Hong Kong Police Conduct Major Security Exercise Ahead of 94th INTERPOL General Assembly

Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly

To ensure the smooth conduct of the94th INTERPOL General Assemblyscheduled to be held in Hong Kong in late November this year, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), in collaboration with various government departments and relevant organisations, successfully carried out a comprehensive inter-departmental exercise last night (August 18), at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Victoria Harbour and the West Kowloon area.

The exercise covered a wide range of measures and arrangements, including simulating crowd flow management for approximately 1 000 delegates within the venue and their movement between the main and side event venues, command and coordination of sea and land transport, wireless network stress test, and contingency deployment plans for unexpected situations. These efforts aimed to ensure that every segment of the General Assembly would proceed efficiently and smoothly, while showcasing Hong Kong's capability and determination in hosting major international events.

The exercise also simulated a scenario in which terrorists rammed a vehicle into the venue and opened fire during the General Assembly, resulting in mass casualties. Concurrently, an evacuation was carried out at a neighbouring educational institution due to a separate incident. Various departments and organisations swiftly activated their emergency response mechanisms. The exercise comprehensively tested the coordination capabilities of relevant stakeholders across various key operational areas, including immediate tactical intervention, emergency response, triage and emergency medical treatment of casualties, handling of suspicious objects, and management of affected persons. By refining contingency protocols, the exercise further strengthened inter-departmental counter-terrorism readiness and incident response capabilities.

The exercise mobilised over 2 600 personnel from various government departments and relevant organisations, including the HKPF, the Fire Services Department, the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited, and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. The Commissioner of Police,Mr Chow Yat-ming, observed the exercise on site, and commended the professional performance and coordination of all participating units.

As an international metropolis, Hong Kong must maintain a high state of vigilance amidst the complex and volatile global terrorism landscape. Through this comprehensive exercise, various departments further refined collaboration and contingency protocols, making every effort to ensure meticulous preparations for the upcoming major international events.

Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mainland home-dining ingredient brand GQ Homepot opens Hong Kong flagship store to expand international business

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today (August 19) that GQ Homepot, a leading home-dining ingredient brand, has opened its first retail store outside the Chinese Mainland in Wan Chai. GQ Homepot has established its regional headquarters in Hong Kong, marking the city as the starting point for its international expansion.

GQ Homepot specialises in ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat, ready-to-cook, and ready-to-prepare home-dining ingredients. Starting out with home hot pot and barbecue ingredients, the brand has gradually expanded its product range to include breakfast items, light meals, ready-to-eat meal packs, beverages, fresh food, Western cuisine and snacks. It recently launched its "community central kitchen" retail concept, offering high-value-for-money ingredients that cater to consumers' needs across all three daily meals and a variety of dining occasions. GQ Homepot's latest Wan Chai flagship breaks new ground by incorporating in-store dining elements to elevate the brand experience.

Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Mr Arnold Lau said, "From financing and listing to opening its first flagship store outside the Chinese Mainland, driving brand innovation and establishing a regional headquarters to go global, GQ Homepot's success story fully demonstrates Hong Kong's strengths as an international retail and regional operations platform. We look forward to helping more capable dining brands put down roots in Hong Kong, and bringing Chinese dining culture and innovative operating models to the global stage."

Executive Director and Vice President of Guoquan Food Ms Ruby Yang said, "Hong Kong is the first cornerstone of GQ Homepot's internationalisation strategy, and from our brand-new flagship store we will progressively expand into key markets across Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. Taking into account Hong Kong's household sizes, cooking habits and dining patterns, we have specially curated smaller-portion ingredients and ready-to-cook sets suited to two-person households."

InvestHK has worked closely with GQ Homepot throughout the company's set-up in Hong Kong, providing hands-on guidance on market intelligence, store-opening strategy and local talent recruitment to help the brand land smoothly in this new market.

Founded in 2015, GQ Homepot has built a leading presence on the Chinese Mainland with its "home dining" concept, with the Group aiming to make home hot pot and home-cooked meals fuss-free. As of the end of 2025, the brand had grown to over 11 500 stores across the Chinese Mainland. The Group was officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 2023.

For more information about GQ Homepot, please visit www.zzgqsh.com.

Mainland home-dining ingredient brand GQ Homepot opens Hong Kong flagship store to expand international business Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mainland home-dining ingredient brand GQ Homepot opens Hong Kong flagship store to expand international business Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases