32 h. 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

32 h. 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

32 h. ago Hong Kong may relax Japanese seafood ban soon: industry leader

Hong Kong may soon relax 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 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, which had...

Politics

32 h. ago Hong Kong may relax Japanese seafood ban soon: catering industry leader

Hong Kong may soon relax its ban on Japanese seafood imports from 10 prefectures, according to a catering 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 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

33 h. ago Can China’s partial lifting of Japanese seafood ban aid a post

China has partially lifted its two-year ban on Japanese seafood imports in the latest step by Beijing to remove a diplomatic roadblock that has strained ties between the two neighbours. According to a Chinese customs notice issued on Sunday, shipments of seafood originating from “certain regions” of Japan would resume “conditionally” with immediate effect. The decision was made “under the premise of ongoing long-term international monitoring and independent Chinese sampling of Japan’s Fukushima...

Politics

33 h. ago China partially lifts Japan seafood ban but Fukushima import block remains

China has partially lifted its two-year ban on Japanese seafood imports in the latest step by Beijing to remove a diplomatic roadblock that has strained ties between the two neighbours. According to a Chinese customs notice issued on Sunday, shipments of seafood originating from “certain regions” of Japan would resume “conditionally” with immediate effect. The decision was made “under the premise of ongoing long-term international monitoring and independent Chinese sampling of Japan’s Fukushima...

Politics

9 d. ago How to answer Xia’s call for Hong Kong? Tap global ties and lure talent, experts say

Hong Kong should maintain its international connectivity and attract talent to speed up its economic transformation, analysts and figures from the commerce sector have said, as they hailed the enactment of the national security law for improving the business environment. Some political analysts also called on government officials to take bolder steps and adopt new thinking, taking advantage of the social stability and order brought by the security law Beijing imposed on the city in 2020. Their...

Politics

4 w. ago With Hong Kong’s stablecoin law, mainland firms are preparing for a market boom

Hong Kong’s move to legalise stablecoins – cryptocurrencies that maintain a fixed value by being pegged to a reference asset – is grabbing the attention of mainland institutions, as a leading Chinese brokerage predicts a boom in tokenised real-world assets (RWA) in the city. While Beijing has remained largely quiet on Hong Kong’s new stablecoin bill in the two weeks since it was passed, paving the way for the issuance of such assets in the city, discussions about the market and geopolitical...

Economics

4 w. ago Hong Kong to stick with 2% to 3% growth goal despite strong first quarter: Chan

Hong Kong will maintain its economic growth target of between 2 and 3 per cent for this year, the city’s finance chief has said, while describing the anticipated rapid gains in the first quarter as an “exception” rather than the norm. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said on Monday that authorities would “prepare for the worst” despite the easing of tariffs amid the US-China trade war, but added that the recent rise in tourism would help offset sluggish domestic consumption. The...

Politics