https://www.scmp.com/rss/16184/feed Mike Rowse is an independent commentator. He 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-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mike Rowse Mike Rowse The Hong Kong government has set forth on a course of action which seems destined to upset large swathes of the middle class, including senior personnel from finance, business, technology and academia. These are the very people whose presence here underpins our professed economic development strategy. I am referring, of course, to the discussions now reaching a climax on the terms for extending the leases of private recreation clubs. The government has set the end of this year as the deadline... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3373843/dont-subject-hong-kongs-private-sports-clubs-dubious-lease-changes https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3373843/dont-subject-hong-kongs-private-sports-clubs-dubious-lease-changes Thu, 12 Nov 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse One word will hang over the Hong Kong community in the run-up to next month’s anniversary of the dreadful Tai Po fire that took 168 of our fellow citizens’ lives: accountability. By the time we mark the occasion, we will know if we still have a system based on ministers taking political responsibility for failures in their policy areas or whether we must revise our constitutional arrangements. The fire at Wang Fuk Court, which broke out on November 26 last year, traumatised the whole population... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3372240/deliver-accountability-tai-po-fire-tragedy-or-admit-system-broken https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3372240/deliver-accountability-tai-po-fire-tragedy-or-admit-system-broken Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse When news broke last week that three newly completed housing blocks were to be demolished without ever having been occupied, I suffered an immediate attack of deja vu. In early 1974, I was in the first wave of recruits to the Operations Department of the newly established Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). As luck would have it, my first posting was to the team dealing with the old Public Works Department. That was my introduction to the wide world of corruption and shoddy work in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370590/hong-kong-accountability-must-be-more-slogan https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3370590/hong-kong-accountability-must-be-more-slogan Wed, 14 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse When I first heard about the Hong Kong government’s plans to allow the importation of specially qualified carers to look after the elderly, my mind turned to some colloquial English expressions. The first was “set the cat among the pigeons”, which basically means to say or do something that causes a good deal of trouble, alarm, anger or controversy in a peaceful situation. The immediate trigger for this thinking was a brief reference in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369140/how-hong-kongs-foreign-carer-scheme-aims-get-ahead-ageing-city https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3369140/how-hong-kongs-foreign-carer-scheme-aims-get-ahead-ageing-city Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:30:11 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse In response to the August 27 case of a young man lifting up and carrying a young woman at a party, City University authorities have established a student discipline panel. The man was reportedly half-naked while the woman was clad in only shorts and a bra. Am I the only person to think that a mountain is being made out of a molehill here? We run the risk of using a sledgehammer to crack the proverbial small nut. One aspect of this case does merit further examination: the issue of consent. Who... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367427/cityus-response-disco-night-misconduct-overreaction https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3367427/cityus-response-disco-night-misconduct-overreaction Thu, 17 Sep 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse The great debate about what to do with Hongkong Post has begun. There will be many twists and turns before we know the final outcome, but one thing is clear: it is vital to keep the staff on board at every step. We ultimately want to have an organisation of committed professionals running a world-class outfit. Early indications are that there could be problems. We are here because of a sharp deterioration in the post office’s financial position starting in 2017-18. A loss of more than HK$100... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3365934/how-hongkong-post-can-ensure-its-not-boxed-out-future https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3365934/how-hongkong-post-can-ensure-its-not-boxed-out-future Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:30:06 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Tributes poured in from all sides following the death last week of former Chinese prime minister Zhu Rongji. China has lost one of the giants behind its economic development, Hong Kong has lost a friend. Among the many qualities highlighted by people who knew him well, one in particular caught my eye as reported in this newspaper under the headline, “A boldness and personal touch not forgotten”. Though I met Zhu only once, and then very briefly, I can confirm the latter point from direct... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364256/zhu-rongjis-personal-touch-not-easily-forgotten https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364256/zhu-rongjis-personal-touch-not-easily-forgotten Wed, 19 Aug 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse The long-awaited earthquake in Hong Kong’s taxi and ride-hailing scene is almost upon us and the questions are how big the initial shock will be, and how many aftershocks we can expect. The important thing in the coming months will be to keep the focus on protecting the interests of the travelling public. More than a decade after Uber first set up in Hong Kong, operating in a regulatory grey area, the administration is finally moving to overhaul our ride-hailing system. Tech platforms will be... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3361634/one-voice-hong-kong-cant-ignore-ride-hailing-public https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3361634/one-voice-hong-kong-cant-ignore-ride-hailing-public Sun, 26 Jul 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong needs to give some serious and creative thought as to how best we, as a community, are going to draw a line under the events of the 2019-20 protest movement. That this was a serious and sad episode in our history cannot be denied or avoided. Thousands of well-meaning ordinary individuals joined public demonstrations, many for the first time in their lives. Whatever the flaws of the government’s extradition legislation and undoubted missteps in its political execution, and however... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3359958/how-hong-kong-can-draw-line-under-2019-20-protests-and-move-forward https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3359958/how-hong-kong-can-draw-line-under-2019-20-protests-and-move-forward Sun, 12 Jul 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong faces the prospect of a tsunami of elderly poverty sweeping over society in the coming decades. The question is what to do about it. The good news is that there are ways to reduce the severity of the problem. The bad news is that these will take time to be effective, so we need to start work immediately. An important sign of the severity of the situation was provided by a recent study jointly conducted by the Hong Kong Retirement Schemes Association and prominent pension consultant... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3358216/tackle-elderly-poverty-crisis-hong-kong-needs-rethink-retirement https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3358216/tackle-elderly-poverty-crisis-hong-kong-needs-rethink-retirement Sun, 28 Jun 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Two big issues are bubbling up over Hong Kong’s army of foreign domestic helpers. The whole community will have to sit down and decide how to address them. The first is the availability of places for helpers to congregate safely and freely on their days off without putting too much stress on public facilities, other residents and tourists. The second is figuring out how to provide an acceptable working environment inside the home during hot summer months. Two underlying trends are adding to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356742/hong-kongs-domestic-helpers-need-safe-places-work-and-play https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3356742/hong-kongs-domestic-helpers-need-safe-places-work-and-play Sun, 14 Jun 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong simply has not developed the right mindset with respect to fire safety. Unless prompt, effective action is taken, we could be looking at more tragedies like the Wang Fuk Court disaster in Tai Po. The numbers are stark and overwhelming, yet the context from which they have been derived is even more frightening. In January and February this year, the Fire Services Department inspected some 1,500 residential and mixed-use buildings planned at least 39 years ago. The exercise resulted in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355282/fire-safety-hong-kong-needs-mindset-change https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3355282/fire-safety-hong-kong-needs-mindset-change Sun, 31 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong should not limit the number of vehicles licensed to provide ride-hailing services. In particular, every owner of an electric vehicle that complies with the regulations should, in principle, be able to obtain one on demand by paying the required fee. Normal market forces, together with fees and other licensing requirements, will be sufficient to strike the right balance. I have used ride-hailing services a lot recently. Knee replacement surgery has restricted my mobility, and I have a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353552/why-set-limit-hong-kongs-ride-hailing-services https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3353552/why-set-limit-hong-kongs-ride-hailing-services Sun, 17 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Hong Kong should not renew the HK$3 per litre diesel subsidy when it expires at the end of June. Instead, it should use the funds to launch a crash programme to accelerate electrification of public transport, starting with the minibus fleet. The crisis in the Middle East has had a serious impact on fuel prices. In response, a government task force has recommended a package of measures to provide temporary relief, including the diesel subsidy to be paid directly to local fuel companies and a 50... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351844/why-hong-kong-subsidies-should-go-towards-food-not-fuel https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3351844/why-hong-kong-subsidies-should-go-towards-food-not-fuel Sun, 03 May 2026 08:30:08 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse Many Hongkongers would have been surprised last week that the government was postponing the introduction of basketball betting. It was only months ago that the bill had been enacted by the Legislative Council. So clearly it was a matter that fell within our high degree of autonomy. And the Hong Kong Jockey Club was known to be hard at work preparing for implementation. But listeners to RTHK’s Backchat programme in early February may have come away with an inkling that all might not be well.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350322/why-hong-kong-hitting-pause-basketball-betting https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3350322/why-hong-kong-hitting-pause-basketball-betting Sun, 19 Apr 2026 21:30:09 +0000 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348958/hong-kong-must-not-undo-good-work-its-hk2-transport-scheme 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 https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348092/trip-down-memory-lane-how-hong-kong-sevens-has-evolved-world-class-event 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3345672/hong-kong-doubles-down-innovation-hongkongers-must-too 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342563/so-what-if-some-countries-have-fewer-babies-and-shrinking-populations 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3340956/refurbish-or-rebuild-hong-kongs-housing-renewal-must-put-residents-first 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339281/why-hong-kong-must-resist-pressure-loosen-budget-discipline 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3337832/hong-kong-must-tackle-long-term-problem-building-maintenance 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336080/transparency-accountability-essential-after-tai-po-fire-hong-kong-heals 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3334397/sporting-passion-hongkongers-inspiration 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331094/hong-kong-needs-tackle-its-screen-addiction-problem 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3329422/why-hong-kong-must-not-be-hasty-seeing-its-silver-officials 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327657/will-new-accountability-system-be-fair-hong-kongs-civil-servants 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3326084/government-has-failed-lgbt-hongkongers-over-same-sex-partnership-bill 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324375/hong-kong-cant-let-its-construction-sector-be-captured-bad-actors 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3321227/hong-kong-going-let-extreme-weather-rain-productivity 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319377/will-hong-kong-governments-more-hands-approach-development-pay 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3317725/hong-kong-should-seek-olympic-gold-bid-2036-summer-games 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3315944/so-hong-kong-has-pledged-legalise-ride-hailing-dont-hold-your-breath 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3314133/how-harvard-international-could-boost-hong-kong-education-hub 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3310590/lets-dispel-any-doubts-now-over-hong-kongs-post-2047-future 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3308805/hong-kongs-economic-strategy-fit-changing-world 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3307030/how-should-hongkongers-react-being-dragged-trumps-tariff-war 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3305083/hong-kongs-new-stadium-doesnt-need-mega-events-just-great-sports-fixtures 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3303111/how-hong-kong-can-dig-itself-out-recurring-deficits 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301469/just-move-hong-kongs-hk2-transport-fare-qualifying-age-back-65 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3299469/funding-northern-metropolis-will-be-big-test-paul-chan 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3297611/time-ask-if-non-residents-should-have-hong-kong-healthcare-access 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3296193/why-hong-kong-need-not-get-defensive-about-national-security 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3294257/hong-kong-faces-hard-choices-spending-fix-its-budget-deficit 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3292527/better-after-death-arrangements-will-spare-our-loved-ones-some-grief 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290529/bond-sale-shortfall-ballooning-deficit-early-warning-signs-hong-kong 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3288540/hong-kong-commuters-be-thankful-youre-not-london-or-san-francisco 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3286579/hong-kong-must-watch-how-australia-us-handle-youth-social-media-use 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3284816/keeping-people-police-bail-5-years-abuse-power 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 https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3282867/hong-kongs-small-flats-will-drive-international-talent-elsewhere Sun, 20 Oct 2024 08:30:08 +0000