https://www.scmp.com/rss/15859/feed Alice Wu is a political consultant and a former associate director of the Asia Pacific Media Network at UCLA. She fell down the rabbit hole of politics aged 12, when she ran her first election campaign. She has been writing about local politics and current affairs for the Post since 2008. Alice's daily needs include her journals, books, a multi-coloured pen and several lattes. en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Alice Wu Alice Wu We can count on this administration to be quick to take credit. It took just one day for Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki to claim credit on behalf of the Hong Kong government for the impressive results of the city’s universities in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings. All 11 of Hong Kong’s ranked institutions made it into Asia’s top 500 for the first time. Five of the 11 are ranked among Asia’s top 10. The University of Hong Kong took the crown as Asia’s top... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3373538/hong-kong-must-retain-talent-its-world-class-universities-nurture https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3373538/hong-kong-must-retain-talent-its-world-class-universities-nurture Sun, 08 Nov 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu In the end, it was Winnie Ho Wing-yin, housing secretary at the time of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, who took the rap. Her resignation came after weeks of talk within political circles suggesting that bureau chiefs would not have to bear responsibility for the tragedy that killed 168 people and displaced 1,984 families. These suggestions were met with shock. Some spoke out against such talk, including Andrew Fung Wai-kwong, former information coordinator for the Chief Executive’s Office,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3372734/why-reforms-alone-wont-prevent-repeat-tai-po-fire https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3372734/why-reforms-alone-wont-prevent-repeat-tai-po-fire Mon, 02 Nov 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It’s common knowledge that Hong Kong has a spectacular skyline, especially at night. And given our current obsession with boosting tourism and other value-adding objectives, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that our tourism authorities are actively adding more light to our night skyline. The Tourism Board tried holding monthly firework and drone shows in 2024, but had to scale back after a budget cut – and amid questions of whether more frequent displays, costing the public HK$1 million... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3372057/peak-lighting-outcry-spotlights-trouble-fast-track-governance https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3372057/peak-lighting-outcry-spotlights-trouble-fast-track-governance Sun, 25 Oct 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu While celebrating the Chung Yeung Festival, we are reminded of the harvest, family reunions and the need to pay our respects to those who have departed. Spooky season is upon us, too, and Halloween is about more than just trick-or-treating. It also reminds us of the autumn harvests and those who have recently passed. The victims of the Tai Po fire – the city’s worst disaster in recent memory – are very much on our minds. The 168 lives lost and the homes ravaged as buildings burned for more than... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3371144/tai-po-fire-public-accountability-needed-honour-those-who-died https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3371144/tai-po-fire-public-accountability-needed-honour-those-who-died Mon, 19 Oct 2026 01:30:04 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, Hong Kong’s first post-handover Legislative Council president, recently dropped a political bomb. She revealed that one of her friends had been telling her that a legislature with 90 seats costs a lot more than one with 60 and that “I kind of agree with that”. The basic maths behind the statement cannot be refuted: 60 is two-thirds of 90. Even though Fan didn’t bring up the topic herself – she was asked the question by the host during a radio show – it was shocking that a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370301/if-hongkongers-support-legco-waning-it-isnt-just-lawmakers-fault https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370301/if-hongkongers-support-legco-waning-it-isnt-just-lawmakers-fault Sun, 11 Oct 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu One of Hong Kong’s top high schools made the mistake of apparently banning Cantonese from graduation videos. Only English and Mandarin were permitted, according to “language standards” issued to Form Six students. The guidelines said that if Cantonese was detected in video submissions, the audio would have to be muted and sound effects redone. A post on the matter quickly went viral last month, a backlash erupted and the authorities stepped in. Good Hope School acted swiftly, activating its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369580/hong-kong-can-speak-better-mandarin-not-expense-cantonese https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369580/hong-kong-can-speak-better-mandarin-not-expense-cantonese Mon, 05 Oct 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Love is a many-splendoured thing – except when seen through the lens of economists, apparently. Prominent economist Terence Chong Tai-leung, a Chinese University of Hong Kong associate professor, confirmed this in an address last week to the university’s New Asia College. In a speech titled “How to invest in your life?”, he basically told the female students at the event that they were wasting their time on academic achievements, since women must aim to marry for money. Don’t pursue a PhD, he... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3368803/hong-kong-professors-sexist-views-have-been-laid-bare-thats-good https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3368803/hong-kong-professors-sexist-views-have-been-laid-bare-thats-good Sun, 27 Sep 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu For the first time, Hong Kong’s chief executive rolled out his policy address together with a five-year plan for the city. The much anticipated release of these two supremely important documents – the final policy address of John Lee Ka-chiu’s current term as well as the first five-year blueprint in the city’s history – cements a road map for Hong Kong for the next five years. There were few surprises, although there shouldn’t have been. By combining the consultations for the five-year plan and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367992/hong-kongs-five-year-plan-plays-it-too-safe https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367992/hong-kongs-five-year-plan-plays-it-too-safe Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results are out and unfortunately for the Education Bureau, Hong Kong’s performance looks bad. Is this the outcome of not learning from the last assessment? In the 2022 Pisa assessment, a metric for creative thinking was introduced to measure the ability to generate, evaluate, improve and communicate ideas, as well as social and scientific problem-solving. Hong Kong scored below the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367209/will-hong-kongs-educators-learn-sliding-pisa-results https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367209/will-hong-kongs-educators-learn-sliding-pisa-results Sun, 13 Sep 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The vast majority of Hong Kong’s students are back in school now. With traffic expected to be horrendous last week, it was good that the government sounded the warning early, urging residents to allow more time for their morning commute. The government did more than that, actually. The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre was working at its highest operational tier at 6.30am on September 1 to monitor and coordinate public transport and traffic flow. Deployment of staff on the ground ensured... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3366393/hong-kongs-local-schools-should-not-have-brace-worst https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3366393/hong-kongs-local-schools-should-not-have-brace-worst Mon, 07 Sep 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong, a city of overachievers, especially when it comes to the young, is also filled with children who take to social media early. Almost 35 per cent of kindergarten pupils log at least one hour of recreational screen time daily. By the junior forms, 60 per cent exceed the international two-hour daily limit. The time children spend on screens creates friction at home, accounting for 85.5 per cent of family disputes. Governments must look into whether they are adequately protecting children... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3365616/dont-leave-hong-kong-parents-their-own-devices-child-social-media-use https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3365616/dont-leave-hong-kong-parents-their-own-devices-child-social-media-use Mon, 31 Aug 2026 01:30:11 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Two years after the Audit Commission called out Hongkong Post for its lack of profitability and other failings, the postmaster finally moved to fix a structural expense: staff costs. But the audit report probably wasn’t the main catalyst for change. Rather, it was the fact the government had to ask the Legislative Council for a HK$4.6 billion (US$510 million) bailout to keep Hongkong Post operating for the next three years that forced the postmaster to act. The crisis facing the city’s postal... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3364788/hongkong-post-should-focus-public-service-not-profit https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3364788/hongkong-post-should-focus-public-service-not-profit Sun, 23 Aug 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It made perfect sense for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to hold public consultations on both the city’s first five-year plan and the last policy address of his current term at the same time. Many have been putting forward views that warrant serious consideration. It is clear that Lee needs to be bolder when it comes to the “new chapter” he promised in 2022 when he was elected. The Northern Metropolis is only one part of the city’s transformation; his coming policy address must lay... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3364074/how-has-john-lees-promise-new-chapter-hong-kong-held https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3364074/how-has-john-lees-promise-new-chapter-hong-kong-held Mon, 17 Aug 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Something unexpected happened at the town hall meeting held a week ago to gather public opinion on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and the coming policy address. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu spoke about the need to upgrade the city’s urban management systems. Our results-oriented, reform-focused chief executive seems to be ready for another colossal task. Lee began his term with plans to reform policy bureau operations, introducing key performance indicators and additional... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3363309/john-lee-right-about-local-governance-now-he-must-deliver https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3363309/john-lee-right-about-local-governance-now-he-must-deliver Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Exploring new channels for connection is important for enhancing communication. That seems to be one of the major themes of the first “new style Legco dialogue” with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, held last week after lawmakers returned from their study trip to Beijing. Legislative Council members were clearly eager to share ideas with Lee, beginning with suggesting that the city’s 1823 public inquiry and complaint hotline be revamped and modelled after Beijing’s 12345 complaints... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3362534/legco-executive-dialogue-must-deliver-more-novelty-hong-kong https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3362534/legco-executive-dialogue-must-deliver-more-novelty-hong-kong Sun, 02 Aug 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Eighty per cent of success is showing up, as they say. So, all but one of Hong Kong’s 89 legislators joining a week-long “national affairs study visit” to Beijing made a good impression. Lawmaker Stanley Ng Chau-pei called it a “groundbreaking opportunity” for legislators to study and deepen their understanding of national conditions. Showing up eager to learn and to better grasp how Hong Kong can play a more proactive role in national development is indeed commendable. The legislature had... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3361741/hong-kongs-lawmakers-dont-need-be-coddled https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3361741/hong-kongs-lawmakers-dont-need-be-coddled Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong has come out on top again, but not in a good way. After earning the distinction of having the highest petrol prices in the world, we have again been named the world’s priciest residential property market in the “Mapping the World’s Prices” report released by Deutsche Bank. We managed to keep our top spot despite a 10 per cent drop in property prices from pre-pandemic levels. Naturally, this is not something Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will be blowing his horn about. Generations of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3360921/hong-kong-doing-enough-lose-its-top-spot-expensive-housing https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3360921/hong-kong-doing-enough-lose-its-top-spot-expensive-housing Mon, 20 Jul 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The government has a lot on its plate right now, especially with public consultations under way for the chief executive’s last policy address of his current term and for the city’s first five-year plan. But there is an urgent matter it must address as soon as possible. The resignation of William Wong Kam-fai from the Legislative Council means there is a vacant seat for the Election Committee constituency. There should not be any delays in filling the seat. The longer the government stays silent... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3360078/why-hong-kong-must-fill-seat-vacated-lawmaker-promptly https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3360078/why-hong-kong-must-fill-seat-vacated-lawmaker-promptly Mon, 13 Jul 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It’s unfortunate for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu that his speech on July 1 marking the 29th anniversary of the handover and highlighting his government’s achievements may have been overshadowed by the outcry over an anti-drug video – or at least what was intended as one. The Correctional Services Department released the video, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), on June 26 before having to pull it twice, ahead of the anniversary. The video – featuring an appealing K-pop... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3359325/anti-drug-video-fiasco-not-vote-confidence-hong-kongs-ai-goals https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3359325/anti-drug-video-fiasco-not-vote-confidence-hong-kongs-ai-goals Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The public consultation for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s last policy address of his current term is under way. Will he, for example, listen to the people about whether the baby bonus, one of the initiatives aimed at raising the birth rate and which is set to expire in October, should continue? Lee did say in an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post that his government plans to “collect wisdom” before deciding. According to the chief executive, Hong Kong experienced a 10 per... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3358439/boost-birth-rate-hong-kong-needs-deliver-quality-housing https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3358439/boost-birth-rate-hong-kong-needs-deliver-quality-housing Mon, 29 Jun 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Last week, Xia Baolong, Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, made a two-day trip to the city to review the Hong Kong government’s progress across many areas. Everything seems to have been orchestrated with precision. Ahead of Xia’s arrival, the government launched its two-month public consultation on the city’s first five-year plan. The day after Xia concluded his visit, the government released its 200-plus page report on the impact of its targeted poverty alleviation... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3357680/moving-goalposts-wont-fix-sources-hong-kong-poverty https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3357680/moving-goalposts-wont-fix-sources-hong-kong-poverty Mon, 22 Jun 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu I’m still reeling from last week’s tragedy in Hong Kong: a mother and her 12-year-old daughter lost their lives to suicide within hours of each other reportedly following an argument about “education problems”. While the causes of suicide are complex, the incident should prompt reflection within the education system. For years, many have tried to point out the impact academic pressure without adequate support has on students’ mental health. We have also noted the effect on teachers and parents.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356922/pursuit-academic-excellence-hong-kong-shouldnt-be-deadly-race https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356922/pursuit-academic-excellence-hong-kong-shouldnt-be-deadly-race Mon, 15 Jun 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Educators have received quite a bit of unwanted attention lately. First came a Hong Kong school principal losing his temper during a study trip in Singapore over parking a coach bus. The man was caught on camera hurling abusive language at security guards in the presence of a busload of students. That lapse of judgment was met with a stern response. The principal eventually tendered his resignation and apologised, admitting his error and trying to use it as his last lesson to his students. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356121/teachers-behaving-badly-should-prompt-reflection-hong-kong https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356121/teachers-behaving-badly-should-prompt-reflection-hong-kong Mon, 08 Jun 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It’s that time of the year again – tax season, so don’t forget to fill out your return. It’s also the time of the year when the Hong Kong government decides on pay rises for its civil service staff of over 170,000. There’s a well-established system for deciding on pay rises. It includes the pay trend survey submitted to the government last week. Its preliminary results indicate that civil servants are in line for wage increases of 4.12 per cent for senior civil servants, 2.64 per cent for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355319/who-benefits-significant-improvement-hong-kongs-finances https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355319/who-benefits-significant-improvement-hong-kongs-finances Mon, 01 Jun 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The Reverend Canon Peter Douglas Koon Ho-ming was blunt when he said, “Once there are no political issues, everything in Hong Kong is a livelihood issue.” He was also correct. Housing is this city’s biggest livelihood issue. It is also the hardest to tackle by far. The current administration has probably done more in this area than previous ones. Since Beijing’s top official for Hong Kong affairs Xia Baolong directly called for the eradication of subdivided flats and cage homes in 2021, the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3354541/hong-kong-housing-small-shoebox-flat-wins-not-enough-fix-big-issues https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3354541/hong-kong-housing-small-shoebox-flat-wins-not-enough-fix-big-issues Tue, 26 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong’s government will launch a consultation exercise on the city’s first five-year plan next month. The plan is set to be released before the end of the year. It’s a monumental task. Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank and former head of the government’s now-defunct Central Policy Unit, has warned as much, saying: “It took years for local governments on the mainland to master the research and strategic thinking... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353760/my-way-or-highway-no-way-make-informed-policy-hong-kong https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353760/my-way-or-highway-no-way-make-informed-policy-hong-kong Mon, 18 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu You can’t buy happiness, they say. But we “buy” dopamine fixes all the time. Just whip out the smartphone and we easily go down that rabbit hole of endless doom scrolling, falling into the addictive trap of instant gratification, chasing likes, shares, comments and followers as rewards. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in our experience of pleasure, focus, reward and motivation. It propels us to put in effort, devote time and feel good about our achievements. Before the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3352904/hong-kong-right-move-extend-long-arm-law-claw-machines https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3352904/hong-kong-right-move-extend-long-arm-law-claw-machines Mon, 11 May 2026 01:30:05 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Congratulations to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po for getting the city’s budget to sail through the Legislative Council. It wasn’t always such smooth sailing and Chan would do well to acknowledge as much. When Chan was first given the keys to the city’s coffers, they were full. Successive financial secretaries faced political pressure of a very different kind. There weren’t many issues that opposing parties saw eye to eye on. However, accusing the government of hoarding cash and not giving... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3352150/paul-chan-should-welcome-lawmakers-budget-scrutiny-not-dismiss-it https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3352150/paul-chan-should-welcome-lawmakers-budget-scrutiny-not-dismiss-it Mon, 04 May 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Kudos to the Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan for introducing a two-tier civil service accountability system. This will include giving an independent statutory body, the Public Service Commission, powers to investigate “widespread, repetitive and systemic” management problems, while department heads can investigate problems involving rank-and-file officers. To many, the revamp of the civil service accountability system is long overdue. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351331/hong-kongs-civil-service-accountability-system-will-end-buck-passing-mentality https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351331/hong-kongs-civil-service-accountability-system-will-end-buck-passing-mentality Mon, 27 Apr 2026 01:30:21 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong’s government is under mounting pressure to deliver the Northern Metropolis, announced in 2021, as it approaches the end of its term – less than 15 months and counting. The megaproject, to turn 30,000 hectares (74,132 acres) near the border with mainland China into a centre of international innovation and technology, is to be an engine to drive the city’s economic growth and housing – and the gem of its economic integration with the mainland. We are pressed for time. Beijing has long... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350491/why-northern-metropolis-needs-more-one-big-push https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350491/why-northern-metropolis-needs-more-one-big-push Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu visited one of the schools offering free after-school care for low-income families last month. After receiving positive feedback from participants, he pledged to extend the programme to benefit more families. Lee said it had helped promote family harmony, with children also reporting “positive development in both academic and social aspects”. There’s little doubt we should celebrate victories, however small, but it is equally important to examine... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3349609/education-equality-hong-kong-policymakers-must-do-their-homework https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3349609/education-equality-hong-kong-policymakers-must-do-their-homework Sun, 12 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades concluded the first round of hearings last week. It is essential that we get to the bottom of the human and systemic errors that led to the Tai Po inferno. There were many, as anticipated. Fragmentation of responsibility was rampant, which is probably expected for projects of this size with so many parties involved. If the government isn’t there to make sure that things are done properly, monitor and enforce the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348966/tai-po-fire-hearings-reveal-broken-promises-hongkongers https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348966/tai-po-fire-hearings-reveal-broken-promises-hongkongers Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Last week, a friend and I chatted about our children’s favourite art pieces after happening upon an auction house’s exhibition in a building in the heart of Hong Kong’s business district. We both recalled stopping to look at Yayoi Kusama’s Mount Fuji prints. “I pass by the space twice every day,” my friend said. She told me that my son’s pick – a piece by Sam Francis – was a new installation, replacing what had been a display of handbags. How often do we pause to notice art, or enjoy life in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348095/hong-kong-can-draw-art-marchs-success-keeping-it-authentic https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348095/hong-kong-can-draw-art-marchs-success-keeping-it-authentic Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:30:11 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu “What if?” and “but why?” are questions I’ve been bombarded with by young schoolchildren. I’m often stumped, but I’ve learned to avoid giving the “worst” answer possible – “that’s the way it is” – because who’s to say things can’t change. Children’s ability to challenge the status quo, questioning norms and authority, forces us to re-examine our assumptions on why things must be the way they are. Adults are often too impatient to experiment with the alternative. We rush through our to-do lists... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347350/hong-kongs-education-policy-must-reflect-innovative-future-it-seeks https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347350/hong-kongs-education-policy-must-reflect-innovative-future-it-seeks Sun, 22 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu After the annual “two sessions” in Beijing, it’s clear that Hong Kong policymakers have their work cut out for them. It has been made abundantly clear what is expected of Hong Kong: stop messing around and get on with the national programme. Hong Kong is part of the nation’s plans to move forward. The country knows exactly where the city fits into the big picture, how it can catapult growth in key areas and play the role of superconnector between China and the rest of the world. The 15th... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346468/mainland-style-oversight-system-could-help-legco-deliver https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346468/mainland-style-oversight-system-could-help-legco-deliver Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The annual “two sessions” in Beijing are under way, and this year the annual ritual of reading tea leaves in this city has been made easier for politics watchers. That is because Beijing has been blunt about the problems it thinks our city faces. There is the usual praise for the Hong Kong government and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s leadership. One striking difference is that Premier Li Qiang included in his annual work report, delivered at the opening session of the National People’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345732/beijings-message-clear-hong-kong-must-shape-and-speed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345732/beijings-message-clear-hong-kong-must-shape-and-speed Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong hit a record low in births last year despite a range of government incentives, including a HK$20,000 (US$2,560) baby cash bonus for new parents launched in 2023. Just 31,714 babies were born last year. This might have come as a surprise for the authorities, which had projected a rise to 39,000 births. So was the baby bonus worth the try? Yes, if we can draw insight from the experience. To be fair, it wasn’t the only thing the government had done to encourage babies. It rolled out tax... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344937/hong-kong-cant-raise-its-birth-rate-without-easing-education-stress https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344937/hong-kong-cant-raise-its-birth-rate-without-easing-education-stress Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Maybe it’s because we are riding on the euphoria of good fortune and luck that is associated with the celebration of the Lunar New Year that there hasn’t been much of the noise that we usually hear ahead of the annual budget speech. Typically, the weeks leading up to the speech are filled with groups petitioning and suggesting how the government should be spending its money. Could it be because the start of the Lenten season is coinciding with that of Ramadan? Are we tempered to be less selfish... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344158/hong-kongs-budget-must-help-those-who-need-it-most https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3344158/hong-kongs-budget-must-help-those-who-need-it-most Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu We are ready to head into the Year of the Horse. But, before we do, let’s take stock of what the Year of the Snake brought Hong Kong. Some say the Year of the Snake is all about change and not meant to be comfortable. For Hong Kong, the past year has been a difficult one of shedding skin, baring our vulnerabilities for all to see. Just weeks into the Year of the Snake, Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, Xia Baolong, made inspection visits, reinforcing the central government’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343484/government-must-reflect-its-failures-we-enter-year-horse https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343484/government-must-reflect-its-failures-we-enter-year-horse Mon, 16 Feb 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu To err is human. But when an error funnels through a system that has safeguards, the error is supposed to be caught and rectified. Checks and balances are written into the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution. Hong Kong has an executive-led system, which means it is the executive branch’s job to formulate and implement policies, as well as “draft and introduce bills, motions and subordinate legislation”. The legislature’s job is “to enact, amend or repeal laws”. Therefore, lawmakers are the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342674/bus-seat-belt-fiasco-proves-good-governance-requires-more-efficiency https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342674/bus-seat-belt-fiasco-proves-good-governance-requires-more-efficiency Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu People generally don’t like change. But if you have ever had to take the worst seat on a bus – lower deck, last row, middle seat – then you would have probably put on the seat belt to avoid being catapulted down the aisle should the driver slam on the brakes. And if you’re on the upper deck and the only available seats are in the front row, then again, you would buckle up, to avoid going through the window in an accident. A responsible person would wear a seat belt when sitting anywhere in the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3341855/seat-belt-u-turn-hong-kong-another-case-ill-fitting-policy https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3341855/seat-belt-u-turn-hong-kong-another-case-ill-fitting-policy Mon, 02 Feb 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong has ambitious plans to become an international higher education hub. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced as much in his policy address. We are home to top-ranked universities, and the plan seems on track. But are we really preparing our children for these education ambitions? Are we equipping them to join our top-ranked universities? If you ask those running our secondary schools – more specifically, subsidised schools – they would probably say we aren’t doing enough. The... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3341053/be-education-hub-hong-kong-must-first-do-better-its-children https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3341053/be-education-hub-hong-kong-must-first-do-better-its-children Mon, 26 Jan 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The dust has settled on the election of the Legislative Council president, and committees and panels have settled into the new Legco. Most, it seems, are ready to hit the ground running. First on the agenda: dealing with the aftermath of the Tai Po fire. The more immediate matters involve the rebuilding of a community that has lost so much. Equally pressing are the long-standing issues laid bare by the tragic fire that demand the government fix the entire building sector. Consultations with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3340199/policy-blowback-shows-why-hong-kong-lawmakers-must-play-bigger-role https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3340199/policy-blowback-shows-why-hong-kong-lawmakers-must-play-bigger-role Mon, 19 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu If Hong Kong’s Transport Department couldn’t see that road signs needed to be at eye level when it opened the Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass, it makes sense that it couldn’t anticipate the increased demand for test-free driving licences with the launch of the southbound travel scheme. Under the scheme, drivers of Guangdong vehicles can enter via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge to either park at a designated car park – transferring to the airport for a flight or to local... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339383/hong-kongs-driving-licence-bottlenecks-undermine-its-car-travel-scheme https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339383/hong-kongs-driving-licence-bottlenecks-undermine-its-car-travel-scheme Mon, 12 Jan 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu swore in the new Legislative Council on January 1 without issue, even though a few lawmakers had to redo their oaths. And the first order of business for them is to elect the council president in a vote expected on January 8. Whether Lee’s message to Legco members – calling on them to be “representatives of the public”, and to prioritise the interests of the nation and Hong Kong over personal political gain and glory – is heard and how they interpret... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338553/starry-lee-or-ronick-chan-lawmakers-choice-will-reveal-their-priorities https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338553/starry-lee-or-ronick-chan-lawmakers-choice-will-reveal-their-priorities Mon, 05 Jan 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass has finally opened. That is no doubt welcome news to commuters heading west to east across Kowloon, with travel time cut from 30 minutes to just five. That is definitely something to celebrate. We still need to wait for the Kowloon Bay section to open in 2026 to complete the bypass, but Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan hailed the project as a testament to the “Hong Kong spirit”, given the complex construction process. While the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337804/hong-kongs-lack-direction-goes-beyond-road-signs https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337804/hong-kongs-lack-direction-goes-beyond-road-signs Mon, 29 Dec 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Who would have thought the Egyptian exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum would be so popular? Art and relics from ancient Egypt are fascinating, of course. And the collection of over 200 treasured pieces, from seven major Egyptian museums and an archaeological site, gives us a glimpse into a very different world, reaching back into a mystical time when the ancient Egyptian civilisation flourished. But who would have thought the exhibition would draw the crowds it did when it opened last... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337114/frenzy-around-hong-kong-palace-museums-egyptian-show-offers-food-thought https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337114/frenzy-around-hong-kong-palace-museums-egyptian-show-offers-food-thought Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:30:12 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The dust has settled and Hong Kong’s eighth Legislative Council is getting ready, with new lawmakers finding their way. There were quite a few surprises, looking at the results. With many new candidates and political groups vying for seats, the contest for the directly elected geographical constituencies was highly competitive. Some candidates were fielded by groups with strongholds in the trade-based functional constituencies, which are indirectly elected. That is something we should welcome.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336253/hong-kongs-political-parties-are-embracing-change-better https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336253/hong-kongs-political-parties-are-embracing-change-better Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:30:17 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong has now elected members to the new Legislative Council. Despite the temporary suspension of campaigning work and candidate debates after the Tai Po fire broke out, the polls were held as planned to avert a constitutional crisis. It was a tough decision to make. The official mourning period may have ended on December 1, but hearts remain heavy. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu emphasised the need to “move forward” when it came to holding the election on schedule. He argued that he needs... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335403/after-hong-kong-fire-new-lawmakers-will-have-hit-ground-runnning https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335403/after-hong-kong-fire-new-lawmakers-will-have-hit-ground-runnning Mon, 08 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Hong Kong is going through one of its most difficult times in recent history. From what we have seen of the communities coming together for Tai Po, where the worst fire in decades ripped through a residential block leaving devastation that is almost unimaginable, there is hope that we will come out of this stronger. The loss of lives, including that of a firefighter, and homes that residents have spent decades making is crushing. It will take a good deal of time for those affected to fully... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334533/tai-po-fire-tragedy-brings-out-true-meaning-community https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334533/tai-po-fire-tragedy-brings-out-true-meaning-community Mon, 01 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000