A Hong Kong court has granted a local married couple a parental order for two boys born following a verbal surrogacy agreement in mainland China, ruling the applicants were merely ignorant that the arrangement was illegal. But a lawyer said the ruling was unlikely to set a precedent as the circumstances of surrogacy cases varied….
Hong Kong’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to establish a “systematic policy framework” to align development goals with mainland China’s 15th five-year plan, aiming to formulate the city’s own blueprint by the end of the year. The chief executive made the remarks during a steering group meeting on Thursday convened to discuss Hong Kong’s…
Hong Kong’s retail banks posted 7.3 per cent pre-tax profit growth last year, as rising bad debts and a narrower net interest margin offset growing income from wealth-management services. The city’s 30 retail banks recorded lower growth in aggregated pre-tax profit than in 2024, when profits increased 8.4 per cent, according to data from the…
Hong Kong commercial real estate is the Asia-Pacific region’s fifth most favoured investment destination for cross-border capital this year, underscoring an improved outlook for the city’s battered property market, according to a CBRE report. Hong Kong also recorded the second-highest number of luxury residential property deals among 12 super-prime markets worldwide in the last quarter…
Hong Kong’s tourism sector is bracing for a 6 per cent rise in mainland Chinese visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday, as travel to the city regains momentum. Tickets for high-speed trains from major mainland cities to Hong Kong have been selling fast in the days leading up to the festive period – an…
Business confidence in Hong Kong has reached its highest level in two years, with more than half the companies polled by the American Chamber of Commerce in the city expressing optimism about their outlook for 2026, noting that geopolitical tensions had largely stabilised. However, the chamber’s survey also found that 43 per cent of respondents…
Hong Kong must maintain cash reserves to cope with geopolitical shocks and support long-term growth, even with a surplus expected in the government’s operating account this year, the financial secretary has said. Paul Chan Mo-po also said on Saturday that the city’s economy outperformed forecasts last year, lifted by strong exports to Southeast Asia and…
Hong Kong’s treasury minister has said authorities will shelve a proposed levy on private cars crossing the border into mainland China, citing feedback from lawmakers and members of the public. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu told the Legislative Council on Friday that the government had decided not to go ahead…
Hong Kong developer Hang Lung Properties is pinning its medium-term outlook on a recovery in mainland Chinese consumption, even as it warned that both the city’s and China’s property markets remain under strain. The commercial landlord, residential developer and hotel owner said it expected a “tough slog” for the broader sector despite signs of improvement…
Hong Kong authorities will launch a pilot scheme to test firefighting drones, with the aim of deploying the equipment in operations once the technology has matured, the security minister has said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung made the remarks on Wednesday while answering lawmakers’ questions on fire safety in the Legislative Council, following the…