Publication
‘WE NEED PEACE’, XI TELLS KMT LEADER
Communist Party chief Xi Jinping and the chairwoman of Taiwan’s main opposition party both highlighted the message of peace across the strait as they met in Beijing yesterday, marking the first such talks between the sitting leaders of the two parties...
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Strait of Hormuz closed again over Israeli strikes
Iran’s reclosure of the Strait of Hormuz has strained its tenuous ceasefire with the United States but will not necessarily send the two countries sliding back into war, according to analysts. However, Israel was a wild card, they said, following...
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U.S. AND IRAN TO START PEACE TALKS
Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz under a ceasefire agreement with the United States brokered by Pakistan, as the two sides also agreed to start negotiations in Islamabad tomorrow for a peace deal. Hours after the ceasefire was announced, Iran...
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RESEARCH BODY SET TO RAMP UP ‘A.I. FOR ALL’
A new research institute in Hong Kong is set to ramp up efforts to develop “AI for all” as early as this month, mapping out a strategy to strengthen the government’s capabilities while ensuring all residents and sectors benefit from the technology, a...
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City’s restaurant revenues drop over Easter break
Hong Kong’s catering sector registered an estimated 6 to 7 per cent drop in business over the long weekend, according to an industry representative, as potential gains from the 15 per cent increase in mainland Chinese tourists on the first three days...
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Thousands brave storm to sweep tombs
Thousands of Hongkongers braved heavy rains to sweep tombs during the Ching Ming Festival yesterday, with some Wang Fuk Court residents returning to the fire-ravaged housing estate to mourn the victims. The spring trek to graveyards around the city...
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Shenzhen draws droves over the border
Hongkongers crossed the border into Shenzhen in droves on the second day of the Easter holiday yesterday, drawn by a wider range of bargain-priced shopping, dining and entertainment options, as well as new landmark attractions including a futuristic...
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More than 685,000 leave HK for the Easter exodus
More than 685,000 residents left Hong Kong as the Easter break got under way yesterday, even as some said ongoing geopolitical tensions had made them more cautious about making future travel plans. An industry leader noted that more Hongkongers had...
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TRUMP HAILS ‘VICTORIES’ BUT VOWS MORE STRIKES ON IRAN
US President Donald Trump declared the US-Israel war against Iran had delivered “decisive, overwhelming victories”, even as he signalled that key military objectives were still “nearing completion” and that further strikes could inflict heavy damage on...
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STAFF BROKE RULES BY TURNING OFF ESTATE FIRE SAFETY SYSTEM
Staff at the property management company at inferno-ravaged Wang Fuk Court housing estate acted with disregard for legal requirements, taking such actions as deactivating the fire safety system despite knowing they needed a registered contractor to do...
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ESTATE FIRM CLERK UNAWARE OF DEACTIVATED FIRE ALARMS
A property management worker at the housing estate ravaged by the city’s deadliest fire in decades was unaware that fire alarms had been deactivated after the hose reel system was shut down for water tank repairs, an evidentiary hearing has been...
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NEW CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS CHIEF TO LEAD FIVE-YEAR PLAN
Retired civil servant Janice Tse Siu-wa has been appointed the new secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, with her top priority being the formulation of Hong Kong’s first five-year plan. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu yesterday said he...
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HK ‘STABLE’ DESPITE VOLATILE OIL PRICES
Hong Kong authorities are closely monitoring the war in the Middle East sparked by the US-Israel attack on Iran and the resulting volatility in global oil prices, although the immediate impact on the city’s economy remains limited, Financial Secretary...
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BIG BOOST FOR YACHT TOURISM WITH NEW 200-BERTH MARINA
A section of Hong Kong Island’s southwest coast at Aberdeen will be revamped into a new marina with 200 berths, a clubhouse and about 250 private flats by 2032 as part of government efforts to boost yacht tourism. The Development Bureau yesterday said...
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HK MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO DENY DEVICE PASSWORDS
Hongkongers who refuse to provide passwords for smartphones or other electronic devices during national security investigations face up to a year in jail under legal changes that also allow police to question organisations if they have reasonable...
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LI URGES GLOBAL OPENING AMID ‘RAMPANT’ POWER POLITICS
Beijing has urged global commitment to opening up, while pledging to create more blue ocean markets in a world engulfed by protectionism. Delivering the opening address to the China Development Forum yesterday, Premier Li Qiang said “protectionism is...
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WEEKLY FUEL PRICE UPDATES TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY
and Hong Kong authorities will issue weekly announcements about changes in international and local fuel costs from April, following mounting suspicion that businesses are prematurely raising prices because of the United States-Israeli war on...
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Residents misled over renovation, fire inquiry told
Residents of a housing complex destroyed in one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires were misled into picking a convicted contractor for the estate’s renovation project amid “widespread” bid-rigging and other corruption in the construction industry, a public...
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TAI PO FIRE REVEALED ‘SYSTEMIC DEFECTS’
Contractors for a renovation project at the site of Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades got away with covering up the use of substandard material because of systemic defects in government supervision, a public inquiry into the blaze that claimed 168...
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TRUMP CONFIRMS DELAY OF HIS SUMMIT WITH XI
US President Donald Trump has said a planned meeting with his counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing would be delayed by “five or six weeks”, as China noted the two sides would remain in communication about the visit. “We’re working with China. They were...
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CHINA ‘COMMUNICATING’ WITH U.S. ON TRUMP VISIT
China yesterday said it remained “in communication” with the United States over President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, after Trump said he had requested a delay of about a month because of the ongoing war with Iran. “China and the US are in...
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CHINA-U.S. TRADE TALKS WRAP UP WITH TARIFF STABILITY VOW
China and the United States wrapped up their sixth round of trade talks in Paris yesterday, with the agenda ranging from a possible extension of bilateral tariff and non-tariff measures to investment. “China and the US conducted deep, frank and...
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NEW TRADE DISCUSSIONS UNDER WAY IN PARIS
Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Paris, as the two sides seek to pave the way for US President Donald Trump’s expected visit to Beijing later this month. The delegations – led by VicePremier...
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‘Shed HK-centred mindset to support the national needs’
Hong Kong should move beyond a “city-centred” approach that merely seeks Beijing’s policy support and instead take steps to align with national priorities by advancing the internationalisation of the yuan and supporting global expansion of mainland...
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HKEX OPENS DOOR FOR DIVERSE INNOVATIVE COMPANIES TO LIST
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) yesterday unveiled its biggest listing reforms since 2018, broadening its special listing regime for innovative companies and opening the door for smaller and more diverse firms to list in the city. The exchange...
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China-sanctioned Rubio set to take part in Trump visit, sources reveal
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit China with President Donald Trump this month after appearing to show little interest in previous invitations from Beijing, the South China Morning Post has learned. According to sources, speaking...
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CUSTOMS IN CRACKDOWN ON SMUGGLERS OF FUEL
Hong Kong customs officers have intercepted more cross-border vehicles suspected of smuggling petrol into the city as fuel prices surge amid the war in the Middle East. Commissioner of Customs and Excise Chan Tsz-tat said some had even increased the...
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HK Airlines to raise fuel surcharges by up to 35%
Hong Kong Airlines will raise its fuel surcharges by up to 35.2 per cent from tomorrow amid soaring oil prices driven by escalating conflict in the Middle East, becoming the first local carrier to do so. The airline announced on its website yesterday...
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CHAN STRESSES CITY’S ROLE IN DRIVING CHINA’S DEVELOPMENT
Hong Kong is not merely China’s testing ground but a key driver of the country’s development, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said, underscoring the city’s role as the nation’s international financial centre. Chan yesterday also said that Hong...
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Trump visit on track despite war, Wang signals
The United States and China could still have a “big year” in bilateral ties despite Washington’s strikes against Iran, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday, suggesting a planned visit by US President Donald Trump remained on track. Uncertainty has...
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XI SPELLS OUT P.L.A. MISSION: NO CORRUPTION, TOTAL LOYALTY
President Xi Jinping has again sought to shore up the military’s ideological defences, demanding absolute loyalty to the Communist Party from all ranks, just weeks after the country’s top general came under investigation for corruption. “There must be...
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Cathay repatriation flights ‘ruled out’
The Hong Kong government has ruled out chartering Cathay Pacific Airways flights to bring home residents stranded in the Middle East, given the potential danger of navigating partially reopened airspaces and challenges in securing take-off slots at...
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CHINA SETS CAUTIOUS GOAL FOR GROWTH
Beijing has set a relatively cautious yet pragmatic economic growth target for 2026 amid persistent domestic headwinds and escalating external pressures. A 4.5 to 5 per cent GDP growth target – the lowest since 1991 – was announced by Premier Li Qiang...
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NATION TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC RESILIENCE
China will focus on economic resilience as lawmakers gather in Beijing for the country’s annual legislative session – just weeks before US President Donald Trump touches down in the Chinese capital. Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the National People’s...
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MIDEAST TURMOIL ‘LIKELY TO SPARK BEIJING POLICY RETHINK’
The escalating crisis in Iran is unlikely to dominate the agenda at this year’s national legislative sessions in Beijing but is expected to feature in policy discussions, according to observers. Analysts said the turmoil could prompt a broader rethink...
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War continues to spiral as both sides launch strikes
Day three of the US-Israel war on Iran was marked by fresh barrages of air strikes, as Tehran unleashed retaliatory missile waves amid mounting casualties. China has been directly affected by the conflict. One Chinese national was killed in the...
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IRAN VOWS TO AVENGE KHAMENEI’S KILLING
Iran moved swiftly to fill a power void following the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in American and Israeli air strikes over the weekend, with the Middle East bracing for more conflict. Yesterday’s confirmation of Khamenei’s...
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TRUMP CALLS ON IRANIAN PEOPLE TO RISE UP
Donald Trump called on the Iranian people to overthrow their government after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran early yesterday in what the US president described as “major combat operations”. “We are going to destroy [Iran’s]...
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Nine housing sites to be offered under city land sale plan
Hong Kong will offer nine residential sites to developers under the government’s land sale programme for the coming financial year, providing about 6,650 flats, after authorities said in the latest budget that the property market had...
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HKEX AIMS TO SPEED UP DRIVE FOR LISTINGS
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) will roll out a broad package of market reforms aimed at attracting more international listings and expanding into fixed income, commodities and other asset classes over the coming years, its CEO has...
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PAUL CHAN BETS BIG ON INNOVATION AND A.I.
Hong Kong is betting big on innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) and redoubling its focus on its international financial centre role as it aligns its economic future with the country’s development goals, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said...
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TECH HUB ‘TO GET BIG BOOST’ IN FUNDING
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will earmark substantial funds for a new innovation hub near the border and include incentives to attract more aerospace players to the city in his budget, government sources have said. Highlighting innovation as a...
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Court deals Trump weaker hand ahead of Xi meet
US President Donald Trump may find himself wielding less leverage when he heads to China in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that overturned his signature tariff policy, analysts and exporters say. They said the court’s decision could weaken Trump’s...
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Stocks and gold in mixed start to Year of the Horse
Hong Kong’s financial markets yesterday greeted the Year of the Horse with a mixed response, with stocks and gold moving in different directions on the first trading day of the year. Markets reopened on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, with the...
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Record day at races as tourists join fun
Hong Kong racing welcomed in Lunar New Year with the biggest attendance in seven years, booming visitor numbers and officials hailing “a fantastic start” to the Year of the Horse. A bumper crowd of more than 92,000 descended on Sha Tin Racecourse...
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CITY PUTS ON DAZZLING DISPLAY TO GREET SURGE IN VISITORS
Visitor numbers to the city on the first two days of Lunar New Year are at least 8 per cent higher than in 2025, with yesterday’s fireworks display boosting momentum further as tens of thousands of spectators lined both sides of Victoria Harbour for...
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Police hope to implement CCTV facial recognition this year, chief says
Surveillance cameras are expected to incorporate facial recognition technology as early as this year, pending the resolution of legal and technical issues, according to Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming. Chow yesterday also said the force would...
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RUBIO, WANG MANAGE GREAT POWER RIVALRY
The US and China sought to manage their great power competition at Europe’s premier defence summit yesterday, even as their top diplomats traded thinly veiled barbs at their respective roles in the current global tumult. In back-to-back speeches at...
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FACE CHECK SYSTEM TO EASE FLOW AT BORDER
A new clearance channel using facial recognition will be tested at one of the city’s checkpoints by June to cut processing time to five seconds, with immigration authorities handling a record 335 million people entering and leaving Hong Kong last...
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RULES FOR ENGLISH IN CLASS MAY BE RELAXED
More junior secondary school pupils may be allowed to use English as their medium of instruction (MOI), with Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin pointing to an improved learning environment, better qualified teachers and other developments...
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MTR SAYS SORRY AFTER RUSH-HOUR DISRUPTION
The city’s rail operator has apologised after items from a maintenance vehicle and damage to track equipment caused a 1½-hour partial suspension of the MTR Island line, throwing yesterday’s morning rush hour into chaos. Train services between Sheung...
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Jakarta hails strong ties with Beijing
Indonesia is ready to build on its “strong relationship” with mainland China, its top economic minister has said, while Beijing is committed to upholding fairness and stability amid global uncertainty, according to former Hong Kong chief executive...
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LAI JAILED 20 YEARS FOR ‘EVIL’ CRIMES
The High Court sentenced former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in jail yesterday for national security crimes, in what mainland authorities described as a “powerful declaration” that severe punishment awaited those who dared to challenge...
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Takaichi poised for election sweep, exit polls show
The ruling coalition of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has swept the lower house election, according to exit polls, implying a potential defence build-up as she doubles down on her stance on China. The conservative Takaichi, Japan’s first...
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Table for 1,600, thanks
The aroma of 140 hearty stews known as poon choi – meaning “basin feast” in Cantonese, that directly references the large casserole dish in which it is served – fills the air at a playground in Yuen Long yesterday as more than 1,600 residents enjoy an...
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RIDE-HAIL LAUNCH BY FOURTH QUARTER
Hong Kong’s first licensed ride-hailing platforms are expected to start operations by the fourth quarter this year, while authorities will further promote the development of autonomous vehicles as part of a transport blueprint for the city. The...
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FIRE INQUIRY FINDS EVIDENCE OF ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ LOOPHOLES
An independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades has found “key clues” pointing to systemic loopholes it called “unacceptable”. At the committee’s first meeting, lasting 1½ hours yesterday, senior counsel Victor Dawes said...
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Hutchison takes Panama dispute to arbitration
CK Hutchison Holdings has launched arbitration proceedings to challenge a Panama court ruling that nullified its right to operate two ports on the country’s canal, hours after Beijing warned that the Central American nation would pay a heavy political...
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RETAIL OUTLOOK BRIGHTENS AS LAST YEAR’S SALES EDGE UP 1%
Hong Kong’s retail sales rose 1 per cent in 2025 after recording a 6.6 per cent year-on-year increase in December, with authorities saying that improving consumer sentiment and growth in visitor arrivals would continue to support the sector. Figures...
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Calm before the storm
High-speed trains are lined up at a railway station yesterday on the first day of the annual Spring Festival travel rush in Nanjing, in eastern Jiangsu province. The 40-day period, commonly referred to as the world’s largest annual human migration,...
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GRADUATES FACING GLOOMIEST JOBS OUTLOOK IN FIVE YEARS
University graduates in Hong Kong are facing the gloomiest employment market since 2021, with the number of available jobs plunging by 55 per cent in 2025 and the average salary of new hires increasing by only 0.5 per cent year on year. A veteran...
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CITY ‘MUST KEEP CASH BUFFER TO HANDLE SHOCKS’
Hong Kong must maintain cash reserves to cope with geopolitical shocks and support long-term growth, even with a surplus expected in the government’s operating account this year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has said. Chan also said yesterday...
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U-TURN ON BUS SEAT BELTS OVER ‘DEFICIENCIES’ IN LEGAL CLAUSE
Transport authorities will repeal a law that took effect on Sunday requiring bus passengers to wear seat belts after strong public criticism and the revelation that the rule only covered new vehicles registered from late January. Secretary for...
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XI CALLS FOR ‘NEW CHAPTER’ IN TIES
China and Britain pledged to deepen dialogue and cooperation in Beijing yesterday as their leaders met in a sign of warming relations between the countries. President Xi Jinping called for a “new chapter” in ties and British Prime Minister Keir...
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EXCHANGE FUND POSTS RECORD EARNINGS
The Exchange Fund posted its best annual gain since the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) was set up in 1993, as solid stock and bond market returns boosted the city’s financial war chest used to defend the local currency. The Exchange Fund’s...
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MAINLAND AFFAIRS CHIEF QUITS AMID PROSTATE CANCER FEARS
Erick Tsang Kwok-wai has resigned as Hong Kong’s constitutional and mainland affairs chief, saying that he has elevated prostate cancer markers in his blood and cannot cope with the heavy workload. State news agency Xinhua first reported the State...
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Number of foreign and mainland firms at record
The number of foreign and mainland companies in the city soared by 11 per cent to a record 11,070 last year, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu revealed yesterday. Speaking at the 19th Asian Financial Forum, Lee hailed the city’s “unprecedented...
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TWO MILITARY LEADERS FACING PROBE FOR ‘SERIOUS VIOLATIONS’
Top military leaders Zhang Youxia and Liu Zhenli are under investigation for suspected “serious” disciplinary violations, according to the Ministry of National Defence. Zhang is the first- ranked vice- chairman of the Central Military Commission (...
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