Randal Shelby planned carefully and waited years to ditch a career spent in hospitals and medical centres to chase a dream in which he traded antiseptic hallways full of sick patients for the great outdoors. His new life started six years ago, after he secured about US$1.3 million in financing for a Case combine and…
The most important outcome of the Communist Party of China’s fourth plenum, held last month in Beijing, was the review and adoption of the “Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development”. Leading the drafting team in person, Communist Party General Secretary and Chinese President…
For Clark Chung, a terminal cancer diagnosis is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter. “It’s brutal, terrifying for sure, but life doesn’t stop,” he says. The Hong Kong fitness trainer and actor is one of a group of locals in their thirties – including a musician and an insurance agent –…
India and China resumed direct flights on Sunday, marking a significant step toward rebuilding ties between Asia’s two most populous nations after a five-year hiatus. The flight resumption comes amid a gradual thaw in relations that has developed over the last five years. (AP Photo) The first flight, operated by India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, departed…
China’s ruling Communist Party kicked off a key four-day conclave on Monday that will determine the country’s development over the next five years. The fourth plenum of the party’s Central Committee began on Monday morning, according to state news agency Xinhua. Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, who is also the nation’s president, delivered a work…
Public museums in Hong Kong are probably no match for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in terms of treasures and appeal. But that does not deter the government from pursuing the tall order of opening up some of its venues to commercial or private events in the same vein as the annual Met Gala,…
Global warming and globalisation have significantly increased the number of imported dengue fever cases in Hong Kong, health experts have said, with annual infections rising from dozens to more than 100 in the past two decades. This rapid increase has occurred alongside a growing risk of mosquito-borne diseases in the city. So far this year,…
China’s diplomatic missions in the United States have launched a new online visa application system as part of its efforts to boost tourist revenues and people-to-people exchanges. The process previously required at least two in-person visits: first to submit application materials and later to provide biometric information and submit their passports after initial approval. But…
China’s Victory Day military parade presents a fascinating paradox. With over 12,000 troops reportedly marching through Tiananmen Square, this spectacle celebrates a defensive military doctrine while showcasing power-projection capabilities that would make any expeditionary force envious. It reveals how Beijing is pioneering a new grammar of military power that particularly resonates with the Global South….
Few Hongkongers have the vaguest idea of the scale of government procurement, even though it is everywhere around us. The Government Transparency Institute, which tries to monitor government procurement worldwide, estimates it accounts for around 30 per cent of government spending. Worldwide, public procurement shares at least three characteristics. First, it is a colossal business…