Politics

Civil servants, from cleaners to policymakers, will need to fulfil their duty to identify national security breaches under new guidelines that will soon be released, Hong Kong’s security chief has said.Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said that even though Hong Kong had returned to stability after the 2019 anti-government protests, national security risks remained as Western countries continued to use the city as an avenue to blockade China.“External forces, like the West, in a bid to oppress us, will use Hong Kong for acts of blockade and suppression on our country. That won’t change under the current geopolitical climate,” Tang said, citing a white paper on national security issued by the State Council, the country’s cabinet, last month.The paper accused “external forces” and...

Hong Kong’s eight public universities have received about 850 transfer inquiries related to “sudden policy changes” affecting overseas higher education amid the Trump administration’s hostile stance towards foreign enrolments, according to the government.Authorities revealed the number of inquiries submitted so far following a meeting between university heads and the government’s Committee on Education, Technology and Talents on Thursday.Last month, the United States said that international students at Harvard University must either transfer or leave the country. Some Hong Kong students looking to study at US universities earlier also failed to secure visa appointments with the country’s local consulate.During the meeting, Chief Secretary and committee chairman Eric Chan Kwok-ki expressed ...

In the second of a two-part series on the national security law, we look at how the city has had to battle a negative narrative over the past five years. Read part 1 here.Soon after Hong Kong reopened in early 2023 as harsh pandemic restrictions were finally lifted, veteran lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee embarked on a solo mission to the West.Visiting Brussels to meet European Union officials in September 2023, she sought to explain fundamental political and legal changes in the city and how it would not be deterred by its critics.Beijing had reshaped the political landscape, first by imposing a sweeping national security law in 2020, then by introducing major electoral reforms to ensure that only “patriots” ruled the city.By then too, a dark shadow had settled over the city, blanketing mo...

Taking part in beauty competitions while serving as a public representative is politically and practically infeasible, a commentator and former contestants have said after the city’s youngest district councillor dropped out of this year’s Miss Hong Kong Pageant.Veteran political commentator Sonny Lo Shiu-hing said that he believed Sai Kung district councillor Angel Chong Nga-ting, 24, had faced pressure from her party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, to withdraw from the contest.Lo said the party was likely to be preparing to mobilise its members for the Legislative Council election in December.“Having a district council member suddenly run for the Miss Hong Kong Pageant does not look good for the party’s image and its preparation for the election,” he...

America’s outgoing top diplomat in Hong Kong has said he had little opportunity to meet local officials during his tenure, while also noting that the implementation of the national security law five years ago remains a source of friction.Speaking at an American Independence Day event on Thursday, United States Consul General Gregory May also confirmed an earlier report from the Post that he would soon depart Hong Kong to take on a senior role in the country’s embassy in Beijing.May, who was first posted to Hong Kong in 2022, said he was leaving with an “absolute super-positive” impression of the city, while acknowledging that political differences had continued to hamper ties.“I think Hong Kong is a great city,” he said. “What is not great is the policies of the mainland Chinese government...

In this first of a two-part series, we look at the workings of the law and how ‘soft resistance’ signals a next phase, and more importantly, as the focus shifts squarely to the economy.A year after being arrested under Hong Kong’s domestic security law, former district councillor and theatre personality Katrina Chan Kim-kam has not been charged but feels society has already punished her.Two theatre companies she worked with dropped her. An academic institution acted on an anonymous complaint and terminated her part-time teaching job, with no room to appeal.Earlier this month, she was told to withdraw from a play she had been rehearsing since April for its November opening.“The theatre company told me they had to ‘play safe’ to avoid trouble,” Chan, 38, told the Post.Chan was arrested in Ma...

The youngest district councillor in Hong Kong may pull out of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant after her attempt to enter the competition drew criticism for compromising her duty to residents, with the leader of her political party telling the Post she would be reaching a “thorough decision” soon.Gary Chan Hak-kan, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), said on Wednesday that the party had called on Sai Kung district councillor Angel Chong Nga-ting, 24, to fulfil her duties.“DAB has requested Chong to fulfil her duties and not let down the expectations of the residents, the Hong Kong government and everyone. I believe she will make a very carefully considered decision and announce it to everyone soon,” he told the Post.His comments came a day afte...

The youngest district councillor in Hong Kong is running in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant, with the home affairs minister reminding her to fulfil her public duties and leaving open the question of whether she will need to step down if crowned.The news of Sai Kung district councillor Angel Chong Nga-ting, 24, joining the pageant contest came to light on Tuesday when she appeared at Tseung Kwan O TVB City for the first round of interviews.Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said all district councillors needed to fulfil their duties.“Every district councillor, regardless of their profession, background or sector, must follow all the requirements of the performance monitoring system,” she said.When asked whether Chong could retain her post if she won the pageant, Mak said: “F...

All but one of the 21 Hongkongers who were in Israel or Iran have left those countries safely, Hong Kong’s leader has said, adding that escalating tensions in the Middle East will not affect the city’s efforts to develop markets there.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the Immigration Department had received inquiries from 21 Hong Kong residents who were in Israel or Iran as of Monday.“Twenty of them have already departed safely. The department will continue to maintain close contact with the remaining one Hong Kong resident and provide appropriate assistance,” he said, adding that local authorities would maintain close contact with Beijing’s foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong as well as relevant embassies.Despite the escalation in tensions in the Middle East, Lee said ...

“Soft Resistance” still definitely exists in Hong Kong, the chief executive has said, urging residents to remain vigilant as “many villains” are trying to threaten national security.City leader John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Tuesday that criticism of the local government was acceptable only if it did not intend to undermine national security.Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui earlier said that authorities would step up scrutiny in granting venues and funds to shows in guarding against soft resistance, fuelling concerns from the arts sector that her warning would affect many innocent works of art and hurt the city’s cultural scene.Backing Law’s remarks on Tuesday, Lee said soft resistance still “definitely” existed in Hong Kong despite the national security law be...