Hong Kong has relaxed its licensing requirements for rural holiday camps and village guest houses, allowing greater flexibility in building and fire safety requirements for some properties to encourage more tourist accommodation options outside urban areas. The Home Affairs Department on Monday published two new licence application guides: a first-of-its-kind stand-alone guide tailored specifically for…
As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong will step up building renovation inspections and consider spot checks following lessons from the deadly…
Hong Kong continued to draw US and European firms to expand their businesses in the city in the first half of this year, the latest data shows, adding new momentum to its superconnector role. A total of 413 companies either set up local entities or expanded their businesses in Hong Kong in the first six…
In the first of a two-part series on the economy as Hong Kong marks 29 years since its return to Chinese rule, Denise Tsang and Vivian Au look at efforts at transformation, including the city’s bet on the Northern Metropolis, and the challenges ahead. Molly Lam lives alone in a public housing flat in Tsuen…
Hong Kong’s leader has announced that a public consultation for the final policy address of the current term will begin on Monday, with the exercise also set to gauge views on the city’s first five-year plan. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Thursday, after meeting tertiary education leaders to discuss the plan, that the…
The recent enactment of the Safeguarding National Security (Procedural Matters) Regulation has generated significant interest and commentary on Hong Kong’s legal landscape. It is recognised that maintaining national security is of paramount importance and that there is a constitutional responsibility on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to do so. Under the Basic Law, that…
Hong Kong will allow elderly welfare recipients retiring in Guangdong and Fujian to have cash assistance directly sent to their mainland Chinese bank accounts from July as part of a much-awaited arrangement, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced the launch in a social media post on Wednesday during a visit…
Hong Kong’s new legislation enables certain criminal cases to be retroactively brought under national security procedures even if the alleged offences occurred before the 2020 national security law was enacted. The subsidiary legislation, which introduces a classification mechanism for “other offences endangering national security” under the city’s domestic national security law, was gazetted and came…
Hong Kong will launch a two-month public consultation on Monday on its first five-year blueprint to align the city’s development with the national plan, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has announced. Lee said on Tuesday the consultation would begin on June 15, marking what he described as a historic milestone for the city. “The formulation…
A more rigorous appraisal system for Hong Kong’s civil servants aims to bolster public trust and support, but adjustment to the changes will take time, the city’s leader has said. Facing backlash from unions, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the government would provide further explanation of the revamped appraisal system, which…