https://www.scmp.com/rss/16184/feed Mike Rowse has lived in Hong Kong since 1972, and is a naturalised Chinese citizen. He spent six years in the ICAC from 1974 to 1980, then 28 years in the government as an administrative officer until retirement in December 2008. He hosts a radio talk show, writes regularly for both English and Chinese media and lectures occasionally at different local universities. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mike Rowse Mike Rowse The HK$2 (US$0.26) transport fare scheme for the elderly is one of Hong Kong’s most socially significant success stories. But some of the recent changes, and further ones contemplated, seem to be rowing in a different direction. We need to pause and take stock before we inadvertently undo some of our good work. In the process, we should also take the chance to ensure the long-term affordability of the scheme. The subsidy scheme was introduced in 2012 after an announcement in the 2011 policy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348958/hong-kong-must-not-undo-good-work-its-hk2-transport-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348958/hong-kong-must-not-undo-good-work-its-hk2-transport-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:30:09 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse It was entirely by chance that I attended the first Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament 50 years ago. It has been a priority annual event for me every year since. I was living in the old government quarters site at Leighton Hill at the time (later sold and now a luxury residential development) when a neighbour encouraged me to go. He had attended at the Football Club stadium just down the hill from us on the Saturday, really enjoyed it, and persuaded me to join him on the Sunday. Having nothing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348092/trip-down-memory-lane-how-hong-kong-sevens-has-evolved-world-class-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348092/trip-down-memory-lane-how-hong-kong-sevens-has-evolved-world-class-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse I am not sure everyone in Hong Kong has taken fully on board the breadth and depth of the city’s intended role in the future economic development of the nation. It is right there in the budget speech delivered by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, and it is being fleshed out in the 15th five-year plan now under discussion in Beijing. Sometimes the things that are presented most prominently are the ones most easily overlooked. In an early part of the speech, Chan stated that the government’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345672/hong-kong-doubles-down-innovation-hongkongers-must-too?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345672/hong-kong-doubles-down-innovation-hongkongers-must-too?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse We live in an interesting time. It has become clear that many Hong Kong couples would rather have a pet than a child. Small families are now the norm: a 2022 survey by the Family Planning Association showed that childless families made up 43.2 per cent of the population, followed by one-child families at 27.4 per cent and two-child families at 25.2 per cent. Anyone still in doubt would have done well to attend the recent Hong Kong Pet Show, which attracted around 370,000 visitors over the four... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342563/so-what-if-some-countries-have-fewer-babies-and-shrinking-populations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342563/so-what-if-some-countries-have-fewer-babies-and-shrinking-populations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 21:30:15 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse The reason ordinary Hongkongers acted so swiftly and generously to help the victims of the Tai Po fire is that they understood instinctively just what a traumatic effect the tragedy must have had on their fellow citizens. The loss of the family home would arouse the deepest emotions at any time. In circumstances where the loss was sudden, not the fault of the individuals themselves and accompanied by the deaths of scores of neighbours, the feelings would be particularly intense. There is a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3340956/refurbish-or-rebuild-hong-kongs-housing-renewal-must-put-residents-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3340956/refurbish-or-rebuild-hong-kongs-housing-renewal-must-put-residents-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse When he sits down later this month to finalise the budget for the coming financial year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will have some positive news in his pocket to balance against the many calls for additional spending. As some of those new demands are likely to be expensive and compelling, he will need all the help he can get. First, the good news. Hong Kong is heading for a surplus in public finances. In his 2025 budget, Chan forecast a deficit on the consolidated operating account of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339281/why-hong-kong-must-resist-pressure-loosen-budget-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339281/why-hong-kong-must-resist-pressure-loosen-budget-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse There are matters we need to sort out quickly arising from the Tai Po fire tragedy but also systemic issues that need to be tackled if we are to avoid a repeat of the disaster. The fact is that Hong Kong faces two sorts of ageing problems: old buildings and the old people who live in them. Sometimes they overlap. Hong Kong is inevitably a high-rise city, because so many people are crammed into a relatively limited land area. If you can’t build out, you build up. Since we have been developing... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337832/hong-kong-must-tackle-long-term-problem-building-maintenance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337832/hong-kong-must-tackle-long-term-problem-building-maintenance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse One way or another, the aftermath of the tragic Tai Po fire is going to dominate Hong Kong’s political life throughout the coming year, possibly for the whole of the new Legislative Council term. In the closing stages of the recently completed election, candidates pledged their support for recovery efforts. There is no reason to doubt them as every politician knows that the campaign for the next election effectively begins as soon as votes have been counted in the last one. The whole community... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336080/transparency-accountability-essential-after-tai-po-fire-hong-kong-heals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336080/transparency-accountability-essential-after-tai-po-fire-hong-kong-heals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse The recent flurry of sporting events has thrown up a number of aspects which I found particularly inspiring. With much of the media focus on China’s 15th National Games naturally on the sporting contests, less attention was paid to the fact that the event could only have been successfully organised with the support of local volunteers. The Agency for Volunteer Service appealed for help in marshalling competitors and spectators, and tens of thousands of ordinary Hongkongers applied. The target... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334397/sporting-passion-hongkongers-inspiration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334397/sporting-passion-hongkongers-inspiration?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Anyone who believes Hong Kong does not have a serious screen addiction problem just isn’t paying attention. According to research by the NGO Look Up Hong Kong, more than half of our children aged 6-10 years already own a smartphone. The figure rises to 98 per cent for those aged 14 and above. A 2023 survey by the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association found that children spend an average of 32 hours per week on electronic devices for leisure. The Look Up Hong Kong survey found that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331094/hong-kong-needs-tackle-its-screen-addiction-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331094/hong-kong-needs-tackle-its-screen-addiction-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse I think we should be bracing ourselves for a wave of disgruntled legislative councillors, and it might not end there. If a Legislative Council stalwart goes out the door, could an Executive Council heavyweight be far behind? Every day seems to bring news of another of our 89 legislative councillors not seeking re-election this year, with more than a dozen already pulling out of the race. In some instances, the legislator claims plausibly to wish to pursue other career or life objectives. That... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3329422/why-hong-kong-must-not-be-hasty-seeing-its-silver-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3329422/why-hong-kong-must-not-be-hasty-seeing-its-silver-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Oct 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Alarm and despondency could spread through Hong Kong’s civil service in the coming weeks as the significance of last month’s policy address begins to sink in. The proposal to introduce a heads of department accountability system and make other changes to performance assessment methodology is a real game changer. Despite ritual praise of our 170,000 officials as “an outstanding team”, it is clear Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu feels there is considerable scope for improvement in management, and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327657/will-new-accountability-system-be-fair-hong-kongs-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327657/will-new-accountability-system-be-fair-hong-kongs-civil-servants?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse The decision by a majority of legislative councillors to vote down the same-sex partnerships bill has been presented by officials as some kind of triumph for the system of government. In fact, it sets us on the road to a slow-burning loss of credibility about our commitment to the rule of law. A total of 71 members voted against the bill earlier this month, with just 14 in favour and one abstention. The outcome was widely reported in the overseas media, most directly highlighting that this was a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326084/government-has-failed-lgbt-hongkongers-over-same-sex-partnership-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326084/government-has-failed-lgbt-hongkongers-over-same-sex-partnership-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Sep 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong should be very concerned about the recent flurry of cases involving misbehaviour in the construction industry. It would be too easy to write them off as isolated incidents when they could just as easily be straw in the wind, indicating a serious underlying malaise. One high-profile case is the Anderson Road quarry redevelopment by CK Asset Holdings. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested 10 suspects earlier this year for allegedly paying or receiving bribes in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324375/hong-kong-cant-let-its-construction-sector-be-captured-bad-actors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324375/hong-kong-cant-let-its-construction-sector-be-captured-bad-actors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse I apologise if this offends anyone, but I feel obliged to ask if Hong Kong has become a city of wusses. Do we really have to close down much of the city every time there’s excessive rain? The three-tier system Hong Kong has for rainstorm warnings – comprising amber, red and black – is useful for alerting the community to the likely intensity of rainfall, but I really have to ask if it is still suitable as a guide for whether people should go to work or be expected to do so. Hong Kong recently... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3321227/hong-kong-going-let-extreme-weather-rain-productivity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3321227/hong-kong-going-let-extreme-weather-rain-productivity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Aug 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse News that the government has withdrawn tenders for two sites to speed up development of the Northern Metropolis comes as Hong Kong is still celebrating the anniversaries of various economic initiatives from a previous era. There could not be a better illustration of the changes in the city’s approach to economic development. On Monday, the Development Bureau announced that it was withdrawing from two sites that had previously been open to private sector bidders. A three-hectare lot in Yuen Long... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319377/will-hong-kong-governments-more-hands-approach-development-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319377/will-hong-kong-governments-more-hands-approach-development-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse I hope I’m not upsetting anyone’s plans for a relaxing summer, but I think the Hong Kong government should start urgently on a bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. We can do it, cities within the Greater Bay Area need it and competitors are already lining up. The Summer Olympics have been held 20 times since resuming after the Second World War. The locations of the next two games, in 2028 and 2032, have already been determined. Hosting the Olympics is a fair reflection of a city’s financial... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3317725/hong-kong-should-seek-olympic-gold-bid-2036-summer-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3317725/hong-kong-should-seek-olympic-gold-bid-2036-summer-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 05:15:07 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse This week marks the third anniversary of John Lee Ka-chiu taking up the office of chief executive, with just two years to go in the current term. I wonder if we are getting close to a sensible resolution of Hong Kong’s taxi/hired car situation. Though I am an optimist, on the basis of past form, I find it difficult to be confident. After all, 2025 also marks the 11th anniversary of Uber setting up in Hong Kong. Yet here we are – two Hong Kong chief executives have come and gone, and a company... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3315944/so-hong-kong-has-pledged-legalise-ride-hailing-dont-hold-your-breath?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3315944/so-hong-kong-has-pledged-legalise-ride-hailing-dont-hold-your-breath?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has invited international students worried about finishing their courses at Harvard University in the US to continue their studies at one of Hong Kong’s universities. Other universities in Malaysia and Japan have put forward similar suggestions. This comes as Hong Kong is considering how to make best use of the part of the Northern Metropolis reserved for universities to bolster its role as an education hub. That site is at the heart of our future technology... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3314133/how-harvard-international-could-boost-hong-kong-education-hub?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3314133/how-harvard-international-could-boost-hong-kong-education-hub?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Jun 2025 09:30:09 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong could be in for another bout of “what will happen to us in …”, only with 2047 replacing 1997. I say this after attending a farewell presentation by activist investor David Webb last week. For many years, Webb has worked on a pro bono basis to improve public knowledge of business issues. Towards the end of his fireside chat at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Webb asked which legal system would apply in Hong Kong after 2047 and whether our law students should continue to study the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3310590/lets-dispel-any-doubts-now-over-hong-kongs-post-2047-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3310590/lets-dispel-any-doubts-now-over-hong-kongs-post-2047-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 May 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse What is Hong Kong’s answer to Singapore’s Economic Development Board or the mainland’s National Development and Reform Commission? We don’t really have an exact equivalent, perhaps in keeping with our historical stance on the economy, in which the private sector takes the lead and the government role is to facilitate and support. However, in an integrated global economy thrown into turmoil by US President Donald Trump’s tariff war, a lack of proper government oversight seems less... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3308805/hong-kongs-economic-strategy-fit-changing-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3308805/hong-kongs-economic-strategy-fit-changing-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 May 2025 08:30:08 +0000 How is the ordinary person supposed to react to the chain of events set in motion by the launch of US President Donald Trump’s tariff war? We are being bombarded daily by a string of extraordinary headlines for which nothing in our experience could have prepared us. Trump has bragged in public about the number of foreign leaders “calling us up, kissing my ass”. Canadians, some of the nicest people on the planet, have been stirred to fury and are boycotting any product made in or associated with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3307030/how-should-hongkongers-react-being-dragged-trumps-tariff-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3307030/how-should-hongkongers-react-being-dragged-trumps-tariff-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Apr 2025 08:30:08 +0000 I have been a regular at the Hong Kong Sevens ever since the inaugural event in 1976. Last month’s tournament at Kai Tak Sports Park was my fourth different venue. I still remember that afternoon almost a half-century ago, walking down from my Happy Valley flat to the old Hong Kong Football Club stadium on Sports Road at the suggestion of a neighbour to watch the matches being played. I was immediately hooked and have attended every year since, pandemics permitting. Not surprisingly as it grew... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3305083/hong-kongs-new-stadium-doesnt-need-mega-events-just-great-sports-fixtures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3305083/hong-kongs-new-stadium-doesnt-need-mega-events-just-great-sports-fixtures?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Apr 2025 01:30:07 +0000 I apologise for returning so soon to the subject of Hong Kong’s public finances. However, I still don’t think the population at large, and in particular, our Legislative Council members, have fully grasped the extent of our present difficulties. Part of the reason is a presentational issue. The operating account is reported on a cash basis, literally cash in and cash out. This includes what is happening on a fiscal basis but also brings in all sorts of extraneous items that can obscure the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3303111/how-hong-kong-can-dig-itself-out-recurring-deficits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3303111/how-hong-kong-can-dig-itself-out-recurring-deficits?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Mar 2025 08:30:09 +0000 The concessionary HK$2 transport fare scheme for the elderly and persons with disabilities began life with clear objectives and manageable costs. It was well intentioned and made a meaningful difference to the lives of the intended beneficiaries. Unfortunately, it then lost focus, was extended to hundreds of thousands of less deserving individuals and the costs rose exponentially. Hence the attempt in this year’s budget to rein the scheme in and bring the costs under control. However the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301469/just-move-hong-kongs-hk2-transport-fare-qualifying-age-back-65?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301469/just-move-hong-kongs-hk2-transport-fare-qualifying-age-back-65?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po faces the greatest challenge of his career to date: development of the Northern Metropolis in general, and the financing of it in particular. Everyone who wishes our city well must hope he can rise to the occasion. It now seems accepted by all parties that Hong Kong’s future growth revolves around turning a large part of the northern New Territories into a giant economic powerhouse and housing hub, with a strong technological component. There are no detailed... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3299469/funding-northern-metropolis-will-be-big-test-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3299469/funding-northern-metropolis-will-be-big-test-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Like millions of other people around the world, we celebrated Lunar New Year with a family gathering. Three generations were present, all the main strands of the family sat around the dinner table and lucky money packets were exchanged. There were some distinctive Hong Kong-type aspects. Most of those attending the celebration now live overseas, and the dinner itself was at an excellent Chinese restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia. For language you had a choice of Cantonese, Mandarin or... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3297611/time-ask-if-non-residents-should-have-hong-kong-healthcare-access?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3297611/time-ask-if-non-residents-should-have-hong-kong-healthcare-access?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Feb 2025 08:30:08 +0000 In the eight-and-a-half years that I led InvestHK, the major factor we always put front and centre in our pitch to potential foreign investors was Hong Kong’s legal system: rule of law, use of common law, innocent until proven guilty in criminal cases, respect for private property rights including intellectual property, enforceability of contracts and so on, all administered by an independent judiciary. In our annual opinion surveys asking foreign companies why they had set up here and what they... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3296193/why-hong-kong-need-not-get-defensive-about-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3296193/why-hong-kong-need-not-get-defensive-about-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Jan 2025 01:30:08 +0000 The recently published Hong Kong government accounts show that, after eight months of the current financial year, the Treasury’s expenditure was HK$471.6 billion (US$60.6 billion), with HK$248.2 billion in revenue. That means our public finances incurred a deficit of HK$223.4 billion. After taking into account net cash of HK$80.2 billion received from new bond sales, less partial redemption of existing ones, the adjusted cash flow was minus HK$143.2 billion. In his speech introducing the 2024... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3294257/hong-kong-faces-hard-choices-spending-fix-its-budget-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3294257/hong-kong-faces-hard-choices-spending-fix-its-budget-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Any discussion of death makes many people uncomfortable and is a social taboo in some communities. But death is inevitable, something to prepare ourselves for, and before then, to handle in respect of a loved one perhaps. So full marks should go to Hong Kong’s ombudsman, Jack Chan Jick-chi, for taking the initiative to examine the procedures around this awkward subject. As is his remit, he focused on the role of government departments. In an executive summary of his investigation report,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3292527/better-after-death-arrangements-will-spare-our-loved-ones-some-grief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3292527/better-after-death-arrangements-will-spare-our-loved-ones-some-grief?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2024 08:31:57 +0000 News that there was insufficient demand from the public for government bonds in a recent sales exercise will have surprised many people. After all, government borrowings are just about the safest investment in an advanced economy like Hong Kong, and the amount being sought was modest. This came soon after the admission by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po that the deficit this financial year was likely to exceed HK$100 billion (US$12.8 billion), double his estimate in the budget. That meant... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290529/bond-sale-shortfall-ballooning-deficit-early-warning-signs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290529/bond-sale-shortfall-ballooning-deficit-early-warning-signs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2024 08:30:07 +0000 One of the great pleasures of travelling to different places is that it provides an opportunity to compare with the situation in one’s city and country. There is an extra dimension to the pleasure when revisiting after an absence of some years, to better evaluate the effect of the changes in the interim. Over the past two weeks, I have had occasion to journey once again to both London and San Francisco. I found the differences in both places intriguing. Upon arrival in the British capital, my... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3288540/hong-kong-commuters-be-thankful-youre-not-london-or-san-francisco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3288540/hong-kong-commuters-be-thankful-youre-not-london-or-san-francisco?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:30:09 +0000 Australian legislators are reported to be looking closely at draft legislation that would ban young people under the age of 16 from using social media even if they have parental consent. This raises the question of just how dangerous access to social media can be and whether Hong Kong should be looking at similar legislation. A draft bill covering similar ground, the Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act, is under consideration in the United States. The Australian government’s proposal would... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3286579/hong-kong-must-watch-how-australia-us-handle-youth-social-media-use?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3286579/hong-kong-must-watch-how-australia-us-handle-youth-social-media-use?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2024 08:30:08 +0000 Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung should perhaps take another look at Hong Kong’s rule of law and the common law system, going by his remarks at a recent interview. Bearing in mind his portfolio covers all the disciplined services – police, customs, immigration, fire and others – who are responsible for keeping order in society, having a full understanding of these aspects would seem to be a pretty fundamental part of his job. Moreover, his remarks, taken at face value, could well be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3284816/keeping-people-police-bail-5-years-abuse-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3284816/keeping-people-police-bail-5-years-abuse-power?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Nov 2024 08:30:08 +0000 I’m not sure if I am supposed to say this, but I found Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest policy address interesting. It was comprehensive, covered a lot of ground and was quite detailed in places, especially with regard to economic development. I have one or two quibbles, of course, but overall it was a solid effort. It did not cover the need to draw a line under the social unrest of 2019-20 and begin the process of reconciliation. Perhaps if we are lucky this will be pursued in the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3282867/hong-kongs-small-flats-will-drive-international-talent-elsewhere?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3282867/hong-kongs-small-flats-will-drive-international-talent-elsewhere?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Oct 2024 08:30:08 +0000 The great and the good of the Hong Kong tourism sector need to sit down with the government at senior level and hammer out a new tourism strategy because the old one is not working any more. I say this based on my experience of having been the city’s first commissioner for tourism. This must be a collective effort, encouraging feedback and taking in points of view from all sources. Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, who was then financial secretary, set up consultative bodies for each of the major... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3280941/hong-kong-happening-place-can-we-convince-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3280941/hong-kong-happening-place-can-we-convince-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Oct 2024 08:30:08 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will deliver the third of his scheduled five policy addresses next month. Given the time needed to turn new initiatives into completed actions, it is probably the last chance for him to make his mark in history for something other than enactment of national security legislation. I have a suggestion about what Lee’s next major target should be – tackling subdivided flats. But before we get into that, I will urge Lee to first be completely frank about Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3279251/how-john-lee-can-secure-his-legacy-beyond-national-security-legislation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3279251/how-john-lee-can-secure-his-legacy-beyond-national-security-legislation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Sep 2024 08:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s property market is going through one of its periodic shakeouts. Just about every sector is suffering at the moment. Two new prominent grade A office buildings in Central are reported to be struggling to attract tenants. A four-star hotel up for sale has just had its asking price slashed by 40 per cent – from HK$1 billion to HK$600 million. Empty shops can be seen everywhere. The most prominent case might be the luxury mall at the 1881 Heritage site in the prime shopping district of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3277422/buy-or-not-buy-hong-kongs-volatile-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3277422/buy-or-not-buy-hong-kongs-volatile-property-market?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2024 08:30:08 +0000 I’m not trying to be a party pooper, but it’s time to calmly consider the implications of the birth at Ocean Park of panda twins. In all the excitement, some have made rather exaggerated claims. For example, welcome though the births are, they are not going to dramatically boost tourist numbers. And talk of a “panda economy” is, frankly, fantasy. Let’s start with the good news. Any panda birth is a triumph as natural breeding attempts are apparently infrequent. Artificial insemination has been... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3275585/will-new-pandas-boost-hong-kong-tourism-its-not-black-and-white?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3275585/will-new-pandas-boost-hong-kong-tourism-its-not-black-and-white?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Aug 2024 08:30:10 +0000 The Hong Kong government’s announcement last month that it would approve five new taxi fleet licences did not seem to have set many pulses racing. This is not surprising; the public has become pretty blase over the years about efforts to improve taxi services here. The new scheme is just the latest chapter in a very long book. The failings of the present system are well known and have been debated for years: the driving skills of an elderly workforce, attempts at overcharging - particularly of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3273846/hong-kongs-new-taxi-licensing-scheme-old-wine-new-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3273846/hong-kongs-new-taxi-licensing-scheme-old-wine-new-bottles?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Aug 2024 08:30:09 +0000 Three of Hong Kong’s highest-scoring students in the recent Diploma of Secondary Education examinations attended the RTHK studio last Monday to discuss their results and aspirations. The young men, all from Diocesan Boys’ School, impressed with their demeanour. They were articulate about their next steps for study and employment. Two were going into medicine, would attend university in Hong Kong then practise here after graduation. They were keen to pay back to the community that had nurtured... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3271870/key-hong-kongs-success-stay-chinas-international-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3271870/key-hong-kongs-success-stay-chinas-international-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2024 07:30:12 +0000 It is natural for all organisations – commercial, NGOs, governments – to want to paint as positive an image of themselves and their activities as possible. In the business world, it can help draw customers and investors; for charities it can assist in attracting donations; for governments it can establish credibility which brings benefits in terms of smooth governance. But there can also be a downside. When the public relations effort is too good, it can create too rosy a picture. A company... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3270253/rosy-view-hong-kongs-finances-wont-prepare-people-fee-hikes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3270253/rosy-view-hong-kongs-finances-wont-prepare-people-fee-hikes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2024 01:30:09 +0000 A favourite expression of Hong Kong’s former chief secretary David Akers-Jones was: “Don’t let the best be the enemy of the good”. What he was trying to tell us junior administrators was that we should not let the search for perfection, which might take a long time, deter us from implementing something which could be done quickly if it would benefit people. French philosopher Montesquieu is first credited with articulating the sentiment in his 1726 writings: “The best is the mortal enemy of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3268326/housing-hong-kongs-not-letting-best-be-enemy-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3268326/housing-hong-kongs-not-letting-best-be-enemy-good?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Jun 2024 08:30:08 +0000 The issue of foreign judges serving, or ceasing to, on our Court of Final Appeal has flared up, raising important questions about Hong Kong’s future. There has been a flurry of commentaries, some heated, not all of which have helped clarify matters. To set the scene, let us start with the Basic Law. Article 8 provides that “laws previously in force in Hong Kong”, including “the common law”, “shall be maintained”. President Xi Jinping, visiting Hong Kong in 2022 for the 25th anniversary of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3266467/hong-kong-no-foreign-judges-risks-being-just-another-chinese-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3266467/hong-kong-no-foreign-judges-risks-being-just-another-chinese-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:30:08 +0000 The government’s latest proposals to develop South Lantau as a tourism and recreation destination are very much a case of better late than never. Last week, the Development Bureau announced plans to make more of the natural resources of the four rural areas around Pui O, Cheung Sha, Shui Hau and Shek Pik. The objective is to create an “eco-recreation corridor”, which will include such features as campsites, a sports and recreation centre, a walkway, heritage trail, an education centre and an... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3264729/south-lantau-ecotourism-plan-better-late-never?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3264729/south-lantau-ecotourism-plan-better-late-never?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 08:30:13 +0000 A recent incident at an Admiralty taxi rank left me wondering just how determined Hong Kong is to emphasise quality over quantity in its tourism promotion efforts. And a recent visit to Beijing left me wondering just how advanced we are in adopting modern technology, despite our ambitions to develop and market ourselves as a tech hub. The taxi case first. It was nearly lunchtime and a fairly long queue was gradually being accommodated by arriving vehicles. I moved up to second place behind a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3262825/hi-tech-tourism-hub-hong-kongs-taxis-dont-even-take-card-payments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3262825/hi-tech-tourism-hub-hong-kongs-taxis-dont-even-take-card-payments?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 May 2024 06:30:24 +0000 Expats arriving in Hong Kong for short-term work assignments or other temporary purposes tend to go through an interesting process if their stay becomes longer than originally intended. Gradually, their country of origin becomes “over there” and Hong Kong becomes home. What could be more natural when that happens than for Cathay Pacific to become their airline of choice? After all, they are Hongkongers now and Cathay is the recognised home carrier. People born here perhaps do not need to go... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3261320/cathay-can-fly-high-again-once-it-restores-sense-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3261320/cathay-can-fly-high-again-once-it-restores-sense-family?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 07:30:19 +0000 Hong Kong may be past the point of no return with respect to the introduction of its charging scheme for domestic waste. But are we ready? The Municipal Solid Waste Charging Scheme (as the plan is formally known) had been due to start on April 1, but the launch was delayed for four months to allow time for a trial run and some further fine-tuning. Under the scheme, everything not being recycled has to be disposed of in designated bags. These come in nine sizes, which householders must buy in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3259468/only-solution-waste-charging-scheme-doubts-intensive-public-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3259468/only-solution-waste-charging-scheme-doubts-intensive-public-education?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Apr 2024 08:30:30 +0000 The top levels of the city government need to put on their thinking caps and decide how best they can restore Hong Kong’s reputation overseas. This effort will require the support of the whole community. It will not be easy. Part of the problem arises because of the interplay between three groups of people. There are the local opposition figures who have moved overseas to escape the reach of Hong Kong authorities, some of whom maintain a high profile in their new homes. There are the people who... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3257993/hong-kong-its-own-best-sales-pitch-just-let-it-speak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3257993/hong-kong-its-own-best-sales-pitch-just-let-it-speak?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Apr 2024 07:30:12 +0000 They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I guess heritage preservation must be the same. What one person may see as a useless and derelict old building, better knocked down and replaced with something modern and useful, another may see as a priceless reminder of the community’s past to be preserved almost without regard to cost. And is it just the buildings, or does heritage include the activities in and around them? To what extent is one’s opinion affected by personal history with the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3256342/dont-be-so-quick-renew-hong-kong-expense-its-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/hk-opinion/article/3256342/dont-be-so-quick-renew-hong-kong-expense-its-heritage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Mar 2024 06:30:26 +0000