Hong Kong’s new budget is positioned to foster high-quality, inclusive growth through innovation and finance. Ahead of projections, a surplus of HK$2.9 billion (US$370.8 million) is now expected, largely due to the stronger-than-expected stock market and tax receipts. Reflecting a sound fiscal approach and forward thinking, the 2026-27 budget will maintain an operating surplus and…
Insider Brief China’s new five-year policy blueprint prioritizes artificial intelligence and quantum computing as central technologies for economic growth, scientific leadership, and strategic competition. The plan calls for expanded investment in scalable quantum computers, the development of an integrated space-earth quantum communication network, and large computing infrastructure to support advanced AI systems. Officials also outlined…
One in three Hong Kong adults have moderate to severe symptoms of depression, almost triple the rate from 2012, with Generation Z respondents who spent a lot of time on screens affected the most, a survey has found. The biennial study, conducted by the Mental Health Association NGO and the Chinese University of Hong Kong…
More of the world’s billionaires live in China than anywhere else, after stock market gains and artificial intelligence generated a record number of billionaires globally, according to the latest Hurun Global Rich List. China overtook the United States to recapture bragging rights on the annual report released by Hurun Group on Thursday, with 1,110 billionaires…
Every few months, another headline announces that artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to “disrupt” the legal profession. Lawyers, we are told, will soon be replaced by algorithms. Judges, apparently, are next, with some recent research suggesting that machines are more “accurate” in following established legal principles than human judges. While disruption will surely come, suggesting…
For years, many in Washington and Silicon Valley believed the United States led in artificial intelligence, while China focused mainly on putting the technology to use rather than shaping its cutting edge. In her new book, The New Tech Titans of China, technology journalist Rebecca A. Fannin argues that this assumption no longer holds. The book tracks the rise of…
A mainland Chinese firm has secured the tender to build a supercomputing centre in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis as the sole bidder, agreeing to pay a premium of HK$581 million (US$74.25 million) and boost the city’s computing power 36-fold. Unveiling details of the plan on Monday, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said…
Hong Kong’s cash-for-residency scheme has attracted about HK$95 billion (US$12 billion) from more than 1,700 investors over the past two years, with around two-thirds of the approved capital channelled into authorised funds and equities, the latest figures from InvestHK show. The government’s investment promotion arm on Monday released the figures for the New Capital Investment…
On Feb. 21 in Nanchuan, Chongqing, a performer dressed as the God of Wealth mascot interacts with children. (Photo/Chongqing Daily) Chongqing – Major travel platforms reported a sharp surge in AI-driven bookings over the Spring Festival holiday, with orders for cultural and tourism products jumping more than 800% from pre-holiday levels and AI-assisted scenic ticket…
The fight between the US government and Anthropic is no longer a contract negotiation dispute. It is a clash over killer robots and mass surveillance – and over who decides how artificial intelligence is used in war. At the centre is a blunt question: can a private AI company refuse to let its systems be…