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The Pentagon has designated Alibaba, BYD, Baidu and more than a dozen other prominent Chinese companies as “Chinese military companies” operating in the United States, widening a blacklist that has become an increasingly effective tool in Washington’s campaign to restrict China’s access to American capital, technology and government contracts. In a Federal Register notice scheduled for publication on Wednesday, the US Defence Department said the Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and...

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4 jailed for rioting at Polytechnic University during 2019 unrest in Hong Kong

A Hong Kong court has jailed four men for up to three years and one month for rioting during the 2019 anti-government protests, in the latest round of sentences following authorities’ pledge to pursue those involved regardless of the time elapsed. The District Court on Monday sentenced the four defendants for their roles in clashes at and around Polytechnic University in Hung Hom, the site of some of the most intense confrontations between protesters and police during the unrest. Judge Edmond...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'No new offences under national security proposal'

The government said on Monday that proposed subsidiary legislation to clearly define the classification mechanism for “other offences endangering national security under the law of the HKSAR” does not involve the introduction of any new offences. Under the proposal to be enacted under Section 110 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO), if the chief executive issues a certificate under the law confirming that a criminal act involves national security, the case shall be treated as one. And where a person is charged with – or convicted of – an alternative offence arising from the same act in a case involving a national security offence, that alternative offence shall also be classified as an offence endangering national security. At a Legislative Council panel meeting, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said there are no changes to the implementation details or scope of application of the SNSO or the Hong Kong National Security Law. “I want to emphasise that no additional powers, offences, or penalties are introduced," he said. "[I have to] particularly emphasise that the chief executive's certificate only involves determining whether or not acts already constituted as criminal offences involve national security. "As for whether a defendant is guilty or not, it still has to be ruled by a court following an independent trial conducted in accordance with the law, and the court will ensure that the defendant is given a fair trial.” Following the meeting, Lam said the chief executive’s certificate cannot be thrown out by the court. This is because in determining whether an incident involves security, it usually touches on very sensitive and highly confidential information, and the judicial bodies are not in a position to make such a determination when exercising their powers, he said, and that is why such a certificate is binding on the courts. Secretary for Security Chris Tang stressed that the move would not affect the general public at all or the “normal operations” of organisations and groups. He said that the authorities will keep reviewing the national security mechanism and propose improvements when necessary, through administrative measures and legislation. Edited by Edmond Fong

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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New subsidiary legislation to clarify NSL offences

The Security Bureau and the Department of Justice have announced plans to introduce subsidiary legislation to clearly define the classification mechanism for “other offences endangering national security under the law of the HKSAR,” as stipulated under the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO). In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council, the bureau and department emphasised the necessity of codifying this mechanism through subsidiary legislation to ensure consistent and effective implementation of provisions relating to national security offences under both statutes. The move, they said, aims to strengthen legal clarity, enhance procedural efficiency, and enable timely prevention and response to national security risks. "Amid the present complicated geopolitical landscape, national security risks still exist. Stating clearly the above mechanism by way of subsidiary legislation can improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the HKSAR to safeguard national security," the security bureau and the department of justice said in paper submitted to Legco. Under Article 47 of the HKNSL and Section 115 of the SNSO, the Chief Executive holds the authority to issue binding certificates determining whether a particular act or matter involves national security — a power that courts are legally bound to accept. The government noted this certification mechanism is uniquely suited to classify “other offences endangering national security” under Section 7(d) of the SNSO, as such classification hinges on whether the criminal act in question implicates national security. The proposed subsidiary legislation, to be enacted under Section 110 of the SNSO, will set out two key principles. If the Chief Executive issues a certificate under Article 47 of the HKNSL or Section 115 of the SNSO confirming that a criminal act involves national security, the case shall be treated as one concerning an offence endangering national security under Article 41 of the HKNSL. Any offence investigated, arrested, or charged in relation to that act shall be deemed an offence endangering national security under Section 7(d) of the SNSO. And, where a person is charged with — or convicted of — an alternative offence arising from the same act in a case involving a national security offence, that alternative offence shall also be classified as an offence endangering national security. "The HKSAR should complete the legislative process of the relevant subsidiary legislation as soon as possible, the earlier the better, in order to safeguard national security effectively," the paper added. Edited by Tony Sabine

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Hong Kong seeks to define scope of national security cases ‘as soon as possible’

The Hong Kong government has sought to clarify what constitutes national security cases in a new round of proposed subsidiary legislation. Security and justice authorities submitted the proposed amendments under the city’s national security laws to the Legislative Council on Monday. The proposal introduces a classification mechanism for “other offences endangering national security”, under which any case accompanied by a certificate from the chief executive confirming it involved national...

South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong tycoon bets China will overtake US economy ‘in next decade or so’

Hong Kong property tycoon Gordon Wu Ying-sheung has predicted that China will overtake the US as the world’s largest economy in the next decade or so, propelled by rapid technological advances while Washington is weighed down by massive defence expenditure and national debt. Yet the 90-year-old founder and chairman of Hopewell Holdings, who rarely speaks to the press, said Hong Kong should look past geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington to build closer ties with the United States,...

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UK, France, Germany back direct Ukraine-Russia talks: joint statement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky received the backing of the leaders of the UK, France and Germany in calling for direct ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, according to a joint statement issued following defence talks in London on Sunday. Zelensky met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street for talks as Russia’s war has stretched into its fifth year. The leaders “supported the proposal for a...

South China Morning Post

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China urged to fast-track carrier fleet upgrades as Japan boosts strike power

China should speed up aircraft carrier group upgrades and boost their combat capabilities to counter Japan’s growing defence strength amid mounting tensions, military experts have said. This comes as Tokyo ramps up its defence posture with long-range anti-ship missiles and deployments on Japanese islands near Taiwan, putting Beijing on high alert. A recent simulated attack also highlighted the potential threat. As tensions escalated in December over the Japanese prime minister’s comments on...

South China Morning Post

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Will ‘Trump-class’ battleship be a sitting duck for Chinese carrier-killer missiles?

A US congressional committee has cast doubt on Donald Trump’s “Golden Fleet” programme, warning it could overwhelm already strained nuclear-powered shipbuilding capacity and calling for a detailed review of its centrepiece battleship. One lawmaker also warned of the vulnerability of battleships in modern maritime warfare, citing the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army’s Dongfeng missile series, which includes the DF-21D ballistic missile – widely dubbed a “carrier killer”. The...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Medical Council to rule on 2009 incident on July 5

The Medical Council on Sunday said the verdict for an alleged medical incident that occurred in 2009 would be delivered on July 5. The inquiry involves a mainland couple’s complaint alleging negligence by Baptist Hospital paediatrician Sit Sou-chi had led to their newborn son developing cerebral palsy. Speaking to the media after the hearing, the father of the boy said the family was disappointed that a verdict had not been reached after all this time. “We have already waited for 16 years. We had hoped there would be a verdict but it was postponed for another month. We definitely have complicated feelings towards this,” he said. The Medical Council heard closing submissions during the Sunday hearing, when the counsel representing the watchdog argued that Sit had failed to take action despite believing that the infant might have suffered convulsions or epilepsy. The counsel added that Sit did not give priority to the severity of risks faced by patients, and that any negligence, whether serious or minor, constitutes professional misconduct. Sit’s counsel said the paediatrician had believed the infant likely choked on milk, which could also lead to serious consequences, and instructed nurses to suspend feeding and continue observation. The defence counsel also said misjudgement or failure to take action to address all possibilities is not equal to professional misconduct. Edited by Aaron Tam

South China Morning Post

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In D-Day speech, Hegseth urges Europe to counter ‘invasion’ of migrants

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday urged Europe to counter what he termed an “invasion” of its coastline by migration, as he marked the 82nd anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings in northern France. Hegseth also called on European countries to do more to contribute to their defence, in a speech at the American military cemetery in Colleville-sur-mer in Normandy. He was however conspicuously set to skip the main international ceremony marking the anniversary of the landings,...

South China Morning Post

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Past failures haunt Quad’s US$20 billion critical minerals push

The Quad’s newly announced US$20 billion critical minerals framework aims to loosen China’s near-monopoly on the materials that power modern defence, technology and clean energy industries. But analysts say its success will depend on the ability of Australia, the United States, India and Japan – the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’s four members – to move beyond policy declarations and deliver measurable outcomes. The initiative, announced after a meeting of Quad foreign ministers on May 27, has...

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Does Pete Hegseth’s volte-face on China reflect an America in decline?

Listening to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, I thought of the iconic Sichuan opera act of face-changing, where performers switch masks in an instant. Last year, Hegseth’s speech at the event was filled with blatant attacks on China. This year, he put on a completely different face, declaring that: “Under President Trump’s leadership, relations between the United States and China are better than they’ve been in many years.” Why this...

South China Morning Post

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China teacher under probe after using glue gun to scald little girl, resulting in blisters

A kindergarten teacher in China has been suspended from her job and placed under police investigation for using a glue gun to scald a little girl’s lip, causing serious blisters. The incident unfolded on the morning of May 27 in a nursery in Fengxian county, Jiangsu province, eastern China. According to surveillance footage from the classroom, the woman children’s teacher let some children queue up to receive punishment one by one because she was angry that they were talking during class, the...

South China Morning Post

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UK’s Keir Starmer says Russia could attack Nato within 4 years

Russia could attack a Nato country within four years according to western intelligence assessments, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned on Friday. He made the comments as he pledged his government would publish a long-delayed defence investment plan before next month’s Nato summit. “It is our intelligence assessment and the assessment of other countries in Nato that there could be an attack by Russia on Nato as soon as 2030,” Starmer said. “So you can see the urgency and the priority that...

South China Morning Post

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Summer most likely window for US attack on Cuba, Chinese defence tech firm says

Any US military attack on Cuba would most likely take place this summer, according to a Chinese defence technology company closely tracking US military movements around the island. The assessment by Jingan Technology, a civilian start-up founded in 2021 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, said that if the US were to use force against Cuba, it would most likely take the form of a rapid “decapitation and paralysis” operation aimed at regime change, rather than a large-scale invasion. The company uses...

South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong tutor who plotted to murder flight attendant gets 3-year jail term reduction

A Hong Kong private tutor found guilty of orchestrating a failed plot to murder his business partner eight years ago has secured a three-year reduction to his 27-year jail sentence, but lost an appeal against his conviction. In a written judgment on Friday, the Court of Appeal found that the sentence imposed on Stephen So Hon-to was too high, despite the egregious nature of the offence and the need to ensure a “continuing danger to society” would be removed from society for “a very considerable...

South China Morning Post

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Trump is turning allies and partners into friends of China

China-Canada relations are undergoing a thaw after years of estrangement and recrimination. China and India are seeking a rapprochement despite deep-seated distrust and sometimes violent border disputes. Both cases share a common element: Donald Trump. Meanwhile, following the US president’s visit to Beijing, his defence secretary Pete Hegseth avoided mentioning Taiwan at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He sounded almost conciliatory by hailing ties with Beijing as “better than they’ve...

South China Morning Post

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Chinese military team inspects Russian bases as Putin hails ‘natural allies’

A PLA inspection team visited several facilities in Russia’s Eastern Military District this week, including an air defence missile unit in the far-eastern Jewish Autonomous Region, Russian media reported. The visit, conducted under a decades-old confidence-building mechanism, came as President Vladimir Putin described China and Russia as “natural allies and partners”, while emphasising that their deepening military cooperation was not directed against any third party. The June 2-3 inspection...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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TIA to work with Shenzhen to combat coercive shopping

The Travel Industry Authority (TIA) said it had exchanged views with relevant officials from Shenzhen to ramp up supervision on industry misconduct such as tours that involve coercive shopping. In a statement released on Friday, the authority noted its chairperson, Kevin Lam, led a team last month to meet with Ding Zhongyuan, deputy director-general of the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio & Television on May 18. The team also met with representatives from Shenzhen's tourism, cybersecurity, market supervision and enforcement departments, as well as travel associations and certain key online platforms. Together, they discussed how to strengthen collaboration to combat illegal tours as well as tours that involve coercive shopping. Speaking at their meeting, Lam noted Hong Kong has been cracking down on unlicensed tour activities, citing a recent case in which authorities arrested a mainland worker for the offence of breaching conditions of stay and offering hiking tour guide services at High Island Reservoir in early May. The man was later convicted and sentenced to six weeks in prison, according to the TIA. Meanwhile, the two sides also touched on issues in which mainland visitors were forced to buy items while on their packaged tours in the SAR. Authorities revoked a tour guide's licence in one case, following an investigation in April. The revocation took effect today. The TIA reiterated that it has "zero tolerance over actions that damage the reputation of Hong Kong's tourism industry", adding it would work with its peers in Shenzhen to enhance education and publicity. It also called on tourists to check if their travel agencies have obtained proper legal certificates before joining their tour groups. Edited by Tony Sabine

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