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To mourn the victims who tragically lost their lives in the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, a moment of silence was observed yesterday morning at the forecourt of the East Wing of the Central Government Offices (CGO). Flags were flown at half-mast across all Government buildings. At the condolence points set up by the Home Affairs Department in all 18 districts, members of the public came in a continuous stream to sign condolence books, each expressing their deep sorrow in their own ways. The city was in grief, with a deep sense of loss and pain felt across the community.

Over the past week, Hong Kong continued to host a number of major international conferences spanning the economic, financial, shipping, and convention and exhibition sectors. These conferences attracted large attendance, with some drawing over 10,000 participants. Industry leaders and senior corporate executives from around the world gathered in the city to exchange views and engage in in-depth discussions on the industry's concerns and its future development. These discussions have helped both the local and overseas industry players get a good grasp of the latest information and development trends, while reinforcing and enhancing Hong Kong's role as an international exchange platform. They have also facilitated cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration and enabled participants to better understand Hong Kong's current situation and its latest developments in relevant sectors.

Hong Kong’s economy has continued to improve so far this year, with real gross domestic product (GDP) recording year-on-year growth for 11 consecutive quarters. In the third quarter of this year, real GDP growth picked up to 3.8% year-on-year, marking the strongest performance in over a year and a half. The three major components of the economy — exports, consumption and investment — have all continued to perform well. With interest rates trending downward and China-US trade tensions slightly easing, we are cautiously optimistic about the economic performance in the fourth quarter. As such, we have revised the economic growth forecast for 2025 as a whole upward to 3.2%, higher than the previous forecast of 2% to 3%. This would mark the third consecutive year of post-pandemic GDP growth.