Politics

Hong Kong’s sports minister has expressed regret over her social media post about the former coach of the men’s football team made after their stinging loss to Singapore in an Asian Cup qualifying match last year, vowing to be “more careful” with her comments.Speaking on a radio show on Tuesday evening, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said her comments about Ashley Westwood were made from the standpoint of a fan rather than a government official.At the time, some people interpreted her remarks as an instance of a government official straying into the management of the local football team, she noted.“As a supporter of the team Hong Kong, China, if I did not feel frustrated, it would be abnormal,” she said. “But if I had known [such an interpretation would be m...

Authorities in Hong Kong have expressed concern to the Japanese consulate after a resident was struck on the head with a beer bottle in Sapporo, urging Tokyo to better protect visitors from the city.Thursday’s statement followed a warning issued a day earlier by the Chinese consulate in Sapporo advising nationals against travelling to Japan, at a time when relations between Beijing and Tokyo are at a low point.However, local tour operators said the attack was likely to be an isolated incident that would not affect Hongkongers’ appetite to visit Japan.The Hong Kong government said it had immediately contacted the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong and the Chinese consulate in Sapporo to follow up and provide “practicable assistance” to the resident involved.“The ...

The Hong Kong government has started the year with initiatives that have far-reaching impacts on the city’s long-term growth.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that he is spearheading Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan, which will promote broader integration with China’s five-year plan and ensure a bigger role for the city in the nation’s economic development. He also reaffirmed deeper engagement with countries in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia to open up new markets for local enterprises.The city’s leadership has made significant inroads in building trust and partnerships across promising emerging markets, reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a vital bridge between China and the world.Taken together, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)...

An alleged traffic offence involving a Hong Kong lawmaker has sparked a fiery exchange between a veteran of the city’s biggest party and political heavyweight Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, who defended her protege and was accused of double standards.New People’s Party chairwoman Ip, convenor of the government’s key decision-making body Executive Council, reportedly snapped at former lawmaker Choy So-yuk, questioning whether her Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), was exploiting the incident for revenge.Judy Chan leaves Traffic Police Hong Kong Island after giving a statement. Photo: Edmond SoThe storm centred on Ip’s party colleague and lawmaker Judy Chan Kapui, who was seen driving against traffic last Friday.According to WhatsApp group chat screen grabs seen ...

Hong Kong lawmaker Judy Chan Kapui has apologised again for driving along a road in the wrong direction, saying that she will accept any legal consequences and refrain from getting behind the wheel for the time being.“I made a rash decision in haste at the time. I am willing to bear any legal consequences. I will also reach out to police to provide details of what happened to assist in their investigation,” she told a radio programme on Saturday.Chan, 45, confirmed the night before that she was the driver of the vehicle in a viral video circulating on social media that shows a black car driving along Jaffe Road in the wrong direction, with three fire engines parked ahead.The New People’s Party lawmaker said on Saturday that she would refrain from driving for a period of time, starting this...

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has called on the city to improve its executive-led governance model, arguing that the legislative and judicial branches should support the government rather than undermine each other, as they all perform “on the same stage”.Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, on Monday warned against any attempts by foreign and disruptive forces to promote the idea of a separation of powers, arguing such views undermined the authority of the local and central governments.Following Xia’s remarks, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu vowed to improve government efficiency and implement an accountability system for principal officials. He said it was the “primary responsibility” of authorities to govern Hong Kong.In the morning, Lee and his ca...

Hong Kong police are following up on an alleged traffic offence involving lawmaker Judy Chan Kapui, who was filmed driving against the flow of traffic in Wan Chai on Friday.Chan confirmed on Friday night that she was the driver of the car in a viral video circulating on social media and apologised for her actions in an interview with the Post, hours after the clip was posted online.“I sincerely apologise for my actions,” Chan said. “This has significantly affected my public image.”The video shows a black car driving along Jaffe Road in the opposite direction of traffic with three fire engines up ahead.Chan said that she was driving to a meeting in Wan Chai around 8am and intended to park in a visitor space at the Everbright Centre car park.Lawmaker Judy Chan. Photo: Karma LoHowever, she sa...

Hong Kong looks to reform sexual offence laws

Any potential Hong Kong cabinet reshuffle will take place only after the investigation into the deadly Tai Po blaze wraps up, sources have told the Post, following a media report suggesting two ministers were set to step down.A government spokesman on Thursday did not deny the report suggesting that Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai would step down “in the near future”, adding only that the administration would not comment on “speculative reports”.In response to the rumours, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told his cabinet in a meeting on Thursday morning that any move to replace ministers had to be “based on facts” and deferred until the completion of the investigation into the Wang Fuk Court fire last Nove...

Hong Kong authorities have condemned a resolution strongly backed by the European Parliament to sanction officials and revoke the city’s special trade status to protest against former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s conviction in a national security trial.The city government on Thursday evening also condemned the body for making “groundless accusations” against Hong Kong and using Lai’s case to smear its national security legislation.“The Hong Kong government strongly urges the European Parliament to get a clear understanding of the facts as soon as possible and turn back from its wrong path,” a spokesman said.Earlier on Thursday, 503 parliament members voted in favour of the non-binding resolution at a plenary session in Strasbourg, France, with only nine voting against it. There were 10...