7 h. ago WeChat Pay records fourfold rise in mainland tourist taxi payments in Hong Kong

WeChat Pay Hong Kong has recorded a fourfold increase in mainland Chinese tourist payments for taxi services in the city from last year and growing usage among locals and visitors alike, according to parent company Tencent. Vice-President of Tencent Financial Technology Daniel Hong Danyi said on Thursday that the number of transactions from mainland tourists paying for taxi fares through WeChat Pay had seen a fourfold increase year on year. “We saw that previously, many mainland tourists coming...

Economics

7 h. ago Customs works with University of Hong Kong to develop crypto transaction tracer

Customs officials are working with the University of Hong Kong to develop a tool that can trace cryptocurrency transactions, with the authority stressing it had recorded seven suspected money laundering cases involving virtual assets and more than HK$9 billion (US$1.1 billion) in recent years. Mario Wong Ho-yin, assistant commissioner for intelligence and investigation at the Customs and Excise Department, said on Thursday it would ramp up collaborations with academics, finance and virtual asset...

Politics

8 h. ago Are Robots The Answer To China's Aged Care Crisis? Beijing Launches Massive Trial To Test If Machines Can Cook, Clean And Console The Elderly

Are Robots The Answer To China's Aged Care Crisis? Beijing Launches Massive Trial To Test If Machines Can Cook, Clean And Console The Elderly  Benzinga

Events

11 h. ago Teen star of Hong Kong documentary on DSE exams convicted of theft again

A Hong Kong student who starred in a popular web documentary about the city’s university entrance exams has been convicted of theft for a second time after pleading guilty to shoplifting at a supermarket. Eastern Court on Thursday recorded a guilty plea from Tang Ngai-hong, who admitted to stealing a bag of fruit and two packets of potato chips from the Fresh supermarket at Kornhill Plaza North in Quarry Bay on January 5. The offence took place just five months after the 19-year-old was fined...

Politics

13 h. ago Chinese premier says officials must adapt to ‘complex and severe’ situation

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged the nation’s officials to improve their ability to anticipate challenges and accurately implement policies amid a turbulent geopolitical environment. “At present, the task to comprehensively promote the Chinese path to modernisation with high-quality development is heavy and difficult, with the external situation remaining complex and severe,” he said on Wednesday, as reported by state-run news agency Xinhua. During this difficult period, officials needed to...

Politics

14 h. ago Hong Kong exhibition opens to mark fifth anniversary of national security law

An exhibition commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law has opened in Hong Kong, featuring video footage and images from three major social movements, with city officials urging residents to remain vigilant against threats. At the opening ceremony of the government-organised event on Thursday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung noted that as of June 1, 326 people had been arrested under relevant national security laws, including the legislation...

Events

15 h. ago Chinese vessel grounding: concern in Philippines over new grey

A recent case of a Chinese militia vessel running aground on a strategic island in the disputed South China Sea has raised concerns from the Philippine side of another wave of so-called grey-zone activities by Beijing, even as Manila’s officials acknowledge the incident could be down to inclement weather. Observers point to the Philippines having adopted the same strategy to stake claim over the Second Thomas Shoal when it permanently grounded the war vessel BRP Sierra Madre in 1999. The recent...

Politics

28 h. ago Viewed from China, Trump’s crackdown on LA unrest a risky ‘political gamble’

Chinese analysts have been closely monitoring the Los Angeles unrest, which they said had been exploited by US President Donald Trump for political theatre, jeopardising public safety and stability. One high-profile commentator also predicted that Trump’s heavy-handed tactics could escalate into a constitutional crisis. The remarks followed days of protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids, which led to a curfew in some downtown areas of the city aimed at cracking down on vandalism. The...

Politics

29 h. ago Hong Kong’s John Lee seeks closer ties in meeting with EU officials

Hong Kong’s leader has sought to deepen ties with the EU in a meeting with the bloc’s representatives, saying the city will remain a free port despite growing protectionism globally. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Wednesday that he had hosted a lunch attended by Harvey Rouse, head of the Office of the European Union to Hong Kong and Macau, as well as 15 consuls general from the bloc’s member countries. The gathering served as a platform for direct dialogue and an exchange of views,...

Politics

33 h. ago ‘Panda fever’ created 19% attendance boost at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park: official

“Panda fever” has translated into a significant boost in business for Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, with the debut of several new bears leading to a 19 per cent surge in attendance year on year since their debut, according to the city’s tourism minister. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui also said in a written reply on Wednesday to lawmakers’ questions that an additional HK$121 million (US$15.4 million) had been secured from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to...

Politics

35 h. ago This move by China in Africa is making US restless, top American military official claims Beijing is copying Washington's..., aim is to...

This move by China in Africa is making US restless, top American military official claims Beijing is copying Washington's..., aim is to...  DNA India

Events

36 h. ago Victor Gao claims all land north of Ganga for China. People say he’s a ‘diplomatic fighter’

Victor Gao claims all land north of Ganga for China. People say he’s a ‘diplomatic fighter’  ThePrint

Politics

38 h. ago US, China Officials Agree on Plan That Awaits Xi, Trump Sign

US, China Officials Agree on Plan That Awaits Xi, Trump Sign-Off  Bloomberg

Politics

39 h. ago Top US envoy in Hong Kong may be headed for senior role in Beijing embassy

The top US diplomat in Hong Kong is likely to be heading north to take up a leading role in the United States’ Beijing embassy, the South China Morning Post has learned. Gregory May, who arrived to serve as the US consul general for Hong Kong and Macau in September 2022, is tipped to be a top candidate for a ministerial role in the US embassy in Beijing, according to sources. It is a critical time in the relationship as Beijing and Washington engage in a series of high-stakes talks to manage...

Politics

43 h. ago US, China agree to ’framework’ for trade in London, officials say

US, China agree to ’framework’ for trade in London, officials say  Investing.com

Politics

44 h. ago US, China Officials Say Consensus Reached on Geneva Framework

US, China Officials Say Consensus Reached on Geneva Framework  Bloomberg

Politics

44 h. ago US, China Officials Agree on Plan to Ramp Down Trade Tensions

US, China Officials Agree on Plan to Ramp Down Trade Tensions  Yahoo Finance

Politics

45 h. ago As the PLA adopts civilian technology, Chinese bureaucracy could hinder progress

For decades, China’s talk of letting the private sector bid for defence orders had mostly been just that: talk. State-owned conglomerates had dominated the sector for decades, but in the middle of 2016, Beijing started to step up its military-civilian fusion strategy, publishing an official list of the sectors where private firms were being encouraged to contribute, such as swarming drone technologies. The plan is a central pillar of China’s ambition to develop a modernised military by 2035 and...

Politics

48 h. ago China, US officials agree to ‘framework’ that will need approvals by Xi, Trump

China and the United States wrapped up two days of high-level trade talks in London with an agreement “in principle to a framework” that each side will bring home for review by their top leaders. “The two sides agreed in principle a framework for implementing the consensus” that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump reached in their phone call last week, and the consensus of high-level bilateral negotiations in Geneva last month, China’s top trade negotiator Li Chenggang...

Politics

50 h. ago In China, fears grow of an EV financial crisis amid pricing war

In China, fears grow of an EV financial crisis amid pricing war  CNBC

Events