6 h. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee to tackle civil servant accountability in policy address

Hong Kong’s leader will introduce a mechanism to hold senior civil servants accountable for their misconduct in his policy blueprint, targeting incidents such as a recent bottled water supply scandal, the Post has learned. But political observers have warned of a possible pushback from civil servants concerned about job security, while recommending the government implement gradual changes with robust investigative procedures. According to a government source, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu is...

Events

30 h. ago How will Hong Kong’s John Lee help the jobless, the unhappy old and the young?

With Hong Kong leader John Lee set to deliver his annual policy address on September 17, the Post examines key topics the chief executive is expected to focus on, including a mega infrastructure project near the border, new economic drivers and livelihood issues. In the last of a seven-part series, Emily Hung looks at the systemic issues plaguing unemployed workers, elderly carers and young people that Lee is expected to address in the second last policy blueprint of his first term. Click here...

Politics

41 h. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee tipped to relaunch public housing sale scheme for tenants

Hong Kong’s leader is expected to relaunch a scheme allowing public flat tenants to buy their homes as part of his policy address, but observers have raised concerns about settling property management disputes and called for a review of the subsidised housing regime. Insiders told the Post on Friday that Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s coming policy blueprint would include a proposal to restart the Tenants Purchase Scheme, a measure that was active from 1998 to 2006 and allowed tenants at 39...

Economics

54 h. ago How will Hong Kong’s John Lee strike middle ground in policy address?

With Hong Kong leader John Lee set to deliver his annual policy address on September 17, the Post examines key topics the chief executive is expected to focus on, including a mega infrastructure project near the border, new economic drivers and livelihood issues. In the sixth of a seven-part series, Cannix Yau examines the economic challenges and political expectations to be addressed in Lee’s second last policy blueprint of his term. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will have to confront a...

Events

4 d. ago Hong Kong to secure deals worth US$1 billion with belt and road countries

Hong Kong will sign nine agreements with countries of the Belt and Road Initiative, with companies sealing dozens of business deals amounting to nearly US$1 billion (HK$7.8 billion), the city’s leader has announced at a major summit as he pledged to enter into more collaborations in the future. At the 10th edition of the two-day Belt and Road Summit on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said Hong Kong’s external trade with countries under the initiative exceeded US$276 billion last...

Economics

4 d. ago Hong Kong to sign deals worth US$1 billion with belt and road countries

Hong Kong will sign nine agreements with belt and road countries, with companies sealing dozens of business deals worth nearly US$1 billion (HK$7.8 billion), the city’s leader announced at a major summit, pledging to enter into more collaborations in the future. At the 10th edition of the two-day Belt and Road Summit on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said Hong Kong’s external trade with countries under the initiative exceeded US$276 billion last year, an 80 per cent increase...

Economics

4 d. ago Hong Kong signs deals worth US$1 billion with belt and road countries

Hong Kong has signed nine agreements with belt and road countries, with companies sealing dozens of business deals worth nearly US$1 billion (HK$7.8 billion), the city’s leader announced at a major summit, pledging to enter into more collaborations in the future. At the 10th edition of the two-day Belt and Road Summit on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said Hong Kong’s external trade with countries under the initiative exceeded US$276 billion last year, an 80 per cent increase...

Economics

4 d. ago What’s working in Hong Kong’s talent scheme and what needs tweaking?

With Hong Kong leader John Lee set to deliver his annual policy address on September 17, the Post examines key topics the chief executive is expected to focus on, including a mega infrastructure project near the border, new economic drivers and livelihood issues. In the fourth of a seven-part series, Willa Wu gives an update on the city’s talent schemes and examines how they can be refined to match Hong Kong’s economic needs. Zhang Jun* had a bittersweet moment when he renewed his visa under...

Politics

5 d. ago Hong Kong’s economy is growing, but why are some sectors still hurting?

With Hong Kong leader John Lee set to deliver his annual policy address on September 17, the Post examines key topics the chief executive is expected to focus on, including a mega infrastructure project near the border, new economic drivers and livelihood issues. In the third of a seven-part series, Lam Ka-sing looks at how the wider business community outside the financial sector can be supported amid economic transition. Jacky Ko Chung-kit, who owns two media companies in Hong Kong, has not...

Politics

6 d. ago In Northern Metropolis, can tech sector help Hong Kong’s economy remake itself?

With Hong Kong leader John Lee set to deliver his annual policy address on September 17, the Post examines key topics the chief executive is expected to focus on, including a mega infrastructure project near the border, new economic drivers and livelihood issues. In the second of a seven-part series, Edith Lin examines how the mega development near the border may evolve to become a new engine to transform the city’s economy. Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis can be a game changer in diversifying...

Politics

7 d. ago Villagers slowly making way for development in Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis

With Hong Kong leader John Lee set to deliver his annual policy address on September 17, the Post examines key topics the chief executive is expected to focus on, including a mega infrastructure project near the border, new economic drivers and livelihood issues. In the first of a seven-part series, Vivian Au finds out how villagers and businesses are surviving in an area the government has promised to transform into a new economic engine. Fish farmer Kwok Chi-yau has spent more than half a...

Politics

1 week ago ‘Let us make an even greater Hong Kong contribution’: John Lee at Beijing parade

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has led 360 representatives from Hong Kong – the city’s largest-ever delegation – in attending a military parade in Beijing to mark China’s victory over Japan in World War II, while other senior officials, students and residents observed commemorative events held locally. The parade also saw former city leader Leung Chun-ying seated at the main podium of Tiananmen Square’s gate tower. Leung, a state leader, now serves as a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s...

Politics

1 week ago John Lee leads Victory Day delegation to Beijing as Hong Kong prepares events

Hong Kong has dispatched its largest-ever commemorative delegation to Beijing, led by the city’s leader, to honour China’s victory over Japan in the second world war at a highly anticipated military parade, with the city preparing to host a series of celebratory events. At around 8am on Tuesday, delegation members, including Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his wife Janet Lam Lai-sim, finance minister Paul Chan Mo-po, police chief Joe Chow Yat-ming and lawmaker Kingsley Wong Kwok, were seen...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee to lead delegation to Beijing for military parade

Hong Kong’s chief executive will lead a delegation to Beijing next week to attend a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and has pledged to install commemorative plaques at various local sites to deepen residents’ understanding of the city’s wartime history. John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday also continued his community visits ahead of his policy address next month, expressing concern over recent family tragedies while recognising the work of care teams. Lee said...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s biggest counterterrorism drill ‘on the right track’, John Lee says

Hong Kong is a potential target for terrorists and must maintain a high level of preparedness at all times, the chief executive has said, after the city successfully held its largest-ever counterterrorism exercise on Thursday at Kai Tak cruise terminal. The 30-minute live-streamed drill, which involved more than 500 officers and 200 members of the public, was the first large cross-departmental counterterrorism exercise since the government set up a three-tier mechanism to boost Hong Kong’s...

Events

3 w. ago ‘Very disappointed’: John Lee speaks for first time on Hong Kong’s water scandal

Hong Kong’s leader has expressed deep disappointment over the Government Logistics Department’s failure to detect fraudulent documents before awarding a HK$52.9 million (US$6.78 million) contract to a bottled water supplier, urging authorities to plug loopholes in the procurement process as soon as possible. Commenting on the water supply scandal for the first time, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said the treasury minister’s response to the incident had been timely and appropriate. Lee...

Politics

3 w. ago Apology for Hong Kong water scandal not enough to stem public’s anger: experts

A vague public apology and blaming a procedural “flaw” have failed to quell public discontent over the government’s water procurement scandal, political analysts have said, urging Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu to accelerate developing a civil servant accountability system. Analysts made the call on Friday as the government said that the central tender board, chaired by the permanent secretary of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, had given the final approval to the bottled water...

Science