Politics

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Hong Kong Journalists Association cancels annual dinner after 2 hotels axe booking
Politics

Hong Kong Journalists Association cancels annual dinner after 2 hotels axe booking

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...
‘Two sessions’ 2025: Chinese premier urges Hong Kong to deepen international exchanges
Politics

‘Two sessions’ 2025: Chinese premier urges Hong Kong to deepen international exchanges

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 budget 2025-26 | South China Morning Post
Politics

Hong Kong budget 2025-26 | South China Morning Post

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
Leadership of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party backs motion to dissolve
Politics

Leadership of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party backs motion to dissolve

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...
Explainer | Budget 2025: is raising taxes the answer to Hong Kong’s ‘structural deficit’?
Politics

Explainer | Budget 2025: is raising taxes the answer to Hong Kong’s ‘structural deficit’?

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...
Veterans of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party ‘deeply saddened’ by plan to disband
Politics

Veterans of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party ‘deeply saddened’ by plan to disband

Veterans of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party have described a motion to disband the group as “deeply sad”, saying the move takes into consideration the situation facing core members and those currently in prison.One of the party veterans also said on Friday that a contact in the Communist Party of China had previously expressed doubts about whether the local political group would survive long enough to take part in the Legislative Council election in December.A day earlier, the Democratic Party’s central committee made a collective decision to put forward a motion to dissolve. The move is set to be reviewed by all 400 members before a final decision is reached.“Personally, I would vote for [dissolving] with deep sadness and resignation,” Fred Li Wah-ming, a former vice-president of the party, ...
Pro-Palestine speech sparked right-wing threats, Hong Kong director Jun Li says
Politics

Pro-Palestine speech sparked right-wing threats, Hong Kong director Jun Li says

Hong Kong director Jun Li Jun-shuo has said he received threats and insults from German right-wingers after reading out a pro-Palestine speech by an Iranian actor at the Berlin International Film Festival.Li, whose actions triggered a police probe, also told the Post that he was not worried about his safety, adding that he planned to watch the German election on Sunday and stay for the entire festival, where his latest film Queerpanorama premiered.“It will definitely have an impact on the promotion of the film. I believe that the truth will become clearer as it is debated, and I believe that people who hold an open attitude will understand,” he said on Friday.“I condemn any use of violence against civilians and the systematic injustice that endangers human life.”Videos of Li reading out th...
EU ‘deeply concerned’ over Hong Kong Democratic Party’s plan to disband
Politics

EU ‘deeply concerned’ over Hong Kong Democratic Party’s plan to disband

The European Union has voiced concerns over what it sees as a diminishing space for civil society in Hong Kong after a once-powerful opposition party announced it might disband, with France also warning over the need for checks and balances.The representatives weighed in on Saturday, two days after the leadership of the Democratic Party, once the city’s largest opposition political group, endorsed a motion to dissolve, without giving specific reasons. The party’s 400 members will vote on the motion, the leadership said, without giving a time frame.“The EU is deeply concerned about the further narrowing of the space for civil society in Hong Kong,” said Anitta Hipper, the EU’s lead spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy.She said the EU was “aware of pressure put on the Democrat...
‘How could I know’: Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai on ‘dangerous’ Apple Daily op-eds
Politics

‘How could I know’: Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai on ‘dangerous’ Apple Daily op-eds

Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has denied testing the limits of the national security law by allowing the publication of “dangerous” commentaries in the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, adding he will not take responsibility for every perceived mistake his tabloid’s contributors make.Prosecutors on Tuesday argued the 77-year-old tabloid founder knowingly endorsed the publication of three offensive op-eds in Apple Daily despite his purported warnings to staff to be “intensively cautious” against violating the national security law.Lai was testifying for the 46th day at West Kowloon Court to contest two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications in his marathon trial.The defendant’s confronta...
Don’t expect quick fixes from Hong Kong’s budget, economists say
Politics

Don’t expect quick fixes from Hong Kong’s budget, economists say

Hong Kong’s finance chief will deliver his “most challenging” budget yet on Wednesday morning, analysts have said, pointing to the need for tempering wide-ranging expectations while cautioning the public against counting on quick fixes to the city’s economic woes.While the predicted deficit of nearly HK$100 billion (US$12.86 billion) has made headlines in recent weeks, the observers said on Tuesday all eyes should be on measures to balance the books over the coming years rather than expecting overnight solutions. The bigger task was to ensure the deficit did not become a structural problem, they indicated.Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po should focus on the bigger picture and boost public confidence in the economy for the medium and long-term, they added.Gary Ng Cheuk-yan, a senior econ...