Politics

Hong Kong’s leader has arrived in South Korea for an Apec economic leaders’ meeting and has pledged to share with other attendees the city’s policies and experience in investment promotion and artificial intelligence (AI) application.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who arrived in Korea with his delegation on Wednesday afternoon, is expected to attend an Apec economic leaders’ informal dialogue in the city of Gyeongju and the Apec Business Advisory Council dialogue with Apec economic leaders on Friday.He is then expected to take part in an Apec economic leaders’ retreat on Saturday.“During the meetings, I look forward to sharing Hong Kong’s policies and experience in areas such as investment promotion and AI application with government and business leaders from other economies,” Lee said ...

Hong Kong’s security chief has warned that encouraging people not to vote or to cast blank ballots in the coming Legislative Council election may violate the city’s national security legislation, pointing to such activities already occurring online.Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also said on Thursday that there would be swift law enforcement action against such conduct and criticised fugitive activist Ted Hui Chi-fung for urging people not to vote in the December 7 election on social media.“These acts are very vicious … I hope the public will understand the facts clearly and not be misled into illegal conduct,” Tang said.He said the acts could violate national security laws and the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance but did not elaborate.Former lawmaker Hui, ba...

An executive director of leading Hong Kong property developer Henderson Land has declared his intention to run in the coming Legislative Council election, brushing aside concerns about potential conflicts of interest.Another 33 hopefuls signed up for the Legco race on Thursday, bringing the total to 109 candidates, including Augustine Wong Ho-ming, who is vying for the seat representing the real estate and construction functional constituency.Wong was accompanied by Stewart Leung Chi-kin, chairman of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong; Adam Kwok Kai-fai, executive director of Sun Hung Kai Properties; and Frank Chan Fan, former secretary for transport and housing.Leung said the association would support Wong in the constituency race. All of its members are eligible voters.L...

The Panama Canal Authority has met key industry players ahead of tendering its US$2.6 billion plan to build two new port terminals, a move that a veteran Hong Kong political analyst says could ease an intense US-China rivalry over the waterway by diversifying the ownership of its strategic assets.The consultation, announced by the authority on Monday, came as the separate multibillion-dollar sale of CK Hutchison’s existing port stakes remained stalled amid broader frictions between the United States and China.The authority said it had “launched a consultation process with representatives of the maritime industry to identify potential partners” for Corozal terminal on the Pacific side and Telfers terminal on the Atlantic side.The list of invitees to the initial working meeting included Chin...

Hong Kong authorities will take a hard line towards any disruptions to the coming Legislative Council election, the city’s leader has warned, while noting he will send out a letter urging civil servants to vote in the December poll.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday also stressed that there was no “hard target” for the election turnout rate, but dodged a question on whether any government workers who did not vote would be punished.Last Friday, the central government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office shared a strongly worded commentary calling for vigilance against any attempts to jeopardise the December 7 election.It also cautioned that local law enforcement agencies would not “sit back and do nothing”.In the run-up to the election, 12 lawmakers aged 70 and above have announced...

Beijing has pledged to support Hong Kong in better integrating into and serving national development in the latest five-year blueprint while backing the city to become a high-end talent hub and enhance its law-based governance.The fourth plenum of the Communist Party’s Central Committee, which concluded last Thursday, focused on formulating China’s 15th five-year plan that will guide the country’s development from 2026 to 2030.In the full national development blueprint released on Tuesday, the central government pledged its support for Hong Kong and Macau’s “long-term prosperity and stability”.Beijing said it would adhere to the principles of “one country, two systems”, “Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong” and the city having a high degree of autonomy.It said it would implement the “patriot...

Hong Kong’s leader has called on the public and private sectors to encourage employees to vote in the coming Legislative Council election, describing it as their social responsibility.At a ceremony to launch the election process on Thursday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu urged both public institutions and businesses to encourage employees to take part in the poll, emphasising that voting was both a right and a civic duty.“I strongly urge all sectors of society, including various institutions, businesses, organisations and groups, to fulfil their social responsibility by encouraging employees to vote on polling day, and offering them support where feasible,” Lee said.“Civil servants as part of the government should lead by example, vote and demonstrate their support for governance, and b...

Hong Kong will identify its strategic positioning within the national development blueprint and proactively align with the country’s next five-year plan, the city’s leader has said.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Thursday that recommendations adopted at the fourth plenum of the Communist Party’s Central Committee – where the country’s political leadership deliberated on the 15th five-year plan – were of great significance and impact to Hong Kong.“Hong Kong will identify and focus on its advantageous positioning in the country’s development blueprint, proactively align with the chapters on Hong Kong and Macau in the 15th five-year plan, seize the significant opportunities brought about by the country’s development, and leverage its own unique advantages in national development,” he...

Hong Kong authorities have strongly condemned the “untruthful remarks, slanders and smears” in the UK’s monitoring report on the city, which claimed that national security legislation had diminished the city’s political autonomy.British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, in her report, also said it was “hardly surprising” that hundreds of thousands of people had left the city to places where “freedoms are better protected” as she reiterated London’s commitment to the British National (Overseas), or BN(O), visa scheme, which allowed Hong Kong residents to settle in the UK.In a statement published early on Friday morning, a Hong Kong government spokesman said the UK was not entitled to interfere with the city’s affairs, which were part of China’s internal affairs.He added that the UK continued...

Beijing has called for vigilance against any attempts to jeopardise Hong Kong’s coming Legislative Council election, warning that local law enforcement agencies will not “sit back and do nothing” in the face of such efforts.The central government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and its national security arm in the city vowed to crack down on any disruptions to the election in separate warnings on Friday.The comments coincided with the start of the two-week nomination period for the December 7 poll, with two of the city’s largest political groups starting their promotional efforts and their leaders saying they were ready for the electoral challenge.The Registration and Electoral Office said it had received 23 nomination forms for the poll – 15 from geographical constituencies, four fro...