Politics

Get the most recent political news today. We offer updates and perspectives on the events influencing our political scene through our thorough coverage.

Hong Kong authorities have ā€˜ongoing legal duty’ to fulfil same-sex couples ruling
Politics

Hong Kong authorities have ā€˜ongoing legal duty’ to fulfil same-sex couples ruling

Hong Kong authorities have an ā€œongoing legal dutyā€ to fulfil their responsibilities related to same-sex relationships in response to a landmark court ruling, even if the city’s legislature rejects a proposal to establish a recognition system, the government has said.The government said on Wednesday that the judiciary had not and would not give any direct orders to either the executive or the legislature about fulfilling the ruling.Authorities also argued that the proposal considered the judiciary’s requirements and public sentiments.The proposal is the government's answer to a 2023 ruling from the Court of Final Appeal, which gave authorities two years to draw up laws setting out ā€œcore rightsā€ for same-sex couples, but did not outline what they might be.A source told the Post that the gove...
Hong Kong teen arrested for allegedly scrawling seditious words in toilet
Politics

Hong Kong teen arrested for allegedly scrawling seditious words in toilet

An 18-year-old Hongkonger has been arrested by the city’s national security police for allegedly writing seditious words three times in the toilet of a commercial building.Police revealed on Wednesday that the teenager was arrested on Monday in Kowloon for ā€œdoing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intentionā€ under Section 24 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.He was accused of writing seditious words with contents ā€œprovoking hatred, contempt or disaffection against the constitutional order and the executive, legislative or judicial authorityā€ of Hong Kong, as well as ā€œinciting other personsā€ to disobey the city’s law.The teenager was charged with one count of ā€œdoing with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intentionā€, and three...
CY Leung warns against DAB scheme to sell Hong Kong property to mainlanders
Politics

CY Leung warns against DAB scheme to sell Hong Kong property to mainlanders

Former Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying has voiced reservations about a proposal by the city’s largest political party to set up a scheme allowing mainland Chinese to buy local property through direct remittance, saying it is not in the best interests of residents.Leung, now a vice-chairman of the country’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said on Tuesday that the local government should always prioritise Hongkongers’ needs rather than seek to boost the property market.The proposal was put forward by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), which suggested setting up a closed-loop capital pool that allowed migrants who entered through talent admission schemes to transfer money from the mainland to buy Ho...
Hong Kong Legco poll to use electronic vote counting for trade seats for first time
Politics

Hong Kong Legco poll to use electronic vote counting for trade seats for first time

Electronic ballot counting will be used in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council election for the first time for the 30 trade-based seats, with lawmakers calling for greater adoption of advanced technology to improve voter turnout.But legislators heard on Monday that the technology would not be deployed for the 20 directly elected geographical constituency seats, as paper ballots and hand counting would continue to be used.At a Legco panel meeting, some lawmakers urged authorities to step up the use of technology to make casting ballots more convenient and encourage people to vote.Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai said ā€œmany factorsā€ affected voter turnout and it was ā€œimpractical to set rigid indicatorsā€.ā€œBut it does not mean we do not care about voter turnou...
Hong Kong’s Eric Tsang, Kenny Bee deny links with Malaysia’s Namewee after group photo
Politics

Hong Kong’s Eric Tsang, Kenny Bee deny links with Malaysia’s Namewee after group photo

Hong Kong actors Eric Tsang Chi-wai and Kenny Bee have distanced themselves from an outspoken Malaysian singer-songwriter after facing backlash for taking a photo with the rapper known for his critical stance on mainland Chinese authorities.Veteran actor and comedian Tsang, 72, apologised on Monday on Chinese social media platform Weibo, two days after Malaysian singer Wee Meng Chee, more popularly known as Namewee, posted his photo with the two Hong Kong celebrities.ā€œAs a Chinese, I am always committed to upholding national dignity and patriotic sentiment,ā€ his post read.ā€œThe photo was simply a courteous interaction in a public setting. I was unaware of the individual’s background or past actions. If I had known the situation beforehand, I would never have made any contact.ā€œThis incident ...
Opinion | Happiness in Hong Kong must be the focus, along with civil service efficiency
Politics

Opinion | Happiness in Hong Kong must be the focus, along with civil service efficiency

Poised to deliver his fourth policy address in September, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is gearing up to show that his administration is delivering on his ā€œresult-orientedā€ leadership. This may be the reason he revealed last month that the government was considering a new accountability system for senior officials.Lee seems to have started paving the way for the proposed reform around the time the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development released its World Competitiveness Ranking in June. Hong Kong made it back into the top three for the first time since 2019, ranking third.Lee quickly took credit for the city scoring 99.2 out of 100 by attributing the rise in the ranking to enhanced efficiency due to his civil service reforms. It’s worth noting the survey ra...
Hong Kong district councillor with traffic offence record facing misconduct probe
Politics

Hong Kong district councillor with traffic offence record facing misconduct probe

A Hong Kong district councillor with a record of convictions for traffic offences is being investigated for alleged misconduct by a government-appointed special panel and could be suspended from his duties in the worst-case scenario.Home affairs minister Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Friday that she had appointed a five-member supervisory committee to investigate the alleged misconduct of Kenneth Yip Kat-kong, an appointed member of the Tuen Mun District Council.In May, the 62-year-old retired businessman was sentenced to 200 hours of community service and had his licence suspended for six months after pleading guilty to dangerous driving in a head-on collision with a taxi in Sheung Shui in August last year.Yip had failed a breathalyser test.During hearings on the case, a court also heard tha...
Books on President Xi Jinping’s thoughts to serve as ā€˜action guide’ for Hongkongers
Politics

Books on President Xi Jinping’s thoughts to serve as ā€˜action guide’ for Hongkongers

The launch of the traditional Chinese version of three books on President Xi Jinping’s thoughts should serve as an ā€œaction guideā€ for residents to contribute to Hong Kong and the nation’s development, Beijing’s top official in the city has said.Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Wednesday during the books’ release that the new editions would enable residents to gain a deeper understanding of Xi’s thoughts.The three books, which centre on Xi’s thoughts on education, culture and his engagement with the Chinese and global communities, were published in the traditional script and rolled out in the city for the first time after their release in mainland China last year.Zhou Ji, director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, said the debut of the books would allow readers in the ...
New US diplomat to Hong Kong expected to be in place by autumn
Politics

New US diplomat to Hong Kong expected to be in place by autumn

Hong Kong is set to welcome a new top US diplomat as early as the end of this summer, according to the country’s acting consul general in the city, who also indicated Washington’s keen interest in increasing engagement with the local administration.David Schlaefer also confirmed on Tuesday that there was only one candidate for the position, previously held by Gregory May, and said that mainland China had not yet expressed any objections to the nominee.The Post previously reported that Julie Eadeh, a career member of the US Senior Foreign Service and current US Consul General in Istanbul, was expected to be the next US Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau.While serving as the political section chief at the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macau during the 2019 anti-government protests, she me...
Beijing slams foreign news outlets for ā€˜smearing’ Hong Kong national security law
Politics

Beijing slams foreign news outlets for ā€˜smearing’ Hong Kong national security law

China’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has slammed foreign media outlets for ā€œsmearingā€ the Beijing-imposed national security law with their coverage of the fifth anniversary of its implementation.The Commissioner’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong issued a statement of strong condemnation on Tuesday, slamming BBC News Chinese and the Japanese newspaper the Nikkei for ā€œdistorted reports, comments or editorialsā€.ā€œ[These pieces] were rooted in ideological bias … [and] deliberately smear the national security law and discredit the successful practice of ā€˜one country, two systems’ in Hong Kong,ā€ a spokesman said.The office urged the media outlets involved to stop publishing ā€œerroneous remarksā€ about Hong Kong.The office did not specify which articles it was referring t...