Hong Kong

China to restrict visas to US officials for threatening Hong Kong curbs

The curbs were in retaliation for Washington's previous vow to restrict the visas of unnamed Hong Kong officials for carrying out a national security crackdown that silenced dissent

China, Hong Kong stocks surge at open on Beijing's stimulus promise

Authorities will also step up "unconventional" counter-cyclical adjustments, focusing on expanding domestic demand and boosting consumption

Hong Kong's IVF rules send people into black market for eggs, embryos

At a time Hong Kong is trying to reverse one of world's lowest birth rates, residents seeking to have a baby outside of traditional means are running into strict rules on fertility treatments

Ex-Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai starts testimony in nat'l security trial

Former Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai testified he met with then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during Hong Kong's anti-government protests in 2019 but told the court at his landmark national security trial on Wednesday that he did not ask the US officials to take action. Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily pro-democracy newspaper, was arrested in 2020 in the crackdown that followed the protests. He is accused of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. He testified about his meetings with US officials and gave details about his alleged overseas political connections with people in the US, Britain and Taiwan, including ex-Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen and Hong Kong's last British governor, Chris Patten. But the media tycoon who also describes himself as a businessman and social activist said he never tried to ...

Foreign govts criticise sentencing of 45 democracy activists in Hong Kong

Forty-five prominent activists in Hong Kong were sentenced to jail for up to 10 years on Tuesday, sparking criticism from foreign governments and rights groups. The democracy advocates were among 47 people charged under a Beijing-imposed national security law in 2021 for their involvement in an unofficial primary election to pick opposition candidates. In the city's biggest national security case to date, they were accused of agreeing to veto government-proposed budgets indiscriminately after potentially securing a legislative majority to force a dissolution of the legislature and then the ouster of the city's leader. The case involved pro-democracy figures across the spectrum. Thirty-one of them pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit subversion. Fourteen others were convicted following a long trial. Two were acquitted. Australia Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government was gravely concerned by the sentences for Australian citizen Gordon Ng and the .

Hong Kong to sentence 45 democracy activists in biggest security law case

The sentencing of former youth activist Joshua Wong, 28, and legal scholar Benny Tai, 60, will start at 10 a.m. today, nearly four years after they were arrested

Hong Kong bars services like WhatsApp, Google Drive from govt computers

The Hong Kong government is barring most civil servants from using popular apps like WhatsApp, WeChat and Google Drive on their work computers due to potential security risks. The latest IT security guidelines from the Digitial Policy Office have many civil servants complaining about added inconvenience. Government workers will still be allowed to use the services from personal devices at work, and can get exceptions to the ban with approval from a manager. Information technology experts said companies have adopted similar policies due to increasing risks of data leaks and cybersecurity challenges. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said on a radio program Tuesday that the ban is needed as hacking is becoming a more serious problem. He said the governments of the United States and China have also adopted stringent measures for their internal computer systems. A civil servant surnamed Lee, who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to .

HK-based Executive Centre to invest Rs 125 cr to grow India business

Hong Kong-based The Executive Centre, which provides flexible office space to corporates, will invest Rs 125 crore to expand its India business by opening 8 new centres. The Executive Centre (TEC) posted a 31 per cent growth in India revenue to Rs 475 crore during the 2023 calendar year driven mainly by expansion amid rising demand for flexible workspace. TEC has more than 220 centres in 36 cities and 16 countries. In India, the company has a portfolio of 13 lakh square feet of workspace comprising around 12,500 desks across 50 centres. Paul Salnikow, Founder and CEO, The Executive Centre said, "India continues to be one of the biggest and fastest-growing markets for The Executive Centre. The demand for flexible workspaces in the country has been on the rise with the changing preferences and requirements of the modern workforce." Various traditional and new-age sectors including IT/ITES, BFSI, and startups in addition to the influx of GCC (Global Capability Centre) have contributed

Horizon Robotics targets $696 mn Hong Kong IPO, city's largest in 2024

If successful, the IPO will be the largest in Hong Kong in 2024, eclipsing China Resources Beverage which began book-building on Tuesday for its up to $650 million listing

Horizon Robotics targets $696mn Hong Kong IPO, city's largest in 2024

If successful, the IPO will be the largest in Hong Kong in 2024, eclipsing China Resources Beverage which began book-building on Tuesday for its up to $650 million listing

Hong Kong cuts liquor tax to boost nightlife and attract tourists

Hong Kong's leader announced a cut to liquor tax Wednesday as the Asian financial hub hopes to revive its reputation as a travel destination with a vibrant nightlife and dining scene. After fulfilling Beijing's long-standing imperative to enact a homegrown national security law, Chief Executive John Lee now faces challenges with economic competitiveness against regional rivals like Singapore, Japan, and mainland Chinese metropolises. Changes in residents' lifestyles and a wave of middle-class emigration during the COVID-19 pandemic have dampened local demand. Many residents now prefer to spend their weekends in mainland China, attracted by its lower prices and a wider variety of entertainment options. Visitors from the mainland are also spending less in the city than before. Vacant shops are commonly seen in the city's most popular shopping districts, and revenue at the city's bars were down about 28% in the first half of 2024 from the same period in 2019, preliminary official data

India to Singapore, HK: Uber rich shift $235 bn to offshore family offices

Hong Kong ranked fourth with $70 billion in transferred assets to Singapore; the rest of Asia collectively parked over $370 billion in the island nation.

Stock brokers in Hong Kong swamped by 'once in a century' stock frenzy

Brokers across Hong Kong are experiencing a similar euphoria as the stocks of Chinese companies soar in the wake of landmark stimulus moves by Beijing last week

India second best global market in H1FY25 behind Hong Kong, shows data

Consumer durables, auto and metal stocks were among the best-performers.

Cathay Cargo wants Indian airlines to use Hong Kong-based cargo terminal

Cathay Cargo, part of Cathay Pacific Airways, has said it wants Indian airlines to use its Hong Kong-based cargo terminal for various freight movements and is already in active discussion with one carrier. According to Mark Watts, Chief Operating Officer of Cathay Cargo Terminal, the facility, with an annual shipment handling capacity of 2.7 million tonnes, is open for all airlines that fly into Hong Kong. "We don't currently have any Indian air carriers, but I would definitely like to have more Indian air carriers using the Cathay Cargo terminal, and we are in active discussions with one at the moment," Watts told PTI in an interview. He refused to reveal the name of the Indian carrier with which the talks are in progress. Watts said the facility, spread over 1 lakh square metres, is "right-sized for the short and medium term", and has scope for further expansion. "In terms of our overall facility size, we actually think we're right-sized for the short and medium term...we've got

Cathay Pacific buys back warrants from Hong Kong government's 2020 bailout

Cathay made heavy losses and layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic and reported its first annual profit in four years in March, and paid its first dividend since 2019

Evergrande founder's ex-wife wins limited access to frozen funds in UK

The troubled developer's liquidators are pursuing legal action to recover approximately $6 billion from seven defendants

DBS may tap Goldman Sachs to help find insurance partner in India, Taiwan

The Singapore-based lender is working with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. as an adviser on potential ban assurance agreements for those markets

Southern China braces for Typhoon Yagi after it sweeps by Hong Kong

A powerful typhoon swept south of Hong Kong and was moving toward a Chinese island province where it was expected to make landfall Friday, forcing many aspects of life in the region to a halt. Trading on the stock market, bank services and schools were halted in Hong Kong after the city's weather authority raised a No. 8 typhoon signal for Typhoon Yagi, the third-highest warning under the city's weather system. Yagi, with maximum sustained winds of 230 kilometers (142 miles) per hour near its center, forced more than 250 people to seek refuge at temporary government shelters and led to cancellations of more than 100 flights in the city. Heavy rain and strong winds overnight felled dozens of trees across the financial hub before the weather gradually calmed on Friday morning. The weather forecaster was expected to downgrade the typhoon signal in the afternoon. In Hainan, a tropical holiday island in southern China, residents were bracing for the powerful storm. The province's ...

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific probe finds 15 A350s need engine parts replaced

Aviation Herald, an air safety publication, reported the jet had turned back after a cockpit alert warning of a fire in one of its two Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engines