11 h. ago Beijing slams US senators for ‘malicious’ bill targeting Hong Kong trade offices

Beijing’s foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong has “strongly condemned” a group of US senators for pushing what it calls “malicious legislation” that seeks to strip the city’s trade offices in the United States of their special privileges and potentially force their closure. A spokesman for the Commissioner’s Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said the senators’ move exposed their “deep-rooted ideological prejudice” and “Cold War mentality”. “Any attempts to smear Hong Kong’s freedom and...

Events

47 h. ago Hong Kong temperatures to fall to 12 degrees next week as winter monsoon arrives

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to sharply dip to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday next week as a cold front moves through the city midweek. The Hong Kong Observatory said the fine and relatively warm weather on Friday, brought by a dry northeast monsoon,...

Politics

64 h. ago Hong Kong, Shenzhen push secure data corridor to unlock AI and fintech opportunities

Hong Kong and Shenzhen are establishing a white list for data transfers as part of an overarching effort to forge closer cross-border ties, which policymakers and business leaders see as essential to unlocking opportunities in artificial intelligence and fintech in the region. “If you have a white list to facilitate the movement of sensitive data, biological data and samples between Hong Kong and [mainland] China, it would ensure trust between [parties sending and receiving information] because...

Politics

68 h. ago Tougher building checks may add costs, slow projects, Hong Kong lawmaker says

Extra costs and the use of public resources may be incurred under the Hong Kong government’s proposed moves to increase professional scrutiny of building maintenance projects following the deadly Tai Po inferno, a lawmaker has said, calling for further discussion. Election Committee lawmaker Andrew Lam Siu-lo, a town planner by training, said on Thursday that expanding the Urban Renewal Authority’s (URA) role in such projects might require extra time and money, urging the government and...

Politics

5 d. ago Financial firm Ares doubles Hong Kong office footprint as real estate outlook improves

Ares Management, one of Asia’s largest alternative investment managers, is doubling its real estate footprint in Hong Kong, a move that aligns with a broader expansion by financial firms and demand for office space in the core Central business district. The Los Angeles-based asset manager would add about 12,500 sq ft of space in Gloucester Tower, where it has been a tenant since 2017, according to a statement from the landlord Hongkong Land on Monday. The new lease will be effective in...

Economics

1 week ago Hong Kong moves ticketing for driving licence applications online to beat touts

Hong Kong transport authorities will fully move ticketing for test-free driving licence applications online from Monday, after the highly sought-after service attracted long queues and scalpers. The Transport Department said on Wednesday that the policy change, resulting in walk-in applications being cancelled, aimed to distribute tickets in a fair and orderly manner. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan had told the department on Tuesday to find prompt solutions. Hong Kong currently...

Politics

1 week ago Air China’s HK$1.32 billion Cathay stake sale ‘tactical’, Hong Kong carrier CEO says

Air China has sold part of its stake in Cathay Pacific Airways for HK$1.32 billion (US$167 million), but the Hong Kong carrier’s CEO has said the move will not affect the mainland airline’s role as a strategic shareholder. Cathay Group CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por said on Tuesday that the sale of a 1.6 per cent stake in the company was a “tactical” move, as he unveiled events marking the carrier’s 80th anniversary. “I believe and understand that this is only tactical. Air China will remain our...

Economics

1 week ago Sanctioned Chen Zhi’s Hong Kong firms rocked by resignations and frozen assets

Recently sanctioned Chinese-Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi has been linked to a network of entities in Hong Kong, with the move triggering regulatory measures and prompting auditors and directors to quit his firms. Company documents reviewed by the Post reveal an interconnected group of firms sharing directors and addresses tied to Chen, luxury real estate and previously appointed international business figures, raising questions about the depth of his operations in Hong Kong and the potential...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong interbank rates forecast to drop on expected US monetary easing in 2026

The US Federal Reserve under a new chairman in 2026 is expected to press ahead with interest rate cuts of up to 75 basis points, a move that would lower Hong Kong’s interbank-linked loan costs but leave prime lending rates stuck at their historical low, according to analysts. The Fed and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) both reduced their key policy rates by a total of 75 basis points in 2025, following a full percentage-point rate cut in 2024. Hong Kong’s base rate now stands at 4 per...

Politics

2 w. ago Move over, Hong Kong. Young Beijing Exchange becomes China’s new IPO hub

Move over, Hong Kong. Young Beijing Exchange becomes China’s new IPO hub  thebambooworks.com

Politics

3 w. ago ‘First by letting myself move on’: how Hong Kong mum is rebuilding life after Tai Po fire

One month after the deadly Tai Po fire, survivors are slowly rebuilding their lives. In the second part of a series on how the community is moving on, Fiona Chow tells the story of one mother’s journey to find stability and hope for her young family amid loss and change. Read the first part here. Hong Kong mother of two Christy Lee has had to rebuild her life and provide stability for her young children after losing her husband and her home in the Tai Po fire last month. The social worker, 40,...

Events

4 w. ago Fate of 600 goats in the balance as deadline nears to move for Hong Kong project

Cheung Siu-ling struggles to fight back tears whenever she looks at the 600 goats she has kept for years at a farm near Hong Kong’s border. By the end of January next year, the herd will either have to be relocated or put down. The owner, who is in her fifties, has kept goats for more than two decades, and will have to move them out of their current home, a two-storey shed in Hung Shui Kiu, to make way for the Northern Metropolis megaproject. “I’ve tried so hard to find a new place that fits...

Events

4 w. ago Chinese AI ‘tiger’ Zhipu moves closer to US$300 million Hong Kong listing

Chinese AI ‘tiger’ Zhipu moves closer to US$300 million Hong Kong listing  South China Morning Post

Economics