Politics

Hong Kong should leverage its experienced, well-connected China experts and capitalise on its role as a “superconnector” to share knowledge of the country with Asean economies, former city leader Leung Chun-ying has said.Speaking in Kuala Lumpur on Monday at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2025, Leung also highlighted the potential for deeper economic cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the country in financial and professional services, as well as science and technology.In his keynote speech to Malaysian officials, business leaders and diplomats, Leung said that after finishing his five-year term as chief executive in 2017, he spent on average 40 per cent of his time visiting various mainland Chinese cities to foster collabora...

Hong Kong will attract about 840,000 visitors and HK$3.3 billion (US$424.1 million) worth of spending in the first half of the year thanks to mega-events, the city’s leader has said, while also vowing to tap national development opportunities.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the line-up of mega-events being held in the first six months would generate additional economic value worth HK$1.8 billion.“Under the ‘one country, two systems’ governing principle, Hong Kong can enjoy both national and international advantages,” Lee said before his weekly meeting with the key decision-making Executive Council.“In the coming year, Hong Kong will face both opportunities and challenges, but the opportunities outweigh the challenges.“We estimate that various mega-events in the first ...

Hong Kong lawmakers have expressed doubt about the feasibility of a government-proposed “opt-out” mechanism to protect copyrighted works from training artificial intelligence (AI) models, while one suggested the move may undermine the development of the technology.But government officials defended their proposals on Tuesday, saying they were “reasonable” and would help facilitate AI development in the city.Lawmakers had scrutinised proposed safeguards following the results of a public consultation on amendments to the Copyright Ordinance.The government received 62 written submissions during the public consultation on the amendments, including 24 from copyright owners or their organisations. The consultation ran from July to September last year.Officials said that while they did not deem it...

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, once the largest force in the city’s opposition camp, will discuss on Thursday whether to disband, a conversation that its chairman has described as “inevitable”.The party’s central committee would hold a meeting on Thursday evening covering a wide range of issues, including the future of the group, its chairman Lo Kin-hei said at a press conference on Wednesday to present its suggestions for the government budget, which will be delivered next week.A final decision would only be announced after it had gone through the general assembly, he said, stopping short of specifying a time frame for the whole process.“Of course, we should consult all of our members before we can actually come to that conclusion,” Lo said.The party’s future has been the subject of specul...

Hong Kong trade unions face more stringent scrutiny of their affiliations with external organisations under a proposal to expand the power of labour officials and align their operational requirements with national security laws.The Labour Department said on Wednesday that its proposed amendments to the Trade Unions Ordinance included regulating unions’ receipt and use of funds provided by an “external” force and their affiliation with organisations located in an “external” place.Under the proposal, “external” refers to places outside Hong Kong, mainland China and Macau, in alignment with the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. But joining external political groups would not be allowed.The existing law governs only the unions’ connections with groups in a “foreign country” with less s...

Hong Kong’s largest journalism group has been forced to “temporarily” cancel its annual fundraising dinner after a second hotel in a week pulled out from hosting the event, with the group’s chairwoman suggesting the venues had faced “political pressure”.In an email sent to attendees on Thursday and seen by the Post, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) Executive Committee said the Eaton HK informed the group a day before that the hotel in Kowloon was unable to host the event.The dinner, which was slated for next Monday, was earlier delayed by more than a week after the Regal Hongkong Hotel in Causeway Bay told the group last Thursday it had to cancel the booking due to “serious damage” to part of the hotel’s power supply causing an “unstable and intermittent” supply.The association...

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called on Hong Kong to deepen international exchanges and collaboration while faithfully safeguarding the constitutional order stipulated in both the country’s constitution and the city’s Basic Law.In the government work report he delivered on Wednesday, the country’s No 2 official also pledged support for Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability.“[We] support Hong Kong and Macau to develop the economy, improving the lives of their people, and deepening international exchanges and cooperation.”“We will ensure that Hong Kong and Macau better integrate themselves into China’s overall development and maintain long-term prosperity and stability,” Li said.He asked the financial hub to “fully, faithfully and resolutely” uphold the constitutional order outlined ...

Hong Kong’s finance chief is expected to deliver his budget speech on February 26 and is under mounting pressure to balance the books. The Post looks at the dilemmas involved and the political will required to address funding challenges in this series. Updated: 25 Feb, 2025

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, once a powerful opposition force in the city’s political landscape, will ask its members whether the group should dissolve after its leadership backed the idea and set up a task force to handle the legal steps involved.Chairman Lo Kin-hei said on Thursday the task force, to be led by him, would arrange a general meeting for its 400 members to make the final decision on the future of the 30-year-old party and handle the legal issues involved in liquidation.He stopped short of offering a timeline and also refused to comment on whether the party’s move was prompted by political pressure.Ten members of the central committee convened a special meeting on Thursday over its future amid speculations it would become the latest civic group to disband under the city’s re...

Hong Kong’s ballooning deficit has prompted authorities to pledge spending cuts and other measures in the coming budget to bring down expenditures and help balance the books.The city’s deficit has reached record levels in recent years, ranking highly among developed economies.The budgetary shortfall for the 2024-25 financial year is expected to reach nearly HK$100 billion (US$12.8 billion), more than twice of the HK$48 billion previously projected.As finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po prepares for his budget speech on February 26, the Post breaks down whether Hong Kong is facing a “structural deficit” and whether taxing top earners can help get the city out of the red.1. What is a structural deficit?A structural deficit is defined as a persistent shortfall in a government’s budget, regardless o...