https://www.scmp.com/rss/516688/feed Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his second policy address on October 25. Revisit his 2022 policy address here. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A recent relaxation of recruitment rules has resulted in the number of job applicants for Hong Kong’s fire service surging 67 per cent and fitness test pass rates rising 30 percentage points, according to the department’s chief. Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin revealed on Thursday that the pass rate for fitness tests across firefighting and ambulance roles rose from 60 per cent to around 90 per cent after new physical standards were put in place on December 1. “But I must stress... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3250635/hong-kong-fire-service-reports-surge-job-applications-following-easing-recruitment-requirements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3250635/hong-kong-fire-service-reports-surge-job-applications-following-easing-recruitment-requirements?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Feb 2024 17:19:55 +0000 Back in 2017, Hongkonger Jessica Naomi Fong learned how to grow vegetables from online videos and started a 300 sq ft indoor farm on the outlying island of Cheung Chau in the hopes of cultivating high-quality local produce. Fong, now 33, started out growing tomatoes and now runs Common Farm, which supplies produce such as edible flowers and herbs to fine-dining restaurants and hotels across the city. Her farm two years ago expanded to a 10,000 sq ft space in an industrial building in Yau Tong,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3247549/will-hong-kongs-urban-farming-sector-bloom-industry-leaders-say-government-support-well-intentioned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3247549/will-hong-kongs-urban-farming-sector-bloom-industry-leaders-say-government-support-well-intentioned?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jan 2024 04:00:19 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The United Nations promotes global cooperation and addresses pressing international issues. However, calls for UN reform have increased sharply in recent years and gained significant traction. In... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3247249/israel-gaza-war-underlines-urgent-need-un-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3247249/israel-gaza-war-underlines-urgent-need-un-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2024 03:30:09 +0000 A new scheme to attract capital and talent could potentially reel in HK$120 billion (US$15.4 billion) worth of investment to Hong Kong annually, a senior official has said, expressing confidence in its appeal despite competition from rivals such as Singapore. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu on Tuesday revealed details of the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, which he said would bring in people who were investors and therefore benefit the city’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3245639/new-capital-investment-scheme-could-bring-hk120-billion-annually-hong-kong-financial-services-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3245639/new-capital-investment-scheme-could-bring-hk120-billion-annually-hong-kong-financial-services-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:33:48 +0000 On December 1, the Centa-City Leading Index, which is the de facto benchmark for secondary private home prices in Hong Kong, reached a six-and-a-half-year low of 151.06. Local housing prices have fallen considerably since the index rose to a record high of 185.62 points in September 2021. Before Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his policy address in October this year, there were calls by developers for property cooling measures to be scrapped. These so-called spicy measures included... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243810/two-creative-ways-hong-kong-keep-its-property-market-even-keel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243810/two-creative-ways-hong-kong-keep-its-property-market-even-keel?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:32:20 +0000 The waiting time for transitional housing for Hong Kong public flat applicants with newborns has been slashed from three years to two, in the latest measure by the government to boost birth rates. A government spokesman on Friday said the adjustment of requirements for tenants of transitional housing aimed “to promote fertility and create a childbearing environment”. “The Housing Bureau anticipates the measures will help families [in need] with newborns … [to] break away from the difficulties... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3243491/hong-kong-cuts-waiting-time-transitional-housing-public-flat-applicants-newborns-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3243491/hong-kong-cuts-waiting-time-transitional-housing-public-flat-applicants-newborns-2-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Dec 2023 06:51:53 +0000 Time and time again, I have been asked if I believe in Hong Kong’s future, and if our city can thrive amid the geopolitics in the region and globally. To this question, I always answer in the affirmative. Hong Kong’s future lies in leveraging its strengths and wherewithal as China’s most international, cosmopolitan and forward-thinking city. We need to continue to connect China with the world and facilitate the growth of the Global South as those economies rapidly rise. Co-creating this future... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243189/time-hong-kong-open-its-doors-asean-talent-and-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243189/time-hong-kong-open-its-doors-asean-talent-and-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2023 01:30:10 +0000 As the government ramps up efforts to attract talent by establishing the Hong Kong Talent Engage office, it must not overlook the city’s ethnic minorities – a local talent pool and a potential solution to our brain drain and low birth rate. Acknowledged in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest policy address as “an integral part of Hong Kong”, ethnic minority groups have seen their population grow by 37 per cent from 2011-2021. As part of the local labour force, they can help to tackle Hong... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242363/brain-drain-hong-kong-should-develop-potential-ethnic-minorities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242363/brain-drain-hong-kong-should-develop-potential-ethnic-minorities?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Nov 2023 01:30:08 +0000 Although Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced a number of timely measures in his recent policy address, Hong Kong is still in search of a new direction. Amid geopolitical tension, economic pressure from China’s slowdown and intensifying competition from Singapore and other economies, a status quo-oriented approach is unlikely to rejuvenate Hong Kong and reposition the city in the shifting global landscape. While any call for action will need to be reconciled with the government’s budget... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242195/why-hong-kong-must-lean-public-private-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3242195/why-hong-kong-must-lean-public-private-partnerships?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2023 01:30:40 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Today is World Children’s Day – a day for children like myself to speak out and reimagine a better world. In a developed society like Hong Kong, can you imagine that there are still children who... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3241896/children-domestic-helpers-also-deserve-best-start-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3241896/children-domestic-helpers-also-deserve-best-start-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Nov 2023 03:30:19 +0000 Patriotic education has been on the agenda for a while. With the passing of the Patriotic Education Law of the People’s Republic of China by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, it is also now on a broader social and political agenda – it is for all citizens, not just students. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, for example, has indicated that the city will embrace the spirit of this new law. This emphasis on the Hong Kong context needs to be considered from an educational... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240892/patriotic-education-hong-kong-must-be-curated-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240892/patriotic-education-hong-kong-must-be-curated-care?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2023 01:30:16 +0000 Housing remained the top priority in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s second policy address, delivered last month; he elaborated on his housing policies at great length. Besides building on the initiatives introduced last year, there were also new measures responding to the latest market developments. While it was encouraging to see signs of the housing supply shortfall reversing, this is merely the first step in solving the long-standing issues of limited living space and unaffordable... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240705/solve-hong-kongs-housing-predicament-separate-market-permanent-residents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240705/solve-hong-kongs-housing-predicament-separate-market-permanent-residents?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 01:30:08 +0000 The shortage of affordable housing has long been a problem that the Hong Kong government has vowed to fix. However, the recent policy address left several issues unresolved. One is the insufficient supply of subsidised sale flats. The latest Long Term Housing Strategy report outlines a rolling 10-year housing supply plan. Next year, the government will maintain the split of 70 per cent for public rental housing and the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme and 30 per cent for other... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240652/tackle-hong-kongs-shortage-affordable-housing-more-subsidised-sale-flats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240652/tackle-hong-kongs-shortage-affordable-housing-more-subsidised-sale-flats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Nov 2023 01:30:13 +0000 In Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s last policy address as chief executive in 2021, there was at last a specific reference to Hong Kong’s role in the nation’s space exploration projects. This was music to the ears of our universities and emerging companies that are either engaged in the mainland’s space exploration endeavours or seizing other opportunities arising from the burgeoning global space economy – an industry which could be worth US$1 trillion by the end of the decade, according to Morgan... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240737/space-has-answers-several-hong-kongs-problems-just-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240737/space-has-answers-several-hong-kongs-problems-just-look?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:15:38 +0000 Introducing more generous cash incentives to encourage couples to have children and counter Hong Kong’s flagging birth rate will strain public coffers, a senior official has said after rejecting calls to give some families with newborns a HK$40,000 (US$5,100) annual handout for the first five years of the child’s life. The number of births dropped from 52,900 in 2019 to 43,000 in 2020, and then from 37,000 in 2021 to 32,500 in 2022, an almost 40 per cent decline over the entire time... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3240766/bigger-cash-bonuses-boost-hong-kongs-birth-rate-will-drain-public-coffers-official-says-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3240766/bigger-cash-bonuses-boost-hong-kongs-birth-rate-will-drain-public-coffers-official-says-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 07:52:51 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address last month has given fresh impetus to the development of the Northern Metropolis. Needless to say, this mega project, covering about 300 sq km – 3.8 times the size of Hong Kong Island – is of strategic importance to the long-term development of the city. At a forum I attended this year, a senior official characterised the promotion of innovation and technology in Hong Kong through the Northern Metropolis project as a last chance for the city, and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240519/3-traps-hong-kong-must-avoid-building-innovation-driven-university-town?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240519/3-traps-hong-kong-must-avoid-building-innovation-driven-university-town?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 01:30:16 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. I read with curiosity your recent article on the claim by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health, a government advisory body, that the solution to tackling attention deficit hyperactivity disorder... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3240501/youth-depression-hong-kong-not-just-mental-health-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3240501/youth-depression-hong-kong-not-just-mental-health-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2023 03:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in his most recent policy address that he has “faith in you, the people of Hong Kong”. Call me negative, but I don’t think he does. This is evident in the fact that no opposition or centrist candidates received sufficient nominations to run in the upcoming district council elections, for which the nomination period ended last Monday. Even Michael Tien Puk-sun’s Roundtable group had a hard time securing enough. Tien’s group had hoped to field five... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240235/even-election-safeguards-why-does-john-lee-still-not-trust-voters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240235/even-election-safeguards-why-does-john-lee-still-not-trust-voters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 01:30:12 +0000 In the wings of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s doggedly upbeat policy address on October 25, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po is talking more cautiously about Hong Kong’s economy “gradually recovering”. Hong Kong’s third-quarter gross domestic product growth was up 4.1 per cent year on year. In his budget speech in February, Chan had forecast GDP growth of 3.5-5.5 per cent for the year, but in August, the expected growth rate was revised to between 4 and 5 per cent. We will have to wait... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240390/true-picture-hong-kongs-economic-challenges-look-beyond-brave-headline-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240390/true-picture-hong-kongs-economic-challenges-look-beyond-brave-headline-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 12:30:21 +0000 Hong Kong authorities will look to source more land for their reserves despite the economy flagging and the current 7,000 hectares of supply exceeding future expected demand, the development chief has reaffirmed. “Searching for land is long-term and lasting work, but the fact is the economy is a bit sluggish now,” Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho told a television show on Sunday. The government last week withdrew a residential site for sale in Tung Chung owing to low bids. It was... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3240407/hong-kongs-search-new-land-sites-continues-despite-sluggish-economy-and-sufficient-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3240407/hong-kongs-search-new-land-sites-continues-despite-sluggish-economy-and-sufficient-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 10:20:21 +0000 Hongkongers have been warned by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po to expect a much bigger budget deficit for the current financial year than previously forecast. Following comments he made last month, newspaper reports said the shortfall “could be nearly twice that of earlier estimates and exceed HK$100 billion”. In fact, the underlying situation is even more challenging than reported and I would not be surprised by a real deficit closer to HK$200 billion (US$25.6 billion). The final deficit... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240092/hong-kong-deserves-hard-truth-about-its-finances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240092/hong-kong-deserves-hard-truth-about-its-finances?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 07:30:10 +0000 The official “Two is Enough” campaign advising couples to have no more than two children helped curb a population boom in the 1970s. Families were later told to aim for three instead as the city’s births continued to drop at the turn of the century. Now the message is even more ambitious – the more children, the better. This was made plain by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu as he defended the 10 initiatives in his policy address to encourage births and foster a more childrearing-friendly... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240362/comprehensive-population-policy-city-long-overdue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240362/comprehensive-population-policy-city-long-overdue?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Nov 2023 23:15:18 +0000 The theme of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s second policy address was “A vibrant economy for a caring community” and more than one-fifth of the speech was devoted to consolidating Hong Kong’s advantages and building a diversified economy. A range of measures were set out – to raise competitiveness, grow the innovation and technology ecosystem, attract companies to redomicile in the city, attract and retain talent, revitalise tourism, and press ahead with the Northern Metropolis as the new... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239933/economic-crossroads-hong-kong-needs-proactive-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239933/economic-crossroads-hong-kong-needs-proactive-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Nov 2023 21:30:11 +0000 In his policy address, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu outlined the important task of creating a strong impetus for economic growth in Hong Kong. The measures introduced so far include making the city more attractive to foreign talent and large international corporations, furthering collaboration with mainland China and pledging more support for small and medium-sized enterprises. With the government largely looking outwards, however, it needs to strengthen the link between incoming enterprises... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239980/foreign-firms-will-boost-hong-kong-only-if-local-industries-benefit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239980/foreign-firms-will-boost-hong-kong-only-if-local-industries-benefit?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2023 07:30:16 +0000 Hong Kong is trying not to be a source of friction as Beijing and Washington appear to want to improve bilateral ties, observers and politicians have said, as seen by the way the US-sanctioned city leader framed his planned absence at the Apec summit in San Francisco. If the city had continued to lobby or attach conditions for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s visit, it would have made for an awkward situation completely unnecessary ahead of an election year in the United States, they... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3240040/sanctioned-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-did-get-invitation-apec-meeting-san-francisco-will-his-staying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3240040/sanctioned-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-did-get-invitation-apec-meeting-san-francisco-will-his-staying?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2023 04:30:08 +0000 Early in his three-hours-plus policy address last Wednesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu laid out his plan for the city’s patriotic education, which requires coordinated efforts by many sectors. A working group will be set up to coordinate the work of government departments and non-governmental organisations in promoting national education, and improving education on China’s history, culture and current affairs. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will set up an office to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239756/hong-kong-repeats-its-mistake-yet-another-hard-sell-patriotic-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239756/hong-kong-repeats-its-mistake-yet-another-hard-sell-patriotic-education?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2023 01:30:29 +0000 Hong Kong’s economy recovered further in the third quarter, growing 4.1 per cent year on year, but the gain was marginal on a three-monthly basis even on the back of improvements in tourism and private consumption. Advance estimates released by the Census and Statistics Department on Tuesday showed the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) edged up 0.1 per cent in the third quarter compared with the second three months. “Hong Kong’s economy continued to revive in the third quarter of 2023,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239814/hong-kong-economy-grows-41-yearly-basis-quarterly-gain-marginal-even-tourism-private-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239814/hong-kong-economy-grows-41-yearly-basis-quarterly-gain-marginal-even-tourism-private-consumption?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Oct 2023 08:56:24 +0000 Hong Kong has opened an office for its online talent platform aiming to attract and support high-skilled workers through global recruitment efforts and summits to be held overseas and in the Greater Bay Area. Anthony Lau Chun-hon, the director of Hong Kong Talent Engage, on Monday said the office would organise a large-scale global summit and a high-level conference on professional development in the bay area to further promote the city. “The goal is to position Hong Kong as a hub for attracting... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239717/hong-kong-opens-new-office-online-talent-platform-aimed-attracting-high-skilled-workers-boosting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239717/hong-kong-opens-new-office-online-talent-platform-aimed-attracting-high-skilled-workers-boosting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:00:21 +0000 Visitors may get greater access to the once-restricted Hong Kong border town of Sha Tau Kok, according to a minister, but residents have called on authorities to strike a balance between promoting tourism and preserving their daily lives. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung on Monday said his department would discuss with the Security Bureau about further opening up the area, as officials were considering how to best position the town as a tourist destination. Ray Chu... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239715/hong-kong-tourists-may-get-more-access-once-restricted-town-along-border-mainland-china-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239715/hong-kong-tourists-may-get-more-access-once-restricted-town-along-border-mainland-china-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:43:52 +0000 The government will help finance the development of the Northern Metropolis mega project along Hong Kong’s border with mainland China by using a land exchange arrangement in a bid to ease the pressure on taxpayers, a minister has revealed. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho on Monday also stressed that an earlier plan for protecting wetlands and establishing parks in the area could change, saying the figures previously given were not “promises”. Under the financing scheme,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239710/hong-kong-help-finance-northern-metropolis-pilot-land-exchange-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239710/hong-kong-help-finance-northern-metropolis-pilot-land-exchange-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:12:52 +0000 Spare a thought for Hong Kong’s cursed real estate market. Ever since 2018, it has faced a series of seemingly never-ending domestic and external shocks. Every time a recovery appears to be taking hold, another crisis erupts, casting doubt over whether a durable upturn will ever materialise. The residential market has fared better than its commercial counterpart, mainly because of persistent undersupply, the low rate of home ownership and, until recently, rock-bottom interest rates. Yet, since... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239648/why-hong-kongs-housing-market-hurting-will-dodge-full-blown-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239648/why-hong-kongs-housing-market-hurting-will-dodge-full-blown-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Oct 2023 07:34:08 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address took more than three hours and covered a lot of ground. What caught the most attention was the HK$20,000 (US$2,555) cash bonus for each newborn – unprecedented and a nice gesture. Another headline was the easing of property cooling measures that have been in place for a decade, though this was more of an expectation than a highlight. Clearly, the government has its work cut out for it. But what jumped out was Lee’s effort in rallying the people... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239483/there-can-be-no-unity-hong-kong-if-we-cannot-embrace-disagreement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239483/there-can-be-no-unity-hong-kong-if-we-cannot-embrace-disagreement?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:30:12 +0000 Hong Kong patients with rare or terminal illnesses could benefit from a streamlined regulatory regime for the registration of new drugs showcased in city leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address, the city’s health secretary has said. Lo Chung-mau, also a doctor, on Sunday said the new system – dubbed “1+” and to be launched on Wednesday – would also allow foreign pharmaceutical and medical devices companies to bring their products to Hong Kong for trials and help present innovations from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239578/seriously-ill-and-terminal-patients-hong-kong-could-benefit-faster-1-drug-approval-system-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239578/seriously-ill-and-terminal-patients-hong-kong-could-benefit-faster-1-drug-approval-system-health?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 08:05:26 +0000 A decline in Hong Kong property prices over the past two years could make it easier for young couples to buy their first homes, the finance chief said on Sunday, adding the market should determine the cost of housing as long as the city’s fiscal stability was not put at risk. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said local property prices had fallen 17 per cent between September 2021 and the same month this year, despite a mild uptick during the first quarter of 2023. “However, trading volume has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239570/hong-kong-property-price-decline-could-open-door-young-couples-hunting-first-homes-citys-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239570/hong-kong-property-price-decline-could-open-door-young-couples-hunting-first-homes-citys-paul-chan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 06:49:03 +0000 Hong Kong’s fertility rate has dropped to not just a record low for the city but also the lowest globally – with no sign of a rebound. This is raising concerns about its ageing population and the wider demographic challenges in the future. To tackle this, the government is putting forth measures including a HK$20,000 (US$2,555) cash bonus for newborns and prioritised subsidised housing for couples with a newborn. This is a good start as the government is showing some commitment and leadership in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239447/baby-cash-and-priority-housing-hong-kong-needs-family-friendly-society?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239447/baby-cash-and-priority-housing-hong-kong-needs-family-friendly-society?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 06:30:19 +0000 On October 25, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his second policy address with continuing emphasis on the economy and a wide gamut of measures to improve livelihood, from land and housing to support for women, the elderly and ethnic minority groups. Before the announcement, the markets had expected reductions in stamp duties on stock and property transactions. The measures that were unveiled – reducing the stock transaction stamp duty to 0.1 per cent, shortening the applicable period... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239423/john-lees-2023-policy-address-shows-hong-kong-waking-new-realities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239423/john-lees-2023-policy-address-shows-hong-kong-waking-new-realities?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 21:30:08 +0000 Hongkonger Moon Li, a 53-year-old single mother, has had to endure intense back pain for seven years after she was hit by a box of goods while working as a saleswoman. In 2016, her doctor recommended major surgery that would have involved a 10-day hospital stay and six months of bed rest, but Li could not go ahead with the operation because she had to take care of her four-year-old son, who was diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Li’s husband died of cancer a year... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3239532/hong-kong-carers-need-more-healthcare-support-survey-finds-more-half-suffer-strain-injuries-advocacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3239532/hong-kong-carers-need-more-healthcare-support-survey-finds-more-half-suffer-strain-injuries-advocacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 10:12:42 +0000 Hong Kong’s justice chief has said the city must enact its own national security law by next year as a constitutional obligation that is essential to maintain Beijing’s trust, warning that any further uncertainty will be “most damaging to society”. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok was speaking on Saturday, a day after he said the government’s delay in passing the legislation was “missing homework” and “an old debt to be repaid”. Such legislation is a requirement spelled out in Article 23... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3239525/hong-kongs-own-national-security-law-essential-maintaining-beijings-trust-city-justice-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3239525/hong-kongs-own-national-security-law-essential-maintaining-beijings-trust-city-justice-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 08:23:13 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s 2022 policy address brimmed with optimism, buoyed by hopes that a long-awaited border opening would see Hong Kong usher in a new era of growth. Even as China began to open up, the city seemed poised to reprise its role as an international hub and recover from three years of pandemic disruption. Yet one year on, the reality has turned out to be more challenging than anticipated. Geopolitical divisions, superpower competition and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239300/john-lees-policy-address-wise-prioritise-hong-kongs-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239300/john-lees-policy-address-wise-prioritise-hong-kongs-digital-future?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 07:30:21 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has promised not to “target” property prices, acknowledging the conflicting interests of prospective and existing homeowners, while pledging to provide clear information on future land supply to ensure buyers and sellers can make informed decisions. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government would monitor the property market and consider further adjustments to cooling measures based on conditions. In his policy address this week, he announced that some property taxes... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239519/hong-kong-housing-john-lee-vows-not-target-property-prices-acknowledges-conflicting-interests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239519/hong-kong-housing-john-lee-vows-not-target-property-prices-acknowledges-conflicting-interests?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 06:30:42 +0000 National security legislation planned for Hong Kong will define state secrets according to local needs, the security chief has said, two days after Beijing announced it will make the biggest revision to the corresponding law in mainland China in a decade. Lawmakers are expected to take up the legislation, first proposed two decades ago, either this year or in 2024, according to a timeline that city leader John Lee Ka-chiu confirmed in this week’s policy address. When asked whether Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3239505/hong-kongs-article-23-national-security-law-define-state-secrets-according-citys-needs-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3239505/hong-kongs-article-23-national-security-law-define-state-secrets-according-citys-needs-minister-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:21:03 +0000 A Hong Kong minister has dismissed as a “total misunderstanding” suggestions that a proposed course designed to boost patriotism among primary school pupils is tantamount to making national education a stand-alone subject. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Friday that the plan to replace general studies in primary schools with two subjects – humanities and science – from the 2025-26 academic year was an improvement to the syllabus and included the injection of more elements... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3239495/hong-kong-education-chief-says-changes-primary-school-curriculum-not-setting-national-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3239495/hong-kong-education-chief-says-changes-primary-school-curriculum-not-setting-national-education?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:23:54 +0000 Hong Kong plans to launch a pilot programme this year for the cross-border transfer of data, covering such areas as health and banking, as the city seeks to become an innovation and technology hub. Officials on Friday said data transferred from mainland China to Hong Kong would adhere to the requirements of both jurisdictions. “We are actively discussing with the Guangdong cyber administration office in terms of the details of facilitating cross-boundary data flow within the Greater Bay Area,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239475/hong-kong-launch-pilot-programme-data-sharing-mainland-china-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239475/hong-kong-launch-pilot-programme-data-sharing-mainland-china-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 11:15:08 +0000 Hong Kong will need eight to 10 years to set up a drug regulatory authority that will be internationally recognised, the secretary for health has said. But Lo Chung-mau said on Friday that a streamlined drug registration system to be launched next week would help pave the way towards the goal. He explained it could take up to a decade for the city to become a member of the Swiss-based International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239469/hong-kong-could-need-decade-create-drug-regulatory-body-recognised-internationally-health-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239469/hong-kong-could-need-decade-create-drug-regulatory-body-recognised-internationally-health-secretary?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:35:29 +0000 Hong Kong’s lived-in home prices fell by nearly 1.75 per cent month on month in September to their lowest since April 2017, as elevated interest rates have dampened sentiment and pushed buyers to the sidelines, according to the latest official data. The widely tracked index compiled by the Rating and Valuation Department slipped to 332.1 last month, erasing this year’s gains. The gauge’s plunge in September was also the deepest of the year. The index has lost 16.58 per cent from its peak of... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3239397/hong-kong-home-prices-lowest-level-2017-high-interest-rates-deter-buyers-weigh-transactions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3239397/hong-kong-home-prices-lowest-level-2017-high-interest-rates-deter-buyers-weigh-transactions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 06:47:40 +0000 Hong Kong’s budget deficit could be nearly twice that of earlier estimates and exceed HK$100 billion (US$12.8 billion), the finance chief said on Friday, prompting calls from experts for the city to trim its “huge” civil service to cut spending. The latest budget plan formulated in February had projected a government deficit of HK$54.4 billion for 2023-24, following an estimated shortfall of HK$139.8 billion for the previous financial year ending March 31. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239369/hong-kong-government-deficit-could-exceed-hk100-billion-paul-chan-warns-he-points-flagging-land?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3239369/hong-kong-government-deficit-could-exceed-hk100-billion-paul-chan-warns-he-points-flagging-land?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 03:49:31 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. As Hong Kong grapples with its plummeting birth rate, the HK$20,000 bonus for couples with newborns raises questions about its effectiveness as a policy solution. When I reflect on my own decision... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3239287/hk20000-bonus-baby-step-meeting-hong-kongs-population-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3239287/hk20000-bonus-baby-step-meeting-hong-kongs-population-challenge?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 03:30:09 +0000 Foreign business chambers in Hong Kong have welcomed a multi-entry visa for mainland China unveiled in the city leader’s policy address, but have said more can be done to simplify travel within the Greater Bay Area. The commerce groups were responding to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s plan to offer foreign staff at overseas companies registered in Hong Kong a multi-entry visa to cross the border, valid for a longer period, from Thursday. Lee outlined the move in his policy address on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3239341/hong-kong-policy-address-2023-foreign-business-chambers-welcome-multi-entry-visa-mainland-china-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3239341/hong-kong-policy-address-2023-foreign-business-chambers-welcome-multi-entry-visa-mainland-china-call?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 01:30:27 +0000 It is encouraging to see the Hong Kong government trying to do more with its latest policy address to boost the city’s sluggish birth rate but having children is more than just about receiving a cash bonus and priority in applying for subsidised flats. There is a reason for the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. Since becoming a mother 15 months ago, I know only too well that taking care of a baby is not just from the effort of the parents, we also need support from the extended... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3239337/cash-bonus-priority-housing-are-welcome-moves-hong-kong-bids-boost-birth-rate-parents-are-crying-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3239337/cash-bonus-priority-housing-are-welcome-moves-hong-kong-bids-boost-birth-rate-parents-are-crying-out?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 23:00:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s leader has rolled out a series of measures to tackle the city’s record-low birth rate in his annual policy address, offering a cash bonus of HK$20,000 (US$2,557) for each newborn and easier access to subsidised housing for families with children. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the initiatives on Wednesday in a bid to halt an almost 40 per cent decline over four years, with the number of babies dropping to 32,500 in 2022 from 52,900 in 2019. John Lee’s measures to boost... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239322/now-or-never-why-hong-kong-scrambling-battle-record-low-birth-rates-and-how-are-residents-reacting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3239322/now-or-never-why-hong-kong-scrambling-battle-record-low-birth-rates-and-how-are-residents-reacting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 13:02:34 +0000