Politics

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 mainland Chinese enterprises’ global expansion, observers have said as this year’s “two sessions” came to a close.With the annual political gathering ending amid the widening war in the Middle East, observers also said Beijing would expect local companies to pursue investments that delivered “win-win” outcomes for national, Hong Kong and business interests. SCMP PLUS WEBINAR | Key Takeaways from China’s Two Sessions 2026SCMP PLUS WEBINAR | Key Takeaways from China’s Two Sessions 2026Align with national geopolitical strategyThe country’s 15th five-year plan approved during t...

When people picture Hong Kong, they often imagine a relentless concrete jungle – a vertical city where glass and steel dominate the skyline. Yet a quiet revolution is beginning to reshape how our city develops.Last week, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department jointly launched the Hong Kong Nature-based Solutions Design Guidelines. This landmark document signals a shift in how we think about infrastructure and urban planning. It shows Hong Kong no longer needs to choose between development and ecological conservation. Instead, we can design cities where nature and infrastructure work together – strengthening resilience, enhancing biodiversity and improving our quality of life.The government deliberately chose Long Valley Natur...

The Panamanian government has asked Chinese shipping giant Cosco to reconsider its decision to suspend operations at the Balboa port amid geopolitical tensions surrounding the strategic gateway and Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings.Panama’s Minister for Canal Affairs Jose Ramon Icaza told reporters on Friday that Cosco’s decision had caught the government off guard.“The Cosco issue has actually taken us a bit by surprise. All cargo is important, and certainly, Cosco cargo is important for us, for Panama, and we hope they reconsider, obviously, that decision to stop using the Port of Balboa,” he told the media.State-owned Cosco, which owns one of the world’s largest tanker fleets, published a notice in a local newspaper last week notifying its clients about the suspension without revealing ...

After the annual “two sessions” in Beijing, it’s clear that Hong Kong policymakers have their work cut out for them. It has been made abundantly clear what is expected of Hong Kong: stop messing around and get on with the national programme.Hong Kong is part of the nation’s plans to move forward. The country knows exactly where the city fits into the big picture, how it can catapult growth in key areas and play the role of superconnector between China and the rest of the world.The 15th five-year plan outlined the city’s task of building a commodity trading ecosystem, a high-quality supply chain service centre and a global talent hub. Beijing has reiterated its support for Hong Kong to continue its drive to not only be an international finance centre but to be the centre for shipping, trade...

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to align with national strategies outlined in the country’s latest five-year plan and transform the city’s “new positionings, functions and missions” assigned by Beijing into “tangible outcomes” to drive economic growth.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Thursday that he would lead the local government in fulfilling its primary responsibility to unite society in proactively aligning with the 15th five-year plan, which outlines China’s economic and social development targets for 2026 to 2030.“Hong Kong must seize every opportunity to align proactively with national strategic requirements,” Lee said on social media.“We will transform the ‘new positioning, functions and missions’ tasked by the central government into tangible outcomes that drive high-...

Hong Kong should step up education on Chinese history and culture while highlighting security threats to cultivate public awareness about the need to defend the country, experts have said, as the nation’s legislature is set to pass a law promoting ethnic unity.The expert’s comments came ahead of the closing session of the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC) on Thursday, which is due to pass the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress.The law aims to forge a strong “sense of community for the Chinese nation” and advance “common prosperity” among the country’s 56 ethnic groups.Among the draft law’s 64 clauses, Article 21 stipulates the role of Hong Kong.Article 21 states Beijing’s support for Hong Kong in introducing education on the history of the country, its culture and other nationa...

Hong Kong’s legislature will consider establishing a dedicated mechanism to scrutinise the implementation of approved bills and funding, drawing inspiration from mainland China’s law enforcement inspection system, according to its president.Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king also dismissed concerns that the city’s first five-year plan would undermine the “one country, two systems” governing principle, emphasising the blueprint would be consistent with the capitalist system and free market principles.Lee – also the city’s sole representative to the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the nation’s top legislative body – said on Monday that Legco could take a leaf out of the NPC’s book in adopting new tools to supervise the government.“In the past, after bills ...

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings has stepped up legal action in response to what it called Panamanian authorities’ unlawful takeover of the operations of two ports at either end of the strategic canal.The group, led by the family of Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, said on Friday it had submitted a supplement to its earlier petition against the Panamanian state for international arbitration.The supplement alleged that Panama continued to ignore the firm’s requests for communication while keeping the group in the dark about its occupation of the ports, property and personnel of its subsidiary, Panama Ports Company (PPC).CK Hutchison also said the Panamanian state made “various inaccurate remarks” related to PPC, which had aggravated the circumstances.“PPC continues to challenge the...

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 foreign airports, sources have said.The South China Morning Post learned that officials had also weighed the option of repatriation flights from Oman, but the absence of direct Cathay services made the route “impractical” because obtaining aviation clearance could not be guaranteed in a short period of time.As the US-Israel war with Iran stretched into a week, more Hongkongers returned from Dubai on commercial flights on Friday evening, including the Hong Kong women’s football team with 27 players via Bangkok and a nine-member tour group, after ...

Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang has urged Hong Kong’s legislature to deliver more “practical outcomes” that align with the city’s actual conditions and meet Beijing’s expectations under the executive-led governance system.Emphasising the importance of the executive-led system for the second day in a row, the state leader reiterated on Saturday that its implementation was not solely the responsibility of the city leader or the government, as he outlined his expectations for the Legislative Council.Ding, head of the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs, cited governance requirements earlier set out by Chinese President Xi Jinping in response to the “new circumstances” and stressed that implementing the executive-led system was a shared responsibility of the legislature, ju...