43 m. ago Retail rents in Hong Kong under pressure after vacancy rate hits 4½

Retail rents in Hong Kong are expected to remain under pressure, as the trend of residents travelling to the mainland for leisure has led many businesses to opt for short-term leases, experts have said after the vacancy rate in the city’s busiest districts hit a 4½-year high. Analysts on Monday also attributed the mounting vacancies to shifting consumer preferences and the difficulty landlords faced in securing high-value tenants once luxury goods shops, such as watch and jewellery stores, had...

Events

1 hour ago Cyclist injured after Hong Kong tour bus crashes into road dividers

A cyclist has been injured after a tour bus lost control and hit road divider fences in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin. According to police, the cyclist reported the traffic accident at the junction of Fo Tan Road and Tai Chung Kiu Road at around 6.08am on Monday. The 48-year-old sustained injuries to his face and hands and was sent to a nearby hospital, while the bus driver, 63, was unharmed. A dashcam video circulating online showed that the bus was turning right onto Fo Tan Road from Tai Chung Kiu Road....

Events

3 h. ago Hundreds gather as Hong Kong bids farewell to China’s Shandong

Hundreds of people have flocked to the Hong Kong waterfront to catch a final glimpse of the Shandong aircraft carrier and its fleet as they conclude their five-day port call to the city, with the No 2 official saying the visit has boosted residents’ national pride. During his speech on Monday, Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said the port call, which was part of the celebration marking the 28th anniversary of the city’s handover to China, had demonstrated the country’s care and staunch support...

Politics

5 h. ago Hong Kong legislators: great at passing laws, not so good at showing up

When we have a 90-member-strong legislature, things get done. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has passed 117 bills, 98 per cent more than in the previous term. The bulk of lawmakers’ work is, well, making laws, so it speaks to the council’s efficiency that twice as many bills have been passed after a 28.6 per cent increase in its membership. Rules also limit the time that Legislative Council members get to speak: we generally require they get whatever they need to get off their chests within 15...

Politics

5 h. ago New rules proposed for Hong Kong legislators suggest lack of discipline

When we have a 90-member-strong legislature, things get done. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has passed 117 bills, 98 per cent more than in the previous term. The bulk of lawmakers’ work is, well, making laws, so it speaks to the council’s efficiency that twice as many bills have been passed after a 28.6 per cent increase in its membership. Rules also limit the time that Legislative Council members get to speak: we generally require they get whatever they need to get off their chests within 15...

Politics

6 h. ago Smaller fall in Hong Kong office rents unlikely to benefit distressed landlords

The decline in Hong Kong’s office rents slowed in the second quarter amid rising leasing demand from finance and law firms, but analysts cautioned this trend was unlikely to substantially benefit landlords as prices are yet to recover. Overall grade A office rents fell 1 per cent quarter on quarter compared with steeper declines in earlier quarters, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield. Prime Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon West recorded a milder decline in rents than districts like...

Society

6 h. ago Hong Kong manufacturers brace for higher costs as end of trade truce looms

A recent surge in Hong Kong’s exports masks a grim reality for frontline manufacturers, with some facing a sharp drop-off in new orders and bracing for renewed pressure on costs as a 90-day tariff truce between Washington and Beijing ends on Tuesday. Bryant Chan Wan-sing, president of toymaker the Wynnewood Corporation, said the sharp increase in orders during the truce was essentially a reinstatement of ones put on hold or cancelled when tariffs were introduced on US President Donald Trump’s...

Economics

7 h. ago FWD Group shares start trading unchanged in Hong Kong market

FWD Group made a flat trading debut in the Hong Kong stock market, as the insurer’s four-year listing journey from New York back to its hometown failed to resonate with investors, even as it built an Asia-wide group across 10 markets. Trading under the stock code 1828, FWD’s shares began trading at HK$38.00, unchanged from its offered price during its initial public offering (IPO), which raised HK$3.47 billion (US$442 million) last week. The IPO of the insurer founded by Hong Kong billionaire...

Politics

9 h. ago Hong Kong needs to better understand and balance ‘one country, two systems’

Jiang Enzhu, the first head of the central government’s liaison office in post-handover Hong Kong, famously likened understanding the city to reading a challenging book – one that demands serious attention and effort. At the time, his words served as a cautionary note to mainland officials. Now, Hong Kong having marked the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty, Jiang’s analogy remains apt, though with a significant caveat. The city may still be a book that is difficult to...

Politics

18 h. ago What’s in a name? Why aircraft carrier is called Shandong and has number 17

China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for a five-day port call, sparking excitement and lively discussions about its name and hull number. The carrier welcomed the public aboard for the first time, with 2,000 fortunate Hong Kong residents securing tickets in less than a minute during the weekend to mark the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty. Below, the Post unpacks the stories behind vessel numbers and...

Transport

18 h. ago ‘Cool’ officers on Chinese aircraft carrier impress Hong Kong visitors

Naval officers on China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, were popular photo subjects for Hong Kong residents enjoying a rare opportunity to sing and dance with them on the second and final day of the warship’s public opening on Sunday. Visitors queued up to capture on camera the sheer scale of the 70,000-tonne carrier, with its distinctive “ski jump” ramp, fighter jets, likely to be J-15s, and helicopters, and to seize the chance to meet and interact with officers. “The...

Society

18 h. ago Chinese naval officers praise Hong Kong visitors – and feeling is mutual

Naval officers on Chinese warships visiting Hong Kong have praised residents touring their vessels for their behaviour and warmth, while revealing that they had enjoyed some local delicacies in neighbourhood cafes and were impressed by the city’s beauty and prosperity. The officers proved to be popular photo subjects for residents enjoying a rare opportunity to sing and dance with them on the second and final day of the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong’s public opening on Sunday. The fleet,...

Events

19 h. ago Hong Kong’s IPO boom a sign overseas investment push is working, Paul Chan says

Hong Kong’s push to attract overseas investment is showing positive results, the finance minister has said, citing the rise of the city’s exchange to the top of the global table for initial public offerings (IPOs) in the first half of the year and the stock market’s strong performance. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday that the achievements of the first six months showed that the government’s promotion efforts in recent years were starting to pay off. Noting the increasing...

Economics

20 h. ago Temperatures in Hong Kong’s subpar housing reach as high as 40 degrees: survey

Temperatures in substandard housing in Hong Kong reached as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) over the past week, while about 40 per cent of tenants in such homes reported having poor quality or no windows, a concern group has found. The results came from two studies published by the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO) on Sunday, with the group calling on authorities to offer subsidies so tenants could buy cooling products. SoCO also said that the living conditions of low-income...

Politics

20 h. ago Hong Kong’s Link Asset Management cuts jobs amid retail headwinds

Hong Kong-based Link Asset Management has said it was “streamlining a small number of roles and positions” as part of an efficiency drive in response to a “challenging operating environment” amid reports that the firm was conducting lay-offs. Economists said the move by the firm, which owns 150 properties in Hong Kong, mainland China and other countries, could reduce costs and maintain profits amid the sluggish retail sector performance in the city. Link told the Post that its approach remained...

Politics

23 h. ago Hong Kong rejected 12,452 visitors in first 5 months of this year: official

Hong Kong rejected more than 12,000 visitors from entering the city in the first five months of 2025, according to a top immigration official, who has said the move signals his department’s firm stance on border control. Director of Immigration Benson Kwok Joon-fung also said on Sunday that the 12,452 rejected visitors represented about 0.062 per cent of the nearly 20 million inbound travellers recorded over the same period. “There are a few reasons – for example, we might suspect their purpose...

Politics

23 h. ago Hong Kong denies entry to 12,452 visitors in first 5 months of 2025

Hong Kong denied entry to more than 12,000 visitors in the first five months of 2025, the immigration chief said on Sunday, stressing that the effort signalled his department’s firm stance on border control. Director of Immigration Benson Kwok Joon-fung also said that the 12,452 visitors who were not allowed into Hong Kong represented about 0.062 per cent of the nearly 20 million inbound travellers recorded over the same period. “There are a few reasons – for example, we might suspect their...

Politics

24 h. ago Hong Kong to cancel T1 warning on Sunday afternoon as Typhoon Danas moves away

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory will cancel a No 1 tropical cyclone warning on Sunday afternoon as Typhoon Danas moves away from the city, with the forecaster also warning residents to be wary of the extreme heat. “In the past few hours, Danas accelerated northeastwards, moving away from Hong Kong...

Events

24 h. ago Hong Kong cancels T1 warning on Sunday afternoon as Typhoon Danas moves away

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory cancelled a No 1 tropical cyclone signal on Sunday afternoon as Typhoon Danas moved away from the city, with the forecaster also warning residents to be wary of the extreme heat. “In the past few hours, Danas accelerated northeastwards, moving away from Hong Kong...

Events

25 h. ago 29 Hong Kong students achieve top scores in IB exam despite tricky maths section

At least 29 students in Hong Kong have achieved top marks in the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme, even after a global outcry from test-takers over concerns that the mathematics subject was too difficult. More than 2,600 Hong Kong students sat this year’s IB exam on May 15, 16 and 21, showing a nearly 20 per cent increase from 2021, with the results released this Sunday. The IB exam assesses students’ knowledge of several key academic subjects and plays a key role in their university...

Politics