Politics

Hong Kong should take a more proactive approach to removing barriers hindering the cross-border flow of people, capital, goods and data with neighbouring Shenzhen, analysts have said, as the new leadership of the mainland China tech hub signals a fresh push for deeper integration.The calls for action followed the appointment of Jin Lei, an economist and former official in Sichuan province, as Shenzhen’s Communist Party chief last month, succeeding Meng Fanli, who has since been named the governor of Guangdong province.Jin’s arrival coincides with Beijing’s push to accelerate Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis megaproject in the country’s 15th five-year plan, which guides development from 2026 to 2030. The Northern Metropolis scheme, first announced in 2021, aims to transform 30,000 hectares (...

The US-Israeli war on Iran has unleashed sharp swings across global energy and financial markets, fuelling demand for safe-haven assets, with Hong Kong emerging as a potential beneficiary across gold, property and capital markets. In this three-part series, we look at Hong Kong’s position as a stable ground despite the global turmoil. Updated: 20 Apr, 2026

The Hong Kong government plans to launch a public consultation this quarter on its first five-year blueprint aligned with national development, aiming to gather views on which policies to focus on in the coming years.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the five-year plan would cover areas such as the economy, investment, industry development, land, housing, transport and infrastructure, employment, healthcare, education and welfare, bringing numerous benefits including abundant development opportunities and enhanced competitiveness.“The five-year plan is of significant importance to Hong Kong’s economic and social development. It affects residents and all sectors of society, as well as overall well-being. I hope the public will take part,” he said.“The government’s prepar...

Hong Kong’s top-ranking civil servants will be held accountable if they fail to provide adequate support in policy formulation, the city’s leader has said, despite a new investigation mechanism that primarily targets department heads.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the proposed “Heads of Department Accountability System” was intended to promote self-improvement within departments rather than “picking on” individuals.Under the new mechanism, the chief executive, department secretaries or bureau directors may initiate investigations by the Public Service Commission – an independent statutory body that advises on civil service appointments and promotions – into “widespread, repetitive and systemic” management problems, or cases where department heads are personally impli...

A former director of Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) in Jakarta and Bangkok is standing in the United Kingdom local elections for the right-wing Reform UK party.Lee Sheung-yuen, who left government in 2023 after serving as the first director of the Bangkok ETO and concurrently served as director general of its Jakarta office, is now contesting a seat on Ealing Council in London.He also previously served as the government’s assistant commissioner for tourism and as administrative assistant to former commerce minister Gregory So Kam-leung.His candidacy was disclosed in a notice issued by the council’s Electoral Services Office. The election is scheduled for May 7.In response to South China Morning Post queries, a Civil Service Bureau spokesman said a rigorous mechanism was in p...

A year ago, after more than a decade in the United Kingdom and several years in the United States – including time working for the United Nations in New York City – I returned to Asia and arrived in Hong Kong expecting it to also be a leading hub for international relations.Hong Kong is often described as a “superconnector” between China and the world. Yet in one crucial domain – the study and practice of international relations – the city remains a paradox: globally connected, intellectually vibrant but structurally peripheral.This is not for lack of talent or institutions. Hong Kong’s universities host internationally trained scholars, regional security and Asia-focused area studies. Their research circulates in leading journals and contributes to global debates.And yet, Hong Kong has no...

Macau’s finance minister has resigned over “personal reasons,” prompting the city’s chief executive to temporarily assume his duties until a new candidate is appointed.The cabinet change took effect on Thursday after China’s State Council approved the removal of Tai Kin-ip from the post of secretary for economy and finance, in accordance with Macau’s Basic Law and the recommendation of Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai.Tai, 57, who only assumed the senior role in December 2024, said he had earlier submitted his resignation to Sam for “personal reasons,” according to a government press statement.“I will, as always, continue to care for and support the chief executive and the government in governing according to the law, and contribute to Macau’s various development initiatives,” he said.He also e...

A former lawmaker and doctor who was previously imprisoned for conspiracy to commit subversion has been struck off Hong Kong’s register of medical practitioners, becoming the first national security-related disciplinary case to involve the profession.In a ruling handed down on Thursday, the Medical Council ordered that specialist urologist Dr Kwok Ka-ki, 64, be removed indefinitely from the General Register, which took immediate effect upon publication in the government gazette.Kwok, once a member of the now-defunct Civic Party, did not attend the hearing and was not legally represented. The former lawmaker took to social media to slam the council’s decision.“I am not surprised. When teachers are barred from teaching, social workers are prevented from helping those in need, and lawyers are...

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has met the city’s No 2 official and finance chief in the capital to discuss alignment with the national 15th five-year plan, as the government prepares to draw up its own inaugural blueprint by the end of the year.The State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) said its director, Xia Baolong, held talks with Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po and the newly appointed Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Janice Tse Siu-wa on Thursday.They were joined by HKMAO executive deputy director Xu Qifang and newly appointed deputy head Zhang Dongmei, the first woman in the role since the office’s status was elevated in 2023.Photos showed a closed-door meeting and group shot at the Great Hall of th...

A statutory advisory body in Hong Kong will be given new powers as early as June to investigate government department heads over “serious, widespread or systemic” problems, as part of a broader push to institutionalise accountability for top officials.A Civil Service Bureau spokeswoman stressed that the new system targeted “implementation failures” by senior officials, but a union representative argued that major scandals often stemmed from flawed policy designs in which bureau chiefs and permanent secretaries should also be held responsible.The proposed legislation, submitted to the Legislative Council on Tuesday, seeks to grant new investigative powers to the Public Service Commission, an independent, statutory body that advises the government on civil service appointments and promotions...