The local media should contribute to “telling the ‘good stories of Hong Kong’” amid global turbulence as the city formulates its first five-year blueprint to align with national development, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said. Speaking at an annual award ceremony organised by the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong on Friday, Lee said the…
At least gold glitters. Long before the first paper banknotes fluttered through the financial houses of Europe, the bustling markets of 11th century China birthed an unprecedented financial “innovation”: the use of paper currency. In the 1020s, burdened by the shortage of bronze coins and a rapidly expanding economy, merchants in the southwestern province of…
Behzad Mirzaei, who has lived in Hong Kong for three decades, is losing sleep as tensions involving Iran escalate, worried about his elderly mother in Tehran. The founder of the Persian Club is among Hong Kong’s small Iranian community who are watching the war with mounting anxiety, waiting for daily updates and fearing for loved…
Hong Kong must exercise fiscal prudence, carefully weighing social needs while maintaining adequate reserves to guard against unforeseen circumstances, the finance chief has said as he outlined the principles of the budget he will deliver on Wednesday. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday also revealed the purple cover of the coming 2026-27 budget, saying…
Hong Kong stands at a definitive demographic crossroads. With one-third of our population projected to be over 65 by the 2040s, the city can either treat ageing as a fiscal burden or it can transform longevity into a sustainable growth engine. Drawing inspiration from Andrew Scott and Lynda Gratton’s work on the 100-Year Life project,…
Over 20 Chinese companies have earned a place on Time magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2025” list, with innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) recognised for the first time alongside advances in robotics and consumer electronics. This year’s edition – covering 300 innovations across 36 categories, the most ever – marks the first time Chinese advances in…
Rising Chinese scepticism towards Western classical history and its scholarly framework has found its latest target in ancient Egyptian treasures, adding an unexpected twist to the two countries’ long-term partnership. From July last year until August this year, the Shanghai Museum hosted a major exhibition on ancient Egypt, marking the first collaboration between a Chinese…
China aired a documentary last week showing how the Qing dynasty took back Xinjiang from foreign forces in the late 19th century – Beijing’s latest effort to counter Western narratives and strengthen Chinese national identity in ethnic minority border areas. The six-episode documentary, titled Zuo Zongtang Recovers Xinjiang, was produced and aired by the broadcaster…
When Aanya stepped out of the black car onto the red carpet, everything stopped for a second. Cameras turned. Eyes widened. People gasped. No, she wasn’t a Hollywood star. She was a girl from Delhi, India. And she wasn’t wearing a designer Western gown. She was wearing a red silk sari with golden borders —…
Hong Kong’s Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk Wing-hing has announced dozens of measures to promote the “silver economy” and address the needs of the city’s ageing population. These cover five main areas: boosting consumption, developing tailor-made products, promoting quality assurance of “silver” products, strengthening financial and insurance protection, and encouraging older residents to re-enter the…