https://www.scmp.com/rss/319545/feed In June 2015, Hong Kong lawmakers voted on a political reform proposal for how to elect the city's leader by universal suffrage in 2017. Based on a framework approved by Beijing, the plan limited the number of candidates to two or three, with victory going to a person who could win majority support from a 1,200-strong nominating committee. Arguing the arrangement would not offer genuine universal suffrage, pan-democratic lawmakers opposed the plan, which failed as pro-establishment lawmakers did... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Grenville Cross Grenville Cross Former governor Chris Patten once said nobody ever profited from betting against Hong Kong. Anybody wagering against its “one country, two systems” policy will undoubtedly be out of pocket. Since 1997, the policy has been the city’s lodestar. While the post-reunification settlement was repeatedly challenged, most notably during the 2019 social unrest, Hong Kong has emerged stronger. The Basic Law sustained it throughout and Beijing’s support was unwavering. With national security legislation,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342131/those-betting-hong-kongs-bright-future-have-backed-winner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342131/those-betting-hong-kongs-bright-future-have-backed-winner?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:30:38 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong’s political order is being reshaped after the national security law and all-patriots electoral revamp. The latest emphasis by Beijing on the importance of the executive-led governance system underlines the need for the city to better understand the spirit of this reform and strengthen cooperation among the executive, legislative and judicial branches under the Basic Law and “one country, two systems”. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office chief highlighted the task ahead in an address... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3341272/executive-led-model-key-hong-kongs-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3341272/executive-led-model-key-hong-kongs-success?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 23:15:11 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hopes for better governance are high as Hong Kong ushered in the new year with lawmakers being officially sworn in for the new Legislative Council. From enhancing performance under the all-patriot governance approach to lifting the city to a new stage of high-quality development, Legco’s responsibilities have never been greater. The swearing-in marks the beginning of the four-year tenure of the eighth-term Legco. The 90 lawmakers took their oaths of office one after another in a ceremony... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3338398/expectations-hong-kongs-newly-sworn-legislators-are-clear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3338398/expectations-hong-kongs-newly-sworn-legislators-are-clear?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jan 2026 22:45:08 +0000 Ronny Tong Ronny Tong Hong Kong’s Democratic Party has announced what many people had been expecting for some time – that it would disband. For the party, this is the beginning of the end; for others, the question lingers: is this also the end of the democratic movement in Hong Kong? One thing is certain: the party’s demise will mark the end of an era, one when a colonial pressure-group mentality dictated the quest for democratic reforms in Hong Kong, a mentality which, sadly, was destined to ensure failure of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336471/end-road-hong-kongs-democracy-movement-theres-still-hope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336471/end-road-hong-kongs-democracy-movement-theres-still-hope?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu The dust has settled and Hong Kong’s eighth Legislative Council is getting ready, with new lawmakers finding their way. There were quite a few surprises, looking at the results. With many new candidates and political groups vying for seats, the contest for the directly elected geographical constituencies was highly competitive. Some candidates were fielded by groups with strongholds in the trade-based functional constituencies, which are indirectly elected. That is something we should welcome.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336253/hong-kongs-political-parties-are-embracing-change-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3336253/hong-kongs-political-parties-are-embracing-change-better?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 01:30:17 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Getting Hong Kong into reform mode amid an array of deepening external and internal challenges is a difficult but necessary task for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. After three comprehensive policy speeches mapping out how he planned to rebuild the city on the economic, social and political fronts, Lee has tabled yet another ambitious blueprint. With less than two years left in his current term, the pressure for more concrete results is even greater. The policy address, Lee said, serves as a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3325886/hong-kong-leaders-ambitious-blueprint-deftly-picks-pace-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3325886/hong-kong-leaders-ambitious-blueprint-deftly-picks-pace-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:15:15 +0000 Anthony Cheung Anthony Cheung In his latest Bloomberg interview, former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman Stephen Roach said the escalating US-China conflict is providing Hong Kong with “more of an opportunity than a threat, as I had originally envisioned”. That was seen as a revision of his controversial remark in February 2024 that “Hong Kong is over”. Such pessimism was not the first of its kind: recall Fortune magazine’s cover story headlined “The Death of Hong Kong” in June 1995, only to confess that they were wrong in a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3313598/why-hong-kong-not-over-must-adapt-changing-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3313598/why-hong-kong-not-over-must-adapt-changing-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Willa Wu,Yuanyue Dang Willa Wu,Yuanyue Dang The recent departure of several overseas judges from Hong Kong’s top court was “only natural” as those in the first batch appointed nearly three decades ago are already aged 80 years or older, a former justice chief has said. Elsie Leung Oi-sie, the first secretary for justice after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, when the judges joined the court, also said on Monday that the city should look into cultivating judicial talent locally to reduce reliance on outsiders. Leung, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3313730/overseas-judges-leaving-top-hong-kong-court-only-natural-ex-justice-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3313730/overseas-judges-leaving-top-hong-kong-court-only-natural-ex-justice-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:38:56 +0000 Improving efficiency has become a critical priority for governments worldwide, especially given rising financial pressures. In the United States, gross federal debt had surged to US$35.5 trillion by the end of last year, and servicing it accounts for 16 per cent of federal spending. In response, the new Trump administration established the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) to reduce public spending. However, its lack of independent oversight and the concentration of power... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3303035/why-hong-kong-must-persevere-reforming-civil-servants-pay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3303035/why-hong-kong-must-persevere-reforming-civil-servants-pay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Mar 2025 01:30:07 +0000 In the Year of the Snake, Hong Kong enters a world that is more perilous than ever, with US President Donald Trump threatening tariffs against key trading partners and intensifying technological competition with China. Comments from Chinese officials that there are “no winners” in a trade war drop strong hints that China would not hesitate to retaliate if it is targeted. Hong Kong is powerless to put brakes on a trade or tech war, but when it comes to the troubles roiling Hong Kong, the worst... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3296884/why-worst-may-be-over-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3296884/why-worst-may-be-over-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Feb 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s district councils have unexpectedly been making the news recently, albeit for reasons I suspect were not the intention behind their complete overhaul in 2023. Once considered a breeding ground for destructive politics, district councils were stripped of any political powers (the Basic Law stipulates they are not intended to be organs of political power). They are now managed by district officers and subject to a monitoring system set up by the government. The aim is to make them... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3294242/hong-kongs-revamped-district-council-system-working-well?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3294242/hong-kongs-revamped-district-council-system-working-well?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2025 21:30:08 +0000 The chief executive’s annual duty visit to Beijing may sound like a ritual chore, highlighted by a report to President Xi Jinping and other state leaders. It has long since become much more than that, reflecting defining times in the city, from the healing of social unrest, to fighting a pandemic, to landmark political and security reforms to the gathering pace of cross-border integration. That is not all that sets the third duty visit of John Lee Ka-chiu’s leadership of the city apart. It also... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3290765/xi-puts-faith-lee-deliver-hong-kong-economic-development-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3290765/xi-puts-faith-lee-deliver-hong-kong-economic-development-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Dec 2024 22:30:07 +0000 Reforming a team of 180,000 employees amid a fast-changing political and social environment is a daunting task, as reflected in a recent review of the long-standing code of conduct for the Hong Kong civil service. Although the changes are merely in line with expectations in the new era of governance, the repercussions will still resonate beyond the establishment, and understandably so. The updated code spells out the 12 core values and qualities staff should reflect, including: an embrace of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3266532/new-code-conduct-offers-clarity-hong-kong-civil-servants-behaviour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3266532/new-code-conduct-offers-clarity-hong-kong-civil-servants-behaviour?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 22:15:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s Department of Justice has appealed a decision by the High Court to acquit one of 16 opposition figures who contested subversion charges stemming from an unofficial primary in 2020 at a pivotal national security trial last month. Prosecutors said on Thursday they had filed the appeal over the acquittal of barrister Lawrence Lau Wai-chung, but they would not pursue a second defendant, social worker Lee Yue-shun, who was also cleared of the charge. Forty-seven opposition figures faced... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3266527/prosecutors-appeal-1-2-acquittals-trial-hong-kong-47?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3266527/prosecutors-appeal-1-2-acquittals-trial-hong-kong-47?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 15:00:19 +0000 The arrest of 47 opposition politicians and activists in January 2021 on suspicion of plotting to subvert state power marked a turning point for Hong Kong. It demonstrated that the new national security law, passed by Beijing in response to civil unrest in 2019, had to be taken seriously and that far-reaching changes to the city’s political system were on the way. The legal process, including a 118-day trial, has taken more than three years. And it is not over yet. But the verdicts delivered on... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3264771/legal-process-seen-take-its-course-landmark-hong-kong-verdicts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3264771/legal-process-seen-take-its-course-landmark-hong-kong-verdicts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2024 22:15:09 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Passing Article 23 legislation earlier this year was no small feat for Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government and the Legislative Council deserve credit for acting decisively and diligently. There can... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3261696/3-bold-ways-within-our-reach-lift-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3261696/3-bold-ways-within-our-reach-lift-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 May 2024 06:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s ability to recover from its difficulties would be much improved if it goes ahead with democratic reform. By introducing a system of one person, one vote for the position of chief executive, Hong Kong would have a government with much broader representation, giving it a stronger mandate to push through changes. Universal suffrage is already included in Article 45 of the Basic Law that governs Hong Kong, but no one is sure when and how it might be implemented. Hong Kong should delay... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hk-opinion/article/3257425/hong-kong-needs-full-universal-suffrage-unlock-full-potential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hk-opinion/article/3257425/hong-kong-needs-full-universal-suffrage-unlock-full-potential?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Apr 2024 01:30:11 +0000 Just off a plane from Dubai, Hong Kong’s nervous melancholy can be smelled in the air. Unfriended and wilfully misdefined by much of the Western world and its media, and unclear about how best to carve a future that might match its strong growth over so many decades, the contrast with boisterous Dubai, still humming from the tens of thousands that attended last month’s Cop28 climate summit, is palpable. Attacked by the Western media for the national security law put in place after the street... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247553/rambunctious-dubai-reminder-hong-kong-and-world-democracy-not-everything?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247553/rambunctious-dubai-reminder-hong-kong-and-world-democracy-not-everything?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jan 2024 11:30:09 +0000 Has Hong Kong become just another Chinese city or will it very soon, having lost its “unique advantages”? The signs hardly augur well. Late last year, a married couple – eminent thought leaders in Hong Kong – embarked on a month-long trip to Canada and the United States, where they visited relatives and friends with extensive knowledge of this part of the world or who have lived in Hong Kong or on the mainland. The universal reaction was that Hong Kong has become just another Chinese city, or... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247033/its-not-beijing-thats-turning-hong-kong-just-another-chinese-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247033/its-not-beijing-thats-turning-hong-kong-just-another-chinese-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2024 01:30:16 +0000 The point of Hong Kong’s 1997 return to China under “one country, two systems” was to preserve its institutional vibrancy and international market so the city continues to thrive, play the role of East-West intermediary and contribute to China’s reform and modernisation. A quarter of a century later, the “two systems” advantage seems to be under threat. Some international media have even portrayed Hong Kong as facing an existential crisis. The economy is not rebounding as expected after its... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246766/hong-kong-must-defend-two-systems-advantages-make-it-special?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246766/hong-kong-must-defend-two-systems-advantages-make-it-special?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jan 2024 21:30:17 +0000 Contrary to expectations, Hong Kong’s district council elections on December 10 were quite eventful. Leading up to the poll, the government went all out to boost voter turnout, even as we were constantly reminded that turnout doesn’t matter. In addition to the ad blitz and officials passing out fliers on the streets, the government rolled out an unprecedented “Election Fun Day” extravaganza. Compared to the blackout periods practised elsewhere, where active campaigning is disallowed just before... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245277/hong-kongs-depoliticised-district-polls-raise-more-questions-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245277/hong-kongs-depoliticised-district-polls-raise-more-questions-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2023 01:30:16 +0000 The district council elections held on December 10 under revamped rules completes the last piece of the political jigsaw which perfected the “patriots-only” governance structure. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office lauded the reshaped district councils as a key building block in keeping anti-China and anti-Hong Kong forces from participating in district organisations. Among the many other compliments lavished on the elections, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu praised the electoral outcomes... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245194/hong-kong-district-council-election-why-weak-middle-class-turnout-troubling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245194/hong-kong-district-council-election-why-weak-middle-class-turnout-troubling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Dec 2023 01:30:08 +0000 The dozens of patriots who won in Hong Kong’s municipal election that saw a record-low turnout are about to embark on a bumpy road to bridge the people and the government amid the city’s continuing political polarisation and voter apathy, according to observers. They warned that their performance in the 18 district councils starting next year would not only shape the internal dynamics of the pro-Beijing camp, but also affect people’s confidence in an electoral system overhauled at the behest of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3244723/hong-kong-district-council-election-can-patriotic-winners-deliver-beijings-expectations-and-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3244723/hong-kong-district-council-election-can-patriotic-winners-deliver-beijings-expectations-and-be?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:30:19 +0000 The revamped district council election is widely seen as the final step on the path to complete a high-stakes governance overhaul vital for Hong Kong’s future. With a new league of “patriotic” councillors successfully returned following a ballot marred by technical glitches and an expected low turnout, the latest journey has just begun. Those representatives, together with the government, have to live up to expectations and prove that people’s livelihoods can genuinely improve under the new... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244725/hong-kong-public-expects-better-city-promised-district-poll-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244725/hong-kong-public-expects-better-city-promised-district-poll-revamp?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 23:30:11 +0000 Voter turnout in Hong Kong’s first overhauled district council election on Sunday sank to a record low but both the city leader and Beijing lauded the process and outcome, with the central government praising it as a showcase of a “real, functioning democracy”. The election winners should focus on improving the livelihoods and well-being of residents, Beijing’s top office overseeing Hong Kong and Macau affairs said in a statement setting out five expectations of the newly elected... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3244632/hong-kongs-first-patriots-only-district-poll-success-and-real-functioning-democracy-beijing-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3244632/hong-kongs-first-patriots-only-district-poll-success-and-real-functioning-democracy-beijing-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 06:36:06 +0000 Hong Kong election authorities have come under fire over a system failure that briefly interrupted Sunday’s district council poll, with pro-establishment parties demanding answers and insisting their candidates have been affected, and other critics questioning the decision to extend voting hours. Electoral Affairs Commission chairman Mr Justice David Lok Kai-hong apologised to candidates, campaign teams and voters at an emotional press briefing on Monday morning, saying he was willing to take... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3244623/hong-kong-election-authorities-under-fire-over-system-failure-disruption-district-council-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3244623/hong-kong-election-authorities-under-fire-over-system-failure-disruption-district-council-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:15:58 +0000 Beijing recognises that Hong Kong’s political situation will not change overnight despite the recent years of apparent calm, former city leader Leung Chun-ying has said as he called for more to be done to win over the supporters of radicals. In an exclusive interview with the Post, Leung, who is now the city’s only vice-chairman of Beijing’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said it was too early to conclude if the social divisions from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3243692/beijing-under-no-illusion-apparent-calm-hong-kong-means-city-no-longer-has-radical-supporters-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3243692/beijing-under-no-illusion-apparent-calm-hong-kong-means-city-no-longer-has-radical-supporters-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:30:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s 170,000 civil servants are “duty-bound” to vote in next month’s district council election, two senior officials have said as authorities go “all out” to promote the poll amid reported apathy among voters. The city’s No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki and his deputy Warner Cheuk Wing-hing on Saturday called on the government workers to cast their ballots in the first district council race held under Beijing’s electoral overhaul to allow only “patriots” to run. “Civil servants are... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3242019/hong-kongs-170000-civil-servants-are-duty-bound-vote-district-council-election-2-senior-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3242019/hong-kongs-170000-civil-servants-are-duty-bound-vote-district-council-election-2-senior-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:59:34 +0000 Hong Kong’s opposition parties have good reason to be disappointed. They have failed to secure enough nominations to allow any hopefuls to stand for the coming district council elections on December 10. This hopeless feeling is captured in the words of Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the Democratic Party, the biggest opposition group in the city, when he said: “We feel a great sense of powerlessness.” The party has no seats in the Legislative Council, and will have no seats at the district level either... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3241510/district-council-elections-how-hong-kong-opposition-parties-can-reinvent-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3241510/district-council-elections-how-hong-kong-opposition-parties-can-reinvent-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Nov 2023 08:30:23 +0000 Two polling stations will be set up in the border town of Sheung Shui for Hongkongers living in mainland China to vote in the district council election next month. The Hong Kong government on Tuesday said it would turn two schools near Sheung Shui MTR station into polling facilities for the December 10 vote, instead of setting up voting sites at border crossings, as was the case in the 2021 Legislative Council election. Authorities said they had received calls to continue the 2021 arrangement to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3240621/hong-kong-district-council-election-2-polling-stations-set-border-town-help-locals-living-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3240621/hong-kong-district-council-election-2-polling-stations-set-border-town-help-locals-living-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2023 07:16:15 +0000 With Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu scheduled to deliver his policy address on Wednesday, he is no doubt busy putting the final touches to his speech. And this may be his most challenging address. There are many reasons, the most obvious being that there are no more excuses to fall back on. Covid-19 is a non-issue, although the impact of the prolonged border and quarantine policies are still being felt. Numbers don’t lie and the economy has yet to pick up. Also gone is the excuse of needing to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3238648/john-lees-policy-address-will-need-deliver-hope-above-all-else?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3238648/john-lees-policy-address-will-need-deliver-hope-above-all-else?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 01:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s biggest political party elected lawmaker Gary Chan Hak-kan as its leader on Monday, as he vowed to reform the group by shifting its focus towards helping authorities govern the city and away from chasing votes. But the new chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) also made it clear the party would propose “as many candidates as possible” to run in the coming district council election on December 10. “The DAB is committed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3235758/hong-kongs-biggest-political-party-elects-new-leader-gary-chan-who-vows-reform-focus-citys-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3235758/hong-kongs-biggest-political-party-elects-new-leader-gary-chan-who-vows-reform-focus-citys-good?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 12:30:44 +0000 The findings of a survey by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at Chinese University on public interest in politics are both expected and disturbing. About 60 per cent – a 7.3 percentage point increase from last year – of Hongkongers said they were not interested in politics. In the past year, more than four-fifths have rarely or had never expressed a political opinion on social media, up 17.1 percentage points. These numbers suggest apathy is part of the new political reality. I... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235500/dont-let-hong-kongs-political-apathy-become-ticking-time-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235500/dont-let-hong-kongs-political-apathy-become-ticking-time-bomb?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Sep 2023 01:30:15 +0000 The telling of a good Hong Kong story can no longer rely on past scripts because circumstances have changed. Hong Kong’s rise from a trading outpost to a global financial hub was an economic miracle. In the good old days, the city enjoyed the best of both worlds: part of China yet distinctly different under “one country, two systems”. It was valued by Beijing for its global prominence, and by the world as a major gateway to mainland China and the rest of Asia. Today, the city has become uptight... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230558/hong-kong-20-must-deliver-certainty-and-hope-amid-us-china-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230558/hong-kong-20-must-deliver-certainty-and-hope-amid-us-china-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:15:09 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu After eight years, Starry Lee Wai-king is stepping down from the leadership of Hong Kong’s largest political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB). Lee, who cited concerns about her workload as the sole Hong Kong member of the country’s top legislative body – the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee – as her reason for not seeking re-election as DAB chairwoman, was the first woman to head the party. She is also Hong Kong’s youngest... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230792/while-starry-lees-political-future-looks-bright-dab-faces-irrelevance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230792/while-starry-lees-political-future-looks-bright-dab-faces-irrelevance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Aug 2023 22:15:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s first district council election in the wake of major changes to the system will be held on December 10, and the government has appealed to “patriotic” candidates to run for office. Political parties, including the Democratic Party, the city’s largest opposition group, on Monday said they were considering fielding candidates for the municipal advisory bodies, but some said campaign funding could be a major obstacle because constituencies had become larger as part of the changes. They... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3228774/first-hong-kong-district-council-election-be-held-under-new-system-set-december-10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3228774/first-hong-kong-district-council-election-be-held-under-new-system-set-december-10?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jul 2023 13:13:14 +0000 The importance of Hong Kong’s rule of law to the maintenance of a thriving business environment has long been understood. This is one of the reasons why the city’s common law legal system is seen as a prime asset. Care was taken to keep the system, inherited from Britain, intact when Hong Kong returned to China in 1997. Core elements of the pre-existing arrangements were maintained, including an independent judiciary, the protection of rights and freedoms and the ability of litigants to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228559/hong-kong-must-ensure-reputation-rule-law-maintained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3228559/hong-kong-must-ensure-reputation-rule-law-maintained?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jul 2023 22:15:10 +0000 The controversial revamp of lower-tier political bodies has been formally endorsed by the legislature. The passage, officials said, marked the end of the havoc wreaked by anti-China factions across the city’s 18 district councils. The onus is now on the government to show how the new structure constituted under the “patriot only” governance model can better manage municipal affairs and continue to reflect different views in society. It says something when the sweeping changes are accepted... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3227623/onus-revamped-hong-kong-district-councils-come-goods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3227623/onus-revamped-hong-kong-district-councils-come-goods?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jul 2023 22:15:10 +0000 The District Councils (Amendment) Bill 2023 is set to be gazetted on July 10, bringing down the curtain on the meticulously orchestrated political system overhaul meant to bring the city’s electoral system in line with Beijing’s “patriots administering Hong Kong” governance principle. In response to the social unrest that brought the city to a standstill in 2019, Beijing put its foot down starting in June 2020. It began with the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passing the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3227061/passing-district-council-reforms-brings-down-curtain-hong-kongs-years-political-drama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3227061/passing-district-council-reforms-brings-down-curtain-hong-kongs-years-political-drama?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jul 2023 00:15:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s legislature has unanimously backed a bill that will slash the number of directly elected seats on district councils, completing an overhaul of the city’s electoral system in line with Beijing’s “patriots-only” governance principle. But the European Union hit out at the legislation and said it went against a commitment to democratic representation set out in the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Beijing, however, argued the overhaul would get the municipal bodies back on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3226734/hong-kongs-legislature-unanimously-passes-bill-revamp-district-councils-reducing-directly-elected?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3226734/hong-kongs-legislature-unanimously-passes-bill-revamp-district-councils-reducing-directly-elected?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jul 2023 05:31:47 +0000 The morning after the night before. I remember it well. Freewheeling, shamelessly capitalist Hong Kong awoke on July 1, 1997, bleary-eyed and little hungover, to find itself part of communist China. A new era had begun. There had been celebrations, protests, parties and fireworks, amid unrelenting rain. But as early risers watched the People’s Liberation Army roll across the border, most of us were unsure what the future held and how the imaginative “one country, two systems” concept would play... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226257/values-make-hong-kong-unique-just-important-they-were-1997?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3226257/values-make-hong-kong-unique-just-important-they-were-1997?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2023 16:49:12 +0000 The 26th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China will be a double celebration this year. It will be the first since the city’s emergence from the pandemic. Residents and tourists alike will be able to enjoy the festivities in a way not possible for years. A variety of events has been organised, from Cantonese opera to comedy shows and carnivals. Many discounts and freebies will also be available in the hope that Hong Kong people will stay in town and spend, driving an economic recovery. Last... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3225231/26th-anniversary-hong-kong-handover-be-time-reflection-and-fun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3225231/26th-anniversary-hong-kong-handover-be-time-reflection-and-fun?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jun 2023 22:15:16 +0000 Earlier this month, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu took the time to visit a booth in Wan Chai set up to collect residents’ signatures in support of district council reform. In the presence of the media, Lee spoke at length to the Wan Chai district officer, emphasising the important role she would play, under the reform, as district council chairman. In an interview, Lee said that district officers are the most knowledgeable about their respective districts, and most suitable for the job. This... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220747/acting-ceos-hong-kongs-district-council-heads-can-begin-new-chapter-public-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3220747/acting-ceos-hong-kongs-district-council-heads-can-begin-new-chapter-public-service?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 May 2023 08:30:13 +0000 The writing was on the wall after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 and overhauled the electoral system the following year to ensure that only “patriots” ran the city. A shake-up loomed for the city’s 18 district councils, where an election held in 2019 saw pro-democracy opposition candidates sweeping in, only for most to resign or be disqualified within two years. Yet, when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu revealed last week all that would change in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3220407/hong-kongs-district-council-overhaul-sparks-soul-searching-future-direct-elections-even-pro-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3220407/hong-kongs-district-council-overhaul-sparks-soul-searching-future-direct-elections-even-pro-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 May 2023 01:00:27 +0000 If a revamp of district councils is one of the final efforts by Beijing to put Hong Kong back on the right track, it must surely leave no room for political mistakes. While the cautious approach – including turning most directly elected seats into those filled by appointees and local allies, and handpicking top civil servants as chairmen – may ensure friction is kept to a minimum in district management, it also raises concern as to whether the views of the public can be truly reflected. Only 88... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219308/revamp-district-councils-has-put-hong-kong-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3219308/revamp-district-councils-has-put-hong-kong-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 May 2023 22:30:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s new constitutional order has made the need for an overhaul of the two-tier political structure a foregone conclusion. More than a year has passed since the Legislative Council was revamped to ensure seats are only filled by patriots. A shake-up of district councils is also due later this year, and it is important that the functions of the advisory bodies are restored and carried out in accordance with the Basic Law. Confirming for the first time that municipal councils were worth... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218355/hong-kongs-district-councils-must-still-reflect-views-public-after-shake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3218355/hong-kongs-district-councils-must-still-reflect-views-public-after-shake?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Apr 2023 23:45:10 +0000 Beijing’s point man for Hong Kong took a decidedly softer approach in a speech on Saturday calling for the city’s development and economic growth, analysts said. The greater emphasis on development opportunities, they said, was a signal that the central government hoped to get the city’s residents to put aside political acrimony and focus on reviving an economy that had yet to fully shake off the effects of the pandemic. Xia Baolong, the director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3217206/why-did-beijings-point-man-hong-kong-zoom-economy-its-bid-de-emphasise-political-squabbles-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3217206/why-did-beijings-point-man-hong-kong-zoom-economy-its-bid-de-emphasise-political-squabbles-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Apr 2023 01:00:21 +0000 Hongkongers can choose other ways to express their views instead of mounting protests, Beijing’s point man on city affairs has said as he reassured residents that voicing opinions was not contradictory with the protection of national security. Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, on Saturday also advised residents to focus more on economic development, while staying vigilant to protect national security as anti-China forces were still seeking a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3217167/hong-kong-national-security-law-groups-can-voice-interests-other-ways-instead-protests-beijings-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3217167/hong-kong-national-security-law-groups-can-voice-interests-other-ways-instead-protests-beijings-top?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Apr 2023 03:35:05 +0000 Hong Kong’s future district councils will be purely advisory bodies formed by patriots to prevent a repeat of the “chaos” of the 2019 anti-government protests, Beijing’s top man overseeing the city’s affairs has said, spelling out the clearest criteria yet by a senior mainland Chinese official for the municipal-level poll. The remarks by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), were quoted by several pro-Beijing district representatives who met him for about an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3217021/beijings-top-official-overseeing-hong-kong-affairs-enjoys-local-delicacies-touring-health-centre-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3217021/beijings-top-official-overseeing-hong-kong-affairs-enjoys-local-delicacies-touring-health-centre-day?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Apr 2023 04:07:44 +0000 Officials should embrace the Chinese Communist Party’s innovative theories to address Hong Kong’s issues, the head of Beijing’s top office overseeing the city’s affairs has said ahead of his six-day trip which will involve visits to major cultural sites and financial institutions. Xia Baolong, the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), on Wednesday said in a statement that “investigations and studies” on both cities “should be greatly enhanced”. “The party’s innovative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3216841/top-beijing-official-overseeing-hong-kong-affairs-urges-city-use-communist-party-theories-solve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3216841/top-beijing-official-overseeing-hong-kong-affairs-urges-city-use-communist-party-theories-solve?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Apr 2023 13:11:27 +0000