Politics

The UK government has rowed back from setting tougher English language requirements on Hongkongers seeking to settle in the country through the British National (Overseas) pathway, saying it will be subject to consultation.Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp also said the government would consider extending the pathway to Hongkongers born after the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, who may not hold BN(O) passports.During a parliament debate on Tuesday about the Labour administration’s proposed immigration overhaul, Tapp confirmed that BN(O) visa holders’ settlement in the UK was subject to “mandatory requirements”, but he said the government would still consult the public on both the earning threshold and the tightened language requirement.The proposal, released la...

Nearly one-third of Hongkongers planning to settle in the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme are retirees, homemakers or students, groups likely to be affected by a proposed income threshold for immigrants, a survey has shown.It also found that 16 per cent of BN(O) visa holders who had only completed secondary school might struggle to meet the tougher English-language requirement, according to a survey by the London-based Sutton Hongkongers group.The survey interviewed 690 Hongkongers on the BN(O) route across the country between October and November.“We hope [the British government] will honour its commitments – trust is important,” said Richard Choi Ka-yuen, a city councillor in the London Borough of Sutton and founder of the community group.“The BN(O) visa was offered ...

Hong Kong authorities will roll out a range of freebies and promotions for residents over the weekend of the coming Legislative Council election, including complimentary access to swimming pools and museums, as part of efforts to boost voter turnout.Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki announced on Wednesday that voters would also get thank-you cards after casting their ballots.The city’s No 2 official said that the government would offer free access to public facilities, as well as gifts or discounts, to all residents on December 6 and 7 to enhance public interest in the election and remind voters of their civic duty.“We want everyone to enjoy a happy and festive mood. The purpose of these government offers is to encourage people to vote, let residents recognise the importance of the electio...

Beijing’s national security arm in Hong Kong has pledged to adopt a “zero tolerance” approach in safeguarding next month’s Legislative Council election, as the city’s anti-corruption agency charged three people for allegedly inciting others to boycott the poll.The law enforcement action coincided with a renewed warning from the Office for Safeguarding National Security against any attempts to disrupt the December 7 election, issued on the same day.“Some anti-China forces and external forces have not given up their evil intentions and continued to incite others – openly and covertly – to boycott the election,” a spokesman for the office said.The office accused these forces of spreading rumours and disrupting electoral order under the guise of “democracy and freedom”, with the “true aim” of ...

The president of mainland China’s premier science institution will host a seminar in Hong Kong next week to “study and implement” the spirit of the fourth plenum, which sets the tone for the ruling Communist Party’s Central Committee’s policymaking over the next five years.A Hong Kong government spokesman on Thursday said the seminar, to be held next Tuesday, would promote the spirit of the fourth plenary session of the party’s 20th Central Committee among various sectors of the community.Speakers will include Hou Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zhu Weidong, deputy director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and Economic Affairs.“[The recommendations for the 15th five-year plan] adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Comm...

Hong Kong’s Security Bureau, police and customs have joined the government’s push to boost voter turnout in the coming Legislative Council election by releasing a series of lighthearted videos featuring top officials getting hair makeovers while using Cantonese puns to urge residents to vote.These clips play on the shared Cantonese pronunciation for “hair” and “law”, encouraging residents to prioritise voting over styling their hair.The campaigns feature Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming and Commissioner of Customs and Excise Chan Tsz-tat along with their deputies.The initiatives mark the latest efforts by authorities to encourage residents to vote in the Legco election on December 7, following ministers’ letters to civil servants callin...

Hong Kong is gearing up for a Legislative Council election on December 7, as 161 candidates are confirmed to be joining the race after nominations closed last week.With 5 per cent more hopefuls than the previous poll in 2021, this year’s election leaves no seats uncontested.There will also be fiercer competition in the geographical constituencies, as major political parties have fielded more candidates to run for the 20 seats directly elected by residents.Functional constituencies, comprising 30 seats, and the Election Committee constituency, which has 40 of the 90 seats in the legislature, are looking at a decline in the number of candidates. Both the functional and Election Committee constituencies have voters from their respective sectors, rather than general residents.From the entry of...

China remains a secure investment destination despite recent geopolitical tensions, Beijing’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has told diplomats and business chambers at a high-profile meeting, while highlighting the city’s strategic role in building international ties.Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the foreign ministry’s office in Hong Kong, on Wednesday met about 60 envoys, commerce chamber representatives and members of the international media for a one-hour sharing session on the Communist Party’s fourth plenum.The fourth plenum concluded on October 23, with the core agenda centring around formulating a blueprint for the country’s 15th five-year plan, which will guide national development from 2026 to 2030.Cui said the session in Hong Kong aimed to enhance foreign consuls and business...

In a new occasional series, outgoing lawmakers reflect on their time in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, which wrapped up its four-year term on October 24, ahead of the next general election on December 7.Hong Kong’s first “patriots-only” legislature has established a good model of executive-legislative relations where key policies are first discussed with officials in closed-door meetings, retiring legislator Doreen Kong Yuk-foon has said.Kong, 55, a solicitor by training, made her debut as an independent lawmaker in 2021, winning a seat in the first Legislative Council election after Beijing revamped the city’s electoral system to ensure only “patriots” held political power.Known for her outspoken views, she declared recently that she was ending her career as a lawmaker to return to her ...

Hong Kong is bouncing back, especially in finance, defying predictions of decline after the 2019 unrest and the 2020 national security law. The Hong Kong stock exchange has surged to the top of this year’s global rankings as the world’s largest initial public offering venue, with over 300 companies queuing up to list their shares.This resurgence signals resilience, but it also ignites a deeper debate: what kind of Hong Kong is emerging?Concern has swirled around the recent influx of mainland Chinese and whether their arrival will erode the city’s social fabric, hastening its slide into “just another Chinese city”. These worries surfaced vividly in my conversations with academics who hail from the mainland and foreign journalists revisiting after years away.Such concerns, while understandab...