https://www.scmp.com/rss/520179/feed Dr Devin Lin is a program director at HKU SPACE and a practicing lawyer in China and California, specialising in property and construction law. Beyond academic writing he engages in discussions on humanities, culture and art. He was educated in Shanghai, Hong Kong and London. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Devin Lin Devin Lin On December 18, China made a bold move on the global economic chessboard. It launched a massive free-trade experiment by turning the entire island province of Hainan – an area, comparable in size to Belgium, whose gross domestic product was US$113 billion last year – into a duty-free customs zone. A new narrative has now taken hold: with its free-trade port status, Hainan is on track to rival or even supplant Hong Kong. Having followed this development closely, I believe this comparison is... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338100/hainan-next-hong-kong-thats-wrong-question-ask?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3338100/hainan-next-hong-kong-thats-wrong-question-ask?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 21:30:10 +0000 Devin Lin Devin Lin Recent developments have escalated tensions in international education, following the Trump administration’s decision to revoke Harvard University’s eligibility to admit international students by disqualifying it from the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme. Although a federal judge has temporarily blocked the ban, legal proceedings between Harvard and the US government are ongoing. In response, some Hong Kong universities swiftly announced unconditional admission schemes for affected Harvard... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3311849/tap-harvard-students-there-are-better-ways-attract-brains-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3311849/tap-harvard-students-there-are-better-ways-attract-brains-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 02:30:08 +0000 Hong Kong recently celebrated a significant milestone: the grand opening of the Kai Tak Stadium. On a weekend as I jogged past the venue, the Kai Tak Run – the sport park’s first running event – was in full swing. Hundreds of participants embarked on a route winding around the youth park, the main stadium, Kai Tak Arena and the retail complex. The atmosphere was electric. What struck me most was how the area around the sports ground has emerged. New residential towers have risen, a sprawling... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3303640/why-lack-clear-vision-holding-back-northern-metropolis-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3303640/why-lack-clear-vision-holding-back-northern-metropolis-future?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2025 01:30:07 +0000 Pandas have dominated Hong Kong’s latest festival season. The excitement began in early December when giant pandas An An and Ke Ke, given to the city by Beijing, made their first public appearance at Ocean Park. A pop-up exhibition of 2,500 panda sculptures, including at the Avenue of Stars and Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park, also attracted crowds. Through Christmas and the Lunar New Year, panda fever soared as Hong Kong officials hinted at debut dates for the public to meet the giant panda twins... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3298391/panda-fever-great-hong-kong-needs-its-own-cultural-icon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3298391/panda-fever-great-hong-kong-needs-its-own-cultural-icon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 09:00:09 +0000 Hong Kong has expanded the list of eligible universities under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, adding 13 mainland universities and overseas institutions, including the University of the Arts London, Renmin University of China, Tongji University and Sichuan University. This brings the total count of eligible universities to 198 worldwide. Those who hold a bachelor’s degree from any of these institutions and have the required work experience can apply to come to Hong Kong under the scheme. Expanding... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3288045/how-hong-kong-can-prepare-top-talent-arrivals-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3288045/how-hong-kong-can-prepare-top-talent-arrivals-success?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2024 01:30:07 +0000