Hong Kong’s government will launch a consultation exercise on the city’s first five-year plan next month. The plan is set to be released before the end of the year. It’s a monumental task. Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank and former head of the…
Hong Kong is expected to launch a public consultation in early June for its inaugural five-year plan to align with the national blueprint, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu set to present a preliminary framework and gather feedback from various industries through face-to-face sessions, according to sources. The South China Morning Post learned that the…
The operations of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London will remain unaffected by a UK spying verdict, observers have said, arguing that the British government is unlikely to seek its closure so as to maintain relations with Beijing. A British court on Thursday found Bill Yuen Chung-biu, the London HKETO’s manager,…
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs and a senior national energy official have held meetings with CLP Holdings chairman Michael Kadoorie, with observers saying it signalled the firm was expected to help minimise livelihood disruptions amid the ongoing global fuel crisis and support the Northern Metropolis megaproject. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office…
Where exactly does the buck stop? Senior Hong Kong civil servants are asking themselves that question after the unveiling of a new accountability system targeting department heads. They point to the deadly Tai Po fire last year as an example. An independent committee investigating the tragedy heard evidence officials gave contractors at the blaze-hit Wang…
A former director of Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Offices (ETO) in Jakarta and Bangkok is standing in the United Kingdom local elections for the right-wing Reform UK party. Lee Sheung-yuen, who left government in 2023 after serving as the first director of the Bangkok ETO and concurrently served as director general of its Jakarta…
Hong Kong should take a more proactive approach to removing barriers hindering the cross-border flow of people, capital, goods and data with neighbouring Shenzhen, analysts have said, as the new leadership of the mainland China tech hub signals a fresh push for deeper integration. The calls for action followed the appointment of Jin Lei, an…
Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to enhance the city’s governance in public security and safety, and carry out systemic reform following the deadly Tai Po fire, describing it as a key task in safeguarding national security. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s remarks came after Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs, said people…
Changes to Hong Kong’s implementation rules for the national security law will improve operational efficiency amid heightened geopolitical risks, experts have said. A legal expert and a former security minister said the amendments aimed to clearly lay out investigation procedures for searches under existing national security law powers, while an academic argued the move was…
Hong Kong should step up education on Chinese history and culture while highlighting security threats to cultivate public awareness about the need to defend the country, experts have said, as the nation’s legislature is set to pass a law promoting ethnic unity. The expert’s comments came ahead of the closing session of the 14th National…