On December 16, Chinese President Xi Jinping, on receiving a work report from Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, said the city should proactively align with the country’s 15th five-year plan and better integrate into, and serve, the national development agenda. In recent days, discussion of the coming plan across the Hong Kong government…
Hong Kong authorities are preparing to launch a special channel next year to allow sensitive mainland Chinese biological samples and data to cross an “innovation cooperation zone” between the city and Shenzhen, a minister has said. Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said in a television programme on Sunday that authorities had already…
Hong Kong has seen an increase in applications to import pets after the city cut the quarantine period for cats and dogs from mainland China from 120 to 30 days. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) also said that a greater number of quarantine units at its new Kai Tak complex had further reduced…
Hong Kong’s food and beverage sector recorded a 10 per cent year on year drop in business over the Christmas period, an industry leader said, as 1.2 million trips were made through the city’s borders on the first day of the long holiday. But the city’s hospitality sector appeared to fare better, with one hotel…
I grew up in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district and Wang Fuk Court was a stone’s throw away from my school. In the recent fire, 16 students and one staff member of my alma mater were affected. Fortunately, there were no casualties among them, but homes were destroyed and their loss was profoundly felt. The…
Accelerating innovation and creating more jobs will be key facets of the next annual budget, Hong Kong’s finance chief has vowed, while noting positive investor sentiment after several entities recently bought and leased commercial properties in the city. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said in his weekly blog post on Sunday that public consultation…
Hong Kong marks National Day on Wednesday with a range of activities to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is expected to deliver a speech at a reception at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, attended by local and…
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have a consensus that the city will not issue student visas to pupils across the border, the education minister has revealed, explaining that they are excluded from a scheme to increase the non-local intake at semi-private schools. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin also said on Friday that aided…
Hong Kong is seeking to incorporate national railway standards into local benchmarks in a bid to greatly cut costs and raise efficiency, paving the way for standardised rules and their wider application in future government projects. The move will also help facilitate the export of mainland Chinese building technology, such as modular integrated construction (MiC),…
Beijing reiterated its pledge to create a “single free-trade zone” incorporating mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau on Wednesday, as it seeks to deepen economic ties with the two special administrative regions (SARs) amid ongoing trade tensions with the US. The Ministry of Commerce would “explore and promote” the establishment of a unified free-trade area…