https://www.scmp.com/rss/6449/feed Ir. Albert Cheng is the founder of Digital Broadcasting Corporation Hong Kong Limited, a current affairs commentator and columnist. He was formerly a direct elected Hong Kong SAR legislative councillor. Mr Cheng was voted by Time Magazine in 1997 as one of "the 25 most influential people in new Hong Kong" and selected by Business Week in 1998 as one of "the 50 stars of Asia". en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Is Cathay Pacific Airways past its prime? Its recent performance raises questions whether this 78-year-old airline can drive Hong Kong in the race to retain the city’s status as a premium aviation hub in the Asia-Pacific. The Hong Kong Airport Authority recently raised HK$5 billion (US$640 million) in retail bonds to fund capital expenditures, including its third runway project. Public response has been overwhelming. But hardware aside, it is also vital for the city’s flagship carrier to... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3251045/crumbling-cathay-no-longer-flies-flag-hong-kongs-aviation-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3251045/crumbling-cathay-no-longer-flies-flag-hong-kongs-aviation-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2024 01:30:13 +0000 Beijing has announced a plan to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system, which goes against Articles 45 and 68 of the Basic Law. These articles state that the methods for selecting the chief executive and for forming the Legislative Council “shall be specified in the light of the actual situation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in accordance with the principle of gradual and orderly progress”. In both cases, “the ultimate aim is … universal suffrage”. However, Beijing’s reforms... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3125935/beijing-knows-judicial-independence-last-protection-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3125935/beijing-knows-judicial-independence-last-protection-hong-kongs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Mar 2021 22:45:15 +0000 China’s two sessions are taking place this week. Last Sunday, Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, met the pro-establishment camp and hosted a two-day seminar on how Hong Kong’s electoral system should be changed. His latest statements align with what he said earlier on the principle of “patriots governing Hong Kong”. Clearly, the central government is setting out new rules to gain full control of the Legislative Council and chief executive elections.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124006/hong-kong-electoral-reform-clearly-set-out-basic-law-has-pro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3124006/hong-kong-electoral-reform-clearly-set-out-basic-law-has-pro?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Mar 2021 22:45:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s latest budget will be unveiled next week. Despite calls for cash handouts and relief measures from both the pro-democracy and pro-establishment camps, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has signalled that they are not likely to happen. He has also warned that the city is facing a record deficit of more than HK$300 billion (US$38.7 billion). In order words, the government is reluctant to help Hongkongers through the difficult times. More outrageously, Secretary for Labour and Welfare... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3122162/hong-kong-budget-handouts-vital-tide-over-workers-without-income?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3122162/hong-kong-budget-handouts-vital-tide-over-workers-without-income?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Feb 2021 22:45:13 +0000 Hong Kong has gone through two chaotic years, roiled first by social unrest and then a global pandemic. The city’s economy is at a standstill, not just for private businesses but also public corporations like Ocean Park. Due to poor management, among other reasons, Ocean Park has been suffering losses for consecutive years. Its troubles have been compounded by the park’s temporary closure during the Covid-19 outbreak. The park’s operation was suspended for 237 days last year. The latest closure... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120482/hong-kongs-troubled-ocean-park-time-let-government-run-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3120482/hong-kongs-troubled-ocean-park-time-let-government-run-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Feb 2021 22:45:11 +0000 The British immigration scheme for Hong Kong’s BN(O) passport holders is due to open for applications at the end of the month. The scheme offers Hongkongers with British National (Overseas) status a pathway to become British citizens. BN(O) passport holders will be able to apply to move to the UK to live and work. After five years, they can then apply for permanent residency, and, after a year with that status, may apply for citizenship. In addition, the rules also allow family members of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118681/stripping-british-national-overseas-passport-holders-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118681/stripping-british-national-overseas-passport-holders-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 22:45:21 +0000 The passage of the national security law has put an end to “one country, two systems”. It is now expected that many middle- and upper-class Hongkongers will migrate to other countries after the pandemic dies down. With more people leaving Hong Kong, the political scene will change entirely. Recently, a new political party, the Bauhinia Party, was founded by a group including so-called “new Hongkongers”, or haigui – mainland Chinese expats who have returned from overseas. The party has said it is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3116802/hongkongers-leave-will-mainland-born-elites-take-more-prominent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3116802/hongkongers-leave-will-mainland-born-elites-take-more-prominent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jan 2021 22:45:16 +0000 This month, the National People’s Congress Standing Committee passed a resolution allowing the Hong Kong government to oust four pro-democracy lawmakers. Beijing said it had only broached the subject at the request of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. All of Hong Kong’s pan-democrat lawmakers have resigned after the resolution. The only non-establishment lawmakers who have stayed on are Cheng Chung-tai of Civic Passion and Pierre Chan Pui-yin of the medical functional constituency. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111464/neutering-opposition-hong-kong-legislative-council-wont-improve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3111464/neutering-opposition-hong-kong-legislative-council-wont-improve?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2020 00:30:10 +0000 Joe Biden has defeated Donald Trump in one of the most nail-biting elections the world has witnessed to become the next president of the United States. World leaders – including those from Britain, Germany, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the European Union – have sent their congratulations. The US election was fiercely contested, with an unprecedented voter turnout of around 148 million. Trump and Biden have so far received around 71 million and 77 million votes respectively. Trump,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3109543/hongkongers-must-not-misjudge-biden-and-future-us-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3109543/hongkongers-must-not-misjudge-biden-and-future-us-china-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2020 22:45:14 +0000 The results of the US presidential election likely will be revealed next week. Meanwhile, the election in British Columbia, Canada, ended last Saturday. Although the official election results will not be announced until all of the 500,000 postal votes are in, the counted votes show that the New Democratic Party (NDP) will gain 55 seats in the provincial Legislative Assembly while the Liberal Party and Green Party won only 29 and three seats, respectively. The landslide victory is an expected... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3107584/ndp-victory-reminder-canada-no-utopia-those-fleeing-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3107584/ndp-victory-reminder-canada-no-utopia-those-fleeing-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Oct 2020 20:45:17 +0000 With less than a month until the US presidential election, 14 million Americans have already voted. Even though US President Donald Trump tested positive for Covid-19, he has continued to put on a strong and undefeatable face for the cameras. In reality, though, he is losing ground and is going all-in to turn the tide. Throughout his campaign, Trump has mocked his Democrat opponent, former US vice-president Joe Biden, as a senior citizen who stutters, lacks energy and is always sleepy. However,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105623/us-presidential-election-hong-kong-democrats-need-not-support?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105623/us-presidential-election-hong-kong-democrats-need-not-support?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2020 20:15:10 +0000 HSBC shares have plunged to a record low, falling below the HK$28 per share price during its rights issue during the global financial crisis. While shareholders grieve, for many Hongkongers, the stock’s recent decline indicates the end of the Hong Kong-bred bank’s heydey. Both the global and local political climate have played a role in HSBC’s downfall. After the 2008 financial crisis, HSBC, which once went global with the vision of being “the world’s local bank”, met its Waterloo in the United... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3103806/beijings-attack-hsbc-blow-hongkongers-all-not-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3103806/beijings-attack-hsbc-blow-hongkongers-all-not-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2020 00:45:09 +0000 The removal of the phrase “separation of powers” from liberal studies textbooks in Hong Kong has played out in a similar way to last year’s extradition bill saga. The move was supported by Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, then endorsed by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah. In separate statements, the central government’s liaison office and Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office chimed in and gave the final word. The political... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3101903/hong-kong-must-reject-all-pressure-judiciary-do-governments-bidding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3101903/hong-kong-must-reject-all-pressure-judiciary-do-governments-bidding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Sep 2020 01:15:07 +0000 Under the national security law, “white terror” has descended on Hong Kong. On the surface, the city seems to be calmer than during the months of angry protests last year, but public anger against political suppression remains. If the government intends to patch things up with the Hong Kong people and restore social order permanently, an independent investigation into alleged police brutality must be launched. The city needs answers for major incidents like the attack on protesters in Yuen Long... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3100081/hongkongers-wont-tolerate-any-police-spin-yuen-long-mob-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3100081/hongkongers-wont-tolerate-any-police-spin-yuen-long-mob-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2020 22:45:07 +0000 The National People’s Congress Standing Committee has decided to extend the term of Hong Kong’s incumbent lawmakers for no less than a year, as a solution to the postponement of next month’s Legislative Council elections. However, it did not rule on the status of the four pro-democracy legislators who had been disqualified from seeking re-election. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said in a radio interview that the government hopes all serving lawmakers will... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3098109/legco-term-extension-poses-dilemma-opposition-lawmakers-they-must?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3098109/legco-term-extension-poses-dilemma-opposition-lawmakers-they-must?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2020 22:45:08 +0000 After Beijing forced through the national security law for Hong Kong, the ideals of “one country, two systems” and “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” have, for a lot of freedom-loving people, come to an end. A Committee for Safeguarding National Security has now been established, chaired by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, with Luo Huining, the director of the central government’s liaison office, as lead adviser. On top of that, Beijing has set up an Office for Safeguarding National... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3096272/china-must-not-force-hong-kongs-bno-passport-holders-choose-sides?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3096272/china-must-not-force-hong-kongs-bno-passport-holders-choose-sides?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2020 01:15:15 +0000 Since last year’s anti-extradition movement, the “if we burn, you burn with us” mentality has become the consensus of radical localists. Beijing, as a result, forced through a national security law for Hong Kong. Western powers immediately imposed sanctions related to Hong Kong. Overnight, some Hongkongers started panicking. Businesses like immigration consultancies and overseas property agencies expect to make a fortune as they think there will be another wave of migration to countries like... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3094377/why-britains-citizenship-offer-favour-hong-kong-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3094377/why-britains-citizenship-offer-favour-hong-kong-and-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jul 2020 22:00:05 +0000 The national security law, composed of 66 articles, was enacted in Hong Kong at 11pm on June 30. To many, this marks the end of “one country, two systems”; Hong Kong has become a regular city in China.  How do Chinese Canadians see this? Except for some Hongkongers protesting in Vancouver and Toronto, most Chinese Canadians could not care less. Some even think enacting the new law is for the best. Hong Kong people who want to win overseas Chinese support should accept this reality. There were... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3092476/why-hong-kong-national-security-law-wont-spark-third-wave-migration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3092476/why-hong-kong-national-security-law-wont-spark-third-wave-migration?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:00:17 +0000 The world has undergone drastic changes in the past year with unprecedented “black swan” events occurring. The US-China trade war, Hong Kong’s protests against the extradition bill, the Covid-19 pandemic, the death of George Floyd which led to the Black Lives Matter demonstrations – all have disrupted the world order. Fashion retail chain Zara closed down 1,200 of its outlets overnight. The global aviation industry has been brought to a standstill, and global commerce has contracted... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3090525/hong-kongs-third-runway-and-lantau-tomorrow-vision-are-obsolete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3090525/hong-kongs-third-runway-and-lantau-tomorrow-vision-are-obsolete?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2020 22:30:13 +0000 In the United States, the death of George Floyd has sparked nationwide protests. Peaceful demonstrators have taken to the streets, fighting against police brutality and racism. The Covid-19 pandemic and widening wealth gap have awakened the US to a severe class struggle. Protests have broken out in at least 140 cities, and some people have been looting. America is clearly facing one of its biggest post-war sociopolitical crises, and this will have a huge impact on the upcoming presidential... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3088579/george-floyd-protests-twisted-logic-behind-hong-kong-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3088579/george-floyd-protests-twisted-logic-behind-hong-kong-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jun 2020 01:30:04 +0000 The central government announced last Thursday that a new law concerning national security in Hong Kong would be tabled at its annual Two Sessions gatherings. The resolution has now been endorsed by the National People’s Congress, and the law is expected to be enacted swiftly. This, in effect, spells the end of “one country, two systems”. After the political bombshell was dropped, the Hang Seng Index fell by more than 1,300 points the following day. The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086482/beijings-national-security-law-sounds-death-knell-one-country-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086482/beijings-national-security-law-sounds-death-knell-one-country-two?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2020 01:30:06 +0000 Hong Kong’s economy has been severely affected by the anti-extradition protests, the US-China trade war and the Covid-19 pandemic. The city recorded its biggest-ever quarterly economic contraction since 1974, with a year-on-year gross domestic product drop of 8.9 per cent. The government has so far put forward a two-part relief package worth almost HK$30 billion. However, due to the political conflicts within the Legislative Council, some measures are yet to be implemented. If the government is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3084370/hong-kongs-economy-contracts-all-more-reason-tackle-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3084370/hong-kongs-economy-contracts-all-more-reason-tackle-housing-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2020 22:30:06 +0000 District Judge Kwok Wai-kin’s sentencing remarks in a stabbing case that took place in Tseung Kwan O last August have raised concerns about judicial independence in Hong Kong. Likening the anti-government protests to the Cultural Revolution and black-clad protesters to a “terrorist army”, Kwok expressed sympathy with a tour guide he jailed for 45 months for stabbing three people at a Lennon Wall. Kwok said the defendant was himself a “bloodstained victim” of the protests who had made an... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3082276/hong-kongs-rule-law-eroded-voters-have-one-last-chance-turn-tide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3082276/hong-kongs-rule-law-eroded-voters-have-one-last-chance-turn-tide?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2020 17:00:20 +0000 With the novel coronavirus outbreak sweeping across the West since March, Hong Kong has seen a second wave of the epidemic. There are now more than 1,000 confirmed cases, after imported infections surged dramatically in March. To contain the virus, the Hong Kong government has imposed measures. Besides giving quarantine orders to almost all arrivals, the government has also banned public gatherings of more than four people, and temporarily closed fitness centres, bars and other entertainment... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3080176/why-carrie-lams-coronavirus-relief-package-friendlier-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3080176/why-carrie-lams-coronavirus-relief-package-friendlier-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:00:17 +0000 The coronavirus pandemic has sickened almost a million people around the world, and caused over 47,000 deaths. Hong Kong and Macau, both adjacent to mainland China, were among the first cities hit by the epidemic. Macau has done a remarkable job of containing the virus, reporting only 41 confirmed cases over the past months. In contrast, Hong Kong has recorded at least 766 cases, with imported infections rising as people flock back from overseas countries. The Hong Kong government is to blame... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3078095/canada-contain-coronavirus-hong-kong-must-do-more-help-working?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3078095/canada-contain-coronavirus-hong-kong-must-do-more-help-working?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2020 19:00:11 +0000 Although the Covid-19 epidemic in China shows signs of slowing, in the rest of the world, the crisis has barely begun. With more than 200,000 confirmed cases in at least 145 countries and an incalculable number of asymptomatic carriers, the human race can expect a long battle against the coronavirus. People’s daily lives have been severely and inevitably affected. To turn the situation around, we must strictly and responsibly follow the precautions advised by epidemiologists and medical experts.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3075912/coronavirus-pandemic-offers-chance-make-world-safer-and-fairer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3075912/coronavirus-pandemic-offers-chance-make-world-safer-and-fairer?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2020 23:00:13 +0000 February 28 was the anniversary of the attempted uprising in Taiwan that had been violently suppressed by the Kuomintang in 1947. Coincidentally, that was the day Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the founder of Apple Daily and the media company Next Digital, and several former lawmakers were arrested on charges of taking part in an unlawful assembly on August 31 last year. Lai was also charged with criminal intimidation over a separate incident in 2017. These arrests follow those of various people connected... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3065161/why-increased-police-funding-and-apple-daily-founders-arrest-should?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3065161/why-increased-police-funding-and-apple-daily-founders-arrest-should?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2020 22:15:09 +0000 On Monday, three knife-wielding robbers stole 600 toilet rolls from a delivery worker outside a supermarket in Mong Kok. The coronavirus outbreak has clearly driven some individuals to foolish behaviour, but it is the one behind the steering wheel – Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor – who is fully to blame. In the past eight months, Lam’s administration has completely lost of the trust of Hongkongers. Caught in the “Tacitus Trap”, the government is so unpopular that it can do no right. The city is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051578/coronavirus-crisis-why-beijing-wont-fire-carrie-lam-botching-job?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051578/coronavirus-crisis-why-beijing-wont-fire-carrie-lam-botching-job?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2020 22:00:06 +0000 As the new coronavirus continues to spread, Hong Kong has been plagued by fear and panic. As of February 6, there had been 22 diagnosed cases – with two more preliminary cases – in the city, while hundreds who were in close contact with the patients or who have been on the mainland have been quarantined. Experts expect the outbreak in the city to widen in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the government has struggled to find quarantine sites. A proposal to use locations near residential areas has... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3049320/make-best-use-ocean-park-turn-it-quarantine-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3049320/make-best-use-ocean-park-turn-it-quarantine-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2020 22:00:08 +0000 A contagious new coronavirus – a Sars-like virus – is spreading in mainland China. On Wednesday, Hong Kong, which is one river away from the mainland, reported its first two cases. One of them is a 39-year-old mainland passenger who arrived in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station on Tuesday aboard the G5607 high-speed train from Shenzhen. He displayed signs of a fever at the port of entry and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further examination. In the second case, a 56-year-old local man... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3047359/after-sars-hong-kong-prepared-another-deadly-coronavirus-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3047359/after-sars-hong-kong-prepared-another-deadly-coronavirus-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jan 2020 22:30:04 +0000 The political turmoil resulting from the extradition bill has lasted more than six months. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has officially withdrawn the bill, but still won’t set up an independent inquiry into police conduct during the protests. Obviously, it is due to the strong opposition of the police, who fear liability for their violence. As police brutality continues, so the government continues to fall out of favour. According to the latest poll, only 12 per cent of respondents... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3045344/hong-kong-police-arent-even-doing-their-real-jobs-any-more-carrie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3045344/hong-kong-police-arent-even-doing-their-real-jobs-any-more-carrie?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2020 22:00:09 +0000 Hongkongers have raised five demands in their protest movement, including for an independent inquiry into police conduct. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has been reluctant to set up an independent commission of inquiry, arguing that the Independent Police Complaints Council can do the job. To enhance the IPCC’s integrity, the government hired five international experts to form an advisory panel. In fact, they were carefully chosen: they are pro-establishment, and highly reputable in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3043538/who-could-get-carrie-lam-really-investigate-police-protest-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3043538/who-could-get-carrie-lam-really-investigate-police-protest-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2019 22:00:12 +0000 The landslide in the district council elections last month was beyond everyone’s expectations. The pro-democracy and anti-establishment camps won 17 of the 18 districts, and 90 per cent of the seats by one count. They will now have millions of dollars at their disposal. Yet the pan-democrats shouldn’t let the triumph go to their heads. For one thing, the vote was more a protest against the government than a vote for the most capable district councillor. Also, some may have chosen to side with... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3041805/how-pro-democracy-camp-can-play-long-game-and-help-hong-kong-elect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3041805/how-pro-democracy-camp-can-play-long-game-and-help-hong-kong-elect?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Dec 2019 22:15:08 +0000 US President Donald Trump has signed into law the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and a bill banning the export of certain crowd-control munitions to the Hong Kong police. Beijing’s foreign ministry said the US decision was a serious interference in China’s internal affairs. The news came just days after Hong Kong held its district council elections. Despite the city being rocked by nearly six months of protests, the election on November 24 was peaceful, safe and orderly. A record 2.94... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039756/hong-kong-pro-democracy-blocs-mandate-clear-focus-community-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3039756/hong-kong-pro-democracy-blocs-mandate-clear-focus-community-work?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2019 14:15:30 +0000 The anti-government protests triggered by the controversial, since-withdrawn extradition bill are now in their sixth month. Following the mysterious deaths of two students, Chow Tsz-lok and Chan Yin-lam, the violence in the city has been threatening to spiral out of control. On Monday, protesters tried to stage another citywide general strike, blocking roads and obstructing traffic. Amid escalating violence, a student was shot by police with a live round in Sai Wan Ho, and a man was set on fire... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3037717/hong-kong-needs-new-chief-executive-and-new-start-let-it-be-john?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3037717/hong-kong-needs-new-chief-executive-and-new-start-let-it-be-john?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2019 04:00:10 +0000 The anti-government protests are now in their fifth month, and well over 2,000 protesters have been arrested, of which about a tenth are university students. Hong Kong adheres to the rule of law and we all enjoy equality before the law. While there is no doubt offenders should be brought to justice, under the common-law principle of presumption of innocence, law enforcers cannot prosecute without concrete evidence, especially for criminal offences. More importantly, regardless of the charges,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3035721/students-arrested-protests-are-innocent-until-proven-guilty-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3035721/students-arrested-protests-are-innocent-until-proven-guilty-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 01:00:16 +0000 A new session of the Legislative Council has begun and Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has delivered her policy address. Last week, Chan Kin-po was reelected as chairman of the Finance Committee after hours of filibustering by the pro-democracy camp. As the pro-establishment camp holds the majority of Legco seats, it is expected to manipulate the council by dominating the positions of chairman and vice-chairman of all committees. Hence it is a convention that, before Legco resumes,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3033346/save-hong-kong-pro-democracy-lawmakers-must-paralyse-legco-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3033346/save-hong-kong-pro-democracy-lawmakers-must-paralyse-legco-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Oct 2019 22:15:06 +0000 Widespread protests broke out in Hong Kong on the 70th National Day of the People’s Republic of China, after a rally on September 28 to mark the fifth anniversary of the “Umbrella movement” and an anti-authoritarianism march the following day. The protests went ahead, with or without police permission. Neither protesters nor police are backing down; instead, the violence has escalated. Molotov cocktails were thrown and tear gas and beanbag rounds fired all over the city on October 1. Police... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031384/brutal-hong-kong-police-creating-cycle-violence-protest-torn-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3031384/brutal-hong-kong-police-creating-cycle-violence-protest-torn-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Oct 2019 01:00:04 +0000 The protests in Hong Kong against the extradition bill have evolved into an unstoppable anti-government movement. There is no sign that any of the stakeholders – China, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor or the protesters – will back down. Hong Kong is again at a crossroads. Since politics and economics are codependent, when there is political turmoil, we can expect capital to be relocated.  Over the past 50 years, as Hongkongers worked hard to transform their home into an international... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3028079/mired-protests-hong-kong-should-brace-itself-takeover-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3028079/mired-protests-hong-kong-should-brace-itself-takeover-mainland?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2019 01:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s protest movement shows no signs of winding down. On Wednesday, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor finally addressed one of the key demands of the protesters – to formally withdraw the extradition bill. However, after three months of oppression – excessive use of force by the police, arrests of protesters, and mob violence targeting protesters – her announcement has not calmed angry Hongkongers. Protesters say the concession is too little, too late. Both Lam’s government and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3025844/hong-kongs-lion-rock-spirit-being-eroded-cathay-only-latest-victim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3025844/hong-kongs-lion-rock-spirit-being-eroded-cathay-only-latest-victim?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Sep 2019 01:30:06 +0000 Following the recent gathering at Beidaihe, a seaside resort where Chinese officials have closed-door talks every year, Communist Party leaders seem to have reached a consensus: tough strategies will be applied to deal with the unrest in Hong Kong. Beijing’s attitude towards the crisis has hardened over the past three months, and it is now warning of “signs of terrorism” in Hong Kong. It is no secret that the People’s Armed Police have gathered in Shenzhen. US President Donald Trump confirmed... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3023880/beijings-tougher-stance-hong-kongs-unrest-damaging-big-business-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3023880/beijings-tougher-stance-hong-kongs-unrest-damaging-big-business-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2019 01:00:13 +0000 Since the mob attack in Yuen Long last month, the anti-extradition protest has transformed into a massive anti-government movement. The alleged collusion between the police and gangsters has angered the majority of Hong Kong people. Civil servants and professionals from different fields have stepped up and protested against the government. When even civil servants are protesting, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s goose is cooked. If, in the end, Beijing has no choice but to intervene... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3021943/if-carrie-lam-has-any-love-hong-kong-she-must-clean-her-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3021943/if-carrie-lam-has-any-love-hong-kong-she-must-clean-her-political?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Aug 2019 02:30:13 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s tears and her announcement of the death of the extradition bill have failed to put an end to the political turmoil in Hong Kong, which has only escalated. Although the number of protesters who attended the march on July 21 dropped to 430,000, the rally was followed by clashes between the police and protesters. The police again fired tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray to disperse the much smaller crowd of protesters. However, that night, the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3020058/what-chinas-leaders-and-angry-hong-kong-protesters-agree-carrie-lam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3020058/what-chinas-leaders-and-angry-hong-kong-protesters-agree-carrie-lam?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2019 09:00:15 +0000 The eyes of the world are on Hong Kong’s extradition bill protests. The millennial-led demonstrations have matured into a global and unstoppable movement. Karl Marx said history repeats itself, “the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce”. This is not the first time Hong Kong has faced a huge social and political crisis. Fifteen years before the handover, Hongkongers realised that their way of life might no longer be preserved. Across sectors, there was a loss of faith in the city. The... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3018164/hong-kongs-political-instability-means-2020-could-be-endgame-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3018164/hong-kongs-political-instability-means-2020-could-be-endgame-one?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2019 21:00:04 +0000 Hong Kong’s extradition bill protests have caught the world’s attention. The scale and impact of the demonstrations are unprecedented in the city’s history. If Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor fails to defuse the political bomb immediately, she will no longer be able to lead the city. The demands of the 2 million protesters are clear. They have urged Lam to resign, and they want the government to completely withdraw the extradition bill, retract the characterisation of the protest on... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3016323/how-defuse-extradition-crisis-start-fixing-hong-kongs-social-ills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3016323/how-defuse-extradition-crisis-start-fixing-hong-kongs-social-ills?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2019 01:00:12 +0000 One million Hongkongers protested against the extradition bill on June 9, making it one of the most unified demonstrations since the handover in 1997. The scale of the protest might have exceeded the rally in support of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. Hong Kong’s political system is not fully democratic; its chief executive is selected by a small Election Committee. Before Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was elected in 2017, she claimed that she would step down as leader if she lost people’s... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3014323/if-extradition-bill-not-withdrawn-carrie-lam-must-resign-sake-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3014323/if-extradition-bill-not-withdrawn-carrie-lam-must-resign-sake-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2019 22:00:07 +0000 The turmoil caused by the government’s proposed amendment to Hong Kong’s Fugitive Offenders Ordinance has intensified. Last week, eight members of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China wrote to Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, urging the government to withdraw the extradition bill. Meanwhile, following news that local activists Ray Wong Toi-yeung and Alan Li Tung-sing have been granted refugee protection in Germany, the European Union also issued a formal diplomatic... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3012407/u-turn-hong-kongs-extradition-law-only-way-carrie-lam-can-defuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3012407/u-turn-hong-kongs-extradition-law-only-way-carrie-lam-can-defuse?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 May 2019 23:00:16 +0000 Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's proposal to amend Hong Kong’s extradition law that would enable fugitives to be handed over to mainland authorities has caused a huge controversy in society. The situation is getting out of hand as Lam insists on sticking to her decision and turning a blind eye to public outrage. The legislative process is at a deadlock, and in the heated row between pro-establishment lawmakers – who are determined to push through the bill – and the pan-democrats –... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3010463/hong-kongs-new-extradition-law-will-pass-fight-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3010463/hong-kongs-new-extradition-law-will-pass-fight-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 May 2019 23:00:10 +0000 Hong Kong’s real estate market is rising again. The most recent Centa-City Leading Index indicates that the second-hand property price has gone up for 11 consecutive weeks. The index shows a cumulative increase of 7.8 per cent, to 183.91, which is not far off last year’s high of 188.64. Clearly, the so-called “spicy measures” of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s government, aimed at suppressing property prices, are ineffective. They are nothing more than a paper tiger. Real estate... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3008542/vancouvers-spicy-measures-have-worked-lower-property-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3008542/vancouvers-spicy-measures-have-worked-lower-property-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2019 02:00:15 +0000 Hong Kong is sitting on a ticking bomb – a systemic crisis that could break public health care. It is a given that the government must deploy extra resources and train more local medical professionals. More immediately, the single most effective way to address the manpower problem is to allow more qualified, foreign-trained doctors to practise in Hong Kong’s public hospitals. Back in 2016, the government pledged to increase the capacity of public hospitals by adding 5,000 beds and 90 operating... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3006700/why-government-should-sideline-medical-council-and-let?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/3006700/why-government-should-sideline-medical-council-and-let?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Apr 2019 01:00:08 +0000