Politics

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...

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to enhance the city’s governance in public security and safety, and carry out systemic reform following the deadly Tai Po fire, describing it as a key task in safeguarding national security.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s remarks came after Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs, said people with “ulterior motives” had exploited the city’s deadliest blaze in decades to stir up social unrest and called for vigilance against national security risks.They were referring to the fire at Wang Fuk Court last November, which killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. A judge-led independent committee was established in the aftermath of the tragedy to investigate and is currently conducting an evidential hearing.“Once the [inde...

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has urged businesspeople to serve as the “main force” driving the city’s economic development by investing in innovation and the Northern Metropolis project, calling on them to demonstrate their patriotism through “concrete actions”.Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, also argued that people with “ulterior motives” had politicised the deadly Tai Po fire to stir up social unrest, urging residents to remain vigilant against national security risks.“Security at one point in time does not mean permanent security. Current stability also does not guarantee future security,” the senior official said in a video address at the opening ceremony of National Security Education Day on Wednesday.“After the Tai Po fire, people with ult...

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu visited one of the schools offering free after-school care for low-income families last month. After receiving positive feedback from participants, he pledged to extend the programme to benefit more families. Lee said it had helped promote family harmony, with children also reporting “positive development in both academic and social aspects”.There’s little doubt we should celebrate victories, however small, but it is equally important to examine problems comprehensively. The School-based After-School Care Service Scheme, as it is officially known, is a targeted poverty alleviation measure. It aims to help families struggling with childcare and unable to work longer hours and earn more income.In tackling poverty, this is only one of many measures t...

When the unthinkable becomes normal, stability becomes the new premium – and Hong Kong is well positioned. The world we thought we understood even two years ago no longer exists. We are living through a period of disruption that, until recently, would have seemed unthinkable.Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the US-Israel war against Iran are reshaping long-held assumptions about energy, security and alliances. Trade is being reordered through tariffs, industrial policy and geopolitics. Technology systems and supply chains are fragmenting. At the same time, major economies are experiencing deep internal divisions that affect their policy direction and global posture.This is not simply volatility – it is structural change. Crucially, it is happening everywhere rather than being confined to o...

More than 150 Hong Kong civil servants were dismissed for serious misconduct or criminal convictions over the past three financial years, with police accounting for the largest number of cases.In a written reply to a lawmaker’s inquiry on Thursday, the Civil Service Bureau said 151 civil servants were dismissed for serious misconduct or criminal offences between 2022 and 2025, with the number of dismissals dropping steadily from 60 in 2022–23 to 51 in 2023–24 and 40 in 2024–25.Of the total, 73 were dismissed for criminal offences and 78 for misconduct. Police recorded the highest number of dismissals, at 44.The bureau said authorities would also revise the Public Service (Administration) Order and the Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulation to further optimise the disciplinary mechanism, ...

Hong Kong’s director of immigration will have his service extended beyond the retirement age until June next year, authorities have announced.The announcement to extend the term of Benson Kwok Joon-fung was made on Wednesday, a day before he reached the retirement age of 57.“The purpose of granting director Kwok’s service extension is to ensure a smooth transition in the senior management of the Immigration Department,” a government spokesman said.He added that Kwok had been granted an extension of service until June 30, 2027.According to the Civil Service Bureau, officers in the disciplined services can retire as early as 55, depending on their date of appointment.Kwok took the helm of the Immigration Department in 2023, following the retirement of his predecessor Au Ka-wang.

Hong Kong spent HK$1.13 billion (US$144.27 million) on the Legislative Council election last year, or nearly 35 per cent more than on the previous poll, with authorities citing rising technology expenses, staff salaries and venue rentals for the increased expenditure.In a written response to lawmakers’ inquiries that came to light on Thursday, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau revealed the revised budget for the Registration and Electoral Office for the 2025-26 financial year that included the costs of the preparatory work and voter registration drives.The HK$1.13 billion price tag, as shown in the document, represented a 34.6 per cent jump from the HK$841 million spent on the 2021 election, according to the office.It said the increase was driven primarily by higher spending o...

Singapore will explore opportunities arising from Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis megaproject and its coming five-year development plan, the city state’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said, stressing that relations between the two sides are “more important than ever” in a fragmenting world.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Friday that Wong’s visit – his first official trip to Hong Kong since becoming prime minister in 2024 – was indicative of the strong ties and friendship between the two jurisdictions and he hoped that enhanced cooperation could achieve “win-win” outcomes.Hong Kong officials, including Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, accompanied Wong to the Hong Kong park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technolo...

Hong Kong’s No 2 official has pledged to fast-track a new university town’s development following a visit to similar projects in mainland China, saying authorities will devise a strategy to attract top institutions from across the border and overseas to take part.Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and his working group on the university town’s planning and construction, which falls under the Committee on Development of the Northern Metropolis, concluded their three-day visit to the mainland after a meeting with Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, on Thursday.Later that day, a city government spokesman said Xia had offered guidance on the project’s construction.Chan, meanwhile, said the working group would push ahead with “enhanced quality, speed, and efficiency”...