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Beijing has told Hong Kong-based foreign consular officials to seek approval from the Chinese authorities 10 days in advance before they pay any business visits to the Greater Bay Area (GBA) – including Macau and cities in Guangdong – according to a letter obtained by HKFP. The letter from the Commissioner’s Office of China Foreign […]

There was “clear evidence” that a domestic worker who has accused her former employer of rape did not consent to the sexual encounter, Hong Kong’s High Court has heard. The trial of Swedish businessman Patrik Tobias Ekstrom continued at the High Court on Wednesday, with the prosecution and the defence giving their closing submissions. The […]

By Matthew Walsh Beijing on Wednesday launched a probe into EU subsidies of some dairy products imported into China, the day after the bloc said it planned to impose five-year import duties of up to 36 percent on Chinese electric vehicles. The investigation, which marks the latest barb in a trade standoff between the two, […]

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te warned Wednesday that China’s “growing authoritarianism will not stop with” the island and urged democratic countries to unite to curb its expansion. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, and a senior Chinese Communist Party official said Tuesday that Beijing was confident of “complete reunification” with the island. Speaking at […]

The Hong Kong government has issued a statement opposing what it called a “biased” report by Bloomberg, which quoted US firms’ concerns over a proposed cybersecurity legislation meant to enhance safeguards for critical infrastructure. The bill is expected to cover cyber systems of sectors including energy, information technology, banking and financial services, land transport, air […]

A student from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has been found guilty of committing indecent assault in a dormitory in 2021. Defendant Poon Kai-yiu was remanded in custody after he was convicted at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday, local media reported. He will face sentencing on September 3. Poon stood trial in June […]

Bloomberg has told its staff that Chinese journalist Haze Fan has been refused a visa to work at their Hong Kong bureau, HKFP has learned. Fan, who was previously detained in China, has instead resumed duties at the London newsroom. According to a Monday Bloomberg terminal notice to staff obtained by HKFP, the outlet had […]

A Swedish businessman accused of raping his domestic worker has told a Hong Kong court that the pair had an intimate relationship ahead of the alleged rape. Patrik Tobias Ekstrom appeared at the High Court on Tuesday as his trial, in which he faces charges of rape and non-consensual buggery, continued into its sixth day. […]

Top Beijing officials have urged for a resolution against Taiwan independence at a conference held in Hong Kong, with one of them saying the city’s One Country, Two Systems political framework is a key to “China’s reunification.” Hong Kong on Tuesday hosted the annual Overseas Chinese World Conference for Promoting Peaceful Reunification of China, a […]

At least 50 people were confirmed dead on Monday following search and rescue efforts after torrential rain lashed central China in late July, state media said. Fifteen others remained missing in Zixing city in China’s Hunan Province, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “All administrative villages in the disaster-stricken areas of Zixing City have preliminarily achieved […]

Taiwan conducted missile drills simulating the interception of enemy fighters and munitions at a sensitive test site Tuesday, as the island seeks to step up “combat effectiveness” against an increasingly assertive China. Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure by sending drones, fighter jets and naval vessels […]

Two concrete slabs fell from the ceiling of a Hong Kong public hospital’s geriatric ward on Monday night, with no injuries reported. It marks the latest in a series of safety incidents at the city’s public hospitals. The two pieces of concrete, measuring approximately 20 centimetres in length, 30 centimetres in width, and three centimetres […]

Hong Kong press freedom has fallen further according to a survey of media workers in the city, who separately said that a recently enacted security law had “significantly impacted” the industry. According to the results of the Hong Kong Journalists Association’s (HKJA) annual press freedom index, published on Tuesday, the rating recorded by reporters was […]

A Hong Kong man has been released on bail pending an appeal against his eight-week jail term for insulting the Chinese national anthem at an international volleyball game last year.  Chan Pak-yui was sentenced to eight weeks behind bars at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on Monday afternoon, almost a month after he was found […]

A medical examination of a domestic worker who has accused her former employer of rape found no identifiable injuries, a doctor has testified in a Hong Kong court. The trial of Swedish businessman Patrik Tobias Ekstrom, 36, continued at the High Court on Monday. He is accused of one count of rape and one count […]

Owners of sub-divided flats will be required to bear the costs of inspections to ensure units comply with new regulations meant to phase out “low quality” dwellings. Landlords will be required to hire professionals to conduct checks to ensure that the units are up to par, Ming Pao reported on Sunday. It was reported that […]

Hong Kong’s Olympic delegation will participate in an open-top bus parade and meet members of the public on Wednesday after the team made history at the Paris Games, the government has said. Hong Kong athletes achieved the city’s best Olympics results, winning four medals in Paris. Fencers Vivian Kong and Edgar Cheung both clinched gold, […]

Vietnam’s new top leader To Lam met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, in his first overseas trip since being named general secretary of the country’s Communist Party. Xi welcomed Lam with a military parade outside the Great Hall of the People, before the pair held talks and signed cooperation documents inside the […]

More than 60 per cent of Hong Kong workers have expressed their opposition to importing more labour to ease widespread manpower crunches, citing concerns about employment prospects and further pay cuts, a survey has found. Nearly 30 per cent of 3,288 union members interviewed in July reported having had their pay docked, with 48 per […]

By Sam Davies Chinese and Philippine vessels collided on Monday during a confrontation near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the two countries said. China and the Philippines have had repeated confrontations in the vital waterway in recent months, including around a warship grounded years ago by Manila on the contested Second Thomas […]

The engine for global economic growth has shifted to the East amid uncertainties underpinned by the upcoming US presidential election, a volatile interest environment, and regional conflicts, Hong Kong’s leader John Lee has said. Lee made the remarks on Sunday during the first public consultation event ahead of his third Policy Address since he took […]

Hong Kong law was being “weaponised” against the city’s democracy movement, and British lawyers and judges should not sit on cases in the city, the director of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has said. The Judiciary, in response, has said judges “decide cases impartially and independently.” The statement came on the eve […]

Three crew members from a Chinese fishing boat were missing on Saturday after their ship collided with an unidentified vessel and sank off the coast of a Taiwanese island, Taiwan’s coast guard said. China claims self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and relations between the two have deteriorated in recent years. A series of […]

By Andrew Collier In my 25 years living in Hong Kong, I have seen the city perennially struggle with its position as a global financial centre. Between the Handover, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the Article 23 protests in 2003, the 2019 protests, the National Security Law, and increasingly fractious geopolitics, Hong Kong has frequently […]