Politics

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial.Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po delivered his annual budget speech on Wednesday, announcing measures to cut public spending and boost revenues to tackle the deficit.Chan also revealed the deficit had reached HK$87.2 billion (US$11.2 billion) for the 2024-25 financial year. He earlier estimated it would hit HK$100 billion, more than double what he expected at the beginning of 2024, and marking the third consecutive financial year of recording a loss.Follow our live updates on the budget to understand how it will affect you.Reporting by Jeffie Lam, Denise Tsang, Jess Ma, F...

Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has hailed the recent strong performance of the city’s stock market, expressing confidence the financial hub can withstand external pressure.Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), held a closed-door meeting with National People’s Congress (NPC) deputies from both cities on Tuesday night. The top legislature holds its annual session on Wednesday, with Premier Li Qiang delivering a work report.NPC deputy Ma Fung-kwok later said Xia hailed the Hong Kong stock market’s positive performance over the past few months, saying its trajectory could benefit the city’s economy.He said Xia warned that Hong Kong would face external pressures Beijing was contending with, without referencing global geopolitical tensions.“[Xia] ment...

Hong Kong’s chief executive, civil servants and lawmakers will all have their pay frozen from April, while about 10,000 government posts will be axed as part of the measures to contain expenditure to tackle the city’s deficit.A source told the Post that the axing of the posts would not necessarily cause lay-offs of civil servants, as it aimed to encourage bureaus to make use of technology to streamline or replace some of the roles.“Regardless of increasing revenue or cutting expenditure, the impact to the general public should be minimised,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Wednesday, as he announced the measures in this year’s budget speech.“In particular, the government will lead by example to demonstrate our commitment to cutting expenditure, whilst ensuring the delivery of h...

Legalising basketball betting could add HK$2 billion (US$257.2 million) in duties to government coffers annually, Hong Kong’s finance chief has said, although observers have raised concerns about the promotion of gambling and related youth problems.Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po revealed in his annual budget speech on Wednesday that the government had invited the Hong Kong Jockey Club to submit a proposal on expanding its sports gambling options to include basketball to “combat illegal betting activities in an effective manner”.He said the club had estimated illegal basketball betting turnover had reached HK$70 billion to HK$90 billion last year, while duties could allow the government to earn between HK$1.5 billion and HK$2 billion every year.The club said it would submit a detailed ...

China’s top legislature has recognised Hong Kong’s “irreplaceable” role as the country’s gateway to the world, pledging to conduct more studies to promote future Greater Bay Area development.Lou Qinjian, spokesman for the National People’s Congress (NPC), said on Tuesday that the central government would offer more support for Hong Kong and Macau’s participation in the development of the bay area.“Hong Kong, Macau have been an important window for our country’s opening up. They have unique positions and made significant contributions in the more than 40 years of reform and opening up. Their roles are irreplaceable,” he said.The bay area, a national development blueprint that draws Hong Kong with Macau and nine Guangdong cities to become a new economic powerhouse, will mark its sixth annive...

More than 200 representatives from Hong Kong are in Beijing for the annual “two sessions”, or lianghui.The country’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), convened on Tuesday, while the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s legislature, will commence its session a day later.The Post looks at who is representing Hong Kong at the high-level meetings, what the two sessions mean for the city and what the key highlights of the gatherings are expected to be this year.1) Why do Hong Kong people attend?According to Article 21 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, Chinese citizens who are Hong Kong residents are entitled to take part in the management of state affairs.The clause stipulates that Hong Kong deputies to the NPC ...

A Hong Kong public transport subsidy scheme will only start charging elderly and passengers with disabilities 20 per cent for more expensive routes from September of next year, with authorities blaming stored-value card company Octopus for the delay, the Post has learned.The HK$2 (US$0.26) concession scheme is being revised as part of spending cuts involving scaling back transport subsidies. The decision was announced on Wednesday’s budget and will help to save HK$6 billion in public money over a five-year period.Under the revised policy, elderly commuters and people with disabilities will need to pay 20 per cent of a fare if it surpasses HK$10. Any trip below the threshold will only cost them HK$2.A government source said the changes could not take effect immediately due to Octopus lackin...

Hong Kong’s finance chief has unveiled a belt-tightening budget seeking to tap new sources of revenue and ease a HK$87.2 billion (US$11.2 billion) deficit, starting with a pay freeze for all public servants, a downsizing of the civil service by 10,000 positions and a cut in education spending.Citing the benefits of the “one country, two systems” governing principle amid China’s rising prowess in technological innovation, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Wednesday also pledged to transform the city into an international exchange and cooperation hub for artificial intelligence (AI), making it a new key economic driver.The government would spend HK$1 billion to establish the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute, among other technology-related initiatives worth billions, he sa...

Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has admitted to capitalising on anti-China sentiments in the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic to instigate sanctions against Beijing, but denies doing so to help Donald Trump get reelected.Lai told West Kowloon Court on Thursday that he thought he could convince Trump to actively prevent the passage of the national security law five years ago, by encouraging the then president to retaliate against mainland China over claims it had enabled the spread of the coronavirus worldwide.The founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper acknowledged he had tried to put the two seemingly irrelevant issues “in a package” to incentivise Trump to intervene.He rejected the prosecutors’ claim that he intended to boost Trump’s chances in ...

Hong Kong’s leader has met local deputies of the country’s top legislature ahead of Beijing’s annual key political gathering, at which representatives will raise proposals aimed at boosting the city’s economy through tapping national development.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with the 36 deputies of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the government headquarters, days before the annual “two sessions” get under way next week in Beijing.During the two-hour meeting, Lee mainly listened to proposals presented by the deputies, which centred on boosting the city’s economic growth by tapping national development, according to the attendees.“He also asked us how the government can cooperate in a bid to allow deputies to better serve their duties,” NPC d...