https://www.scmp.com/rss/59261/feed Latest news and updates on Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who took office as chief executive of Hong Kong on July 1, 2017, covering her speeches, announcements and annual policy address, the measures she introduced to combat the coronavirus and her handling of the Hong Kong protests. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Japan’s representative to Hong Kong has said his consulate is making “steady progress” in improving ties with the city, while noting the absence of top local officials at a celebration of the emperor’s birthday amid tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Jun Miura, the country’s consul general to the city, on Thursday expressed his thanks for the friendship between Japan and Hong Kong at an event marking the 66th birthday of Emperor Naruhito. “While we do not have a guest of honour per se, I... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3342560/japans-consulate-hong-kong-marks-emperors-birthday-city-officials-absent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3342560/japans-consulate-hong-kong-marks-emperors-birthday-city-officials-absent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 14:26:03 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s top decision-making body has held 25 per cent fewer meetings in the first 3½ years of the current administration compared with the previous two governments, the South China Morning Post has found, with the group’s secretariat urging the public to focus on “outcomes of the work” rather than on the number of gatherings. The Executive Council Secretariat stopped short of commenting on the trend directly due to the principle of confidentiality, but said the government had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3341951/outcomes-not-output-exco-held-25-fewer-meetings-over-john-lees-tenure-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3341951/outcomes-not-output-exco-held-25-fewer-meetings-over-john-lees-tenure-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:37:40 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Lam Leung-tim, the pioneering Hong Kong toy tycoon and creator of the city’s iconic yellow rubber duck, has died aged 105. In newspaper ads that ran across the city on Saturday, Lam’s family revealed that he had died on November 10, and announced that a memorial ceremony would be held on Monday at Nanhai District Funeral Home in his ancestral hometown of Foshan. Born in Hong Kong, Lam’s family fled to mainland China after Japan invaded the city during World War II. For several years, he worked... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3332984/hong-kong-toy-tycoon-lam-leung-tim-creator-iconic-yellow-rubber-duck-dead-105?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3332984/hong-kong-toy-tycoon-lam-leung-tim-creator-iconic-yellow-rubber-duck-dead-105?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 10:48:35 +0000 Xinlu Liang,Olga Wong Xinlu Liang,Olga Wong A mainland Chinese drone manufacturer owned by a carmaking giant has revealed that it is eyeing Hong Kong as a future market for its flagship passenger-carrying flying car, as the city embarks on a new phase of developing its low-altitude economy. Aerofugia, a subsidiary of China’s second-largest carmaker, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said that Hong Kong’s traffic congestion, high-density urban core, and scattered outlying islands were not just challenges but unique advantages positioning the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3326751/geely-drone-subsidiary-aerofugia-eyes-hong-kong-market-ae200-flying-car?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3326751/geely-drone-subsidiary-aerofugia-eyes-hong-kong-market-ae200-flying-car?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong’s leaders have unveiled significant measures since the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. From housing and development to labour protection and health, they have laid out ambitious plans in their annual policy addresses, creating long-term impacts on residents. As Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu prepares to deliver his fourth policy blueprint on Wednesday, the Post takes a look at a few key initiatives rolled out by leaders over the past 28 years that played a major role in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325487/what-are-some-key-policies-hong-kongs-leaders-have-changed-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3325487/what-are-some-key-policies-hong-kongs-leaders-have-changed-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 11:00:16 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong was responsible for nearly half of the green bonds issued in Asia in 2024 and saw a surge in sustainability-related funds, as strong demand from regional mainland governments and start-ups raised the city’s stature as a finance hub for climate-friendly projects, according to a minister. Green bond issuance in Hong Kong last year reached US$43 billion, representing 45 per cent of the region’s total and keeping the city atop the league table in Asia for the seventh consecutive year, said... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3323896/hong-kongs-crop-green-bonds-esg-funds-flourishes-under-mainland-chinas-climate-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3323896/hong-kongs-crop-green-bonds-esg-funds-flourishes-under-mainland-chinas-climate-push?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 08:00:07 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong needs to develop its “geopolitical instincts” to navigate the US-China rivalry amid the broader global shift in power from the West to the East, a former top diplomat from Singapore has said. Kishore Mahbubani, who previously served as Singapore’s permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the UN Security Council, also called for the West to cede ground to emerging powers in international organisations amid the rise of a multipolar world. Mahbubani was speaking in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3323382/hong-kong-must-hone-geopolitical-instincts-amid-china-us-rivalry-kishore-mahbubani?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3323382/hong-kong-must-hone-geopolitical-instincts-amid-china-us-rivalry-kishore-mahbubani?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 11:41:38 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Students and political heavyweights have gathered to pay tribute to Hong Kong veteran educator Henry Hu Hung-lick, with alumni recalling fond memories and lessons learned from the co-founder of Shue Yan University who died last month at the age of 105. The Tuesday evening vigil was organised by the university, a tertiary institution founded in 1971 by Hu and his late wife, Chung Chi-yung. Hu’s funeral will take place on Wednesday. Among those attending the service were the city’s No 2 official,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323241/alumni-politicians-gather-hong-kong-vigil-father-shue-yan-henry-hu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3323241/alumni-politicians-gather-hong-kong-vigil-father-shue-yan-henry-hu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:32:24 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It is quite unimaginable that Hong Kong continues to struggle with basic necessities such as water. However, that is the case, at least when it comes to the government. Ten years ago, opposition lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan found excessive levels of lead in drinking water that was later discovered to have affected 11 public housing estates, involving 29,000 households. That led to an independent, judge-led inquiry in 2016. The investigation yielded 17 recommendations, including for the water... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322960/water-scandal-another-blow-public-trust-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322960/water-scandal-another-blow-public-trust-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Fionnuala McHugh Fionnuala McHugh The man considered Hong Kong’s emperor of architecture – the city’s own master builder, its home-sprung fountainhead – is talking about his new book. The original title he’d chosen was Learning from Hong Kong? “The question mark is important because that means I’m not being too conceited or self-centred,” says Rocco Yim Sen-kee. Framed within the screen of a video call from his office, he has the look of an earnest monk. “The idea that people could learn from Hong Kong in the art of architecture... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3317842/how-hong-kongs-master-builder-rocco-yim-left-his-mark-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/design-interiors/article/3317842/how-hong-kongs-master-builder-rocco-yim-left-his-mark-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 22:15:10 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on July 12, 2015. By Emily Tsang Alert raised over tap water as more lead samples found Fears are growing over the safety of water supplied to Hong Kong’s public housing after a contamination scare spread on Saturday (July 11, 2015) in a development which a top government official has described as “highly concerning’’. Just days after initial tests revealed excessive levels of lead in the water from the Kai Ching Estate in Kowloon City, three more samples have... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3317631/safety-scare-over-hong-kong-public-housing-drinking-water-2015-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3317631/safety-scare-over-hong-kong-public-housing-drinking-water-2015-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 03:15:06 +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 China’s No 4 politician was among senior Beijing officials and other heavyweights who sent wreaths to the wake for Hong Kong tobacco and media tycoon Charles Ho Tsu-kwok. State-run Xinhua called Ho a patriotic businessman and “an intimate friend” of the Communist Party of China in an article published on Saturday night. “Ho played an important role in Hong Kong’s smooth transition, successful handover and maintenance of prosperity and stability. He supported the nation’s reform and opening-up... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316233/chinas-no-4-official-joins-mourning-death-hong-kong-tycoon-charles-ho?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3316233/chinas-no-4-official-joins-mourning-death-hong-kong-tycoon-charles-ho?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Jun 2025 13:26:36 +0000 Sammy Heung Sammy Heung Followers of a rural Hong Kong village church have expressed concerns over the loss of their community building set to be demolished for the government’s ambitious Northern Metropolis project. About 100 Christians, who gathered at the Communion Lutheran Church – the only church in the Kwu Tung North area – for the Sunday service wrote petition letters on the spot to express their concerns about the relocation arrangement. The church is located in the Kwu Tung North village slated for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3311745/hong-kong-village-church-members-wonder-where-next-after-relocation-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3311745/hong-kong-village-church-members-wonder-where-next-after-relocation-order?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 14:51:03 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A CK Asset residential project in Hong Kong has been caught up in a bribery scandal after the city’s graft-buster uncovered subcontractors allegedly offering incentives to site supervisors in exchange for lax oversight of subpar steel reinforcement work. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Wednesday that of 10 suspects, aged 29 to 52, arrested in connection with the case, one was an employee of the main contractor, five were proprietors, operators or employees of some... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3311258/10-arrested-hong-kong-bribery-case-centred-ck-asset-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3311258/10-arrested-hong-kong-bribery-case-centred-ck-asset-development?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 May 2025 11:43:49 +0000 The concessionary HK$2 transport fare scheme for the elderly and persons with disabilities began life with clear objectives and manageable costs. It was well intentioned and made a meaningful difference to the lives of the intended beneficiaries. Unfortunately, it then lost focus, was extended to hundreds of thousands of less deserving individuals and the costs rose exponentially. Hence the attempt in this year’s budget to rein the scheme in and bring the costs under control. However the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301469/just-move-hong-kongs-hk2-transport-fare-qualifying-age-back-65?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3301469/just-move-hong-kongs-hk2-transport-fare-qualifying-age-back-65?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 08:30:08 +0000 Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po was caught between a rock and a hard place as he drew up the budget for the financial year 2025-26. Ever since he disclosed at a meeting in the Legislative Council last December that the government would run a fiscal deficit for the third consecutive year, and that it would amount to HK$100 billion in 2024-25, pressures have been mounting on him to take decisive measures to bring public finance back into a healthy balance. In fact, the financial secretary had... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3300543/hong-kong-civil-service-needs-be-hauled-21st-century?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3300543/hong-kong-civil-service-needs-be-hauled-21st-century?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Mar 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s workforce has a vital role to play in helping the city grow its economy and develop. This will require the right balance to be struck between furthering business interests and those of employees. Trade unions have a duty to protect the rights of their members. But they must also operate responsibly and lawfully. Labour groups are set to come under increased scrutiny, with changes to the Trade Unions Ordinance to go before the Legislative Council next month. They will require unions... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3300447/stronger-oversight-hong-kongs-unions-can-help-them-boost-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3300447/stronger-oversight-hong-kongs-unions-can-help-them-boost-development?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 23:45:08 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau The Hong Kong government’s proposed adjustment to the controversial HK$2 (25 US cents) transport subsidy scheme for the elderly will fail to tackle the deficit and instead alienate the demographic, social policy experts have said. Nelson Chow Wing-sun, an emeritus professor at University of Hong Kong’s department of social work and social administration, was among the experts who expressed their concerns to the Post on Saturday, a day after sources said the government might cap use of the HK$2... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3299769/monthly-cap-hong-kongs-hk2-fare-scheme-unfair-elderly-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3299769/monthly-cap-hong-kongs-hk2-fare-scheme-unfair-elderly-expert-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:05:50 +0000 Kahon Chan Kahon Chan Two Hong Kong government buildings in Wan Chai heading for demolition have begun filling up again with temporary occupants, prompting calls for better long-term planning by authorities. While a lawmaker said it made sense to use the available premises before the 2027 deadline for all occupants to move out, a land use concern group’s founder questioned whether the administration was pessimistic over future demand for top-grade office buildings. Immigration Tower and Revenue Tower were earmarked... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298380/why-are-hong-kong-government-buildings-slated-demolition-filling-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3298380/why-are-hong-kong-government-buildings-slated-demolition-filling-again?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has defended the publication of an opinion piece that discussed US sanctions against a former chief executive in his now-defunct tabloid newspaper after the enactment of the national security law, saying he believed the article did not advocate penalties. Prosecutors grilled Lai on Wednesday about the piece headlined “Will US sanction Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor?” published in Apple Daily on July 18, 2020, after the national security law took effect... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3298422/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-denies-op-ed-piece-pushed-sanctions-then-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3298422/hong-kongs-jimmy-lai-denies-op-ed-piece-pushed-sanctions-then-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:16:45 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam Authorities are expected to spend about HK$2.8 million (US$359,350) on renovating the new office of former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who will move from a prime commercial tower to a government building. The Office of Former Chief Executives last month confirmed that Lam’s workplace at One Pacific Place in Admiralty, where the annual rent of HK$5.67 million had sparked concerns about how taxpayers’ money was spent, would be relocated to the 23rd floor of Immigration Tower in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3298377/renovating-new-office-former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-cost-hk28-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3298377/renovating-new-office-former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-cost-hk28-million?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 08:54:43 +0000 Jiang Chuqin,Oscar Liu Jiang Chuqin,Oscar Liu Central and Hong Kong authorities have slammed a new US bipartisan bill that seeks to slap sanctions on more city officials, including judges and prosecutors, accusing American lawmakers of attempting to intimidate those safeguarding national security. The Hong Kong Sanctions Act was introduced by Congresswoman Young Kim and Congressman Jim McGovern on Friday, just days after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The bill requires the president to assess whether to sanction certain Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3296281/hong-kong-condemns-us-bill-seeking-expanded-sanctions-city-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3296281/hong-kong-condemns-us-bill-seeking-expanded-sanctions-city-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jan 2025 12:39:19 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has denied approving proposed sanctions against Beijing and Hong Kong in a discussion with an American lobbyist ahead of the adoption of the national security law, stressing his praise for the suggestions was only meant as encouragement. Lai, 77, also argued on Friday that he was not sacrificing Hong Kong to “satisfy the demands of the US” by supporting the revocation of the city’s privileged trade status afforded by the world’s largest economy. The latest... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3296210/jimmy-lai-denies-approving-proposed-sanctions-against-hong-kong-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3296210/jimmy-lai-denies-approving-proposed-sanctions-against-hong-kong-beijing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jan 2025 11:57:52 +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 TikTok, the popular short-form video platform owned by China’s ByteDance, is facing a potential ban in the United States. Although TikTok might dodge an immediate bullet as US president-elect Donald... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3294866/tiktok-refugees-are-meeting-chinese-internet-sparks-may-fly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3294866/tiktok-refugees-are-meeting-chinese-internet-sparks-may-fly?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 03:30:08 +0000 Natalie Wong Natalie Wong Andrew Fung Ho-keung recalls the “golden days” for Hong Kong’s think tanks. He said there was a time when the work of his Hong Kong Policy Research Institute, one of the city’s oldest think tanks, could significantly shape policymaking. In 2018, during a months-long government-led debate on land and housing supply initiated by then leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the think tank published research reports and organised forums pushing for innovative ideas. The government later adopted one... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294928/are-new-ideas-needed-hong-kongs-struggling-think-tanks-survive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294928/are-new-ideas-needed-hong-kongs-struggling-think-tanks-survive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:30:07 +0000 Having stepped down, Hong Kong’s four former chief executives would naturally receive less media exposure and public attention. But the fact that there is a regular budget for the operation of their offices means the need for accountability and transparency remains unchanged. This is especially true when the government is expected to spend even more wisely in times of a ballooning budget deficit. The latest decision to relocate the office of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor from a prime commercial... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3294773/get-balance-right-offices-hong-kongs-ex-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3294773/get-balance-right-offices-hong-kongs-ex-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Kahon Chan Kahon Chan Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said his administration will “go ahead as planned” to redevelop three towers in Wan Chai into a new wing of the Convention and Exhibition Centre despite moving a former leader’s office into one of the buildings to “save government money”. Lee on Tuesday also reaffirmed a pledge to spend an average of HK$90 billion (US$11.6 billion) per year on public works in the coming years, after finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po suggested setting out a priority list... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294649/hong-kong-will-redevelop-3-towers-wan-chai-convention-centre-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294649/hong-kong-will-redevelop-3-towers-wan-chai-convention-centre-city-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jan 2025 04:42:48 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying Jeffie Lam,Lo Hoi-ying Former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has said she welcomes the relocation of her publicly funded office from a prime commercial building with an annual rent of HK$5.67 million (US$730,000) to government premises for the next three years in a move that will reduce costs. Confirming an exclusive Post report, the Office of Former Chief Executives said on Monday that Lam’s current workplace at One Pacific Place in Admiralty would be relocated to the 23rd floor of Immigration Tower in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294499/former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-welcomes-cost-saving-office-relocation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294499/former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-welcomes-cost-saving-office-relocation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jan 2025 05:52:08 +0000 Edith Lin,Ng Kang-chung Edith Lin,Ng Kang-chung Former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s publicly funded office will relocate from a prime commercial building to government premises in Wan Chai, the Post has learned. A source told the Post that Immigration Tower in Wan Chai, the former headquarters of the Immigration Department, would house Lam’s new workplace, which is currently under renovation. The relocation follows months of scrutiny after her current office at One Pacific Place in Admiralty was revealed to have cost... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294401/former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lams-office-moving-government-premises?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3294401/former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lams-office-moving-government-premises?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jan 2025 05:00:08 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong authorities have warned the United States that extending sanctions against local and mainland Chinese officials will “ultimately undermine” American business interests, citing the country’s long-standing trade surplus with the city. The city government on Thursday slammed US President Joe Biden over his earlier signing of the US National Defence Authorisation Act, annual legislation that finances and directs policy for the country’s military and security agencies for the coming... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3292350/sanctions-extension-will-hurt-us-business-interests-hong-kong-warns-washington?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3292350/sanctions-extension-will-hurt-us-business-interests-hong-kong-warns-washington?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2024 09:55:54 +0000 Christmas came early for Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his team this year, and I don’t mean his duty visit to Beijing over the weekend. It came quietly in July, when salaries for politically appointed officials increased by 1.8 per cent. These pay rates are adjusted in line with the Consumer Price Index (C), which measures the impact of consumer price changes on Hong Kong’s high-spending households – the top 10 per cent splashing out HK$50,400- HK$95,900 per month, as opposed to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290848/hong-kong-officials-rising-pay-doesnt-square-our-financial-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3290848/hong-kong-officials-rising-pay-doesnt-square-our-financial-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 01:30:08 +0000 The United States has vowed to impose new visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials after 45 opposition activists were jailed for subversion, with former legal scholar Benny Tai Yiu-ting receiving the toughest penalty for orchestrating an unauthorised legislative “primary” election. Washington had previously imposed economic sanctions and other restrictions against the city after Beijing enacted the sweeping national security law in 2020 as its response to the months-long social unrest the year... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3287417/us-threatens-sanctions-what-hong-kong-can-expect-after-jailing-45-activists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3287417/us-threatens-sanctions-what-hong-kong-can-expect-after-jailing-45-activists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:53:01 +0000 Forty-five of 47 Hong Kong opposition activists in a landmark national security trial are set to learn their fate next month as the court has tentatively fixed the sentencing hearing for November 19. Only two defendants were acquitted in the High Court trial in May, with 14 others convicted of conspiracy to subvert state power under the 2020 Beijing-imposed national security law. The remaining 31 pleaded guilty before the start of the 118-day trial. “The court is intended tentatively to fix a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3283737/hong-kong-47-sentencing-hearing-45-activists-set-november-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3283737/hong-kong-47-sentencing-hearing-45-activists-set-november-19?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:18:55 +0000 Former Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has been urged to relocate her publicly funded office with an annual rent of HK$5.67 million (US$730,000) to government premises or a cheaper site when the lease expires in mid-2025. The hefty rent came under fire earlier this year when the government revealed that her office cost taxpayers an estimated HK$9.17 million in the past financial year, including the rent and HK$2.86 million in staff expenses. The government’s Administration... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3281209/hong-kongs-carrie-lam-asked-relocate-office-after-hk567-million-year-lease-ends-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3281209/hong-kongs-carrie-lam-asked-relocate-office-after-hk567-million-year-lease-ends-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Oct 2024 09:21:09 +0000 Kahon Chan Kahon Chan A former Hong Kong leader has slammed the US for “flexing its hegemonic muscle” with a bill that could close the city’s trade offices in the country, while calling on all public administrators to ramp up governance capabilities to manage local challenges. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who served as chief executive from 2017 to 2022, said on Friday that the rise of protectionism and worsening US-China relations had brought uncertainty in terms of regional economic development. She cited the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3278371/hong-kongs-carrie-lam-slams-us-hegemonic-bills-aimed-closing-citys-trade-offices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3278371/hong-kongs-carrie-lam-slams-us-hegemonic-bills-aimed-closing-citys-trade-offices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Sep 2024 06:12:46 +0000 China’s recent third plenum highlighted the importance of making the country a champion of innovation through generating disruptive technology and scaling up into high-end manufacturing. Many, however, focused on doubts over China keeping its doors open and questioned if it was too focused on national – or political – security. Even before the meeting of China’s top leaders had concluded, pessimism had surfaced over the possibility of concrete and effective solutions to revitalise China’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3272846/hong-kongs-health-diplomacy-could-debunk-idea-china-turning-inward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3272846/hong-kongs-health-diplomacy-could-debunk-idea-china-turning-inward?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Aug 2024 07:30:12 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor made a surprise appearance at a food carnival on Sunday, weeks after her office was revealed to be costing taxpayers HK$9 million a year despite her rare public outings. The former chief executive, whose term ended in July 2022, visited the “Hometown Market” at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay on Sunday afternoon and toured several stalls, sampling food, and watched a martial arts performance. She stayed for less than 30 minutes, did not buy... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3265081/ex-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-makes-surprise-visit-food-carnival-weeks-after-hk9-million-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3265081/ex-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-makes-surprise-visit-food-carnival-weeks-after-hk9-million-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Jun 2024 11:17:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s environment minister has blamed the previous administration for the lack of food-scrap collection bins needed for a now-shelved waste-charging scheme, while also insisting authorities have “never thought about” dumping garbage across the border. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Saturday also promised a review of the legislation, saying he could see a “fairness problem” after two cleaning workers told him they would consider quitting the sector because of an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3265005/hong-kong-environment-chief-blames-past-administration-lack-food-scrap-bins-needed-now-shelved-waste?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3265005/hong-kong-environment-chief-blames-past-administration-lack-food-scrap-bins-needed-now-shelved-waste?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 08:11:40 +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 I turned 30 this week and, like many of my peers, I often reminisce about the milder weather of our childhood days. We are experiencing more extreme weather, with warmer summer nights and more... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3263618/time-hong-kong-must-resist-pressure-delay-waste-charging?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3263618/time-hong-kong-must-resist-pressure-delay-waste-charging?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2024 03:30:12 +0000 The Chinese and Hong Kong flags stand tall at the entrance of a unit on the eighth floor of one of the city’s most prestigious commercial buildings. The 2,874 sq ft space at the plush One Pacific Place in Admiralty is the office of former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who stepped down at the end of her term in July 2022. Her office became the talk of the town recently, after the government disclosed that it cost taxpayers an estimated HK$9.17 million (US$1.2 million) in the past... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3262972/former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lams-hk9-million-year-office-sign-respect-or-ridiculous-use-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3262972/former-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lams-hk9-million-year-office-sign-respect-or-ridiculous-use-public?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 May 2024 00:30:13 +0000 Once a hothouse for grooming elite civil servants, Hong Kong’s trade office in London was where former city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and ex-financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah nurtured their budding careers before rising to the top jobs within government. But as UK-Hong Kong relations hit rock bottom following the 2019 protests and the city’s implementation of the national security law, the government outpost has become a hotspot for protests and even vandalism. The Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3262699/uk-spying-case-puts-hong-kong-trade-offices-london-and-elsewhere-cross-hairs-geopolitical-battles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3262699/uk-spying-case-puts-hong-kong-trade-offices-london-and-elsewhere-cross-hairs-geopolitical-battles?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2024 00:30:11 +0000 Shenzhen authorities have said they will consider building a new co-location checkpoint and allow Hong Kong’s East Rail line to be extended for greater cross-border integration. Mainland Chinese officials said on Sunday they would like to take the opportunity to redevelop the control point at Luohu, known as Lo Wu on the Hong Kong side, and cooperate with the city government to achieve “seamless connectivity”. Li Qian, deputy director of the Shenzhen Luohu District Development and Reform Bureau,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3262394/shenzhen-authorities-consider-building-new-luohu-co-location-border-crossing-hong-kong-allow-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3262394/shenzhen-authorities-consider-building-new-luohu-co-location-border-crossing-hong-kong-allow-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 May 2024 15:08:31 +0000 Hong Kong does not need a law targeting fake news as the media industry has improved and practitioners’ “self-discipline and professionalism” can curb the circulation of falsehoods, the city’s leader has said, confirming an earlier exclusive Post report. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made his position clear on the controversial issue on Tuesday ahead of the weekly meeting of his key decision-making Executive Council. It followed Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok’s revelation in an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3260008/hong-kongs-john-lee-strikes-proposed-anti-fake-news-law-citing-faith-practitioners-self-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3260008/hong-kongs-john-lee-strikes-proposed-anti-fake-news-law-citing-faith-practitioners-self-discipline?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 05:56:20 +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 am writing in response to the report, “Jockey Club to invest HK$140 million in lowering the cost of horse ownership” (April 11). I applaud the effort the Hong Kong Jockey Club has put into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3259894/hong-kong-jockey-club-could-get-its-high-horse-fractional-ownership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3259894/hong-kong-jockey-club-could-get-its-high-horse-fractional-ownership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Apr 2024 03:30:24 +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 MTR Corporation has seen better days. Lawmakers have pressed the rail operator to improve the maintenance of tracks and called for the government’s fare adjustment formula to include the company’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3259603/hong-kong-lawmakers-demands-mtr-are-bridge-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3259603/hong-kong-lawmakers-demands-mtr-are-bridge-too-far?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 03:30:20 +0000 Every dollar spent by the government is subject to public scrutiny, even more so in times of a sagging economy and ballooning budget deficits. Office spending by ex-chief executives is a case in point. As former heads of the administration, they are expected to spend just as conscientiously and responsibly as when they were at the helm. The ongoing vetting of the government budget is an opportunity for lawmakers to review public spending, and it has been revealed that total expenses at the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3259383/spending-former-hong-kong-leaders-begs-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3259383/spending-former-hong-kong-leaders-begs-scrutiny?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:15:18 +0000 Former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor needs an office to match her status and no suitable government premises were available when her term ended, the government has said in justifying the HK$5.67 million annual rent for her workplace. Director of Administration Millie Ng Kiang Mei-nei was responding to lawmakers’ concerns over a large expenditure of public money – HK$9.17 million – having been estimated for an office for a former chief executive in the 2023-24 financial year. “My... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3259227/ex-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-needs-office-costing-hk9-million-annually-match-status-admin-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3259227/ex-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-needs-office-costing-hk9-million-annually-match-status-admin-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:43:47 +0000 Operating expenses for the offices of four former Hong Kong chief executives reached nearly HK$21 million (US$2.7 million) in the last financial year, with about 44 per cent attributed to the workplace of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor who attended more than 700 activities in the past 24 months. The director of administration said on Monday that the revised estimate of recurrent expenditure for Lam’s office at Pacific Place in Admiralty was around HK$9.17 million, including HK$5.67 million for rent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3259105/annual-operating-costs-offices-ex-hong-kong-leaders-reach-hk21-million-carrie-lams-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3259105/annual-operating-costs-offices-ex-hong-kong-leaders-reach-hk21-million-carrie-lams-workplace?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:12:02 +0000 It has only been three years since the deadly Yau Ma Tei tenement fire, which broke out in a restaurant celebrating Diwali and a birthday, killing seven and injuring more. Then-chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor vowed that the Fire Services Department and Buildings Department would inspect 2,500 buildings aged 60 years and older within the year for fire safety. Sadly, it takes the loss of lives and homes to catalyse change. The 1953 fire that swept through a Shek Kip Mei squatter camp on... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3258864/hong-kong-must-enforce-safety-rules-more-buildings-go-flames?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3258864/hong-kong-must-enforce-safety-rules-more-buildings-go-flames?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Apr 2024 22:30:15 +0000