Hongkongers will be able to use facial recognition at more mainland Chinese checkpoints, while more professionals from additional regions across the border will be granted longer stays in the city under new policies announced by national immigration authorities on Monday. According to the National Immigration Administration, Hong Kong residents with a mainland travel permit will,…
Hong Kong government employees are not allowed to apply for “authorised absences” to attend official events related to the coming Legislative Council election, the Civil Service Bureau has stressed, after a union reportedly suggested its members could do so. The bureau on Thursday also stressed that civil servant unions should only invite government employees to…
When the Chinese government launched the “AI+” initiative in August, it was widely perceived as a new economic stimulus. However, observers may have underestimated Beijing’s true ambition. On October 10, senior officials and experts published a series of analyses in the official journal E-Government, offering the public its first comprehensive look at the initiative’s deeper…
Shenzhen resident Angela Lyu was excited about the recent news that Guangdong motorists will be able to drive and stay in Hong Kong for three days under a cross-border travel scheme, but balked at the prospect of high parking fees and a required detour. The “Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles” scheme is due to open…
More than 1.4 million mainland Chinese passenger trips were made to Hong Kong during the National Day “golden week” holiday, official data has shown, but the number still fell short of the city government’s expectations of nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels of 1.52 million. While Hong Kong retailers and caterers reported business growth of up to…
A man has drowned after jumping off a boat that had run aground and started to list during a fishing trip in the waters off Hong Kong’s eastern New Territories. The angler, 47, and his friend set off along Lam Tsuen River aboard a seven-metre-long (23-foot-long) sampan at around 10.30pm on Monday during the Mid-Autumn…
A mentorship scheme designed to lift Hong Kong pupils living in subdivided flats out of poverty arranged for a teenager to be coached by world-acclaimed violinist Yao Jue and perform in front of state leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping. Li Ching-po, age 15, enrolled in the first iteration of the government’s Strive and Rise…
Hong Kong will offer one-stop tailor-made professional services to mainland Chinese enterprises through a newly established task force dedicated to helping such businesses expand overseas, the city’s commerce chief has said. Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah also said that his task force, which was set up on Monday, included members from…
Hong Kong’s hotels recorded occupancy rates of more than 80 per cent in the first three days of the National Day “golden week” holiday amid a 6.3 per cent rise in visitor arrivals, but industry leaders have warned that the city’s success in managing mega-event crowds could create a new hurdle for tourism. They warned…
Hong Kong police have arrested a 31-year-old man after discovering more than HK$140 million (US$17.9 million) worth of suspected cocaine in a truck. Police said on Thursday that officers from the narcotics bureau intercepted a suspicious light goods vehicle at a metered car park near Kau Sai San Tsuen in Sai Kung the morning before….