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South China Morning Post

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Central Asia tipped to be Hong Kong’s next logistics hub: Airport Authority head

Central Asia can become a strategic logistics hub for Hong Kong as wars in the Middle East and Europe persist, with cargo volume between the city and two countries in the region surging nearly fivefold year on year, the Airport Authority chairman has said. Fred Lam Tin-fuk, who joined a recent trip with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to Central Asia, also said on Sunday that passenger traffic at Hong Kong airport could reach 70 million this year, recovering to nearly pre-Covid levels. “Central...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Committee formed to drive AI boost: FS

Financial Secretary Paul Chan on Sunday said a committee dedicated to artificial intelligence development in Hong Kong would hold its first meeting this month. Writing in his weekly blog, Chan said the Committee on AI+ and Industry Development Strategy consists of experts, academics and business representatives. It will study the use of AI in life and health science, embodied AI as well as AI application strategies in various aspects such as transport, culture and sustainable development, he said. Chan also said the government had allocated HK$50 million to launch AI training for all, including courses on AI application, lectures and competitions. He said over 200 events were expected to be hosted in two years, benefiting some 50,000 people. Chan went on to say that the form of AI training would be diversified to meet the needs of different groups. “For example, training for students can place more emphasis on encouraging practical application,” he said. “To help the elderly gain a basic understanding of AI so that they can better use the tool and avoid being scammed, we will first offer training for the community and students and let them become ambassadors for seniors’ AI learning.” The FS also said a mainland firm working on embodied AI would launch a robot retail store at the Hung Hom harbourfront soon, with a robot store manager serving customers in multiple languages around the clock. “A person-in-charge told us they chose Hong Kong as the first stop for their retail stores to go global because of the city’s international platform, open atmosphere for new technologies and visibility of innovation and technology projects,” Chan said. “International capital continues to pay attention to and be optimistic about our country’s leading advantages in several emerging industries. The Hong Kong market, as an important international financing centre for these companies, also enhances the city’s attractiveness to start-ups and technology companies.” Chan added that the SAR has been promoting AI development at full speed over the past few years. Edited by Tony Sabine

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Airport chief welcomes direct flights to Central Asia

Airport Authority chairman Fred Lam on Sunday said Hong Kong's expansion into Central Asia would open up new passenger markets and provide an alternative route for cargo coming to and from Europe, with direct flights between the SAR and the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan set to launch in the first quarter of next year. Lam's comments on Commercial Radio came just days after Chief Executive John Lee wrapped up his visit to Central Asia during which he signed multiple agreements in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He pointed out that 13 percent of Hong Kong's cargo flows to and from Europe currently pass through the Middle East, but the ongoing war against Iran and US tariffs have disrupted supply chains. Additional routes via Central Asia could strengthen Hong Kong's position as a key aviation hub linking Asia and Europe, he said. Lam also noted that Hong Kong International Airport handled 61 million passengers last year while traffic in the first four months of this year rose by 13 percent. He was confident the airport could reach 70 million passengers for the full year. Lam added the airport aimed to attract more travellers from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and increase transit traffic while creating a "frictionless border" for GBA passengers. This, he said, could encourage transfer passengers to come back to Hong Kong as tourists. Lam also said operations at the newly reopened Terminal 2 have been smooth. "We commissioned the T2 departure facility last week and so far and it has processed 40,000 passengers with 300 flights. We're very happy with the whole process, it's turned out to be very smooth." "The process will complete by Wednesday this week. By then, every day we would have about 110 flights per day with around 20,000 passengers. "We'll continue to monitor that. We believe that this new facility would help to provide an even better service to our passengers," he said. Regarding the 11 Skies Mall development, Lam said it is scheduled for full completion in 2028. While discussions with the developer are ongoing, he said the project is part of the airport city's development blueprint and was confident in its long-term potential. Edited by Tony Sabine

South China Morning Post

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Malaysia’s gas-guzzling data centre boom clashes with its clean energy goals

Malaysia has staked its economic future on becoming Southeast Asia’s data-centre capital. It has also promised to slash fossil fuel use by 2050. Right now, those two ambitions are pulling in opposite directions – and gas is winning. There were 54 operational data centres across Malaysia by the end of 2024, with that number expected to rise to 81 by 2035, government minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir told parliament last year. In the handful of years from 2021 and mid-2025, some 144.4 billion...

South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy patrons threaten legal action over clubhouse changes

Some patrons of an exclusive Hong Kong sports club have escalated action against the Rosewood Hotel Group’s plan to change operations at its clubhouse in Central, but the hospitality firm says it has made some “refinements” to the arrangement. A representative of a group of concerned patrons at the Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy (HKGTA) told the South China Morning Post on Thursday that complaints had been filed with the Consumer Council watchdog. The group had also threatened to take the...

South China Morning Post

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96 deals signed, flights planned: what’s next for Hong Kong and Central Asia?

Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has wrapped up his visit to Central Asia after meeting high-level leaders and sealing nearly 100 partnership agreements aimed at opening the “big door” for local and mainland Chinese businesses. While reviving direct flights to the region was considered a big win from the trip, observers noted that the real challenges lay ahead as authorities and different parties must take necessary follow-up actions to realise the gains. Local authorities and businesses signed...

South China Morning Post

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WHO warns nearly 500 confirmed Ebola cases in Central Africa outbreak

Nearly 500 Ebola cases have now been confirmed in the deadly outbreak raging in central Africa, a WHO overview showed on Saturday, amid mounting concern over the swelling scale of the epidemic. In its daily update on the situation, the World Health Organization tallied 452 confirmed cases, including 82 deaths, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), where the outbreak was declared three weeks ago. In neighbouring Uganda, meanwhile, it counted 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths. The...

South China Morning Post

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Chinese pupils seek oxygen therapy to boost memory, reduce anxiety for national exam

As China’s most important national examination, known as gaokao, looms, many students are flocking to hospitals to inhale oxygen in the belief that doing so will “recharge” their brains. Gaokao refers to the country’s national university entrance exam which takes place between June 6 and 8 every year. Many people believe it can make or break a young person’s future since scores in the test will largely determine in which university and what major a student can study. In the past few years,...

South China Morning Post

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Viral Indian youth movement Cockroach Janta Party hits Delhi streets for first protest

The founder of ⁠India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party ⁠ (CJP) arrived in New Delhi on ⁠Saturday to lead a protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, taking the country’s largest online youth movement to the streets for the first time. Abhijeet Dipke, 30, who has lived in the United States for the past two years, ‌had said his family and friends feared he could be arrested on his return to India. Dozens of police officers gathered near Jantar Mantar in central Delhi on Saturday,...

Hong Kong Free Press

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Overtaken by Hong Kong in global wealth management, Swiss keep cool

Though Hong Kong has overtaken Switzerland as the number one in cross-border wealth management, rather than enter panic mode, Swiss banks seem unruffled — feeling it bolsters the case against looming tighter banking regulations. Hong Kong is now the world’s largest cross-border booking centre thanks to inflows from mainland China, strong initial public offering activity, […]

South China Morning Post

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Why North Korea’s Kim is doubling down on nuclear might as Xi visit looms

North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un’s recent display of nuclear-processing capabilities appears timed with reports of an impending visit by China’s leader and fuelled by insecurities about Seoul’s nuclear submarine talks with Washington. Analysts also say that mounting trilateral talks involving the United States, Japan and South Korea have galvanised Kim into doubling down on Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear-armed state. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Friday that Xi...

South China Morning Post

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정치

US strikes Iranian radar sites after drone shootdown in Strait of Hormuz

US forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran towards the Strait of Hormuz, the US military said, in the latest escalation complicating efforts to end the war between the two countries. The US military believed the four Iranian drones were targeting regional maritime traffic, an official said. US Central Command said on social media that the US then struck Iran’s surveillance ‌sites in Goruk and Qeshm Island, which are both on the Strait of...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'Uzbekistan becoming a big draw for visitors'

The Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan is a hidden gem that is fast being discovered by a new generation of international travellers, including those from China. At the Center for Islamic Civilization, a popular tourist attraction in the capital Tashkent, a cross-section of tourists told RTHK that the country is becoming increasingly accessible and a must-visit destination. A traveller from Shaanxi province in China, surnamed Wang, said he was attracted by a blend of post-Soviet history and Islamic architecture. "I just want to experience the fourth largest republic of the former Soviet Union. Just to see how they've developed since breaking away from the Soviet Union, and to see what changes have taken place in the city's appearance," he said. "So I came to stroll around and take a look, just to experience the different culture of another country." Wang noted that travel has become significantly easier. "It’s visa-free for 30 days," he explained, having arrived via Almaty, Kazakhstan. Wang also noted that more Chinese people have been visiting Uzbekistan in the past few years. That sense of discovery is echoed by European visitors. "We didn’t know anyone else who has been here, so it was really exciting to come somewhere completely different and experience a completely different culture," said William Norton, a tourist from Scotland. But he also met some challenges. "Language is the main one – we don’t speak Uzbek or Russian, which would help a lot. "Apart from that, obviously the lack of public transport as well has been a little bit of a problem in Tashkent. The metro is easier, however, in other places in Uzbekistan like Samarkand." Yet, for Norton, those very challenges are part of the charm. "You go to other places in Europe that are equally as beautiful if not less beautiful and they are absolutely rammed with people, so it's nice that it's a little bit quieter here." His travel companion, Christian Cannarella, agreed, saying their friends back in Scotland were surprised by their travel plans. He said people in Uzbekistan have been very welcoming and visiting the landmarks is an "incredible" experience. For travellers from other Islamic nations, the attraction lies in the shared cultural heritage. Ammar Nizamani, visiting from Pakistan, said he wanted to find out what they have in common in faith and history. He said he tries to visit different countries whenever he has the chance. Edited by Robert Kemp

South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong ideal platform for Uzbek firms to spread wings globally, John Lee says

Hong Kong serves as an ideal platform to help Uzbek enterprises expand through its world-class professional services and international business environment, the city’s leader has told the Central Asian country’s prime minister as he wrapped up a five-day regional tour. Sources said Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Friday also invited Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov to be a keynote speaker at the coming Belt and Road Summit to be held in Hong Kong in September. It was understood that during a...

South China Morning Post

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정치

Xi Jinping’s ‘chief of staff’ Cai Qi takes Central Party School helm

Cai Qi, the fifth-ranked member in the Communist Party’s hierarchy, has been picked to head the Central Party School, the top training ground for cadres. Cai, 70, sits on the elite Politburo Standing Committee and is secretary of the party’s secretariat as well as director of the party’s general office. Responsible for daily operations of the party’s nerve centre, Cai is often referred to as President Xi Jinping’s chief of staff. His new post at the party school means that he will also oversee...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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CE wraps up 'fruitful' Central Asia visit

Chief Executive John Lee on Friday expressed confidence that Hong Kong and Uzbekistan will further advance their "win-win cooperation" as he concluded his week-long Central Asia trip. Speaking on the final day of his visit to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, Lee described his trip to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as fruitful, noting achievements have been secured in eight areas. These include the establishment of high-level contacts and ties between the SAR government and the governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, with the respective sides reaching consensus on cooperation across multiple areas, he said. Lee added that a total of 96 cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding, involving investments exceeding US$1.65 billion, had been reached during his visit. Before returning to Hong Kong on Friday night, Lee attended a business exchange event and met again with the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov. Lee said he looked forward to strengthening co-operation between the two places and laying a solid foundation in areas that include capital markets connectivity, infrastructure financing and green finance. The CE thanked the government of Uzbekistan for making arrangements for his visit, saying he was confident that the two places would open up a new chapter of mutual benefits and win-win cooperation. Earlier in the day, Lee attended a luncheon hosted by the Chinese Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Yu Jun. There, he expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy for its continued support and for making arrangements for the visit. Lee also visited the Center for Islamic Civilization – the country’s largest cultural, scientific, and educational complex – to learn about local efforts in cultural preservation, academic research and education promotion. During the visit, he noted that Hong Kong and Uzbekistan could further strengthen cooperation in arts and culture, people-to-people exchanges and museum collaboration. Edited by Edmond Fong

South China Morning Post

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Chinese black hole-hunting scientist Dai Liang quits US for Shanghai post

A physicist who was awarded a fellowship reserved for the “brightest young scientists” in the US and Canada for his work hunting for black holes has returned to China. Dai Liang, who received a Sloan Research Fellowship for physics in 2021, recently took up a professorship at Fudan University in Shanghai and joined the Fudan Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. The fellowships were established in 1955 by former General Motors chief executive Alfred Sloan to support early-career researchers...

South China Morning Post

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Philippines’ UN defeat: a result of domestic ‘political circus’, close ties with US?

The Philippines’ landslide defeat to Kyrgyzstan for a UN Security Council seat has dealt a blow to Manila’s long-running campaign to raise its international diplomatic profile through the prestigious body, prompting questions about President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s foreign policy legacy. Analysts said the loss reflected the appeal of having under-represented Central Asia play a role in the council, Kyrgyzstan’s perceived neutrality and the geopolitical baggage attached to the Philippines as a...

South China Morning Post

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IT/기술

Hong Kong taps banks, lawyers and crypto firms to help rewrite rules for tokenised bonds

Hong Kong’s de facto central bank has formed a group of industry experts to help remove legal and regulatory hurdles to tokenized bonds, as authorities seek to move beyond pilot projects and encourage wider adoption from private issuers. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) said on Friday it had established a Tokenised Bond Expert Group comprising 21 institutions spanning banks, law firms, market infrastructure providers and digital asset companies to support the development of the city’s...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Tech MoUs highlight last day of CE's Central Asia trip

Chief Executive John Lee announced a series of innovation and technology agreements with Uzbekistan, following a visit to the Central Asian nation’s flagship IT hub on Friday. Writing on his social media, Lee detailed the delegation’s visit to Uzbekistan IT Park, a national special economic zone in Tashkent, where they met with Ayubkhon Sultanov, Uzbekistan’s First Deputy Minister of Digital Technologies. He said the IT Park serves as a core engine for Uzbekistan’s digital economic transformation, offering tax incentives and rental concessions and facilitating visa arrangements to attract tech enterprises and talent. The park, he said, is central to implementing the “Digital Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy” and the country’s national AI Strategy. The CE noted that while Uzbekistan is accelerating its economic transformation and I&T development, Hong Kong — as an international financial centre — is actively building itself into a global innovation hub. “Leveraging its world-class financing platform, professional services and unique bridging role connecting the mainland and international markets, Hong Kong is highly complementary to Uzbekistan’s development,” the CE wrote. Both places, he added, are important partners within the Belt and Road Initiative and can strengthen exchanges of development experience. Lee said senior executives from the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), Cyberport and the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP) signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with IT Park during the visit. The agreements aim to establish platforms for startup incubation, acceleration programmes and cross-border market access. Under the deals, Uzbekistan’s I&T companies would gain a strategic gateway into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and global markets, while Hong Kong enterprises would be able to tap into Uzbekistan’s young IT talent pool for software development and innovative collaborations. “Going forward, we can further synergise the innovation and technology ecosystems of both sides, explore collaborative projects and achieve complementary advantages and win-win partnerships,” the CE said. Lee concludes his Central Asia trip on Friday. Edited by Tony Sabine

뉴스

타임라인 키워드

Central Asia tipped to be Hong Kong’s next logistics hub: Airport Authority head

Committee formed to drive AI boost: FS

Airport chief welcomes direct flights to Central Asia

Malaysia’s gas-guzzling data centre boom clashes with its clean energy goals

Hong Kong Golf & Tennis Academy patrons threaten legal action over clubhouse changes

96 deals signed, flights planned: what’s next for Hong Kong and Central Asia?

WHO warns nearly 500 confirmed Ebola cases in Central Africa outbreak

Chinese pupils seek oxygen therapy to boost memory, reduce anxiety for national exam

Viral Indian youth movement Cockroach Janta Party hits Delhi streets for first protest

Overtaken by Hong Kong in global wealth management, Swiss keep cool

Why North Korea’s Kim is doubling down on nuclear might as Xi visit looms

US strikes Iranian radar sites after drone shootdown in Strait of Hormuz

'Uzbekistan becoming a big draw for visitors'

Hong Kong ideal platform for Uzbek firms to spread wings globally, John Lee says

Xi Jinping’s ‘chief of staff’ Cai Qi takes Central Party School helm

CE wraps up 'fruitful' Central Asia visit

Chinese black hole-hunting scientist Dai Liang quits US for Shanghai post

Philippines’ UN defeat: a result of domestic ‘political circus’, close ties with US?

Hong Kong taps banks, lawyers and crypto firms to help rewrite rules for tokenised bonds

Tech MoUs highlight last day of CE's Central Asia trip