https://www.scmp.com/rss/517948/feed The latest news, analysis and opinion on China State Construction Engineering. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Ras Al Khaimah, one of seven city-states in the United Arab Emirates, is stepping ‌up efforts to lure Chinese and Hong Kong investors into its ‍real estate, green and digital sectors as the UAE and China seek to deepen cooperation. The fourth largest of the seven Emirates, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) aims to attract over 3.5 million tourists each year ⁠by 2030, up from 1.3 million in 2024. US and Hong Kong-listed integrated casino and hotel operator, Wynn Resorts, is set to open a casino there, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/article/3341557/ras-al-khaimah-eyes-chinese-and-hong-kong-investors-uae-china-ties-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/investor-relations/article/3341557/ras-al-khaimah-eyes-chinese-and-hong-kong-investors-uae-china-ties-deepen?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 10:06:38 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong With an eye to transforming Cambodia into a Southeast Asian travel and cargo hub, a new US$2.3 billion airport – developed by a venture affiliated with one of the country’s wealthiest men – was opened at a grand ceremony near Phnom Penh, where officials and business leaders praised the project for enhancing regional connectivity and deepening links with Hong Kong and mainland China. Techo International Airport (TIA), which has replaced the Cambodian capital’s previous facility, has been forecast... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329952/new-phnom-penh-airport-opens-fanfare-cambodia-touts-regional-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3329952/new-phnom-penh-airport-opens-fanfare-cambodia-touts-regional-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 23:30:14 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li A nearly three-metre-tall (9.8-foot) statue of Tutankhamun, ancient Egyptian jewellery and other historical artefacts covering 4,000 years of history will be exhibited in Hong Kong next month, as ties between China and the African nation deepen under the Belt and Road Initiative. The exhibition, titled “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums”, will be held at the Hong Kong Palace Museum from November for nine months. It is also organised in anticipation of the 70th anniversary... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3329451/hong-kong-showcase-4000-years-ancient-egypt-reinforcing-belt-and-road-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3329451/hong-kong-showcase-4000-years-ancient-egypt-reinforcing-belt-and-road-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 11:32:03 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg China’s key construction machinery sales jumped in the first half, indicating improving demand across the economically crucial sector. Domestic excavator sales, which usually ramp up as builders prepare for projects, climbed almost 23 per cent from a year earlier during the January-June period, data compiled by the China Construction Machinery Association showed. The equipment is a key barometer of activity in the construction industry and can serve as a proxy for steel demand. The latest... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3317678/chinas-first-half-sales-construction-equipment-surge-sign-economic-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3317678/chinas-first-half-sales-construction-equipment-surge-sign-economic-recovery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 07:22:19 +0000 Mohamed Ibrahim Hafez,Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Mohamed Ibrahim Hafez,Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa Egypt has shifted its centre of gravity. China, not the United States, now anchors Cairo’s foreign partnerships. Earlier this week, China and Egypt agreed to deepen cooperation in electric vehicles, electronics and artificial intelligence. Memorandums of understanding were signed to expand investment and support Chinese firms involved in infrastructure development. In one of the most revealing developments, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and Egypt’s Arab Contractors... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3315778/why-egypt-welcoming-china-open-arms-instead-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3315778/why-egypt-welcoming-china-open-arms-instead-us?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Jun 2025 08:30:08 +0000 A New York court has awarded a Bahamas-based property-management company US$1.6 billion against China Construction America (CCA) in a long-running legal dispute over a massive tourism project in the former British colony, according to a decision released on Monday. The case won by BML Properties Ltd involved a disagreement over Baha Mar, a 1,000-acre (404.7 hectare) project that included three hotels totalling some 2,200 rooms, more than 280 private residences, a 9,300-square-metre... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3283301/us-court-awards-bahamas-firm-us16-billion-case-against-china-construction-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3283301/us-court-awards-bahamas-firm-us16-billion-case-against-china-construction-america?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2024 22:20:18 +0000 The Chinese developer boom that kicked off in the Australian and New Zealand housing markets a decade ago has ended. But, unlike other foreign developers before them, their time has closed with a slow fizzle rather than a stampede exit. Amid a property crisis in China triggered by Beijing’s policies to curb risky borrowing, softer demand for flats in the region, and challenging business conditions such as rising construction costs, many Chinese developers have scaled back operations or closed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3249120/chinese-property-developers-shrivel-australia-new-zealand-are-they-hibernating-better-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3249120/chinese-property-developers-shrivel-australia-new-zealand-are-they-hibernating-better-times?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jan 2024 02:30:11 +0000 SCMP Reporter SCMP Reporter Allan Zeman, the property and entertainment magnate who drove the transformation of Lan Kwai Fong into one of Hong Kong’s most famous nightlife districts, has been honoured for his life’s work by the oldest corporate award in his adopted hometown of a half century. Zeman, who turned 74 in July, received the Lifetime Achievement prize at the 2023 DHL-SCMP Hong Kong Business Awards during a black-tie gala dinner Thursday night at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Wan Chai. “I’m really proud to be receiving... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3244270/entertainment-magnate-allan-zeman-feted-2023-dhl-scmp-hong-kong-business-awards-his-lifes-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3244270/entertainment-magnate-allan-zeman-feted-2023-dhl-scmp-hong-kong-business-awards-his-lifes-work?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:30:34 +0000 China’s state assets watchdog has identified four areas within enterprises run by the central government worthy of careful monitoring – trust companies, finance subsidiaries, private equity and commercial factoring – indicating a tendency towards risk control running deep throughout the country’s economy. Including state-owned industrial giants in a call for mitigation of systemic shortfalls shows the uncertainty generated by solvency concerns over local government financing vehicles, property... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3243942/china-advises-state-firms-keep-eye-finances-risk-becomes-economic-watchword?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3243942/china-advises-state-firms-keep-eye-finances-risk-becomes-economic-watchword?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Dec 2023 01:00:42 +0000 A Hong Kong charity group has provided more than 7,000 free cataract operations to countries taking part in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative in the past five years, according to the organisation’s founder and former city leader Leung Chun-ying. The collaboration with mainland China demonstrated the strength of the “one country, two systems” governing principle, Leung said on Wednesday. “Each of the 7,000 cases represents a heartwarming story of sharing and people-to-people connectivity between... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3242493/hong-kong-charity-touts-mainland-china-cooperation-key-providing-7300-free-cataract-operations-belt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3242493/hong-kong-charity-touts-mainland-china-cooperation-key-providing-7300-free-cataract-operations-belt?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:13:19 +0000 Operators of Hong Kong’s first public hydrogen station, expected to be completed next year, have called on the government to speed up amendments to laws on fuels. Energy giant Sinopec on Monday said the station in Au Tau in Yuen Long would help decarbonise the transport sector, the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions after electricity production. “Liquefied hydrogen cannot be shipped around nowadays,” Sinopec Hong Kong general manager Li Jicong said during a groundbreaking ceremony... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3242212/calls-law-amendments-first-hong-kong-hydrogen-fuelling-station-set-be-completed-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3242212/calls-law-amendments-first-hong-kong-hydrogen-fuelling-station-set-be-completed-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:36:39 +0000 About 900 technology companies this year chose to establish a foothold in Hong Kong amid efforts to transform the city into an innovation hub, with some business leaders urging authorities to introduce policies to help grow their respective fields. The government said the Hong Kong Science Park, a tech hub in Pak Shek Kok, welcomed 400 companies over the past 12 months, a year-on-year increase of 18 per cent, with 20 per cent of the businesses coming from mainland China or overseas. Over at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3238918/900-technology-companies-drawn-hong-kong-amid-citys-innovation-drive-business-leaders-call-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3238918/900-technology-companies-drawn-hong-kong-amid-citys-innovation-drive-business-leaders-call-targeted?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2023 23:30:24 +0000 Hong Kong authorities have agreed in principle to give two more trial projects the green light to use hydrogen to generate electricity. A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau on Friday said the applicants, including energy firm Towngas, had reached an agreement with a government working group after ensuring their trial projects would be carried out smoothly and safely. The first application was jointly submitted by China State Construction Engineering, Hong Kong Nation-Synergy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3237895/hong-kong-authorities-give-green-light-2-more-trial-projects-use-hydrogen-producing-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3237895/hong-kong-authorities-give-green-light-2-more-trial-projects-use-hydrogen-producing-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:49:55 +0000 Ukraine has added the three biggest Chinese oil and gas producers – all state-owned companies – to its “international sponsors of war” list, spotlighting joint projects with Russia that Kyiv says help fund Moscow’s war effort. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), a Ukrainian government body, put China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC Group), China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group), and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on the register on Tuesday, a move... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236695/ukraine-designates-chinas-biggest-oil-firms-sponsors-war-russian-joint-ventures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3236695/ukraine-designates-chinas-biggest-oil-firms-sponsors-war-russian-joint-ventures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Oct 2023 17:52:48 +0000 Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has been invited to Egypt by one of the country’s senior ministers, who is visiting the city to tout investment opportunities tied to the Suez Canal, already home to a major Hutchison Ports project. Rania al-Mashat, Egypt’s minister of international cooperation, told the Post on Thursday that Lee had shown a keen interest in the North African country when they met the day before. “We extended the invitation to him and a business delegation to come and see first... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3234587/egyptian-minister-invites-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-country-touts-investment-opportunities-tied-suez?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3234587/egyptian-minister-invites-hong-kong-leader-john-lee-country-touts-investment-opportunities-tied-suez?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Sep 2023 01:00:28 +0000 The Chinese humanitarian group GX Foundation was set up to provide cataract surgery, but it has also helped promote the image of China and its state-owned enterprises across the developing world. The Hong Kong-based foundation has sent Chinese medical practitioners to perform more than 3,600 eye operations, helping to clear the backlog of cataract patients in countries including Cambodia, Laos, Mauritania and Senegal. The non-governmental organisation (NGO) has also performed hundreds of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231603/chinese-ngo-fixes-eyes-while-helping-state-owned-companies-build-community-ties-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3231603/chinese-ngo-fixes-eyes-while-helping-state-owned-companies-build-community-ties-overseas?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Aug 2023 04:00:16 +0000 Construction industry players in Hong Kong have reached a consensus on giving workers on site at least two rest periods of up to 30 minutes and a longer lunch break regardless of job type whenever the government’s heat stress alert is issued. Industry leaders said they hoped the new guidelines, which took effect on Tuesday, would be a step forward in better protecting employees in scorching weather, three months after authorities introduced a three-tier warning system for heat stress at... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3231205/hong-kong-construction-industry-issues-revised-guidelines-heat-stress-alerts-bid-fix-confusing-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3231205/hong-kong-construction-industry-issues-revised-guidelines-heat-stress-alerts-bid-fix-confusing-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:46:42 +0000 A Chinese newspaper has alleged that a prominent state-owned construction company cut corners and caused safety issues while building a crucial national infrastructure project. The allegations, published on July 20 by the state-owned Economic Information Daily, state that the foundation pillars of a high-speed rail bridge were significantly shorter than the design length, raising concerns about the safety and reliability of China’s high-speed rail. But some industry experts have argued that a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3230139/safety-row-hits-chinese-high-speed-railway-how-serious-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3230139/safety-row-hits-chinese-high-speed-railway-how-serious-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Aug 2023 08:00:10 +0000 Australia’s recent approval of a Chinese investor’s US$270 million investment in an Australian nickel company shows the country remains open to Chinese investments as tensions between the two nations ease, according to experts. On Monday, the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) approved Chinese investor Shanghai Decent Investment Group’s US$270 million investment in Australian-listed nickel product producer Nickel Industries. The raised funds will go towards Nickel’s acquisition of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3226554/no-blanket-ban-chinese-investments-australia-bilateral-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3226554/no-blanket-ban-chinese-investments-australia-bilateral-tensions-ease?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Jul 2023 12:55:56 +0000 The European Union has narrowed the list of mainland China- and Hong Kong-based firms it plans to sanction for funnelling banned European goods to the Russian military. Three companies remain on a draft sanctions list, according to several diplomats and officials familiar with the matter. This is down from an initial eight, although the final number is not set in stone. The measures are part of a broader package of sanctions, the 11th in total, designed to punish Russia for its invasion of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3224109/eu-cuts-3-chinese-firms-sanctions-list-after-beijing-vows-stop-flow-military-goods-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3224109/eu-cuts-3-chinese-firms-sanctions-list-after-beijing-vows-stop-flow-military-goods-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jun 2023 18:13:42 +0000 A growing number of Chinese investors are turning to Egypt for a shortcut to international markets thanks to the Suez Canal, the country’s generous tax incentives and its location at the junction of Asia, Africa and Europe. In recent months, Egypt has secured investment deals with Chinese companies worth more than US$8 billion for its Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE). It was jointly built by the governments of China and Egypt as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3222963/more-chinese-investors-and-firms-drawn-egypt-suez-canal-advantage-and-shortcut-european-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3222963/more-chinese-investors-and-firms-drawn-egypt-suez-canal-advantage-and-shortcut-european-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:06:11 +0000 A new warning system to protect Hong Kong’s outdoor workers from heatstroke would be difficult to implement, especially at construction sites, industry representatives on Tuesday warned. The three-tier guidelines, announced on Monday and set to take effect next week, will advise employers on when staff should rest according to their job nature when temperatures soar. “There will be great difficulties in actual execution. Workers at construction sites range from a few hundred to a few thousand... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3219898/hong-kong-bosses-not-warm-new-warning-system-protecting-workers-heatstroke-say-guideline-hard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3219898/hong-kong-bosses-not-warm-new-warning-system-protecting-workers-heatstroke-say-guideline-hard?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 May 2023 05:41:21 +0000 Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdog has put Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, its founder and CEO Lei Jun, as well as a dozen other company executives on its list of “international war sponsors”, accusing the Beijing-based firm of maintaining business in Russia despite its military actions. “The reason for inclusion in the list … was that the company not only continued its work in the Russian Federation after the full-scale invasion [of Ukraine], but is still the leader in smartphone sales in the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3217067/ukraine-puts-chinese-smartphone-giant-xiaomi-ceo-lei-jun-war-sponsor-list-over-business-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3217067/ukraine-puts-chinese-smartphone-giant-xiaomi-ceo-lei-jun-war-sponsor-list-over-business-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Apr 2023 09:04:10 +0000 Before he left for college in 2020, Ajalan Ali remembers queuing for up to an hour at a market in Rawalpindi, near Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, to receive a breakfast of deep-fried puffed puri bread, stewed chickpeas and aniseed-infused potato curry, all washed down with a tall glass of sweet butter milk. So his “heart sank” when, upon returning to the market with his father late last month, he saw only a handful of customers and none of the super sweet, ghee-soaked mithai for which the market... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3208998/why-pakistan-and-egypt-are-too-big-fail-sri-lanka-style-economic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3208998/why-pakistan-and-egypt-are-too-big-fail-sri-lanka-style-economic-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Feb 2023 03:00:12 +0000 Chinese internet and video gaming giant NetEase is collaborating with a unit of China State Construction Engineering Corp to jointly develop and promote the wider use of smart robots in the construction industry. Fuxi Lab, the artificial intelligence (AI) arm of NetEase Games, signed an agreement with the China Construction Eighth Engineering Division (CCEED), a unit of the world’s largest construction company by revenue, to pursue joint research and development of smart robots as well as... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3202753/netease-doubles-down-video-gaming-tech-adoption-major-deal-develop-smart-robots-chinas-construction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3202753/netease-doubles-down-video-gaming-tech-adoption-major-deal-develop-smart-robots-chinas-construction?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2022 11:00:44 +0000 Agile Group, one of China’s top home sellers, has redeemed a 1.5 billion yuan (US$207 million) bond due this month, according to a late Wednesday filing with the Hong Kong exchange. The bond was sold by Guangzhou Panyu Agile Realty Development, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Agile Group, in October 2020. The total redemption of 1.593 billion yuan included the principal sum and 6.2 per cent annual interest on the securities, according to the filing. In January, Agile Group decided to sell... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3196574/agile-group-embattled-chinese-property-developer-redeems-us207-million-bond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3196574/agile-group-embattled-chinese-property-developer-redeems-us207-million-bond?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Oct 2022 03:14:33 +0000 A former civil engineer has been jailed for five years on rioting and wounding charges after he admitted stabbing a police officer in an anti-government protest against the national security law. Wong Kwan-wa, 26, was escorted back to the District Court on Thursday to be penalised for what the judge described as “extremely serious” offences. He was among a trio of protesters found guilty upon their own confession for being involved in an illegal rally in Causeway Bay two years ago on July 1, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3195781/former-hong-kong-civil-engineer-gets-5-years-jail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3195781/former-hong-kong-civil-engineer-gets-5-years-jail?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 03:57:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s security minister has announced the launch of a coronavirus isolation facility with 3,000 units located in the prime Kai Tak development area, with the blocks featuring private toilets, sea views and connecting rooms for families. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Saturday posted pictures of the new facility on Facebook, showing off lifts and individual bathrooms for every isolation unit, which are largely unavailable in similar centres across the city. “Residents and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3187968/hong-kong-security-minister-unveils-new-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3187968/hong-kong-security-minister-unveils-new-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Aug 2022 10:00:36 +0000 Listed companies are polluting the atmosphere at a rate that would warm the planet by 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2050, according to index compiler MSCI. Only 11 per cent of them are on track to ratchet their carbon emissions down to a level that would limit human-induced temperature increases to the crucial goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius. To meet that goal, listed companies must reduce their carbon intensity by 8 to 10 per cent every year until 2050, MSCI said. Yet only 39 per cent of companies reduced... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3183619/climate-change-only-11-cent-listed-firms-globally-track-achieve-key-carbon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3183619/climate-change-only-11-cent-listed-firms-globally-track-achieve-key-carbon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 07:30:19 +0000 China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have made their presence felt in Hong Kong over the years. Some of their major businesses and brands are household names to the locals, but the owners behind them are less well-known. For example, supermarket chain City’super is controlled by a unit of China Resources (Holdings) following its purchase in August 2020. Disneyland’s Fantasyland on Lantau Island was built by China Overseas Holdings’ construction arm. Many of these SOEs have also tapped into the... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3183390/chinese-red-chip-stocks-make-their-presence-felt-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3183390/chinese-red-chip-stocks-make-their-presence-felt-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jun 2022 08:30:24 +0000 Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is expected to reveal the outcome of an interim review on social-distancing rules and border control measures on Monday as Covid-19 cases continue to decline, with the latest figure the lowest in nearly a month. A source familiar with the assessment said a controversial mass testing drive could be launched when caseloads dipped further, but a citywide lockdown would not be imposed during the exercise and asymptomatic patients could be allowed to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3171151/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-reveal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3171151/coronavirus-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-reveal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Mar 2022 04:55:46 +0000 Hong Kong officials have pledged to improve conditions at the new community isolation facilities, including offering bestselling books and TV dramas, after the administration was flooded with complaints from the public about their poor quarantine experience. Officers from the Security Bureau told the Post they had also hired former tourist guides and fitness coaches as housekeeping assistants to operate hotline services across quarantine facilities in Hong Kong. “We are looking at stocking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3171064/coronavirus-hong-kong-spruce-conditions-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3171064/coronavirus-hong-kong-spruce-conditions-new?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Mar 2022 03:00:18 +0000 There’s a perennial argument in Hong Kong over whether the Cantonese slang term gweilo is racist or not. Its usage has finally got some legal recognition that will hopefully put a stop to critics’ attacks. District Court Judge Herbert Au-Yeung rejected British engineer Francis William Haden’s discrimination claim based on him being called a gweilo by work colleagues, ruling that it was not a form of workplace discrimination. Haden, who was employed as a blasting specialist by Leighton... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3168215/gweilo-offensive-word-centre-court-case-has-been-embraced?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3168215/gweilo-offensive-word-centre-court-case-has-been-embraced?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Feb 2022 01:45:14 +0000 A Hong Kong court has dismissed a HK$1 million (US$128,300) discrimination claim by a British engineer who complained about being called a gweilo and excluded from a tunnel construction project after finding his poor work relationship with colleagues was the real reason he lost his job. The District Court on Friday ruled against Francis William Haden in an equal opportunity action that shed light on the use of the Cantonese slang. Gweilo, which translates to “ghost man”, is sometimes used... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3166759/cantonese-slang-gweilo-not-racist-judge-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3166759/cantonese-slang-gweilo-not-racist-judge-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Feb 2022 13:18:00 +0000 State-backed companies are coming to the rescue of embattled Chinese developers pushed to the edge of financial ruin by Beijing’s “three red lines” borrowing restrictions. Agile Group, one of the country’s top 20 home sellers, said it will sell its 26.7 per cent stake in a Guangzhou property joint venture for 1.84 billion yuan (US$300 million) to a unit of China Overseas Land & Investment (Coli). Hong Kong-listed Coli is a property arm of China State Construction Engineering, which is directly... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3164545/agile-group-becomes-latest-debt-ridden-chinese-developer-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3164545/agile-group-becomes-latest-debt-ridden-chinese-developer-be?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:00:27 +0000 Slovenia’s plans to open a Taiwan office looks likely to provoke a “shocked” Beijing into yet another diplomatic spat despite hopes of mending ties with the European Union, analysts said. This comes after Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa revealed plans to “exchange representatives” with self-ruled Taiwan in an interview on Monday with Indian broadcaster Doordarshan, where he also strongly criticised Beijing’s angry response to similar moves by Lithuania. The Chinese foreign ministry said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164366/what-next-eu-ties-shocked-beijing-lashes-out-slovenia-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3164366/what-next-eu-ties-shocked-beijing-lashes-out-slovenia-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jan 2022 10:02:14 +0000 About 120km (75 miles) east of Cairo near the Suez Canal lies one of the biggest concentrations of Chinese investments in Egypt – part of the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping’s trade and infrastructure development plan. Most of the massive investments are concentrated in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, made up of six ports and four industrial estates, which has attracted many businesses making building materials, high-voltage equipment, machinery and petroleum equipment. Within the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161705/china-buckles-its-belt-and-road-ambitions-suez-investments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3161705/china-buckles-its-belt-and-road-ambitions-suez-investments?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jan 2022 10:00:20 +0000 1. Will Joe Biden’s US$1.9 trillion ‘American Rescue Plan’ be a boon for China, or could excessive liquidity lead to financial trouble? (Orange Wang and Amanda Lee – January 15, 2021) Latest US coronavirus stimulus package would put even more liquidity into global economy, and much could end up in China, where investment returns are promising Analysts say US president-elect’s proposal could further boost Chinese exports, but they also warn of hot money inflows creating dangerous asset... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3161708/best-2021-joe-biden-china-australia-relations-dominate-most?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3161708/best-2021-joe-biden-china-australia-relations-dominate-most?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:30:11 +0000 Leading Chinese developer China Overseas Land & Investment (COLI) has sold part of its stake in a plot in Kai Tak, site of the city’s old airport, as the mainland real estate market remains under pressure and subject to cooling measures. COLI said Coli Finance, its wholly controlled subsidiary, sold a 30 per cent stake of residential land in Kai Tak for HK$1.35 billion (US$173 million) to Haijian Fund, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange late on Friday. Haijian Fund is 50 per... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3157572/china-overseas-land-sells-stake-kai-tak-land-plot-hk135bn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3157572/china-overseas-land-sells-stake-kai-tak-land-plot-hk135bn?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Nov 2021 00:30:23 +0000 Race was not a factor in the decision to fire a British engineer who subsequently filed a discrimination claim against his former employer, saying he was isolated and repeatedly called the Cantonese slang “gweilo” by colleagues, a Hong Kong court heard. Jan Torka of Leighton Contractors (Asia) on Wednesday explained that Francis William Haden’s contract was terminated on February 28, 2017, because of his conduct and attitude towards colleagues while leading a team for a project. Ex-boss of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3155567/race-nothing-do-hong-kong-firm-sacking-british?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3155567/race-nothing-do-hong-kong-firm-sacking-british?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Nov 2021 10:19:20 +0000 An expat testifying against a British ex-colleague who lodged a discrimination claim over being called the Cantonese slang “gweilo” acknowledged hearing the description at their workplace, but said he did not find it racist or offensive, a Hong Kong court heard on Tuesday. Darren Grant, construction manager of Leighton Contractors (Asia), also said he had never previously known any expat colleagues to have any problem with the term, meaning “white devil” or “white ghost”, in his 12 years of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3155443/expat-witness-hong-kong-discrimination-case-says-slang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3155443/expat-witness-hong-kong-discrimination-case-says-slang?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Nov 2021 11:36:27 +0000 The former boss of a British engineer who has accused his ex-employer of discrimination has admitted using the Cantonese slang “gweilo”, but said it was odd to call them foreigners in Hong Kong’s dialect. Lai Chiu-nam told the District Court on Monday that the slang term – which translates as “ghost man” – was a colloquialism he used to describe white people in the city, such as the plaintiff, Francis William Haden. Haden, a blasting specialist who also has Australia citizenship, is seeking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3155330/former-boss-british-engineer-suing-hong-kong-company?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3155330/former-boss-british-engineer-suing-hong-kong-company?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Nov 2021 13:52:50 +0000 Beijing’s top office in Hong Kong launched another community outreach drive on Monday by inviting renowned architects and engineers from mainland China to share their expertise with local students, but analysts warned nurturing a sense of national identity in the city through such initiatives would take time. Lu Xinning, deputy director of the central government’s liaison office in Hong Kong, also revealed that more mainland industry representatives as well as experts and scholars from various... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3153651/how-beijings-top-agency-hong-kong-plans-build-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3153651/how-beijings-top-agency-hong-kong-plans-build-national?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Oct 2021 00:00:18 +0000 Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism Thong Khon declared construction work on the country’s sparkling new National Stadium completed earlier this week, concluding a China-funded project that took over four years to complete. The first images of the completed 60,000-seater venue, which is located on the northern outskirts of the nation’s capital Phnom Penh, are arresting and display the key features of the stadium’s unique design. The stadium is designed to resemble a ship with two “prow” structures... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3145609/stunning-new-cambodian-national-stadium-opens-phnom-penh-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3145609/stunning-new-cambodian-national-stadium-opens-phnom-penh-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Aug 2021 07:34:47 +0000 When Kenya floated a US$215 million tender for the construction of a major dam in the western part of the country it received four bids. Two were from Chinese contractors China Jiangxi Corporation for International Economic and Technical Cooperation and China Gezhouba, both of which are already involved in the construction of major infrastructure projects, including airports and power dams, in Africa. The other two were from SBI International Holdings and Just Nice Construction. China Jiangxi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133670/chinese-contractors-win-majority-mega-projects-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3133670/chinese-contractors-win-majority-mega-projects-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 May 2021 22:00:16 +0000 Fudan University’s plans for a satellite campus in Budapest – the first by a Chinese university in Europe – have run into a wall of protests after leaked documents indicated the project would saddle Hungary with debt and was negotiated without the transparency required by the European Union. Shanghai-based Fudan, ranked in the top 100 universities worldwide, aims to open the campus in the Hungarian capital in 2024. The university’s president Xu Ningsheng called it a milestone in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3130616/fudan-universitys-planned-budapest-campus-runs-local-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3130616/fudan-universitys-planned-budapest-campus-runs-local-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Apr 2021 17:00:26 +0000 The recent Suez Canal blockage highlighted the vital role Egypt plays in the global trade system and to China’s trade plans. The blockage, which lasted for six days, held up trade valued at over US$9 billion per day, according to data from Lloyd’s List. The canal is China’s main shipping route to its largest market, Europe, and Egypt has also become a key destination for the Belt and Road Initiative as it moves closer to Beijing. In recent years China has given Egypt, a long-standing US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3129000/why-china-banking-suez-and-plans-new-egyptian-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3129000/why-china-banking-suez-and-plans-new-egyptian-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Apr 2021 01:00:16 +0000 State-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation has dropped its bid for the Australian builder of the tallest residential tower in Sydney, Probuild, after indications that Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg would block the deal on national security grounds. This did not escape Beijing’s attention, and on Tuesday China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cautioned Canberra not to “politicise” business deals and jeopardise long-standing commercial relationships, as well as agreed-upon... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3117392/china-australia-relations-chinese-firms-pulls-out-us230?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3117392/china-australia-relations-chinese-firms-pulls-out-us230?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 07:48:35 +0000 A former army general who was last year put in charge of China’s belt and road projects in Pakistan has become embroiled in a corruption scandal, once again dragging Beijing into its close ally’s dirty domestic politics. Pakistan’s government and powerful military have worked hard to suppress the mainstream media’s coverage of allegations that retired lieutenant general Asim Saleem Bajwa’s family built a multimillion-dollar US-based business which grew in parallel to his ascent through the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3100328/pakistans-pizza-corruption-scandal-risks-cheesing-top-ally-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3100328/pakistans-pizza-corruption-scandal-risks-cheesing-top-ally-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2020 06:00:14 +0000 A 24-year-old former civil engineer charged with stabbing a policeman at the July 1 protest in Hong Kong was sacked five months ago for taking part in a strike, a court heard on Friday. Wong Kwan-wa appeared at Eastern Court to face one count of wounding with intent, after he was arrested just before midnight on Wednesday at Hong Kong International Airport attempting to leave the city. Prosecutors did not lay any additional charges related to the new national security law against Wong, a former... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3091684/hong-kong-national-security-law-police-stab-suspect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3091684/hong-kong-national-security-law-police-stab-suspect?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2020 05:55:25 +0000