Explainers: Business - South China Morning Post

TikTok’s tumultuous journey: from global sensation to geopolitical bargaining chip

Coco Feng — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 12:00:15 +0000

Beijing-based ByteDance launched the international version of its short video app in 2017. TikTok soon became a global hit thanks to its advanced algorithm. This success, however, drew the attention of the US government and others, which raised concerns about data privacy and national security. After a rocky few years, TikTok seems ready to secure a permanent foothold in the US market via a deal that would see American investors control the US operations. The following timeline plots TikTok’s...

What is Hong Kong’s free-port status and how will tariffs affect the economy?

Oscar Liu — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 13:20:26 +0000

Sweeping tariffs by the US sent shock waves through Hong Kong’s stock market on Monday, with the city’s benchmark Hang Seng Index suffering its biggest drop since 1997. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po offered reassurances that the market remained resilient and reiterated that Hong Kong was not retaliating with its own tariffs and would protect its free-port status, which he called a competitive edge over rivals. According to the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, Hong Kong shall not...

How eager are banks to ‘call’ mortgage loans and what are your options if they do?

Aileen Chuang — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 00:30:09 +0000

This story is part of a package exploring Hong Kong’s sluggish property market. See the full list here. Relations between banks and homeowners in Hong Kong have been tense against the backdrop of a sluggish property market and a slow economic recovery in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Incidents and rumours of banks calling loans – demanding immediate payment – have increased as the value of property collateral has dwindled, prompting regulators to step in with relief measures for...

5 famous, hidden billionaires are new owners on The Peak amid Hong Kong debt crunch

Salina Li — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 03:47:55 +0000

This story is part of a package exploring Hong Kong’s sluggish property market. See the full list here. Perched atop one of the world’s most expensive residential markets, luxury homes on The Peak in Hong Kong are rare gems coveted by ultra-wealthy people from inside and outside the city. Luxury homes on the south side of Hong Kong Island share the same acclaim. However, a subtle shift in ownership has taken place in recent years. A number of owners have succumbed to liquidity crunches amid high...

Corporate governance reform and the role of independent directors

Enoch Yiu — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 23:30:09 +0000

Bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing’s latest proposals for corporate governance reform, which would add a hard cap for independent directors – mandating that they can only sit on six boards at a time and serve up to nine years each – have caused great upheaval in the city’s executive suites. Many listed companies and tycoons oppose the plans, believing them to be micromanaging and an overreach by the exchange, but fund managers and brokers support the proposals, saying they will...

Elhedery to start his first day as global CEO in Hong Kong, showing city’s value to HSBC

Mia Castagnone,Enoch Yiu — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 03:37:21 +0000

Georges Elhedery, the incoming chief executive officer of HSBC, is scheduled to begin his new job on Monday in Hong Kong, a visit that underscores the significance of the city which still serves as the bank’s largest revenue source. Elhedery will spend a few days with his staff at the HSBC building in Central, visit key customers and Hong Kong’s financial regulators before returning to London at the end of next week, according to people familiar with his plans. . Elhedery takes over the reins...

Deepfakes, crypto hoax, phishing and love scams: how Hongkongers paid HK$9.18 bn to fraud

Aileen Chuang — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 23:00:11 +0000

Hong Kong, an international financial centre with a wealthy population, has been prone to fraud and scams, with cases and monetary losses skyrocketing to record levels last year. These crimes have not only turned into a growing epidemic but are also evolving, helped by technological innovations and a rapid increase in the scale and volume of organised crime globally. As the city’s regulators, law enforcement officials and banks rolled out multiple measures and campaigns to fight deception...

What do investment banks think of the Chinese Communist Party’s long-overdue third plenum?

Zhang Shidong — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 04:33:11 +0000

China’s Communist Party has published a communique after wrapping up its four-day closed-door third plenum for its decision-making Central Committee. Investment banks rushed to read between the lines for clues about the trajectory of the world’s second-largest economy. Offering little in the way of details, the communique outlined China’s broad reform package over the medium and longer term, focusing on technology innovation, the new-quality productive force, risk control and supply-chain...

What are ETFs? How have they become the new darling of investors globally?

Zhang Shidong — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 23:30:08 +0000

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have quickly won favour among investors globally in recent years, with many choosing the passive investment product over actively managed ones because of lower costs and convenience in trading. Investors continue pouring money into ETFs despite a challenging investment landscape, including entrenched inflation and a flare-up in geopolitical tensions. China is no exception to the trend, with ETFs even becoming a key channel for state-backed funds to prop up the...

What are electrolysers? How is hydrogen produced and how do fuel cells use the energy?

Eric Ng,Yujie Xue — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 23:30:09 +0000

Electrolysers and fuel cell systems are the key equipment for the production and use of hydrogen. More than 95 per cent of hydrogen is currently made using fossil fuels, mainly coal and natural gas, because of their low costs. However, governments’ climate policies and incentives will make the production of green hydrogen, which uses renewable energy, economically viable, presenting big business opportunities. Here is what you need to know about electrolysers and fuel cell systems. What are...

How do hydrogen vehicles work? Are they the future of transport?

Yujie Xue — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 01:00:15 +0000

At the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Congress and Exhibition in Shanghai last week, more than 300 companies from countries including China, Japan, Korea and Canada came to showcase their latest technology and products. Vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which emit only water, have attracted increasing attention from policymakers and companies seeking to decarbonise to limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Some carmakers consider...

What is green hydrogen and what is China’s role in its production and use?

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:00:09 +0000

Decarbonising the global economy by mid-century is crucial in the fight against climate change, which requires a major overhaul in the world’s energy systems. Hydrogen has emerged as a viable long-term solution that can reduce emissions in the most carbon-intensive sectors, including power generation, ground, sea and air transport and steel and cement. To make the zero-emission fuel commercially viable, much work and investment lies ahead to enhance efficiency, reduce costs and scale up...

What Hongkongers buying UK property need to know about the mortgage process and requirements

Mon, 22 May 2023 00:30:10 +0000

Analysts are saying it may be a good time for foreign buyers, including those based in Hong Kong, to buy property in the UK. But potential buyers may not be familiar with the mortgage requirements and options available to them. Here we break down these requirements, explain the buying process in the UK and look at the range of mortgage offers available for potential buyers. What is the step-by-step process of applying for a mortgage loan in the UK? The process begins with a mortgage fact-find...

What is China’s youth unemployment rate, which hit a record high in April, and why does it cover ages 16 to 24?

Thu, 18 May 2023 15:00:09 +0000

What is China’s youth unemployment rate? China’s youth unemployment rate refers to the percentage of unemployed people who are between the ages of 16 and 24 with the “ability” and “willingness” to work. It is a key indicator for Beijing to gauge social stability and economic growth. China’s youth unemployment rate hit a record high of 20.4 per cent in April, after rising from 19.6 per cent in March.