Government land sold in auctions

On July 28, a government plot of land at The Peak sold for US$1.33 billion in the fourth land auction held by the Lands Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government during the 2010-2011 financial year.

The lot, Inland Lot No. 9007 at 103 Mount Nicholson Road, The Peak, Hong Kong, was sold to Market Prospect for US$1.33 billion, after an opening bid of US$1.02 billion. It has a site area of about 250,928 square feet and is designated for private residential purposes.

On August 17, two government plots of land in Kowloon were sold for US$975.6 million in the fifth land auction of the 2010-2011 financial year held by the Lands Department.

The first plot, Kowloon Inland Lot No.11125 at Ex-Civil Aid Service Training Centre, 204 Argyle Street, Kowloon, was sold to Bradford Investments for US$525.6 million, after an opening bid of US$366.2 million. It has a site area of about 1.81 acres and is designated for private residential purposes.

The second plot, Kowloon Inland Lot No.11120 at Hung Hom Bay Reclamation Site D1, at the junction of Oi King Street and Hung Luen Road, Kowloon, was sold to New Harbour Investments for US$450 million, after an opening bid of US$226.9 million. It has a site area of about 1.86 acres and is designated for non-industrial (excluding warehouse, hotel and petrol filling station) purposes.

Mid-year population at provisional 7.06 million

Statistics released by the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government show the provisional estimate of the Hong Kong population reached 7,061,200 at mid-2010, representing an increase of 57,500, or 0.8%, from mid-2009.

Obtained by subtracting the number of deaths of 41,200 from the number of births of 84,700, the natural increase of the population from mid-2009 to mid-2010 amounted to 43,500.

The overall population increased by a provisional 57,500 during the same period, comprising a natural increase of 43,500 and a net movement (i.e., inflow less outflow) of 14,000 residents.

Births and inflow of One-way Permit holders (OWPHs) were important factors affecting the overall population increase. The number of births, which comprised births born to Hong Kong residents and non-Hong Kong residents from mid-2009 to mid-2010, was 84,700, and its ratio to the overall population increase was 147%. The inflow of OWPHs during the same period was 48,800, with a ratio of 85% to the overall population increase.

Deaths during the period offset part of the increase. The ratio of the number of deaths, at 41,200, to the overall population increase was 72%. Excluding the arrival of OWPHs mentioned above, there was a net outflow of 34,700 persons, bearing a ratio of 60% to the overall population increase.

The Hong Kong population is measured based on the definition of Resident Population, which comprises Usual Residents and Mobile Residents. Among the total population at mid-2010, a provisional 6,856,900 were Usual Residents and a provisional 204,300 were Mobile Residents.

“Usual Residents” include Hong Kong Permanent Residents who have stayed in Hong Kong for at least three of the six months before the reference time-point, or for at least three months during the six months after the time-point, regardless of whether they are in Hong Kong at the time-point; and Hong Kong Non-permanent Residents who are in Hong Kong at the reference time-point.

“Mobile Residents” refer to Hong Kong Permanent Residents who have stayed in Hong Kong for at least one month but less than three months during the six months before the reference time-point, or for at least one month but less than three months during the six months after the time-point, regardless of whether they are in Hong Kong or at the time-point.

The revised figure for the year-end population for 2009 was 7,033,500, with the number of Usual Residents revised to 6,818,900 and the number of Mobile Residents to 214,600. The population growth rate from end-2008 to end-2009 was also revised to 0.6%.

Hong Kong team wins 5 physics medals

Five high-school students representing Hong Kong at the 41st International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), held July 17 to 25 in Zagreb, Croatia, proudly returned home with one gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

This is the seventh year that Hong Kong students have participated in this Olympiad and the fifth team to win gold, after successes in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009.  

Gold medalist Jonathan Ma Han-son of Sing Yin Secondary School was previously awarded first prize in the Pan-Pearl River Delta Physics Olympiad held in February 2010, while the silver medalist, Andy Loo of St Paul's Co-educational College, is the youngest contestant ever to represent Hong Kong in the IPhO.  

The good results this year mark the success of cooperation among the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE), the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Education Bureau (EDB).

The students are trainees of the Physics Enhancement Program commissioned to HKUST by the HKAGE. With outstanding performances in the Hong Kong Physics Olympiad 2009, they were selected to take part in a series of enhancement courses before competing in the IPhO 2010. The delegates' trip was funded by the EDB.

Approximately 400 contestants from about 82 countries/regions took part in this year’s IPhO, which is aimed at promoting education in physics, strengthening interaction and cooperation among experts in physics worldwide, and training and inspiring teenagers who have enormous potential in physics.