CCIDA Sponsors Industry to Participate in 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference, Showcasing Hong Kong's Creativity and Business Opportunities

CCIDA sponsors industry to participate in 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference

Sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Hong Kong Game Developer Alliance (GameDEVA) organised the industry to participate in the 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference (ChinaJoy Expo) held in Shanghai from July 31 to August 2. To promote the creativity of Hong Kong's game industry and to explore business opportunities, the Hong Kong Pavilion was once again set up to showcase 18 original games' intellectual properties (IPs) from 18 local game enterprises. During the three-day exhibition period, which featured business-matching sessions, the Hong Kong Pavilion attracted a large number of professional buyers, investors, agents and media representatives to visit and undertake business connections, indicating an enthusiastic response.

The Hong Kong Pavilion at the ChinaJoy Expo was sponsored by CCIDA for the second consecutive year. This year's participating works cover a wide range of genres including action, adventure, simulation, strategy and role-playing, fully demonstrating the creative strengths of Hong Kong's game industry. The pavilion also featured activities such as trials of original Hong Kong games, on-site networking with game developers, and IP business-matching sessions, enhancing interactions and exchanges between the industry and visitors. The participation in the ChinaJoy Expo not only promoted the exceptional creativity and capabilities of Hong Kong's digital entertainment industry to the Chinese Mainland market, but also deepened exchanges and co-operation in the digital entertainment sector between the two places, and helped the industry expand its commercial and trade networks. Following the Expo, GameDEVA also organised a delegation to visit leading game enterprises in Shanghai, fostering meaningful exchanges between the industries of the two places.

In recent years, Hong Kong's digital entertainment industry has achieved breakthrough growth, with the overall market size reaching about HK$20 billion. Currently, there are more than 200 game-related companies in Hong Kong, and about 50 locally developed games are officially launched each year. With the continued support of CCIDA, Hong Kong's game industry has been accelerating its integration into the Chinese Mainland and global markets, demonstrating its profound strengths and development potential.

Jointly guided by the National Press and Publication Administration, as well as the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, and organised by the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association, the ChinaJoy Expo is the largest digital interactive entertainment event on the Chinese Mainland. For more information about the ChinaJoy Expo and the Hong Kong Pavilion, please visit en.chinajoy.net and www.facebook.com/gamedeva.hk.

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau sponsored the industry to participate in the 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference held in Shanghai from July 31 to August 2, and set up the Hong Kong Pavilion, showcasing 18 original game intellectual properties and their creative products. Photo shows representatives of participating companies interacting and engaging with visitors. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau sponsored the industry to participate in the 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference held in Shanghai from July 31 to August 2, and set up the Hong Kong Pavilion, showcasing 18 original game intellectual properties and their creative products. Photo shows visitors at the Hong Kong Pavilion experiencing the diverse creativity of Hong Kong's game industry. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau sponsored the industry to participate in the 23rd China Digital Entertainment Expo and Conference held in Shanghai from July 31 to August 2, and set up the Hong Kong Pavilion, showcasing 18 original game intellectual properties and their creative products. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes (2)

An incoming Mainland male passenger was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment with a fine of $1,000 by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (August 3) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted the incoming 39-year-old Mainland male passenger at the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point on August 1 and seized 869 duty-not-paid cigarettes from him. The estimated market value of the seized cigarettes was about $3,900, and the duty potential was about $2,800. The passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence, noting that even a first-time offender may still be imprisoned. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Members of the public should not defy the law.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk), or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes (2) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes (2) Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases