China

Democracy is a precious gift that Beijing has given to Hong Kong, veteran politician Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has said in an open letter appealing to residents to vote in the coming Legislative Council election. In the letter shared on social media by Ip on Tuesday, the Executive Council convenor also stressed that forms of “so-called democracy” contrary […]

Hong Kong’s unemployment rate dipped to 3.8 per cent over the past three months, the first drop since mid-2023, with authorities crediting the decline to steady improvements in business sentiment and a gradual recovery in consumer confidence. Preliminary data released by the Census and Statistics Department on Tuesday showed that the jobless rate for the […]

An exhibition featuring 250 historical Egyptian artefacts, including a towering statue of Tutankhamun, mummies and jewellery, will open in Hong Kong on Thursday as the Middle Eastern country and China prepare to celebrate 70 years of diplomatic ties in 2026. “Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums” is being hosted by the Hong Kong […]

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has leveraged the fame of hundreds of influencers, including Khaby Lame or “Speechless Brother”, the most-followed creator on short-video platform TikTok, to attract more tourists to the city. The board announced on Tuesday that the visit of the Senegalese-Italian had “allowed his global fans to see a different side of Hong […]

Bitcoin continues to plunge as a cryptocurrency sell-off deepens, shaving off gains in share prices that some Hong Kong-listed firms made this year after launching digital asset initiatives. Bitcoin at one point on Tuesday dropped below US$90,000, more than 4 per cent lower than at the start of 2025, after hitting multiple all-time highs this year. The […]

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia will launch a US$1 billion fund to help companies from Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area expand into the Middle Eastern country, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Tuesday. The move was expected to contribute to the development of non-oil economic […]

Hong Kong’s nightlife district Lan Kwai Fong has been recognised for maintaining the city’s cleanest public toilet this year despite frequent use, one of two in tourist hotspots that were in the top three best restrooms. The Hong Kong Toilet Association released its annual ranking of the city’s public bathrooms on Tuesday and called on the government […]

Hong Kong residents will see their electricity bills drop by 2.2 to 2.6 per cent in 2026, as the city’s two utility providers cite lower and more stable fuel prices, a welcome shift following last year’s nearly 1 per cent price increase. In announcements on Tuesday, ahead of the December 7 Legislative Council election, CLP Power and HK Electric said […]

Britain has reaffirmed its commitment to the Hongkongers it “repatriated” under a bespoke migration pathway, but it remains unclear how the scheme will be affected by what London has called “the most significant reform” to its immigration system. Consultations will be announced later this week to discuss the proposed changes to make asylum seekers […]

Hong Kong national security police have arrested a man on suspicion of posting social media messages urging others not to vote or to cast invalid ballots in next month’s Legislative Council election. Police said on Tuesday they first detected a suspicious account in September last year that repeatedly published messages deemed to have seditious intent, […]

The United States should pass a law to impose tougher scrutiny of Hong Kong’s American dollar-backed international transactions and exports, a US advisory panel on China policy has recommended to Congress in a sweeping annual report. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which released the report on Tuesday, also suggested turning an […]

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has won the bid to run the city’s third medical school, with officials saying the institution stood out by presenting a clear strategic position and financial plan, among other factors. The eight-month race officially ended on Tuesday, when the government announced that HKUST had been recommended […]

Hong Kong’s economy is expected to continue growing after a strong performance in the last quarter, supported by a moderate global economic outlook, a vibrant financial market and an interest rate cut, the city’s leader has said. He made the assessment at a forum on Tuesday on Hong Kong’s role in the global economy that also featured a central figure […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The weather in Hong Kong will feel colder than the actual temperature due to a “wind chill effect”, with the mercury expected to drop to around 14 degrees Celsius (57 Fahrenheit) over the next few days, according […]

Hundreds of Singaporean football fans have flown into Hong Kong for what some call the city state’s biggest match when the Lions take on the hosts on Tuesday for a place at the 2027 Asian Cup. “Singapore has not qualified for the Asian Cup since 1984, when we hosted the games,” said Chue Guo-xian, who works in the sports industry. “So this is […]

Hong Kong has established new “partner port” relationships with key maritime centres in mainland China and South America, the city’s leader has said, with shipping experts calling it a strategic move to enlarge market catchment areas and strengthen supply chains amid global trade volatility. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Monday that […]

Worried residents at a major private housing estate in Hong Kong lined up to have their water meters cleaned on Monday after bitumen particles were found in their drinking supply, with many also complaining that their hot taps had run dry. People queued at a service counter set up by the Water Supplies Department at Taikoo Shing in Quarry Bay in the […]

China’s market regulator has moved to tackle the hidden risks of algorithm-driven price manipulation with newly proposed anti-monopoly guidelines for online shopping, food delivery and travel platforms. A draft of the “Anti-Monopoly Compliance Guidelines for Internet Platforms”, published over the weekend by the State Administration for Market […]

A Hong Kong lawyer who admitted having sex with a 12-year-old girl has maintained that they were in a genuinely loving relationship. Kelvin Luk Kin-ting’s legal counsel on Monday sought to convince the District Court that the defendant, 40, had not groomed his victim to satisfy his sexual desires or taken naked photos of her for financial benefit. The […]

The most important outcome of the Communist Party of China’s fourth plenum, held last month in Beijing, was the review and adoption of the “Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development”. Leading the drafting team in person, Communist Party General Secretary and Chinese […]

Three workers at a public hospital in Hong Kong fell ill and more than 180 people were evacuated after a chemical leaked from a waste container during a delivery on Monday. The formaldehyde spill was reported at the clinical pathology department in Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin at around noon. The Fire Services Department and police were alerted. […]

A tram accident in Hong Kong that led to the death of a three-year-old girl and injuries to three others was “inevitable”, as the driver only had 0.9 seconds to react upon realising the danger, a court heard. Li Yaodong, 49, was tried in Eastern Court on Monday for alleged unsafe driving outside Kennedy Town Swimming Pool on the morning of August 15, […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong’s forecaster has reminded the public to stay warm as a cold front is due to hit the city on Tuesday, adding it expected about nine to 17 days when temperatures will dip below 12 degrees Celsius (54 […]

Ant International, the Singapore-based spin-off of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, is stepping up its global treasury operations through a strategic partnership with Swiss bank UBS, as both companies also seek to explore innovations in blockchain-based tokenised deposits. Under a memorandum of understanding signed at UBS’ Singapore offices, Ant […]

With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers. A daring daytime heist of jewels from the Louvre museum in Paris on October 19 made international headlines. […]

Chinese companies expanding overseas are increasingly using the yuan for financing and payments to build their international operations, boosting the currency’s growing clout in international trade and investment. “Based on my calculation, 10 per cent of our company’s total orders were priced and settled in renminbi,” said Yang Feng, finance […]

Hong Kong immigration officers have arrested two residents suspected of being core members of a cross-border sham marriage syndicate that generated more than HK$7.5 million (US$964,823) in illicit earnings, following a joint operation with mainland Chinese law enforcement agencies. Chief Immigration Officer Tang Wai-yip said on Monday that the department […]

Hong Kong has recorded a 12 per cent year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals for the first 10 months of 2025, with around 41 million people visiting the city between January and October, according to the Tourism Board. The city welcomed 9.62 million foreign tourists in that period, marking a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in non-mainland Chinese […]

Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has warned residents travelling abroad to carefully compare the scope of coverage and exclusions of different insurance plans following complaints regarding disputes over claims. The Consumer Council said on Monday it had received 221 complaints about travel insurance since 2022, including 152 disputed claims. It noted that […]

Hong Kong may have silent transmission chains of chikungunya fever in the community, a leading infectious disease expert has warned, as authorities are still unable to identify the source of the city’s fourth local case recorded last week. Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, co-chairman of the Hong Kong Medical Association’s advisory committee on communicable […]

Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has slammed driving schools over opaque fees, with one charging nearly twice the quoted rate for extra lessons to meet the minimum number of training hours. The Consumer Council said on Monday that all 32 basic courses offered by 11 driving schools failed to meet the Transport Department’s requirement of 30 hours of […]

These are interesting times in Hong Kong politics. Rarely has the city seen the government get so involved in galvanising voters ahead of the Legislative Council election. These things have traditionally been the work of political parties and groups. And that is one prominent feature of the development of Hong Kong’s “patriots-only” political system. […]

Integration with mainland China and boosting Hong Kong’s sluggish economy have dominated the manifestos of candidates contesting functional and Election Committee constituencies in the Legislative Council election, while those running for directly elected seats have prioritised livelihood concerns, the Post has found. A check by the Post of all 161 […]

A Hong Kong veteran rock climber was found dead on Sunday afternoon after a suspected fall while hiking in Tuen Mun’s countryside. The 43-year-old man left his home at Tsui Ping (South) Estate in Kwun Tong for a hike on Saturday. His family alerted the force at about 8am on Sunday after he failed to return, a source said. Search and rescue teams found the […]

Hong Kong authorities have vowed to work through the night and into the morning to clean all water tanks at a private residential estate in Quarry Bay that were found to contain bitumen, the city’s fifth such case this year. The Water Supplies Department said on Sunday night that its laboratory tests had confirmed that the black particles found in the […]

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. A cold front will begin to affect Hong Kong on Monday night, pushing temperatures to as low as 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit) the following day, the city’s forecaster has said. The Observatory said on Sunday that […]

Hong Kong police have arrested 15 people in a crackdown on a triad-linked money laundering syndicate accused of handling more than HK$1.1 billion (US$142 million), with tens of millions of dollars in cash and assets found at the suspected ringleader’s flat. Police said on Sunday that the group was taken into custody earlier this week on suspicion of money […]

Lam Leung-tim, the pioneering Hong Kong toy tycoon and creator of the city’s iconic yellow rubber duck, has died aged 105. In newspaper ads that ran across the city on Saturday, Lam’s family revealed that he had died on November 10, and announced that a memorial ceremony would be held on Monday at Nanhai District Funeral Home in his ancestral hometown […]

Hong Kong police have arrested a 20-year-old truck driver following an accident in Tai Po involving a cyclist who later died of injuries. The force received a report at 1.43pm on Sunday that a 52-year-old man had been pushing a bicycle across On Pong Road when he was allegedly knocked down and run over by a truck and trapped beneath the vehicle. The victim […]

Hong Kong’s push for yuan globalisation is a powerful catalyst that will prompt more companies to use the currency for invoicing and bill settlement with mainland Chinese partners and fuel demand for renminbi treasury products, according to industry leaders. Some of the city’s finance sector experts also hailed a series of recent government moves, such […]

Elderly residents in Hong Kong are enjoying a slew of perks on Sunday, from free rides to discounted meals, as the city marks Senior Citizens Day. Established in 1979, the celebration is held on the third Sunday of November to recognise the contributions of the elderly and raise public awareness of care for the aged. The Post highlights some major […]

A Hong Kong taxi driver has been arrested after allegedly driving his vehicle into an elderly woman, who later died in hospital from her injuries. On Saturday, police reported that a 61-year-old taxi driver surnamed Lo was driving along Wah Ting Street when he turned left onto Ap Lei Chau Main Street and allegedly struck an 81-year-old woman surnamed Chou. […]

Hong Kong’s current flu season, driven by a highly transmissible mutated virus strain and compounded by a cold snap, will be significantly prolonged and may overlap with the coming winter season, a leading infectious disease expert has said. David Hui Shu-cheong, a professor of respiratory medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, also said on […]

Hong Kong’s unemployment rate, which recently hit a three-year high of 3.9 per cent, is expected to stabilise or even decline as the economy gains positive momentum, according to the city’s finance chief. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po expressed optimism on Sunday following the government’s revision of its gross domestic product (GDP) growth […]

A 67-year-old man was injured after a fire broke out in a village house in Hong Kong early on Sunday morning, prompting the evacuation of 27 residents. Police received the fire call at 3.18am on Sunday, reporting that a corrugated iron house in Ping Kong Village, Sheung Shui, had caught fire. A video circulating online showed the fire spreading across the […]