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Owners of substandard subdivided units may face imprisonment following the end of a 1-2 month grace period, the Hong Kong government has said. It comes after authorities introduced a new policy to eradicate the city’s low-quality cubicle homes in the 2024 Policy Address. All owners of subdivided units have been called upon to register with […]

The third Policy Address by Hong Kong leader John Lee was rated lower than his previous two, an annual poll has found, with fewer people listening to it. Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI) on Thursday released the results of an immediate poll that asked residents to rate the Policy Address – Lee’s third […]

Chief Executive John Lee has said that democratic reform is not on his administration’s agenda, as the issue has been settled. During a Wednesday press conference following his 2024 Policy Address, Lee was asked by an HKFP reporter whether universal suffrage was on the agenda for his administration following calls for democracy by the League […]

Hong Kong’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) should “help themselves” and strive for self-improvement, the city’s leader John Lee has said in response to questions about his Policy Address measures for supporting the local business sector. Lee said during a Wednesday evening TV show that Hong Kong’s economy is facing “a transitional period,” with changing […]

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday called for the jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai to be freed from prison, as the pro-democracy campaigner faces trial. Starmer told lawmakers in parliament that Lai’s case was “a priority” for his Labour government and Foreign Secretary David Lammy had previously raised the issue with his […]

A judge in Hong Kong jailed six policemen on Thursday for harassing homeless people, following a rare criminal conviction of law enforcement in the Chinese financial hub. Judge Kathie Cheung sentenced the police officers to prison terms ranging from 25 to 41 months over multiple charges of “perverting the course of justice”. The charges are […]

Hong Kong is set to have a third medical school with the government reserving a site at the upcoming 30,000-hectare Northern Metropolis. On Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee said during his third Policy Address that the government would set up a task force and invite local universities interested in the idea to submit proposals. A […]

Local animal activists staged a silent protest outside Lai Sun Dining restaurants and its head office on Tuesday, urging the company to be transparent about its progress towards using eggs from cage-free hens. The demonstration was in line with the international Open Wing Alliance – a coalition of 95 organisations across 75 countries. The campaign […]

A concern group has expressed disappointment at new measures to phase out “unliveable” subdivided flats, calling for a comprehensive resettlement plan and stronger rent controls. In a statement issued after Chief Executive John Lee delivered his third policy address on Wednesday, the Concerning Subdivided Units Alliance said the government had failed to address the problem […]

The Hong Kong government will pilot the use of a locally trained generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) system for some document processing, city leader John Lee said during his third Policy Address on Wednesday. The chief executive said on Wednesday that the testing would be led by the government’s Digital Policy Office (DPO), which was founded […]

The Hong Kong government has pledged to roll out a new online emotional support platform for young people after the city saw a record number of suspected student suicides last year. The real-time platform, which is set to be introduced in the second quarter of next year, was among a series of mental health support […]

Hong Kong will give people aged under 40 a leg-up towards owning their own homes by allocating them an extra vote in the ballot for subsidised flats, Chief Executive John Lee said. Lee announced the new measure in his third Policy Address on Wednesday, along with other measures to help young people find their own […]

Hong Kong’s government will relax the mortgage loan-to-value ratio amid a property slowdown, a move welcomed by the real estate sector. The city’s leader John Lee announced on Wednesday, during the 2024 Policy Address, that the ratio for residential properties would be set at a maximum 70 per cent regardless of value, whether the property […]

China’s economy likely expanded at its slowest pace this year, according to an AFP survey ahead of data Friday, as authorities struggle to reignite consumption amid a chronic debt crisis in the property sector. Officials have in recent weeks unveiled a string of measures to reignite the world’s number-two economy and bring an end to […]

Visitors to a new aquarium in China were left furious this week after discovering one of its top aquatic stars was a robot, despite it being marketed as such. Xiaomeisha Ocean World in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, opened on October 1 but was quickly slammed for its high prices, long queues, and poor conditions for its […]

The Hong Kong government will offer a monthly subsidy of HK$5,000 to up to 1,000 elderly social security recipients if they want to move to care homes in China’s Guangdong Province, the city’s leader said. Chief Executive John Lee announced the three-year pilot scheme, for subsidising elderly recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) retiring in […]

Hong Kong is to relaunch a scheme to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by offering easier loan repayment terms, as part of a range of measures to boost the business sector. Chief Executive John Lee said in his third Policy Address on Wednesday that firms would be allowed to apply for a delay of […]

Hong Kong will pass a law to phase out subdivided flats smaller than eight square metres (86 sq ft) and ensure they have windows and a toilet, Chief Executive John Lee has announced. But the city’s infamous “coffin homes,” which are regulated – and effectively legalised – by a separate law passed three decades ago, […]

Chief Executive John Lee has urged Hong Kong’s tourism, food and beverage and taxi sector to provide better religious, language and catering support for Muslim visitors from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The city’s leader was delivering his third Policy Address at the legislature on Wednesday, having sought to shore up business from Middle […]

Hong Kong will add 13 mainland Chinese and overseas universities to its Top Talent Pass Scheme, as the city strives to position itself as an “international hub for high-calibre talent.” The scheme aims to attract people with rich work experience and good academic qualifications, Chief Executive John Lee said during the 2024 Policy Address on […]

Nationals of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar will enjoy relaxed rules when applying for multiple-entry visas for travel or business, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee announced on Wednesday. As part of a push to foster closer ties with countries in Southeast Asia, the government will also extend the validity period of multiple-entry visas for the […]

Hong Kong will cut tax on liquor with an import price of over HK$200 to boost tourism and consumption of high-end food and beverages, the city’s leader has announced in the 2024 Policy Address. The existing 100 per cent tax on the import price of liquor with an alcoholic strength of more than 30 per […]

Chief Executive John Lee set out priorities for the city at the legislature on Wednesday, as he delivered the 2024 Policy Address. This year’s address came amid ongoing economic difficulties and weak domestic consumption that have hit many businesses across different sectors in the city. Against this backdrop, Lee indicated that the speech would focus on “developing […]

One of Hong Kong’s last remaining pro-democracy groups, the League of Social Democrats (LSD), rallied outside government headquarters in Admiralty on Wednesday morning, the day of Chief Executive John Lee’s third Policy Address. The LSD called for dual universal suffrage and for people’s constitutional rights and freedoms to be protected, including the right to vote, […]