Politics

A woman gets swabbed to be tested for COVID-19 in Shanghai. Beginning on Jan. 5, all air passengers heading to the U.S., 2 years old and older, will require a negative result from a test no more than two days before departure from China, Hong Kong or Macao.
Coronavirus

U.S. to require negative COVID test results for travelers from China

Washington joins Japan, Taiwan, India and Italy in taking new measures

29 December 2022
Kanzhun's dual primary listing could allow it to sell shares to mainland China investors.
Markets

China's Kanzhun follows U.S. listing by joining Hong Kong bourse

Online recruiter opts for presence on both exchanges as audit tensions linger

22 December 2022
A woman scans a Hong Kong government contact tracing QR code for the "LeaveHomeSafe" mobile app at a shopping mall. The city is easing its app requirement as it unwinds years of tough virus rules.
Coronavirus

Hong Kong scraps more virus curbs after China eases zero-COVID

City drops traveler restrictions, eases virus app rules as it ramps up reopening

13 December 2022
More and more Chinese flags can be seen on the streets of Hong Kong lately. (Photo by Takeshi Kihara)
Politics

Hong Kong under pressure to use standard Chinese language

Over half of Hong Kongers now can speak Mandarin as economic dependence grows

13 December 2022
Apple Daily founder and pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai leaves court in February 2021.
Hong Kong security law

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai's trial on hold over lawyer dispute

Apple Daily founder faces life sentence if convicted on national security charges

1 December 2022
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers a speech during an official reception marking Chinese National Day in October.
Hong Kong security law

Hong Kong taps Beijing in high-profile national security case

City moves to overturn ruling that lets Apple Daily's Jimmy Lai hire foreign lawyer

28 November 2022
Former Hong Kong lawmaker Cyd Ho, Cardinal Joseph Zen and senior barrister Margaret Ng leave court after their guilty verdicts.
Hong Kong security law

Hong Kong's Cardinal Zen found guilty over protest fund

Five other pro-democracy figures also convicted in high-profile case

25 November 2022
Since the 2019 pro-democracy protests, Twitter has played a vital role for the Hong Kong people to share information with the outside world. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Politics

Twitter, Meta layoffs spur political safeguard fears across Asia

Authoritarian regimes could strengthen grip on social media platforms

23 November 2022
Namdong Asiad Rugby Field in Incheon, South Korea in 2014: A mix-up involving the Chinese national anthem at a Seven Series rugby match on Nov. 14 left local officials red-faced.
International relations

Hong Kong police probe protest song mishap at rugby showcase

Pro-democracy song played instead of Chinese anthem at match in South Korea

15 November 2022
Hong Kong's status as a global business hub was damaged by some of the world's strictest COVID curbs.
Economy

Hong Kong reboot hits snag as bankers pull out of finance summit

Showcase Rugby Sevens tournament also struggles to sell out

1 November 2022
Trading in bitcoin and other digital assets has been tightly controlled in Hong Kong.
Cryptocurrencies

Hong Kong eyes looser crypto rules in digital-asset hub bid

Allowing retail trade in cryptocurrencies is among relaxation proposals

31 October 2022
Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh will host the 27th annual United Nations climate change conference (COP27) from Nov. 6 to 18.
Your Week in Asia

Vietnam leader in China, Hong Kong investment summit, COP 27

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

30 October 2022
Cartoonist Zunzi in 1996 in front of depictions he created of Hong Kong and Chinese leaders, including Tung Chee-hwa, left: It is hard to know what triggers the itchy fingers of the censors.
Opinion

Hong Kong's crackdown on humor is not funny -- or a surprise

Satire always troubles the authoritarian world of insecurity and paranoia

30 October 2022
U.S. lawmakers have warned that international bankers risk legitimizing "the swift dismantling of Hong Kong's autonomy, free press, and the rule of law by Hong Kong authorities acting along with the Chinese Communist Party." 
Hong Kong security law

Wall Street execs' trip to Hong Kong summit slammed as 'whitewash'

Activists, U.S. lawmakers say event with John Lee will legitimize security clampdown

29 October 2022
John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, delivers his annual policy address at the Legislative Council on Oct. 19. He spoke again the next day, warning of dire security threats.
Hong Kong security law

Hong Kong chief warns of 'unimaginable threats' to city's security

John Lee points to spies and 'color revolutions' as he echoes President Xi

20 October 2022
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivers his first annual policy address at the city's Legislative Council on Oct. 19, vowing to restore the city's luster as a financial center. 
Economy

Hong Kong unveils foreign 'talent trawl' to halt brain drain

Tax breaks, easy visas among moves to reboot city as global business hub

19 October 2022
Sanctioned billionaire Alexey Mordashov's Nord superyacht has become the latest point of contention between the U.S. and China.
International relations

Hong Kong hits back at U.S. warnings over Russian tycoon's yacht

Sanctioned Putin ally Alexey Mordashov docks 142-meter Nord in city's harbor

11 October 2022
The image of a freewheeling Hong Kong has undergone a disturbing transformation over the past few years, one that government officials are scrambling to fix.
Asia Insight

Hard sell: Hong Kong polishes image tarnished by security law, COVID

Emissaries go abroad to tell 'good story,' win back business and investment

11 October 2022
Travelers arrive at Hong Kong International Airport on the first day that the city's COVID hotel quarantine was scrapped. 
Coronavirus

Hong Kong's axed quarantine brings no joy for China-focused business

Thousands of struggling businesses pinning hopes on reopening mainland border

9 October 2022
The former head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, at a news briefing in 2018: The 90-year-old is a major figure in the city's pro-democracy movement.
Hong Kong security law

Hong Kong's Cardinal Zen goes on trial over protest fund

One of Asia's highest-ranking Catholic clerics among six facing charges

26 September 2022
Hong Kong's reputation as a global business hub has been tarnished by more than two years of strict virus curbs. 
Coronavirus

Hong Kong scraps quarantine in hotels as business hub reopens

Mandatory stay being replaced by 3 days self-monitoring from Sept. 26

23 September 2022
A residential project under construction in the southern city of Nanning. Scores of housing complexes are unfinished across China after cash-strapped developers halted construction.
Property

China real estate crisis spills into property mad Hong Kong

City investors join growing backlash over glut of unfinished housing projects

23 September 2022
German chemical group BASF opened a new plant in Zhanjiang city to boost capacity by an additional 60,000 metric tons of engineering plastics compounds annually. (Photo courtesy of BASF)
Politics

China signals support for foreign investment after virus curb fury

Multinationals threaten to cut investment or leave over zero-COVID rules

22 September 2022
Travelers line up for shuttle buses to quarantine hotels at Hong Kong International Airport.
Coronavirus

Hong Kong on track to ditch dreaded hotel quarantine: sources

Chief Executive John Lee says administration eyes 'orderly opening-up'

20 September 2022
A Chinese flag flies outside the New York Stock Exchange: Beijing is desperate to make sure that its companies can access American markets through initial public offerings.
Opinion

U.S.-China accounting deal will merely mark a short truce

Neither side has much incentive to make a real effort at compromise

19 September 2022