https://www.scmp.com/rss/142315/feed Alan Wong joined Inkstone in 2018 and became Editor in 2020. Previously, he was an editor at The New York Times in Hong Kong. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Beijing could further crack down on Hong Kong’s political opposition ahead of key legislative elections in September, analysts say. Chinese officials have lashed out at organizers of an unofficial primary over the weekend after activists on the front lines of anti-government protests outperformed their rivals in the opposition bloc. Two central government offices overseeing Hong Kong affairs have accused the primary’s organizers of trying to subvert state power in breach of a new national... https://www.scmp.com/politics/front-line-activists-won-big-hong-kong-polls-beijing-not-amused/article/3093238?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/front-line-activists-won-big-hong-kong-polls-beijing-not-amused/article/3093238?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jul 2020 09:05:47 +0000 Thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong on Wednesday to protest a sweeping new security law that critics said could undermine the city’s political and legal autonomy.  Beijing imposed the law on Hong Kong on Tuesday night, which gives the Chinese authorities expansive powers to crack down on actions deemed as endangering national security.  Opposition politicians fear Beijing would use it as a tool to muzzle dissent in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule 23 years ago... https://www.scmp.com/politics/thousands-protest-chinas-security-law-hong-kong/article/3091395?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/thousands-protest-chinas-security-law-hong-kong/article/3091395?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:13:24 +0000 In a break with the past, the Chinese government will not set a target for its economic growth this year, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday. The decision underscores the uncertainty facing the world’s most populous country brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and worsening US-China relations.  Li announced the decision during the opening session of China’s annual parliamentary gathering, which was delayed for two months due to the Covid-19 outbreak.  China has set a hard target for its gross... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-gdp-beijing-abandons-2020-economic-growth-target/article/3085634?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-gdp-beijing-abandons-2020-economic-growth-target/article/3085634?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2020 11:47:51 +0000 A top aide to President Donald Trump criticized the Chinese Communist Party’s firm grip on power in a speech delivered entirely in Mandarin, but few people in China have heard what he said. Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger, who worked as a journalist in Beijing for seven years, drew on modern Chinese history to deliver a 20-minute critique of the Chinese authorities, including their early missteps in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first Chinese-language... https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-officials-chinese-speech-reaches-few-listeners-china/article/3082920?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-officials-chinese-speech-reaches-few-listeners-china/article/3082920?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2020 11:23:00 +0000 President Donald Trump on Monday stopped referring to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus” and called for the protection of Asian-Americans. “It’s very important that we totally protect our Asian-American community in the United States and all around the world,” Trump said at a White House briefing. “They’re amazing people and the spreading of the virus is not their fault in any way shape or form,” he said.  Trump’s shift in tone was abrupt, having called the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” at... https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-stops-calling-coronavirus-chinese-virus-after-using-term-16-times/article/3076662?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-stops-calling-coronavirus-chinese-virus-after-using-term-16-times/article/3076662?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2020 11:08:44 +0000 People infected with the new coronavirus may be most contagious right when their symptoms begin to show and even a couple of days beforehand. Scholars observed the highest viral load in throat swabs at the initial sign of symptoms and inferred that infectiousness peaked on or before symptom onset, and people may be highly contagious 2.5 days before symptoms show. It is a pattern similar to that of seasonal influenza. The findings set the new coronavirus apart from the Sars virus, which becomes... https://www.scmp.com/health/coronavirus-patients-are-contagious-2-days-symptoms-show-study-suggests/article/3076074?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/health/coronavirus-patients-are-contagious-2-days-symptoms-show-study-suggests/article/3076074?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2020 09:50:54 +0000 The coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic and has reached the highest level of risk globally, according to the World Health Organization.  Inkstone reviews what medical professionals and public health researchers have learned since China first reported the outbreak to the WHO on December 31, 2019. This article was last updated on April 18, 2020. The virus has spread across the world The new coronavirus has a footprint covering more than 200 countries and territories. The virus has sickened at least... https://www.scmp.com/health/coronavirus-updates-what-weve-learned-so-far-about-virus-and-covid-19-disease/article/3064607?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/health/coronavirus-updates-what-weve-learned-so-far-about-virus-and-covid-19-disease/article/3064607?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:00:05 +0000 Restaurants in Hong Kong have scrambled to drop hotpot from their menus after the better part of a family who shared the dish was infected with the coronavirus as health authorities advised against large gatherings. Hotpot is a winter staple at the Chinese dining table where people cook and eat meat and vegetables by dipping them in a shared pot of simmering broth. Several restaurant chains in the city have suspended the menu item after Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection said 11 of 19... https://www.scmp.com/health/hotpot-barbecue-super-spreader-coronavirus-defies-curbs-meeting-and-travel/article/3050006?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/health/hotpot-barbecue-super-spreader-coronavirus-defies-curbs-meeting-and-travel/article/3050006?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Feb 2020 11:59:25 +0000 The video came with a warning, for good reason. Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of Tesla, shared footage of him awkwardly dancing on stage at a Shanghai event for his electric car company.  In his own telling, the video of his flailing limps was “NSFW!!” – not safe for work – internet lingo usually applied to porn and other stuff you don’t want to be caught watching in the office. At Tesla Giga Shanghai NSFW!! pic.twitter.com/1yrPyzJQGZ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2020 Scripted or not,... https://www.scmp.com/business/elon-musk-dances-awkwardly-mark-first-deliveries-tesla-model-3-sedans-made-china/article/3045207?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/elon-musk-dances-awkwardly-mark-first-deliveries-tesla-model-3-sedans-made-china/article/3045207?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2020 10:42:42 +0000 In 2019, Inkstone published some 250 issues and about 1,500 stories about China. By our rough estimate, that’s more than 1 million words, or about the length of the whole Harry Potter series.  That’s a lot of news, owing in part to an eventful year. But as unrest in Hong Kong and tensions between the United States and China dominated the headlines for months on end, there were stories that we liked that you might have missed. At the year’s end, we have put together a list of interesting, but... https://www.scmp.com/china/2019-9-china-stories-about-love-money-power-and-identity/article/3043908?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/2019-9-china-stories-about-love-money-power-and-identity/article/3043908?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2019 10:00:13 +0000 The hillside campus of a top Hong Kong university was on edge on Wednesday after it was turned into a battlefield between masked student protesters and the police. Once known for its tranquility, the site of the Chinese University of Hong Kong became a flashpoint on Tuesday as riot police officers and students fought over a bridge on the eastern edge of the campus. Called the No 2 Bridge, the structure straddles the Tolo Highway, a major artery in the city’s New Territories region. Black-masked... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protest-chinese-university-students-and-police-clash-over-bridge/article/3037585?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protest-chinese-university-students-and-police-clash-over-bridge/article/3037585?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2019 11:50:49 +0000 When a police officer fired bullets at masked protesters in Hong Kong on Monday morning, the scene went viral online across the city and mainland China. What happened was not in dispute, but their perceptions were wildly different. While Hongkongers were outraged and questioned the officer’s use of live ammunition, viewers in the mainland put the blame squarely on the protesters, including the 21-year-old student who was shot. “The police officer was firing to save his life from the cockroach.... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protests-mainland-china-public-opinion-divide-deepens/article/3037407?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protests-mainland-china-public-opinion-divide-deepens/article/3037407?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Nov 2019 10:41:38 +0000 How do you pronounce the surname of the US presidential candidate Andrew Yang? Does it rhyme with “gang,” as in “Yang Gang”?  While this pronunciation may be intuitive to Americans – it’s how the Democratic hopeful says his name – it might sound a little off to Chinese ears. In the video above, we explain the difference between how Mandarin speakers pronounce the popular Chinese last name and how most Americans say it. https://www.scmp.com/politics/why-andrew-yangs-name-sounds-weird-chinese-speakers/article/3036768?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/why-andrew-yangs-name-sounds-weird-chinese-speakers/article/3036768?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Nov 2019 12:02:40 +0000 The videos look innocuous enough. Selfies. Stunts. Scripted comedy. cat lady in training pic.twitter.com/LKovVQYknh — TikTok (@tiktok_us) November 2, 2019 But TikTok, a rare Chinese-owned social media app that has thrived outside China, has found itself the target of a serious accusation: threatening American security. The intensifying scrutiny on the app, owned by the Chinese internet giant ByteDance, has come amid rising suspicion in Washington of Beijing’s growing global influence. US... https://www.scmp.com/politics/tiktok-short-video-app-owned-chinas-bytedance-us-national-security-debate/article/3036568?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/tiktok-short-video-app-owned-chinas-bytedance-us-national-security-debate/article/3036568?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Nov 2019 09:47:02 +0000 The beleaguered leader of Hong Kong received a key stamp of approval from President Xi Jinping of China amid continuing anti-government protests that have rocked the Asian financial hub. Xi on Monday gave his first direct and public endorsement of Lam’s leadership since large-scale and increasingly violent protests began consuming the former British colony in June. Lam has apologized for causing the worst political crisis since the city returned to Chinese rule in 1997 as a special region... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-chief-executive-carrie-lam-meets-chinese-president-xi-jinping/article/3036400?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-chief-executive-carrie-lam-meets-chinese-president-xi-jinping/article/3036400?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2019 10:39:15 +0000 Chinese stocks associated with blockchain jumped after President Xi Jinping extolled the technology popularized by Bitcoin. Dozens of Chinese financial and technology firms making use of the digital database rose to their daily 10% limit on Monday. It was the first day of trading in China after Chinese state media reported on Friday evening Xi’s speech urging the development of blockchain technology. Xi’s remarks represented a stamp of approval from the highest level of China’s government of... https://www.scmp.com/business/xi-jinping-sent-investors-blockchain-crypto-frenzy/article/3035145?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/xi-jinping-sent-investors-blockchain-crypto-frenzy/article/3035145?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 09:17:30 +0000 First it was suspended, then declared “dead.” But it was not until weeks of violent clashes later that the Hong Kong government formally buried a contentious bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China from the semi-autonomous Chinese city. The plan was put to rest on Wednesday with its formal withdrawal from the city’s legislative agenda, an expected move to fulfill a key demand put forward by anti-government protesters since June. The bill’s withdrawal at this time is unlikely... https://www.scmp.com/politics/extradition-bill-behind-hong-kong-protests-withdrawn/article/3034236?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/extradition-bill-behind-hong-kong-protests-withdrawn/article/3034236?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Oct 2019 11:46:41 +0000 A political dispute between Hong Kong and Taiwan could prevent the prime suspect in a gruesome murder case that has triggered months of unrest from surrendering himself. The suspect, Chan Tong-kai, agreed to voluntarily leave Hong Kong for Taiwan to face justice for allegedly killing his pregnant girlfriend on the self-ruled island in 2018. The infamous case sparked an extradition debate that rocked Hong Kong. Chan, 20, has avoided trial for murder since his return to Hong Kong, which cannot... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-murder-suspect-chan-tong-kai-banned-entering-taiwan/article/3033914?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-murder-suspect-chan-tong-kai-banned-entering-taiwan/article/3033914?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:11:47 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader offered no immediate solutions to resolve continuing unrest in her first major policy speech since anti-government protests broke out in June. Calling the crisis in the former British colony “the most formidable challenge” since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, Chief Executive Carrie Lam ruled out giving in to more demands from protesters. Large-scale demonstrations began in June in opposition to an unpopular bill feared to erode the political firewall between Beijing and... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-dodges-protest-demands-policy-report/article/3033216?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-dodges-protest-demands-policy-report/article/3033216?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Oct 2019 10:01:55 +0000 Apple has wrapped a protective plastic film around the exterior of at least one of its stores in Hong Kong after it removed an app used by the city’s anti-government protesters. The iPhone maker on Thursday removed from its App Store an app that allows users to report and track police and protest activities following a backlash from China. Hours after the app’s removal, a layer of translucent film was applied to the glass walls of Apple’s store in the bustling Causeway Bay district, a frequent... https://www.scmp.com/politics/apple-tapes-hong-kong-store-after-removing-protest-app/article/3032500?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/apple-tapes-hong-kong-store-after-removing-protest-app/article/3032500?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Oct 2019 11:06:47 +0000 Tipped as a front runner for the Nobel Prize for Literature, Can Xue is one of a handful of Chinese avant-garde writers who have wowed international critics with their inventiveness. Susan Sontag was said to consider Can Xue the one Chinese writer worthy of the Nobel Prize. On Thursday, the Swedish Committee announced that the 2018 and 2019 prizes went to Peter Handke of Austria and the Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk. Ahead of the announcement, Can Xue said that it wasn't her time yet for the... https://www.scmp.com/arts/can-xue-4-facts-about-chinese-writer-running-literature-nobel/article/3032376?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/arts/can-xue-4-facts-about-chinese-writer-running-literature-nobel/article/3032376?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Oct 2019 11:00:48 +0000 China publicly displayed its Dongfeng-41 missile for the first time on Tuesday as the country celebrated 70 years under Communist Party rule. With the ability to hit a target almost anywhere in the world, the Dongfeng (literally East Wind) missile is China’s most powerful nuclear deterrent to date. Decades in the making, the intercontinental ballistic missile was unveiled at a massive military parade on the anniversary of the People’s Republic’s founding, against a backdrop of intensifying... https://www.scmp.com/politics/china-shows-dongfeng-missiles-first-time/article/3031107?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/china-shows-dongfeng-missiles-first-time/article/3031107?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2019 11:09:37 +0000 In what the Trump administration hopes will help American firms compete with Chinese exporters, the US will be allowed to raise the cost of shipping goods from China. Members of a United Nations postal agency, which includes China, struck a deal after two days of emergency talks in Geneva to let the US and other high-volume importers set their own rates for delivering small parcels from foreign countries. Trump threatened last October to quit that agency, the Universal Postal Union, which... https://www.scmp.com/politics/shipping-china-get-pricier-after-trump-complained/article/3030458?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/shipping-china-get-pricier-after-trump-complained/article/3030458?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Sep 2019 09:36:07 +0000 The editor of the Chinese state-run Global Times newspaper made a rare departure from his loyalist views on Wednesday, complaining that the country’s strict internet control was “over the top” and made his job harder. “As the National Day nears, it’s extremely difficult to visit foreign websites,” Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of Global Times, wrote on the Chinese social media site Weibo. Beijing is preparing for the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist-rule China on Oct 1 and has... https://www.scmp.com/politics/chinese-editor-hu-xijin-complains-about-internet-control-ahead-national-day/article/3027867?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/chinese-editor-hu-xijin-complains-about-internet-control-ahead-national-day/article/3027867?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Sep 2019 10:56:53 +0000 President Trump says he’ll hold off on raising tariffs on Chinese goods for two weeks after China’s National Day. The US had planned to increase tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports from 25% to 30% on October 1, which is also the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic. But Trump tweeted on Wednesday that, at the request of Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He, the increase will take effect on October 15 instead.  The delay, which Trump called a “gesture of good will,”... https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-decides-not-raise-tariffs-chinas-national-day/article/3026866?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-decides-not-raise-tariffs-chinas-national-day/article/3026866?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Sep 2019 10:58:51 +0000 Aaron Kwok, a Canto-pop and movie superstar in Hong Kong, found himself briefly stranded in his Lamborghini supercar on Sunday night when he ran into a scrum of anti-government protesters. Thousands of demonstrators had gathered near the US consulate to demand American support for their calls for democracy and autonomy before the rally descended into chaos in several neighborhoods. Kwok, known for his love for horses and cars, was caught up in protests in the Causeway Bay district as riot police... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-star-aaron-kwok-drives-lamborghini-through-crowd-protesters/article/3026318?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-star-aaron-kwok-drives-lamborghini-through-crowd-protesters/article/3026318?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2019 09:15:57 +0000 Some anti-government protesters in Hong Kong have dismissed a key concession by the city’s leader, who has struggled to resolve a political crisis that has led to almost weekly clashes between police and demonstrators since June. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Wednesday evening that she would officially withdraw a controversial extradition bill from the city’s legislative agenda. It was one of five demands put forward by the protesters. “The government will formally withdraw the bill in... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protesters-dismiss-extradition-bill-concession-government/article/3025726?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protesters-dismiss-extradition-bill-concession-government/article/3025726?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2019 12:41:19 +0000 For many young people in Hong Kong, the start of September usually means it’s time to go back to school. But this is no ordinary September. As a summer of dissent continues over fears of eroding freedom in the former British colony, some students have chosen to skip classes in order to protest against the government. Since Monday, thousands of young people have joined anti-government protests, now in their 13th week, in the political heart of Hong Kong to pile pressure on the local authorities... https://www.scmp.com/politics/why-some-hong-kong-students-arent-going-back-school/article/3025514?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/why-some-hong-kong-students-arent-going-back-school/article/3025514?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Sep 2019 12:34:57 +0000 At least four activists were arrested on Friday in a crackdown that could fuel popular anger at the Hong Kong authorities ahead of a feared showdown this weekend between anti-government protesters and riot police. Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow, key leaders of the 2014 protests that called for freer elections in the former British colony, were arrested on Friday morning over their alleged roles in an unauthorized demonstration in June.  While Wong and Chow are not leaders of the recent protests,... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-arrests-joshua-wong-agnes-chow-and-other-prominent-activists-ahead-planned-protests/article/3025092?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-arrests-joshua-wong-agnes-chow-and-other-prominent-activists-ahead-planned-protests/article/3025092?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Aug 2019 10:30:30 +0000 On June 30, 1997, the last day of British Hong Kong, the Union Jack came down. After more than 150 years of British colonial rule, Hong Kong returned to Chinese control. But 22 years after the five-starred Chinese flag went up in the former British colony, a handful of young Hongkongers have taken to waving British and American flags in protests demanding democracy and accountability. Why would they do that? We speak to the protesters to find out the messages behind the symbols. https://www.scmp.com/politics/messages-behind-foreign-flags-hong-kongs-protests/article/3023867?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/messages-behind-foreign-flags-hong-kongs-protests/article/3023867?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2019 11:09:30 +0000 President Donald Trump on Thursday urged his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to meet with anti-government protesters in Hong Kong. Trump was apparently clarifying comments he made a day earlier that were taken as a suggestion that Trump himself wanted to meet with Xi over the political crisis in the semi-autonomous Chinese region. If President Xi would meet directly and personally with the protesters, there would be a happy and enlightened ending to the Hong Kong problem. I have no doubt!... https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-urges-chinas-president-meet-hong-kong-protesters/article/3023103?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/trump-urges-chinas-president-meet-hong-kong-protesters/article/3023103?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2019 11:07:40 +0000 A wave of protests rocking Hong Kong has been fueled by mostly young, educated and middle-class people who are unlikely to stop demonstrating anytime soon, according to a study. The former British colony is in the midst of its worst political crisis since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997 as a largely autonomous region. Since June, demonstrations stemming from an unpopular bill have escalated into an increasingly violent movement demanding greater democracy and police accountability, among... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protests-who-what-and-what-next-4-charts/article/3022607?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protests-who-what-and-what-next-4-charts/article/3022607?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Aug 2019 12:57:22 +0000 One of the world’s busiest airports was brought to a standstill on Monday by demonstrators angered by an escalation of the use of police force against anti-government protesters. Thousands of demonstrators occupied Hong Kong International Airport on Monday afternoon, a day after riot police broke up citywide protests. More than 100 flights were canceled. Protesters were particularly incensed by what they saw as the police's increasingly aggressive use of force in clashes with demonstrators,... https://www.scmp.com/politics/protests-paralyze-hong-kong-airport-beijing-alleges-signs-terrorism/article/3022478?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/protests-paralyze-hong-kong-airport-beijing-alleges-signs-terrorism/article/3022478?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2019 12:36:02 +0000 As anti-government protests in Hong Kong enter their 10th week with no end in sight, safety equipment including gas masks and helmets are in high demand among demonstrators. Make-shift donation stations have been popping up around protests sites since the movement started, with people donating things such as food, medical supplies and safety gear. We take a look at the grassroots donation system to see how supporters and donors help keep the protesters out on the streets week after week. https://www.scmp.com/politics/grassroots-donations-fuel-hong-kongs-protests/article/3022444?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/grassroots-donations-fuel-hong-kongs-protests/article/3022444?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Aug 2019 12:11:04 +0000 “Is Hong Kong safe?” is not usually a difficult question to answer, given the city’s reputation for low crime.  But as anti-government protests have increasingly escalated into violent clashes between police and demonstrators, the United States and Australia, among several other countries, have warned people about visiting Hong Kong. The US State Department has advised visitors to “exercise increased caution” due to “civil unrest.” According to a Level 2 travel advisory issued on Aug 7, visitors... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-safe-visit-us-issues-warning-amid-protests/article/3021952?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-safe-visit-us-issues-warning-amid-protests/article/3021952?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2019 09:31:30 +0000 A famed Bruce Lee philosophy has become a mantra for Hong Kong’s leaderless anti-government protests. “Be water” was once known only among fans of the kung fu superstar. Now the saying has been adopted by protesters to keep the police on their toes, as they demand accountability and democracy. For protesters, “be water” means being anonymous, spontaneous, flexible and also evasive – just like the flow of water.  The words are printed in English on protest posters, cited in online discussions and... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protesters-get-inspirations-bruce-lee-kung-fu-strategy/article/3021622?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protesters-get-inspirations-bruce-lee-kung-fu-strategy/article/3021622?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:05:41 +0000 After a weekend of anti-government protests, parts of Hong Kong were brought to a standstill on Monday by a strike. Protesters have demanded the full withdrawal of a contentious extradition bill, an investigation of alleged police misconduct and democratic elections. At the Hong Kong International Airport, one of the busiest travel hubs in the world, some air traffic controllers, flight attendants and members of ground staff called in sick. Over 200 flights were canceled. In other parts of the... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-international-airport-cancels-over-200-flights/article/3021500?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-international-airport-cancels-over-200-flights/article/3021500?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Aug 2019 11:22:37 +0000 China’s carbon emissions could peak as soon as 2021, years earlier than the deadline it agreed to under the Paris climate accord, according to a new study. As the world’s most populous country and second-largest economy, China emits more carbon dioxide than any other nation. Under the Paris accord to keep global warming to 2℃ or less by the end of the century, China has pledged that its CO2 emissions would stop rising by 2030.  But a study published in Nature Sustainability on July 29 estimates... https://www.scmp.com/china/china-track-meet-carbon-target-under-paris-climate-agreement-years-early/article/3020804?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/china-track-meet-carbon-target-under-paris-climate-agreement-years-early/article/3020804?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2019 11:00:08 +0000 The Chinese government called on Hong Kong to restore order on Monday, after the city’s residents woke up to streets scarred by fresh clashes between protesters and police. In a rare press conference, spokespeople for Beijing’s top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs doubled down on its support for the city’s embattled leader and police force. The remarks came after eight weeks of street protests that Beijing increasingly sees as challenges to its authority over the highly autonomous Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/politics/chinese-government-speaks-about-hong-kong-protests/article/3020512?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/chinese-government-speaks-about-hong-kong-protests/article/3020512?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2019 11:26:22 +0000 Like it or not, the future of Hong Kong belongs to its youth. In continuing protests that have roiled the former British colony since early June, many of them have voiced their anger at the local authorities and Beijing. The protesters’ grievances have evolved over time and concern issues ranging from political freedom to housing policy. Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 as a highly autonomous region, has one of the world’s least affordable property markets while income levels... https://www.scmp.com/society/hong-kongs-youth-home-and-their-own-words/article/3019713?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/hong-kongs-youth-home-and-their-own-words/article/3019713?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jul 2019 10:09:01 +0000 Chaos broke out in northern Hong Kong on Sunday night after groups of masked men rampaged through a train station and beat passengers with sticks and other weapons. The assailants, mostly dressed in white T-shirts, seemed to target people who were returning from anti-government protests in downtown Hong Kong. At least 45 people were injured, including several journalists. The attacks threaten to plunge the former British colony into further unrest. Some protesters have vowed to retaliate against... https://www.scmp.com/politics/mob-attacks-protesters-stun-hong-kong/article/3019612?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/mob-attacks-protesters-stun-hong-kong/article/3019612?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jul 2019 11:05:21 +0000 Scenes of clashes between police and protesters shook Hong Kong on Sunday as a peaceful march descended into chaos. Bloody brawls broke out in a luxury shopping mall in the northern district of Shatin as police wielding batons and shields chased a small group of protesters into the building. At least 28 people were injured. Police arrested 37 people during the evening scuffles. The city’s leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, is under pressure to resolve the worst political crisis to consume... https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-protests-descend-shopping-center-brawls/article/3018620?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-protests-descend-shopping-center-brawls/article/3018620?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2019 10:52:38 +0000 A video showing an attack on an activist guarding a wall of sticky notes in support of recent demonstrations in Hong Kong has incensed the city’s democracy advocates. Makeshift displays of sticky notes, known as Lennon Walls, have sprung up across the city to support protests against a government plan that critics said could erode the city’s autonomy from mainland China. In the widely circulated video, a young man guarding one such wall in the city’s Kowloon Bay neighborhood was seen being... https://www.scmp.com/politics/video-assault-hong-kong-activist-spurs-outrage/article/3018208?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/video-assault-hong-kong-activist-spurs-outrage/article/3018208?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2019 11:03:37 +0000 Protesters in Hong Kong in the past month have focused their ire on the authorities, fuelled by fears of dissolving legal and political firewalls between the semi-autonomous city and mainland China. But on Sunday, the activists changed tack. They turned to diplomacy. Descending on a part of the former British colony popular with tourists, protesters tried to spread their messages to mainland Chinese shoppers.  They handed out leaflets and sent strangers images of posters explaining what they... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protests-demonstrators-messages-mainland-china/article/3017689?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protests-demonstrators-messages-mainland-china/article/3017689?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jul 2019 08:12:44 +0000 For once, "sorry" seems to be the easiest word for the Hong Kong government. As thousands of demonstrators returned to the streets on Friday, officials found themselves at a loss for policy tools to defuse a crisis that threatens to plunge the city into lengthy unrest. Protesters surrounded the city's police headquarters and blocked traffic, and the government did almost nothing. Not that they had a choice. Having been accused of using excessive force against largely peaceful demonstrators over... https://www.scmp.com/politics/protesters-refuse-let-hong-kong-apologize-its-way-out-trouble/article/3015514?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/protesters-refuse-let-hong-kong-apologize-its-way-out-trouble/article/3015514?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2019 08:28:09 +0000 Almost 2 million people marched on Sunday against a contentious extradition bill, according to organizers.  Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, apologized and suspended the legislation amid an uproar over concerns that the bill would expose the semi-autonomous city’s residents to the opaque legal system in mainland China. But protesters are not done with their fight. On Monday morning, demonstrators occupied the space in and around the Hong Kong government’s headquarters to demand the extradition... https://www.scmp.com/society/hong-kong-protest-fight-goes/article/3014853?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/hong-kong-protest-fight-goes/article/3014853?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2019 09:52:44 +0000 Hong Kong is bracing for further unrest on the streets after protesters and police battled on Wednesday over the government’s plan to allow extraditions to mainland China. In the hours after the clashes, roads around the city’s government headquarters were strewn with empty canisters of tear gas, a testament to the clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators. The protesters were frustrated with the government’s refusal to give up a plan they thought could erode the political firewall... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-polices-arsenal-and-how-protesters-tried-beat-it/article/3014553?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-polices-arsenal-and-how-protesters-tried-beat-it/article/3014553?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2019 10:25:58 +0000 It’s the number-one priority for anyone attending a big public gathering, no matter its political persuasion. As Hong Kong remains on edge after thousands of people gathered on Wednesday to protest a contentious extradition bill, an Inkstone reader living in New York asked us several practical questions: “How do they rest, eat, or go to the bathroom? How do they get the information about where to go and what to wear?” (We’re now taking your questions on Hong Kong. Subscribe to our... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protest-how-do-people-rest-eat-and-pee/article/3014347?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kong-protest-how-do-people-rest-eat-and-pee/article/3014347?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 09:48:56 +0000 Protests in Hong Kong over an extradition bill have paralyzed traffic near government headquarters, the main site of the 2014 Umbrella Movement pro-democracy demonstrations calling for freer elections. Here we answer some of your most frequently asked questions. Is Hong Kong a country? No. Hong Kong is a special part of China with its own currency, legal systems and civil liberties unavailable in much of the rest of China. Hong Kong had been a British colony for more than 150 years, interrupted... https://www.scmp.com/china/hong-kong-part-china-why-are-people-protesting-and-other-questions-answered/article/3014177?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/hong-kong-part-china-why-are-people-protesting-and-other-questions-answered/article/3014177?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 08:50:37 +0000 Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Hong Kong on Sunday to say “no” to Beijing. They objected to a government plan to allow the semi-autonomous city to send fugitives to mainland China. Protest organizers estimated that more than 1 million people joined the June 9 march on Hong Kong Island, making it the biggest demonstration in the city’s history – ever. The police put the number of protesters at about 240,000. Here is what you need to know: What is the extradition... https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kongs-extradition-plan-why-million-people-protested-it/article/3013831?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/politics/hong-kongs-extradition-plan-why-million-people-protested-it/article/3013831?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2019 10:27:42 +0000