https://www.scmp.com/rss/323728/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Former Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee will hold a fan meet-and-greet at this year’s ComplexCon in the city, underscoring the senior government adviser’s enduring online popularity since ending her 17-year tenure in the Legislative Council. Seventy-five-year-old Ip, convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, will join guests including Jennie from K-pop group Blackpink, American rapper Yeat and Korean R&B singer Crush at the two-day event later this month. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346389/former-hong-kong-lawmaker-regina-ip-swaps-policy-photo-cards-complexcon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3346389/former-hong-kong-lawmaker-regina-ip-swaps-policy-photo-cards-complexcon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:13:14 +0000 Letters Letters 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 The government’s unprecedented decision to conduct open recruitment for the post of director of information services is a stark reminder of the persistent difficulty it has faced in strengthening its public relations and publicity machinery. Over the past 28 years, no fewer than... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344238/geopolitical-tensions-rise-hong-kong-needs-clear-confident-messaging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344238/geopolitical-tensions-rise-hong-kong-needs-clear-confident-messaging?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Letters Letters 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 At the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, the Hong Kong pavilion was flooded with meeting requests and was well attended by senior figures who a few years ago might have given it short shrift. Fractious transatlantic relations have signalled a growing impulse on the part of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3342086/hong-kongs-economic-comeback-best-answer-its-critics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3342086/hong-kongs-economic-comeback-best-answer-its-critics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:30:37 +0000 Oscar Liu,Leopold Chen,Danny Mok Oscar Liu,Leopold Chen,Danny Mok The head of the Hong Kong government’s liaison office in Tianjin has been fired and will face a criminal probe after his online posts showed him enjoying alleged perks such as a private ferry cabin upgrade on a trip to Macau. The government said in a late-night statement on Wednesday that following concerns arising from posts by Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit, it had conducted further investigations. “It has been considered that the incident in which Mr Cheng’s seat... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340620/calls-probe-after-hong-kong-official-posts-about-alleged-ferry-hotel-perks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3340620/calls-probe-after-hong-kong-official-posts-about-alleged-ferry-hotel-perks?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:39:06 +0000 Letters Letters 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 I refer to the article, “Hong Kong should study social media impact on teens, craft its own policies: experts” (December 11). It was a refreshing thought that excessive screen time poses a significant health concern, particularly among children. Several countries have in recent... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3337410/kick-our-social-media-habit-lets-start-adults?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3337410/kick-our-social-media-habit-lets-start-adults?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Three incumbent lawmakers seeking another term by running in Hong Kong Island West made desperate appeals just hours into Sunday’s Legislative Council election, with the race for directly elected seats heating up compared with four years ago. Hong Kong Island West is the only geographical constituency among the 10 where three serving legislators – Judy Chan Kapui, Chan Hok-fung and Kwok Wai-keung – are competing with two newcomers for two seats, essentially meaning at least one of them will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335530/3-serving-lawmakers-make-urgent-appeals-hong-kong-island-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3335530/3-serving-lawmakers-make-urgent-appeals-hong-kong-island-west?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 15:44:28 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee was in no mood for messing about. Pointing her index finger at reporters one October morning inside Hong Kong’s legislature, she sternly signalled for them to get out of her way. “Don’t block my way to the meeting,” she said. “Move away.” Her demeanour seemed to hark back to an Ip of an earlier era – the fiery, hardline security minister who spearheaded national security legislation in 2003 – while others read it as a hint that the veteran politician was about to bid a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333761/hong-kongs-comeback-queen-regina-ip-reflects-50-year-career-public-service?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333761/hong-kongs-comeback-queen-regina-ip-reflects-50-year-career-public-service?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 01:00:18 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Democracy is a precious gift that Beijing has given to Hong Kong, veteran politician Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has said in an open letter appealing to residents to vote in the coming Legislative Council election. In the letter shared on social media by Ip on Tuesday, the Executive Council convenor also stressed that forms of “so-called democracy” contrary to the country’s Constitution or Hong Kong’s Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, would not survive. A day earlier, the Hong Kong and Macau... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333295/hong-kong-democracy-precious-gift-beijing-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333295/hong-kong-democracy-precious-gift-beijing-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:37:29 +0000 Matthew Cheng,Willa Wu Matthew Cheng,Willa Wu The coming Legislative Council election has thrown up some unexpected links, with several Hong Kong tycoons nominating candidates who are non-core establishment or union representatives, who in turn have backed the real estate sector. A check of nomination forms submitted by all 161 Legco hopefuls found that top figures from major developers had taken different approaches in naming aspirants running in the December 7 poll, the second under Beijing’s “patriots-only” electoral overhaul. New World... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3332002/surprises-hong-kong-legco-election-nominations-tycoons-back-unions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3332002/surprises-hong-kong-legco-election-nominations-tycoons-back-unions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2025 15:41:58 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen has the patience of a Buddha, a temperament which may explain why he managed to chair the Legislative Council for nine long years. Those tumultuous years included the unprecedented anti-government riots in 2019, followed by the economically damaging Covid-19 pandemic, and yet he almost never lost his temper in public. But even Leung got a little testy at a news conference last month before the end of the seventh Legco. “If there were 90 legislators and more than 80 were... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331412/turnover-among-hong-kong-legislators-should-not-be-surprising?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3331412/turnover-among-hong-kong-legislators-should-not-be-surprising?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has given so much of herself to the Hong Kong community that she once even shared images of her insides with the public. Back then, I commended the then 65-year-old Ip in this space for the “beauty” of her digestive system and for her openness in sharing images of her colonoscopy on Facebook. She wrote back, thanking me for supporting her mission to raise public awareness of colorectal cancer, at a time when then chief executive Leung Chun-ying was planning to introduce... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330457/regina-ip-flawed-relatable-and-true-hong-kong-public-servant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330457/regina-ip-flawed-relatable-and-true-hong-kong-public-servant?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Willa Wu,Matthew Cheng Willa Wu,Matthew Cheng There is no such thing as a “blessing” or “special treatment” for candidates in Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council poll, Beijing’s top office overseeing the city’s affairs has said, after at least 15 legislators decided against running for re-election. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office also said on Friday night that a change of lawmakers through Legco elections was standard practice and represented “the true meaning of democracy”. It said younger, more professional and innovative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3329448/hong-kong-veteran-lawmaker-michael-tien-says-he-may-retire-ahead-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3329448/hong-kong-veteran-lawmaker-michael-tien-says-he-may-retire-ahead-election?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:26:54 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong Veteran Hong Kong lawmaker Stanley Ng Chau-pei has said he was unable to vote on an ill-fated same-sex partnership bill due to a personal emergency, in response to questions about his absence despite being a member of a key decision-making body. Ng, president of the Federation of Trade Unions, was the only lawmaker also sitting on the Executive Council who failed to attend the vote for the Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill on Wednesday. The proposed legislation was eventually voted down... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325241/urgent-matter-stopped-me-voting-same-sex-rights-bill-hong-kongs-stanley-ng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325241/urgent-matter-stopped-me-voting-same-sex-rights-bill-hong-kongs-stanley-ng?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:40:50 +0000 Willa Wu,Edith Lin Willa Wu,Edith Lin Hong Kong lawmakers have voted down a bill that would have recognised same-sex partnerships, despite a landmark court ruling and years of LGBTQ rights activism, with the city’s constitutional affairs chief expressing disappointment over the result. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said on Wednesday that the government would not seek an extension to an October deadline set by the court but would discuss its next step with the Department of Justice. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325049/hong-kong-lawmakers-vote-down-bill-recognising-same-sex-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325049/hong-kong-lawmakers-vote-down-bill-recognising-same-sex-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 09:42:49 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Supporters of Hong Kong lawmaker and former security minister Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee celebrated her 75th birthday in a busy shopping area on Sunday, with some enthusiastic fans taking home free souvenirs. In a reply to the Post after the event, Ip said: “I want to thank my young fans sincerely for their heart-melting support! I find them to be extremely creative. I hope they had a fun day celebrating my birthday together!” The celebration, organised by a Facebook group of supporters, drew a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322983/supporters-hong-kongs-regina-ip-celebrate-birthday-ip-lau-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322983/supporters-hong-kongs-regina-ip-celebrate-birthday-ip-lau-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 13:30:05 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong authorities have an “ongoing legal duty” to fulfil their responsibilities related to same-sex relationships in response to a landmark court ruling, even if the legislature rejects a proposal to establish a recognition framework, the government has said. The government said on Wednesday that the judiciary had not and would not give any direct orders to either the executive or the legislature about fulfilling the requirements of the ruling. Authorities also argued that the proposal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3319262/hong-kong-authorities-have-ongoing-legal-duty-fulfil-same-sex-couples-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3319262/hong-kong-authorities-have-ongoing-legal-duty-fulfil-same-sex-couples-ruling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:07:45 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong can boost growth by tapping into the space economy and hosting more top-tier international events such as the Apec finance ministers’ meeting, the top adviser to the city’s leader has said. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the key decision-making Executive Council and chairwoman of the New People’s Party, also proposed a HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) fund on Wednesday to help young local musicians and artists train and compete overseas. She cited pianist Aristo Sham Ching-tao, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316705/hong-kong-can-chart-path-high-quality-growth-space-economy-regina-ip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316705/hong-kong-can-chart-path-high-quality-growth-space-economy-regina-ip?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:49:32 +0000 Willa Wu,Jeffie Lam,Natalie Wong Willa Wu,Jeffie Lam,Natalie Wong In the second of a two-part series on the national security law, we look at how the city has had to battle a negative narrative over the past five years. Read part 1 here. Soon after Hong Kong reopened in early 2023 as harsh pandemic restrictions were finally lifted, veteran lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee embarked on a solo mission to the West. Visiting Brussels to meet European Union officials in September 2023, she sought to explain fundamental political and legal changes in the city and how... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315996/5-years-after-national-security-law-has-hong-kong-bounced-back?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315996/5-years-after-national-security-law-has-hong-kong-bounced-back?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 00:00:21 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau Hong Kong should work with mainland Chinese authorities to turn the city into a space innovation hub to capitalise on its business opportunities, while also acting as a “superconnector” for building a global consensus on aerospace regulations, experts have said at a global summit. Experts made the suggestion at the Global Prosperity Summit on Tuesday, arguing that Hong Kong could take advantage of the massive opportunities arising from the mainland’s rapidly growing BeiDou satellite navigation... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3311116/could-space-become-hong-kongs-new-frontier-industry-experts-think-so?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3311116/could-space-become-hong-kongs-new-frontier-industry-experts-think-so?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 May 2025 13:12:14 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hongkongers can take photos of six premises belonging to Beijing’s national security office deemed “prohibited places” but disobeying law enforcement officers’ orders to stop will risk running afoul of the newly gazetted subsidiary legislation, senior officials have said. In another move to fast track scrutiny of the newly enacted subsidiary legislation to the city’s domestic national security law, lawmakers completed the clause-by-clause vetting in just over five hours in three back-to-back... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3310526/hongkongers-must-obey-orders-photography-6-prohibited-places-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3310526/hongkongers-must-obey-orders-photography-6-prohibited-places-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 May 2025 14:03:59 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong’s business and academic circles should step up exchanges with their overseas counterparts to help counter the bias of Western governments against the city and Beijing, a top government adviser has said. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who is the convenor of the key decision-making Executive Council, said on Friday that non-governmental efforts could help build trust and, in turn, influence officials and politicians abroad. Ip was addressing a 2½-hour forum organised by the Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3309804/hong-kong-firms-should-step-ties-abroad-tackle-western-bias-regina-ip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3309804/hong-kong-firms-should-step-ties-abroad-tackle-western-bias-regina-ip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2025 12:17:43 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Twenty-one Hong Kong schoolteachers were deregistered or disciplined for having inappropriate relationships and physical contact with students in 2024, the highest number in five years, according to education authorities. The figure was shared by the Education Bureau in a recent reply to veteran lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee. Ip, who is also the convenor of the Executive Council, raised concerns last Friday over the rising number of cases, criticising school management who received high... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3309292/21-hong-kong-teachers-punished-improper-student-relationships-5-year-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3309292/21-hong-kong-teachers-punished-improper-student-relationships-5-year-high?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 11:25:38 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu A top adviser to the Hong Kong government has criticised the worsening performance of students and teachers despite an increase in resources in recent years, urging authorities to set key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the cost-effectiveness of such measures. But the city’s education minister argued on Friday it was difficult to see the immediate results of allocating more resources to schools, such as increasing the number of teachers. Veteran lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who sits on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3308871/hong-kong-schools-slammed-poor-performance-despite-getting-more-resources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3308871/hong-kong-schools-slammed-poor-performance-despite-getting-more-resources?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2025 10:54:48 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin The proposed development of the Hung Hom waterfront should include immigration facilities for a new yacht marina and incorporate luxury residential property within the complex to attract high-end tourists and investors to Hong Kong, lawmakers have said. The suggestions were made on Tuesday during the legislature’s development panel meeting, where lawmakers discussed the government’s preliminary proposal for the Hung Hom harbourfront, which includes constructing a “world-class” yacht berthing... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3308409/lawmakers-push-monaco-style-marina-hong-kongs-hung-hom-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3308409/lawmakers-push-monaco-style-marina-hong-kongs-hung-hom-development?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:46:42 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li Hong Kong should not give up on its traditional trade partners, such as the United States, a top government adviser has said, stressing that it is important for the city to distinguish between the US administration and business sector despite an escalating tariff war. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of Hong Kong’s top policy decision-making body, the Executive Council, also said on Wednesday that she believed the US would lose in the trade war, pointing to the American Chamber of Commerce’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3306723/hong-kong-must-tell-us-government-business-sector-apart-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3306723/hong-kong-must-tell-us-government-business-sector-apart-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Apr 2025 04:53:22 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong’s commerce minister has rejected a lawmaker’s suggestion to merge public broadcaster RTHK with the government’s press department, saying there were no overlaps in job responsibilities. RTHK also came under fire on Wednesday over its staffing levels, with lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee calling for in-depth reforms at the broadcaster and better use of artificial intelligence to improve efficiency. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah was responding to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3304938/no-need-merge-hong-kongs-rthk-government-press-department-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3304938/no-need-merge-hong-kongs-rthk-government-press-department-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:27:34 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Slashing or freezing the salaries of Hong Kong civil servants has been floated by many as a measure to tackle the city’s HK$100 billion (US$12.9 billion) deficit. Civil service expenses accounted for 20 per cent of the total government expenditure on average over the past five financial years, prompting calls to review the administrative structure to improve effectiveness. The Post breaks down civil service expenses to see if freezing or cutting the salaries of about 173,000 government employees... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3299823/budget-2025-how-public-servant-pay-cuts-will-impact-you-and-hong-kongs-finances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3299823/budget-2025-how-public-servant-pay-cuts-will-impact-you-and-hong-kongs-finances?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 02:00:25 +0000 Kahon Chan Kahon Chan A Hong Kong party headed by a top government adviser has suggested increasing traffic fines, tunnel fees and property rates, as well as freezing civil service salaries, in a bid to reduce the city’s deficit. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, chairwoman of the New People’s Party and convenor of key decision-making body the Executive Council, also proposed a 5 per cent cut in government recurrent spending, following a meeting with finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday. “The financial secretary has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3294853/regina-ips-party-proposes-higher-traffic-fines-cut-hong-kong-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3294853/regina-ips-party-proposes-higher-traffic-fines-cut-hong-kong-deficit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jan 2025 08:45:51 +0000 Christmas came early for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his team this year, and I don’t mean his duty visit to Beijing over the weekend. It came quietly in July, when salaries for politically appointed officials increased by 1.8 per cent. These pay rates are adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index (C), which measures the impact of consumer price changes on Hong Kong’s high-spending households – the top 10 per cent splashing out HK$50,400- HK$95,900 per month, as opposed to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290848/hong-kong-officials-rising-pay-doesnt-square-our-financial-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290848/hong-kong-officials-rising-pay-doesnt-square-our-financial-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 01:30:08 +0000 Top Hong Kong government adviser Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has called on Israelis to move to the city if they want a safe place to live and raise their children amid their war with Hamas, prompting the country’s consulate to defend the values of the nation. The seasoned politician made the call on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday as she shared a hyperlink to an excerpt of a Time magazine article in which author Danya Kaufmann, a Jerusalem-based lawyer and writer, bemoaned the emotional... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3280988/top-hong-kong-political-adviser-regina-ip-calls-israelis-seeking-safety-move-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3280988/top-hong-kong-political-adviser-regina-ip-calls-israelis-seeking-safety-move-city?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Oct 2024 14:22:17 +0000 Japanese schools in Hong Kong have ramped up their security measures following the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old child in Shenzhen, the country’s top diplomat in the city has said. Kenichi Okada, the country’s consul general in Hong Kong, addressed the incident on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of this year’s Japan Autumn Festival, where he asked all event participants to observe a minute of silence for the child who was killed in Shenzhen last week. “I think Japanese schools here have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3279958/japanese-schools-hong-kong-bolster-security-measures-after-shenzhen-stabbing-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3279958/japanese-schools-hong-kong-bolster-security-measures-after-shenzhen-stabbing-diplomat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Sep 2024 14:44:51 +0000 Top Hong Kong government adviser Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee on Saturday appealed to shopping centre owners to cut rents to help businesses survive. Ip, the convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, made the call after she and colleagues from the New People’s Party found more than 100 empty shops and stalls in two shopping centres and a market in Southern district. Forty vacant stores were found at the Chi Fu Landmark, 35 in Marina Square’s east and west centres as well as 29... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3274886/exco-convenor-appeals-retail-rent-cuts-help-businesses-keep-heads-above-water?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3274886/exco-convenor-appeals-retail-rent-cuts-help-businesses-keep-heads-above-water?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Aug 2024 12:04:30 +0000 The magic tricks pulled out from the pocket of Doraemon have captivated generations of fans over the years. A month-long showcase of the beloved Japanese comic figure has proved to be just as spellbinding. It is a stellar example of how successful mega events can unite and lift the city. Credit goes to the organiser and its partners for conjuring up a mesmerising experience for locals and visitors. Featuring free and ticketed exhibitions, drone shows, transport rides and pop-up displays of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3274514/doraemon-success-sign-hong-kong-mega-subsidies-not-always-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3274514/doraemon-success-sign-hong-kong-mega-subsidies-not-always-necessary?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Aug 2024 22:15:08 +0000 Hong Kong should work with neighbouring mainland Chinese cities to host an inaugural “Belt and Road Games” to help strengthen ties among more than 100 countries in the China-centred trade network, a top government adviser has said. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, said on Friday that the city should also tap emerging markets such as the Middle East while repositioning itself in a new geopolitical landscape by helping the country find... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3273871/hong-kong-should-work-mainland-china-host-belt-and-road-games-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3273871/hong-kong-should-work-mainland-china-host-belt-and-road-games-regina-ip-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2024 08:14:35 +0000 Olympic fencing queen Vivian Kong Man-wai’s academic paper that supported the “one country, two systems” governing principle was on Sunday defended by a top Hong Kong government adviser, who condemned “rabid attacks” on the gold medallist as the work of “fawning puppets” of external powers. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the Executive Council, the government’s key decision-making body, said the “disgusting attacks” appeared to have come from people living overseas to evade the legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3273163/exco-convenor-regina-ip-takes-sword-hong-kong-olympic-fencing-queen-vivian-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3273163/exco-convenor-regina-ip-takes-sword-hong-kong-olympic-fencing-queen-vivian-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Aug 2024 12:55:45 +0000 A top Hong Kong government adviser has voiced worries about the economic impact of residents increasingly heading north, after official data showed more than 60,000 private vehicles had made use of a special scheme allowing quick cross-border travel. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee was speaking at a Legislative Council panel meeting on Friday where authorities also discussed how a national policy that required passengers to walk through checkpoints might have contributed to bottlenecks on the mainland... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3267581/hong-kong-should-look-economic-impact-northbound-travel-amid-new-motorist-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3267581/hong-kong-should-look-economic-impact-northbound-travel-amid-new-motorist-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 11:31:56 +0000 A debate in the legislature on raising Hong Kong’s fertility rate turned emotional between the health minister and a female lawmaker on Thursday, after the top official suggested that a frozen seed may not grow on “soil” that deteriorates with age. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also said that he hoped young people would balance their family and career by getting married and having children at an earlier age. Lo was addressing a motion on policies to support assisted reproduction. Lawmaker... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3267417/freeze-womens-eggs-soil-may-be-bad-health-minister-says-during-fertility-debate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3267417/freeze-womens-eggs-soil-may-be-bad-health-minister-says-during-fertility-debate?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:48:11 +0000 Sitting in the Dubai flat he has called home for a year, Wilson Lo* scrolls through his Instagram account, trying to catch up with what his friends have been doing back in Hong Kong. Some news articles about his hometown pop up. The social media site has become the only way he consumes news in recent years. He naturally scrolls to the next post, without any urge to understand more, let alone share it or make any public comments. “Distance is a reason for the lack of attachment,” he said. “But it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3265909/hong-kong-rebel-city-no-more-reflecting-2019-protests-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3265909/hong-kong-rebel-city-no-more-reflecting-2019-protests-5-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Jun 2024 01:00:18 +0000 For three decades, Hong Kong served as the only place on Chinese soil where large-scale peaceful demonstrations were organised annually on June 4 to remember those killed in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The anniversary vigil, held at Victoria Park, was attended by tens of thousands of residents, serving both as a visual spectacle with its sea of candles and a spiritual anchor for the occasion. But starting in 2020, the authorities denied requests to stage the event for two years,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3265376/remembering-tiananmen-crackdown-what-has-happened-hong-kongs-tradition-commemorating-june-4?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3265376/remembering-tiananmen-crackdown-what-has-happened-hong-kongs-tradition-commemorating-june-4?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jun 2024 11:13:46 +0000 It will be considered acceptable for Hong Kong residents to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in private, two top government advisers have told the Post. But one of them said on Sunday that any public commemorations of the 1989 incident in the near future were unlikely. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, said she did not see a problem if individuals commemorated events away from the public eye. “Both the offences of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3265076/hongkongers-can-mark-tiananmen-square-crackdown-private-without-breaching-article-23-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3265076/hongkongers-can-mark-tiananmen-square-crackdown-private-without-breaching-article-23-national?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 10:27:41 +0000 Dozens of Hong Kong opposition figures already behind bars for three years have begun to realise the city’s new domestic security law will affect them too. Charged under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020, they did not expect that Article 23 of the Basic Law, which came into effect a month ago, would concern them. In fact, they will be among the first to feel its reach. Their hopes for an early release from prison, with the usual one-third remission of sentences for “industry... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3259929/hong-kongs-domestic-security-law-1-month-later-no-arrests-no-big-uproar-whats-going?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3259929/hong-kongs-domestic-security-law-1-month-later-no-arrests-no-big-uproar-whats-going?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 01:30:21 +0000 Hong Kong may become “isolated” if the government does not step up efforts to ease concerns in the US and Europe over the city’s domestic national security law, a former commerce minister has said, calling again for high-level delegations to fight smears. Frederick Ma Si-hang, the city’s former commerce and economic development minister, said on Sunday that business heavyweights also needed to be involved in explaining the actual situation in Hong Kong to their overseas partners. “[The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3256508/hong-kong-may-become-isolated-if-it-does-not-ease-fears-over-article-23-law-us-and-europe-former?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3256508/hong-kong-may-become-isolated-if-it-does-not-ease-fears-over-article-23-law-us-and-europe-former?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Mar 2024 05:36:49 +0000 Lawmakers unanimously passed Hong Kong’s domestic national security law on Tuesday night at the end of a marathon session, fast-tracking the constitutionally mandated legislation which had been shelved for more than two decades because of initial public opposition. There was no hint of dissent in the Legislative Council this time as all 88 members took turns over 10 hours to speak of their “historic mission” to plug loopholes in the city’s overall legal framework for protecting national... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3255999/historic-moment-hong-kong-passes-domestic-national-security-law-after-marathon-session-fast-tracking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3255999/historic-moment-hong-kong-passes-domestic-national-security-law-after-marathon-session-fast-tracking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:04:31 +0000 Hong Kong lawmakers have unanimously approved moving a domestic national security bill to the next stage just 15 hours after authorities presented amendments, including granting new powers to the city leader to draft subsidiary legislation to add new offences. The head of a bills committee that scrutinised the proposed legislation will verbally deliver a report to the Legislative Council’s House Committee on Friday afternoon, a day after lawmakers expressed support for 47 changes proposed by the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3255285/hong-kongs-article-23-bill-amendments-toughen-legislation-give-chief-executive-more-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3255285/hong-kongs-article-23-bill-amendments-toughen-legislation-give-chief-executive-more-power?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:15:59 +0000 Hong Kong government adviser and former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee criticised a new domestic security bill’s definitions of external forces as “very problematic” and “very broad”, when legal terms key to proposed offences related to external interference came under scrutiny in the legislature on Friday. The discussion came as the full bill adopted largely the same definitions of “external forces” outlined in a prior consultation paper, which had been a focus of concerns raised by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3254753/hong-kong-government-adviser-regina-ip-hits-out-article-23-bills-definitions-external-forces-saying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3254753/hong-kong-government-adviser-regina-ip-hits-out-article-23-bills-definitions-external-forces-saying?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:40:03 +0000 Hong Kong lawmakers will soon have the chance to scrutinise the first draft of a home-grown security law after a one-month consultation ended last week without much fanfare. The exact timing of the submission of a full draft remained unclear, but authorities on Wednesday presented a summary of the comments received in the consultation to a joint panel of the Legislative Council and pointed to new areas to be considered. The panel will gather again on Thursday for the second of two specially... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3254304/hong-kong-wraps-consultation-domestic-security-law-under-article-23-heres-look-list-fears-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3254304/hong-kong-wraps-consultation-domestic-security-law-under-article-23-heres-look-list-fears-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Mar 2024 01:30:10 +0000 Most opinions gathered during a consultation launched on Hong Kong’s domestic national security law supported the proposed legislation, the city’s leader has said, and pledged to get it done “as soon as possible”. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu added on Tuesday his administration would report the results of the one-month consultation exercise, which will end on February 28, to the legislature in due course. But he gave no further details about when the proposed law would go before... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3252542/most-opinions-hong-kong-consultation-show-support-overall-goal-enacting-article-23-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3252542/most-opinions-hong-kong-consultation-show-support-overall-goal-enacting-article-23-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2024 06:42:09 +0000 A top Hong Kong government adviser has called on officials to bolster efforts to explain the offences introduced under a proposed national security legislation amid “significant concerns” conveyed by the European Union’s representative about the bill. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, a lawmaker and the convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, on Monday echoed a call made by former city leader Leung Chun-ying to step up communication on the coming legislation under Article 23 of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3252479/hong-kong-should-bolster-efforts-explain-offences-national-security-proposal-regina-ip-says-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3252479/hong-kong-should-bolster-efforts-explain-offences-national-security-proposal-regina-ip-says-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Feb 2024 13:49:11 +0000 Top government adviser Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has said domestic national security legislation will not turn Hong Kong into another mainland Chinese city, rebuffing foreign businessmen’s concerns that the proposed law will undermine the city’s judicial independence. Ip, a lawmaker and the convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, on Friday told a radio programme that foreign countries had a wrong impression that the “one country, two systems” governing principle would... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3252161/regina-ip-hits-back-criticism-domestic-national-security-legislation-insists-it-will-not-turn-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3252161/regina-ip-hits-back-criticism-domestic-national-security-legislation-insists-it-will-not-turn-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Feb 2024 06:12:21 +0000 China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with four former US diplomats for their support of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, accusing them of “beautifying” the media tycoon’s acts of “chaos” and “blatantly interfering” in the city’s judiciary. The Commissioner’s Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong was responding on Thursday to a joint statement by four former US consuls general in the city as Lai, 76, stood trial at West Kowloon Court over charges of sedition,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3251448/beijing-hits-back-ex-us-diplomats-support-jimmy-lai-says-they-beautify-apple-daily-founders-acts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3251448/beijing-hits-back-ex-us-diplomats-support-jimmy-lai-says-they-beautify-apple-daily-founders-acts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 13:45:48 +0000