https://www.scmp.com/rss/1508/feed Christine Loh is chief development strategist at the Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is a former undersecretary for the environment (2012-17), and a former lawmaker. She is also the former CEO of Civic Exchange, a non-profit public policy think tank. She is a lawyer by training, a commodities trader by profession, and an author of many publications. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Christine Loh Christine Loh Net-zero commitments are now commonplace across Hong Kong’s property sector. Many major developers have announced targets for 2030 and 2050, often framed around energy efficiency, renewable energy and greener buildings. This is welcome. However, as climate ambition becomes the norm, a more uncomfortable question comes into focus: how many of these commitments are grounded in a serious understanding of what decarbonisation actually entails? What remains largely missing from Hong Kong’s climate... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339817/hong-kong-needs-ask-hard-questions-about-its-net-zero-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339817/hong-kong-needs-ask-hard-questions-about-its-net-zero-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh China is often described today as having “overcapacity” in manufacturing. Its dominance in solar panels, batteries and wind equipment, for example, has left many observers baffled. How did a country once dismissed as undeveloped become, within a generation, so technologically developed that its success now unsettles global markets? Part of the answer lies in how we frame China’s development. What is often described as excess capacity is better understood as the outcome of an energy-centred... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336783/arguing-about-chinas-overcapacity-overlooks-its-drive-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3336783/arguing-about-chinas-overcapacity-overlooks-its-drive-clean-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh We have entered an era of uncomfortable geopolitics. The world order that once promised stability is unravelling. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza, coups in Africa and intensifying US-China rivalry have shaken us. Power is shifting, alliances are fluid and artificial intelligence technology magnifies uncertainty. This disruption reaches far beyond governments. It touches ordinary lives through prices, jobs and the constant churn of online outrage. The result is a global unease that blurs the line... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3332549/welcome-age-disruption-and-feelings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3332549/welcome-age-disruption-and-feelings?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 21:30:10 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest policy address may prove to be a watershed moment for Hong Kong’s education system. Among several measures, one stands out as transformative: the decision to raise the cap on non-local students from 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the student body. This is more than a technical adjustment. It signals Hong Kong’s intent to position itself as an international education hub, opening its classrooms to the world. This is an extraordinary turn for a city that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327671/how-turn-hong-kong-global-education-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327671/how-turn-hong-kong-global-education-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 The global order that once promised free trade, open borders and shared prosperity has cracked. The so-called liberal international order, constructed after the second world war and turbocharged after the Cold War, is dissolving. Its collapse is being brought about by the very country that built it: the United States. Under the Trump 2.0 administration, the US is decidedly stepping back from open markets and liberal values. Its immediate predecessor, Joe Biden’s administration, continued many of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3306190/us-retreats-asian-powers-can-reshape-world-order-meet-their-needs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3306190/us-retreats-asian-powers-can-reshape-world-order-meet-their-needs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Financiers are finally starting to recognise the significance of biodiversity and ecosystems, acknowledging nature’s profound importance to financial investments and economies. This relatively recent realisation is driven by the global surge in attention to environmental sustainability and climate change. Investors and bankers are learning that biodiversity and ecosystems are essential for both economic activity and people’s well-being. For too long, we have taken nature for granted, ignoring... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3269631/financiers-can-be-hong-kongs-superpower-biodiversity-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3269631/financiers-can-be-hong-kongs-superpower-biodiversity-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2024 01:30:09 +0000 The Earth is heating up due to carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels. The challenge is to develop clean energy sources and move away from fossil fuels within the next few decades, to avoid planetary overheating. Governments around the world have signed up to achieving carbon neutrality within the next few decades. North American and European countries have targeted doing so by 2050, as has Hong Kong, while mainland China is aiming for 2060, and India, 2070. Achieving carbon neutrality is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253366/carbon-tracker-tools-show-how-hong-kong-can-aid-global-climate-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3253366/carbon-tracker-tools-show-how-hong-kong-can-aid-global-climate-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2024 07:30:10 +0000 The first presidential election of major global consequence this year takes place in Taiwan on January 13. Given that Taiwan and Hong Kong have more similarities than meet the eye, politicians in Taiwan should be wishing the city well, rather than criticising Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems”. Relations between Beijing and Washington nosedived with then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan on August 2, 2022. Beijing objected to her trip because it signalled... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247805/instead-criticising-hong-kongs-system-taiwan-should-keep-its-options-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247805/instead-criticising-hong-kongs-system-taiwan-should-keep-its-options-open?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jan 2024 01:30:11 +0000 Hong Kong can make a big difference to its international standing by choosing the right issue to champion. It must be a significant global matter, and Hong Kong must be able to make a major difference. There aren’t too many issues where government action would be a big shot in the arm. But there is one that plays to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s strengths, with his background in the disciplinary services. Lee rose through the police ranks because he was smart and honest. Never seeking the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235898/hong-kong-should-lead-crackdown-wildlife-smuggling-and-exotic-pets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235898/hong-kong-should-lead-crackdown-wildlife-smuggling-and-exotic-pets?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Sep 2023 01:30:14 +0000 In January next year, six more countries – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Argentina – will formally join the Brics grouping that currently encompasses Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Its membership will continue to grow as many more countries have expressed interest in joining, and the current expansion was described as “the first phase” with “further phases” to follow. Western reporting on Brics have been biased and grudging. Before the Brics summit in South... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232684/expanded-brics-will-continue-chip-away-us-dollars-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3232684/expanded-brics-will-continue-chip-away-us-dollars-dominance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2023 07:30:12 +0000 Now that green tech and green finance have entered the government policy lexicon and money is being thrown around to make Hong Kong a hub, we would do better if we are clear about what needs to be recalibrated. What is technology, and what constitutes green tech? Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to solve problems in industry. Green tech is technology that solves environmental problems, such as by reducing or eliminating pollutant emissions and waste, using resources... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215153/private-sector-innovation-can-drive-hong-kongs-green-tech-green-finance-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3215153/private-sector-innovation-can-drive-hong-kongs-green-tech-green-finance-push?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2023 05:15:08 +0000 The 2023-24 budget has the potential to advance Hong Kong’s interests if its many plans and projects can be carried out with a collaborative, future-forward mindset. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po is right to concentrate on meeting the city’s development needs, considering people’s hardships after three years of pandemic pressure, and also in the face of intense competition from other economies and gusty geopolitical winds. One source of competition is Chinese mainland cities. Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3211861/what-hong-kong-needs-exciting-budget-ideas-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3211861/what-hong-kong-needs-exciting-budget-ideas-take?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Mar 2023 07:45:11 +0000 Who qualifies as a sustainability professional? This is a matter that has yet to be settled. Employers in Hong Kong are seeking to hire people with experience in measuring the sustainability of a company or investment from the perspective of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Such experience is increasingly sought after owing to the pressure on companies to disclose their ESG performance, amid a global and local push for them to reduce their carbon and other emissions,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208559/hong-kong-needs-esg-talent-what-makes-someone-qualified?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208559/hong-kong-needs-esg-talent-what-makes-someone-qualified?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:15:08 +0000 Energy prices are rising and could remain high for some time. Hong Kong must start to explore options to produce the largest overall benefit while moving the city towards carbon neutrality at the same time. Let’s start with the facts. Electricity powers most of the city’s activities, and the bulk of Hong Kong’s electricity is provided by two power companies – CLP Power, which serves Kowloon and the New Territories, and HK Electric, which serves Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island. Their... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201314/hong-kongs-power-bills-surge-lets-get-creative-cheaper-cleaner-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3201314/hong-kongs-power-bills-surge-lets-get-creative-cheaper-cleaner-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Nov 2022 08:15:08 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s first policy address comes with a big price tag, but Hong Kong is fortunate to be able to afford it. A budget deficit is expected, perhaps as much as HK$100 billion (US$12.7 billion) for the current financial year according to the government’s projections. Even so, the government has considerable reserves to pay for the projects in the policy address without saddling society with debt. There are few economies that can do this right now. Hong Kong will have many... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196727/how-hong-kongs-policy-address-projects-could-give-city-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3196727/how-hong-kongs-policy-address-projects-could-give-city-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 01:30:11 +0000 We have entered the Age of the Great Reset. We are likely to come out at the other end with a world quite different from the one we have become used to. Let’s hope it will be a better one. The perspectives of non-Western experiences are increasingly being articulated and heard, and new voices are challenging the dominant narratives. History can explain the collision of ideologies and values between the East and West, and between the North and South. The second world war was followed by a period... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3191528/west-needs-brace-great-reset-new-voices-challenge-established?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/world/article/3191528/west-needs-brace-great-reset-new-voices-challenge-established?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2022 01:15:17 +0000 The spectre of geopolitical disruption is upon us. Hong Kong must not fall into the trap of pessimism. It must be ready to play defence as Western leaders seek to punish China for its success. For those who mean to put more pressure on China, it is necessary to paint it in the worst possible light. Thus, China has become a “systemic challenge”. Its leaders are “authoritarian”, the Chinese political system is “totalitarian”, and Chinese economic policies are “mercantilist”. Moreover, China... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3187397/hong-kong-must-not-be-swayed-wests-demonisation-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3187397/hong-kong-must-not-be-swayed-wests-demonisation-china?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Aug 2022 22:45:21 +0000 The government restructuring plan is being implemented at top speed and will be in place by July 1 when John Lee Ka-chiu takes office. There are two aspects of the revamp most worthy of assessment. The first is whether it will enable stronger policymaking; the second, whether policies will be implemented more effectively. Creating good policy involves having people with the right skills. They must understand the nature of a given problem, as well as the actual context within which it needs to be... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3179267/can-government-revamp-bring-hong-kong-closer-achieving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3179267/can-government-revamp-bring-hong-kong-closer-achieving?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 May 2022 22:45:20 +0000 It goes without saying that we all want governments to be “result oriented”. Lofty rhetoric and big promises without delivery are not worth much. Chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu’s emphasis on delivery is what he and his administration will be judged by. Critics say Lee lacks new ideas, and is just repeating proposals that previous administrations have already put forward. This is to misunderstand Lee’s intention. Lee wants to deliver on important things successive administrations have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3176352/how-hong-kongs-chief-executive-hopeful-john-lee-can-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3176352/how-hong-kongs-chief-executive-hopeful-john-lee-can-live?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2022 01:15:17 +0000 You know the world is changing when you must learn new tricks. Governments are declaring carbon commitments. Regulations are mandating disclosure of corporate climate risks. Companies are wanting to hire people with sustainability skills. Industry leaders are adopting pro-environment and pro-social attitudes, consultants are beefing up their capability, and business schools are rolling out new courses. ESG – environmental, social and governance – factors have become all the rage because... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3173271/business-sustainability-finally-catching-even-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3173271/business-sustainability-finally-catching-even-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Apr 2022 19:30:17 +0000 The age of anxiety troubles us because the world as we know it is fracturing before our eyes. There is no quick and easy fix, unfortunately. The explosion of Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong affects everyone personally. Few would have thought in early 2020 that the pandemic would go into a third year. Before Omicron, Hong Kong thought itself safe with its low Covid-19 infection rate and deaths but this has changed with the arrival of the highly transmissible variant. Cases are only expected to peak... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3169403/beijings-stance-covid-19-and-ukraine-magnifies-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3169403/beijings-stance-covid-19-and-ukraine-magnifies-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Mar 2022 01:15:12 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s proposal to reorganise the government structure, for the consideration of the next administration, may not be enough if a new leader wants more than improved efficiency. The chief executive election is in March, and the nomination period starts next month. It may well be a contested election. Aspiring candidates will have to state their visions and policies for Hong Kong. A persuasive manifesto must resonate with the people and fit the trajectory of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164227/chief-executive-election-three-areas-where-candidates-can-transform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3164227/chief-executive-election-three-areas-where-candidates-can-transform?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jan 2022 00:55:22 +0000 If Hong Kong is to achieve its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050, businesses, communities and the government must all step up their efforts. We can start with decarbonising our electricity. The government already has an agreement with power companies to switch energy supplies from coal to natural gas as coal is gradually phased down, and then out. In the longer term, the plan is to phase down natural gas, too. Instead, Hong Kong will ramp up renewables, nuclear, and new energy like... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3159057/hong-kong-achieve-carbon-neutrality-2050-commercial-buildings-must?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3159057/hong-kong-achieve-carbon-neutrality-2050-commercial-buildings-must?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Dec 2021 23:30:23 +0000 The strategy for the Northern Metropolis makes sense because Hong Kong and Shenzhen will benefit by being better integrated. There has never been such an opportunity for long-term planning for this thriving neighbourhood. What better project could there be than to plan it, at this early stage, as a carbon-neutral metropolis? After all, China has just provided the highest-level political guidelines for the “new development philosophy” to achieve carbon neutrality, issued by the Central Committee... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3154910/carbon-neutral-northern-metropolis-now-thats-plan-worth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3154910/carbon-neutral-northern-metropolis-now-thats-plan-worth?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Nov 2021 02:15:13 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s 2021 policy address represents a watershed in Hong Kong’s political and governance development. It lays out the relationship between Beijing and Hong Kong and how it will continue to evolve at a time of high geopolitical tensions. Hong Kong is both an external and internal issue for the central authorities. It is external because the city is an element in China’s ongoing contest with the United States. It is internal because Hong Kong is part of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3151461/carrie-lams-policy-address-shows-beijing-drivers-seat-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3151461/carrie-lams-policy-address-shows-beijing-drivers-seat-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Oct 2021 22:45:11 +0000 Hong Kong people have flight in their DNA. This is not surprising in light of the city’s complicated history, but now that Hong Kong has been a part of China again for more than two decades, the people of this city need to reflect on the meaning of citizenship. Let’s start at 1839, when the First Opium War began. It ended with China ceding Hong Kong to Britain in 1842. The Second Opium War ended with Britain grabbing Kowloon, and China eventually had to grant a 99-year lease on the New... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3148182/hong-kong-exodus-those-who-choose-stay-need-decide-where-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3148182/hong-kong-exodus-those-who-choose-stay-need-decide-where-their?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Sep 2021 22:15:15 +0000 Turning any economy away from fossil fuels to one powered by clean energy requires long-term, sustained and aggressive policies. Decarbonisation must start with governments since only they hold the necessary policy tools to “internalise externalities” so businesses and the community have the right incentives and deterrents to favour zero-carbon options. The national government will go all out to make the whole of the Chinese economy carbon-neutral by 2060. On the mainland, the whole governance... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3145436/why-hong-kong-needs-all-hands-deck-meet-climate-change-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3145436/why-hong-kong-needs-all-hands-deck-meet-climate-change-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Aug 2021 22:45:14 +0000 Air quality in Hong Kong has improved substantially, which is why it has not been a daily public complaint for some years. The mid-1990s saw a dramatic deterioration in air quality because of insufficient local control, and also as pollution increased in neighbouring Guangdong as the mainland industrialised. By last year, the local and regional air quality had improved through targeted control of local pollution sources by the Hong Kong government, and much better regional control too by the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3140984/how-hong-kong-can-take-its-2035-clean-air-plan-further?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3140984/how-hong-kong-can-take-its-2035-clean-air-plan-further?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jul 2021 00:30:14 +0000 Tiananmen, the Iraq war, Xinjiang and the Covid-19 pandemic are different issues but they have all given rise to vivid, competing accounts. At a time of severe geopolitical tension, we need, more than ever, to reflect on and review these narratives assiduously. For a generation of people worldwide, the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown defined how they saw the Chinese authorities. It was very close to home for Hong Kong because the transition from British rule to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 was just... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137563/xinjiang-genocide-claims-and-coronavirus-origins-beware-spin-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3137563/xinjiang-genocide-claims-and-coronavirus-origins-beware-spin-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jun 2021 19:30:00 +0000 China and the United States are keeping the door open for further cooperation that could include technology, industry, trade and more – albeit packaged under the urgent need to tackle climate change. Their joint statement, released on April 17 in Shanghai, provides for the two countries to “continue to discuss … concrete actions in the 2020s” to reduce climate-warming emissions over a wide range of activities. These include power generation, energy storage, grid reliability, carbon capture,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3132545/brokering-us-china-climate-cooperation-xie-zhenhua-and-john-kerry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3132545/brokering-us-china-climate-cooperation-xie-zhenhua-and-john-kerry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 May 2021 17:30:18 +0000 The world needs more diplomacy and less chest-beating. There is agreement climate change presents an existential threat to mankind. Thus, despite the wide range of disputes between the United States and China, the United Kingdom and China, and between the European Union and China, they agree they should cooperate to decarbonise substantially within the next three to four decades. Yet, the extent to which governments can work together remains an open question. The UK will play host to the UN... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3128779/us-china-summit-alaska-shows-road-fighting-climate-change-paved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3128779/us-china-summit-alaska-shows-road-fighting-climate-change-paved?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Apr 2021 22:00:12 +0000 Has 2047 arrived early for Hong Kong’s electoral politics? Having created functional constituencies to ensure safe hands would dominate the Legislative Council in the final years of British rule, the departing colonial authorities opened a few seats to direct election and infused the legislature with a sense of importance, such as by introducing governor’s question time. Beijing was willing to let Hong Kong experiment with elections then. It assumed that by 2007, a decade after the transition,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3125821/hong-kong-election-reform-beijing-demanding-loyalty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/hong-kong/article/3125821/hong-kong-election-reform-beijing-demanding-loyalty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Mar 2021 01:15:16 +0000 In the coming weeks, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po could bring his new budget to life by emphasising the key unifying factors in Hong Kong’s long-term opportunities. He is right in that the mainland market is vital to Hong Kong. After all, China is the world’s largest economy in purchasing power parity terms, and the second-largest in GDP terms after the US. Hong Kong needs to capitalise on its well-placed position. It must optimise its opportunities through focused efforts and the right... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123439/why-are-hong-kongs-vital-low-carbon-policies-missing-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3123439/why-are-hong-kongs-vital-low-carbon-policies-missing-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:45:10 +0000 The United States has rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change, a move that will become effective on February 19. This is good news for the world, and an indication for all jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, to step up. It was a huge disappointment when the previous US administration withdrew from the multilateral treaty that took years to put together. The world has a long way to go to meet the challenge of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, a goal that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119709/why-joe-biden-recommitting-us-paris-climate-accord-should-spark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119709/why-joe-biden-recommitting-us-paris-climate-accord-should-spark?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jan 2021 23:15:18 +0000 Something is in the air. China’s pledge in September to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 spurred Japan and South Korea to make similar pledges to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. Hong Kong, too, committed to being carbon neutral by 2050. The European Union is already working within that time frame, and the next United States administration under Joe Biden is expected to make a similar pledge. China has, in effect, ignited a quiet revolution in Asia. These pledges will... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3115520/asia-embraces-zero-carbon-future-hong-kong-must-make-niche-green?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3115520/asia-embraces-zero-carbon-future-hong-kong-must-make-niche-green?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Dec 2020 09:00:13 +0000 How will Hong Kong’s pro-establishment camp perform now that the opposition legislators have resigned? The camp is not uniform. Its members represent different political parties and leanings. With the opposition gone, these differences will become more obvious. Yet this is an opportunity for the remaining legislators to distinguish themselves. They need to show they are not Beijing’s stooges. They are “patriotic” in that they respect the nation, uphold the motherland’s exercise of sovereignty,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111349/whats-left-hong-kongs-legislative-council-must-show-it-can-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111349/whats-left-hong-kongs-legislative-council-must-show-it-can-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2020 22:30:13 +0000 This year has been full of surprises. Covid-19 still hangs over the world, devastating economies. Elections have been postponed because of the pandemic, including ours in Hong Kong. The coronavirus is also affecting geopolitics – and Hong Kong is in the midst of the ever-widening US-China conflict. Another major surprise was Chinese President Xi Jinping’s September 22 pledge at the United Nations General Assembly that China would achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Before then, China had never... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105528/what-chinas-carbon-neutral-pledge-means-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105528/what-chinas-carbon-neutral-pledge-means-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:30:15 +0000 China and the United States are talking past each other, causing tensions and disruptions that may lead not only to economic decoupling but also military conflict. No one should wish to see that happen. Sino-US relations have had their ups and downs since the normalisation of diplomatic ties in 1979 and things have been patched over with years of hard work and negotiations, where each side sought to protect or optimise their interests. In the recent altercations, the US narrative about China has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3101919/us-needs-better-understand-chinas-culture-and-politics-sake-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3101919/us-needs-better-understand-chinas-culture-and-politics-sake-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2020 19:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong has a unique constitutional system that blends mainland practices with the common law system. The special administrative region has many powers under the Basic Law, the local constitution, but it has had to refer matters to Beijing on occasion, the latest of which led to the resolution on August 11 by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee to extend the current term of the Hong Kong legislature by a year. While Hong Kong’s chief executive could have exercised local emergency... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3098147/its-hong-kongs-best-interests-make-its-unique-constitutional-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3098147/its-hong-kongs-best-interests-make-its-unique-constitutional-system?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2020 22:45:08 +0000 Is there a silver lining? It’s hard not to feel down. The third wave of the coronavirus has caused another cycle of restrictions in our daily activities. The ongoing US-China conflict is making things worse. Covid-19 and geopolitical tensions are major stress inducers. People know their lives are being tossed around by forces beyond their control. We are angry because we can’t have our lives back. The Hong Kong authorities overlooked the risks of exempting seafarers and aircrews from quarantine... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3095348/hong-kong-third-wave-bravery-and-innovation-will-guide-city-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3095348/hong-kong-third-wave-bravery-and-innovation-will-guide-city-through?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2020 01:15:05 +0000 Who blinked first? It doesn’t matter. The news that top Chinese and US officials, State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, met in Hawaii is good for the world. Perhaps Beijing and Washington know it’s time to dial back their altercation over issues from trade and technology to Hong Kong. Moreover, an outright divorce between the United States and China – or a decoupling of their economies – isn’t actually helpful to anyone when the two economies are so... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3089651/rather-decouple-china-and-us-must-find-ways-coexist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3089651/rather-decouple-china-and-us-must-find-ways-coexist?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2020 19:00:06 +0000 Hong Kong is a vibrant place lacking a positive story of its future. Compared to many other jurisdictions around the world, Hong Kong has done well in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic that has ravaged cities like New York and London. The government, medical experts and health care sector each played an important part in shaping and implementing policies, and the Hong Kong community has abided by restrictions for the greater good of all. The success and failure to cope has not depended on a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3085498/hong-kongs-coronavirus-success-should-help-city-craft-positive-self?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3085498/hong-kongs-coronavirus-success-should-help-city-craft-positive-self?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 May 2020 00:30:14 +0000 Covid-19 has upended the schedules for major gatherings relating to the environment. Two of the world’s most important meetings have been postponed, with new dates still to be agreed – the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD15), originally scheduled for October, and the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) originally scheduled for November. China was to host for... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3081302/how-china-and-britain-can-lead-biodiversity-and-climate-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3081302/how-china-and-britain-can-lead-biodiversity-and-climate-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2020 19:00:09 +0000 Covid-19 is forcing the world to reassess national strengths and weaknesses. This is not the time for ideological finger-pointing – it will not solve the crisis at hand. Cooperation is what will save lives and the global economy. The novel coronavirus is spreading exponentially and countries are having to respond. There is no need to argue about whether one political system is better than another. The ones that can make hard, timely decisions to roll out containment and mitigation strategies are... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3076008/no-room-coronavirus-conceit-us-or-china-world-has-its-hands-full?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3076008/no-room-coronavirus-conceit-us-or-china-world-has-its-hands-full?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2020 01:00:22 +0000 Many things have changed since 2003 when severe acute respiratory syndrome struck mainland China and Hong Kong. There was much panic then, too. With the new coronavirus, which causes the disease known as Covid-19, there has been a magnitude of change, and more change is on the horizon even as we are unsure of the longer-term impact. Hunting down diseases is about collaboration. When the then-unknown Sars reared its ugly head in 2003, the World Health Organisation activated its electronically... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051802/coronavirus-cooperation-shows-how-world-getting-better-hunting-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051802/coronavirus-cooperation-shows-how-world-getting-better-hunting-down?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2020 01:00:08 +0000 Does Beijing understand Hong Kong? This has been a perennial question from the perspective of Hongkongers. Even those trusted by Beijing – the city’s deputies to the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference –have lamented that they didn’t feel Beijing understood Hong Kong sufficiently. The new director of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong has an opportunity to keep an open mind. Luo Huining, the former Communist Party secretary of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3046847/beijings-new-man-hong-kong-must-succeed-where-others-have-failed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3046847/beijings-new-man-hong-kong-must-succeed-where-others-have-failed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2020 01:30:07 +0000 Hong Kong’s young people might ponder their future through the lens of climate change rather than the narrower “revolution of our times”. If they did, they would find the threat to be very large and real, backed by authoritative evidence, and it wouldn’t matter where they lived in the world. They, and their children, are going to be greatly affected. Their future is in the hands of the world’s major carbon emitters, which include China, the United States, the European Union, India, Russia and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3043651/hong-kongs-revolution-our-times-should-focus-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3043651/hong-kongs-revolution-our-times-should-focus-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2019 01:00:10 +0000 Winning an election on a tide of general anti-government sentiment is easy. Performing well in office will be harder. Not letting success go to one’s head might be harder still. Nevertheless, the landslide victory of pro-democracy candidates in the district council elections sends a clear message that Hong Kong people want political reform. This must be heeded by both the Hong Kong administration and Beijing. But no one should claim that the result justifies the violent protests of the past... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039226/29-million-hongkongers-have-spoken-will-carrie-lam-and-beijing-heed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039226/29-million-hongkongers-have-spoken-will-carrie-lam-and-beijing-heed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Nov 2019 22:30:11 +0000 Public sentiment is turning against radical protests. For those who suspect foreign forces are behind Hong Kong’s protests, they may conclude that a phase has ended. While the outsiders have failed to provoke Beijing into sending in the national troops, they did manage a small poke in the eye via Hong Kong in the name of “democracy and freedom” to mar China’s otherwise grand 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic. US President Donald Trump’s remarks on October 11, after China and America... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3032897/moderate-hongkongers-tired-radical-protesters-must-speak-through?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3032897/moderate-hongkongers-tired-radical-protesters-must-speak-through?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Oct 2019 22:00:06 +0000 Hong Kong’s opposition and establishment camps might not be able to bring themselves to do it, so someone else will have to. As an existential crisis engulfs the city, the political middle has a great responsibility to seize this moment and transform it into an opportunity. The middle ground in politics is usually where the majority view lies. Those who are zealous accuse moderates of being dull, timid and lacking fervour and passion. They call the political middle names like... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3026486/will-those-political-middle-please-step-forward-bridge-great-divide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3026486/will-those-political-middle-please-step-forward-bridge-great-divide?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Sep 2019 22:30:12 +0000