https://www.scmp.com/rss/9277/feed Anthony Cheung Bing-leung is chair professor and adviser in public administration at the Education University of Hong Kong and a former secretary for transport and housing (2012-17). He was president of the Hong Kong Institute of Education until June 2012 and paved the way for its subsequent re-titling as a university. Prior to 2008, he was a professor at the Department of Public and Social Administration of the City University of Hong Kong. He is also a former legislator and executive... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Anthony Cheung Anthony Cheung Much to the relief of markets, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. The friendly meeting indicates both sides prefer a mode of “controlled” confrontation. The bilateral relationship remains confrontational, nonetheless. Some give and take on trade certainly helps to de-escalate tensions, but China has no illusions about the US’ fundamental hostility. Trump prides himself on his... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330915/china-will-find-its-own-modernisation-path-not-us-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3330915/china-will-find-its-own-modernisation-path-not-us-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 01:30:10 +0000 Anthony Cheung Anthony Cheung In his latest Bloomberg interview, former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman Stephen Roach said the escalating US-China conflict is providing Hong Kong with “more of an opportunity than a threat, as I had originally envisioned”. That was seen as a revision of his controversial remark in February 2024 that “Hong Kong is over”. Such pessimism was not the first of its kind: recall Fortune magazine’s cover story headlined “The Death of Hong Kong” in June 1995, only to confess that they were wrong in a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3313598/why-hong-kong-not-over-must-adapt-changing-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3313598/why-hong-kong-not-over-must-adapt-changing-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 01:30:08 +0000 After returning to the White House last month, US President Donald Trump is not simply doing the same things he did during his first term or undoing the policies of his predecessor. He is setting out to remake the US and the world order. In the name of efficiency, he allows Elon Musk and his acolytes to attack the federal bureaucracy. In the name of “making America great again”, he wants to unilaterally redraw boundaries, grab Greenland, make Canada the 51st state, control the Panama Canal, take... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298997/china-could-be-steady-counterweight-trumps-pax-americana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3298997/china-could-be-steady-counterweight-trumps-pax-americana?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:30:07 +0000 When Donald Trump was elected in 2016, some were shocked that a demagogue could win the US presidency. When he was defeated by Joe Biden in 2020, some establishment elites hoped a “normal” presidency would return. However, Trump’s electoral comeback signals he is not an accident or aberration in American politics. The New York Times considers him a transformational force reshaping the US in his image. Conversely, people and demographics can also shape leaders. Many Americans echo his conspiracy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3289010/trumps-america-reveals-inconvenient-truths-about-world-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3289010/trumps-america-reveals-inconvenient-truths-about-world-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 21:30:07 +0000 This month marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Looking back at history, China has trodden an arduous and sometimes treacherous journey over the past century to get itself out of misery and near-disintegration. There is no lack of statistics about the scale of social and economic transformation that has taken place since Deng Xiaoping launched the reform and opening up in 1978. Reforms have not come without pain, or twists and turns, especially... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3281487/theres-hope-chinas-economy-long-planners-can-let-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3281487/theres-hope-chinas-economy-long-planners-can-let-go?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Oct 2024 01:30:08 +0000 The assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump on July 13 will go down in history as a turning point in the coming US presidential election. Many people now expect him to have a smooth ride to victory in November. Still, Trump’s defiant image does not change the essence of this election, which cynics might denigrate as a choice between a senile US President Joe Biden and a liar ex-president in Trump. It speaks volumes of the degeneration of American democracy threatened by... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3270949/democracys-supporters-would-do-well-accept-it-what-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3270949/democracys-supporters-would-do-well-accept-it-what-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 01:30:09 +0000 With the pressure of enacting Hong Kong’s Article 23 domestic security law off, the government is keen to focus on restoring the city as a global hub, events capital and “superconnector”. It must be recognised, though, that reliving legacies is unrealistic. Some fundamentals have changed: the economy is ageing, the geopolitical climate is unfavourable and several advantages have been lost. Hong Kong has gained immensely from China’s economic reform and opening up, with local businesses among the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3261359/forget-past-glories-hong-kong-must-find-relevance-changing-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3261359/forget-past-glories-hong-kong-must-find-relevance-changing-world?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 01:30:12 +0000 The point of Hong Kong’s 1997 return to China under “one country, two systems” was to preserve its institutional vibrancy and international market so the city continues to thrive, play the role of East-West intermediary and contribute to China’s reform and modernisation. A quarter of a century later, the “two systems” advantage seems to be under threat. Some international media have even portrayed Hong Kong as facing an existential crisis. The economy is not rebounding as expected after its... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246766/hong-kong-must-defend-two-systems-advantages-make-it-special?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3246766/hong-kong-must-defend-two-systems-advantages-make-it-special?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jan 2024 21:30:17 +0000 The theme of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s second policy address was “A vibrant economy for a caring community” and more than one-fifth of the speech was devoted to consolidating Hong Kong’s advantages and building a diversified economy. A range of measures were set out – to raise competitiveness, grow the innovation and technology ecosystem, attract companies to redomicile in the city, attract and retain talent, revitalise tourism, and press ahead with the Northern Metropolis as the new... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239933/economic-crossroads-hong-kong-needs-proactive-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3239933/economic-crossroads-hong-kong-needs-proactive-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Nov 2023 21:30:11 +0000 Singapore recently hosted the Formula One Grand Prix weekend, the highlight of which was the night race on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Lion City originally held races from 1961 to 1973, and the event returned in 2008, rebranded to showcase the vibrant city at night. The 14 races since have attracted around 1 billion viewers worldwide. Accompanied by major performances and events, F1 brings the city state immeasurable image benefits and tourism receipts. In contrast, Hong Kong’s tourism,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235577/hong-kongs-colour-fading-while-singapore-and-shenzhen-shine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3235577/hong-kongs-colour-fading-while-singapore-and-shenzhen-shine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Sep 2023 01:30:13 +0000 The telling of a good Hong Kong story can no longer rely on past scripts because circumstances have changed. Hong Kong’s rise from a trading outpost to a global financial hub was an economic miracle. In the good old days, the city enjoyed the best of both worlds: part of China yet distinctly different under “one country, two systems”. It was valued by Beijing for its global prominence, and by the world as a major gateway to mainland China and the rest of Asia. Today, the city has become uptight... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230558/hong-kong-20-must-deliver-certainty-and-hope-amid-us-china-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3230558/hong-kong-20-must-deliver-certainty-and-hope-amid-us-china-volatility?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:15:09 +0000 Institutional change is often characterised by path dependence. However, the passage of major changes to the electoral system by the National People’s Congress on March 11 seems to have taken Hong Kong’s constitutional development away from its past trajectory. The road map and timetable Beijing promulgated in December 2007 could have allowed Hongkongers to directly elect their chief executive in 2017, based on the nomination mechanism prescribed by the Basic Law. It flopped because of the 2014... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3125437/electoral-reform-time-hong-kongs-democrats-reinvent-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3125437/electoral-reform-time-hong-kongs-democrats-reinvent-themselves?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Mar 2021 22:45:14 +0000 A pandemic can make or break a government and its leader. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won the October election by a landslide because of her “go hard, go early” approach in effectively eliminating the local spread of Covid-19 after a second lockdown. In contrast, US President Donald Trump might have won his second term if not for his dismal Covid-19 performance. Brad Parscale, a campaign adviser, reportedly told him, “Sir, regardless, this [coronavirus] is coming. It’s the only... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3114794/hong-kong-fourth-wave-time-and-trust-short-supply-carrie-lams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3114794/hong-kong-fourth-wave-time-and-trust-short-supply-carrie-lams?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Dec 2020 22:45:11 +0000 In the 1960s, the Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front), formed by the expelled left-wing members of the governing People’s Action Party (PAP), led by Lee Kuan Yew, was once a formidable political force in Singapore. But it made a major strategic mistake by not taking part in the 1968 general election, allowing the PAP to grab all the parliamentary seats. Since then, the PAP has become the entrenched ruling party, winning every election. Barisan was unable to make a political comeback and finally... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3110021/oppositions-departure-hong-kong-legislature-signals-end-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3110021/oppositions-departure-hong-kong-legislature-signals-end-era?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Nov 2020 01:15:07 +0000 On October 1 last year, when the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China was celebrated, Hong Kong experienced one of its most violent and chaotic days. At the end of the month, the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee pledged to govern the city in strict accordance with the constitution and Basic Law and to establish a sound legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security. That marked a major turning point for Hong Kong. Central supervision of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105134/how-hong-kong-and-beijing-can-pick-pieces-after-months-tumult?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3105134/how-hong-kong-and-beijing-can-pick-pieces-after-months-tumult?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:30:06 +0000 On reflection, post-1997 Hong Kong charts the history of an uphill battle for democracy. To many, we now seem to be back at square one. The Basic Law allows for the transition from a partial democracy to full electoral democracy, subject to constitutional review and consensus. This laid the ground for a continuous tug of war between the pan-democratic camp demanding “double universal suffrage” – for electing both the chief executive and the legislature – and Beijing insisting on gradual change... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3096838/hong-kong-needs-win-democratic-progress-however-small?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3096838/hong-kong-needs-win-democratic-progress-however-small?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2020 22:15:15 +0000 The extradition controversy that exploded last June was like Mrs O’Leary’s cow, which ran amok, caused a fire in the family barn and apparently led to the Great Chicago Fire of October 1871. Hong Kong is ‘burning’, with some radical protesters chanting: “If we burn, you burn with us”, taken from Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games: Mockingjay. Considering the city on the verge of breakdown, the National People’s Congress took the unexpected step of approving a national security law, causing local and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086829/national-security-law-how-burning-hong-kong-wore-out-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3086829/national-security-law-how-burning-hong-kong-wore-out-beijings?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2020 22:00:11 +0000 As we mark the 30th anniversary of the Basic Law and reflect on the practice of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong this month, the city is at its gravest juncture in contemporary history.  It is not only because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is turning the world upside down. With nations and cities resorting to lockdown to contain the virus spread, social and economic activities have slowed quickly. Economic recession is unfolding worldwide, threatening the survival of many... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3078609/three-hard-truths-beijing-accept-if-one-country-two-systems-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3078609/three-hard-truths-beijing-accept-if-one-country-two-systems-live?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2020 23:00:19 +0000 Hong Kong was a major victim of severe acute respiratory syndrome 17 years ago with some 300 deaths. In the Covid-19 outbreak, an obvious question is whether it has learned from that bitter experience. Each time a crisis post-mortem examination is done, lessons are drawn and “normalised” through improved policies, contingency plans and standard operating procedures. In so doing, people hope that another such crisis will not recur. But there are several caveats. Nature seems to be playing games... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3074033/covid-19-one-lesson-hong-kong-has-yet-learn-sars-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3074033/covid-19-one-lesson-hong-kong-has-yet-learn-sars-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2020 01:15:11 +0000 Not since 2003 has Hong Kong been embroiled in a double whammy of a political crisis and public health scare. Back then, mass protests against national security legislation, coupled with the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak and economic recession, triggered an unprecedented governance crisis that ultimately led to the departure of then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa. Since mid-2019, a fast spreading anti-government movement unleashed by the extradition bill controversy has seen... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3048601/2003-sars-and-article-23-shook-hong-kong-governance-repeat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3048601/2003-sars-and-article-23-shook-hong-kong-governance-repeat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Feb 2020 22:20:16 +0000 Responses from the public and taxi trade to the Hong Kong government’s latest proposal on franchised taxis seem to be quite diverse. The public generally welcomes the new choice and calls for its early introduction, whereas some members of the taxi trade are worried about the impact of the new service on existing taxis. The government has been listening to views in the community. We first mooted the idea of a premium taxi service in November 2015, to meet the community’s demand for personalised... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2081145/hong-kong-taxi-drivers-should-welcome-premium-service-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2081145/hong-kong-taxi-drivers-should-welcome-premium-service-will?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Mar 2017 09:30:00 +0000 Housing is our No 1 social concern and the government’s top priority. Both housing prices and rents have soared over the years in Hong Kong, making housing increasingly unaffordable for the general population, especially the working poor. Following wide public consultation, the government announced its Long Term Housing Strategy in December 2014, with a 10-year rolling target of new housing supply based on holistic demand assessment. The latest 10-year supply target, for 2017/18 to 2026/27,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2056325/hong-kong-cant-solve-its-housing-problems-without-trade-offs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2056325/hong-kong-cant-solve-its-housing-problems-without-trade-offs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Dec 2016 09:49:00 +0000 Over the past decade, passenger numbers and cargo tonnage at Hong Kong International Airport have risen by 8 per cent and 5 per cent respectively on average per year. The number of flight movements has gone up 65 per cent, to 391,000 last year. Each day, about 1,100 planes fly to and from some 180 destinations worldwide, including mainland cities, making Hong Kong a global aviation hub and contributing immensely to our trade, logistics and tourism industries. However, the current two-runway... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1742054/risks-carefully-weighed-airport-expansion-plan-thats-vital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1742054/risks-carefully-weighed-airport-expansion-plan-thats-vital?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2015 09:51:18 +0000 Housing stands out as one of the most critical social problems haunting Hong Kong today. Our "housing crisis" is characterised by a serious imbalance in supply and demand, housing prices and rents at a level beyond the affordability of the general public and out of line with our economic fundamentals, the proliferation of inadequately housed households and subdivided units, and long queues for public rental housing. This administration accords high priority to housing. Our three-pronged... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1663580/trade-offs-are-needed-solve-hong-kongs-housing-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1663580/trade-offs-are-needed-solve-hong-kongs-housing-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2014 09:56:19 +0000 The government's new railway development strategy provides a blueprint for planning the expansion of Hong Kong's network up to 2031. It is based on a consultancy review of the 2000 development strategy, taking into account views collected in two rounds of public engagement in 2012 and last year. Seven railway lines, extensions and station schemes, at an estimated total cost of HK$110 billion in 2013 prices, are proposed - namely, the Northern Link and Kwu Tung Station, Hung Shui Kiu Station,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1596128/new-rail-projects-will-keep-public-transport-system-right-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1596128/new-rail-projects-will-keep-public-transport-system-right-track?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2014 09:00:45 +0000 The Legislative Council will resume the second reading of the Stamp Duty (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday. The bill, if passed, will end the extended period of uncertainty in the market over the demand management measures introduced by the government in October 2012 - namely, an enhanced special stamp duty to curb short-term speculation and a new buyer's stamp duty to raise transaction costs for everyone except Hong Kong permanent residents. The additional measure introduced by the government in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1429032/drastic-measures-necessary-stabilise-hong-kong-property?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1429032/drastic-measures-necessary-stabilise-hong-kong-property?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Feb 2014 19:05:01 +0000 This year marks the 60th anniversary of public housing in Hong Kong. It all started with a huge squatter fire in Shek Kip Mei on December 25, 1953. Then, in 1972, the colonial governor, Murray MacLehose, launched an ambitious 10-year public housing programme to house 1.8 million people in permanent self-contained homes. The rest is history. Public housing has facilitated not only upward social mobility, especially with the addition of the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS), but also the rapid... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1304113/hong-kong-must-grapple-question-housing-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1304113/hong-kong-must-grapple-question-housing-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Last week, four of Hong Kong's universities were ranked by Times Higher Education among the world's top 50 young universities (under the age of 50), affirming once again Hong Kong's status as a higher education hub. Indeed, Hong Kong possesses one of the strongest clusters of universities in the region. And, along with other rapidly growing universities on the mainland and in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, they constitute a booming East Asia belt that may well rival the greater Boston... https://www.scmp.com/article/1003026/worldly-wisdom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1003026/worldly-wisdom?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:00:00 +0000 What does the public make of the new administration under chief executive-elect Leung Chun-ying? There are those who continue to harp on his pro-Beijing background, reducing everything into the same old pro-democracy versus pro-Beijing struggle which has haunted Hong Kong politics since the pre-1997 transition. But things do not need to play to a doomsday script. Leung is certainly someone from within the establishment whom Beijing trusts. However, he did not emerge from the establishment... https://www.scmp.com/article/1001733/fault-lines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/1001733/fault-lines?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Ever since the election last month of Leung Chun-ying as the next chief executive, the central government has been urging reconciliation. Wang Guangya , the director of the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, advised Hong Kong to strive for reconciliation and unity now that the election was over, while Premier Wen Jiabao said he expected Leung's new team to unify different sectors of society - a point also emphasised by President Hu Jintao - and to foster the cohesion of minds on... https://www.scmp.com/article/999180/healing-hands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/999180/healing-hands?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Faced with many global economic uncertainties, the government has been urging the community to prepare well for the future. Let's begin with our demographics. Hong Kong's birth rate keeps on declining - down to 7.49 per 1,000 people in 2011 from 11.13 a decade ago, with the median age rising from 36.7 to 41.7 years. Life expectancy has improved to 82.04 from 79.67 years. It is expected that in 20 years' time, nearly a quarter of our population will be aged 65 or above. In the coming decades, we... https://www.scmp.com/article/997886/filling-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/997886/filling-gaps?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The chief executive election is over, but the more challenging and tumultuous part of the change of government has only just begun. Chief executive-elect Leung Chun-ying isn't starting from the same point as his two predecessors Tung Chee-hwa and Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, both of whom enjoyed a comfortable popularity rating of around 70 per cent when elected, as well as unified support within the pro-establishment camp. Public sentiment against the 'small circle' nature of the election, especially... https://www.scmp.com/article/996719/balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/996719/balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 One thing that all three chief executive candidates do agree on is the provision of 15 years of free education. They also support the implementation of small-class teaching in schools, though to different extents. Ever since reunification, the government has invested substantially in education. According to the 2012-13 estimates, education expenditure will still take up the largest share of public expenditure among different policy areas, in both recurrent (21.3per cent) and total terms... https://www.scmp.com/article/995299/critical-steps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/995299/critical-steps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The unfolding chief executive election drama has turned many people into sceptics of the system. Negative news is hogging headlines, and most disappointing is the lack of focus on, and interest in, the real issues - the many problems faced by Hong Kong right now and the policies needed to tackle them, together with the looming crisis of confidence in the government. There is a growing feeling that Hong Kong is regressing. A recent article by Hugo Restall in The Wall Street Journal claimed... https://www.scmp.com/article/993886/distracted-minds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/993886/distracted-minds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000 In his last budget speech as financial secretary in the current administration, John Tsang Chun-wah reflected on the necessity for fiscal discipline. He attributed the sovereign debt crises in some advanced economies to their lax fiscal discipline, and was determined to ensure the structural integrity of public finances in Hong Kong and keep adequate fiscal reserves for future challenges. But fiscal discipline is an unpopular notion in an election year, especially if the government has a lot... https://www.scmp.com/article/992595/bittersweet-budget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/992595/bittersweet-budget?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Over the past few weeks, relations between Hongkongers and mainlanders have suddenly gone sour. First, there was the protest provoked by the Dolce & Gabbana outlet in Tsim Sha Tsui stopping a Hongkonger from taking photos of the shop, but not mainland tourists. Then, the row was fuelled by a Beijing professor's rude comments - amid a war of words between angry netizens on both sides over a mainlander eating on the MTR - that some Hong Kong people were dogs. These may well be isolated... https://www.scmp.com/article/991305/pain-integration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/991305/pain-integration?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A year ago, I wrote in this column that 'as Hong Kong aspires to be a regional education hub, we should rethink the essence of university education and ask: what kind of excellence do we want to groom?' At a recent presidents' summit convened by the University of Hong Kong, in celebration of its centenary, participating university leaders explored the future of universities. I co-chaired the panel discussion on 'Mass Education vs Elite Education' and it was astounding as to the level of... https://www.scmp.com/article/989738/degrees-diversity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/989738/degrees-diversity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000 'This city is dying, you know.' Thus goes a popular quote from a Cantonese TV soap opera. And the sensational condemnation seems to resonate with the public after the fire in shopping booths in Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok, in the early hours of November 30, that caused nine deaths and 34 injuries in nearby buildings full of subdivided units. The government's post-disaster relief and enforcement actions were swift, but these cannot substitute for a policy rethink. Less than two years ago, on... https://www.scmp.com/article/987640/downside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/987640/downside?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000 It is no coincidence that the candidates for the coming chief executive election have embraced an education agenda and have attended forums organised by education groups. Education matters, for it determines not only our city's competitiveness, but also the quality of our citizenry. Nowadays, international comparisons and league tables have become common, and countries and cities are too ready to look to others for inspiration and policies. Hong Kong is no exception. Without playing down... https://www.scmp.com/article/986270/value-learning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/986270/value-learning?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 There have been various informed and speculative explanations for the rather astonishing results of the recent district council elections. They were astonishing not only because the pro-establishment camp snatched a majority of the contested seats and the pan-democrats, by all reckoning, suffered a serious setback, but also because the voter turnout was much higher than forecast yet it did not benefit the pan-democrats as conventional wisdom dictated. Many post hoc commentaries have said... https://www.scmp.com/article/984836/rational-choice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/984836/rational-choice?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 One of the less widely acknowledged major constitutional changes in Hong Kong following the 1997 reunification was the introduction of the ministerial system in mid-2002. In May 2008, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen added two more layers of politically appointed officials - undersecretaries and political assistants. The public, used to a government run by civil servants during the colonial regime, has not been totally at ease with the new political appointees whose role is perceived to... https://www.scmp.com/article/983610/third-force?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/983610/third-force?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000 It all started with People Power legislator Wong Yuk-man challenging Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen over the appointment of Chief Secretary Stephen Lam Sui-lung. Grilling him about political ethics, Wong appeared to accuse Tsang of 'political incest', to which Tsang responded that this was 'thug-like' behaviour. The heated exchange led to Legco President Tsang Yok-sing ejecting from the chamber both Wong and 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung, who hurled an egg at the chief executive before... https://www.scmp.com/article/982230/cheap-theatrics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/982230/cheap-theatrics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000 It now appears almost certain that there will be at least two candidates from the establishment camp to contest the next chief executive election. The pan- democrats, meanwhile, are also contemplating fielding a candidate. This is a step forward from previous elections. The last one, in 2007, was the first time the pan-democrats were able to secure enough nominations within the Election Committee to send Alan Leong Kah-kit of the Civic Party to challenge incumbent Chief Executive Donald... https://www.scmp.com/article/980915/test-mettle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/980915/test-mettle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000 For many educationalists and professors, it was very discouraging to read the headline of a recent commentary in this paper, 'The last thing Hong Kong needs is more education'. Why is more education a bad thing? There seem to be two sceptical views: first, education costs money and academics and teachers only keep on saying, 'Gimme more money'; second, education does not help the real world. While money does not work miracles (as the saying goes, any problem that money can solve is not a... https://www.scmp.com/article/979594/beyond-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/979594/beyond-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 The visit by Vice-Premier Li Keqiang last month should have given Hong Kong a big boost if not for the controversy surrounding the police's security control and the subsequent outcry about reduced freedom of expression. While allegations will be investi- gated, let's look at the visit more holistically. Announcing 36 measures to support Hong Kong's economy at a forum on the national 12th five-year plan, to strengthen its role in the internationalisation of the renminbi and to further open... https://www.scmp.com/article/978319/position-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/978319/position-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000 As the Chinese Communist Party celebrates its 90th anniversary, there has been much nostalgia about the good old revolutionary days. Movies about the founding of the party describe how a group of energetic and idealistic youths got together to start a movement that, despite all odds, transformed the nation and shocked the world. In the process, many sacrificed their lives for their beliefs. Today, 1921 and 1949 are probably yester-years to be remembered only as history, as the post-revolution... https://www.scmp.com/article/974490/sage-reflections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/974490/sage-reflections?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Ever since reunification in 1997, Hong Kong has been haunted by a crisis of governance. Whoever is in government, and whatever the government does, suffers from the 'original sin' of lacking the democratic legitimacy conferred by universal suffrage. Sceptics and critics often doubt the government's motives, suspecting it to be doing the bidding of the central government or big business and developers. It becomes worse when livelihood issues get embroiled in such a political quagmire. It is... https://www.scmp.com/article/973258/missing-link?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/973258/missing-link?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Do we need a third runway for Hong Kong International Airport? Twenty years ago, a similar question was asked: do we need a new international airport? The then British administration's airport and core infrastructure plan - dubbed a 'rose garden' - was ridiculed for being too ambitious and criticised for being too lavish as it entailed the construction of a man-made island, making the new airport one of the most expensive in the world. I served on the New Airport Consultative Committee at that... https://www.scmp.com/article/972156/no-denying-connectivity-fuels-hong-kongs-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/972156/no-denying-connectivity-fuels-hong-kongs-success?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Land sale prices continue to hit new heights - good for developers and the government treasury, but certainly a great worry to those already facing high rents and housing prices as their wages lag further behind. Affordability, as measured by the ratio of mortgage payments to income, stood at 48 per cent in the first quarter of this year, double that of five years ago. According to the CEIC database, Hong Kong's property price index has been growing at a much faster pace than the index for... https://www.scmp.com/article/970572/out-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/970572/out-control?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000 As expected, the proposed introduction of national education in schools has triggered much debate on exactly what students are to be educated about. Critics and sceptics worry that it will become 'brainwashing', imposing government-mandated politically correct viewpoints on schoolchildren at the expense of alternative perspectives and tolerance of political dissent. Supporters, by contrast, consider it essential in inculcating a sense of national identity. Fourteen years after reunification,... https://www.scmp.com/article/969355/fair-views?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/969355/fair-views?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 May 2011 16:00:00 +0000