HONG KONG, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Research Grants Council and the Scottish Funding Council signed a framework agreement Wednesday to explore collaborative research opportunities in universities.

"We are committed to supporting academic research in the higher education sector. The Research Endowment Fund, set up in 2009, has provided long-term funding stability to support all the Research Grants Council activities." said Eddie Ng, Secretary for Education of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government at the signing ceremony.

"It sends a clear message that Scotland and Hong Kong are working closely together and that life sciences and energy industries are examples of two industries that stand to gain from our close partnership." Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said.

Hong Kong has already implemented nine joint research schemes, with more than 850 research projects funded and conducted by researchers in Hong Kong with their partners in the Chinese mainland, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the U.S. since 1996.

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HK, Canada tax treaty comes into force

HONG KONG, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- An agreement between Hong Kong and Canada for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income has entered into force, a Hong Kong government spokesman said Wednesday.

The agreement was signed last November. It came into force on Oct. 29, 2013 after completion of ratification procedures on both sides.  Full story