Politics

Hong Kong’s insurers should make it easier for residents affected by the deadly Tai Po fire to file claims and consider incorporating fire safety inspection results into underwriting, according to sector representatives contesting a seat in the legislature.Insurance sector candidates Chan Pui-leung and Simon Lam Yat-tung made the appeals on Wednesday during a government-led forum, the first held since last week’s blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which claimed at least 159 lives.Chan, the general manager of state-owned China Taiping Insurance (Hong Kong), urged insurers to set up more green channels and streamline procedures to help affected residents claim funds and rebuild their lives after the disaster.His company is the insurer responsible for covering the housing estate’s property da...

A Beijing official in Hong Kong has voiced confidence in the city’s ability to handle both the coming Legislative Council election and the aftermath of the deadly Tai Po fire, calling local authorities’ decision to proceed with the poll respectful of the constitutional order.Liu Guangyuan, deputy director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, said on Thursday that the local government had adopted the “most responsible attitude” by moving ahead with Sunday’s election, even after last week’s inferno, which claimed at least 159 lives.“The chief executive has announced the election will be held as planned out of respect for the constitutional order,” Liu said at a forum held on China’s Constitution Day, which falls on December 4.“[The poll] will strongly support recovery from the disaster,...

Last week’s deadly fire has cast a heavy shadow over Hong Kong, reminding us of the fragility of life and the need for solidarity in hard times. The central government has responded swiftly with its full attention and support. Aid and sympathy have poured in from across China, underscoring that Hong Kong’s pain is shared. The cause of the fire must be investigated and learned from in due course, but for now the priority is resilience.The announcement that the Legislative Council election will proceed as planned this Sunday amid such grief is not a sign of indifference but trust – that Hongkongers can govern the special administrative region responsibly under “one country, two systems”. It offers Hong Kong an opportunity to display political and societal maturity: to show resilience in the ...

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to sharpen the city’s competitive edge to better serve the country’s development by applying the guiding principles of the fourth plenum in everyday governance.Lee made the pledge after attending a seminar at government headquarters that featured the head of the country’s top scientific think tank on Monday.Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in his address that the latest five-year plan endorsed during last month’s plenum in Beijing had significant “traction, driving and supporting roles in advancing Chinese modernisation”.According to the Hong Kong government, Hou suggested the city leverage its advantages, strengthen “forward-looking and pioneering” basic research and build a hub for high-calibre talent, as well a...

The Hong Kong government is considering for the first time using its powers under the national security law to ban two organisations deemed subversive.The Security Bureau said on Monday the secretary for security was weighing the move against the Canada-based “Hong Kong Parliament” and Taiwan-based “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union”.“The two organisations in question aim to subvert state power,” a bureau spokesman said. “Their objectives include promoting ‘self-determination’ and making the ‘Hong Kong Constitution’.“[Their intentions also included] overthrowing or undermining the basic system of the People’s Republic of China established by the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China or overthrowing the body of central power of the People’s Republic of China or the body of po...

A Hong Kong private kindergarten operator has changed the destination of a study tour from Tokyo to Chengdu, citing a city government warning issued amid a diplomatic row between China and Japan.A notice from Victoria Educational Organisation, which runs eight campuses of kindergartens and nurseries in the city, and its parent-teacher association was circulated online on Monday and confirmed by the Post on Tuesday.“In light of the recent advisory from the [Hong Kong government] urging travellers to Japan to remain vigilant and exercise caution, as well as updated information from the Security Bureau under the ‘Outbound Travel Alert System’, we have carefully reviewed the overall safety conditions and prevailing uncertainties,” the notice said.“After thorough consideration, we have decided ...

The Hong Kong government has exercised its power under the city’s domestic national security law for the first time to ban two organisations deemed subversive.Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday prohibited the operation of the Canada-based “Hong Kong Parliament” and the Taiwan-based “Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union” in the city.The ordinance was enacted in 2024 as required by Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, and complements a similar legislation imposed by Beijing in 2020.“Having carefully considered all relevant information … the secretary for security reasonably believes that the prohibition of the operation or continued operation of the Hong Kong Parliament and the Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union in Hong Kong is necessary for...

Hong Kong should focus on developing hi-tech industries that meet the country’s needs, while stepping up efforts to attract global talent and strengthening collaboration with top universities to become an innovation and technology (I&T) hub, a Beijing official has said.Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also said at a high-level seminar in Hong Kong on Tuesday that the city’s Northern Metropolis megaproject had a “bright future”.Zhou Ji, Beijing’s top representative in the city, told the event at government headquarters that the international community was optimistic about Hong Kong’s prospects and had “cast a vote of confidence in its future”.The seminar was organised by the Hong Kong government to promote the spirit of the fourth plenum of the Communist Party’...

Hong Kong’s national security police have arrested a man on suspicion of trying to incite sedition in relation to the deadly blaze in Tai Po, the Post has learned.The move on Saturday came as the central government’s national security authorities in Hong Kong warned against “anti-China and ill-intentioned individuals” exploiting the tragedy in an attempt to disrupt the city.A source earlier said a man, identified as “Miles”, had been taken to a police station for questioning. It remains unclear whether that man had been arrested.It was reported that a person called Miles Kwan and a group of unidentified others had set up the Tai Po Wang Fuk Court Fire Concern Group, which launched the petition calling on the government to address four demands in the aftermath of the inferno at the resident...

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council election will be held as scheduled on December 7, as recovery and rebuilding work from the city’s deadliest blaze in decades is proceeding largely smoothly, a source has told the Post.The insider said the decision to proceed with the poll as planned was also based on legal considerations, as postponing it could risk creating a constitutional crisis after December 31, when the current council’s term ends.“A lot of legislative work also needs to be done. The consensus is that there is little point in holding it in abeyance,” the source said.Another source told the Post the assessment was that the post-fire recovery work could be done alongside the election preparations without compromising efforts or resources on either front.Hong Kong has been observing a thr...