The Trade and Industry Bureau (Chinese :工商局 [1] ) is a former policy bureau of the Hong Kong Government, responsible for promoting Hong Kong's access to the world market, helping Hong Kong manufacturers remain competitive in international markets, enhancing the protection of intellectual property rights, and promoting Hong Kong customers' interests. [2] It was headed by Secretary for Trade and Industry. [1]
Established as the Trade and Industry Branch in 1982 from the then Economic Service Branch (Chinese: 經濟科), [3] [4] </ref> along with the defederalisation of the Trade, Industry and Customs Department, it was renamed a bureau on 1 July 1997 upon the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, and lasted until July 1, 2000, [5] when it was renamed and reorganised as the Commerce and Industry Bureau to reflect its expanded responsibilities in Hong Kong's industry and commerce. [5] [6] It was further renamed the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau in 2002.
Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. With 7.4 million residents of various nationalities in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated territories in the world.
The politics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by its quasi-constitutional document, the Hong Kong Basic Law, its own legislature, the Chief Executive as the head of government and of the Special Administrative Region and of a politically constrained multi-party presidential system. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is led by the Chief Executive, the head of government.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, is the executive authorities of Hong Kong. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1983, an international treaty lodged at the United Nations. This government replaced the former British Hong Kong Government (1842–1997). The Chief Executive and the principal officials are appointed by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The Government Secretariat is headed by the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, who is the most senior principal official of the Government. The Chief Secretary and the other secretaries jointly oversee the administration of Hong Kong, give advice to the Chief Executive as members of the Executive Council, and are accountable for their actions and policies to the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council.
The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, colloquially known as LegCo, is the unicameral legislature of Hong Kong. It sits under China's "one country, two systems" constitutional arrangement, and is the power centre of Hong Kong's hybrid representative democracy, though popular representation in the legislature has diminished significantly in recent years, along with its political diversity.
The Election Committee is the electoral college in Hong Kong that selects the Chief Executive (CE) and, since 2021, elects 40 of the 90 members of the Legislative Council. Established by Annex I of the Basic Law of Hong Kong which states that "the Chief Executive shall be elected by a broadly representative Election Committee in accordance with this Law and appointed by the Central People's Government ." It is formed and performs its selection function once every five years, even in the event of a CE not completing their term. The membership of the Election Committee was expanded to 1,500 under the massive overhaul of the electoral system in 2021. The Election Committee has been criticised for its "small-circle" electoral basis and its composition favouring pro-Beijing and business interests.
The law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has its foundation in the English common law system, inherited from being a former British colony and dependent territory. There are several sources of law, the primary ones being statutes enacted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong and case law made by decisions of the courts of Hong Kong.
The Government Secretariat is collectively formed by the Offices of the Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary and thirteen policy bureaux.
Smithfield is a street with a length of approximately 1,300 m in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Its northern section is a commercial and residential area, while its southern section is a road connecting it to Pok Fu Lam Road. Smithfield was historically the site of a cattle quarantine depot and a slaughterhouse, and was probably named after its London namesake.
The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce was founded on 29 May 1861, and is the oldest and one of the largest business organizations in Hong Kong. It has around 4,000 corporate members, who combined employ around one-third of Hong Kong's workforce. It is a self-funding, not-for-profit organization that promotes and represents the interests of the Hong Kong business community. A core function of its work is to formulate recommendations on improving the business environment, which its 23 industry-specific committees constantly analyze and make regular submissions to HKSAR Government officials and policy makers.
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development heads the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Government. The Secretary is responsible for promoting commerce and the economic development of Hong Kong. The position was created in 2007 by merging the previous portfolios of the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology and the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour.
The Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau is a ministerial-level policy bureaux of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for the implementation of the Basic Law, including electoral matters and promotion of equal opportunities and privacy protection. The bureau also functions as the intermediary between the HKSAR Government and the Central People's Government and other Mainland authorities under the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", including the coordination of liaison between the HKSAR Government and Central authorities, promoting regional co-operation initiatives between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and overseeing the operation of offices of the HKSAR Government on the Mainland.
The Consumer Council is an independent statutory authority in Hong Kong, established in 1974 and formalised in April 1977 under the Consumer Council Ordinance. Its role is to enhance consumer welfare and empower consumers to protect themselves. Over the course of the past four decades the expansion in the council's duties and services on consumer protection, such as the publishing of the CHOICE Magazine in 1976, the recent launch of online price-watching tools, and conducting studies on different aspects of the consumer market, have coincided with the socio-economic development of Hong Kong. Apart from being a consumer advisor, it has assumed the role as a key stakeholder in making of consumer-related policies.
The Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau is a former policy bureau of the Government of Hong Kong, which was responsible for managing Hong Kong's broadcasting services, developing the film industry, promoting Hong Kong's telecommunications, and providing support to the application of Information Technology within the Government. It was headed by Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting.
The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, formerly Secretary for Innovation and Technology, is a Hong Kong Government position created in 2015 by the Leung Chun-ying government after years-long opposition of the pan-democracy camp.
Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) is one of the policy bureaus under the Government Secretariat of the Government of Hong Kong and is responsible for policy matters on the development of innovation and technology and information technology which are the key drivers in this endeavour. The Bureau is led by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, currently Dong Sun.
The Trade and Industry Department of the Hong Kong Government is responsible for supporting traders and small businesses in the global market.
John Anthony Miller OBE SBS JP is a former Hong Kong government official and civil servant, author, art collector and historian specialising in Chinese porcelain.
Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) is one of the fifteen policy bureaux of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The bureau is responsible for the policy portfolios of culture, sports and tourism. The agency was established on 1 July 2022. The current Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism is Kevin Yeung.
Environment and Ecology Bureau is one of the fifteen policy bureau of the Government of Hong Kong. The agency was established on 1 July 2022. The current Secretary for Environment and Ecology is Tse Chin-wan.
The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism is the head of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau for the Hong Kong Government, which is responsible for cultural, arts, and sports affairs previously handled by the Home Affairs Bureau, and works related to movie, creative industry, and tourism originally under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, in order to promote Hong Kong's culture better.