https://www.scmp.com/rss/311058/feed Francis Neoton Cheung is the convenor of Doctoral Exchange, a public policy research collective, and a former member of the Land and Building Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit Expert Group. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Francis Neoton Cheung Francis Neoton Cheung When Hong Kong’s Housing Authority launched the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) in 1998, it embodied the city’s aspiration of home ownership for all. Then the chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, envisioned public housing tenants buying their flats at a discount, transforming renters into homeowners. That year, the first batch of 25,000 flats was rolled out. In total, 39 estates were included, offering 184,036 flats. The latest Housing Authority data shows that 154,743 of these were sold to tenants. On... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3341588/hong-kong-must-fix-tenants-purchase-schemes-flaws-any-relaunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3341588/hong-kong-must-fix-tenants-purchase-schemes-flaws-any-relaunch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Feb 2026 01:30:07 +0000 Francis Neoton Cheung Francis Neoton Cheung The Kai Tak Development Area, once home to Hong Kong’s iconic airport, is now the site of one of the city’s most ambitious urban regeneration efforts. As the government pushes forward with two major infrastructure projects in the area – a smart and green mass transit system and the enhancement of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal – concerns are mounting that the current fragmented approach may undermine the very goals these projects aim to achieve. Both initiatives are central to Hong Kong’s long-term... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324992/kai-tak-infrastructure-projects-shouldnt-be-developed-isolation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324992/kai-tak-infrastructure-projects-shouldnt-be-developed-isolation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Francis Neoton Cheung Francis Neoton Cheung More than 180 years after their first development, the historic cores on Hong Kong Island – Central, Sheung Wan and Wan Chai – and in Kowloon – Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok – face an acute urban crisis. Once-vibrant neighbourhoods have become densely packed relics defined by ageing buildings, congested streets, poor sanitation and rising urban heat island effects. Without bold, economy-driven solutions, these “old districts” risk losing not only their cultural soul but also much of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322613/hong-kong-needs-new-thinking-regenerate-ageing-districts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322613/hong-kong-needs-new-thinking-regenerate-ageing-districts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Francis Neoton Cheung Francis Neoton Cheung The Development Bureau’s recent proposal to reclaim 301 hectares – including 145 hectares near Lung Kwu Tan and 45 hectares in Tuen Mun West for an “advanced construction industry park” and a “smart and green industrial port” – carries futuristic appeal. But it risks overlooking a strategic opportunity that could help Hong Kong regain its footing as a global maritime hub: repositioning the area as the home of the city’s next-generation container terminal and logistics network. Hong Kong once led... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319935/how-hong-kong-can-re-emerge-leader-maritime-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3319935/how-hong-kong-can-re-emerge-leader-maritime-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Last week, the Avenue of Stars – Hong Kong’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame – transformed into a playful runway as luxury brand Louis Vuitton launched its pre-fall menswear line against one of the world’s most iconic skylines. The dramatic choice of location not only signalled the importance of the Hong Kong and Asian markets to the fashion house but also reaffirmed the city’s standing as an international arts and culture hub. The stunning catwalk was the latest in a string of high-profile... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3244226/make-sure-taylor-swift-doesnt-skip-hong-kong-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3244226/make-sure-taylor-swift-doesnt-skip-hong-kong-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2023 01:30:17 +0000 The notion of creating artificial islands nestled between the idyllic Lantau and bustling Hong Kong Island to house a third central business district might have sounded fantastical a decade ago. But it is on the way to becoming a reality, provided careful planning is carried out. A public consultation for initial studies of the Kau Yi Chau artificial islands project draws to a close at the end of this month. A pivotal component of the Lantau Tomorrow Vision project and an essential piece of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214956/hong-kongs-lantau-tomorrow-development-risks-being-too-densely-populated-function-business-district?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214956/hong-kongs-lantau-tomorrow-development-risks-being-too-densely-populated-function-business-district?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2023 00:15:15 +0000 In the run-up to the Hong Kong government’s 2023/24 budget, political parties have been busy tabling proposals to revive the pandemic-hit economy and open new revenue sources for the city’s coffers. Among them is a call from the New People’s Party to lift the football betting duty from 50 per cent to 80 per cent. The basis of the argument is that the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) should be paying more taxes from its increasingly high betting turnovers. However, a closer reading of the facts... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208399/hong-kong-wants-raise-cash-taxing-jockey-club-isnt-right-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3208399/hong-kong-wants-raise-cash-taxing-jockey-club-isnt-right-way?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jan 2023 08:15:10 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu intends to proceed with the plan to build an innovation and technology hub in northern Hong Kong. First proposed by former leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Northern Metropolis scheme aims to create thousands of jobs and homes, shift the economic centre of gravity to the New Territories, and deepen Hong Kong’s integration into the Greater Bay Area. The Northern Metropolis will require new rail links to connect future new towns near the border to the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186497/chart-new-economic-course-hong-kong-build-new-north-south-rail-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3186497/chart-new-economic-course-hong-kong-build-new-north-south-rail-line?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jul 2022 22:45:24 +0000 As Beijing continued its common prosperity push at the Chinese Communist Party’s sixth plenum last month, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po almost simultaneously asserted that Hong Kong must “make the cake bigger” to achieve the national goal. Though firmly on message, Chan’s realisation was long overdue for a local government that has for so long paid little attention to public grievances about the domination of property developers. It was in the late 2000s that Hong Kong experienced a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3158909/hong-kong-needs-common-prosperity-too-starting-affordable-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3158909/hong-kong-needs-common-prosperity-too-starting-affordable-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Dec 2021 11:00:20 +0000 Employers across Hong Kong have started applying to the government’s Employment Support Scheme. While some seem determined to make it difficult for large, well-funded businesses to participate, the economic argument is clear: all able and eligible employers should be encouraged to join the scheme as that is best for their employees and Hong Kong’s economy. The scheme is a cornerstone of the government’s programme to shore up Hong Kong’s economy. It underpins confidence over the coming crucial... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3087756/hong-kongs-recovery-coronavirus-and-protests-depends-employers-joining?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3087756/hong-kongs-recovery-coronavirus-and-protests-depends-employers-joining?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jun 2020 14:00:13 +0000 Around 30 per cent of the world’s population is now in lockdown as governments implement unprecedented and wide-reaching policies aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19. Even considering the latest controls by the Hong Kong government, which limit public gatherings to a maximum of four people, restrictions in Europe and North America are more severe than those in Hong Kong.  Lives are important, but so too are livelihoods. While the Hong Kong government has been relatively quick to place... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3078237/coronavirus-threatens-hong-kongs-very-future-if-it-cannot-protect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3078237/coronavirus-threatens-hong-kongs-very-future-if-it-cannot-protect?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2020 02:15:16 +0000 The Hong Kong government has stumbled from one crisis to another, and its handling of the coronavirus public health emergency has laid bare the incompetence, insensitivity and lack of preparedness of those who, in theory, lead what they boast to be “Asia’s world city”.  With public trust in the Carrie Lam administration hollowed out following months of bruising anti-government protests in 2019, there has been a considerable display of resourcefulness, resilience and solidarity among the public... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051646/big-business-stepping-where-hong-kong-government-has-fallen-short?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051646/big-business-stepping-where-hong-kong-government-has-fallen-short?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2020 22:30:07 +0000 Last week marked the end of one era and the start of another. The retirement of Hong Kong’s second-richest man, Lee Shau-kee, as chairman of Henderson Land Development means that the so-called Big Four property developers have all officially handed over the reins to the second or even third generation of their respective families. As the old guard of these powerful companies recede from the stage, the new generation of family tycoons should seize the opportunity to chart their own paths and take... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3013069/new-generation-hong-kong-property-tycoons-faces-greater?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3013069/new-generation-hong-kong-property-tycoons-faces-greater?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2019 03:30:06 +0000 In the past few years, buyers of shopping centres at public housing estates sold by Link Reit have come under increasing criticism for the changes they have made to their acquisitions. Public housing tenants complain about the gentrification of malls that are supposed to serve them, while steep rent rises have forced out many small businesses, leaving increasing numbers of vacant shop spaces. There are even claims that the new owners of certain former Link shopping malls have deliberately kept... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/3002000/dont-blame-mall-owners-or-link-reit-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/3002000/dont-blame-mall-owners-or-link-reit-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Mar 2019 12:33:10 +0000 New Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has pledged to revamp the Central Policy Unit (CPU), the controversial government think tank she called a “black box”. Lam wants it to be a government policy and project coordination unit, responsible for research and evaluation of novel policy ideas put forward by the public. A strong CPU is vital to the functioning of any administration. As a review gets under way to find the right job description, the government should think big. The CPU was set... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2102030/how-china-model-can-lead-revamp-controversial-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2102030/how-china-model-can-lead-revamp-controversial-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jul 2017 03:45:29 +0000 Statutory bodies are not all created equal. Some, like the Consumer Council, are welcomed by the public because of its clear mission, while others are born with inherent identity issues. The latter category is perhaps best represented by the Urban Renewal Authority, which is primarily tasked with upgrading Hong Kong's ageing neighbourhoods. Its struggle for a sharper identity focus recently came to a boil when its managing director resigned over purported differences with the chairman. At the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1794193/land-exchange-option-could-reinvigorate-hong-kongs-urban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1794193/land-exchange-option-could-reinvigorate-hong-kongs-urban?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2015 07:00:15 +0000 Public concern over the government's push for the third runway at Chek Lap Kok has recently extended from its impact on natural habitats to the projected capacity of the expanded airport, highlighted by the issue of limited airspace that would need to be shared with nearby airports across the boundary. This latest controversy not only focuses attention on the government's entrenched lack of transparency - when it refuses to disclose details of the alleged understanding reached with authorities... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1758813/why-not-second-airport-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1758813/why-not-second-airport-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2015 09:07:49 +0000 While public attention has been rightly absorbed by the ongoing strife over electoral reform, it would do well to keep one eye on the government's long-overdue efforts to regulate private columbariums as the Legislative Council has recently started scrutinising the bill introduced in June. After all, the legislation will affect where many of us will "occupy" long past our lifespan. I have guided the development of several private columbariums, and the experience has given me an appreciation of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1663210/too-lenient-rules-private-columbariums-expose-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1663210/too-lenient-rules-private-columbariums-expose-consumers?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:32:56 +0000 Given that grand visions outlined in policy addresses often find their way to the dustbin of history, it will be interesting to see whether the proposal for an East Lantau Metropolis, a 1,000-hectare artificial island in waters between Hong Kong Island and Lantau, will ever become reality. I believe it would stand a better chance if two missing links were added to the picture: one connecting Lantau and Hong Kong via the artificial island; the other, linking the Hong Kong International Airport... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1421294/missing-links-east-lantau-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1421294/missing-links-east-lantau-metropolis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2014 08:45:30 +0000 Initial reactions to the government's long-term housing strategy consultation document have tended to focus on its gaping hole - the availability of land needed to build the proposed 470,000 housing units over the next decade. However, attempts to fill the hole with talk of sacrificing precious country park land opened a can of worms so big that few dared to broach the subject again. Having advised the government on town planning and airport development since before the handover, I took a stroll... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1367200/out-past-solve-hong-kongs-present-housing-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1367200/out-past-solve-hong-kongs-present-housing-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Nov 2013 10:45:45 +0000