Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to attend the 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao hosted by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government in Macao today (January 15).
The annual Joint Meeting has long been a platform for senior medical and health officials as well as experts from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to exchange views and share experiences on present-day medical and public health issues, as well as to promote healthcare service development. The Joint Meeting is hosted by the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in rotation.
The Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ms O Lam, led senior health officials from the Mainland and the Macao SAR Government respectively to participate in the meeting. Members of the delegations of the three places today engaged in sharing and discussions over three major topics, namely nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health, and the application of smart healthcare in the health sector.
Professor Lo said, "The Recommendations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, features the term 'reform' 23 times, unequivocally underscoring the nation's steadfast commitment to deepening reforms. Hong Kong has consistently been playing an active role in the course of the country's reform and opening up. Serving as a 'super connector' between the Mainland and the world, Hong Kong also functions as an indispensable 'super value-adder', facilitating the nation's effort in going global while attracting foreign investment to the Mainland market.
"The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has consistently emphasised in the Policy Addresses of the past three years the HKSAR Government's full commitment to developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, and to vigorously foster new quality productive forces. To achieve this significant objective, the HKSAR Government is actively advancing various initiatives, including the setting up of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, with a view to establishing the Centre as an internationally recognised regulatory authority for medical products as soon as possible; the official launch of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform last month, enabling pharmaceutical companies to conduct trials simultaneously in Hong Kong and Shenzhen; as well as the commissioning of the Real-World Study and Application Centre to promote the standardisation of clinical data across the GBA."
The Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee, and the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung, moderated a discussion and gave a presentation on the application of smart healthcare in the health sector respectively. Meanwhile, the acting Deputy Director of Health, Dr Jackie Leung, and the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, delivered presentations on the topic of nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; as well as on the topic of strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health respectively.
Members of the HKSAR Government delegation included the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, who concluded the discussion at the meeting.
Professor Lo will return to Hong Kong in the evening. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, is the Acting Secretary for Health.
Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, continued his visit in Beijing today (March 22).
Mr Chan attended the opening session and a thematic symposium of the China Development Forum 2026 in the morning. He also spoke at the thematic symposium titled "Global Green, Low-carbon Transition and Sustainable Development" in the afternoon.
In his remarks at the symposium, Mr Chan said that, from an economic perspective, estimates project that by 2050 climate change could cause annual losses of up to US$38 trillion to agriculture, infrastructure and productivity. To achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, the world still faces an annual funding gap of more than US$4.4 trillion. While some countries have withdrawn from international co-operation frameworks, the momentum of the green transition continues to advance. Investment in clean energy exceeded US$2.2 trillion by 2025, accounting for about two-thirds of global energy investment, with China contributing about one-third.
Mr Chan stressed that China is not only a participant in global climate governance, but also a steadfast practitioner and leader, making steady progress towards the "3060" dual carbon goals. The country's 15th Five-Year Plan will embed green development deeply into industrial upgrading and infrastructure development, accelerating a comprehensive green transition across economic and social development and setting out a number of binding targets. As a Special Administrative Region of the country, Hong Kong is firmly advancing towards carbon neutrality, with targets of halving carbon emissions by 2035 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. It has been making solid progress. In 2024, Hong Kong's per capita carbon emissions fell to about 4.4 tonnes, roughly one-quarter of that of the United States and 60 per cent of that of the European Union. Looking ahead, Hong Kong will continue to take forward its decarbonisation work along four major directions, namely net-zero electricity generation, energy saving and green buildings, green transport and waste reduction.
He noted that Hong Kong is committed to contributing "Hong Kong's strength" to the regional and global green transition, leveraging two core engines of green finance and green technology. First, Hong Kong will consolidate and enhance its role as a regional green finance hub. This includes maintaining its leading position in green and sustainable debt and integrating blockchain technology with green finance to attract more green capital. At the same time, Hong Kong will continue to align its green finance standards with international best practices. Second, Hong Kong will proactively develop innovative financial instruments to channel greater funding into green projects. Examples include infrastructure securitisation to mobilise global capital for renewable energy and other green infrastructure, as well as the issuance of catastrophe bonds to transfer major natural-disaster risks to the capital market. Third, Hong Kong will further foster a vibrant green technology ecosystem and step up investment in frontier green technologies, including through the deployment of "patient capital". Hong Kong will also support Mainland green technologies in expanding into overseas markets.
In the afternoon, Mr Chan called on the Minister of Finance, Mr Lan Fo'an. They had in-depth exchanges on the 15th Five-Year Plan, the national and global economic outlook and fiscal policies, as well as strengthening co-operation between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The Secretary for the Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, and the Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission, Dr Kelvin Wong, also attended the meeting.
Mr Chan also attended the Beijing Night of the China Development Forum 2026 in the evening.
Mr Chan will continue his programme in Beijing tomorrow morning (March 23) and will depart for Hong Kong in the afternoon.
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FS attends China Development Forum 2026 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
