3 h. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee champions Shaw Prize vision, pays tribute to late physicist

Hong Kong’s leader has said late entertainment mogul Run Run Shaw’s vision of celebrating education and the pursuit of knowledge with his prestigious science prize is central to the city government’s own aspirations. Speaking at the award ceremony for the prestigious Shaw Prize on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also paid his respects to late Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist Chen-ning Yang, who was one of the local award’s founding council members. The award, dubbed the “Nobel...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong’s new lawmakers must demonstrate ‘effective democracy’, John Lee says

Hong Kong’s new lawmakers should stay united and cooperate with the government to demonstrate “effective democracy” and the “perfect partnership of patriots”, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was speaking at a high-level seminar on Thursday centering on executive-legislature relations amid a wave of incumbent lawmakers announcing they will not seek re-election after the current Legislative Council wraps up next week. The seminar, titled “Executive-Legislative...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong’s new lawmakers must demonstrate ‘effective democracy’: John Lee

Hong Kong’s new lawmakers should stay united and cooperate with the government to demonstrate “effective democracy” and the “perfect partnership of patriots”, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was speaking at a high-level seminar on Thursday, centring on executive-legislature relations amid a wave of incumbent lawmakers announcing they will not seek re-election after the current Legislative Council wraps up next week. The seminar, titled “Executive-Legislative...

Politics

6 d. ago Dennis Lam, Louis Loong join wave of Hong Kong lawmakers sitting out election

Lawmakers Dennis Lam Shun-chiu and Louis Loong Hon-biu have joined a wave of politicians opting not to run for election, while Hong Kong’s legislature has broken from tradition by cancelling an end-of-term banquet with the city’s leader and other officials. Authorities also said on Wednesday that the government would hold a high-level seminar on the coming Legislative Council election and executive-legislative relationship on Thursday, with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to speak at the...

Politics

7 d. ago National Games torch relay in Hong Kong to highlight city’s culture: John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader has revealed that a torch relay route for the coming National Games is being planned to showcase the city’s culture, while authorities have said that a section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will be sealed off for a cross-border cycling race. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced on Tuesday that he had brought back the National Games’ torch after attending a flame-lighting ceremony in Nansha of Guangzhou on October 9. “Early next month, the torch relay will be held...

Politics

7 d. ago Hong Kong to review tourist capacity and marine protection amid coral damage

Hong Kong authorities will assess the capacity of some popular tourist hotspots and intensify efforts to educate visitors, aiming to balance environmental protection with tourism, following incidents of visitors trampling corals in a geopark during the “golden week” holiday. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu revealed on Tuesday that his administration was conducting a study to include ecologically important sites within marine park protected areas for improved coastal conservation. Lee announced...

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong Exco will not change despite veteran lawmakers stepping down: John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader has signalled that the government’s key decision-making body, the Executive Council, will not be reshuffled after half of the eight veteran lawmakers serving as his advisers said they will not run in the coming Legislative Council elections. Martin Liao Cheung-kong, 68, who has served in Legco since 2012 and was affectionately known as the “class monitor” of the pro-establishment camp, emerged on Tuesday as the latest Exco member to announce that he would not to seek another...

Politics

7 d. ago No Exco changes despite veteran Hong Kong lawmakers stepping down: John Lee

Hong Kong’s leader has signalled that the government’s key decision-making Executive Council will not be reshuffled after four veteran lawmakers, who serve as his advisers, decided not run in the coming Legislative Council election. Martin Liao Cheung-kong, 68, a lawmaker since 2012 and affectionately known as the “class monitor” of the pro-establishment camp, emerged on Tuesday as the latest Exco member to announce that he would not seek another term in the legislature. Three other veteran...

Politics

7 d. ago ‘Hong Kong opportunities outweigh US tariff weaponisation,’ John Lee says

Hong Kong’s leader has expressed confidence in the city’s ability to maintain its economic growth and overcome geopolitical challenges through multiple measures, despite the US “tariff weaponisation”. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made his positive remarks on Tuesday, days after US President Donald Trump threatened, in a social media post, a 100 per cent tariff increase on Chinese goods and export controls on all “critical software” starting from November 1. Lee said that his administration...

Events

8 d. ago Mainland Chinese financial firms seeking strategic Hong Kong base on the rise: Citigroup

A growing number of mainland Chinese financial institutions and international companies have shown interest in establishing regional headquarters in Hong Kong to tap into increasing business opportunities across the region, according to the head of Citigroup’s local unit. Aveline San Pau-len, Citi Hong Kong CEO and head of banking, said many mainland banks and international financial institutions would like Citigroup to help set up their headquarters in the city to serve clients who wanted to...

Economics

1 week ago Hong Kong’s financing future hinges on adapting to China’s hi

This is the sixth and final part of the exclusive Capital Connectors series in which influential Chinese and global bankers reveal the opportunities and challenges for Hong Kong in its evolution as an international financial hub. If history serves as a guide, Hong Kong’s continued reign as a premier international financial centre depends on a time-tested formula: adapting to meet evolving needs, particularly in response to the development of China’s economy, according to Wang Lei, CEO of Huatai...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong lawmakers back Lee’s blueprint, but raise fears over labour imports

Hong Kong’s legislature has passed a motion thanking the city leader for his latest policy address, but some lawmakers have raised concerns about the import of labour amid rising unemployment while calling on him to defend the interests of residents. The Legislative Council concluded a three-day debate on Friday and passed a motion thanking Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu for his annual policy blueprint unveiled last month, in which he rolled out a new accountability system for department...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong market’s connector role not just for mainland China: Citic boss

In the Capital Connectors series, exclusive interviews with six influential Chinese and global bankers reveal the opportunities and challenges for Hong Kong in its evolution as an international financial hub. When Thai coconut water brand IFBH raised HK$1.16 billion (US$149 million) through a stock offering in Hong Kong in June, Li Chunbo, chairman and CEO of the deal’s sole sponsor Citic Securities International, saw it as more than just another listing from Southeast Asia. The world’s...

Economics

2 w. ago Hong Kong the launch pad for China’s new financial ideas, UBS China chief says

In the first instalment of a six-part series about financiers who act as mainland China’s Capital Connectors with the world, UBS Securities’ chairwoman Janice Hu talks about the opportunities and challenges for Hong Kong in its evolution as an international financial hub. As Beijing recalibrates trade and investment away from the US, Hong Kong is being cast once again as the launch pad for China’s global ambitions. A surge in cross-border flows between the city and the mainland this year has...

Politics

2 w. ago Will new accountability system be fair to Hong Kong’s civil servants?

Alarm and despondency could spread through Hong Kong’s civil service in the coming weeks as the significance of last month’s policy address begins to sink in. The proposal to introduce a heads of department accountability system and make other changes to performance assessment methodology is a real game changer. Despite ritual praise of our 170,000 officials as “an outstanding team”, it is clear Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu feels there is considerable scope for improvement in management, and...

Politics

2 w. ago Think through what it means to discipline Hong Kong’s top civil servants

Alarm and despondency could spread through Hong Kong’s civil service in the coming weeks as the significance of last month’s policy address begins to sink in. The proposal to introduce a heads of department accountability system and make other changes to performance assessment methodology is a real game changer. Despite ritual praise of our 170,000 officials as “an outstanding team”, it is clear Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu feels there is considerable scope for improvement in management, and...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong urged to regulate private schools in line with subsidised institutions

Hong Kong’s education authorities are being urged to implement regulations for private and international schools that align with those governing their subsidised counterparts, following the city leader’s plans to enhance oversight of these institutions. While stricter regulations would help prevent irregularities in private schools, lawmakers also emphasised the importance of proactive monitoring and timely intervention should problems arise. In his policy address, Chief Executive John Lee...

Politics

2 w. ago Help elderly Hongkongers free up prime housing for younger generations

Is Hong Kong running out of land, or are we just running out of imagination? Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s latest policy address highlighted efforts to boost housing supply, from expedited approvals for “spade-ready” sites to ambitious projects such as the Northern Metropolis. The government promises faster land release and smarter use of existing plots, yet while more homes are being built, a deeper question remains: are we using the land we have as efficiently as possible? When it comes...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong leader vows to get rid of ‘bottlenecks’, speed up gains for residents

Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to “eliminate bottlenecks” and shorten the time needed to realise economic gains to ensure that residents from all walks of life can benefit from the city’s development. Speaking at this year’s National Day reception on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also vowed to continually enhance the city’s national security laws to safeguard economic development while promising to ensure the coming Legislative Council election would be held in a fair and orderly...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong has the momentum, now it needs to build global trust

Hong Kong has once again displayed its resilience. The city retained its No 3 ranking in the Global Financial Centres Index, just behind New York and London, while initial public offerings surged eightfold in the first half of 2025. For the first time since 2019, Hong Kong held the top spot in global IPO fundraising. The city clearly still matters in global finance. However, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address, while ambitious, was short on specifics. It promised growth in finance,...

Politics