https://www.scmp.com/rss/323133/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The Post is to be congratulated on its policy initiative and the allocation of significant resources to establish the ARTEFACT project based on its extensive newspaper archives (“SCMP generates digital assets from its rich archives”, July 20), an enterprise that will undoubtedly bring both pleasure and profit to the community of Hong Kong. This initiative shows the value in preserving records uniquely created in the course of normal business activity, in this case that of 118 years of journalism... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3141941/now-more-ever-180-years-hong-kong-government-records-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3141941/now-more-ever-180-years-hong-kong-government-records-need?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jul 2021 22:00:18 +0000 This is a business column and, as such, we must look ahead. Rational investors must make decisions based on the logical forecast of what is most likely to happen in the longer term – whether you like it or not. What we want, or indeed what we hope for, is irrelevant. The nuances of the national security law and the events of the past year may be debated – but businesspeople have to deal in the here and now. Hong Kong is rapidly becoming a “red city”, much more like mainland China, and the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124866/hong-kong-needs-mainland-appointed-provincial-leader-boost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124866/hong-kong-needs-mainland-appointed-provincial-leader-boost?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Mar 2021 00:45:09 +0000 Someone is going to have to pick up the hot potato of political reform in Hong Kong and something tells me our shell-shocked administration is not going to take the initiative. It needs to be prodded firmly and offered some constructive suggestions. So here goes. The argument for doing nothing is, in their eyes, a strong one. It would appear to be giving in to the call of “five demands, not one less” and thus showing weakness. Also, any proposals for change could be controversial so why kick... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039798/sensible-political-reforms-hong-kong-government-can-offer-2020?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039798/sensible-political-reforms-hong-kong-government-can-offer-2020?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2019 05:30:13 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor may be right to say that Hong Kong is staring down an abyss. She could well blame the protesters if Hong Kong should indeed fall into the chasm. But could she honestly say she has done everything she could to stop the fall? Sad to say, but Mrs Lam has failed the people of Hong Kong, whom she had sworn to serve. She misjudged public sentiment and proposed the failed extradition bill. She then failed to hear the pleas of the people to launch an... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3030346/hong-kong-protests-carrie-lam-has-failed-govern-and-should-resign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3030346/hong-kong-protests-carrie-lam-has-failed-govern-and-should-resign?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Sep 2019 23:30:11 +0000 It is clear from radio talk shows, interviews on the street, letters to the editor – everywhere ordinary people can put their views across – that most of us are feeling a kind of helpless weariness. We see young people throwing bricks at policemen, many of them our friends and relatives, and whom we rely on to keep us safe. And these young people are our sons and daughters, who carry the hopes of our community. Why are police marksmen kneeling down to take aim with rifles and shoot them, albeit... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3018377/hong-kong-desperately-needs-political-reform-make-legco-and-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3018377/hong-kong-desperately-needs-political-reform-make-legco-and-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2019 01:00:11 +0000 A government suggestion of shortening polling times for Hong Kong elections has been shelved after an overwhelming number of objections from people fearing the measure would strip shift workers of their voting rights. The development came on Tuesday as the administration submitted to the Legislative Council a report which wrapped up the results of a seven-week public consultation last year on three issues related to elections. While the government had said it was open to shortening polling... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2146259/hong-kong-government-scraps-plan-shorten-voting-hours-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2146259/hong-kong-government-scraps-plan-shorten-voting-hours-after?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 May 2018 23:02:34 +0000 An adviser to Hong Kong’s leader has defended a former Beijing official who urged city residents not to cross a legal line by challenging China’s socialist system, saying it was not a hardline stance. Ronny Tong Ka-wah, an executive councillor, called what Qiao Xiaoyang said on Saturday fairly academic, and it would be unreasonable to expect any former Beijing official not to hit out at the notion of Hong Kong independence. Qiao is a retired chairman of the National People’s Congress law... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142790/nothing-hardline-about-urging-respect-chinas-socialist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2142790/nothing-hardline-about-urging-respect-chinas-socialist?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Apr 2018 05:30:36 +0000 Hong Kong’s former immigration director Eric Chan Kwok-ki is set to head the next chief executive’s office, according to incoming leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. Announcing her choice for the chief executive-elect’s office director, Lam said she intended to have Chan stay on with her office after she is sworn in on July 1. And after a pan-democrat claim that Chan’s background left him unfamiliar with the details of government policy, Lam insisted her new hire was the best candidate. Next Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2092936/hong-kong-chief-executive-elect-carrie-lam-puts-former-head?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2092936/hong-kong-chief-executive-elect-carrie-lam-puts-former-head?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 May 2017 03:58:19 +0000 Hong Kong’s failed but popular chief executive contender John Tsang Chun-wah spent more than HK$5.5 million on advertisements during his election campaign with much of that going towards his website and social media efforts. His lavish spending stood in sharp contrast with the election winner, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who spent HK$3.65 million on advertisements. Lam instead focused her spending on her 80-person campaign team, which cost 80 per cent more than Tsang’s, electoral office records... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091245/mtr-posters-roving-sculpture-exhibition-hong-kongs-popular?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091245/mtr-posters-roving-sculpture-exhibition-hong-kongs-popular?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2017 14:59:44 +0000 Defeated chief executive candidate John Tsang Chun-wah had a secret supporter who loaned him HK$3 million from the start of his campaign before he received ­donations from others. The person offered the loan to the former financial secretary through offshore company Prescill Holdings a day before Tsang announced his election bid in January, records released by the Registration and Electoral Office on Thursday revealed. Tsang’s office declined to disclose the identity of the lender. Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091242/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-john-tsang-had-secret?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2091242/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-john-tsang-had-secret?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Apr 2017 14:29:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s incoming leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor lavished over HK$2 million on her 80-member campaign team in the run-up to the chief executive election on March 26, although it failed to ensure her a smooth ride. Sandra Mak Wong Siu-chun, a PR veteran in charge of publicity, charged an average of HK$100,000 a month, while HK$300,000 went on maintenance of Lam’s Facebook page, which was mostly flooded by angry emoticons. The expenditure came to light on Wednesday when the Registration and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090928/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-spent-hk2m-wages-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090928/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-spent-hk2m-wages-election?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2017 15:34:11 +0000 Hong Kong’s incoming leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, received much of her HK$18.7 million in election donations from business leaders, who also mobilised their wives, children and staff to bankroll her campaign. It came as no surprise that the candidate favoured by Beijing for the chief executive’s post was backed by most of the city’s tycoons, but records released by the Registration and Electoral Office yesterday put the spotlight on their levels of commitment. Carrie Lam wins Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090851/big-business-gave-significant-donations-hong-kong-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090851/big-business-gave-significant-donations-hong-kong-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Apr 2017 10:15:45 +0000 Hong Kong legislative councillor Regina Ip Lau Shuk-yee has backtracked on her election pledge not to join chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s cabinet, admitting she is having second thoughts. Ip, who failed to secure enough nominations to enter the chief executive race last month, said on Tuesday the leader-in-waiting had invited her to be an executive councillor. Top two in Hong Kong leadership race reveal campaign spending “I need to consider whether I could be of any help to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090558/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-regina-ip-has-second?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2090558/hong-kong-chief-executive-candidate-regina-ip-has-second?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:13:54 +0000 With Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor poised to become the first female leader of Hong Kong from July 1, many are hoping that her pioneering role will encourage more females to take up directorship positions among Hong Kong companies. But those expectations could end in disappointment, as overseas experience shows that women occupying the highest echelons of political power does not necessarily translate into change in the corporate sphere. Park Geun-hye took office as South Korea’s first female head... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2088161/can-we-expect-companies-embrace-gender-diversity-carrie-lam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2088161/can-we-expect-companies-embrace-gender-diversity-carrie-lam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Apr 2017 04:23:04 +0000 The Democratic Party has become the party of negativity. And, if the utterances of its chairman are anything to go by, it is destined to become the party of futility. Shortly after the chief executive election, Wu Chi-wai appeared on a TV talk show along with former lawmaker Ronny Tong Ka-wah. When Tong pressed him on why his party supported John Tsang Chun-wah – given the former finance chief’s reputation for being evasive and unresponsive in debates, and that his financial policies represented... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086712/will-hong-kongs-democrats-see-reason-or-push-city-towards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086712/will-hong-kongs-democrats-see-reason-or-push-city-towards?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Apr 2017 04:06:19 +0000 In their first meeting since Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was elected Hong Kong’s next leader, President Xi Jinping on Tuesday reminded her of her heavy responsibility to resolve conflicts and challenges facing the city, while throwing his “full support” behind her. Wrapping up her duty visit to the capital, Lam told the media she had conveyed Hongkongers’ concerns and sentiments regarding Beijing’s rigid framework for the city’s constitutional development, though she reiterated the blueprint... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086667/chinese-premier-li-keqiang-sets-out-do-list-carrie-lam-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086667/chinese-premier-li-keqiang-sets-out-do-list-carrie-lam-take?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2017 05:00:30 +0000 Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor held a marathon meeting in Beijing on Monday with the top official in charge of Hong Kong affairs – a departure from regular protocol ahead of receiving her letter of appointment on Tuesday as Hong Kong’s next chief executive. She will meet Premier Li Keqiang for the letter first, followed by talks with President Xi Jinping, for the first time since winning the city’s leadership race last month. She spent three hours in talks with National People’s Congress chairman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086312/carrie-lam-kicks-beijing-trip-two-hour-meeting-wang-guangya?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086312/carrie-lam-kicks-beijing-trip-two-hour-meeting-wang-guangya?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 04:15:00 +0000 As the city’s largest holder of citizens’ personal information, the government has full responsibility for data protection and security. Regrettably, the job is not always taken seriously, as reflected in the loss of data storage devices reported from various departments from time to time. The recurring blunders do not square with the image of a responsible administration. The Registration and Electoral Office has yet to give a satisfactory explanation as to why the personal data of 3.8 million... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086245/government-must-take-seriously-its-responsibility-safeguard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086245/government-must-take-seriously-its-responsibility-safeguard?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 17:01:14 +0000 If it was just a “courtesy call” when chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor visited Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong two days after her election victory, her trip to the capital now is definitely “official”. She flew out on Sunday and will get her appointment letter from Premier Li Keqiang first, followed by a meeting with President Xi Jinping – formal protocol without which her confirmation as Hong Kong’s leader would not be finalised. The running joke in town is that whoever... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/2086178/torn-between-hong-kong-and-beijing-carrie-lams-delicate-task-satisfy-both?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/2086178/torn-between-hong-kong-and-beijing-carrie-lams-delicate-task-satisfy-both?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 09:31:05 +0000 With less than three months to go before she becomes Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she had been working around the clock to find ministers for the next administration – a process she once described as a “nightmare”. Lam, who needs to recruit a team of ministers to swear in by July 1, made the comments at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday before flying to Beijing, where she will receive her formal appointment to the top job from Premier Li Keqiang. Veteran Democrat... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086162/hong-kong-chief-executive-elect-carrie-lam-working-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086162/hong-kong-chief-executive-elect-carrie-lam-working-around?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 07:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s electoral office will review its security measures and supervision protocols following the theft of two laptop computers containing the personal information of 3.7 million voters, the city’s constitutional affairs minister said. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam Chi-yuen also defended the Registration and Electoral Office’s decision to spend about HK$5 million on sending letters to every voter informing them about the incident. “This is the most direct and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086038/stolen-laptops-carrying-voter-information-triggers-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2086038/stolen-laptops-carrying-voter-information-triggers-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 08:05:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s next leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor must restart the stalled electoral reform process and form her cabinet without Beijing’s interference if she wants to get a Democrat on board, the party’s founding chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming said on Friday. Lee laid down the two conditions after veteran Democrat Dr Law Chi-kwong, a University of Hong Kong social policy academic, was believed to have been approached by the chief executive-elect to serve as a minister. Law declined to comment to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085848/veteran-democrat-martin-lee-sets-next-hong-kong-leader-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085848/veteran-democrat-martin-lee-sets-next-hong-kong-leader-two?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 13:30:30 +0000 The top aide of defeated Hong Kong leadership candidate John Tsang Chun-wah has not ruled out joining the new administration, although he says he has not been approached. Julian Law Wing-chung did not give a flat “no” on Thursday when asked by former Democratic Party chairwoman Emily Lau Wai-hing in an interview whether he would work for chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. “Mrs Lam did not look for me,” he said. “There are many suitable candidates out there. I don’t feel I should... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085470/aide-losing-hong-kong-leadership-candidate-waits-word-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085470/aide-losing-hong-kong-leadership-candidate-waits-word-job?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:35:46 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has taken aim at a fourth-year university student who accused Beijing of contravening the “one country, two systems” policy and encroaching on the city’s autonomy. In a post on his official blog on Thursday, the city’s outgoing leader argued Beijing had always enjoyed the power to appoint Hong Kong’s chief executive. On Wednesday, the Chinese-language Ming Pao Daily newspaper published an article written by fourth-year Education University student Alan... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085427/cy-leung-refutes-students-claims-says-beijing-always-had?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085427/cy-leung-refutes-students-claims-says-beijing-always-had?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:45:56 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader in waiting, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, will fly to Beijing on Sunday for her appointment to be formally confirmed by Premier Li Keqiang, as state leaders list their expectations for the new chief executive who has vowed to heal the city’s political divide in the next five years. It will be Lam’s first official trip to the ­capital since winning the city’s leadership race on March 26 with 777 votes from the 1,194-member Election Committee. Lam is also expected to meet... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085348/chief-executive-elect-carrie-lam-headed-beijing-confirm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085348/chief-executive-elect-carrie-lam-headed-beijing-confirm?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 04:08:24 +0000 The majority of Hong Kong residents believe chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor will do a better job than her unpopular predecessor, Leung Chun-ying, a university opinion poll has found. University of Hong Kong’s public opinion programme, which interviewed 1,002 local residents last week, found 55 per cent of respondents thought Lam would do a better job. Twenty-four per cent thought her performance would be “more or less the same”, while 11 per cent thought she would do worse than... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085329/majority-hongkongers-think-carrie-lam-will-do-better-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2085329/majority-hongkongers-think-carrie-lam-will-do-better-job?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 02:33:09 +0000 The American Chamber of Commerce has urged Hong Kong’s next government to reach out to international businesses still “unclear” about what opportunities the city can offer under the one country, two systems policy. The chamber’s new president, Tara Joseph, also called on chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s incoming administration to give assurances over the continuation of the rule of law, which makes Hong Kong different from other mainland cities. In an interview with the Post,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084613/make-clear-what-one-country-two-systems-offers-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084613/make-clear-what-one-country-two-systems-offers-foreign?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2017 00:03:34 +0000 The office in charge of elections in Hong Kong was ridiculed on Monday for its “nonsensical” account of why it transported the personal data of nearly 3.8 million registered voters to a back-up venue for the chief executive ballot, only to have it stolen a week ago. The Registration and Electoral Office said the information was needed to check the identities of Election Committee members entering the venue at the AsiaWorld-Expo. Facing criticism that such reasoning made no sense because all that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084468/nonsense-reason-hong-kong-electoral-data-breach-blasted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084468/nonsense-reason-hong-kong-electoral-data-breach-blasted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Apr 2017 15:52:27 +0000 New People’s Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said her former media aide Mark Pinkstone had “apologised for embarrassing her” by branding the city’s leadership race last month “a farce” due to Beijing’s meddling. In a strongly worded article, Pinkstone, a key member of her campaign team, had also accused the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong of violating the “one country, two systems” principle. Hong Kong chief executive election was ‘a farce’, aide to Regina Ip claims in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084453/ex-aide-former-hong-kong-leadership-hopeful-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084453/ex-aide-former-hong-kong-leadership-hopeful-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Apr 2017 14:45:45 +0000 Hong Kong’s chief executive election is “a farce”, according to a key member of failed candidate Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee’s campaign team who slammed what he called active meddling by Beijing’s liaison office in a poll that violated the “one country, two systems” principle. The strongly worded opinion piece– penned by Mark Pinkstone, the government’s former chief information officer – was the clearest suggestion to date that Ip’s team believed Beijing interfered in last month’s election, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084200/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-was-farce-aide-regina-ip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2084200/hong-kong-chief-executive-election-was-farce-aide-regina-ip?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Apr 2017 13:30:19 +0000 One big question on many people’s minds, perhaps until today, is: why would Beijing trust Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to lead Hong Kong, but not the more popular John Tsang Chun-wah, who was the city’s No 3 official for nine years? What is “trust” anyway? Literally, the Oxford Dictionary defines the word as a “firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something”. However, when it comes to politics, especially in Hong Kong, it can be more complicated than that. Central... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/2084144/why-would-beijing-trust-carrie-lam-not-john-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/2084144/why-would-beijing-trust-carrie-lam-not-john-tsang?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Apr 2017 04:57:14 +0000 Hong Kong chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has certainly kept herself very busy. There is, of course, the very important work of getting her governing team together, but Lam has got that under control. Even if the “race” was, for all intents and purposes, “predetermined”, now that the dust has settled, it would be wise perhaps for us to refrain from making prejudgments. Lam is most probably not going to enjoy a honeymoon period, something that is becoming less of a political... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083794/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-shows-she-has-mind-her-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083794/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-shows-she-has-mind-her-own?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Apr 2017 01:01:57 +0000 Premier Li Keqiang has expressed confidence that Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor can unite Hong Kong as the central government on Friday appointed her to become the city’s next chief executive on July 1. “The election result in favour of Lam fully reflects the widespread recognition, trust and ­expectation across all sectors in Hong Kong society,” Li told a State Council meeting on Friday. Li said: “The [central authorities] believe that after she becomes chief executive, she will definitely be able... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2083908/central-government-signs-carrie-lams-appointment-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2083908/central-government-signs-carrie-lams-appointment-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:15:45 +0000 The education chief defended his decision to maintain a controversial competence test for all local primary schools in May, insisting the plan should not be aborted due to “political change”. Eddie Ng Hak-kim spoke up on Thursday after his boss, outgoing Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, also insisted the test for Primary Three pupils should remain in place. Chief executive-elect and former chief secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday called on the current administration to drop the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2083558/hong-kong-education-chief-insists-controversial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2083558/hong-kong-education-chief-insists-controversial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2017 13:44:02 +0000 So, Hong Kong has a nickname for its newly elected leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. It’s “777” – stemming from the number of ballots she secured from a small circle of 1,194 voters. Never ones to miss the slightest opportunity to play with phonetics and sexual innuendo, the sparkling wits about town have pounced on the number with absolute glee. The pronunciation of the word “seven” in Cantonese matches the slang for male genitalia. Forget the fact that, at the end of the day, we’re still... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083454/777-lesson-numerology-those-who-hate-hong-kongs-new-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083454/777-lesson-numerology-those-who-hate-hong-kongs-new-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2017 07:34:13 +0000 I realise that there was a lot of cynicism about last Sunday’s chief executive election. We all know that the “small circle” voting process does not have widespread credibility in the community. However, as campaign director for the winning candidate, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, I can say that the run-up to the election involved a lot of hard work. Indeed, I think this was the case with all of the candidates’ campaigns. It was clear to us that we had to reach out not only to the Election... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083425/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-must-wow-her-doubters-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2083425/hong-kongs-next-leader-carrie-lam-must-wow-her-doubters-not?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2017 05:07:24 +0000 Hong Kong’s newly elected leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, has started putting her cabinet together, revealing on Thursday that she had already met several potential candidates. The chief executive-elect, who is preparing for a visit to Beijing to meet state leaders for the first time since winning the city’s top job last Sunday, was speaking after a 90-minute visit to her alma mater, St Francis’ Canossian College on Kennedy Road. Beijing agrees new Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam can run things... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2083409/next-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-visits-alma-mater-part?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2083409/next-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-visits-alma-mater-part?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Mar 2017 04:00:45 +0000 The election watchdog is under growing pressure to come clean on the theft of computers ­containing personal information on the city’s 3.7 million voters. A special meeting is slated in the Legislative Council to look into what was called Hong Kong’s most serious data breach. Hong Kong election laptop theft may have been ‘inside job’ The incident came to light on Monday when staff from the Registration and Electoral Office ­discovered that the two laptops had been stolen from a storeroom at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2083210/hong-kongs-election-watchdog-urged-come-clean-citys-worst?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2083210/hong-kongs-election-watchdog-urged-come-clean-citys-worst?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2017 13:02:59 +0000 Hong Kong’s newly elected leader announced on Wednesday that ­Beijing’s representative branches would leave it to her to run her own administration and take the lead in bridging the city’s political divide. Three days after being voted into her new job, chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor paid courtesy calls to Beijing’s liaison office, the office of the ­foreign ministry, and the People’s Liberation Army garrison. My team won’t look to Beijing for help, Hong Kong’s next leader... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2083131/next-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-pays-visit-beijings-liaison?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2083131/next-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-pays-visit-beijings-liaison?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Mar 2017 08:00:30 +0000 Chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor plans to host a summit on a new direction for taxation in Hong Kong to find ways to spur economic growth as soon as she takes office in July. Giving her first public speech after winning the election on ­Sunday, Lam told local and foreign investors at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference on Tuesday she would work hard to keep Hong Kong competitive. My team won’t look to Beijing for help, Hong Kong’s next leader Carrie Lam pledges “It’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2082903/new-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-puts-tax-reform-top-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2082903/new-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-puts-tax-reform-top-her?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2017 15:52:45 +0000 Detectives suspect the theft of two laptop computers which contained the personal details of 3.7 million Hong Kong voters may have been an inside job, as the machines were behind a locked door which required a passcode and access card. The two computers, which also stored the names of the 1,194 electors on the Election Committee who picked Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor as Hong Kong’s new chief executive on Sunday, were stolen from the storeroom in Hall 7 in AsiaWorld-Expo on Lantau, which was used... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2082894/hong-kong-election-laptop-theft-may-have-been-inside-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2082894/hong-kong-election-laptop-theft-may-have-been-inside-job?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2017 14:55:14 +0000 Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has attacked the pan-democrats for backing former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah in the city’s leadership election instead of putting forward their own candidate. His remarks came as two US politicians accused Beijing of interfering in the election and urged chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor to defend the rights and democratic aspirations of Hong Kong people. Watch: Carrie Lam wins the election Lam, the former chief secretary who was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082844/pan-democrats-missed-chance-not-joining-election-race-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082844/pan-democrats-missed-chance-not-joining-election-race-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2017 13:45:28 +0000 At least four female bodyguards are part of a team of elite police officers providing 24-hour protection for chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the Post has learnt. They were selected from the VIP protection unit, also known as G4, which is a low-profile detachment of about 120 top officers, including around 10 women. The Post was told that Lam had not requested female bodyguards and the force would be unlikely to organise an all-woman team to protect her round the clock. It is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2082785/four-women-part-24-hour-elite-police-team-guarding-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2082785/four-women-part-24-hour-elite-police-team-guarding-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2017 08:57:04 +0000 Dear Carrie, congratulations on your selection as the next chief executive. I am one of the millions of Hongkongers who had no say in your ­selection, but who you will now represent on the world stage and, more importantly, in the Great Hall of the People. Whether we like it or not – and most of us do not – you are now the face of Hong Kong. From the moment President Xi Jinping (習近平) administers your oath of office on July 1, you will be inundated with issues to resolve; not only the day-to-day... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2082705/can-carrie-lam-steer-hong-kong-greatness-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2082705/can-carrie-lam-steer-hong-kong-greatness-again?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2017 08:40:43 +0000 Experts and lawmakers in Hong Kong are debating whether political considerations were in play after nine key players in the city’s 2014 Occupy protest were charged just a day after Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor won a leadership election. Civic Party chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit, who is a senior counsel, believed that political factors were behind the timing, questioning why police chose to charge the nine on Monday when the force was given advice by the Department of Justice months ago. “When I was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082721/timing-under-debate-after-nine-occupy-participants-charged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082721/timing-under-debate-after-nine-occupy-participants-charged?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Mar 2017 05:13:56 +0000 In his concession speech on Sunday, John Tsang Chun-wah quipped that his chief executive election bid could have been another Barcelona – a reference to the Spanish team’s stunning comeback against Paris St-Germain in a recent Champions League football match. “I once thought perhaps I could turn the tables by the end of the match, just like Barcelona did in that epic game,” the former financial secretary said. “But the fact is, you might not be able to win for sure no matter how good your team... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082537/one-sided-election-shows-hong-kong-leadership-contest-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082537/one-sided-election-shows-hong-kong-leadership-contest-now?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 15:37:35 +0000 Chief executive-elect Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is set to appoint her election campaign head Bernard Chan as the convenor of her cabinet, the Post has learned. It was also understood that Peter Wong Tung-shun, deputy chairman and chief executive of HSBC, had been identified as a potential candidate for the post of financial secretary. Lam is putting together her cabinet after being elected as the city’s leader on Sunday. A source said she had chosen Chan, who is a member of the current... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082536/bernard-chan-set-be-convenor-hong-kong-chief-executive-elect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082536/bernard-chan-set-be-convenor-hong-kong-chief-executive-elect?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 15:26:42 +0000 As Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor vows to lead with a “new style of governance”, political watchers are wondering how she will recalibrate the relationship between the chief executive and the mainland. While few dispute that the chief executive is ultimately answerable to the central government, the more immediate question is whether she can pursue the principle of “one country, two systems” without shifting further towards “one country”. The starting point, for many, is how she will navigate her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082535/hong-kong-chief-executive-elect-carrie-lams-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082535/hong-kong-chief-executive-elect-carrie-lams-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 15:26:39 +0000 As the incoming chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor pledges a new style of governance, her husband, Professor Lam Siu-por, is forcing dozens of community groups to break with the tradition of having the spouse of the city’s leader as their honorary head. The first group that will have to find a new president will be the Girl Guides Association, whose constitution requires that its president be the “wife” of the chief executive. However, its constitution allows for an alternative where... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082500/husband-hong-kong-leader-elect-carrie-lam-likely-shy-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082500/husband-hong-kong-leader-elect-carrie-lam-likely-shy-away?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:45:45 +0000 When Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor moves into Government House in July, she will be carrying with her not just luggage but the honour of being the first female leader to occupy the official residence. With her post-election pledge to persuade more women to join politics, all eyes will be on Lam to see whether she will match her words with action. Sceptics have been quick to point out that her pledge was a verbal one, and absent from her election manifesto. Watch: Carrie Lam visits Hung Hom “To... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082493/carrie-lam-hong-kong-leader-will-door-open-other-women-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2082493/carrie-lam-hong-kong-leader-will-door-open-other-women-top?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Mar 2017 12:34:39 +0000