2023 in Hong Kong

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2023 History of Hong Kong  • Timeline  • Years

Events in the year 2023 in Hong Kong .

Incumbents

Executive branch
Photo	Name	Position	Term
	John Lee	Chief Executive	30 June 2022 – present
	Eric Chan	Chief Secretary for Administration	1 July 2022 – present
	Paul Mo-po Chan	Financial Secretary	16 January 2017 – present
	Paul Ting-Kok Lam	Secretary for Justice	1 July 2022 – present

Legislative branch
Photo	Name	Position	Term
	Andrew Leung	President of the Legislative Council	12 October 2016 – present

Judicial branch
Photo	Name	Position	Term
	Andrew Cheung	Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal	11 January 2021 – present

Executive branch

• Chief Executive: John Lee
  • Chief Secretary for Administration: Eric Chan
  • Financial Secretary: Paul Mo-po Chan
  • Secretary for Justice: Teresa Cheng

Legislative branch

• President of the Legislative Council: Andrew Leung

Judicial branch

• Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal: Andrew Cheung

Events

January

• 6 January: The largest trial for the national security law against 47 pro-democracy activists begins in Hong Kong two years after their arrest. ^[1]

February

• 23 February : All SIM Card users (including old SIM card registered before 1 March 2022) requires real name registration. ^[2]

March

• 1 March : The Hong Kong Government lifts all mandatory mask-wearing requirements, and dropped all COVID-19 Restriction Law. ^{[3] [4]}

April

• 26 April – A 23-year-old Hong Kong woman studying in Japan is arrested by Hong Kong police upon returning to the city for allegedly “inciting secession” due to her online posts supporting pro-democracy protests while abroad; she is released on bail, but her passport is confiscated during investigation. ^[5]

May

• 2 May : The government propose 2023 Hong Kong electoral changes. Direct elected seats decreased from 452 out of 479 (94%) to 88 out of 470 (19%), and will establish the District Council Eligibility Review Committee for review the eligibility of every District Council Candidates.

June

• The United States Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act goes into effect, restricting imports of Xinjiang goods presumed to be produced with forced labor. ^[6]

July

• 3 July : The police reward 1 million Hong Kong Dollars for arrest of 8 people who violate the Hong Kong National Security Law, accusing them of endangering national security and colluding with foreign forces. ^{[7] [8]}
• 6 July : The 2023 Hong Kong electoral changes confirmed and approved by Legislative Council. ^[9]
• 10 July: The final version of 2023 Hong Kong electoral changes officially published and effective. ^{[10] [11]}
• The High Court denies a government request to ban the dissemination of the protest anthem Glory to Hong Kong. ^[12]

September

• 1 September: Hong Kong raises its typhoon warning signal to level 10, the highest level, as Super Typhoon Saola approaches. ^[13]
• 7-8 September: After Typhon Haikui makes landfall Hong Kong, flooding reaches record levels, the heaviest since meteorological records began when measured by one hour rainfall. (Recorded 158mm rainfall on Hong Kong Observatory headquarter between 7 September 23:00 and 8 September 00:00). ^[14]
• 8 September: MTR awards the contract for the design and construction of Kwu Tung station on the MTR Northern Link of the East Rail line to Bouygues. ^[15]
• 13 September: Hong Kong authorities prosecute Kurt Leung Kui-ming for importing 18 “seditious” pro-democracy books from the United Kingdom, invoking the offense of “importing seditious publications” for the first time under the National Security Law. ^[16]

October

• 13 October : The Government published gazette notice to announce 1 April 2024 as the day to implement municipal solid waste (MSW) charging. ^[17]
• 18 October : Hong Kong Legislative Council passed a bill banning restaurants from providing single-use plastic tableware, tentative effective on 22 April 2024. ^[18]
• 25 October: Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announces plans to formulate a new local version national security law by implementing basic law article 23 to supplement existing Hong Kong national security law in 2024, making two national security law co-exists together once the new law pass. ^[19]

December

• 10 December: The 2023 Hong Kong District Council elections were held.
• 14 December: Hong Kong police announce HK$1 million (US$128,000) bounties for five activists residing overseas, including Simon Cheng, charging them with inciting secession under the national security law. ^[20]
• 18 December: Jimmy Lai, the 76-year-old founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily , begins his Hong Kong national security trial. He faces three charges of “foreign collusion” and one sedition charge under the National Security Law, which carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment. ^[21]
• 28 December: SMS Sender Registration Scheme will start implement. Under the SMS Registration scheme, SMS sender who have officially registered will have a prefix "#" in the sender IDs, while non-register sender ID will not have prefix "#". ^{[22] [23]}

Arts and entertainment

• List of Hong Kong films of 2023
• List of 2023 box office number-one films in Hong Kong
• 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival — 30 March to 10 April 2023 ^[24]
• 16th Asian Film Awards - 12 March 2023
• 41st Hong Kong Film Awards — 16 April 2023
• Ultimate Song Chart Awards Presentation 2022 - 1 January 2023

Deaths

• 3 January – Joseph Koo, composer (b. 1931) ^[25]
• 11 January – Doming Lam, Macanese-born Hong Kong classical composer (b. 1926) ^[26]
• 13 January – Ray Cordeiro, broadcaster and disc jockey (b. 1924) ^[27]
• 21 February – Abby Choi, socialite and model (b. 1994) ^[28]
• 23 February – José Lei, Olympic sport shooter (1968) and civil servant (b. 1930) ^[29]
• 26 March – Peter Mak, film director ( The Wicked City ) and actor ( Happy Sixteen , Lai Shi, China's Last Eunuch ) (b. 1957) ^[30]
• 9 April – Richard Ng, actor ( The Private Eyes , Winners and Sinners , Beyond the Sunset ) (b. 1939) ^[31]
• 24 June – Sir Ti-liang Yang, jurist, chief justice (1988–1996) (b. 1929) ^[32]
• 5 July – Coco Lee, Hong Kong-American singer-songwriter ( Singer ) (b. 1975) ^[33]
• 18 August – Balltze, Shiba Inu dog and Internet meme (b. 2011) ^[34]
• 11 December – Kathy Chow, actress ( The Breaking Point , Time Before Time , The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber ) (b. 1966) ^[35]

References

1. "Hong Kong: Landmark national security trial begins – DW – 02/06/2023". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
2. "Real-name Registration for SIM Cards has been fully implemented!". Office of the Communications Authority, Hong Kong Government.
3. "Government lifts all mandatory mask-wearing requirements". HKSAR Government Press Release.
4. Ho-Him, Chan (28 December 2022). "Hong Kong abandons last Covid curbs to revive economy". Financial Times.
5. "Hong Kong Arrest Encroaches on Free Expression in Japan | Human Rights Watch". 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
6. "China: Unprecedented Nationwide Protests Against Abuses | Human Rights Watch". 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
7. "8 wanted for NSL offences". news.gov.hk.
8. "Hong Kong: Warrants Aim at Activists Abroad". Human Rights Watch. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
9. "Hong Kong cuts directly elected District Council seats as overhaul unanimously approved". Hong Kong Free Press.
10. "Ordinance passed and promulgated" (PDF). Hong Kong Gazette. 2023-07-10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-10.
11. "District Councils (Amendment) Ordinance 2023--Ordinance No. 19 of 2023" (PDF). Hong Kong Government Gazette. 2023-07-10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-10.
12. "Hong Kong: Freedom in the World 2024 Country Report". Freedom House. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
13. "Typhoon Saola slams southern China after battering Hong Kong". France 24. 2023-09-01. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
14. Siu, Tyrone; Master, Farah; Siu, Tyrone; Master, Farah (2023-09-08). "Hong Kong, Shenzhen deluged by heaviest rain on record". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
15. "港鐵 > 招標及合約公告". www.mtr.com.hk (in Chinese). Retrieved 2024-03-26.
16. "Hong Kong Unleashes Courts against Children's Sheep Fiction | Human Rights Watch". 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
17. "Waste charging starts Apr 1". RTHK News. 2023-10-13.
18. "Hong Kong ban on throwaway plastic tableware to come into force on April 22 next year, but some lawmakers say move too close to introduction of plastic waste bag charges". SCMP. 2023-10-18.
19. "Hong Kong's leader says to create new national security law in 2024". France 24. 2023-10-25. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
20. "Hong Kong Offers Bounties for 5 Activists Accused of Security Crimes". News18. 2023-12-14. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
21. "Hong Kong: Free Pro-Democracy Publisher Jimmy Lai | Human Rights Watch". 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
22. "Short Message Service (SMS) Sender Registration Scheme". Office of the Communications Authority, HKSAR Government.
23. "短訊發放人登記制月底實施 獲認證電訊商名稱將以「＃」號開頭" (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). RTHK, Yahoo News.
24. "47th Hong Kong International Film Festival – Programme 2023". Filmitalia. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
25. "Renowned composer Joseph Koo dies at the age of 92 - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. 4 January 2023.
26. "作曲家林樂培逝世享年96歲 曾為港台製古典音樂節目 - RTHK". news.rthk.hk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2023-09-02.
27. "RTHK's 'Uncle Ray' Cordeiro dies aged 98 - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. 14 January 2023.
28. Lee, Amanda (2023-02-25). "HK socialite's headless body found: 6 other gruesome murders that shocked the city". The Straits Times . ISSN   0585-3923 . Retrieved 2023-09-02.
29. "Olympedia – José Lei". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
30. "《流星花園2》導演麥大傑過世！ 柴智屏哀悼：去年7月還活力充沛". www.mirrormedia.mg. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
31. "Iconic Hong Kong comedian Richard Ng dies aged 83". AsiaOne. 2023-04-10. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
32. "消息：前最高法院首席大法官楊鐵樑逝世 終年93歲 - RTHK". news.rthk.hk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2023-09-02.
33. TVBS. "快訊／李玟驚傳過世！享年48歲 親姊姊發文證實噩耗│TVBS新聞網". TVBS (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2023-09-02.
34. Ray, Shiladitya. "Viral meme dog Cheems dies during surgery; tributes pour in". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2023-09-02.
35. "Actress Kathy Chow, 57, dies". RTHK. 2023-12-13. Retrieved 2023-12-13.

External links

• Official website