Radio Lantau News

Radio Lantau News is presented courtesy of the Radio Lantau News Network.

1. NPC's arbitration law passage 'opens way for HK moves'

   The SAR's sole deputy to the National People's Congress Standing Committee said on Saturday that the passage of a revised arbitration law by the country's top legislative body this week allows groups in the SAR to help resolve disputes on the mainland. The law was among six passed during the 17th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress that concluded on Friday. Starry Lee said the legislation lets Hong Kong arbitration groups set up shop in free trade zones across the border. "The passing of the revised Arbitration Law also further signals that the nation supports arbitration organisations in going global and attracting overseas groups." Lee said she hopes the arrangement will be expanded to other places on the mainland in future, to further leverage Hong Kong's role as a centre for dispute resolution.

2. Tax breaks 'may clinch stronger move to HQ economy'

   Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce chairwoman Agnes Chan said tax concessions could be offered to enterprises in a bid to boost the city’s headquarters economy. Speaking in a Cable TV interview on Saturday ahead of the Policy Address on Wednesday, she said companies should be required to fulfil certain conditions to enjoy tax reductions, which could be up to 50 percent. “For example, the enterprises could be required to fulfil a requirement on the number of local employees and an expenditure threshold before they can enjoy the concession,” she said. “We also suggest the government should prioritise offering concessions to companies that had previously left Hong Kong and are now returning to the city, especially those in the shipping industry.” Chan said rental discounts could also be given to retail and catering sectors so that businesses could invest more on creative services and products for customers. She added that the SAR should work on long-term financial plans instead of distributing another round of consumption vouchers. “I think under the current financial situation in Hong Kong, it is not appropriate for us to distribute consumption vouchers again. It is not a long-term solution to enhance the consumer sentiment,” she said. Chan said the government could host more international events in the city to attract tourists.

3. Cup hopes up in air as Coleman Wong aces it for fans

   Crowds of local supporters flocked to Victoria Park centre court on Saturday to cheer on team Hong Kong, China, on the opening day of their Davis Cup World Group II tie against Uzbekistan. The SAR’s top-ranked player, Coleman Wong, came out of the gate swinging in the first of the best-of-three set match-up. Wong, ranked 173rd in the world, quickly jumped to a commanding 2-0 lead in his clash against the 452nd-ranked Sergey Fomin under sweltering conditions, much to the delight home fans in attendance. He fell short despite mounting a spirited effort in the third game though, as Fomin earned the fifth-seeded Uzbekistan side their first game. But it didn’t take long for Wong to regain his rhythm, producing a number of blistering serves to outlast his opponent and take the set 6-3 after 48 minutes. It was a similar story in the second set, with Wong capitalising on an error-strewn performance by his Uzbek counterpart to win 6-2 – rounding out the contest against Fomin in one hour and 20 minutes. Wong said that being able to bank on the energy of home crowd support had a major impact on his performance, with many primary and secondary school students turning out to watch their heroes. “It was great, it was much better than last time,” the 21-year-old said after the match. “I’m a little greedy, I want more… so hopefully more and more people will come tomorrow. I’ve got a lot of friends coming tomorrow, more than today – so hopefully you guys can look forward to it.” Wong also spoke about the challenges of managing expectations prior to the Davis Cup tie, with many local fans upbeat following his historic run in New York at the US Open, which ended this month. “It’s not really an expectation for me, or for myself,” Wong said. “I just want to play, enjoy the crowd and enjoy playing at home. So for me it’s not really a huge pressure. I’ve played a few [Davis Cup] ties and matches already here… I grew up here, so I like it.” It was a different story in the second singles match of the day, though, as Wong Tsz-fu fell in straight sets to Khumoyun Sultanov 6-7, 3-6. The action continues on Sunday with doubles and reverse singles matches as the SAR look to punch their ticket into February’s World Group I play-offs.

4. Call for $2,000 vouchers to help ailing retail sector

   The Liberal Party has called on the government to hand out HK$2,000 consumption vouchers to help local businesses, with the proposal, made as part of suggestions for the Policy Address on Wednesday, drawing support from lawmakers from other parties as well. Party chairman Peter Shiu told an RTHK radio programme that locals heading to the mainland to spend holidays, changes in tourists' consumption patterns and the popularity of cross-border e-commerce have all posed a challenge to the retail sector. He said such vouchers should be more restrictive in their use compared to the ones distributed between 2021 and 2023. "We hope the consumption vouchers would be restricted to physical stores in Hong Kong and that they wouldn't be valid for online shopping," he said. "We should also follow Macau's practice. In the past, holders could spend the vouchers any way they wanted. But in Macau, holders have to spend a minimum of HK$100 before they could use a HK$20 voucher." By doing so, Shiu said the vouchers can further increase sales. The wholesale and retail sector legislator also suggested a flat price of HK$30 be charged for movie screening between Fridays and Sundays so that locals would choose to spend weekends in Hong Kong instead. Lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok, who chairs the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, believes the public will welcome the distribution of consumption vouchers even if they can only use it upon meeting a minimum spend requirement. However, DAB vice chairman and legislator Holden Chow said the vouchers should be handed out in the form of a lucky draw instead. This way would not involve a huge outlay of public monies, he said, while offering sufficient incentive for people to spend. Looking ahead, Chow believes the situation will improve because more companies are seeking listings in the SAR in the upcoming six months, which will then gradually drive the economy.

5. Woman dies in Ta Kwu Ling traffic accident

   Police are investigating a traffic accident in Ta Kwu Ling early on Saturday morning in which a 37-year-old woman died. Police said the woman was driving a car along Man Kam To Road towards the Man Kam To Control Point when her vehicle crashed into the back of a stationary medium goods vehicle. The woman suffered serious head injuries and was certified dead at the scene. Officers from the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories North, are looking into the case. The police have called on any witnesses to come forward.

6. CCTV help 'needed to enforce new anti-smoking curbs'

   Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health head Henry Tong on Saturday said surveillance cameras could help enforce the new tobacco-control measures passed by the Legislative Council on Thursday. Although the measures will help reduce Hong Kong’s smoking rate, authorities may face challenges in enforcing the new law, and that's where new technologies can be brought into play, he said. The amended law bans the sale of flavoured cigarettes and the possession of alternative smoking products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. It also extends statutory non-smoking areas to cover more public places. “We think that some surveillance devices like CCTV... will also help implement the new law,” Tong said. “But for the use of these surveillance devices and cameras, we would also need to educate and inform the public, so that they will feel that it is for law enforcement and does not violate their privacy.” Tong said the newly introduced measures would help reduce the smoking rate in Hong Kong by this year or next. “It is hard to say how much it will drop by, but every 0.1 percent of a drop in smoking preference means about 6,000 smokers quit smoking, which is very good for their health, for their families’ health, and also good for the public health system in Hong Kong,” he said. Tong also called for a ban on smoking while walking.

7. Sinovac flu jabs a booster for vaccine security

   An advisor to the government on Saturday said ensuring a secure supply of vaccines was a factor in the administration's decision to include Sinovac in its seasonal influenza vaccination programme for the first time. On Monday, the Centre for Health Protection announced that the mainland-manufactured vaccine would be made available alongside those from AstraZeneca and Sanofi when the flu jab scheme starts on September 25. Professor Lau Yu-lung, chairman of the centre's scientific committee on vaccine-preventable diseases, said after a Commercial Radio programme that the pandemic had shown the importance of having vaccine suppliers from one's own country. "During Covid, a lot of countries [did] not have access to vaccines... Why?" he said. "Because the production obviously is a limitation, and therefore, for any country when they produce the vaccines, obviously, they will look after their own countrymen first," he said. "So the whole idea is to diversify the vaccine supply – not only from, say, the West but also from one's own country as well." Lau also assured the public that all vaccines registered in the SAR were proven to be safe and effective. With health authorities having announced on Tuesday that the summer influenza season had begun, he said it was likely that the peaks of both the summer and winter flu seasons would overlap. He emphasised that maintaining personal hygiene and getting vaccinated could prevent a sharp spike in flu cases. This year's vaccination programme will allow all participating schools to opt for nasal-spray vaccines instead of injections. Paediatrician Dr Mike Kwan, who also appeared on the Commercial Radio programme, said he believed the option would boost the city's overall vaccination rate, particularly among youngsters who are afraid of injections.

8. Fanfare as HK Disneyland marks 20th anniversary

   Hong Kong Disneyland said it's on track to expand further as it celebrated its 20th anniversary on Friday. Chairman of Disney Experiences, Josh D'Amaro, said the resort has transformed significantly over the past two decades since its opening in 2005. "On this day 20 years ago, Hong Kong Disneyland opened its gates for the very first time. Since then, this resort has grown into something extraordinary, and I've enjoyed watching it evolve from 'Toy Story' to frozen 'Mystic Manor' to 'Marvel'," he said at a ceremony marking the anniversary. "Now, with the absolutely spectacular 'Castle of Magical Dreams' and the first-ever 'World of Frozen', Hong Kong Disneyland continues to connect us to the Disney stories and the characters that we love." Financial Secretary Paul Chan said Hong Kong Disneyland serves as an indispensable part of the city's tourism industry and overall economy. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said the SAR government will work closely with the park over its potential expansion, including the new facilities relating to "Marvel" and "Pixar". Thousands of park visitors also joined the anniversary celebrations. A woman from Japan, who said she was visiting Hong Kong Disneyland for the ninth time, said she made a special dress for her daughter resembling Minnie Mouse to mark this occasion. "I made this dress by myself, and it took me about three days, and I love this dress... I'm very happy and excited for the 20th anniversary here," she told RTHK. "Hong Kong Disneyland is relatively smaller compared with Tokyo Disneyland, but the people are closer to the visitors." Also on hand for the festivities was a local visitor who said she visits the resort almost each week. "Coming to Disneyland is like seeing my childhood dreams come true, and I love Mickey all along since my childhood," she said.

9. Driver arrested after pedestrian killed in smash

   Police have arrested a woman on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death and grievous bodily harm after two pedestrians were mowed down as they crossed a road in Sau Mau Ping on Friday morning. A woman, 66, died after suffering head injuries when she was apparently struck by a vehicle on Lee On Road at around 8.40am. Her grandson, 3, was taken to hospital with injuries to his face and limbs. Officers said a female suspect, 51, was being held as part of their investigation into the incident.

10. Enjoy the ride as Cyclothon to go the distance

    The Hong Kong Cyclothon, the city's largest annual cycling event, is set to return on November 30 with some new routes for selected rides and an enhanced spectator experience, organisers said on Friday. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the event will offer 6,000 spots for local, mainland and overseas riders. This year’s event introduces changes to its competitive race, the "City Cycling Challenge around the Greater Bay Area (Hong Kong)", that will see the race break from its traditional circuit format. "The route will extend beyond Tsim Sha Tsui for the first time with a longer course taking in varied terrain across two bridges and two tunnels, making it quite challenging," said board chairman Peter Lam. "Our goal is to expand the Hong Kong Cyclothon to the Greater Bay Area and work with neighbouring destinations to build a world-class tourism brand for the region." The non-competitive events also return, featuring the 50-kilometre and 32-kilometre routes. The 32-kilometre event will see participants from universities in Hong Kong, the mainland and overseas compete for the inaugural World University Trophy. To elevate the event for spectators, Lam said, the carnival will return to the West Kowloon Cultural District's Art Park, where visitors can watch the races and enjoy music and sports performances. Registrations start on September 13. All first-time participants in the 50-kilometre and 32-kilometre events must pass a cycling technique assessment.