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POLITICSJul 9Hong Kong corruption watchdog charges 3 over HK$1.3 million elderly care voucher fraudHong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has charged three people, including two private care home operators, over an alleged HK$1.3 million fraud involving an elderly care voucher scheme. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Thursday that the trio allegedly inflated service records under the Social Welfare Department’s Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly, overstating carers’ service hours by more than 5,000 hours. The scheme provides elderly residents with...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 9Hong Kong man pleads guilty to subversive promotion of pro-Taiwan partyA Hong Kong man has pleaded guilty to inciting subversion under the national security law for promoting a pro-Taiwan party and disseminating anti-Communist messages in 2024 and last year. The District Court heard on Thursday that Chan Ho-hin, a 23-year-old waiter, had proclaimed that the Taiwanese government was the only legitimate regime in the country, and called on Hongkongers to support and join the Revive the Republic of China Freedom Party in Taiwan through social media, leaflets and...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 9Malaysians in Hong Kong locked out of state elections amid tight voting deadlinesJack Yu wants to vote in Saturday’s crucial election in his home state of Johor, Malaysia, but being based in Hong Kong has left him frozen out after he missed the short window to register for a postal vote. Hong Kong is home to an estimated 15,000 Malaysians working across finance to hospitality, according to the Southeast Asian nation’s consulate general. Many remain closely engaged with politics back home – more so when the result could reshape the balance of power in Putrajaya. Yu, 36,...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 8Hong Kong’s Paul Chan pledges second trip to Saudi Arabia to build Mideast tiesHong Kong’s finance chief will lead another business delegation to Saudi Arabia later this year, announcing the news as the city hosted the first overseas edition of one of the kingdom’s top technology conferences as part of efforts to boost ties with the Middle East. Speaking at the opening ceremony of LEAP East 2026 on Wednesday, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also announced that the conference’s Hong Kong edition would continue to be held annually for the next three years. For his second...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 7How Hong Kong is fighting to redefine its future with an institutional moat, wealth surgeFor decades, warnings of Hong Kong’s terminal decline have arrived in periodic waves. When Stephen Roach, the former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, ignited a firestorm with his February 2024 assertion that “Hong Kong is over”, he pointed to a toxic cocktail of domestic and external pressures. Roach, who doubled down on his “wake-up call” a year ago, argued that the city’s economic glory was being extinguished by a loss of political autonomy following 2020’s national security law, the spillover...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 7Hong Kong consults on sex law reform over cult coercion, campus and online abuseCults luring victims overseas for sex in a bid to “change their fate”, as well as suggestive games hosted at orientation camps in Hong Kong could amount to sexual offences, authorities have warned, as they launched a public consultation on the city’s sexual law reforms. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung on Tuesday clarified that sexual offences involving misleading claims would fall within the city’s legal remit if the deception took place in Hong Kong, even if the incident occurred...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 7Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong expected to plead guilty in foreign collusion caseHong Kong jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has indicated he will plead guilty to conspiring with a fugitive former lawmaker to collude with foreign forces six years ago. The High Court has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for the 29-year-old on September 2, according to the judiciary’s website on Tuesday, signalling his intention to admit the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under the Beijing-decreed national security law. The court has yet to announce the...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 6Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis project needn’t neglect agricultureHong Kong’s Northern Metropolis is positioned as the city’s next engine of growth – a long-term solution to land supply, economic transformation and cross-boundary integration. Just as importantly, the government has stressed that this massive undertaking will embed nature conservation and urban-rural integration at its core. Yet, a growing contradiction lies at the heart of this vision. The very landscapes that could support a green, sustainable and liveable Northern Metropolis – its remaining...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 6A Trump visit to Hong Kong would be a strategic masterstrokeIf one word could capture the essence of Hong Kong, it would be resilience. Just two years ago, much of the international community had written off Hong Kong. A widely circulated newspaper commentary carried the headline: “It pains me to say Hong Kong is over”. Though the writer later changed his opinion, the piece captured the pessimism about the city’s future as a global hub. Hong Kong’s dramatic comeback is well documented. According to Boston Consulting Group, the city has overtaken...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 5Anti-drug video fiasco not a vote of confidence in Hong Kong’s AI goalsIt’s unfortunate for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu that his speech on July 1 marking the 29th anniversary of the handover and highlighting his government’s achievements may have been overshadowed by the outcry over an anti-drug video – or at least what was intended as one. The Correctional Services Department released the video, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), on June 26 before having to pull it twice, ahead of the anniversary. The video – featuring an appealing K-pop...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 4Hong Kong Legco chief urges higher standards after lawmaker’s drink-driving arrestThe president of Hong Kong’s legislature has urged fellow members to be “more rigorous in their conduct” to meet society’s expectations after a lawmaker resigned following his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving. Addressing the arrest for the first time publicly on Saturday, Legislative Council president Starry Lee Wai-king said William Wong Kam-fai’s resignation the previous day reflected his willingness to accept responsibility. “I fully understand and comprehend the high expectations that...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 3Hong Kong approves first subdivided units meeting basic housing standardsHong Kong authorities have approved the city’s first three subdivided units to comply with official minimum standards, with the successful applicant urging landlords to seek professional help to avoid wasting time and money. Hayson Chan Hin-hay said the Housing Bureau had approved his three subdivided units in a flat in Sham Shui Po as “basic housing units” last week. Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong Basic Housing Units Operators Association, said he filed the application in late May. Under the...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 3Hong Kong ministers get 1.3% pay rise, after civil servants secure 2% salary bumpHong Kong’s top ministers and other political appointees have received a 1.3 per cent pay rise, authorities have confirmed, after the government announced in June that civil servants would get a 2 per cent salary bump. In a reply to the South China Morning Post, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said on Friday that the decision was based on recommendations of an independent commission tasked with reviewing the salaries of politically appointed officials, lawmakers and the Executive...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 3Hong Kong duo admit joining pro-independence group ‘out of curiosity’, asylum bidTwo Hong Kong men convicted of violating the Beijing-decreed national security law have said they joined a pro-independence group either to obtain asylum in Canada or “out of curiosity”. Courier Chan Tai-sum, 27, and waiter Ng Chi-tung, 25, pleaded guilty in the District Court on Friday to conspiracy to commit secession for their involvement with Taiwan-based Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union between November 2024 and July last year. Defence lawyers said the pair were both diagnosed with...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 3Hong Kong pivots to a 5-day civil service work week in 2006 – SCMP archiveThis article was first published on July 3, 2006. Workers more efficient over five days: civil service chief by Ng Kang-chung Civil servants can work more efficiently and serve citizens better by not having to work on Saturdays, the city’s 6.9 million residents have been promised on the eve of implementation of a five-day week. The new working week would also help save citizens time and travel expenses if they switched to using services by fax, mail or internet, Civil Service Secretary Denise...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 2Lam Wing-kee, Hong Kong bookseller detained in mainland China, diesHong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, who publicly recounted being abducted and detained by mainland Chinese authorities in 2015, has died at the age of 70 after a years-long battle with lung cancer, according to Taiwanese media. Local media reported that Lam, who moved to Taiwan in 2019, was admitted to Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei on Tuesday, but his condition worsened and he fell into a coma. He was pronounced dead on Thursday evening. Last year, he disclosed that his lung adenocarcinoma...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 2Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong restructured, stressing youth, district workBeijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong has been restructured, with the economic department split into two and its district-level groups expanded, a move that an analyst said reflected the central government’s greater focus on financial, youth, and district work. A comparison of the office’s organisational chart on its website on Thursday with internet archive records showed that the number of departments had been reduced from 24 to 23, even as its Economic Department was split into two entities,...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 2Hong Kong police search 15 in former July 1 protest areas, man taken awayHong Kong police have stopped and searched 15 people in areas where July 1 protests were previously held, with one man wearing a T-shirt with political undertones taken away. The force said on Thursday that five men and 10 women, aged between 25 and 73, were stopped and searched in Wan Chai and the Eastern district the previous day, when the city marked the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule. The date also marked the fifth anniversary of a stabbing attack in which a lone assailant...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 1Stability in Hong Kong allows bigger celebrations of Communist Party anniversary: analystsGreater social and political stability in Hong Kong will allow the city to hold high-profile celebratory events for the anniversary of the Communist Party’s establishment, analysts and politicians have said, encouraging residents to learn more about the party. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Wednesday that the government would organise a series of celebratory activities in the city to mark the 105th anniversary of the party’s founding. Without elaborating on the details, Lee said...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 1Communist Party a ‘fundamental safeguard’ of Hong Kong’s prosperity: John LeeThe leadership of the Communist Party is a “fundamental safeguard” of Hong Kong’s prosperity, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said amid celebrations to mark the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule and the 105th year of the party. The city leader on Wednesday also set priorities for the final year of his five-year term, stressing that he had changed the culture of the government during his four years in office and rolled out policies that delivered results. In a speech at...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 1Hong Kong enters ‘new era’ as city returns to Chinese rule in 1997 – SCMP archiveThis article was first published on July 1, 1997 Tung and his team sworn in as Patten bids tearful farewell by Chris Yeung Hong Kong entered its new era at the stroke of midnight, launching a historic experiment with the strongest pledge yet of non-interference from President Jiang Zemin. As June 30 moved into July 1, the flags of Britain and Hong Kong were lowered, and those of China and the SAR raised in the Convention and Exhibition Centre. The return to China after 156 years of colonial rule...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 1Hong Kong’s 5-year plan will hinge on how it measures successHong Kong’s first five-year plan will undoubtedly mark a significant milestone for the city. The public consultation launched last month covers a range of issues, such as economic development, innovation and technology, housing, healthcare, education, infrastructure and regional cooperation. The exercise offers a chance not only to discuss what Hong Kong hopes to achieve by 2030, but also how its success should be measured. That second question is perhaps the more important one. Hong Kong has...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJul 1Hong Kong marks July 1 anniversary with flag-raising ceremony, citywide dealsHong Kong is marking the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty this Wednesday, with businesses and authorities rolling out a range of promotions for the big day. A flag-raising ceremony at Wan Chai’s Golden Bauhinia Square will kick-start the celebrations, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, other top officials and prominent figures to attend. After the ceremony, the city leader will give his annual handover speech at a reception held at the nearby Hong Kong Convention and...South China Morning Post
POLITICSJun 30Hong Kong, mainland China to start sharing data this year: tech minister Sun DongAs Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead. Hong Kong and mainland China are expected to begin sharing cross-border data within the year, when more companies will start operating in the Hetao innovation hub, the tech minister has revealed. In a wide-ranging interview with the South China Morning Post, Secretary for...South China Morning Post