https://www.scmp.com/rss/271531/feed The influx of parallel traders who buy their stock tax-free in Hong Kong to resell it in mainland China at a profit has caused tension in the city. Residents along the border have complained that an increase in parallel importers has pushed up retail prices. Importers argue that their trade boosts the local economy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Holding a cake box in one hand and pulling a fully loaded trolley with the other, Ye Qingren made his way across the Liantang Port passenger terminal from Shenzhen into Hong Kong. The 21-year-old mainland Chinese university student had five food deliveries, including pastries and cooked dishes such as stewed bullfrog, spicy stir-fried duck and chicken offal. He is part of a trend dubbed daigou, which means “buying on behalf of” in Chinese, with agents earning a profit from purchasing mostly food... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3223660/hungry-hong-kong-customers-call-shenzhen-couriers-braised-bullfrog-duck-neck-bubble-tea-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3223660/hungry-hong-kong-customers-call-shenzhen-couriers-braised-bullfrog-duck-neck-bubble-tea-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jun 2023 01:00:11 +0000 Shenzhen resident Charlene Yang runs an online retail business, but also earns extra cash on the side by being a parallel trader – crossing the border into Hong Kong and hauling home a stash of goods, mainly cosmetics, to be sold tax-free for profit. The 30-year-old live streamer on Douyin, one of the most popular social platforms in mainland China, spent about HK$20,000 (US$2,550) on perfume and luxury skincare items, including La Mer moisturiser and an Aesop body cleanser, at a pharmacy in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211043/we-are-just-earning-living-parallel-trading-rise-hong-kong-border-town-trend-makes-comeback-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3211043/we-are-just-earning-living-parallel-trading-rise-hong-kong-border-town-trend-makes-comeback-post?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Feb 2023 12:00:11 +0000 Hong Kong customs has vowed to crack down on a resurgence in parallel trading after the full reopening of the border with mainland China, announcing officers will meet their Guangdong counterparts this week to discuss dealing with the smuggling activities. Parallel goods traders have been spotted operating outside Sheung Shui MTR station at the Hong Kong border town since regular travel between the city and the mainland resumed on February 6, according to government sources. The traders, who buy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3210836/hong-kong-customs-meet-guangdong-counterparts-discuss-resurgence-parallel-trading-vows-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3210836/hong-kong-customs-meet-guangdong-counterparts-discuss-resurgence-parallel-trading-vows-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 08:35:18 +0000 Hong Kong shops near the border with mainland China logged a boost to business the first weekend after the full reopening of crossing points. But businesses on Sunday said they were not sure whether shoppers would flock back after they became used to buying online during the Covid-19 crisis. Tourists with suitcases could be seen on Sheung Shui’s San Hong Street and Hong Tsai Street, two hotspots for pharmacies and cosmetics stores popular with mainland shoppers before the pandemic hit. Tony Lee,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209963/mainland-shoppers-return-hong-kong-some-border-shopkeepers-fear-boom-times-have-gone-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3209963/mainland-shoppers-return-hong-kong-some-border-shopkeepers-fear-boom-times-have-gone-good?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Feb 2023 14:28:09 +0000 Hong Kong police have arrested nearly 50 people accused of deviating from an authorised protest route in the border town of Sheung Shui amid a march against mainland Chinese shoppers and parallel traders.   The rally on Sunday kicked off at a Sheung Shui park, with marchers taking to the main streets of the town in a movement against what they saw as groups who were causing a nuisance in their neighbourhood. The area has many clusters of pharmacies and cosmetic shops, which were closed ahead of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3044732/more-thousand-gather-hong-kongs-border-town-sheung-shui?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3044732/more-thousand-gather-hong-kongs-border-town-sheung-shui?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Jan 2020 07:39:01 +0000 A pro-democracy political party will hold a march against parallel traders and shoppers from mainland China in a Hong Kong border town on Sunday, a week after anti-government protesters clashed with police in the same district. The event in Sheung Shui will be the first march organised by the Democratic Party in the seven months of social unrest that has rocked Hong Kong. Lam Tsz-king, the party’s North district councillor, who was given a letter of no objection by police on Friday, said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3044681/hong-kong-democracy-party-hold-rally-targeting-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3044681/hong-kong-democracy-party-hold-rally-targeting-shoppers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jan 2020 09:55:38 +0000 With protests in Hong Kong crossing 100 days, “one country, two systems” has undergone a trial by fire. Youth passion and idealism have been aroused for freedom and democracy. A protest theme song, Glory to Hong Kong, is gaining wide popularity. An ill-fated extradition bill has ignited a prairie fire, fuelled by housing unaffordability, lack of upward mobility, widening inequalities, and social injustice. Looking deeper, the anger has much to do with a perceived erosion of identity, lack of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3029924/hong-kong-protests-cross-100-days-10-ways-ensure-end-youth-anger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3029924/hong-kong-protests-cross-100-days-10-ways-ensure-end-youth-anger?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2019 03:00:11 +0000 A vocal opponent of parallel trading who is also against Hong Kong’s controversial extradition bill said he was viciously attacked by a gang armed with wooden sticks in Sha Tin and warned to stop “stirring up trouble”. Leung Kam-shing, convenor of the North District Parallel Imports Concern Group, was drinking alone on the Shing Mun River Promenade, near Star Seafood Floating Restaurant, when he was ambushed by up to four masked men at about 11pm on Sunday. The stick-wielding men threw an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3023418/hong-kong-campaigner-who-organises-protests-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3023418/hong-kong-campaigner-who-organises-protests-against?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2019 08:21:57 +0000 How many politicians does it take, and where are the strong decision-makers when you need them? It seems to me our civil unrest can be resolved relatively easily with strong action. First, withdraw the extradition bill. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said “dead”, which is stronger, so go with the “weak” option and give the people what they want: “withdraw” the bill. Second; Lam must step down, as she has proven herself incapable of leading and incompetent at both decision-making and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3019287/four-things-need-happen-hong-kong-move-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3019287/four-things-need-happen-hong-kong-move-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jul 2019 23:00:05 +0000 A masked man who tried to jump off a footbridge “out of panic” was one of two suspects arrested on Sunday in relation to anti-parallel trader protests in Sheung Shui, a border district in Hong Kong. But pro-democracy lawmaker Andrew Wan Siu-kin accused police of arresting the wrong person, saying the young man was not involved in the protests but nearly lost his life. A police union hit back at Wan’s “misleading” comments, saying officers had rescued the man by stopping him from leaping off the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018517/two-arrested-parallel-trading-protests-descend-chaos-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018517/two-arrested-parallel-trading-protests-descend-chaos-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jul 2019 03:40:33 +0000 Hong Kong’s border town of Sheung Shui was rocked by protest violence and chaos for hours on Saturday before police could clear the streets at night, following a major rally against mainland Chinese visitors and parallel traders. Police described the mostly young protesters as “highly organised” and well prepared to attack them with iron poles and other weapons which they distributed among themselves in advance. Sources said at least five police officers were injured in running battles with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018473/sheung-shui-readies-itself-protests-hongkongers-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018473/sheung-shui-readies-itself-protests-hongkongers-take?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2019 06:59:43 +0000 Pharmacies frequented by mainland Chinese visitors and parallel traders in a border district of Hong Kong have been warned to shut down if safety is threatened during a protest march on Saturday. North District Parallel Imports Concern Group will organise a protest march to “recover Sheung Shui”, where residents have for years complained of nuisance caused by traders buying goods to take back to mainland China. The group expects a turnout in thousands rather than the usual few hundreds, given... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018266/pharmacies-frequented-mainland-chinese-visitors-alert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3018266/pharmacies-frequented-mainland-chinese-visitors-alert?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2019 00:17:12 +0000 China has cut a controversial tax on personal items bought overseas, ranging from iPads to books, in an effort to boost consumer confidence. The government will trim the “tax on baggage and articles accompanying incoming passengers and personal postal articles”, a three-in-one tax consisting of value-added tax, consumption tax and import duties on Tuesday, according to an online notice posted by the Ministry of Finance on Monday. The tax rate on products including computers, foodstuffs, gold and... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3005262/china-cuts-tax-personal-items-bought-overseas-move-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3005262/china-cuts-tax-personal-items-bought-overseas-move-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2019 12:00:08 +0000 With parallel trading of baby milk formula across the border still rampant, the Hong Kong government has understandably decided to maintain the “two-tin cap” on outbound travellers to safeguard adequate supply for local consumption. But the underlying problems remain unresolved and are spilling to foreign countries. The restriction was never meant to be permanent when it was introduced in 2013 amid an outcry over widespread shortages of powdered formula, fuelled by an influx of mainland shoppers... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2188379/action-needed-put-lid-trade-baby-milk-formula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2188379/action-needed-put-lid-trade-baby-milk-formula?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:47:00 +0000 Scores of protesters marched through the border town of Sheung Shui in Hong Kong on Sunday in a campaign against parallel trading and demanded urgent government action to stop the influx of mainlanders involved in such activities. The demonstrators accused mainland visitors of abusing the current travel visa system by coming in repeatedly to buy goods in Sheung Shui and then reselling them for profit across the border. Some 100 marchers shouted: “Parallel traders cause nuisance, the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2183834/sheung-shui-protesters-urge-cap-hong-kong-visits-shenzhen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2183834/sheung-shui-protesters-urge-cap-hong-kong-visits-shenzhen?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jan 2019 12:43:40 +0000 Concern groups in Hong Kong’s Tin Shui Wai on Saturday demanded that authorities take action against a surge in parallel trading activities observed in the area since December. Ben Ho Wai-pan, co-organiser of a campaign against parallel traders, said: “At around 3pm or 4pm [each day], you can see some 40 parallel traders occupying busy main passages near MTR and light rail stations.” Swift police action in Tin Shui Wai caused a drop in such activities on Thursday, but Ho insisted seven... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2182854/surge-parallel-trading-tin-shui-wai-sparks-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2182854/surge-parallel-trading-tin-shui-wai-sparks-call?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Jan 2019 23:02:14 +0000 Nine people have been arrested with tax-free goods worth HK$160,000 following a police operation to crack down on parallel trading in Tin Shui Wai, close to the Hong Kong-mainland China border. The operation on Thursday came after similar police action at the Shenzhen Bay border checkpoint, when at least two mainland Chinese people were arrested with HK$130,000 of goods from Hong Kong. The Shenzhen Bay Port in Shekou, Shenzhen has a Hong Kong port area administrated by the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2182651/nine-parallel-traders-arrested-hk160000-worth-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/2182651/nine-parallel-traders-arrested-hk160000-worth-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jan 2019 04:43:29 +0000 When Leung Kam-shing saw pictures of the tourist influx in Tung Chung over the weekend, it felt familiar: he thought it was his home in Sheung Shui. Since the 55km bridge connecting Hong Kong to the neighbouring cities of Macau and Zhuhai opened last month, the usually quiet new town of Tung Chung, on Lantau Island – and closest to the bridge’s local checkpoint – has seen an explosion in the number of mainland Chinese tourists at the weekend. Local residents said they had never seen the town so... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2172191/memories-unrest-sheung-shui-mainland-chinese-tourists-hop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2172191/memories-unrest-sheung-shui-mainland-chinese-tourists-hop?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Nov 2018 10:01:33 +0000 Chinese authorities have introduced a new system to crack down on “parallel traders” at two border checkpoints between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, in a move that marks the beginning of facial recognition technology being used on the large-scale at the mainland’s border checkpoints with the city. Parallel traders refers to people who buy tax-free goods in the former British colony and then resell them in the mainland. According to a message posted by the General Administration of Customs on Weibo,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2156510/china-uses-facial-recognition-system-deter-tax-free-traders-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2156510/china-uses-facial-recognition-system-deter-tax-free-traders-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jul 2018 02:15:15 +0000 Hong Kong customs officers have broken up a local syndicate that supplied counterfeit Chinese herbal pills and medicated balm to local retail outlets. The alleged ringleader, a 29-year-old woman, was arrested along with her parents at a warehouse in Chai Wan, in eastern Hong Kong Island, which was used as a storage and distribution centre for the fake goods. Another two men, who worked as salesmen, were picked up when officers raided two drug stores in the Mong Kok area of Kowloon, the Customs... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2131254/five-held-hong-kong-customs-break-gang-selling-fake-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2131254/five-held-hong-kong-customs-break-gang-selling-fake-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2018 22:46:38 +0000 A government review of the amount of infant formula a person can legally carry out of Hong Kong has triggered a backlash from local lawmakers and district councillors. Restrictions were introduced in 2013 that banned travellers transporting more than two tins of milk powder, or 1.8kg, per person out of the city. The policy was aimed at easing a shortage of the product experienced by local parents, who found themselves competing with parallel traders snapping up supplies for resale across the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115384/lawmakers-district-councillors-rally-against-review-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2115384/lawmakers-district-councillors-rally-against-review-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2017 13:32:22 +0000 The launch of a new iPhone usually heralds big profits for resellers as they take advantage of surging demand for the luxury handsets. But it was a different story on Friday when the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus went on sale across the globe, with products being resold at or even below official retail prices due to low demand. On Friday morning, about 20 customers stood in line to collect their pre-ordered products at the IFC outlet, a stark contrast with the long queues in previous years. Thousands of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2112336/iphone-8-and-8-plus-launch-little-fanfare-hongkongers-await?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2112336/iphone-8-and-8-plus-launch-little-fanfare-hongkongers-await?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2017 02:45:30 +0000 Apple has barely unveiled its newest and most expensive iPhone model, boasting of an arsenal of features such as facial recognition, and many Hongkongers are already planning to cash in by scalping them across the border to mainland buyers. Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan are among the first of 55 countries and jurisdictions where Apple fans can pre-order “the future of the smartphone”, the iPhone X (with X being the Roman numeral for 10), from October 27 at a minimum price of HK$8,588 in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2110923/hong-kong-resellers-poised-profit-apple-unveils-iphone-x?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2110923/hong-kong-resellers-poised-profit-apple-unveils-iphone-x?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Sep 2017 01:30:15 +0000 Ten children in school uniform have been caught trying to smuggle almost 1 million yuan (HK$1.13 million, US$145,000) worth of iPhones, other mobiles and expensive Chinese delicacies across the border from Hong Kong into Shenzhen. The children said they were not trying to make money, but had been promised food at McDonald’s or ice cream if they successfully sneaked the goods across the border, according to a Chinese news website. Hundreds of smuggled iPhone 7s netted in Chinese border... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2095820/children-used-smuggle-phones-worth-1-million-yuan-out-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2095820/children-used-smuggle-phones-worth-1-million-yuan-out-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2017 07:15:15 +0000 A university student from Hong Kong has been jailed for seven years by a mainland court for smuggling imitation firearms across the border. The 23-year-old City University student was found by Shenzhen customs to have illegally brought in 12 imitation items and was arrested on July 27, Guangzhou Daily reported on Wednesday. The Shenzhen Municipal Intermediate People’s Court handed down the seven-year imprisonment term and a fine of 20,000 yuan (HK$22,600) in December. Smuggler from Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2094751/cityu-student-jailed-seven-years-mainland-court-smuggling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2094751/cityu-student-jailed-seven-years-mainland-court-smuggling?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 May 2017 02:56:53 +0000 The number of mainlanders barred from entering Hong Kong for suspected involvement in parallel trading dropped by almost half, to 1,401 in March from 2,628 in April last year, after mainland authorities tightened their policy on Shenzhen residents visiting the city. The number of cases involving mainlanders breaching the so-called milk ban also dropped to 153 in March, compared to 257 in April last year. The monthly figures were released on Wednesday by security minister Lai Tung-kwok in his... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2048866/number-mainlanders-refused-entry-hong-kong-suspected-parallel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2048866/number-mainlanders-refused-entry-hong-kong-suspected-parallel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Nov 2016 01:00:30 +0000 Shipping company staff Ng Lai-ying never imagined she would make international headlines when she was found guilty of using her breast to assault a police inspector last year. The charge may sound absurd, and the case of the “Hong Kong girl who assaulted a policeman with her breast” – as Ng was known to foreign media – triggered protests last year by women’s rights activists who took to the streets to express their bewilderment as to how breasts could be used as weapons. Under Hong Kong law... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2027430/what-now-woman-breast-assault-case-cop-supporting-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2027430/what-now-woman-breast-assault-case-cop-supporting-democracy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2016 09:30:30 +0000 The woman who made international headlines last year for using her breast to assault a policeman was spared jail by a Hong Kong court on Monday. Ng Lai-ying, 30, was originally jailed three months and 15 days, but was instead ordered to serve 200 hours of community service after successfully appealing against her sentence for assaulting Chief Inspector Chan Ka-po last month. At a protest in Yuen Long against mainland parallel traders on March 1 last year, Ng used her breast to bump Chan and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2022550/no-jail-hong-kong-woman-who-assaulted-policeman-breast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2022550/no-jail-hong-kong-woman-who-assaulted-policeman-breast?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Sep 2016 03:30:30 +0000 Here’s a look at six newly elected and four freshly ousted members of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council after a dramatic day and night of long queues at polling stations. In a reflection of the races’ high stakes, a number of candidates issued last-minute appeals for votes just hours before the polls closed. For more election results, facts and figures, please visit Legislative Council election counting room. For additional Post coverage on the polls, please click here. Nathan Law Kwun-chung From... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2014997/profiles-victory-and-defeat-look-few-notable-legco-winners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2014997/profiles-victory-and-defeat-look-few-notable-legco-winners?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Sep 2016 09:15:28 +0000 A Hong Kong woman convicted of using her breast to assault a policeman at a protest against mainland parallel traders last year failed to clear her name yesterday, but may avoid going to jail. Ng Lai-ying, 30, guilty of assaulting Chief Inspector Chan Ka-po, successfully appealed against her jail sentence of three months and 15 days. But she failed in her attempt to overturn her conviction, which earlier drew a great deal of press coverage worldwide. The court will look into her suitability for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2010552/woman-convicted-assaulting-hong-kong-policeman-breast-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2010552/woman-convicted-assaulting-hong-kong-policeman-breast-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Aug 2016 03:30:15 +0000 Renewing licences for cross-border vehicles could become a much easier with authorities confirming a revision of the process on Friday. Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong lawmakers said on Friday that plans to streamline the cross-border licence renewal process were underway. Speaking in at a press conference yesterday, lawmaker Ip Kwok-him said Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department officials had suggested that under the review, all new cross-border... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2006164/hong-kong-mainland-authorities-propose-take-headache-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2006164/hong-kong-mainland-authorities-propose-take-headache-out?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2016 09:44:17 +0000 Pharmacies at Sheung Shui say they lost between 30 to 50 per cent of their business on Monday, as Shenzhen customs launched a crackdown on parallel trading at one of their border checkpoints. The mainland operation, which began at the weekend, left the space between Lok Ma Chau checkpoint in Hong Kong and ­Futian port in Shenzhen packed with thousands of travellers for hours on Sunday, as officers carried out more rigid inspections. While tourists and residents complained about the extra hours... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1952089/shenzhen-customs-parallel-trading-crackdown-has-knock-local?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1952089/shenzhen-customs-parallel-trading-crackdown-has-knock-local?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 May 2016 00:01:59 +0000 An anti-parallel trade protest in Sheung Shui was abruptly aborted at the last minute on Sunday, in what was seen as a rift within the pro-independence nativist movement ahead of the coming Legislative Council elections. The lead organisers, nativist group North District Parallel Imports Concern Group, pointed the finger at Horace Chin Wan-kan, regarded as the ideological leader of the pro-independence force. Its convenor, Ronald Leung Kam-shing, claimed Chin orchestrated violence behind the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1940389/hong-kong-anti-parallel-trader-protest-pulled-last-minute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1940389/hong-kong-anti-parallel-trader-protest-pulled-last-minute?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 May 2016 15:01:03 +0000 One year after the central government limited Shenzhen residents to “one visit per week”, the number of mainland visitors coming to Hong Kong on multiple-entry visas has dropped by 57.3 per cent to 6.3 million. But Sheung Shui residents said their lives had not been made easier as parallel traders – who buy goods in Hong Kong to sell at a profit on the mainland – were still all over the place, despite some traders saying Shenzhen customs had stepped up checks. The issue has prompted a local... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1936705/slump-shenzhen-visitors-hong-kong-parallel-traders-are-still?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1936705/slump-shenzhen-visitors-hong-kong-parallel-traders-are-still?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Apr 2016 10:55:15 +0000 It seems mainland people have found a better place to do their Lunar New Year shopping this year, as the newly opened shopping mall in Shenzhen’s free-trade zone that specialises in selling Hong Kong products has seen a flood of customers since its December opening. The CTF HOKO shopping mall, operated by a joint venture led by Hong Kong jewellery giant Chow Tai Fook Group, stands in the heart of the Qianhai zone about a 30-minute drive from central Shenzhen. Qianhai and special zones in six... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1909881/shenzhen-shopping-mall-attracts-custom-hong-kong-products-yet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1909881/shenzhen-shopping-mall-attracts-custom-hong-kong-products-yet?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Feb 2016 11:15:00 +0000 MTR last year issued 8,100 warning letters to passengers for breaking luggage size rules, up 73 per cent from 2014, while the number of assaults against its staff doubled to 40. Most of the warning letters were issued at train stations near the border with mainland China, such as Lok Ma Chau and Lo Wu. In total, MTR said an average of 9,000 passengers per month were stopped from travelling on the train for carrying bulky or oversized items, and this mostly happened on the East Rail Line, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1903697/oversized-luggage-mtr-provoked-73-more-warnings-2015-2014?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1903697/oversized-luggage-mtr-provoked-73-more-warnings-2015-2014?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2016 12:00:15 +0000 Two people protesting against parallel-goods trading were spared immediate jail sentences for yelling aggressively at a mother and her four-year-old daughter. Computer repair technician Chan Bo-kee, 47, and student Kuoc Ho-pan, 16, had earlier pleaded guilty in Tuen Mun Court to one count each of disorderly conduct in a public place. Chan today was sentenced to one month imprisonment, suspended for one year, while Kuoc was ordered to perform 120 hours of community service. Sentencing the pair,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1869417/hong-kong-parallel-trading-protesters-who-berated-mother?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1869417/hong-kong-parallel-trading-protesters-who-berated-mother?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Oct 2015 08:45:30 +0000 The number of so-called parallel-goods traders taking their Hong Kong purchases across the border for resale fell noticeably this week amid a surprise crackdown by mainland authorities, but their activities were back on the rise after the four-day campaign ended yesterday. Media reports emerged on Monday that authorities in Shenzhen were to take action against the traders, including confiscating trolleys used to transport goods and checking identities for further investigation. No reason was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1859572/parallel-traders-back-hong-kong-towns-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1859572/parallel-traders-back-hong-kong-towns-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2015 16:00:00 +0000 A temporary shopping complex is set to open near the border by late next year, a year later than scheduled, after town planners approved it yesterday - with 18 conditions. The mall - to be operated for three years near the Lok Ma Chau border crossing - was proposed in February amid rising tensions over an influx of shoppers and traders from the mainland that sparked unruly protests. The original plan was for the outlet to be opened in time for National Day on October 1. It was then rescheduled... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/1859246/pop-mall-proposal-hong-kong-border-town-lok-ma-chau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/1859246/pop-mall-proposal-hong-kong-border-town-lok-ma-chau?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2015 23:00:15 +0000 Food safety officials are seeking clarification over a reported ban on deliveries of mooncakes from the city to the mainland - a move they suspect is part of a crackdown on parallel trading activities, the health minister said yesterday. Mainland media reported on Monday that a shipment of 190 boxes of Hong Kong-made mooncakes was seized in Zhejiang province last week, possibly due to controls on the import of foods containing egg. Fresh eggs, salted eggs and other products made with egg cannot... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1858291/hong-kong-looks-seizure-citys-mooncakes-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1858291/hong-kong-looks-seizure-citys-mooncakes-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2015 04:15:00 +0000 A high-profile drive launched last week by the pro-business Liberal Party to press the government to lift a so-called "milk ban" has collapsed, with the party leader saying it would no longer pursue the issue. Party leader Vincent Fang Kang, a lawmaker representing the retail sector, conceded his party's calls to ease a limit on the amount of formula milk an individual can take out of the city had backfired and instead stoked anti-mainland sentiment. "After we raised the issue last week,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1856948/bid-lift-hong-kong-milk-ban-backfired-liberal-party-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1856948/bid-lift-hong-kong-milk-ban-backfired-liberal-party-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Sep 2015 08:00:45 +0000 Protests against cross-border parallel trading in Hong Kong were bad for the city’s image as a tourist destination, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said today, as he renewed calls for Hongkongers to welcome travellers. Speaking ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting this morning, Leung described a demonstration in Sheung Shui on Sunday attended by some 150 protesters – the first rally against parallel-goods trading in the city in around half a year – as “unhelpful”. “The protest in Sheung... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1856211/anti-parallel-trading-protests-unhelpful-building-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1856211/anti-parallel-trading-protests-unhelpful-building-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2015 02:45:45 +0000 The health minister reiterated that the government has no plan to lift the two-can limit on the amount of infant formula a person can take over the border on Monday, after the first protest against parallel trading in six months took place on Sunday. Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man reassured parents that the restriction would stay in place, after the lawmaker representing the retail sector again called for the ban to be lifted earlier yesterday, saying another widespread shortage of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1856056/hong-kong-health-minister-says-no-plan-ease-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1856056/hong-kong-health-minister-says-no-plan-ease-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2015 16:00:15 +0000 The first demonstration against cross-border parallel trading, after a half-year lull, was mostly peaceful yesterday while government officials ramped up their rhetoric against the "extremely irresponsible" protesters. The only arrest was Ray Wong Toi-yeung of Hong Kong Indigenous, whose group helped organise similar protests earlier this year, for allegedly assaulting a police officer on a footbridge near Sheung Shui MTR station. About 150 people marched along streets lined with pharmacies and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/1855865/these-actions-hurt-hong-kong-officials-slam-irresponsible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/1855865/these-actions-hurt-hong-kong-officials-slam-irresponsible?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2015 16:00:00 +0000 A waiter accused of possessing a lighter he intended to use to damage property in Sheung Shui as tension grew over cross-border trading was spotted with flare emitting from his right hand the night he was arrested, a court heard yesterday. Testifying against Li Tsz-keung, a police officer, who arrested Li, said he and his colleague saw the flare on Li’s right hand when they were about to intercept the 18-year-old and another man on Hong Tsai Street on February 1. “As we intercepted him, Li... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1848805/waiter-hid-lighter-police-approached-amid-tension-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1848805/waiter-hid-lighter-police-approached-amid-tension-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2015 23:02:28 +0000 The Department of Justice and police are looking into alleged threats to the safety of a magistrate who jailed a woman protester for assaulting a police officer with her breast, the justice minister said. Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung said yesterday that his department would consider launching judicial proceedings if it had sufficient evidence to back up the magistrate's case. It was understood police recently received a referral over the alleged threats and that the New... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1845426/hong-kong-justice-minister-considers-legal-action-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1845426/hong-kong-justice-minister-considers-legal-action-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jul 2015 03:30:15 +0000 A magistrate who found a woman protester guilty of assaulting a police officer with her breast revealed yesterday that he had been threatened since the verdict and feared for his safety. Deputy Magistrate Michael Chan Pik-kiu made the claims before sentencing Ng Lai-ying and three co-defendants, whom he found guilty four weeks ago, in front of a court packed with their supporters. Ng was jailed for three months and 15 days. "I am worried about my personal safety," the magistrate said in Tuen Mun... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1845098/anti-parallel-trade-protester-who-hit-hong-kong-policeman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1845098/anti-parallel-trade-protester-who-hit-hong-kong-policeman?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2015 05:30:45 +0000 A hearing-impaired secondary school pupil was yesterday cleared of pushing the door of a fast-food restaurant and hitting a policeman amid chaotic scenes during a protest against parallel trading in Yuen Long. Acquitting Fung Tsz-ho, Tuen Mun magistrate Kelly Shui said she could not rule out the possibility that the 17-year-old opened the door and accidentally hit officer Lee Wang-tat. She also could not be sure if Lee was hit by other people at the scene, or if he was being oversensitive as the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1835662/teenager-acquitted-hitting-hong-kong-policeman-door?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1835662/teenager-acquitted-hitting-hong-kong-policeman-door?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jul 2015 05:45:15 +0000 Last week's decision to restrict Shenzhen residents to one trip to Hong Kong per week did little to dampen brisk sales in border towns yesterday. Suitcases and shopping trolleys stuffed with baby milk formula and instant noodles, as well as medication, packed the pavements outside a cluster of pharmacies in Sau Fu Street, Yuen Long, for example. Since Monday, Shenzhen's municipal government has not renewed expiring multiple-entry permits, which allow unlimited visits to Hong Kong. Instead,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1770197/business-usual-parallel-traders-border-towns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1770197/business-usual-parallel-traders-border-towns?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2015 21:30:45 +0000 Just outside one of the border checkpoints between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, a scene is re-enacted many times each day. In the sea of people, a lone figure will bob out and scurry to one corner. He unzips his bag and hands over its contents to another person. Then just as quickly he melts back into the crowd. The owner of a grocery store in the Luohu Commercial City mall in Shenzhen who sees these furtive exchanges every day breathed a sigh of relief when the central government announced on Monday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1767260/shenzhens-parallel-universe-action-stop-street-traders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1767260/shenzhens-parallel-universe-action-stop-street-traders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2015 18:15:15 +0000