16 h. ago Hong Kong government to offer just 1 residential plot for sale this quarter

Hong Kong’s government will release a mid-size plot for sale in its fiscal second quarter, continuing its tight grip on land supply as the city’s residential property market grapples with a glut that has forced developers to slash prices to find buyers. A plot measuring 6,500 square metres (70,000 sq ft) at the junction of Wing Shun Street and Texaco Road in Tsuen Wan in the western part of New Territories will be made available via tender in the July to September quarter, enough to provide...

Politics

20 h. ago Hong Kong condemns US for extending ‘national emergency’ status for city

The Hong Kong government has condemned the US for extending the city’s “national emergency” status for a year, calling the action an override of the rule of law. “[The US] has arbitrarily interfered in China’s internal affairs through the further extension of the so-called ‘national emergency with respect to Hong Kong’, which is indeed barbaric and unreasonable,” a government spokesman said. United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday a one-year extension of the “national...

Politics

21 h. ago US career diplomat Julie Eadeh tipped to be next consul general in Hong Kong

An American official who met opposition activists in Hong Kong during the 2019 anti-government protests is understood to be the top candidate to be the next US consul general in the city. Julie Eadeh, a career member of the US Senior Foreign Service and now the US consul general in Istanbul, is expected to take over the position from Gregory May, according to a source familiar with the matter. A second source said Eadeh’s “name” had been “presented to the relevant Chinese authorities”. “Now she...

Politics

23 h. ago Day school suspension amid limited rainfall leaves Hong Kong parents furious

Parents in Hong Kong have questioned the “scientific basis” of the government’s decision to suspend classes at all day schools on Friday, with some arguing their children’s graduation ceremonies were cancelled despite little rainfall in the morning. In a WhatsApp group with more than 1,000 parents, furious comments started flooding in at around 7.30am to complain about the decision. “There is not a drop of rain. Due to class suspension, I still have to take special leave to take care of my...

Politics

27 h. ago How mainland standards will bring Hong Kong cheaper, faster northern rail line

Hong Kong’s move to use mainland standards for a cross-border rail project in the Northern Metropolis megadevelopment can set a viable precedent for the future, experts have said, as it capitalises on China’s established and rapidly growing railway sector. Although the Hong Kong government did not specifically set out which mainland Chinese standards would be applied to the construction of the Northern Link spur line, it forecast that the project could be completed two to four years earlier in...

Politics

27 h. ago How mainland China standards will bring Hong Kong cheaper, faster northern line

Hong Kong’s move to use mainland standards for a cross-border rail project in the Northern Metropolis megadevelopment can set a viable precedent for the future, experts have said, as it capitalises on China’s established and rapidly growing railway sector. Although the Hong Kong government did not specifically set out which mainland Chinese standards would be applied to the construction of the Northern Link spur line, it forecast that the project could be completed two to four years earlier in...

Politics

51 h. ago Will speeding up rail line for Northern Metropolis entice Hong Kong developers?

The Hong Kong government’s plan to speed up the construction of the rail backbone of the Northern Metropolis near the border with mainland China will make the megaproject more appealing to developers, but whether they will be persuaded to invest is another matter, experts have said. Amid a depressed property market, developers have voiced concerns over their profit margins if they commit to building in the hub, which Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Director Xia Baolong urged the city to...

Politics

63 h. ago Hong Kong waiter charged with inciting subversion under national security law

A waiter has become the latest person charged under the national security law, with prosecutors accusing him of inciting others to overthrow Beijing and the Hong Kong government in a series of social media posts. Chan Ho-hin, 22, on Wednesday saw his original sedition charge upgraded to one of inciting subversion after West Kowloon Court approved a prosecution request to amend the indictment. The defendant has been remanded in custody since he was first charged on April 30 with a count of...

Events

65 h. ago Average cost of EV licence in Hong Kong could rise 536% under government proposal

The average cost of an electric vehicle (EV) licence in Hong Kong could increase by more than 500 per cent over the next five years, authorities have said, adding that they will also raise the tolls at two tunnels by 60 per cent amid a significant budget deficit. The proposed measures announced by the Transport and Logistics Bureau on Wednesday also included doubling metered parking fees and a 25 to 50 per cent increase in penalties for illegal parking and 19 other traffic violations. The...

Politics

3 d. ago Major rail links in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis to be completed 2 years early

Hong Kong’s railway operator and the government signed an agreement on the design and construction of the major rail link in the Northern Metropolis on Tuesday, fast-tracking its completion by at least two years to 2034. The agreement, which gives momentum to the Northern Metropolis project, involves HK$39.05 billion in financing from land premiums for the construction of three stations along the Northern Link main line, the design of the spur line, tunnels and other railway facilities. It is...

Politics

5 d. 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

7 d. ago Hong Kong wants more visitors? Hook them with great food, Cantopop and Bruce Lee

In the second of a two-part series on Hong Kong’s efforts to boost its tourism industry, the Post takes a look at other attractions the city can offer beyond the nine hotspot products the government has floated. Read part one here. Even as Hong Kong has kick-started efforts to promote nine “tourism hotspots” identified by a government working group, industry players and experts say the city has much more to entice visitors. To revive the city’s flagging tourism scene, they suggested tapping its...

Politics

7 d. ago Beijing taps personnel veteran Xu Qifang for Hong Kong and Macau post

Beijing has appointed Xu Qifang, a Communist Party personnel official, to the second-most senior position in its top body managing Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Xu, 60, the former deputy chief of the party’s Organisation Department has become the executive deputy director of the Central Committee’s Hong Kong and Macau Work Office, according to several government sources. The sources said Xu would be promoted from deputy ministerial to full ministerial rank. As the office’s executive director, Xu...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong court quashes government decision to refuse permits to 2 Uber drivers

A Hong Kong court has quashed a government decision to refuse hire car permits to two prospective Uber drivers seven years ago, rejecting authorities’ contentions that the move could open the floodgates for ride-hailing services and private vehicles to operate as “pseudo-taxis”. In a written judgment handed down on Thursday, the High Court found the Commissioner for Transport’s dismissal of two litigants’ requests for a permit in 2018 to be based on an “impracticable, illogical and unworkable”...

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong can chart path for growth in the space economy: Regina Ip

A top adviser to Hong Kong has called for the local government to aim for the space economy as the city’s answer to stimulating high-quality economic growth, while seeking to host top-tier international events such as the Apec finance ministers’ meeting to enhance global ties and boost local consumption. Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the key decision-making Executive Council and chairwoman of the New People’s Party, also proposed a HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) fund on Wednesday to support...

Politics

9 d. ago Talent Engage chief reappointed as executive director of Hong Kong Tourism Board

Anthony Lau Chun-hon, the head of a government office for attracting global talent, will return to the Hong Kong Tourism Board next month as its new executive director. Lau, who held the same position from 2007 to 2019, will succeed Dane Cheng Ting-yat starting August 4, according to the board. “Lau brings with him extensive experience in tourism and marketing, along with excellent leadership and governance capabilities, making him an ideal candidate for the role of executive director,” board...

Politics

1 week ago HKSAR Government civil servants attend thematic seminar on Hong Kong National Security Law in Beijing (with photo)

HKSAR Government civil servants attend thematic seminar on Hong Kong National Security Law in Beijing (with photo)  info.gov.hk

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong maintains ban on seafood from 10 Japanese prefectures

Hong Kong has underscored the need for prudence in allowing Japanese seafood imports after Beijing partially lifted its own ban on such products, which had been put in place over concerns about waste water discharged from the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear power plant. In a statement issued in the early hours of Monday, a Hong Kong government spokesman stopped short of saying whether the city would reconsider import restrictions on Japanese seafood, which had been in place since August...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong may lift Japanese seafood ban from 10 prefectures in the ‘near future’

Hong Kong may soon lift its ban on Japanese seafood imports from 10 prefectures, according to an industry leader, but a restaurateur has said the move will not offset the damage from the growing trend of residents spending abroad. The industry insiders spoke on Monday after the Hong Kong government underscored the need for prudence in allowing Japanese seafood imports without shedding any light on a potential lifting of the ban. On Sunday, Beijing partially lifted its own ban on such products,...

Politics

1 week ago Angel Chong’s Miss Hong Kong bid ‘angered’ Beijing’s liaison office: sources

Officials from Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong were “angered” by a young district councillor’s brief attempt to compete in a beauty pageant and cautioned her political party over it, according to sources who viewed her move as falling short of the expected conduct of a public officeholder. The Post also learned that the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) and the government chose to downplay the saga while resisting any investigation into whether Angel...

Politics