13 h. ago Trump isn’t serious about deterring Beijing from attacking Taiwan: poll

Most people in Taiwan do not see US President Donald Trump as serious about deterring Beijing from a possible attack on the self-ruled island, according to a recent poll released on Tuesday. Asked whether Trump was willing to prevent mainland China from “invading Taiwan by force”, 44.8 per cent of the 1,070 respondents said no, while 34.3 per cent said yes in the poll conducted by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation between October 13 and 15. And on a question as to whether the US leader was...

Politics

33 h. ago Hong Kong woman, 81, loses HK$5 million to romance scammer posing as PLA officer

An 81-year-old woman in Hong Kong has lost more than HK$5 million after falling victim to an elaborate online romance scam involving a fraudster who posed as a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer from mainland China. In a post on its CyberDefender social media page on Monday, police said the woman received a WhatsApp message from a man who claimed to be a PLA officer and invited her to visit a military camp. They quickly built an online romantic relationship through frequent affectionate...

Economics

36 h. ago Taiwan sets out new rules outlining when troops can shoot down drones

Taiwan has for the first time formally outlined the circumstances under which its troops can shoot down incoming drones. The move is part of a broader effort by the island’s defence ministry to codify its rules of engagement and strengthen its ability to respond to mounting military pressure from mainland China. The new procedures, disclosed in the recently released National Defence Report 2025, set out a four-step standard operating procedure – identification and monitoring, alert and...

Events

38 h. ago World’s first intergovernmental mediation body launched in Hong Kong

The newly established international mediation body, headquartered in Hong Kong, can contribute to improving the world’s legal system, according to mainland China’s vice-foreign minister. Hua Chunying also highlighted the short time it took for the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed) – the world’s first intergovernmental body dedicated to mediation – to become operational. She said this showed strong support from the international community for the peaceful settlement of...

Politics

47 h. ago Hong Kong exchange sees further growth ahead for record ETF market

Bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) expects its exchange-traded fund (ETF) market to continue growing after hitting record turnover and new listings this year, according to a senior executive. Average daily turnover in ETFs doubled to a record HK$37.8 billion (US$4.8 billion) in the first nine months, as the exchange’s 225 ETFs drew an increasing number of investors from mainland China, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. ETFs are listed index funds that track the performance...

Politics

66 h. ago US business leaders eye Hong Kong as ‘springboard’ to mainland China, Asia

American business leaders are looking to use Hong Kong as a “springboard” for tapping markets in China and Asia despite geopolitical tensions amid a wider reassessment of the mainland’s technological innovation, the city’s finance chief has said. Reflecting on his trip to New York and Washington last week, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also said on Sunday that his exchanges would “lay the foundation” for further cooperation with the United States, even as Hong Kong got caught up in the...

Politics

3 d. ago Guangdong motorists must follow Hong Kong laws under new scheme: transport chief

Motorists from mainland China entering Hong Kong under a new travel scheme must abide by the city’s laws, the transport minister has warned. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan also said that authorities would have systems in place to track their unpaid penalties through their registered mainland payment methods. Under the “Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles” scheme, motorists from the southern Chinese province will be able to apply to drive into Hong Kong next month. The...

Politics

4 d. ago Hansoh and Leads Biolabs clinch US$2.5 billion in global drug licensing deals

Two Chinese drug developers have signed licensing deals that could yield as much as US$2.5 billion in performance-based payments, underscoring growing international confidence in China’s life sciences sector. Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group has agreed to license global rights – excluding mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan – to develop and market a colon cancer drug candidate to F Hoffmann-La Roche, a unit of Swiss-based biotech giant Roche. Hansoh, a major psychotropic and cancer drugs...

Economics

4 d. ago China’s new carrier takes shape, missing Filipino helpers found: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Images of hull sections suggest progress on China’s fourth aircraft carrier China appears to be making progress on its fourth aircraft carrier at a shipyard in the country’s northeast, according to satellite images, another key part...

Events

4 d. ago China shuns US software for documents, Tim Cook boosts iPhone Air: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Images of hull sections suggest progress on China’s fourth aircraft carrier China appears to be making progress on its fourth aircraft carrier at a shipyard in the country’s northeast, according to satellite images, another key part...

Society

5 d. ago 3 arrested in Hong Kong, mainland Chinese operation targeting money launderers

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have arrested three men in a cross-border operation targeting a money laundering syndicate that allegedly used pre-recorded footage to bypass digital bank accounts’ facial recognition software and laundered more than HK$270 million (US$34.7 million). Chief Inspector Lo Yin-lam of Hong Kong police’s financial investigation bureau said on Thursday that the syndicate allegedly recruited members from the mainland to travel to the city and open accounts with...

Events

5 d. ago English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong to open 3 new kindergartens in 2026

The English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong will open three new kindergartens offering a total of 400 first-year places in 2026 while closing two existing ones, the city’s largest international school group has revealed. ESF told the Post on Wednesday that it would launch three new kindergartens in Sai Sha, Kornhill in Quarry Bay, and West Kowloon, next to an MTR station. Two existing ESF kindergartens – one in Tung Chung and Abacus International Kinder­garten in Sai Kung – are set to...

Politics

5 d. ago The English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong to open 3 new kindergartens in 2026

The English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong will open three new kindergartens offering a total of 400 first-year places in 2026 while closing two existing ones, the city’s largest international school group has revealed. The ESF told the Post on Wednesday that it would launch three new kindergartens in Sai Sha, Kornhill in Quarry Bay, and West Kowloon, next to an MTR station. Two existing ESF kindergartens – one in Tung Chung and Abacus International Kinder­garten in Sai Kung – are set to...

Politics

6 d. ago Hong Kong welcomes 36 million tourists in first 3 quarters, up 12% year on year

Hong Kong received 36 million visitors in the first three quarters of this year, a 12 per cent increase year on year, with strong growth in tourists coming from Japan, Taiwan and Australia. The provisional figures announced by the Hong Kong Tourism Board on Wednesday showed that nearly 3.3 million tourists visited the city last month, pushing the cumulative count for this year to 36 million, up 12 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. About 28 million visitors were from mainland China,...

Politics

7 d. ago Hong Kong MTR Corp CEO Jacob Kam named as next chairman of rail giant

The CEO of Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation, Jacob Kam Chak-pui, will take the reins as chairman from January next year, tasked with leading the rail giant with added momentum to boost the city’s development and integration with mainland China. The government, the company’s majority shareholder with a stake of about 75 per cent, announced his promotion on Tuesday, saying Kam, 63, would succeed Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen, 73, for a three-year term until the end of 2028. Secretary for Transport and Logistics...

Politics

7 d. ago Chinese robotaxi firms Pony.ai, WeRide on road to Hong Kong IPOs

Pony.ai and WeRide, two leading robotaxi operators in mainland China, have taken their first steps towards share offerings on the Hong Kong stock exchange by filing fundraising plans with the securities regulator. They will join a clutch of mainland companies seeking to tap global investors’ growing interest in China’s electric vehicle (EV) industry as the key players accelerate their global expansion plans. According to documents published by the China Securities Regulatory Commission on...

Economics

7 d. ago Yuan boost eyed as Hong Kong’s mainland China spending hits HK$5 billion

Hong Kong’s government spent more than HK$5 billion (US$642.3 million) using the city’s currency on services or purchases related to mainland China in the last financial year, according to officials. In comparison, the government only used 240 million yuan (US$33.7 million) annually to settle expenditures, in addition to payments related to its renminbi-denominated bonds. Authorities are now exploring ways to increase payments in renminbi and expand its use. “Since the amount of renminbi bonds...

Economics

8 d. ago Post signs pact with Indonesian business guild to hold events, dialogue

The South China Morning Post has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or Kadin Indonesia, to establish a platform for dialogue between the business leaders of Indonesia and the Chinese mainland, including Hong Kong. The Post, which has been covering China from Hong Kong since its first front page was published in November 1903, will leverage its editorial authority, convening power and international readership, while Kadin Indonesia will...

Politics

9 d. ago Shanghai to scrap all foreign investment limits on manufacturing

Mainland China’s commercial and financial hub Shanghai has pledged to remove all regulatory hurdles for foreign investors to set up manufacturing businesses, as authorities move to shore up confidence in the local and national economies despite rising US-China trade tensions. Mayor Gong Zheng said on Sunday that deepened reforms had been carried out to grant overseas companies in the fields of electric vehicles, value-added telecommunications services, biotechnology and hospitals full access to...

Economics

9 d. ago Hong Kong dispels rumours more checkpoints to open for northbound travel scheme

Hong Kong authorities have dispelled rumours about the potential expansion of a scheme allowing local vehicles to enter mainland China to include more border checkpoints. A spokesman for the Transport Department also said on Sunday that it had referred the misinformation about the expansion of the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme to police for follow-up. A screenshot of a WhatsApp message circulating on social media included claims that vehicles registered under the scheme could...

Politics