoing, it is inappropriate for anyone to comment on the case in an attempt to interfere with the court's exercise of independent judicial power and to pervert the course of justice. It said foreign organisations have nevertheless continued to distort the truth, discredit Hong Kong’s judicial system and trials, and make false and misleading statements about the treatment provided to Lai Chee-ying during his custody, in an attempt to glorify criminal behaviour and exert pressure on Hong Kong's courts. In addition, it stressed that while Lai Chee-ying’s legal representative has clarified that he has received suitable treatment and care in prison, foreign organisations have turned a blind eye to this in order to carry out malicious political manoeuvres and pursue ulterior motives. The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that it opposes all such actions. Separately, the Correctional Services Department said that it handles matters relating to Lai Chee-ying no differently from those regarding any other persons-in-custody. It also reiterated that Lai Chee-ying’s removal from association from other persons-in-custody has been in accordance his own request and was approved by the department after considering all relevant factors in accordance with the law. The department remarked that remarks by organisations from the US and other Western countries regarding Lai Chee-ying’s solitary confinement therefore deliberately twist the facts, reflecting a malicious intention to smear and attack the Hong Kong SAR Government. The Government also stressed that all cases in Hong Kong, including Lai Chee-ying’s case, are handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law. It said the Department of Justice controls criminal prosecutions, free from any interference and that all defendants in Hong Kong receive a fair trial under the safeguards of the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights.