https://www.scmp.com/rss/517576/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chen Xiaofeng Chen Xiaofeng On March 23, Hong Kong’s government brought into force amended implementation rules for Article 43 of the national security law. This is not a new power grab or an expansion of authority. It is a technical, evidence-based refinement of the 2020 implementation rules that have governed national security enforcement since the law took effect. Rooted in common law principle and aligned with global legislative practice, the amendments clarify operational gaps, strengthen procedural certainty and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347880/lets-be-clear-national-security-law-update-not-power-grab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347880/lets-be-clear-national-security-law-update-not-power-grab?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities will be able to demand any “specified person” decrypt electronic devices during national security investigations and may punish suspects who provide wrong passwords or falsely claim to have forgotten them, the security chief has told lawmakers. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung stressed on Tuesday that recent amendments to the national security law’s implementation rules did not create new law enforcement powers. “These amendments have only improved some... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347762/hidden-gurus-will-be-able-decrypt-devices-hong-kong-national-security-cases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347762/hidden-gurus-will-be-able-decrypt-devices-hong-kong-national-security-cases?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:41:53 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A former Hong Kong civil servant has been jailed for 12 months for threatening to burn down the newsrooms of the South China Morning Post and five other media outlets if they refused to publish seditious material he had created to frame the husband of his former girlfriend. West Kowloon Court on Tuesday heard the guilty pleas from Tse Chun-pan, 43, who had set up a website selling merchandise themed around the 2019 anti-government protests and demanded that six local media publish screenshots of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347751/jealous-hongkonger-who-threatened-burn-6-media-newsrooms-jailed-1-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347751/jealous-hongkonger-who-threatened-burn-6-media-newsrooms-jailed-1-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:44:07 +0000 Ronny Tong Ronny Tong In my experience, most people misunderstand the concept of “separation of powers”, and so I would not be at all surprised if most people also misunderstand the term “executive-led government”. In the case of separation of powers, the confusion usually arises from the use of the word “separation”. It connotes a meaning of absolute independence or alienation. A better word would have been “division”. The concept of separation of powers focuses on the division of power in a government and how that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346623/heres-what-executive-led-government-really-means-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346623/heres-what-executive-led-government-really-means-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 01:30:09 +0000 Cui Jianchun Cui Jianchun On February 10, China’s State Council Information Office released a white paper titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”. This is the third white paper issued by the Chinese central government on Hong Kong-related affairs since 2014. It reviews Hong Kong’s efforts in safeguarding national security, elaborates on the central government’s stance on Hong Kong’s role in maintaining national security and summarises the experience and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346515/how-national-security-and-one-country-two-systems-go-hand-hand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3346515/how-national-security-and-one-country-two-systems-go-hand-hand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A former Apple Daily senior executive jailed for national security offences in Hong Kong has lodged an appeal against his 10-year term, the first in a landmark trial that saw the founder of the now-defunct tabloid-style newspaper sentenced to 20 years in prison. Court documents reviewed by the South China Morning Post on Tuesday showed that Fung Wai-kong, former managing editor of Apple Daily’s English edition, had filed his appeal with the city’s High Court on Monday. Fung was sentenced to 10... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345277/ex-apple-daily-executive-first-appeal-sentence-landmark-hong-kong-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345277/ex-apple-daily-executive-first-appeal-sentence-landmark-hong-kong-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 09:42:45 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A Hong Kong court has jailed a retiree for eight months for posting speeches on his social media account in which he seditiously criticised authorities and called on voters to boycott last year’s Legislative Council election. Lam Ming-chung, 68, on Friday admitted to posting seditious content on his Facebook account between September 2024 and November last year, in violation of the domestic national security law. According to the prosecution, the defendant spread hatred against authorities in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3344895/retiree-jailed-8-months-over-seditious-online-posts-against-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3344895/retiree-jailed-8-months-over-seditious-online-posts-against-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:38:27 +0000 Zhang Muyang Zhang Muyang As a long-time observer of Hong Kong affairs – and someone who cares deeply about the city – I have often felt that external debates about Hong Kong have been louder than careful assessments of how the city is actually evolving. Since the implementation of the national security law, discussion of Hong Kong has often become polarised. Less attention has been paid to outcomes and observable change. From where I stand, however, a clear shift is under way: the city has moved from prolonged... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343500/hong-kongs-success-debunks-false-binary-security-vs-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343500/hong-kongs-success-debunks-false-binary-security-vs-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun The Chinese foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong has lodged “solemn representations” with local envoys for Britain, the US, Australia and the EU over remarks made by their officials and politicians about the sentencing of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying. The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong issued a statement on Saturday, saying it had summoned representatives from the countries and the bloc on Wednesday and Thursday. “The commissioner’s office lodged solemn... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343589/beijing-slams-us-uk-australia-and-eu-over-jimmy-lai-sentencing-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343589/beijing-slams-us-uk-australia-and-eu-over-jimmy-lai-sentencing-remarks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:01:26 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo There is this old British chestnut that says justice must not only be done, but must be seen to be done. Justice has been amply served in the 20-year sentence handed down to former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, but it has not been seen to be done in many quarters, especially in the West. There is the reality of justice and the appearance of it, and the two don’t always or even usually coincide. There are two main reasons behind the widespread Western criticism of Lai’s case. One is that... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343269/western-media-criticism-jimmy-lai-case-verdict-needs-fact-check?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343269/western-media-criticism-jimmy-lai-case-verdict-needs-fact-check?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:30:10 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong’s police chief has said that national security remains a priority despite the city’s overall stabilising social situation, citing absconders and foreign forces among lingering threats. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said on Wednesday the force would continue to ramp up intelligence gathering and enhance national security education among officers and the public, especially young people. “National security is a concept that requires everyone’s participation. That’s why we need... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343227/police-chief-says-no-let-national-security-despite-stability-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343227/police-chief-says-no-let-national-security-despite-stability-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:12:49 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The father of a wanted Hong Kong activist has been convicted under the city’s domestic national security law for trying to cash out an insurance policy worth more than HK$88,000 in his daughter’s name. West Kowloon Court on Wednesday convicted Kwok Yin-sang of attempting to deal with the financial assets of US-based activist Anna Kwok Fung-yee, despite knowing authorities had classified her as an absconder under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The defendant, 69, is the first person... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343176/hong-kong-fugitive-anna-kwoks-dad-guilty-trying-cash-out-hk88000-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3343176/hong-kong-fugitive-anna-kwoks-dad-guilty-trying-cash-out-hk88000-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:42:48 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Safeguarding national security does not come to an end with the jailing of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying. A timely reminder came on Tuesday as Beijing published a white paper warning of zero tolerance of any offences in its “unrelenting fight” to defend national security. The State Council’s document expounded on the responsibility of the central government for national security, the achievements of the local government in fulfilling its constitutional duty in safeguarding national... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3343077/hong-kong-must-keep-unrelenting-fight-safeguard-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3343077/hong-kong-must-keep-unrelenting-fight-safeguard-national-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 23:15:13 +0000 Ronny Tong Ronny Tong After 156 days of hearings, Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s case finally came to a close with the former media boss sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. Western media and critics will no doubt say, what a harsh sentence for a “democracy advocate” and “freedom fighter”. However, Lai was not accused of fighting for freedom or demanding democracy in Hong Kong. His crimes were not even about his avowed hatred of the Communist Party. Western critics may be surprised to hear that hating the Communist Party is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343014/collusion-serious-offence-let-jimmy-lais-case-be-example?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3343014/collusion-serious-offence-let-jimmy-lais-case-be-example?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Matthew Cheng,Jeffie Lam Matthew Cheng,Jeffie Lam Beijing has issued a white paper on Hong Kong’s role in safeguarding national security under the “one country, two systems” principle, stressing that the city’s struggle on this front “is persistent” and a “long-term and enduring task”. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the paper, published a day after former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was sentenced to 20 years in prison for national security crimes, served as a stern warning to “traitors who betrayed the country and Hong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3342990/hong-kongs-national-security-work-ongoing-process-beijing-says-white-paper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3342990/hong-kongs-national-security-work-ongoing-process-beijing-says-white-paper?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:44:39 +0000 Grenville Cross Grenville Cross Former governor Chris Patten once said nobody ever profited from betting against Hong Kong. Anybody wagering against its “one country, two systems” policy will undoubtedly be out of pocket. Since 1997, the policy has been the city’s lodestar. While the post-reunification settlement was repeatedly challenged, most notably during the 2019 social unrest, Hong Kong has emerged stronger. The Basic Law sustained it throughout and Beijing’s support was unwavering. With national security legislation,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342131/those-betting-hong-kongs-bright-future-have-backed-winner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3342131/those-betting-hong-kongs-bright-future-have-backed-winner?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:30:38 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong man accused of threatening to burn down the offices of five local media outlets if they did not publish seditious articles has described his actions as mischief, a court has heard. West Kowloon Court on Friday granted a request by Tse Chun-pan, 43, to adjourn the hearing for two months so that his lawyers could continue negotiations with prosecutors regarding his plea. Tse, who said he was a social security officer, faces one count of knowingly publishing seditious articles and six... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340186/hong-kong-man-court-over-seditious-acts-media-arson-threats-calls-it-mischief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340186/hong-kong-man-court-over-seditious-acts-media-arson-threats-calls-it-mischief?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:35:00 +0000 Jess Ma,Harvey Kong Jess Ma,Harvey Kong A top Hong Kong official has condemned attempts by external forces and “anti-China absconders” to “smear” the government ahead of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s mitigation hearing, saying the former media boss’ conviction showed that any plots to undermine national security will fail. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said on Saturday that such smear campaigns during Lai’s national security trial were proof that Hong Kong still faced risks that could not be taken... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3339452/hong-kong-slams-attempts-smear-government-ahead-jimmy-lai-mitigation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3339452/hong-kong-slams-attempts-smear-government-ahead-jimmy-lai-mitigation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 12:50:50 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A Hong Kong court has remanded a 61-year-old man in custody after he was charged with allegedly posting seditious content on social media. Retiree Chong Wai-man appeared at West Kowloon Court on Thursday afternoon over one count of intentionally publishing seditious material in breach of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Prosecutors alleged that he shared seditious statements and images on Facebook from March 26, 2024 to November 29, 2025. Those materials were allegedly intended to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3339182/hongkonger-61-remanded-allegedly-posting-seditious-content-facebook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3339182/hongkonger-61-remanded-allegedly-posting-seditious-content-facebook?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:28:35 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao The conviction of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying in a high-profile Hong Kong trial has drawn sharp reactions in London, casting uncertainty over thawing Sino-British ties before Keir Starmer visits China. Although the outcome of Lai’s 156-day national security trial was widely expected, observers say it poses a significant test for the Labour government’s balancing act on China, which could narrow the space for engagement even if its immediate impact on bilateral relations is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336815/how-will-jimmy-lais-conviction-affect-china-uk-ties-and-keir-starmers-planned-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:00:25 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier Britain’s government on Monday summoned China’s ambassador to the UK to protest the conviction of British citizen Jimmy Lai Chee-ying on national security charges in Hong Kong, while US President Donald Trump said he urged leniency for Lai in a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked to consider his release,” Trump told reporters, without specifying exactly when he spoke with Xi. “He is an older man, and he is not well. So I did put... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336555/trump-urges-xi-show-leniency-jimmy-lai-britain-summons-chinas-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3336555/trump-urges-xi-show-leniency-jimmy-lai-britain-summons-chinas-ambassador?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 23:43:55 +0000 Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong,Connor Mycroft Oscar Liu,Harvey Kong,Connor Mycroft Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s guilty verdict in a landmark Hong Kong national security trial has become a political flashpoint, as China’s Western opponents demand the former media boss’ immediate release and Beijing strongly rejects their interference. But while the High Court’s ruling on Monday could send the businessman turned opposition activist to jail for life, Western countries were unlikely to hit Hong Kong with more sanctions as they needed to cooperate with Beijing to offset unfair trade... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336533/jimmy-lais-conviction-hong-kong-becomes-flashpoint-between-china-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336533/jimmy-lais-conviction-hong-kong-becomes-flashpoint-between-china-west?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:00:29 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s “rabid hatred” of the Communist Party of China has led him down a “thorny path”, according to the judges who found him guilty on three counts of national security offences. The 855-page full judgment released on Monday started with the “rags-to-riches” success story of Lai, but was overshadowed by criticism, particularly regarding the credibility of his evidence. Born in Guangzhou in 1947, Lai smuggled himself into Hong Kong at the age of 12,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336529/jimmy-lais-rabid-hatred-party-led-him-down-thorny-path-hong-kong-court?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336529/jimmy-lais-rabid-hatred-party-led-him-down-thorny-path-hong-kong-court?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:19:37 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung A 16-year-old boy has been sentenced to 3½ years in prison by a Hong Kong court for joining a Taiwan-based political group that promoted the city’s independence, in breach of the national security law. The boy, who earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit secession, was found on Monday to be an “active participant” in the activities of the Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union, in which he served as secretary. The Union, founded by fugitive Alan Keung Ka-wai, advocated Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336475/boy-16-jailed-3-1/2-years-joining-hong-kong-pro-independence-group-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336475/boy-16-jailed-3-1/2-years-joining-hong-kong-pro-independence-group-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:46:24 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong police have arrested nine men for suspected involvement in military-style combat training, the first such case under the domestic national security law, after raiding a factory space in San Po Kong. The force’s National Security Department said on Friday that some of the suspects were friends and had allegedly gathered near the scene of the Tai Po fire wearing clothing typically associated with anti-government activists during the 2019 social unrest. Officers raided the factory space... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336234/hong-kong-national-security-police-arrest-9-over-military-style-combat-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336234/hong-kong-national-security-police-arrest-9-over-military-style-combat-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:31:08 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong court has remanded a news commentator in custody for allegedly violating the domestic national security law over seditious content posted on social media, including remarks about last month’s deadly Tai Po fire. Wong Kwok-ngon, better known by his pen name Wong On-yin, is the first person to be prosecuted over inappropriate comments made after the Wang Fuk Court tragedy that left at least 160 people dead. A charge sheet available for press inspection indicated the 71-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3335716/hong-kong-commentator-remanded-over-seditious-online-posts-including-about-tai-po-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3335716/hong-kong-commentator-remanded-over-seditious-online-posts-including-about-tai-po-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:32:50 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu The Hong Kong government has exercised its power under the city’s domestic national security law for the first time to ban two organisations deemed subversive. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday prohibited the operation of the Canada-based “Hong Kong Parliament” and the Taiwan-based “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union” in the city. The ban was made with the power granted to Tang under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The ordinance was enacted in 2024 as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3334881/hong-kong-invokes-security-law-first-time-ban-canada-taiwan-based-groups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3334881/hong-kong-invokes-security-law-first-time-ban-canada-taiwan-based-groups?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 07:25:51 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu An elite Hong Kong government school has warned that some books donated by alumni may contain material potentially breaching national security legislation, pledging to adopt a new policy rejecting publications with political propaganda or illegal content. King’s College, in Mid-Levels, revealed the decision in its latest annual report on safeguarding national security and promoting national security education. In its report, the 99-year-old institution said many alumni and supporters had donated... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3333454/hong-kongs-elite-schools-vet-book-donations-national-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3333454/hong-kongs-elite-schools-vet-book-donations-national-security-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:30:07 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A Hong Kong court has sentenced a 19-year-old woman to a year in prison for promoting a self-styled parliament-in-exile in Canada in breach of the domestic national security law. West Kowloon Court on Thursday sentenced Bettie Lan Fei on a count of sedition for rallying support for the election of a so-called Hong Kong Parliament that sought to topple the city government and eliminate the Communist Party of China. Chief Magistrate Victor So Wai-tak said the defendant had contributed materially... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332681/teen-who-promoted-hong-kong-parliament-jailed-1-year-sedition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3332681/teen-who-promoted-hong-kong-parliament-jailed-1-year-sedition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 11:54:08 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The ex-girlfriend of a fugitive Hong Kong activist has pleaded guilty to sedition under the domestic national security law for promoting a self-styled parliament-in-exile in Canada seeking to overthrow the city government. Bettie Lan Fei, 19, on Friday admitted breaching the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance for helping produce two promotional videos for the “Hong Kong Parliament” and rallying support for the organisation in private messages to a friend between March and May this... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331051/ex-girlfriend-hong-kong-fugitive-pleads-guilty-acting-seditious-videos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3331051/ex-girlfriend-hong-kong-fugitive-pleads-guilty-acting-seditious-videos?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:28:15 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong police have arrested five people for alleged rioting and sedition offences linked to the 2019 anti-government protests, with the Post learning that one of them is a recently acquitted defendant in a high-profile bomb plot case. Superintendent Simon Cheung Pak-kit of the force’s National Security Department said on Wednesday that officers arrested two men and three women in Kowloon Bay and the New Territories the previous day. Officers also seized HK$250,000 (US$32,200) suspected to be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330789/acquitted-bomb-plot-defendant-among-5-arrested-hong-kong-over-rioting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3330789/acquitted-bomb-plot-defendant-among-5-arrested-hong-kong-over-rioting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:36:22 +0000 Harvey Kong,Lo Hoi-ying Harvey Kong,Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong authorities have strongly condemned the “untruthful remarks, slanders and smears” in the UK’s monitoring report on the city, which claimed that national security legislation had diminished the city’s political autonomy. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, in her report, also said it was “hardly surprising” that hundreds of thousands of people had left the city to places where “freedoms are better protected” as she reiterated London’s commitment to the British National (Overseas),... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3330151/hong-kong-government-condemns-smears-uks-latest-6-month-monitoring-report-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3330151/hong-kong-government-condemns-smears-uks-latest-6-month-monitoring-report-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 03:42:48 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong’s leader has warned that no country should harbour criminals, the day after Singapore cited “national interests” as the reason for denying entry to wanted activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung. But Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday sidestepped a question on whether his administration had asked the city state to help transfer Law, as an extradition agreement was in place between Hong Kong and Singapore. Law, who now lives in the UK, is wanted by Hong Kong police for allegedly... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3327317/no-country-should-harbour-criminals-hong-kong-leader-warns-after-nathan-law-saga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3327317/no-country-should-harbour-criminals-hong-kong-leader-warns-after-nathan-law-saga?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:20:07 +0000 Denise Tsang Denise Tsang The Chinese foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong and the city government have slammed the latest edition of a US report on the local business environment, saying it continues to “maliciously smear and make unfounded and false accusations” against the national security law. The US State Department issued its “2025 Investment Climate Statements” report two days ago covering more than 170 countries and economies, with the section on Hong Kong prompting the rebukes on Sunday. The foreign ministry’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3327165/beijing-hong-kong-slam-biased-us-investment-climate-report-smearing-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3327165/beijing-hong-kong-slam-biased-us-investment-climate-report-smearing-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:50:14 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong has hit back at the European Commission’s annual report, which claimed the city’s autonomy and freedoms were in “continued erosion”, citing the enactment of domestic national security legislation and the high-profile trials of opposition activists. The city government on Tuesday evening said it “strongly disapproved of and rejected the unfounded and biased content” of the report and urged the European Union to cease interfering in the city’s affairs. “The [Hong Kong] government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325007/hong-kong-slams-european-commission-report-over-unfounded-and-biased-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325007/hong-kong-slams-european-commission-report-over-unfounded-and-biased-criticism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 06:27:36 +0000 Ronny Tong Ronny Tong The Hong Kong government recently declared bounties against a number of former residents now in the United Kingdom and the United States for alleged offences against the Hong Kong national security law. This prompted a strong reaction from the UK government, which considered the move to be an example of “transnational repression”. This week, The Guardian published an interview with Chloe Cheung Hei-ching, who faces a warrant for her arrest that was issued last year. Its article portrayed her as... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3321532/why-smear-hong-kongs-prosecution-secession-political-persecution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3321532/why-smear-hong-kongs-prosecution-secession-political-persecution?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The father of a wanted Hong Kong activist has denied handling his daughter’s financial assets in breach of the domestic national security law. Merchant Kwok Yin-sang, the father of US-based activist Anna Kwok Fung-yee, pleaded not guilty before West Kowloon Court on Wednesday. The 68-year-old defendant is the first person to be charged with a non-sedition-based offence under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which was enacted in accordance with a requirement under Article 23 of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3320957/hong-kong-activists-father-denies-security-law-breach-over-handling-finances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3320957/hong-kong-activists-father-denies-security-law-breach-over-handling-finances?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:13:27 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong authorities have taken new punitive action against 16 overseas activists wanted for alleged national security offences, prohibiting anyone from funding them and cancelling most of the absconders’ passports. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung exercised powers under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance on Monday to list the 16 wanted activists involved in a group called the “Hong Kong Parliament” as absconders and impose new measures on them. Authorities have deemed the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3320639/hong-kong-prohibits-business-dealings-16-national-security-fugitives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3320639/hong-kong-prohibits-business-dealings-16-national-security-fugitives?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 04:38:24 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft The Hong Kong government has hit out at “irresponsible remarks” by Western countries for the second straight day following its decision to pursue overseas-based activists for alleged national security violations related to a group called “Hong Kong Parliament”. Authorities said on Sunday that they strongly opposed and disapproved of “smears with distorted facts” that had been communicated by officials and politicians from countries such as the US, Canada and Australia, as well as “anti-China... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3319755/hong-kong-slams-western-countries-over-criticism-bounties-second-straight-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3319755/hong-kong-slams-western-countries-over-criticism-bounties-second-straight-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 11:50:17 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu The Chinese foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong has slammed overseas media outlets for “smearing” the Beijing-imposed national security law with their coverage of the fifth anniversary of its implementation. In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, the Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong slammed BBC News Chinese and Japanese newspaper the Nikkei for “distorted reports, comments or editorials”. “[These pieces] were rooted in ideological bias … [and]... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3318320/beijing-slams-foreign-news-outlets-smearing-hong-kong-national-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3318320/beijing-slams-foreign-news-outlets-smearing-hong-kong-national-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:06:05 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A waiter has become the latest person charged under the national security law, with prosecutors accusing him of inciting others to overthrow Beijing and the Hong Kong government in a series of social media posts. Chan Ho-hin, 22, on Wednesday saw his original sedition charge upgraded to one of inciting subversion after West Kowloon Court approved a prosecution request to amend the indictment. The defendant has been remanded in custody since he was first charged on April 30 with a count of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3317579/hong-kong-waiter-charged-inciting-subversion-under-national-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3317579/hong-kong-waiter-charged-inciting-subversion-under-national-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 11:48:03 +0000 Wang Xiangwei Wang Xiangwei Jiang Enzhu, the first head of the central government’s liaison office in post-handover Hong Kong, famously likened understanding the city to reading a challenging book – one that demands serious attention and effort. At the time, his words served as a cautionary note to mainland officials. Now, Hong Kong having marked the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty, Jiang’s analogy remains apt, though with a significant caveat. The city may still be a book that is difficult to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316827/hong-kong-needs-better-understand-and-balance-one-country-two-systems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316827/hong-kong-needs-better-understand-and-balance-one-country-two-systems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Ong Siew Gay Ong Siew Gay In a few weeks, my family and I will leave Hong Kong, a city we have called our second home since June 2021. Much has happened in these four years. Hong Kong was reeling from the aftermath of social unrest when I arrived. Western media was awash with commentary about the end of “one country, two systems” after the 2020 national security law and 2021 electoral reforms. The world was in the throes of Covid-19. The airport was a ghost town. A few months later, the Omicron wave hit, holding back the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316866/hong-kong-and-singapore-rivals-and-partners-learning-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3316866/hong-kong-and-singapore-rivals-and-partners-learning-each-other?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jul 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Beijing has hit out at a United States official and the European Union’s diplomatic wing for attacking Hong Kong’s national security laws, singling out their “hypocrisy” and “malicious intention” of trying to contain China by going after the city. The statement from China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong on Tuesday was in response to remarks by Jim Risch, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the European External Action Service. Risch said that Hong Kong had become... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316514/beijing-slams-us-official-eu-body-attack-hong-kong-national-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316514/beijing-slams-us-official-eu-body-attack-hong-kong-national-security-law?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 09:23:19 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Hong Kong marked the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty on Tuesday. The day’s events started with a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai and a reception at the nearby Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, where Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316437/hong-kong-mark-july-1-anniversary-flag-raising-ceremony-fly-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3316437/hong-kong-mark-july-1-anniversary-flag-raising-ceremony-fly-past?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:01:16 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong’s justice minister has said that “soft resistance” is a political term instead of a legal one and should not be used randomly, while offering his definition for actions that officials have said continue to pose a threat to national security. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok also said the promotion of national security should be proportionate and strike a balance with the city’s development, echoing a call from Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316268/hong-kong-justice-minister-says-soft-resistance-political-term-not-legal-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316268/hong-kong-justice-minister-says-soft-resistance-political-term-not-legal-one?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:30:18 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Civil servants, from cleaners to policymakers, will need to fulfil their duty to identify national security breaches under new guidelines that will soon be released, Hong Kong’s security chief has said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said that even though Hong Kong had returned to stability after the 2019 anti-government protests, national security risks remained as Western countries continued to use the city as an avenue to blockade China. “External forces, like the West, in a bid... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315993/duty-hong-kong-civil-servants-identify-security-breaches-under-new-rules-chris-tang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315993/duty-hong-kong-civil-servants-identify-security-breaches-under-new-rules-chris-tang?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 02:30:15 +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 Natalie Wong,Jeffie Lam Natalie Wong,Jeffie Lam In this first of a two-part series, we look at the workings of the law and how ‘soft resistance’ signals a next phase, and more importantly, as the focus shifts squarely to the economy. A year after being arrested under Hong Kong’s domestic security law, former district councillor and theatre personality Katrina Chan Kim-kam has not been charged but feels society has already punished her. Two theatre companies she worked with dropped her. An academic institution acted on an anonymous complaint... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315835/hong-kong-turns-corner-after-5-years-national-security-law-whats-next?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3315835/hong-kong-turns-corner-after-5-years-national-security-law-whats-next?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:30:13 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The first person to mount a legal challenge against Hong Kong’s domestic national security law has lost an appeal to overturn a decision barring his early release from prison. The Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday that the Correctional Services Department was not obliged to consider granting Adam Ma Chun-man early release after he was “lawfully” sentenced to a term of imprisonment for inciting secession. The three presiding judges stressed that any sentencing reduction was discretionary and that... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315617/hong-kong-appeal-court-rejects-early-release-first-security-law-challenger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3315617/hong-kong-appeal-court-rejects-early-release-first-security-law-challenger?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:05:55 +0000