Commissioner of Customs and Excise meets Director General of Guangdong Sub-Administration of General Administration of Customs
A high-level meeting between Hong Kong Customs and the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) was held in Hong Kong on May 17. The delegations from both sides were headed by the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, and the Director General of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the GACC, Ms Zhang Geping.
Mr Chan welcomed Ms Zhang's visit to Hong Kong Customs with her delegation. During the meeting, both sides had in-depth discussions and exchanges on matters including facilitating customs clearance, combating smuggling, risk prevention and control, and the development of smart customs, with an aim to further promote co-operation between the two Customs administrations.
On the same day, the delegation conducted a site visit to the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link to gain an in-depth understanding of the operations of passenger clearance by Hong Kong Customs.
The delegation also attended the 27th World Customs Organization (WCO) Asia/Pacific (A/P) Regional Heads of Customs Administrations Conference held by Hong Kong Customs, in its capacity as the WCO Vice-Chair for the A/P Region, during their visit to Hong Kong.
The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat (front row, fourth right), met with the Director General of the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, Ms Zhang Geping (front row, fourth left) in Hong Kong on May 17. Photo shows the delegations from both sides. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards
The Department of Health (DH) today (July 14) convened the 14th Meeting of the International Advisory Board (IAB) on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) to review the reference standards for 16 types of Chinese Materia Medica (CMM) commonly used in Hong Kong, and to discuss the future development of the HKCMMS. Over 60 experts from the Chinese Mainland, overseas and Hong Kong attended the meeting.
Since 2002, the DH has been implementing the HKCMMS project in phases to develop standards for commonly used CMM in Hong Kong to ensure their safety and quality.
In his opening remarks, the Director of Health and the Chairperson of the IAB, Dr Ronald Lam, said, "One of the key initiatives of the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute (GCMTI) under the DH is the implementation of the HKCMMS. With the publication of the Volume 12 of the HKCMMS, standards for 357 types of CMM have been established so far. They have become widely recognised international reference standards for Chinese medicine testing and certification, thereby promoting the high-quality scientific development of Chinese medicine. In addition, the work of GCMTI is closely aligned with national priorities. The National 15th Five-Year Plan made it clear that we need to 'advance the inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine' and 'promote the integration of Chinese and Western medicine'. It also calls for us to 'strengthen the conservation and utilisation of Chinese medicine resources', 'improve the quality of Chinese medicine, and build up and strengthen the Chinese medicine industry'. These are exactly the goals that the HKCMMS Project is helping to achieve - by setting rigorous quality standards for CMM and conducting applied research and development on testing methods that underpin the entire industry, establishing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as a bridgehead for the global expansion of Chinese Medicine."
Dr Lam emphasised that the success of the HKCMMS project depends on the active collaboration of stakeholders across different sectors. He expressed his sincere appreciation to the four research partners attending the meeting, commending their dedicated contributions to advancing the project's research efforts. They were the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the China Medical University. He also thanked the Government Laboratory for conducting inter-laboratory verification studies. Dr Lam emphasised that these collaborations are crucial for establishing a rigorous and solid scientific foundation for the HKCMMS and gaining international credibility. The DH is also deeply grateful to the National Medical Products Administration, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission for their continuous valuable advice and support in developing the HKCMMS. To align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to advance the inheritance, innovation and high-quality development of Chinese medicine, expand and promote Chinese medicine culture, the DH will continue to steadfastly promote the development of Chinese medicine and better integrate into and serve the overall national development.
The two-day meeting brought together experts from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as representatives from research institutions, the DH and the Government Laboratory of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The 16 types of CMM commonly used in Hong Kong that were discussed at the meeting included Bambusae Caulis in Taenias, Pyrolae Herba, Natrii Sulfas, Dichroae Radix, Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae Rhizoma, Cynanchi Atrati Radix et Rhizoma, Jasmini Flos, Tinosporae Caulis, Inulae Flos, Haematitum, Lasiosphaera seu Calvatia, Vespae Nidus, Dioscoreae Rhizoma, Aconiti Kusnezoffii Folium, Meliae Cortex and Tripterygii Wilfordii Radix.
Previous editions of the HKCMMS can be accessed at the website of the Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office of the DH.
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DH convenes 14th Meeting of International Advisory Board on Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
