Publication
China plans export bans covering 14 technologies
China yesterday unveiled a draft plan to impose new export bans affecting 14 technologies in sectors ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) to biotechnology and photovoltaic solar power. The notice – jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and...
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Progress on AI ahead of Xi-Trump Apec talks
The United States and China are in regular talks to iron out details of a framework announced last month for handling AI-related incidents and institutionalising bilateral dialogue, multiple sources have told the South China Morning Post. The...
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China’s trade surges on tech demand
China’s trade momentum surged unexpectedly in September on a steady wave of global tech demand as subdued consumer inflation figures highlighted persistently weak domestic consumption – a rift continuing to vex policymakers as they seek to balance the...
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Chongqing ex-mayor in corruption inquiry
Huang Qifan, the former mayor of Chongqing and a survivor of a number of regional graft scandals, is under investigation for corruption, according to state media. State news agency Xinhua yesterday reported that the Communist Party’s Central...
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Smooth sailing at Huanggang Port
More than 42,000 travellers and 5,700 vehicles passed through the revamped Huanggang Port yesterday under a “smooth” first day of the new “joint clearance” system to cross between Hong Kong and mainland China, as officials braced for larger crowds over...
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Lee hails checkpoint as connectivity ‘milestone’
The revamped Huanggang Port checkpoint is a “critical milestone” for the connectivity of the Greater Bay Area, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said, as the city and Shenzhen began the countdown to its launch today. At a ceremony yesterday, Lee...
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Lai welcomes talks between US and mainland ‘to reduce the risk of war’
Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te has welcomed talks between Washington and Beijing aimed at reducing the risk of conflict. Lai’s annual Double Tenth address yesterday, marking the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s...
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China, EU avert trade war – for now
The European Union and China have “reached an understanding” that will cut Chinese hybrid car shipments to the bloc by “more than a half”, in a temporary salve to trade tensions that have threatened to boil over into a full-blown trade war. Speaking...
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Mainland ‘golden week’ arrivals beat 2025 figures despite shorter break
Hong Kong recorded more mainland Chinese visitor arrivals during the National Day “golden week” holiday than predicted, surpassing last year’s total despite the break being one day shorter as shopping centres and hotel operators reported brisk...
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HK economy expands, but risks linger
Hong Kong’s economy continued to expand in the third quarter of this year, driven by strong exports and tourism, the finance chief has said, while warning of risks including the Middle East war and global inflation. Addressing lawmakers during a...
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Random checks to be made at luxury Stanley estate
The building authorities will conduct random sampling and inspections at the remaining properties of a luxury development in Stanley, where substandard work was uncovered at one house, as well as at other projects undertaken by the contractor and...
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Beijing had higher hopes for Xi’s state visit to the US
President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington last month was steeped in pageantry. Xi received two 21-gun salutes in three days, watched a flyover by the powerful B-2 stealth bomber, and viewed the founding documents of American democracy at the...
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City’s IPO haul in first nine months surges past HK$388b
Funds raised through initial public offerings in Hong Kong more than doubled year on year to over HK$388 billion in the first nine months of 2026, already surpassing the total amount for the whole of last year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po has...
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Golden day for record-setting HK team
There has been a common theme running through Hong Kong’s Asian Games gold medallists when it comes to talking about the pressure of being on top, Siobhan Haughey and James Christie both referred to it as a privilege - it would not be a surprise to...
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US, UK firms among top sources of foreign capital
Companies from the United States, Britain and Singapore have been among the leading sources of inbound foreign capital in Hong Kong so far this year, the city’s commerce chief has said, insisting that “money is money” despite geopolitical...
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City celebrates as Lee hails global role
Hong Kong marked National Day yesterday with discounts, free rides and a fireworks display that drew huge crowds to Victoria Harbour, while the chief executive emphasised the city’s international role and its first five-year plan. About 380,000...
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Xi ‘full of confidence’ in future
President Xi Jinping projected a message of confidence about the country’s ability to overcome challenges during his annual National Day address, issuing a rallying call for robust economic growth and more certainty amid geopolitical...
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Why China’s business chiefs missed out on Trump dinner
As American billionaires gathered at the White House to honour President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan last Thursday, a group of Chinese business leaders spent the evening on the sidelines. They had travelled to the US capital to join the state...
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Strong AI demand prompts trade body to raise forecast for exports
Stronger-than-expected global demand for products related to artificial intelligence (AI) has prompted the Trade Development Council to sharply raise its full-year forecast for Hong Kong export growth in 2026 to as much as 47 per cent. The latest...
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Chan sees unique role ahead for city
Competition between China and the US will persist, but increased dialogue between the economic superpowers will provide greater global certainty and ease geopolitical concerns, with Hong Kong positioned to play a unique role, the financial secretary...
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Cooperation stepped up after summit
China and the United States have agreed to improve cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI), tariffs and chemical precursor control, following President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington. In statements released yesterday, the two countries...
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To Shenzhen and Miami, next
President Xi Jinping announced yesterday that he would meet his American counterpart Donald Trump again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen and at the G20 summit in Miami in November and December. This would set a record, as no...
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Beyond the Rose Garden
After weeks of frustration, delays and posturing, President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump got down to business yesterday, kicking off their high-stakes summit in Xi’s first state visit to America since 2015. The two started the morning with...
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US, China split over investment
Differences between Washington and Beijing over potential investment announcements have created roadblocks for a Chinese business delegation expected to accompany President Xi Jinping on his state visit to the US, according to sources. Xi left China...
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Shrinking workforce set to hit key sectors
Hong Kong’s workforce is forecast to shrink by around 20,000 a year until 2028 despite measures to import labour and talent, with shortages remaining most acute among skilled technical workers. A government report on manpower projections yesterday...
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‘Successful’ talks pave the way for Xi’s US visit
Representatives from China and the United States have held “successful” talks in a “good atmosphere” during a preparatory meeting for President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington later this week, according to officials from both sides. US Treasury...
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City bids farewell to Tung
President Xi Jinping and other top leaders sent condolences from Beijing as Hong Kong bade farewell to its first postcolonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, at a sombre yet poignant state funeral yesterday. A report by the official Xinhua News Agency praised...
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Lee stresses businesses must strive to survive
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has defended measures in his policy address to boost the economy and improve livelihoods, stressing that businesses must also do their part to remain competitive and survive, even with government aid. Lee said...
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Foreign carers for elderly to receive higher wages
Foreign domestic carers brought to Hong Kong to look after elderly residents under a proposed government pilot scheme would receive 10 to 20 per cent more pay than existing helpers, the labour minister has said. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris...
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Self-funded campuses favoured in Metropolis
Tertiary institutions seeking to establish campuses in one of three university towns planned for the Northern Metropolis megaproject will be given “favourable consideration” if they do not require a government loan to build their facilities, Secretary...
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Lee unveils plans for bright future
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has unveiled the city’s first five-year blueprint, aligned with China’s national development strategy, setting targets to nearly double innovation spending and raise the share of manufacturing and new industries to 5.5...
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Lee to reveal housing, mediation push
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will unveil two bold initiatives on housing and mediation in his policy address, the South China Morning Post has learned, with the government planning to boost home ownership rates among young couples and prioritise...
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Lee to sweep away business red tape
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s coming policy address will introduce measures to remove hurdles for businesses setting up shop in the Northern Metropolis and include proactive initiatives to strengthen innovation hubs, research efforts and tech...
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Plan backs capitalism, governing system: Lee
Hong Kong’s inaugural five-year plan will not change the capitalist system and instead fully exploit its advantages to map the city’s long-term development, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said. In an opinion piece published in the South China...
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Brics edges closer to de-dollarisation
Brics members agreed yesterday to expand trade and payments in local currencies as the bloc’s latest push to counter an assertive US. President Xi Jinping also used his address at the Brics summit in New Delhi to deliver a thinly veiled critique of US...
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Vigil leaders jailed for up to seven years
Three former leaders of the nowdisbanded alliance behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil have been sentenced to up to seven years and three months in jail under the national security law for inciting subversion by calling for an end to...
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China ready to broker Trump-Kim handshake
China is willing to help broker a possible meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, sources have said just weeks before President Xi Jinping is expected in Washington for a bilateral summit. Multiple people...
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Tributes to ‘visionary’ who steered city into a new era
Hong Kong was in mourning yesterday for Tung Chee-hwa, the city’s first chief executive after its return to Chinese sovereignty and a respected elder statesman, who died on Tuesday at the age of 89. Tung died at 9.57pm surrounded by his family,...
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China exports strengthen on tech products demand
China’s exports continued to beat expectations in August, buoyed by strong demand for tech products and pre-Christmas orders that offset severe weather disruptions, though analysts warned the country’s widening trade imbalances remained a concern among...
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HK a ‘trusted partner’ to drive growth
Hong Kong is committed to being a “trusted partner” in driving Central Asia’s emergence as a global growth engine, according to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who hailed the substantial outcomes achieved since his landmark mission to the region. In...
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Lee vows to raise livelihoods via long-term goals
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to improve residents’ livelihoods through long-term strategies in the city’s first five-year plan, with concrete measures to be set out in the coming policy address. Lee said yesterday that the...
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Lee outlines three key sectors for HK growth
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has identified financial services, innovation and technology, and education as three key new growth drivers ahead of the unveiling of the city’s inaugural five-year development blueprint and annual policy address,...
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Lee calls on banks to play pivotal role in tech financing
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has urged the banking sector to support financing the city’s creation of a new economic engine in innovation and technology (I&T) while expanding offshore yuan business, a key area for aligning with national...
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Operators of subdivided flats apply for grace period
Operators of more than 60 per cent of subdivided flats have applied for a three-year grace period to give themselves more time to comply with a regulatory regime rolled out six months ago, Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin has said. Ho...
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Jockey Club delays start of racing on mainland
The Hong Kong Jockey Club has revealed it will delay introducing regular racing at its Conghua Racecourse on the mainland as it reported record financial results despite a “challenging and fast-changing environment”. The club yesterday reported...
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SCO must play bigger security role, Xi tells bloc summit
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation should take on a bigger global role in technology and security, President Xi Jinping said yesterday, describing the Eurasian bloc as having vast potential. At the SCO summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Xi said the...
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Court deals blow to golf course flats plan
The government’s push to boost short-term public housing supply has suffered a setback after it lost an appeal against a court decision overturning conditional approval for building 12,000 flats on part of Hong Kong’s oldest golf course. In a judgment...
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261 foreigners from 23 countries listed as missing in Tibet
China yesterday said 261 foreign citizens were missing after last week’s deadly floods along the border between its Tibet autonomous region and Nepal. They were from 23 countries and included 104 Nepalese citizens, authorities in Tibet’s Gyirong...
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Tunnel rescue experts sent to Nepal
China has sent nine specialist tunnel rescuers to Nepal to help with emergency operations following a direct request from Kathmandu, as search teams race against time to find survivors from Wednesday’s devastating floods. Seven people have been...
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TikTok, ByteDance settle child safety lawsuit for US$400m
TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance have agreed to pay US$400 million to settle a US Justice Department lawsuit accusing the video-sharing app of violating children’s online privacy laws, resolving a major federal case as the platform’s American...
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Vigil leaders found guilty of inciting subversion
The now-disbanded alliance behind Hong Kong’s annual Tiananmen Square vigil and two of its former leaders have been found guilty of inciting subversion under the national security law by advocating an end to “one-party dictatorship” on the...
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Evergrande founder jailed for life
A court in Shenzhen sentenced China Evergrande Group founder and former chairman Hui Ka-yan to life imprisonment yesterday for “multiple combined crimes”, confiscating all of his personal property. Meanwhile, Evergrande was fined 8.82 billion yuan...
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China becomes first nation to recover launch rockets with two distinct paths
In a global first, leading Chinese commercial rocket company LandSpace has recovered a stainless-steel booster after an orbital launch, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to develop lower-cost, reusable rockets. Previous reusable boosters...
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Xi Jinping leads party elite in final farewell for ex-premier Zhu Rongji
President Xi Jinping led the party elite in paying a final tribute to former premier Zhu Rongji, who was cremated yesterday as national flags flew at half mast across the country and beyond. Zhu died of an illness in Beijing last Wednesday aged...
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Xi praises Jiang in show of party unity
President Xi Jinping led commemorations for the birth centenary of late state leader Jiang Zemin at a grand ceremony in Beijing yesterday, in a show of political continuity and party unity ahead of next year’s major power reshuffle. Addressing...
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Subdivided flat heat ‘feels like 52 degrees’
Indoor heat levels in subdivided flats and rooftop huts felt like a blistering 52.21 degrees Celsius this summer, with 80 per cent of homemakers living in those homes reporting dizziness and headaches, according to a survey released yesterday. The...
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Push for restoration of student grants as textbook prices soar
Parents and concern groups have urged authorities to reinstate student subsidies after textbook prices saw their sharpest increase since the Covid-19 pandemic, amid the growing use of digital learning tools. Prices for a list of textbooks now range...
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Five-year plan consultation draws 16,000 submissions
Hong Kong authorities received more than 16,000 public submissions for the city’s inaugural five-year plan by the close of its consultation yesterday, with an official noting general support for more focused integration into national development and...
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Property gains power MTR Corp earnings
The MTR Corporation more than doubled its net profit to HK$15.87 billion in the first half of 2026, up from HK$7.70 billion a year earlier, as strong gains from property development offset a flat performance in its rail and commercial...
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Zhu Rongji, chief engineer of economic reform, dies
Former premier Zhu Rongji, who helped engineer one of the greatest economic reforms in human history, died of an illness yesterday in Beijing. He was 97. Zhu, who served as China’s premier from 1998 to 2003, is remembered for shaking up the centrally...
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Trade office in Malaysia to boost city’s strategic push
Hong Kong has opened a new trade office in Malaysia, with Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah saying the move is part of a strategic push to deepen regional ties and position the city as a bridge between the country...
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Heat stress alert to be reviewed
Labour authorities have pledged to review the city’s heat stress warning system, a day after the weather forecaster issued the lowest-level alert for outdoor workers despite record-breaking temperatures, prompting questions about the index’s...
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More jobs, support for youth in five-year plan
Hong Kong’s first five-year plan will create more quality jobs and support young people seeking to start businesses, while the Northern Metropolis megaproject will help them move up the housing ladder, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said. At the...
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Shanghai in danger zone as typhoon causes chaos
China’s second-highest typhoon alert was in force last night as Typhoon Dolphin bore down on the nation’s east coast. A red alert, the highest level, for mountain flood risks was also issued, which warned that parts of eastern Zhejiang could face a...
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Thai teen kills at least five in school, after shooting grandparents at home
At least five people were killed at a school near Thailand’s capital Bangkok yesterday morning after a student went on a gun rampage, with the tragedy shocking the nation and reopening questions over access to firearms. The 14-year-old suspect had...
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CUHK to add national, global perspectives for all students
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) will revamp its mandatory education courses for all undergraduates to include national and global perspectives and focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability. The initiative was announced...
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China hits back with sanctions, drone curbs
China has hit back against a round of US sanctions with a barrage of countermeasures targeting a group of American entities, and a tightening of export restrictions on the drone supply chain. The export controls would subject any shipments of “drones,...
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Retail sales increase 4.6% in June as growth streak extends to 14 months
Hong Kong’s retail sales rose by 4.6 per cent year on year in June, extending the growth streak to 14 months, with the government expecting continued economic expansion, rising incomes and a steady increase in visitors to support the sector. The value...
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Chinese treasury futures boost HK bridgehead role
Beijing is encouraging mainland financial firms to use the city to go global, as well as urging Hong Kong-listed companies to list on the mainland, the head of the country’s securities regulator has said as China unveiled its first offshore government...
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Tai Po blaze contractors still open for business
Two fire service contractors linked to alleged malpractice in the city’s deadliest blaze in decades are still in business and remain open to taking on new contracts, the South China Morning Post has learned, as lawmakers raised concerns over public...
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Garrison reception marks PLA’s 99th birthday
The Hong Kong garrison of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) celebrated the 99th anniversary of the military’s founding yesterday with a reception at the barracks on Stonecutters Island, with a top officer pledging to expand its role in promoting...
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