After being sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for national security offences on February 9, Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying will decide if he wishes to appeal. He may challenge his convictions and/or sentences and has about two weeks to make up his mind. Given the length of his trial (156 days), the mountain of…
Chinese ambassador Shen Jian said his country ‘firmly opposes the constant distortion and smearing of its nuclear policy by certain countries’. (AFP pic) GENEVA: The US on Monday accused China of dramatically swelling its nuclear arsenal, and doubled down on claims that Beijing had conducted secret nuclear tests, demanding again it be part of any…
The Panamanian government on Monday issued a decree ordering the occupation of two ports at the entrances of the Panama Canal, a move triggered by a final Supreme Court ruling that declared the operating concession held by the Hong Kong-based company CK Hutchison unconstitutional. The decree authorises the Panama Maritime Authority to occupy the ports…
BEIJING China urged the United States Monday to cancel unilateral tariffs announced by President Donald Trump after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down many of his measures. The court ruled six to three on Feb. 20 that Trump does not have the authority to impose tariffs under a 1977 law he has relied on to…
The United States Supreme Court’s decision to strike down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, and his imposition of a 15% global tariff in response to the verdict, have concerned the world and its trade order. India and China seem to be among the biggest winners, while the United Kingdom appears to be the biggest loser…
With Hong Kong set to unveil its annual budget, economists have said the city should strengthen its role in pushing the internationalisation of the Chinese yuan as Beijing presses ahead with financial opening while keeping stability firmly in view. From expanding offshore yuan products to using its stablecoin regulations as a sandbox for potential cross-border…
ISTANBUL- Anadolu Agency China has announced tax incentives for the next five years to promote science and technology in the country, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported on Feb. 21. The Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Taxation Administration issued a joint statement announcing the incentives. China launched its 15th…
When an ibuprofen dance challenge went viral on the Chinese social media platform Douyin in late 2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic, shares of the country’s leading ibuprofen maker surged more than 200 per cent in two weeks. Now profits at Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical are plunging, and it is not alone, as drug makers are hit…
Hong Kong must exercise fiscal prudence, carefully weighing social needs while maintaining adequate reserves to guard against unforeseen circumstances, the finance chief has said as he outlined the principles of the budget he will deliver on Wednesday. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday also revealed the purple cover of the coming 2026-27 budget, saying…
When Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong recently described Hong Kong’s executive-led system as a distinct governance model, he elevated it from an administrative arrangement to constitutional doctrine. A doctrine is not merely about structure. It is about how governance power is exercised. In Hong Kong’s executive-led system, that exercise begins with…