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駐外經貿辦應何人當首長？/ Who should be the head of the Economic and Trade Office abroad?
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1960 年代，香港製造業迅速崛起，大量紡織品、玩具、電子產品、鞋履等商品生產及出口至世界各地，遂引致入口國紛紛實施入口管制。以製衣業為例，在1950年至1970 年間，香港製衣廠的數目以平均年增率24.9% 的速度由41 間增加至3491 間，大量商品出口徵收關稅等一系列貿易及保護措施以遏制自由貿易。當時駐外經貿辦尚未成立，港英政府會委派官員前往駐歐美的領事館出任商務參贊（Counsellor Commercial）等職位，專責代表香港和貿易伙伴談判。這些官員掛職在英國領事館，享有外交特權和豁免。
過往，香港的駐外經貿主管大多由專業的貿易官員擔任，而非像現時般由政務官出任。比方說，駐華盛頓前商務參贊，來自當年工貿署貿易職系的盧鎰輝（Peter Lo），他被派駐華盛頓超過10年，擁有豐富的談判經驗。在他任內，駐華盛頓辦事處一直就各項直接關乎香港經濟及貿易利益的事宜，與美國國會及有關的聯邦部門保持密切聯絡。盧鎰輝在華盛頓沉浸多年，於當地擁有廣泛人脈，他善於交際又熟悉美國政治情况，懂得如何與美國人打交道，因此當年他甚得工商司的信任，在華盛頓的工作也十分吃得開。得益於此，他後來被調任到布魯塞爾，負責與歐盟談判。
回歸後，隨着政府架構及部門功能的轉變，大部分貿易官員都調任到政務職系。而優秀的政務官則被調配到工貿署負責貿易談判，逐漸接管駐外經貿辦的工作。
雖然駐外經貿辦的工作較少為市民所知，但在維持香港的國際影響力較為重要，以駐華盛頓辦事處為例。由於美國聯邦政府、國會、智庫、公司說客及國家報章均將基地設於華盛頓，一旦在華盛頓出現任何誤會，都可能會損害香港的整體貿易利益。因此，一名成功的駐外經貿辦代表，不僅要熟悉政府事務，獲得政府信任，還需具備成熟的個性、交際能力和能與不同國籍、種族、文化背景的人士打交道。
Who should be the head of the Economic and Trade Office abroad?
In the 1960s, Hong Kong's manufacturing industry rapidly rose, producing and exporting a large number of textiles, toys, electronic products, footwear, and other goods worldwide, leading to importing countries implementing import controls. Taking the garment industry as an example, from 1950 to 1970, the number of garment factories in Hong Kong increased from 41 to 3491 at an average annual growth rate of 24.9%, with a series of trade and protection measures such as imposing tariffs on exported goods to curb free trade. At that time, the Economic and Trade Office abroad had not yet been established. The Hong Kong British government would appoint officials to serve as Commercial Counsellors at diplomatic missions in Europe and the United States, representing Hong Kong and negotiating with trade partners. These officials were attached to British diplomatic missions, enjoying diplomatic privileges and immunities.
In the past, most of Hong Kong's heads of Economic and Trade Offices abroad were professional trade officers, rather than administrative officers as is the case now. For example, the former Commercial Counsellor in Washington, Peter Lo, from the trade series of the former Trade and Industry Department, was stationed in Washington for over 10 years and had extensive negotiation experience. During his tenure, the Washington office dealt closely with matters directly related to Hong Kong's economic and trade interests, maintaining close contact with the U.S. Congress and relevant federal departments. Peter Lo immersed himself in Washington for many years, had a wide network of contacts, was good at socializing, familiar with U.S. political situations, knew how to deal with Americans, and therefore gained the trust of the Commerce and Industry Bureau, making his work in Washington very influential. As a result, he was later reassigned to Brussels to negotiate with the European Union.
After the handover, with the transformation of government structure and department functions, most trade officers were transferred to civil service positions. Excellent administrative officers were then reassigned to the Trade and Industry Department to handle trade negotiations, gradually taking over the work of the Economic and Trade Offices abroad.
Although the work of the Economic and Trade Offices abroad is less known to the public, it is crucial for maintaining Hong Kong's international influence, as seen in the example of the Washington office. Given that the U.S. federal government, Congress, think tanks, lobbyists, and national newspapers are all based in Washington, any misunderstandings there could potentially harm Hong Kong's overall trade interests. Therefore, a successful representative of an Economic and Trade Office abroad not only needs to be familiar with government affairs and gain government trust but also needs to possess a mature personality, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interact with people of different nationalities, races, and cultural backgrounds.
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香港一直是全球居住成本最高的城市之一，據顧問機構Demographia 最新發表的「國際住房負擔能力」報告顯示，香港已連續14 年蟬聯負擔能力最差的市場。解決房屋供應短缺、住屋開支高企及居住環境惡劣等一系列問題，一直是特區政府的重點施政項目，當中又以困擾社會多年的「劏房」問題和公屋綜合輪候時間為重中之重。
由於公屋輪候時間過長，臨時住所需求上升，劏房市場應運而生。《2021 年人口普查》結果顯示，香港目前有至少21.4 萬人居住在劏房。劏房人均居住面積小，衛生環境惡劣，部分單位甚至沒有獨立煮食空間，只能在馬桶旁邊煮食。此外，不少劏房有漏水、牆壁破裂等安全隱患。早前佐敦華豐大廈三級火警便涉及逾百劏房，造成多人死傷。由於劏房多集中於舊樓或「三無」大廈，消防設施欠奉，消防設備狀况差劣，嚴重威脅居民的居住安全和健康。
為解決劏房問題，上屆政府通過了《2021 年業主與租客（綜合）（修訂）條例草案》，限制劏房租金的加幅；本屆政府亦於去年宣布成立「解決劏房問題」工作組，並在今年《施政報告》宣布會以立法方式制定住宅樓宇分間單位的出租制度，符合標準的單位名為「簡樸房」，並訂明最低標準。此外，特區政府鼓勵發展商參與收購舊樓重建，以提供更多選擇給劏房居民。
至於公屋輪候時間過長的問題，本屆政府於2022 年訂下將6 年公屋輪候時間「封頂」的目標。鑑於公屋落成量目前仍要「追落後」，特區政府需要更多時間兌現承諾。值得慶幸的是，房屋局數據顯示，截至2024 年6 月底，一般公屋申請者由「入表」起計的平均輪候時間已由2022 年約6.1 年降至目前的5.5年。
我認為本屆政府在處理房屋問題一事上，展示出相當魄力。希望特區政府能繼續推出更多措施，多管齊下解決房屋問題，讓香港真正告別「劏房」。
Special Administrative Region Government Takes Further Steps to Address Housing Issues
Hong Kong has long been one of the most expensive cities to live in globally. According to the latest "International Housing Affordability" report published by the consulting firm Demographia, Hong Kong has consecutively held the title of the least affordable market for 14 years. Addressing a series of issues such as housing supply shortages, high housing expenses, and poor living conditions has always been a key policy focus of the SAR government, with particular emphasis on the long-standing issues of "subdivided units" and the comprehensive waiting time for public housing.
Due to the excessively long waiting time for public housing, the demand for temporary accommodations has increased, leading to the emergence of subdivided unit markets. The results of the 2021 Population Census show that there are currently at least 214,000 people living in subdivided units in Hong Kong. Residents of these units have limited living space, poor sanitation conditions, with some units lacking independent cooking spaces, forcing residents to cook next to toilets. Furthermore, many subdivided units have safety hazards such as leaks and cracked walls. A recent three-alarm fire at the Fa Yuen Street building in Jordan involved over a hundred subdivided units, resulting in multiple casualties. As subdivided units are often concentrated in old buildings or "three-nil" structures with inadequate fire facilities and poor fire equipment conditions, they pose a serious threat to residents' safety and health.
To address the issue of subdivided units, the previous government passed the "2021 Landlord and Tenant (Consolidation) (Amendment) Bill," which limits rent increases for subdivided units. This current government also announced the establishment of a "Subdivided Unit Task Force" last year and declared in this year's Policy Address that it will legislate a rental system for sub-divided units in a residential building, with compliant units named "basic housing units" and specified minimum standards. Additionally, the SAR government encourages developers to participate in the acquisition and redevelopment of old buildings to provide more options for subdivided unit residents.
As for the issue of excessively long waiting times for public housing, this government has set a goal to cap the waiting time for public housing at 6 years by 2022. Considering that public housing completion rates still need to "catch up," the SAR government requires more time to fulfill its promises. Fortunately, according to Housing Department data, as of the end of June 2024, the average waiting time for general public housing applicants has decreased from around 6.1 years in 2022 to the current 5.5 years since the "application submission."
I believe that this government has shown significant determination in addressing housing issues. I hope that the SAR government will continue to introduce more measures and take a multi-pronged approach to solve housing problems, allowing Hong Kong to truly bid farewell to subdivided units.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his third policy address on October 16. As expected, he opened with an iteration of Beijing’s expectations of Hong Kong and the city’s institutional strengths under “one country, two systems”, plus the completion of its constitutional duty to enact national security legislation. Though economic competitiveness was not billed as the chief selling point, there was a noticeable shifting of gears to double down on the economy.
The growth-enhancing measures announced are timely and necessary. Hong Kong’s economy faces stiff competition from nearby cities in mainland China. The downturn in the property sector has sharply cut government revenue and greatly dimmed the outlook for the construction, engineering and related professional sectors.
When unveiling his economic programme, Lee introduced measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre. Finance, shipping and trade have become priorities for the city in China’s national five-year plans.
In Lee’s address, he touted other measures to enhance Hong Kong’s strengths in a multitude of areas, from developing a “headquarters economy” to consolidating the city’s edge in international aviation, liquor trading, legal services, intellectual property rights, medical innovation and postsecondary education.
Hong Kong is a leading service provider and robust international demand for its services is fundamental to the city’s economic well-being. A number of bright spots stand out in the panoply of demand-enhancement measures. New initiatives to build Hong Kong into an international gold storage, trading and settlement centre, as well as a venue for metals and minerals trading, call for special attention, but they should not come as a surprise.
In hindsight, the importance of trading in gold to Hong Kong should have been a focus much earlier. Hong Kong has long been one of the world’s foremost gold trading centres. The Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange, founded in 1910, has a wealth of experience in trading physical gold and silver. The spotlight on metals and minerals trading should not come as a complete novelty, either.
When Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing bought the London Metal Exchange (LME) in 2012, it was anticipated that one of Asia’s most vibrant stock exchanges and London’s leading trader in non-ferrous metals would complement each other.
A green light for the extension of LME’s global warehousing network to Hong Kong is expected to be given by the end of this year. The extension would not only boost physical storage of industrial metals, which mainland China is a leading consumer of, but also strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a shipping centre and open up new opportunities for derivatives trading.
As Lee pointed out in his policy address, the current complexity in geopolitics opens a window for Hong Kong to expand its capacity for storage and build a new supply chain.
Ahead of the address, market expectations were high that the government would roll out measures to buoy the property market, as the mainland Chinese authorities had done in September.
The city’s home prices peaked in August 2021, according to the Hong Kong housing index. Since then, housing prices have plunged more than 15 per cent. Substantial new grade A office completions in Central have placed considerable downward pressure on office rents in Hong Kong’s prime business district.
The decline in rents has enabled the entry of newcomers who require extensive floor space, and Hong Kong’s lively art scene has pulled in world-famous auctioneers and galleries. Amid the knock-on effect of the property decline on a range of related sectors, the government has implemented support measures.
The New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme was relaxed with effect from October 16 to allow entrants to invest up to HK$10 million (US$1.2 million) in a residential property valued at no less than HK$50 million.
Moreover, the Monetary Authority announced a slew of measures to help homebuyers, such as raising the maximum loan-to-value ratio for all residential properties to 70 per cent. The ratio for mortgage loans based on the net worth of the mortgage applicant will be adjusted to the same level, covering residential and non-residential properties.
Reactions from developers have been mixed. Vendors of smaller residential units found some relief, but easing borrowing conditions should definitely benefit homebuyers and signals the government’s readiness to help.
The policy address was full of measures to speed up Hong Kong’s metamorphosis into an innovation hub. The government will push ahead with the development of the much-touted Northern Metropolis, while the chief executive is personally taking charge of the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Lok Ma Chau Loop.
Some accustomed to profiting from Hong Kong’s traditional strengths in services might remain sceptical of the city’s chances of successfully becoming a tech hub. Given Hong Kong’s late start in investing in technology and innovation, the construction of mega tech parks meant to drive the city’s hi-tech development seems no more than a pipe dream.
Yet the government’s determination and strong backing from Beijing must not be underestimated. Playing catch-up in the technology sector takes time. Changing the convictions and culture of traditional businesspeople may be even harder. But we must not forget that Hong Kong was once a manufacturing miracle. China has a track record of achieving the impossible.
The government and the small – but focused – tech community are fired up and ready to go. In the meantime, reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as a hub economy and providing a lifeline to the property sector are essential.
中譯本：李家超的施政報告 如何為香港開拓成功之路
行政長官李家超於10月16日發布了他任內第三份施政報告。一如預期，他首先闡述了北京對香港的期望以及香港在“一國兩制”下的制度優勢，還強調香港完成立法國家安全法的憲制職責。雖然經濟競爭力並非主要賣點，但明顯有加大經濟力度的趨勢。
他宣布的促進增長措施及時而必要。香港的經濟面臨來自中國內地附近城市的激烈競爭。房地產行業的低迷大幅削減了政府收入，並嚴重影響了建築、工程及相關專業領域的前景。
宣布經濟計劃的同時，他亦公布加強香港作為國際金融、航運和貿易中心地位的措施，這三項已成為中國國家五年計劃中香港的重點領域。
施政報告中提及的措施，包括增強香港在多個領域的優勢，從發展“總部經濟”到鞏在國際航空、酒類交易、法律服務、知識產權、醫療創新和高等教育方面的優勢。
香港是領先的服務供應商，其服務的強勁國際需求對經濟福祉至關重要。在需求增強措施的眾多方案中，有一些突出的亮點。新的倡議旨在將香港建設成為國際黃金存儲、交易和結算中心，以及金屬和礦物交易場所，雖然相關些措施驚喜不大，但都值得特別關注。
回顧來看，對香港黃金交易的重要性早就應該更早關注。香港長期以來一直是世界上最重要的黃金交易中心之一。成立於1910年的中國金銀交易所在金銀實物交易方面擁有豐富的經驗。對金屬和礦物交易的關注也不應完全是新鮮事。
2012年，香港交易及結算所收購倫敦金屬交易所時，人們預計亞洲最活躍的股票交易所之一和倫敦領先的有色金屬交易商將互補發展。
預計倫敦金屬交易所全球倉儲網絡將擴展至香港的許可，將在年底前獲得。這一擴展不僅將促進工業金屬的實物存儲（中國內地是主要消費國之一），還將鞏固香港作為航運中心的地位，並為衍生品交易開辟新機會。
正如李在他的施政報告中所指出的，當前地緣政治的復雜性為香港擴大存儲能力和構建新供應鏈打開了一扇窗口。
施政報告公布前，市場普遍預期政府將推出措施來支撐房地產市場，就像內地當局在九月份所做的措施。
根據香港房屋指數，其房價在2021年8月達到了高峰。自當時起至今房價已經下跌超過15%。中環大量新建的甲級寫字樓竣工，給香港主要商業區的寫字樓租金帶來了相當大的下調壓力。
租金下降使需要大面積空間的新租客者進入市場，香港活躍的藝術界吸引了世界著名的拍賣師和畫廊。在房地產下滑對一系列相關行業的連鎖影響中，政府已經實施了支持措施。
新的資本投資入境計劃從10月16日起放寬，允許入境者在價值不低於5000萬港幣的住宅物業上投資高達1000萬港幣（120萬美元）。
此外，香港金融管理局宣布了一系列措施來幫助購房者，例如將所有住宅物業的最高貸款價值比率提高到70%。基於抵押申請人淨值的抵押貸款比率將調整到相同水平，涵蓋住宅和非住宅物業。
但開發商的反應褒貶不一，較小住宅單元的賣方壓力得以舒緩，但放寬借款條件肯定會使購房者受益，並表明政府願意提供幫助。
施政報告中內容亦充滿了加快香港轉變為創新中心的措施。政府將推動備受矚目的北部都市的發展，同時行政長官也親自負責發展位於落馬洲的香港-深圳創新科技園。
一些習慣於從香港傳統服務業優勢中獲利的人，可能對香港成功成為科技中心的機會持懷疑態度。考慮到香港在科技和創新投資方面起步較遲，旨在推動城市高科技發展的大型科技園區的建設，似乎不過是一紙空文。
科技領域趕超需要時間，但政府的決心和來自北京的堅強支持不容小覷。改變傳統商人的信念和文化可能更加困難。但我們不應忘記，香港曾經是一個制造業奇跡，中國在實現不可能的目標方面，亦有著良好的記錄。
政府和小而專注的科技社區都充滿熱情並已准備就緒。與此同時，加強香港作為樞紐經濟的地位並為房地產部門提供生機，是至關重要。
1960 年代，香港製造業迅速崛起，大量紡織品、玩具、電子產品、鞋履等商品生產及出口至世界各地，遂引致入口國紛紛實施入口管制。以製衣業為例，在1950年至1970 年間，香港製衣廠的數目以平均年增率24.9% 的速度由41 間增加至3491 間，大量商品出口徵收關稅等一系列貿易及保護措施以遏制自由貿易。當時駐外經貿辦尚未成立，港英政府會委派官員前往駐歐美的領事館出任商務參贊（Counsellor Commercial）等職位，專責代表香港和貿易伙伴談判。這些官員掛職在英國領事館，享有外交特權和豁免。
過往，香港的駐外經貿主管大多由專業的貿易官員擔任，而非像現時般由政務官出任。比方說，駐華盛頓前商務參贊，來自當年工貿署貿易職系的盧鎰輝（Peter Lo），他被派駐華盛頓超過10年，擁有豐富的談判經驗。在他任內，駐華盛頓辦事處一直就各項直接關乎香港經濟及貿易利益的事宜，與美國國會及有關的聯邦部門保持密切聯絡。盧鎰輝在華盛頓沉浸多年，於當地擁有廣泛人脈，他善於交際又熟悉美國政治情况，懂得如何與美國人打交道，因此當年他甚得工商司的信任，在華盛頓的工作也十分吃得開。得益於此，他後來被調任到布魯塞爾，負責與歐盟談判。
回歸後，隨着政府架構及部門功能的轉變，大部分貿易官員都調任到政務職系。而優秀的政務官則被調配到工貿署負責貿易談判，逐漸接管駐外經貿辦的工作。
雖然駐外經貿辦的工作較少為市民所知，但在維持香港的國際影響力較為重要，以駐華盛頓辦事處為例。由於美國聯邦政府、國會、智庫、公司說客及國家報章均將基地設於華盛頓，一旦在華盛頓出現任何誤會，都可能會損害香港的整體貿易利益。因此，一名成功的駐外經貿辦代表，不僅要熟悉政府事務，獲得政府信任，還需具備成熟的個性、交際能力和能與不同國籍、種族、文化背景的人士打交道。
Who should be the head of the Economic and Trade Office abroad?
In the 1960s, Hong Kong's manufacturing industry rapidly rose, producing and exporting a large number of textiles, toys, electronic products, footwear, and other goods worldwide, leading to importing countries implementing import controls. Taking the garment industry as an example, from 1950 to 1970, the number of garment factories in Hong Kong increased from 41 to 3491 at an average annual growth rate of 24.9%, with a series of trade and protection measures such as imposing tariffs on exported goods to curb free trade. At that time, the Economic and Trade Office abroad had not yet been established. The Hong Kong British government would appoint officials to serve as Commercial Counsellors at diplomatic missions in Europe and the United States, representing Hong Kong and negotiating with trade partners. These officials were attached to British diplomatic missions, enjoying diplomatic privileges and immunities.
In the past, most of Hong Kong's heads of Economic and Trade Offices abroad were professional trade officers, rather than administrative officers as is the case now. For example, the former Commercial Counsellor in Washington, Peter Lo, from the trade series of the former Trade and Industry Department, was stationed in Washington for over 10 years and had extensive negotiation experience. During his tenure, the Washington office dealt closely with matters directly related to Hong Kong's economic and trade interests, maintaining close contact with the U.S. Congress and relevant federal departments. Peter Lo immersed himself in Washington for many years, had a wide network of contacts, was good at socializing, familiar with U.S. political situations, knew how to deal with Americans, and therefore gained the trust of the Commerce and Industry Bureau, making his work in Washington very influential. As a result, he was later reassigned to Brussels to negotiate with the European Union.
After the handover, with the transformation of government structure and department functions, most trade officers were transferred to civil service positions. Excellent administrative officers were then reassigned to the Trade and Industry Department to handle trade negotiations, gradually taking over the work of the Economic and Trade Offices abroad.
Although the work of the Economic and Trade Offices abroad is less known to the public, it is crucial for maintaining Hong Kong's international influence, as seen in the example of the Washington office. Given that the U.S. federal government, Congress, think tanks, lobbyists, and national newspapers are all based in Washington, any misunderstandings there could potentially harm Hong Kong's overall trade interests. Therefore, a successful representative of an Economic and Trade Office abroad not only needs to be familiar with government affairs and gain government trust but also needs to possess a mature personality, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interact with people of different nationalities, races, and cultural backgrounds.