4 d. ago Rush to create 2,600 student hostel spaces to meet surging demand in Hong Kong

Education authorities have received more than 10 applications to convert commercial buildings and hotels into 2,600 dormitory spaces in Hong Kong, a move to address the increased demand after raising the cap on non-local students at tertiary institutions to 50 per cent. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin said on Saturday she was encouraged by the response to the “Hostel in the City” scheme, launched in July with the Development Bureau. “We have approved a few applications now,” Choi...

Politics

5 d. ago More than a tech hub, Northern Metropolis can be a cradle for culture

Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis is more than a mere zoning plan; it is a crucial part of China’s development strategy and a pivotal step towards elevating the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) global profile. With development now under way, the conversation must shift to a new realm: soft power. The Northern Metropolis should not be just another new town designed to address Hong Kong’s housing and industrial needs. Rather, it must emerge as a zone of cultural emancipation that takes the GBA’s development...

Politics

5 d. ago US, Hong Kong ‘both lose’ if Cathay added to planned Russian airspace ban

The United States and Hong Kong face a lose-lose scenario if global travellers are forced to pay higher airfares over the proposed barring of Cathay Pacific Airways from flying over Russian airspace to the east coast of North America, analysts have warned. Wednesday’s warning followed calls by United Airlines for the Trump administration to ban Hong Kong’s flag carrier from flying over Russia for routes between the US and the city in a bid to force Cathay Pacific to align with other...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong firms urged to find alternatives amid US tariffs, software export controls

Hong Kong businesses have braced themselves for additional US tariffs, but experts urged companies to develop alternative strategies due to proposed export controls on American-made critical software, warning of a “painful” adjustment. Industry figures told the Post on Saturday that United States President Donald Trump’s threat to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on mainland China from November 1 would not significantly impact Hong Kong businesses, which are used to uncertainties from...

Economics

1 week ago Hong Kong firms urged to find alternatives due to US tariffs, software controls

Hong Kong businesses have braced themselves for additional US tariffs, but experts are urging companies to develop alternative strategies due to proposed export controls on American-made critical software, warning of a “painful” adjustment. Industry figures told the Post on Saturday that US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose an additional 100 per cent tariff on mainland China from November 1 would not significantly impact Hong Kong businesses, which were used to uncertainties from his...

Economics

2 w. ago Unsure about Hong Kong’s modular flats? The Post unpacks the big questions

The use of Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) flats to address challenges faced by Hong Kong’s construction industry has come under the spotlight after installation issues were flagged at three light public housing sites. Concerns were raised earlier this week after some MiC flats at the sites were previously found to have been improperly installed. Authorities stressed that the incident was related to on-site work procedures rather than the construction method itself. The Post unpacks how...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong adds additional private residential plot in Northern Metropolis

An additional private residential plot will be added to a land parcel in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis to attract developers to invest in the economic hub near the border with mainland China, the city’s development chief has said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Sunday that under a new set of laws tailored for the megaproject, construction hours might be extended to speed up work. Linn said in a televised interview that an area spanning more than 10 hectares (25 acres)...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong revamping school history subjects, with Communist Party founding added

Senior secondary school students will learn more about the Communist Party’s founding and its socialism under a coming overhaul of the curriculum of the Chinese history and history subjects, which analysts say will reinforce patriotism and Hongkongers’ national identity. Under the revamp, the Cultural Revolution will no longer be a stand-alone topic in the Chinese history curriculum while several issues have been removed, including the “Outer Mongolia Incident” and the “Tibet Incident” from the...

Culture

2 w. ago Hong Kong may issue T1 on Friday night, assess higher warning need on Saturday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The Hong Kong Observatory has said it will consider issuing the No 1 typhoon standby signal on Friday night and assess the need for a higher one the next day as Tropical Cyclone Matmo moves nearer to the city. Matmo could also be the 12th tropical cyclone to trigger a typhoon warning in Hong Kong this year, setting a new record since 1946, it added. According...

Events

last month John Lee’s policy address leaves some big questions unanswered

It was good to hear Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu say in last week’s policy address that his “ultimate objective in governance is to improve people’s livelihood” and recognising that the government must prioritise the well-being of the people to improve the health of the economy. It’s good because we are finally recognising that people are behind the success of Hong Kong and those good stories he wants everyone to tell. Reactions to the latest policy address have been generally positive. Lee...

Events

last month Hong Kong business chamber spearheads local, mainland Chinese firms’ push abroad

One of Hong Kong’s largest business chambers is taking on a bigger role in leading trade delegations to help local and mainland Chinese firms reach new markets abroad, with plans to visit Osaka this week and Hangzhou in December, according to its new chairman. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu highlighted in his policy address last week the Federation of Hong Kong Industries’ recent business trip to Vietnam as an example of how the city was pooling industry strengths to support companies’ efforts...

Economics