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2025
The 15th National Games (NG) Athletics (Marathon) Competition will be held on November 15. National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong) Head Yeung Tak-keung, representatives from Police and the Transport Department held a press conference today to brief the media on the relevant arrangements. The event will be the first cross-boundary marathon in the history of the NG, spanning across Hong Kong and Shenzhen by making use of the Shenzhen Bay Bridge as the track. Setting off from the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, the races will enter Hong Kong via the Shenzhen Bay Port, run along the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and Kong Sham Western Highway Viaduct, then turn back to the Shenzhen Bay Port through the same route, and finally end at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center. The men's group will depart at 7am and the women's group at 7.30am. The athletes will enter the Hong Kong section upon completion of approximately 2km of race route. Both groups are expected to spend around two hours in the Hong Kong section. On the event day, the arrangements, including temporary traffic control measures and clearance arrangements at boundary control points, will be implemented. Arrival and departure clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Port will be suspended and passengers and vehicles will be prohibited from entering the port from 2am to 11am. Travellers should choose other control points to Shenzhen. Temporary control measures will be implemented on Shenzhen Bay Bridge, Kong Sham Western Highway and Ha Tsuen Interchange from 2am to 11am. During the temporary control period, the Shenzhen Bay Bridge, the Kong Sham Western Highway and Ha Tsuen Interchange will be closed to all vehicular traffic from eastbound and westbound of Yuen Long Highway and Ha Tsuen Road. Regarding public transport arrangements, cross-boundary coach services running between Hong Kong and the Mainland via Shenzhen Bay Port as well as local public transport services serving Shenzhen Bay Port will be suspended during the implementation of the temporary control at the Shenzhen Bay Port, the Shenzhen Bay Bridge and the Kong Sham Western Highway on the event day. Moreover, the 15th NG triathlon event will be held on November 15 and 16 at the Central Harbourfront and Victoria Harbour. The event comprises the men's individual, women's individual and mixed relay events. A total of around 90 athletes from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau will compete in the events. The starting point of the races will be located at the waterfront of the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade. Athletes will first complete the swimming segment, followed by the cycling segment, and finally the running segment. The athletes will run through a number of Hong Kong landmarks during the races. The cycling route will pass through the business district in Central, such as the Central Government Offices, the Legislative Council Complex, and the Hong Kong Observation Wheel. The running route will mainly loop around the Central Harbourfront Promenade, with the finish line located at the Central Harbourfront Event Space. From November 12 to 16, special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in phases on the road sections in Central and Wan Chai districts. The restricted zones will be set up at waters off Wanchai during the competition.
The Security Bureau today held a pledging ceremony to mobilise relevant departments, organisations and work partners in full support of the 2025 Legislative Council General Election, with some 400 people taking part in the ceremony. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said at the event that since the implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" in the Legislative Council, legislators have given valuable advice for the smooth passage of important legislation, including the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and laws benefitting the people and businesses, as well as facilitating the work of law enforcement departments. He called on the participants of today’s event to cast their votes on December 7 and encourage relatives and friends to vote to create a better future for Hong Kong. In addition to members led by the heads of the Security Bureau, the six disciplined services and the two auxiliary services, representatives from advisory and statutory bodies under the bureau and departments, including the Independent Police Complaints Council, the Disciplined Services Consultative Council and the Police Force Council, as well as staff associations, youth groups and work partners were also invited. The security chief and the heads of the disciplined and auxiliary services performed the pledge by piecing together puzzles, each showing a department badge, onto a lighting installation with the election slogan "Join the Election Together We Create the Future", symbolising the concerted efforts of the bureau, the disciplined and the auxiliary services to fully support the LegCo Election. Mr Tang and the department heads then led their teams to distribute leaflets in various districts to call on citizens to cast their votes on polling day.
Police arrested 4,140 people and seized cash, dangerous drugs and illicit goods amounting to $548 million during an anti-crime joint operation with their Guangdong and Macau counterparts. Codenamed “THUNDERBOLT 2025”, the tripartite operation was conducted from August 4 to September 6, and from October 11 to 25. During the operation, the Hong Kong Police Force conducted searches at about 1,700 locations, neutralising over 800 gambling dens, vice establishments, divans and unlicensed bars. A total of 4,140 people, aged between 13 and 89, were arrested for triad or drug offences ranging from murder, wounding and blackmail to trafficking in dangerous drugs and money laundering. Among the arrestees, 780 were Mainlanders and 557 were non-ethnic Chinese. The force also seized $13.6 million in cash suspected to be crime proceeds as well as dangerous drugs worth more than $500 million. The intelligence-led enforcement operation was aimed at combating the illegal activities of triad societies and organised crime syndicates, neutralising cross-boundary crimes, and interdicting the criminals’ sources of income.
From tomorrow, the Government will expand the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors, enabling more non-local talent to participate in specified short-term activities as visitors without the need to apply for employment visas/entry permits. Specifically, the scheme will cover five new sectors, ie “Environment”, “Occupational Safety & Health”, “Maritime”, “Think Tanks” and “Others”, with the addition of more authorised organisations and specified short-term activities in seven existing sectors. The Immigration Department explained that the “Others” sector aims to enable policy bureaus/departments to invite non-local talent to come to Hong Kong under the scheme to take part in events or activities they host, co-host and/or support as necessary, thereby helping more non-local talent to visit Hong Kong for exchanges. Following the expansion, the scheme will cover 17 sectors with a total of some 490 authorised organisations. Other arrangements will remain unchanged after the expansion.
The Security Bureau today launched the "Andy & Bear KinderFest" school tour, which will involve workshops being organised in kindergartens to disseminate national security messages and help students to grow into law-abiding citizens with an affection for the country and Hong Kong. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said at the launch ceremony that Andy & Security Bear have received a good response as characters since the launch of national security comics featuring them. Accompanied by volunteers from the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum, the two characters will visit kindergartens to interact with students. Through storytelling and games, the workshops are designed to teach children basic concepts of national security in a fun and engaging environment. Together with Under Secretary for Education Sze Chun-fai, Mr Tang appointed some 90 members of the leaders forum as "fest leaders" and witnessed 30 representatives committing to the mission of national security promotion and education. Mr Tang and Mr Sze were joined by Permanent Secretary for Security Patrick Li and Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk in launching the Andy & Bear KinderFest school tour. Concluding the ceremony, Mr Tang appealed to the people to cast their votes in the 2025 Legislative Council General Election to be held on December 7.
The Police Force's National Security Department arrested two local men and three local women, aged between 32 and 60, in Kowloon and the New Territories yesterday. All five are suspected of committing offences contravening the Public Order Ordinance, namely aiding and abetting rioting, incitement to rioting, and conspiracy to incite rioting, as well as the offence of sedition under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. They are also suspected of perverting the course of public justice. Following investigations, the force alleges they were involved in manufacturing and providing weapons for frontline rioters who participated in multiple riots in late 2019, with the intention of causing serious casualties. One of the men arrested, aged 34, is also suspected of repeatedly publishing seditious posts on social media, included posts inciting hatred against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and encouraging unlawful behavior. One of the women, aged 50, is suspected of perverting the course of public justice by attempting to assist one of the arrested men in removing evidence relating to the case. A total of about $250,000 in cash was seized, believed to be related to the case. The five people arrested are being detained for further enquires. Police stressed that participating in or supporting acts that undermine public peace and endanger national security are serious offences, and that the maximum penalities upon conviction for "rioting" and "sedition" are 10 years and seven years respectively.
Hong Kong's ranking in the Rule of Law Index 2025 continues to rank sixth in East Asia and the Pacific, and 24th out of 143 countries and jurisdictions globally, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said. In a statement responding to the annual World Justice Project Rule of Law Index released today, the Hong Kong SAR Government noted that the city’s overall score remains unchanged and is the same as the countries ranked 22nd and 23rd globally. The scores in most of the aspects have only been slightly adjusted, the statement said, adding that Hong Kong remains high in the overall ranking and continues to be ahead of some European and American countries which often unreasonably criticise the rule of law and human rights situation of the city. Hong Kong maintains its position within the top 10 globally in respect of “Absence of Corruption” and “Order & Security”. The global rankings in relation to “Absence of Corruption” and “Regulatory Enforcement” are higher than last year, ranking 9th and 15th respectively. This shows that in addition to its comprehensive regulatory enforcement mechanism, Hong Kong remains one of the most corruption-free places in the world and that the effectiveness of its anti-corruption efforts has been recognised internationally, the statement pointed out. This also demonstrates the Hong Kong SAR Government’s full commitment to combating acts and activities that endanger national security in accordance with the law after the full implementation of the National Security Law, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and other laws safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, restoring order in the community and ensuring steady economic development and its long-term prosperity and stability effectively. The Hong Kong SAR Government said that the continuous improvement in these areas is conducive to the construction of rule of law and positive business environment, consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong's unique advantages, and allowing it to fully play its role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” through its connectivity with both the Mainland and the world. Hong Kong’s rankings in respect of “Criminal Justice”, “Civil Justice” and “Constraints on Government Powers” remain almost unchanged. Its judicial system is protected by the Basic Law, while all prosecutorial decisions are based on an objective analysis of admissible evidence and applicable laws, free from any interference. The legal framework in Hong Kong aligns with international standards and keeps up with the times, fully safeguarding the rights of all parties. The Judiciary exercises judicial power independently in accordance with the law, and anyone charged with a criminal offence or involved in civil and commercial cases has the right to a fair hearing. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's scores and global rankings slightly drop in the aspects of “Open Government” and “Fundamental Rights”. However, its rankings in these areas in East Asia and the Pacific remain unchanged. The Hong Kong SAR Government said the minor drop in the rankings does not fully reflect the real situation in Hong Kong, emphasising that it will continue to strengthen its explanatory work through various channels. Hong Kong has a robust legal framework for the protection of human rights and an open judicial system, and its Government steadfastly safeguards the rights and freedoms enjoyed by its citizens as protected under the law, the statement said, adding that its residents can seek justice through legal means and are protected by a solid legal aid system under the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance. Under the principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong is the only bilingual common law jurisdiction in the world. Its legal system is fair and well-established, highly aligned with international standards, and home to a deep pool of legal professionals with extensive international experience, the statement outlined. The construction of rule of law in Hong Kong remains robust and stable, and its high standard of justice has been widely recognised and respected by the international community, it added. The Hong Kong SAR Government will steadfastly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, fully and faithfully live up to the principle of “one country, two systems” and promote the rule of law education to comprehensively uphold the rule of law in the city. It will also enhance its explanatory efforts through various channels, including inviting overseas people to engage in international events in Hong Kong such as international legal forums, enabling them to experience and understand its actual situation first hand.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will depart for Beijing this evening to attend a session on the rule of law in finance at the "Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum 2025" tomorrow. Mr Lam will deliver a keynote speech on innovation, transformation, and the restructuring of financial development within the framework of the rule of law. He will share his views on the advantages of Hong Kong’s legal and financial systems, and ways to deepen Hong Kong-Beijing co-operation, with a view to enhancing foreign-related rule of law. Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong tomorrow afternoon. During his absence, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan will be Acting Secretary.
In Seoul, South Korea, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today met representatives of the local legal sector with a view to strengthening Hong Kong-Korea legal co-operation. He also attended a joint legal workshop co-organised by the two places. In the morning, Mr Lam visited the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board International and met its chairman, Prof Chang Seung-wha. The two had a lunch together with representatives from the Korean Council of International Arbitration, during which they discussed enhancing co-operation between Hong Kong and Korea on cross-border business dispute resolution and arbitration, and on legal matters. In the afternoon, Mr Lam attended a legal workshop themed “Strengthening Business & Legal Cooperation: Korea & Hong Kong” and co-organised by the Department of Justice and the Korean Ministry of Justice. In his opening remarks, Mr Lam highlighted that Hong Kong, as the only bilingual common law jurisdiction in the world using both English and Chinese, is home to a large pool of lawyers with extensive international experience, and maintains a close connection with the legal system of the Chinese Mainland. As a centre for international legal and dispute resolution in the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong provides fair and efficient dispute resolution services that help enterprises to leverage investment and business opportunities in China, he added. Looking ahead, he said he expects the Department of Justice to continue building on a strong foundation of partnership with Korea. Mr Lam then had dinner with Deputy Minister in the Korean Ministry of Justice’s International Legal Affairs Department Chung Hong-sik, during which they exchanged views on opportunities for legal co-operation opportunities, and on the latest developments in legal and dispute resolution services. Mr Lam will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today attended two discussion sessions at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting in Incheon, Korea. In the morning, Mr Lam met Indonesian Deputy Minister of Trade Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, before the ministerial meeting. They discussed capacity building on online dispute resolution and other matters of mutual interest. Mr Lam then attended the third and fourth discussion sessions of the ministerial meeting. Apart from discussing how structural reform can promote prosperity for all, Mr Lam also introduced Hong Kong, China’s measures in housing, labour, healthcare, and support for the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Furthermore, he elaborated on Hong Kong, China's vision of further improving people’s livelihoods and building a fair and just society through legislation, updating laws, and developing the economy through reforms. In the afternoon, Mr Lam visited the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Regional Centre for Asia & the Pacific, and met its Head Athita Komindr. The Sixth UNCITRAL Asia Pacific Judicial Summit, a biennial flagship event jointly organised by UNCITRAL and the Department of Justice (DoJ), will be held in Hong Kong during Hong Kong Legal Week in December. The summit will explore topics related to the application of digital economy, virtual assets, artificial intelligence and other relevant subjects in the judicial field. Mr Lam wrapped up the day's engagements with a courtesy call to Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Korea Dai Bing in the evening. The justice chief briefed Mr Dai on the co-operation between the DoJ and the Korean Ministry of Justice, and the way forward for strengthening the overseas promotion of the advantages of Hong Kong’s legal services.