Special Needs Trusts: What Can We Learn from Hong Kong’s Experience 设立特殊需要信托：香港的经验和启发. 4 August 2023

Dear STEP members,

尊敬的STEP会员，

You are cordially invited to attend the STEP member event to be held on August 4 at Shanghai Trust. This event is co-organised by STEP China and Shanghai Trust, focusing on Special Needs Trusts. We welcome STEP members and practitioners who are interested to participate.

我们诚挚地邀请您参加定于8月4日在上海信托举行的STEP会员活动。此次活动由STEP China和上海信托联合举办，话题聚焦特殊需要信托 (Special Needs Trusts)，欢迎感兴趣的STEP会员及相关信托从业人员报名参与。

The event will be held offline in Mandarin, please check in by presenting the confirmation letter on the day of the event. Seats are limited and we look forward to your participation!

本次活动将以普通话在线下举办，活动当天请凭您邮箱收到的活动确认函签到。线下活动名额有限，我们期待您的参与！

Click here to sign up for the event.

点击链接注册本次活动。

Outline 研讨会大纲:

In the United States, Singapore, Japan and other countries, special needs trusts have become an important supplement to meeting the special needs of groups including the mentally challenged and the elderly. The new regulations on "three classifications" of the trust industry, which came into effect on June 1 this year, singled out "special needs trusts", making this type of trust come into everyone's attention again. However, this kind of trust has just started in Mainland China, and there is much room for learning from developed countries and regions at the level of business practice, and the social awareness of special-needs trusts has yet to be improved.

在美国、新加坡、日本等国家，特殊需要信托已成为满足包括心智障碍者在内的残障人士、老年人等群体特殊需要的重要补充。今年6月1日起实施的信托业"三分类"新规，将"特殊需要信托"单列出来，使得这类信托再次进入大家的视线。然而境内这类信托刚刚起步不久，业务实践层面可以向发达国家及地区学习的空间较大，社会对特需信托的认知也有待提高。

However, from the demand side, the number of people with special needs in China continues to rise. According to incomplete statistics, there are approximately 12 million to 20 million people with mental disabilities in China due to various reasons. In the rapid development stage of aging, it is expected that the elderly population in China will exceed 300 million during the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan period, of which the proportion of elderly people with dementia and disability is expected to exceed 10%.

然而，从需求端来看，我国特殊需要人群数量却在持续攀升。据不完全统计，我国由各种原因导致心智障碍的人群大约有1,200万至2,000万人，而在老龄化的快速发展阶段，预计"十四五"期间，我国老年人口将突破3亿人，其中，失智失能的高龄老人占比预计将超过10%。

The Hong Kong SAR Government announced in October 2017 that it would take the lead in setting up a Special Needs Trust (SNT), and in February of the following year, it allocated HK$50 million to establish the Office of the Special Needs Trust (OSNT). Hong Kong is the first place in the world where the government serves as the trustee of a Special Needs Trust. It has been more than four years since the opening for application in 2019. How can the experience accumulated from practice in Hong Kong help and inspire Mainland China to develop the relevant business?

香港特区政府自2017年10月就已宣布牵头成立特殊需要信托，并于次年2月拨款5,000万港元成立特殊需要信托办事处。香港是世界上首个由政府担任特殊需要信托受托人的地区。自2019年开放申请迄今已有4年多，香港地区从实践中积累的经验对中国内地开展相关业务有什么帮助和启示呢？

This seminar aims to share the experience of Hong Kong and explore the future direction of the industry in light of the reality in Mainland. Focusing on this theme, the guest speakers of the event will provide a comprehensive introduction to the existing special needs trusts in Hong Kong from the background of the legal framework to other elements involved in the process of project advancement, as well as discussing with industry experts in the mainland, and also welcoming questions and discussions from the attendees.

本次研讨会旨在分享香港地区的经验，并结合中国内地实际探索行业未来方向。围绕这一主题，活动主讲嘉宾将从法律架构背景到项目推进过程当中涉及的其他要素，全面地介绍香港地区现行的特殊需要信托，并与内地的行业专家展开讨论，也欢迎与会者的提问和探讨。会上的话题要点包括：

Topic highlights of the meeting include:

1. Introduction to Special Needs Trust (SNT) in Hong Kong 香港地区特殊需要信托的简介
2. Background to Legal framework of SNT in Hong Kong 香港地区特殊需要信托的法律架构背景
3. Overview of EPA (Enduring Powers of Attorney), Wills and Trusts in Hong Kong 香港地区EPA（持久授权书）、遗嘱和信托的概述
4. Differences of Guardianship Board and trustees of the estate 监护委员会及产业受托监管人的分別
5. How special needs adult children are financially cared for in Mainland 探讨中国内地应如何在经济上照顾有特殊需要的成年子女

Ms. Sherlynn Chan, guest speaker of the event has extensive experience in trust practice and has acted as the Court appointed committee of the estate of mentally incapacitated persons on many occasions, responsible for the management of the property and affairs of such persons. She has also been a guest speaker at a seminar on Special Needs Trusts organized by the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department. This event is not only an opportunity to be inspired by the guest speakers' sharing and discussion, but also an excellent platform for practitioners from both sides to communicate and learn from each other. We welcome interested STEP members and relevant trust practitioners to sign up for this event.

本次研讨会的特邀主讲嘉宾陈连基律师从业经验丰富，获香港高等法院委任为精神上无行为能力人士的产业受托监管人，负责管理该等人士的财产和事务，也曾担任由香港社会福利署举办的特殊需要信托专题讲座演讲嘉宾。本次活动不仅可以从嘉宾分享和讨论中获得启发，更是一次两地从业者交流、学习的绝佳平台，欢迎感兴趣的STEP会员及相关信托从业人员报名参与。

Agenda 会议流程:

14:45-15:00 Check-in 签到及入场

15:00-15:30 Guided tour: historic building of Shanghai Trust参观上海信托历史建筑

15:30-15:40 Opening Remarks活动开场致辞

Yu Shu, General Manager, Family Services Trust Dept, Shanghai Trust 束宇，上海信托家庭服务信托部总经理

15:40-16:00 Presentation 嘉宾分享

Sherlynn Chan, Partner, Deacons 陈连基，的近律师行合伙人

16:00-16:25 Panel discussion

Sherlynn Chan, Partner, Deacons 陈连基，的近律师行合伙人

Yang Sun, Chief Researcher, Wealth Management Centre, Zentrust Research 孙阳，智信研究财富管理中心首席研究员

16:25-16:45 Q&A 现场问答

16:45-17:30 Tea break and networking 自由交流（茶歇）

Event venue 会议场地：

The Shanghai Investment Building, where Shanghai Trust is located, was originally the Continental Bank, located at 111 Jiujiang Road, Shanghai. Built by the Continental Bank, construction began in May 1931 and was completed in November 1933. In 1991, the building was replaced by Shanghai Trust and renamed in 1994 as the "Shanghai Investment Building".

上海信托所在的上投大厦原为大陆银行大楼，位于上海市九江路111号。由当时的大陆银行兴建，1931年5月动工，1933年11月竣工。1991年大楼置换给上海信托，其后于1994年更名为“上投大厦”。

详见活动报名页面。