Politics

Staff at the Bank of Communications' Hong Kong branch told Nikkei that they had been asked to sign a petition in support of the Beijing's new national security legislation.
Hong Kong protests

China banks demand employees sign pro-security law petition

Same form also being circulated in pro-Beijing street booths

26 May 2020
Hong Kong police fire pepper spray in a clash with demonstrators against Beijing's national security legislation on May 24.
Interview

Hong Kong minister shrugs off risk of US penalties for security law

Commerce Secretary Edward Yau vows city will remain 'freest' market

25 May 2020
Beijing's declaration that it intends to impose national security laws in Hong Kong has sparked protests and raised concerns over the business environment in the city.
Business trends

China plan for security law rattles Hong Kong businesses

Pro-Beijing camp voices support but market reaction reveals growing anxiety

25 May 2020
Pro-China supporters hold up Chinese national flags facing Victoria Harbour in September 2019: the more Xi damages China's liberal financial zone, the more the foreign companies will question why they should stay.
Opinion

Hong Kong security law is going to devastate its economy

Companies will reject Beijing control and US can withdraw trade privileges

25 May 2020
Protesters flee from tear gas during a May 24 march against China's plans to impose national security legislation on Hong Kong.
Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong protests flare anew as Beijing tightens vise

Six hospitalized and 180 arrested as crowds denounce planned national security law

25 May 2020
Activist Joshua Wong speaks to the media against Beijing's plans to impose national security law on May 22: Hong Kong's freedom is likely to end soon.
Opinion

Hong Kong's national security law is end of city's freedom

China is betraying its promises and trying to instill fear

23 May 2020
Activists in Hong Kong march against Beijing's proposed national security laws on Friday.
Politics

China's security law for Hong Kong: Five things to know

Beijing circumvents local lawmakers in push for wide-reaching powers

23 May 2020
Delegates applaud as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening session of China's National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 22. (Xinhua via AP)
Politics

Xi's Hong Kong power grab deftly masks domestic shortcomings

With a single stroke, president shuts down critics in his party and justifies US tensions

23 May 2020
Beijing has said it is necessary to rein in the rise of foreign interference in Hong Kong, as last year's demonstrations prompted Washington to pass an act to protect the city's democracy and human rights (Nikkei Montage/Source photo by Getty Images and Reuters).
Politics

China reveals plan to set up security agencies in Hong Kong

Beijing bypasses local legislature but 'will uphold' one country, two systems

22 May 2020
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam attends the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.
Politics

Beijing seeks to tighten grip over Hong Kong with new security bill

US senators propose legislation to sanction Chinese entities that violate city's sovereignty

22 May 2020
Police officers detain an anti-government protester in December 2019: the report glossed over police misconduct.
Opinion

Police report on Hong Kong protests is a shameful whitewash

It exonerated officers' violence and tried to lay blame on protesters

19 May 2020
A student runs from riot police in Hong Kong in November 2019. In a 1,000-page report submitted on Friday, the Independent Police Complaints Council examined more than 20,000 protest videos and reviewed nearly 7,700 public complaints.
Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong police watchdog backs controversial handling of protests

Report falls short of public expectations as city's political tensions intensify

15 May 2020
Riot police enter the shopping mall to disperse protesters on May 1: under Xi Jinping's watch, the CCP has intensified its squeeze on Hong Kong.
Opinion

Hong Kong's new 'Basic Law' is that whatever China says, goes

Judges alone cannot protect territory from Beijing's heavy-handed interventions

15 May 2020
Members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, the city's de facto parliament, scuffle during a House Committee meeting in Hong Kong on Friday.
Politics

Hong Kong legislature erupts in clashes over key committee control

Pro-democracy lawmakers stall selection to delay passage of national anthem law

8 May 2020
Hong Kong will adopt a "suppress and lift" strategy, in which health authorities will introduce tougher measures when the coronavirus transmission rate is high and loosen them when it drops, so as to contain the outbreak.
Coronavirus

Hong Kong to relax social-distancing controls and reopen schools

Measures come as locally transmitted coronavirus cases fall to zero in recent days

5 May 2020
Hong Kong's first-quarter gross domestic product dropped 8.9% compared with the same period a year earlier, marking the city's steepest GDP decline on record.
Economy

Hong Kong GDP shrinks 8.9% in worst decline on record

Economic outlook remains dim despite expected relaxing of some restrictions

4 May 2020
Members of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance walk to the Hong Kong government's headquarters on Feb. 5 to submit a petition demanding the city close its border with mainland China following the coronavirus outbreak.
Politics

Hong Kong's new labor unions aim to reshape political landscape

Amid protests and coronavirus outbreak, activists hope to affect 2022 elections

1 May 2020
Jimmy Lai, center, the politically vocal owner of the Apple Daily newspaper, is taken away by the police from his home on Apr. 18: China is trying to reassert its power.
Opinion

Hong Kong activist arrests show China is afraid

Beijing is worried pro-democracy candidates could sweep Legislative Council elections

24 April 2020
Chief Executive Carrie Lam, at Wednesday's news conference, said: "In the coming two years, I will lead the government in controlling the pandemic and rebuilding the economy."
Politics

Hong Kong leader reshuffles cabinet as Beijing tightens oversight

Lam says move unrelated to protests, and her team will focus on economic revival

22 April 2020
A demonstration in Hong Kong in December. The anti-mask case highlights a dilemma faced by authorities: Masks once worn by protesters are now ubiquitous, as people wear them to guard against the coronavirus.
Hong Kong protests

Hong Kong court rules anti-mask law partially unconstitutional

Ban came amid anti-government protests, before current coronavirus pandemic

9 April 2020
Firefighters spray disinfectant to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease in Jakarta.
4 April 2020
A man is tested for the coronavirus outside a hospital in Bangkok on Thursday. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Coronavirus

From light touch to total lockdown: How Asia is fighting coronavirus

Countries begin to toughen their approach as infections continue to rise

28 March 2020
Congress gave final approval to the largest economic package in U.S. history. 
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Mar. 22 to Mar. 28, US House passes a $2.2tn stimulus

Hong Kong bans gatherings of over 4 people; Trump tweets he is working with Xi

28 March 2020
Multiple coronavirus cases in Hong Kong over the past week involved people who had been to Lan Kwai Fong, a popular nightlife district.
Coronavirus

Hong Kong to ban liquor sales at bars and restrict visitor arrivals

As coronavirus cases spike, government will prohibit most foreign tourists

23 March 2020
Pedestrians in Seoul: Governments across Asia are scrambling to mitigate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Coronavirus

Asia turns on the fiscal taps to cushion coronavirus impact

As crisis drags on, governments face pressure to offer even more aid

23 March 2020