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By James Pheby and Joe Jackson The UK government Monday voiced growing concerns over allegations of espionage by China, as a Chinese businessman with links to disgraced Prince Andrew denied being a spy. Amid the fallout from a fresh scandal, UK media reported that Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson would not join his brother […]

First-time South Asian domestic workers were at greater risk of being underpaid and abused by employers in Hong Kong, a coalition of unions and organisations has said, urging the government to do more to protect the rights of workers. The Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions (FADWU) during a press conference on Sunday […]

A 37-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a panda installation, one of two reported missing from a Christmas exhibition set up in Kwun Tong. Wai Chi-sing, the managing director of Urban Renewal Authority (URA), said on an official blog on Sunday that the URA had installed 80 pandas of varying sizes at […]

Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has testified at his national security trial that he was “surprised” local electoral officers were not included on a list of government officials sanctioned by the US in July 2020. The 77-year-old mogul continued to take the witness stand on Monday, the 110th day of the trial which […]

China on Monday vowed to push for “healthy and stable” ties with South Korea after Seoul’s Constitutional Court launched proceedings against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. The South Korean parliament suspended Yoon from office on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to suspend civilian rule, which plunged one of Asia’s biggest economies into its worst political […]

Veteran activist “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung has filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence in Hong Kong’s largest national security case. Leung, 68, was jailed for six years and nine months last month, when 45 pro-democracy figures were sentenced for “conspiracy to commit subversion” over their roles in an unofficial primary election that aimed to help them […]

China’s retail sales growth weakened last month, official data showed on Monday, missing forecasts as demand remains muted in the world’s number two economy. The country is battling sluggish domestic consumption, a persistent crisis in the property sector and soaring government debt — all of which threaten Beijing’s official growth target for this year. Retail […]

A thousand copies of a geography textbook which was said to have incorrectly depicted China’s borders have been seized by China Customs before they were exported to Hong Kong. The Chinese authority said on its official WeChat account on Friday that the publications were seized at the Huanggang checkpoint, which is on the border of […]

Hong Kong’s Golden Scene Cinema has denied rumours circulating online of its closure and pledged to stay open, as seven movie theatres shuttered this year amid weak local consumption. The Golden Scene Cinema in Kennedy Town told HKFP last Friday that it would continue operating and that rumours of its imminent closure were false. The […]

By Jing Xuan Teng and Rebecca Bailey Dominant in the electric car sector, Chinese companies have been quietly consolidating their position in the lesser-watched trucking scene — but foreign tariffs and a perceived quality gap could signal roadblocks ahead, experts warn. The domestic supply chain and low-price strategy that helped make China’s EV car industry […]

Washington and Beijing, locked in a fierce economic and political rivalry, renewed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement for five years on Friday following criticism by detractors, including US Republicans, that China is being given an advantage. The signing is part of an effort to stabilize relations just weeks before the inauguration of US President-elect […]

The third runway system, the latest expensive adornment to Hong Kong International Airport, came into full-time operation in November. This should be distinguished from the third runway itself, which opened in 2022. During the ensuing two years, one of the older runways was closed for “maintenance,” which might arouse suspicions that the extra runway was […]

Even as a child, Hong Kong YouTuber Sona Tina Ng envisioned her ideal future. She would get married, have two or three children and experience the joy of motherhood within a loving family.  This life began to take shape for Ng when she discovered she was pregnant in early 2019, just months after marrying her […]

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has praised Hong Kong for enacting additional security legislation earlier this year, and pledged Beijing’s continuous support for the city’s economic development. Xi on Friday met with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who was paying his annual duty visit to Beijing, in the central government’s headquarters in Zhongnanhai. Xi lauded […]

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Macau next week for a gathering marking 25 years since the former Portuguese colony’s handover to China, state news agency Xinhua said Saturday. Xi will also attend the inauguration of Macau’s incoming administration and conduct an inspection tour during the December 18-20 visit, according to Xinhua. Macau grew into […]

Chinese tech titan Baidu and car giant Geely on Friday blamed “huge changes” in the EV industry for sudden staffing and operations cuts at their joint electric auto venture this week. “Due to huge changes in the industry’s competitive landscape, the established business plan could not be executed and operations have encountered challenges,” the companies […]

Growing up in Hong Kong, documentary makers Chan Cheuk-sze and Kathy Wong have come to understand colours as political symbols through the city’s pro-democracy movements over the past decade. In 2019, both were reporters covering the months-long protests and unrest. Hong Kong was then divided into political “colour camps” – pro-democracy protesters identified with yellow, […]

A Hong Kong public hospital has denied malpractice or negligence after a full-term baby died during labour, with the mother ending up in intensive care following haemorrhage and infection due to an emergency caesarean. A man said on Facebook on Tuesday that his 41-week baby girl had died during labour at Tuen Mun hospital last […]

Jailed media mogul Jimmy Lai has testified in his landmark trial that it had been a mistake for his former social media manager to retweet an activist’s call for the UK to sanction Hong Kong officials from Lai’s account. The 77-year-old tycoon denied in court on Friday that he was trying to call for sanctions […]

A former UK security minister said Friday that it was “extremely embarrassing” that a suspected Chinese spy had become a confidant of disgraced royal Prince Andrew. The story dominated the UK’s front pages on Friday, the latest humiliation for a prince whose reputation is already in tatters over his ties to accused sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein. […]

A Hong Kong social worker who was cleared of rioting during a 2019 protest but is being retried after the government successfully appealed her acquittal did not disrupt the peace nor obstruct police activities, her lawyer has argued. Jackie Chen appeared at District Court on Friday to hear the closing arguments from the prosecution and […]

A high-profile Hong Kong democrat who was jailed for four years and five months after pleading guilty in Hong Kong’s largest national security case has sought to appeal for a shorter sentence. Three others convicted of conspiring to commit subversion are also seeking to overturn their convictions. Tam Tak-chi, better known as “Fast Beat,” has […]

By Matthew Walsh China on Friday jailed former Premier League star and men’s national coach Li Tie for 20 years for bribery, snaring one of the country’s greatest football figures in a sweeping government crackdown on corruption in sport. President Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting campaign against deep-seated official corruption since coming to power […]

A Hong Kong government trade office employee charged in the UK over allegations of spying has pleaded not guilty, with trial set to begin in March. Bill Yuen, a manager of Hong Kong’s trade office in London, appeared at the Central Criminal Court in London on Thursday alongside Peter Wai, a former UK border officer. […]