https://www.scmp.com/rss/21148/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Tariffs imposed by the US will inevitably have a short-term impact on Hong Kong as an international trading hub, the city’s finance chief said, as he vowed to prepare for the worst and take action to support businesses. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po weighed in on the sweeping tariffs for the second straight day on Sunday after earlier indicating the city had no plans to retaliate against the latest levy the US had slapped on Chinese goods. “As an international trading hub, Hong Kong will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3305391/us-tariffs-have-short-term-impact-hong-kong-finance-chief-paul-chan-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3305391/us-tariffs-have-short-term-impact-hong-kong-finance-chief-paul-chan-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Apr 2025 07:08:21 +0000 Last week, Hong Kong released its hardest budget yet. It’s hard because of the need for austerity measures that most previous budgets didn’t face. This city used to have reserves other economies could only dream of. Some may remember when the budget spotlight used to be on accusing the financial secretary of being a miser, for hoarding the incredible surplus and not sharing enough of the wealth with people. For the sake of our younger readers and those with shorter memories, let’s indulge in a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3300599/why-hong-kongs-austere-budget-hard-public-swallow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3300599/why-hong-kongs-austere-budget-hard-public-swallow?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Once a hothouse for grooming elite civil servants, Hong Kong’s trade office in London was where former city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and ex-financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah nurtured their budding careers before rising to the top jobs within government. But as UK-Hong Kong relations hit rock bottom following the 2019 protests and the city’s implementation of the national security law, the government outpost has become a hotspot for protests and even vandalism. The Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3262699/uk-spying-case-puts-hong-kong-trade-offices-london-and-elsewhere-cross-hairs-geopolitical-battles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3262699/uk-spying-case-puts-hong-kong-trade-offices-london-and-elsewhere-cross-hairs-geopolitical-battles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2024 00:30:11 +0000 The finance chief has dismissed concerns that Hong Kong’s credit ratings might be affected by the government’s proposed bond issuances, insisting global firms have welcomed the policy to fund infrastructure projects and stressing the city will not fall into a cycle of structural fiscal deficits. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Monday issued a rejoinder targeting a previous administration and said it had failed to boost land supply and left residents wrestling with sky-high property... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3254045/hong-kongs-paul-chan-dismisses-concerns-bond-issuance-plan-may-hurt-credit-ratings-says-global-firms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3254045/hong-kongs-paul-chan-dismisses-concerns-bond-issuance-plan-may-hurt-credit-ratings-says-global-firms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2024 04:23:41 +0000 A war of words erupted between politicians from Hong Kong’s two leading parties on Wednesday after a rising star of the largest labour union criticised former Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing’s views on the city’s proposed national security law. The two sides clashed after Joephy Chan Wing-yan, a lawmaker from the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU), singled out Tsang’s “puzzling” comments on the sedition offence in a YouTube video and cast doubt on his choice of writing an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3252745/hong-kongs-big-two-parties-clash-over-ex-legislative-council-president-jasper-tsangs-views-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3252745/hong-kongs-big-two-parties-clash-over-ex-legislative-council-president-jasper-tsangs-views-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 13:20:04 +0000 Hong Kong’s former finance chief has said certain local universities’ ban on using ChatGPT was “unnecessary” and compared it with “disallowing the use of calculators when doing maths”. John Tsang Chun-wah, a former financial secretary for the city, was the first prominent political figure to openly criticise the recent restrictions by elite institutions, including the University of Hong Kong (HKU). “Why don’t you allow students to use ChatGPT to write their first draft, making tweaks and doing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3214914/hong-kongs-former-finance-chief-john-tsang-slams-universities-chatgpt-ban-saying-if-they-can-use?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3214914/hong-kongs-former-finance-chief-john-tsang-slams-universities-chatgpt-ban-saying-if-they-can-use?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2023 12:24:59 +0000 A blend of online and in-person lessons is set to be the education world’s “new normal” in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought face-to-face learning largely to a halt, a former top Hong Kong official has said. John Tsang Chun-wah, who served as the government’s financial secretary for a decade before resigning to run for chief executive in 2017, also said he believed a bottom-up approach to pushing the government to roll out new policies is more effective than waiting for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3107108/covid-19-wont-last-forever-online-learning-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3107108/covid-19-wont-last-forever-online-learning-here-stay?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Oct 2020 01:30:06 +0000 As the decades of disillusionment with the political establishment in Hong Kong came to a head over the past year, the room for centrism has seemed, at best, minimal. At worst, it appears to be a broken promise worshipped by a dwindling, deluded crowd. The track record of centrists has not been too reassuring, either. Some of the more vocal advocates had joined the establishment with the apparent mission of incorporating into governance milder and more progressive opinions, only for the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3095350/national-security-law-place-hong-kongs-centrists-should-now-seek?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3095350/national-security-law-place-hong-kongs-centrists-should-now-seek?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2020 02:45:10 +0000 People often say they want change – until change knocks on their door. Then it’s all flailing arms and kicking feet as change drags us out of our comfort zone, disrupts our routine, and no one, save Donald Trump, can tell us when life can, if at all, return to normal. Covid-19 shows that all of the phenomenal human advances and accomplishments have not made us immune to disease outbreaks and global pandemics. Perhaps we are not supposed to be. Pathogens have been bringing humankind to our knees... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3080450/hong-kong-must-seize-chance-coronavirus-disruptions-overhaul-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3080450/hong-kong-must-seize-chance-coronavirus-disruptions-overhaul-its?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2020 01:00:16 +0000 The landslide in the district council elections last month was beyond everyone’s expectations. The pro-democracy and anti-establishment camps won 17 of the 18 districts, and 90 per cent of the seats by one count. They will now have millions of dollars at their disposal. Yet the pan-democrats shouldn’t let the triumph go to their heads. For one thing, the vote was more a protest against the government than a vote for the most capable district councillor. Also, some may have chosen to side with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3041805/how-pro-democracy-camp-can-play-long-game-and-help-hong-kong-elect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3041805/how-pro-democracy-camp-can-play-long-game-and-help-hong-kong-elect?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2019 22:15:08 +0000 That violence returned to our streets last Sunday night is hardly surprising, given our chief executive’s continued ineptitude. Does she not understand that while there are some extremists exploiting the situation, there is also genuine and widespread resentment of her, her Executive Council and her refusal to stand up for Hong Kong and for a better life for Hongkongers? Our relationship with Beijing is one thing, our relationship with this government and the disdain it holds for the people is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3040454/why-must-hong-kong-leader-go-speaking-public-dialogue-when-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3040454/why-must-hong-kong-leader-go-speaking-public-dialogue-when-people?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Dec 2019 01:00:17 +0000 The anti-government protests triggered by the controversial, since-withdrawn extradition bill are now in their sixth month. Following the mysterious deaths of two students, Chow Tsz-lok and Chan Yin-lam, the violence in the city has been threatening to spiral out of control. On Monday, protesters tried to stage another citywide general strike, blocking roads and obstructing traffic. Amid escalating violence, a student was shot by police with a live round in Sai Wan Ho, and a man was set on fire... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3037717/hong-kong-needs-new-chief-executive-and-new-start-let-it-be-john?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3037717/hong-kong-needs-new-chief-executive-and-new-start-let-it-be-john?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2019 04:00:10 +0000 Former Financial Secretary and Chief Executive hopeful John Tsang Chun-wah has joined Hong Kong’s first virtual insurer, Bowtie Life Insurance, as a senior adviser. Analysts said the appointment of a well-known figure like Tsang could give the digital start-up a secret weapon as it battles for market share with big, established insurance companies. Speaking to the South China Morning Post after his appointment, Tsang declined to disclose how much he would be paid for the new role. He said he... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3004204/former-hong-kong-financial-secretary-john-tsang-joins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3004204/former-hong-kong-financial-secretary-john-tsang-joins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Apr 2019 22:00:11 +0000 Hong Kong’s former financial secretary, in a rare show of sympathy for his ex-political rival Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, has said anyone in the top job would need to enforce decisions he or she might not personally agree with. John Tsang Chun-wah was speaking at a University of Hong Kong forum on Thursday. He remained tight-lipped on his former colleague, to whom he lost in the city’s leadership race last year, but explained why he never made public his views on her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2164164/hong-kongs-leader-has-make-decisions-she-doesnt-former?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2164164/hong-kongs-leader-has-make-decisions-she-doesnt-former?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Sep 2018 02:45:00 +0000 Political veteran John Tsang Chun-wah is travelling on a road of no return, embracing technology and youth ventures after losing his bid for Hong Kong’s top job to Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor last year. The former financial secretary, who unexpectedly threw his hat into the ring of the chief executive election race and was defeated by Beijing’s preferred candidate, has left behind the past and the possibility of coming back in four years. In a wide-ranging interview with the Post, Tsang, 67,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2150643/no-regrets-or-looking-back-ex-hong-kong-financial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2150643/no-regrets-or-looking-back-ex-hong-kong-financial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jun 2018 01:00:45 +0000 John Tsang Chun-wah made a name for himself in Hong Kong for a few things: he tried and failed to become Hong Kong’s chief executive in 2017; he was one of the longest serving financial secretaries in Hong Kong’s history; and he presided over an enormous growth in Hong Kong’s fiscal reserves, garnering criticism for being tight-fisted in the face of an ageing society where hospitals and schools all seem underfunded.  In second bet on fintech, former Hong Kong financial secretary John Tsang backs... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2150618/john-tsang-hong-kongs-ex-finance-tsar-now-fintech-evangelist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2150618/john-tsang-hong-kongs-ex-finance-tsar-now-fintech-evangelist?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:01:11 +0000 John Tsang Chun-wah, former Hong Kong financial secretary and chief executive aspirant in 2017, has embarked on a new chapter, one that he has promoted since his time in office – fintech investment. He was last week named vice-chairman of Ion Pacific, a fintech focused merchant and investment bank, and is now poised to be appointed as chairman at BVL, a fintech company that has developed technology that lets merchants verify the identities of customers using the latter’s smartphone... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2150639/second-bet-fintech-former-hong-kong-financial-secretary-john?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2150639/second-bet-fintech-former-hong-kong-financial-secretary-john?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jun 2018 22:32:50 +0000 Hong Kong’s former financial chief John Tsang Chun-wah on Saturday took a dig at politicians of all stripes – including the pro-democracy camp which supported him in last year’s chief executive race – accusing them of causing “deep and irreparable injury” to the city’s systems. He was particularly critical about the goings-on in the Legislative Council, saying that for some politicians, Hong Kong’s rules and systems had turned into “political tools for attacking rivals”. Tsang, who lost to Chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2150041/hong-kongs-former-finance-chief-john-tsang-takes-aim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2150041/hong-kongs-former-finance-chief-john-tsang-takes-aim?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Jun 2018 09:59:07 +0000 John Tsang Chun-wah, Hong Kong’s former financial secretary who was defeated last year in his bid to become the city’s chief executive, has joined fintech-focused merchant bank Ion Pacific as its vice-chairman. Set up in 2015 in Hong Kong, Ion Pacific has licences to trade securities, offer corporate finance and handle asset management, according to data filed with the Securities and Futures Commission. Its own website said it makes technology-focused investments that bridge Asia, the US and... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/2149705/former-financial-secretary-john-tsang-joins-fintech-focused?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/2149705/former-financial-secretary-john-tsang-joins-fintech-focused?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jun 2018 07:45:07 +0000 Former Hong Kong financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah announced plans to set up a fund to help aspiring entrepreneurs in the city on Monday. Revealing the idea in a Facebook interview with Citibank, Tsang said he hoped to use his network of contacts to help young people set up businesses. Tsang, who turns 67 next month, added he did not see himself as a retiree, more than a year since he resigned from the government to run for the city’s top job, ultimately losing to Chief Executive Carrie... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2138992/former-financial-secretary-john-tsang-looks-start-fund?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2138992/former-financial-secretary-john-tsang-looks-start-fund?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Mar 2018 23:01:17 +0000 Hong Kong is set to reap a bumper budget surplus this year as experts warn of a structural surplus problem, with HK$120 billion already in the bag and the final figure likely to be just shy of HK$160 billion by the end of March, according to figures obtained by the Post. The massive projected surplus, at least seven times the original estimate of HK$16.3 billion for 2017-18, has reignited criticism of officials’ conservative calculations, and the resultant failure to invest in things like public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2132921/hong-kong-governments-problem-not-deficits-structural?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2132921/hong-kong-governments-problem-not-deficits-structural?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Feb 2018 01:00:45 +0000 Hong Kong’s former financial chief John Tsang Chun-wah was out and about promoting his new television show on Saturday, as his dispute with government authorities over his post-office employment with RTHK rumbled on. Tsang said he was still waiting for a response from officials about whether needed to declare his unpaid work with the public broadcaster after being in touch via email with top staff at Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s office. Both sides have been locked in a dispute... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2118435/row-government-rumbles-former-hong-kong-finance-chief-john?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2118435/row-government-rumbles-former-hong-kong-finance-chief-john?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Nov 2017 14:01:19 +0000 Former financial secretary and chief executive contender John Tsang Chun-wah has a wealth of knowledge about politics and finance, making him an ideal educator and commentator. But as he only left office in March, he should be careful about what he does next. It is puzzling why he took up a university teaching post and media work without first getting approval from a government advisory committee that seeks to avoid conflicts of interest. For the sake of accountability and perceptions, all... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117378/policy-post-office-roles-not-about-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117378/policy-post-office-roles-not-about-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2017 18:02:49 +0000 Former Hong Kong financial chief John Tsang Chun-wah on Thursday shrugged off suggestions that he had been uncooperative as he refuted accusations he had failed to declare his employment after leaving the government. Tsang revealed that he had been in touch with top staff at Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s office as early as mid-September regarding a television series he helped produce with public broadcaster RTHK. Controversy over his work with the station erupted last Saturday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2117192/hong-kong-ex-finance-chief-john-tsang-shrugs-accusations-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2117192/hong-kong-ex-finance-chief-john-tsang-shrugs-accusations-he?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2017 23:02:02 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has said she hoped former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah would respect an arrangement for former officials who had left the government for other professions or employment, even though the system did not carry any penalties. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor commented on Tuesday on a dispute between Tsang and the authorities which erupted over the weekend. The failed chief executive candidate had accused public broadcaster RTHK of suspending promotion of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116700/carrie-lam-asks-ex-finance-chief-john-tsang-respect-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116700/carrie-lam-asks-ex-finance-chief-john-tsang-respect-system?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 04:37:33 +0000 Guidelines on the work Hong Kong’s top officials can do after stepping down are unclear, lawmakers and a think-tank head said on Monday, in the wake of a row with former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah over his role in a television show. They urged the government to make these regulations clearer after Tsang last week accused public broadcaster RTHK of suspending the promotion of a series hosted by him, because he did not inform a government advisory committee beforehand. Tsang claimed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116559/clarify-guidelines-former-office-holders-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116559/clarify-guidelines-former-office-holders-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 05:15:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s No 2 official denied allegations that the government is targeting former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah by demanding that he provide information regarding his failure to declare his participation in a TV programme. Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said the government was only seeking factual information from Tsang to ensure the work he did as a former office holderwas appropriate – a move he described as “purely procedural”. The political row between Tsang, a failed... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116494/hong-kongs-chief-secretary-says-john-tsang-probe-purely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116494/hong-kongs-chief-secretary-says-john-tsang-probe-purely?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2017 12:00:00 +0000 Former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah and government authorities have become ensnared in a political row over the failed chief executive contender’s appearance on a new RTHK programme. Tsang has accused RTHK, the government-owned broadcaster, of suspending promotion of a TV series he will host, according to a report in Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao on Saturday. RTHK employees claimed their leaders were given orders or were under pressure from the government to put the series on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116422/former-financial-secretary-john-tsang-denies-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116422/former-financial-secretary-john-tsang-denies-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 13:27:53 +0000 Former finance chief and defeated chief executive candidate John Tsang Chun-wah has agreed to take an unpaid, part-time teaching role at the University of Hong Kong. A university spokesman said on Tuesday Tsang would be an adjunct professor, but that “no specific arrangement of teaching or other works have been made yet, and there is no salary or payment involved.” A source at HKU said Tsang had verbally agreed to take up the post, but declined to comment on why his name had already appeared on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2110899/former-finance-chief-john-tsang-teach-university-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2110899/former-finance-chief-john-tsang-teach-university-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2017 01:01:17 +0000 What’s wrong with populism? That’s an interesting question raised by John Tsang Chun-wah in a speech given at the University of Hong Kong last week. The former chief executive candidate quickly gave what appeared to be a brave answer: “Nothing. I don’t see anything wrong with it”. He then proceeded to weasel his way out of that statement for the rest of the speech. Mea culpa it was not; more like self-justification. I almost agreed, though: There is nothing wrong with populism except when it’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2109576/john-tsang-and-perils-populism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2109576/john-tsang-and-perils-populism?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Sep 2017 17:47:20 +0000 Popular politician and failed chief executive contender John Tsang Chun-wah made a comeback on Tuesday by calling on Hongkongers to support a foundation for the visually impaired. In a short video uploaded on his Facebook page, Tsang appeared with Chong Chan-yau, the president of the Hong Kong Blind Union, where they both sang and asked Hongkongers to make a donation to the Dialogue in the Dark Foundation. The video was created by a company called Jervois One (Hong Kong), which was set up by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2108814/john-tsang-urges-support-visually-impaired-facebook-video?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2108814/john-tsang-urges-support-visually-impaired-facebook-video?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Aug 2017 09:52:12 +0000 John Tsang Chun-wah may have shunned the limelight since losing the chief executive election, but he was back in the public eye on Monday, appealing for help for people caught in the famine afflicting parts of Africa. The man known as “Mr Pringles” joined five charities to kick off their campaign, downing a simple meal of boiled potatoes. The campaign aimed to encourage people to eat a simple meal and donate the cash they would have spent on a nicer one. The money is to help nearly 20 million... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2097001/hong-kongs-mr-pringles-john-tsang-chips-charity-potato-meal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2097001/hong-kongs-mr-pringles-john-tsang-chips-charity-potato-meal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2017 12:28:06 +0000 It is said that success has many fathers, failure is an orphan. Who can be held responsible when the fathers of a scheme that starts to go sour leave office? I thought about this as news came through that a second food truck operator had dropped out without even getting on the road. Moreover, the minister responsible conceded that some of the locations selected by the government were less than ideal. Hong Kong’s food truck scheme was launched by then financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2096627/why-hong-kongs-food-truck-scheme-failing-get-gear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2096627/why-hong-kongs-food-truck-scheme-failing-get-gear?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jun 2017 03:31:54 +0000 Hong Kong’s failed but popular chief executive contender John Tsang Chun-wah spent more than HK$5.5 million on advertisements during his election campaign with much of that going towards his website and social media efforts. His lavish spending stood in sharp contrast with the election winner, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who spent HK$3.65 million on advertisements. Lam instead focused her spending on her 80-person campaign team, which cost 80 per cent more than Tsang’s, electoral office records... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091245/mtr-posters-roving-sculpture-exhibition-hong-kongs-popular?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091245/mtr-posters-roving-sculpture-exhibition-hong-kongs-popular?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2017 14:59:44 +0000 Defeated chief executive candidate John Tsang Chun-wah had a secret supporter who loaned him HK$3 million from the start of his campaign before he received ­donations from others. The person offered the loan to the former financial secretary through offshore company Prescill Holdings a day before Tsang announced his election bid in January, records released by the Registration and Electoral Office on Thursday revealed. Tsang’s office declined to disclose the identity of the lender. Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091242/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-john-tsang-had-secret?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091242/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-john-tsang-had-secret?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2017 14:29:00 +0000 The two front runners in Hong Kong’s leadership race spent a total of more than HK$22.8 million on campaigning, it was revealed on Monday, regardless of criticism that it was a small-circle election with the winner pre-endorsed by Beijing. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who won the race with Beijing’s blessing, spent HK$2.4 million more than arch-rival John Tsang Chun-wah. The pair said they would donate a surplus HK$11.3 million to charities. These include five organisations, picked by Lam, that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090211/top-two-hong-kong-leadership-race-reveal-campaign-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090211/top-two-hong-kong-leadership-race-reveal-campaign-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Apr 2017 16:09:24 +0000 The top aide of defeated Hong Kong leadership candidate John Tsang Chun-wah has not ruled out joining the new administration, although he says he has not been approached. Julian Law Wing-chung did not give a flat “no” on Thursday when asked by former Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing in an interview whether he would work for chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. “Mrs Lam did not look for me,” he said. “There are many suitable candidates out there. I don’t feel I should... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085470/aide-losing-hong-kong-leadership-candidate-waits-word-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085470/aide-losing-hong-kong-leadership-candidate-waits-word-job?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:35:46 +0000 One big question on many people’s minds, perhaps until today, is: why would Beijing trust Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to lead Hong Kong, but not the more popular John Tsang Chun-wah, who was the city’s No 3 official for nine years? What is “trust” anyway? Literally, the Oxford Dictionary defines the word as a “firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something”. However, when it comes to politics, especially in Hong Kong, it can be more complicated than that. Central... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/2084144/why-would-beijing-trust-carrie-lam-not-john-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/2084144/why-would-beijing-trust-carrie-lam-not-john-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Apr 2017 04:57:14 +0000 I realise that there was a lot of cynicism about last Sunday’s chief executive election. We all know that the “small circle” voting process does not have widespread credibility in the community. However, as campaign director for the winning candidate, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, I can say that the run-up to the election involved a lot of hard work. Indeed, I think this was the case with all of the candidates’ campaigns. It was clear to us that we had to reach out not only to the Election... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083425/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-must-wow-her-doubters-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083425/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-must-wow-her-doubters-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2017 05:07:24 +0000 John Tsang Chun-wah fought back tears as he implored supporters to carry on the dream for democracy and not to give up on Hong Kong, in a concession speech that struck a conciliatory note with his winning opponent. “I am sorry I have not been able to meet your expectations,” Tsang said after losing with 365 votes against Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s 777 votes yesterday. “I wish to call upon all of you to lend her your full support, so she and her government will be able to bring about a more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082278/dont-give-hong-kong-john-tsang-appeals-supporters-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082278/dont-give-hong-kong-john-tsang-appeals-supporters-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 14:27:51 +0000 Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Sunday got her first taste of the challenges she faces in the coming five years when she emerged from the election with 777 votes, a new nickname and fending off renewed calls for political reform. Before vote counting had even finished inside a hall at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, some of the 1,194 members of the Election Committee had already gathered in the venue, chanting: “I want genuine universal suffrage”. They followed it up with a loud... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082276/day-drama-lam-faced-nickname-naysayers-and-noise-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082276/day-drama-lam-faced-nickname-naysayers-and-noise-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 14:07:44 +0000 Five years ago, winding queues of would-be voters emerged across Hong Kong for the pan-democratic camp’s civil referendum – a mock ballot giving fellow citizens a say in the chief executive election. More than 222,990 people participated in the March 23 event, with an overwhelming 54.6 per cent – or 121,661 voters – casting blank ballots in protest of what they called a “small-circle election”. A similar civil referendum held this year, however, failed to attract the same public interest, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082267/how-hong-kongs-pan-democrats-failed-turn-tide-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082267/how-hong-kongs-pan-democrats-failed-turn-tide-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 13:31:43 +0000 In the end, the secret rebellion among Beijing loyalists that John Tsang Chun-wah needed to win the election never came. He was left with 365 votes, just a few dozen more than his base of about 300 from the pan-democrats. In his post-election press conference, Tsang said he respected the Election Committee members’ decision. “People should not be disappointed or disgruntled about this election,” the 65-year-old career bureaucrat said. ‘The work of uniting society begins now’: Carrie Lam pledges... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082263/dreaming-was-better-nothing-how-john-tsangs-campaign-ended?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082263/dreaming-was-better-nothing-how-john-tsangs-campaign-ended?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 13:00:32 +0000 Stopping short of blaming his defeat on Beijing’s involvement, Hong Kong’s second-place finisher in the city’s leadership election likened the contest to a football match in which “trick moves” had been employed. Former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, who led public opinion polling before the election on Sunday, secured 365 votes, losing to former chief secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who won 777 votes. He asked Hongkongers not to “lose faith” in their city and urged them to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082248/without-naming-beijing-john-tsang-thanks-supporters-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082248/without-naming-beijing-john-tsang-thanks-supporters-after?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 10:28:41 +0000 For all who stepped up to the plate to contend for the office of Hong Kong chief executive: thank you for making it a contested, though pre-determined, race. Not only did some of them brush aside the great disincentive of being made predestined losers, they stuck to it to the end. Whatever our politics, they are to be commended for putting themselves on the line, and for the personal sacrifices they made to get, or at least try to get, their names on the ballot. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, the only... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2081818/why-all-losers-hong-kongs-chief-executive-race-deserve-our?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2081818/why-all-losers-hong-kongs-chief-executive-race-deserve-our?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 09:01:08 +0000 Just the other day, a friend of mine asked me: “What do we get from this chief executive election?” It was a simple enough question, but it stunned me for a while. Yes, come to think of it, apart from getting a new leader, what do we get from this election? Or more to the point, what can we expect from our new chief executive that may be different from what we got from the last three? If you look back over the course of the election campaign, you cannot but come to the dreaded conclusion that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2081799/election-over-hong-kong-must-try-again-agree-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2081799/election-over-hong-kong-must-try-again-agree-political?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Mar 2017 08:01:27 +0000 Hope, unity, trust. Those were the words John Tsang Chun-wah pushed in his campaign to become Hong Kong’s next chief executive, and judging by the reception his last-gasp tour of Hong Kong island received on Friday, they certainly inspired the public. But whether those words were enough to inspire the voters – namely, the 1,194-member Election Committee – appears far less likely. Tsang has long commanded opinion poll leads over his rival, Carrie Lam Yuet-ngor, and that popularity was reflected... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2081941/why-hong-kongs-john-tsang-popular-people-not-voters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2081941/why-hong-kongs-john-tsang-popular-people-not-voters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Mar 2017 03:00:30 +0000 The difference in political loyalty shown to Beijing by the two key rivals in the chief executive race explained why the central government trusted front runner Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor more than popular underdog John Tsang Chun-wah, mainland scholars and advisers have said. Former chief secretary Lam, viewed as favourite ahead of Sunday’s election, had demonstrated her loyalty during talks on political reform, they said. Hong Kong police prepared for election day violence A veteran leftist... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2081972/trust-key-ahead-hong-kong-leadership-poll-beijing-shows-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2081972/trust-key-ahead-hong-kong-leadership-poll-beijing-shows-its?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:45:30 +0000 Two days before polling day, chief executive underdog John Tsang Chun-wah drew thousands of supporters to his rally in Central, as he battled a fresh round of criticism that he lacked Beijing’s trust. Front runner Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, meanwhile, said she would not hold a high-profile rally as she received pledges of support from several pro-Beijing blocs yesterday. The chief executive election Hong Kong could have had Giving an emotional speech on an open-top bus at the end of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2081967/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-john-tsang-holds-outdoor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2081967/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-john-tsang-holds-outdoor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:30:00 +0000 Thousands of supporters of the popular underdog in the chief executive race, John Tsang Chun-wah, attended his election rally on Friday evening. The crowd gathered in the open area at Edinburgh Place, and on the roof of a nearby two-storey car park. As Tsang arrived at 6.30pm, the crowd gave the former minister a round of applause and cheered “Tsang Chun-wah, keep it up!” Some 18,000 people watched the rally on his Facebook page, and more than 13,000 comments were left on the page. Giving an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2081904/thousands-show-support-john-tsang-campaign-rally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2081904/thousands-show-support-john-tsang-campaign-rally?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2017 11:30:30 +0000