https://www.scmp.com/rss/310642/feed Gary Cheung joined the Post in 2000, covering fields ranging from politics and the integration between Hong Kong and China. He became assistant editor-in-chief of Ming Pao in 2017 and returned to the Post the following year. He is author of Hong Kong’s Watershed: The 1967 riots (Hong Kong University Press, 2009). en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hilton Cheong-Leen became the first Chinese chairman of Hong Kong’s Urban Council in 1981, a position that earned him his nickname during his five-year stint. Cheong-Leen, the “mayor of Hong Kong”, had been an early advocate of gradual democratic development since the 1950s and in 1970 led the first walkout in the history of the now-defunct council. Veteran journalist Gary Cheung and Oliver Chou have published a book documenting the deeds of Cheong-Leen, who died in January at the age of 99. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3184718/how-mayor-hong-kong-hilton-cheong-leen-led-push-give-common?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3184718/how-mayor-hong-kong-hilton-cheong-leen-led-push-give-common?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Jul 2022 06:51:02 +0000 The opposition camp and its supporters need to accept the city’s constitutional order, now that Beijing has overhauled Hong Kong’s political landscape, former leader Leung Chun-ying has said. In an interview with the Post to mark the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover, the 67-year-old emphasised repeatedly that Hong Kong had all along been a “city of economics”, not “a city of politics”, and the opposition and its supporters needed to “stick to the original bargain”. “The single biggest... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3184339/its-time-accept-basic-law-former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3184339/its-time-accept-basic-law-former-hong-kong-leader-cy-leung?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jul 2022 10:31:22 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s major speech in Hong Kong was directed not just at the city’s residents but also the international community, especially given it was his first trip outside mainland China since 2020, analysts said. He was telling the wider world that contrary to the dire predictions by critics, Hong Kong’s unique status, including its common law system, would be maintained under the “one country, two systems” formula, they said. They argued too that the president’s two-day visit... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183861/xi-jinping-was-talking-hong-kong-also-had-message-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183861/xi-jinping-was-talking-hong-kong-also-had-message-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Jul 2022 00:00:17 +0000 President Xi Jinping hailed Hong Kong for having “risen from the ashes” as he began his long-anticipated visit on Thursday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty, underscoring Beijing’s commitment to the “one country, two systems” governing principle for a “bright future”. The president, who travelled to Hong Kong with first lady Peng Liyuan on a high-speed train from neighbouring Shenzhen, had a busy first day holding separate meetings with government... https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/politics/article/3183724/risen-ashes-chinese-president-xi-jinping-hails-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/politics/article/3183724/risen-ashes-chinese-president-xi-jinping-hails-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:02:17 +0000 Hong Kong’s third chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, shares his thoughts on the city’s uniqueness and its relationship with mainland China. Twenty-five years after the handover, has “one country” overshadowed “two systems”? Has Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy been undermined? No to both questions. Anyone who says otherwise has to point to the articles in the Basic Law. Hong Kong’s two systems and its relationship with central authorities, including its high degree of autonomy, are not... https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/reflections/article/3183528/free-and-pluralistic-former-leader-leung-chun-ying-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/reflections/article/3183528/free-and-pluralistic-former-leader-leung-chun-ying-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 03:00:30 +0000 Shipping magnate Tung Chee-hwa had a clear vision for Hong Kong in the 21st century when he campaigned in 1996 to be the city’s first chief executive after its return to China. He saw “a stable, equitable, compassionate and democratic society” governed by the principle of “one country, two systems” under which Beijing would allow the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region a high degree of autonomy and certain freedoms not permitted in mainland China. “I have every confidence that this can be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183511/beijing-tightens-its-grip-over-hong-kong-does-one-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183511/beijing-tightens-its-grip-over-hong-kong-does-one-country?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jun 2022 11:00:25 +0000 Nearly 3,000 guests and staff will be placed under hotel quarantine from Wednesday in preparation for a two-day visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover, the Post has learned. Some officials who decided to “play it safe” have even already started their quarantine. This included outgoing Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and a few other ministers such as security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung, housing secretary Frank Chan Fan and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183411/3000-guests-staff-begin-hotel-quarantine-hong-kong-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183411/3000-guests-staff-begin-hotel-quarantine-hong-kong-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2022 13:01:30 +0000 Hong Kong leader-in-waiting John Lee Ka-chiu has promised to adopt a more aggressive approach to countering “fearmongering and badmouthing” by critics of the city, insisting that being sanctioned himself by the United States would not stop him from promoting the city overseas. In an exclusive interview with the Post ahead of his swearing-in as chief executive on July 1, Lee revealed he would attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Bangkok this November for a start. “This is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182712/incoming-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-promises-more-aggressive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182712/incoming-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-promises-more-aggressive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2022 18:00:27 +0000 Incoming leader John Lee Ka-chiu is working on a strategy to reopen Hong Kong’s borders with mainland China and the rest of the world, including a possible reduction of mandatory quarantine for travellers, and also plans to attend the Apec leaders’ summit in Bangkok in November as part of a more aggressive drive to promote his home city. Lee, who has been sanctioned by Washington since 2020 over his role in the implementation of Hong Kong’s national security law, said one of his goals was to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182709/incoming-leader-john-lee-working-strategy-reopen-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182709/incoming-leader-john-lee-working-strategy-reopen-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2022 18:00:25 +0000 Beijing’s decision to lay out explicit targets for the incoming Hong Kong government signals its determination to exercise “comprehensive jurisdiction” over the city and has injected a sense of urgency for the new administration to deliver, according to analysts. While Sunday’s announcement of the cabinet line-up of Chief Executive-designate John Lee Ka-chiu won initial praise from major political parties, some analysts warned the diverse backgrounds of the members could spell a longer time for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182298/beijing-underlines-its-jurisdiction-and-desire-urgent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3182298/beijing-underlines-its-jurisdiction-and-desire-urgent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Jun 2022 00:15:19 +0000 Top officials and staff involved in celebratory events to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule will only need to quarantine at designated hotels for three days during the last week of June under a revised “closed-loop” arrangement, multiple sources have said. Anyone taking part in the health protocol would also undergo a four-day self-managed period during which they must avoid high-risk locations and public gatherings, before isolating at a designated hotel for three... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3181827/hong-kong-top-officials-undergo-3-day-hotel-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3181827/hong-kong-top-officials-undergo-3-day-hotel-quarantine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jun 2022 12:52:05 +0000 Silver horsehair wigs and long gowns have long been part of Hong Kong’s court attire for judges and barristers, passed down through generations as a part of its common law tradition. The somewhat theatrical dress code also serves several practical functions: it is meant to deliver an image of solemnity, while also serving to distinguish levels of seniority among judges and barristers. The tradition was retained after the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 to acknowledge a... https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/society/article/3181688/hong-kong-judges-and-barristers-could-wave-goodbye-courtroom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/society/article/3181688/hong-kong-judges-and-barristers-could-wave-goodbye-courtroom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jun 2022 01:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s first chief justice after the end of British rule expects the question of whether all judges should be Chinese citizens to emerge as among the issues to be debated in the run-up to 2047. Such matters would surface well before that year, Andrew Li Kwok-nang said, referring to the 50 year mark of the city’s handover of sovereignty from Britain to China amid a promise that its way of life would be preserved under the “one country, two systems” governing model. In an exclusive interview... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3181460/why-hong-kong-may-need-discuss-whether-all-its-judges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3181460/why-hong-kong-may-need-discuss-whether-all-its-judges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jun 2022 23:30:16 +0000 For pro-establishment heavyweight Jasper Tsang Yok-sing, a key indicator of the success of China’s “one country, two systems” governing policy over Hong Kong hinges on whether Beijing will resume dialogue with the pan-democrats amid a drastically altered political landscape in the city. Tsang, who was president of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council from 2008 to 2016, also suggested Beijing find ways to achieve the ultimate goal of electing the city’s leader and legislature through universal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3181331/will-beijing-resume-dialogue-hong-kongs-opposition-camp-ex?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3181331/will-beijing-resume-dialogue-hong-kongs-opposition-camp-ex?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jun 2022 00:30:18 +0000 Hong Kong’s top officials and advisers to the chief executive are expected to be put under a week-long “closed-loop” arrangement towards the end of June, as part of preparations for a possible visit by a mainland Chinese state leader for the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, ministers and permanent secretaries, as well as non-official members of the Executive Council, Lam’s de facto cabinet, will be placed under a stringent system preventing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180639/hong-kongs-top-officials-could-be-put-under-week-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180639/hong-kongs-top-officials-could-be-put-under-week-long?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jun 2022 13:00:25 +0000 Hong Kong’s incoming leader John Lee Ka-chiu is finalising his governing team after selecting his top three ministers, and is expected to unveil his line-up in the second half of the month, the Post has learned. Multiple sources said Eric Chan Kwok-ki, director of the Chief Executive’s Office, was likely to be nominated as chief secretary, while Paul Chan Mo-po would continue to serve as finance chief. Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah is also highly likely to serve in the next... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180226/hong-kongs-john-lee-finalising-team-selects-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180226/hong-kongs-john-lee-finalising-team-selects-ministers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:05:36 +0000 Legal experts are divided on whether watching or downloading a film about the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong, which has been available online since Wednesday, could violate the city’s national security law. The team behind the documentary, Revolution of Our Times, declined to respond to Post inquiries on the download trends for the film on Wednesday, the first day of its global screening on American streaming platform Vimeo. The title of the 2½-hour documentary is part of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180059/national-security-law-documentary-hong-kongs-2019-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3180059/national-security-law-documentary-hong-kongs-2019-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jun 2022 14:27:35 +0000 A senior Beijing official who has been handling Hong Kong affairs for more than three decades has been transferred to the nation’s top political advisory body as it seeks greater and more meaningful engagement with the local community, the Post has learned. A mainland Chinese source on Tuesday said Zhang Xiaoming, formerly executive deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), had been appointed deputy secretary general of the Chinese People’s Political... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3179861/top-beijing-official-handling-hong-kong-affairs-moved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3179861/top-beijing-official-handling-hong-kong-affairs-moved?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 May 2022 09:03:40 +0000 Hong Kong residents are set to receive a “fortune bag” in June containing small gifts marking the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule, the Post has learned. A source familiar with the matter said authorities planned to distribute millions of the souvenir packs in mid-June, with the Home Affairs Department taking the lead. “The pack will contain souvenirs, including a vacuum mug, a pen and a paper fan,” the source said. “The logistic arrangements of distributing the packs will... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3179622/all-hong-kong-residents-get-fortune-bags-containing-gifts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3179622/all-hong-kong-residents-get-fortune-bags-containing-gifts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 May 2022 23:00:21 +0000 Former secretary for constitutional affairs Michael Sze Cho-cheung, who took part in the Sino-British talks on a controversial electoral reform proposal by Hong Kong’s last governor Chris Patten, has died at the age of 76. Patten on Thursday told the Post that Sze was “one of Hong Kong’s finest public servants”, saying the late-career government employee was “brave, honest, honourable and very competent”. Sze, who died on Thursday, was promoted to secretary for constitutional affairs in 1991 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3178355/hongkonger-who-rose-inner-circle-citys-last-british?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3178355/hongkonger-who-rose-inner-circle-citys-last-british?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 May 2022 09:29:47 +0000 The campaign team of Hong Kong’s incoming leader John Lee Ka-chiu only accepted election donations from locally registered organisations and business chambers to avoid the risk of companies and individuals being sanctioned by the United States, the Post has learned. The HKCPPCC (Provincial) Members Association was one of several pro-establishment groups which contributed funds to the former policeman’s campaign, donating HK$300,000 (US$38,217) in cash. A source close to Lee’s campaign office... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3177541/us-sanctions-risk-pushed-campaign-team-hong-kongs-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3177541/us-sanctions-risk-pushed-campaign-team-hong-kongs-john-lee?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 May 2022 00:00:16 +0000 More than three decades have passed, but former mathematics teacher Norman So Chung-ping remembers his student John Lee Ka-chiu well: “He was very obedient in using the methods I taught.” Other boys at prestigious Wah Yan College, Kowloon, would attempt creative solutions to the homework So gave them each day, but not Lee. “Perhaps he knew other ways. But he also knew that the most important thing was to get it done. He really followed the rules,” recalled So, who went on to be principal from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176959/hong-kongs-next-leader-john-lee-former-schoolmates-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176959/hong-kongs-next-leader-john-lee-former-schoolmates-teachers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 May 2022 10:03:12 +0000 Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu ended his 53-minute rally on Friday with his campaign team members raising their fists on stage, chanting slogans such as “support Lee Ka-chiu and “create a new chapter for Hong Kong together”. Despite the enthusiasm on display, some observers argued that Lee’s messaging was not as impactful as previous candidates running for the top job and his rally lacked a human touch. Wearing a black suit and a blue tie, the former policeman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176843/how-john-lees-election-rally-compares-those-other-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176843/how-john-lees-election-rally-compares-those-other-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 May 2022 15:08:59 +0000 Chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu’s election platform which he unveiled on Friday pledged to “open a new chapter for Hong Kong together” but critics said the dearth of bold new ideas did not assure the public there would be a breakaway from the past. Several said the elements in the manifesto felt like “old wine in a new bottle”. As he announced his 44-page manifesto, Lee, the city’s former No 2 official, said there was no doubt there was much “we could draw upon and learn from our... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176055/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-will-john-lees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3176055/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-will-john-lees?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Apr 2022 00:00:27 +0000 Hong Kong will ease Covid-19 requirements for aircrew from Sunday, the government has said, with nine hotels designated for isolation of patients set to be turned into quarantine facilities to meet higher demand. Transport authorities announced the relaxed measures on Friday, confirming an earlier report by the Post that the compulsory quarantine period for passenger flight crews would be reduced to three days at a designated hotel, down from the existing range of seven to 14 days. They must... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3176024/coronavirus-hong-kong-ease-quarantine-period?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3176024/coronavirus-hong-kong-ease-quarantine-period?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Apr 2022 10:33:17 +0000 Hong Kong’s sole chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu will stress that restructuring the government forms a key part of his vision for results-oriented leadership when he unveils his long-awaited election platform on Friday, the Post has learned. Other top priorities for Lee would include care for the elderly, technology, youth development and civil service reform, but he was unlikely to definitively state that he would revive a decade-old plan to strengthen the city’s No 2 and 3 positions... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3175722/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-sole-candidate-john?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3175722/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-sole-candidate-john?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2022 12:42:08 +0000 Hong Kong will allow foreigners to fly into the city starting next month, the government has announced, ending an entry ban that has kept most visitors away for more than two years and offering a potential lifeline to businesses long battered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The city will also relax the threshold for suspending incoming flights carrying infected passengers from May 1, officials said on Friday, confirming an earlier Post report. The existing three-person threshold will be raised to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3175098/coronavirus-hong-kong-government-set-scale-back-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3175098/coronavirus-hong-kong-government-set-scale-back-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Apr 2022 23:00:21 +0000 Hong Kong chief executive candidate John Lee Ka-chiu has recruited about 150 political and business heavyweights to steer his campaign in the final stretch of his run for the city’s top job, putting together a team triple the size that advised the current leader during her bid five years ago. A Post analysis of the list released on Tuesday found at least half of the people on his 148-member team came from the commercial or industrial sectors, 15 were from academic institutions or think tanks and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174824/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-john-lee-recruits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174824/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-john-lee-recruits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Apr 2022 00:00:21 +0000 Being beaten up and robbed by gangsters was not an uncommon experience for a young boy growing up on a public housing estate in Hong Kong half a century ago. But for John Lee Ka-chiu, the man on track to become the city’s next leader, this childhood ordeal instilled in him “the importance of law and order”, he once recalled. That lesson appeared to stay with him. At the age of 20, Lee gave up an offer to study engineering at university and instead chose a career with the police force, where he... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174330/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-why-did-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174330/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-why-did-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Apr 2022 23:00:24 +0000 Businesses and customers will still be subject to tough vaccination and testing rules for Covid-19 when Hong Kong starts easing social-distancing curbs from April 21, including an extension of dine-in hours for restaurants and the reopening of premises such as gyms, sports venues and cinemas. Announcing long-awaited details of the first stage of a phased reopening plan with a review to be conducted after the Easter holidays, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Thursday noted the risk... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3174315/coronavirus-hong-kong-tough-vaccination-and-testing-rules-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3174315/coronavirus-hong-kong-tough-vaccination-and-testing-rules-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:03:47 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Key points: From April 21, restaurants can operate dine-in services until 10pm with four people per table. Bars will remain closed Catering staff must be vaccinated and undergo rapid antigen tests every three days Gyms, beauty massage parlours, cinemas, game centres, theme parks and places of worship to reopen. Limited to four people per group.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3174188/coronavirus-hong-kongs-easing-social-distancing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3174188/coronavirus-hong-kongs-easing-social-distancing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Apr 2022 02:09:49 +0000 Chief executive hopeful John Lee Ka-chiu spent only four days between formally resigning as Hong Kong’s No 2 official and announcing a 17-member team drawn from a swathe of the city’s who’s who to run his election campaign. Many were surprised that the career police officer-turned-top bureaucrat was able to assemble people from such a diverse variety of backgrounds, including policy think tanks, finance, business, law, social welfare, education and culture, in such a short period of time, with... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174060/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-whos-who-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3174060/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-whos-who-political?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Apr 2022 00:00:28 +0000 John Lee Ka-chiu will be aided by an “all-encompassing” campaign team from diverse backgrounds as he tries ro win public support and develop policy, according to a pro-Beijing heavyweight in charge of his campaign for the Hong Kong leadership race. Tam Yiu-chung, the sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the country’s top legislative body, will serve as the director of Lee’s campaign office as the former minister officially declared his candidacy for the chief... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3173652/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-john-lee-racing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3173652/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-2022-john-lee-racing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Apr 2022 01:30:19 +0000 Diplomats and business leaders have expressed both cautious optimism as well as disappointment at the possibility of John Lee Ka-chiu taking Hong Kong’s top job. The city’s No 2 official resigned on Wednesday, paving the way for a run in next month’s chief executive election as the sole candidate with Beijing’s blessing. Many saw the endorsement of Lee as Beijing putting emphasis on national security, but felt the policeman-turned minister’s ability to sustain Hong Kong’s place as a global... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3173300/reliable-limited-financial-exposure-mixed-reaction-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3173300/reliable-limited-financial-exposure-mixed-reaction-business?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Apr 2022 23:30:27 +0000 Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong will meet political elites on Wednesday to discuss next month’s leadership race, the Post has learned, with speculation mounting that a long-awaited sign of the central government’s preferred candidate could emerge from the talks. Hong Kong has never before been so close to the end of a chief executive’s term with no official indication of a possible successor, and the meeting of Election Committee members is expected to herald a flurry of activity across... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3173127/hong-kong-chief-executive-race-2022-beijings-liaison-office?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3173127/hong-kong-chief-executive-race-2022-beijings-liaison-office?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Apr 2022 08:00:26 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor met mainland Chinese officials in Shenzhen on Friday to discuss her administration’s anti-pandemic work and the coming chief executive election, nominations for which will officially open in two days. Multiple sources told the Post that Lam left for the mainland in the morning, with one saying she met Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, to talk about the leadership race and how the mainland could help Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3172761/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-heads-shenzhen-discuss-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3172761/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-heads-shenzhen-discuss-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Apr 2022 09:02:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s first chief justice after the end of British rule has called on the city to be prepared for fewer overseas judges serving in the highest local court as a long-term reality that should not affect high standards. Andrew Li Kwok-nang, who presided over the judiciary from 1997 to 2010, said it was “regrettable” that the UK on Wednesday withdrew its last two serving judges from Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal in a move that the city’s officials and legal heavyweights have condemned as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3172622/former-hong-kong-chief-justice-calls-city-prepare-fewer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3172622/former-hong-kong-chief-justice-calls-city-prepare-fewer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Mar 2022 11:19:38 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor sought to perform a delicate balancing act on Monday by announcing the easing of restrictions on travellers in an attempt to stem an outflow of talent while stressing the city was not moving towards “living with the virus”, according to her top adviser and analysts. The lifting of a flight ban on nine countries from April 1 was partly a result of a rare plea from more than half of the city leader’s de facto cabinet in an attempt to retain Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3171329/game-changer-hong-kong-leader-performs-difficult-balancing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3171329/game-changer-hong-kong-leader-performs-difficult-balancing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Mar 2022 01:30:17 +0000 This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Key points Flight bans on nine countries to be lifted on April 1 Hotel quarantine for fully vaccinated residents returning from overseas will be cut from 14 to seven days from April 1, on the condition travellers test negative on the fifth day via a PCR test, and via rapid antigen tests on the sixth and seventh day of their stay Social-distancing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3171213/coronavirus-hong-kong-lift-flight-bans-nine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3171213/coronavirus-hong-kong-lift-flight-bans-nine?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Mar 2022 02:46:53 +0000 The harsh numbers revealing people were leaving town in droves, particularly expatriates from the financial sector, finally convinced Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to rethink the city’s stringent pandemic control measures, the Post has learned. On Thursday, Lam promised to review the social-distancing rules and quarantine requirements for travellers after people in her inner circle warned her the city had reached a critical tipping point, with no clarity on the way forward as more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3170886/hong-kong-tipping-point-frank-words-dire-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3170886/hong-kong-tipping-point-frank-words-dire-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Mar 2022 02:00:39 +0000 Hong Kong could postpone its Covid-19 mass testing to April as part of a shift in focus to reducing coronavirus death rates and caring for the elderly, sources have said with the city in the throes of a fifth wave of infections. Insiders told the Post that conducting mass screening at the peak of the outbreak would be “useless”, unless the city had prepared an adequate number of isolation facilities. A source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday that top city officials were considering the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3169684/coronavirus-hong-kong-mass-testing-could-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3169684/coronavirus-hong-kong-mass-testing-could-be?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Mar 2022 09:00:55 +0000 Hong Kong could postpone its Covid-19 mass testing to next month to focus instead on reducing severe coronavirus infections and deaths among the elderly, the Post has learned, as epidemiologists estimated the fifth wave peaked late last week. As part of the shift in emphasis, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor would likely give an update on Wednesday on how hospital resources in public and private sectors would be allocated for epidemic control, a source familiar with the matter... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3169656/coronavirus-hong-kong-top-mainland-chinese-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3169656/coronavirus-hong-kong-top-mainland-chinese-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Mar 2022 05:47:36 +0000 The Hong Kong government is drawing up plans to require private hospitals to provide beds and designated clinics for coronavirus patients in an arrangement similar to asking hotels to offer quarantine facilities, as a state leader again questioned the private sector’s reported reluctance to do more. The city’s senior officials have been meeting heads of private hospitals, the Post has learned, to press for more support to ease the burden on a public health care system pushed to the brink trying... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3169523/chinese-state-leader-calls-hong-kong-take-strong-decisive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3169523/chinese-state-leader-calls-hong-kong-take-strong-decisive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 06:07:53 +0000 The Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, a Hong Kong think tank set up by a close aide of former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, will close by the end of March, the Post has learned. Analysts said its exit underscored the limited room for think tanks to develop in a city where policymaking had been dominated by officials. The centre was founded in March 2006 by Norman Chan Tak-lam, who ran Tsang’s campaign to become city leader the previous year. He was director of the Chief Executive’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3169450/hong-kongs-bauhinia-think-tank-bows-out-after-16-years-sign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3169450/hong-kongs-bauhinia-think-tank-bows-out-after-16-years-sign?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 00:00:28 +0000 Hong Kong’s public hospitals expect to repurpose half of their beds for Covid-19 patients by the end of this week to cope with an exponential growth in cases. Hospital Authority chairman Henry Fan Hung-ling on Sunday said the 50 per cent figure had been suggested by top mainland Chinese epidemiologist Dr Liang Wannian, head of a delegation of experts visiting Hong Kong. Liang said in an interview on Saturday the Hospital Authority had proposed a target of converting 30 per cent of beds in public... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3169424/half-all-beds-hong-kong-public-hospitals-be-set?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3169424/half-all-beds-hong-kong-public-hospitals-be-set?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Mar 2022 03:25:30 +0000 Hong Kong will hold its first large-scale lockdown for universal mass testing in the second half of the month, according to sources, but experts have called for the exercise to be deferred until the fifth wave of coronavirus infections has peaked. Doing mass testing later would be more effective at firmly shutting down transmissions, they agreed, rather than in the middle of the wave. Doing it now would put an unmanageable burden on the system even with more resources for isolation facilities... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3168752/coronavirus-hong-kong-9-day-large-scale-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3168752/coronavirus-hong-kong-9-day-large-scale-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Mar 2022 01:50:04 +0000 The EU’s envoy in Hong Kong has written to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor expressing concerns over coronavirus policies, saying 10 per cent of Europeans left the city over the last year amid uncertainties over anti-epidemic measures, the Post has learned. Thomas Gnocchi sent the letter to Lam two weeks ago and expressed concerns about the flight ban on nine countries including Britain, France and the United States, according to a Hong Kong-based consul general from a European Union... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3168476/eu-official-tells-carrie-lam-over-10-cent-europeans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3168476/eu-official-tells-carrie-lam-over-10-cent-europeans?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Feb 2022 16:27:50 +0000 It has been the catchphrase of Hong Kong’s finance chiefs since the city returned to Chinese rule that the government should save surpluses in the public coffers for a “rainy day”. The city is now facing not just any “rainy day” but is battling a tsunami of infections unleashed by the fifth wave of the coronavirus. Such hard times require extraordinary strategies and Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday did not disappoint, analysts said. Confronted by what he described as “the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3168136/rainy-days-and-listening-ear-did-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3168136/rainy-days-and-listening-ear-did-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Feb 2022 02:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was summoned to neighbouring Shenzhen to a closed-door meeting with central government officials last Tuesday on the urgency of tackling the worsening coronavirus outbreak, the Post has learned. The session was held just hours before pro-Beijing media in the city carried on their websites at 4am instructions from Chinese President Xi Jinping to her administration that it had the “main responsibility” to bring the Covid-19 crisis under control and make... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3167878/hong-kongs-postponed-chief-executive-election-what-was?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3167878/hong-kongs-postponed-chief-executive-election-what-was?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Feb 2022 00:00:14 +0000 Coronavirus transmission chains in Hong Kong could be cut by more than 90 per cent if citywide testing was completed in three to seven days, the head of a major laboratory operator has said. Sunrise Diagnostic Centre chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk on Sunday said citywide Covid-19 testing should be ideally completed in three to seven days, with every resident taking two or three tests within that period. “That would cut off 90 to 95 per cent of transmission chains,” Wu, a former Hospital Authority... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3167727/laboratory-chairman-says-hong-kong-could-cut-90?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3167727/laboratory-chairman-says-hong-kong-could-cut-90?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Feb 2022 07:34:22 +0000