뉴스 | 🇭🇰 홍콩 | "LATE"

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

IT/기술

Most Asia-Pacific firms use AI for tasks without cutting jobs: survey

While a wave of job cuts across Asia’s finance and other industries due to wider use of artificial intelligence has spurred concerns, a new study shows that the technology’s net impact on employment is not as clear-cut. Recruiters and industry observers say many companies are adding AI-related roles without having to lay off workers. A study by professional services firm Aon released on Wednesday shows that 74 per cent of 504 companies surveyed across industries in the Asia-Pacific region have...

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

정치

Do China-Russia trade payment frictions show limits of de-dollarisation?

China and Russia have largely moved away from the US dollar in bilateral trade settlement, with most transactions now settled in their own currencies. Yet cross-border payment bottlenecks persist as Chinese banks carefully manage their exposure to Washington’s sanctions regime, according to a senior Russian banker. At the heart of the friction is a stark balancing act facing Chinese lenders: how to ease trade with Russia while safeguarding access to the US dollar-based global financial system –...

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

기타

Thailand to join UN maritime arbitration with Cambodia

Thailand said on Friday it will join a UN arbitration process chosen by Cambodia to resolve a festering maritime boundary dispute, but put on hold for now other two-way efforts to settle their contested borders. This week Cambodia launched a compulsory conciliation process under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), after Bangkok decided last month to unilaterally end a ‌2001 framework pact for talks on a disputed maritime belt. For more than 25 years, both have claimed...

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

기타

Asia’s marine pledges face credibility test at global ocean conference

Asia’s governments have spent years promising to protect the seas that feed their people, shelter their coasts and support some of the world’s richest marine life. World Ocean Day on Monday will put those promises back in the public spotlight, but the more consequential test will come days later in Mombasa, Kenya, where governments, donors, companies and conservation groups will gather for the 11th annual Our Ocean Conference from June 16 to 18. The conference has become a key stage for global...

Hong Kong Free Press

중도 성향

기타

Hong Kong gov’t seeks to overturn ex-legislator’s acquittal over deleting protest photos

The Department of Justice (DoJ) has sought to overturn former pro-democracy lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting’s acquittal on a charge of perverting the course of justice related to an incident during the 2019 protests and unrest. Government prosecutors told the Court of Appeal on Thursday that Lam had the intent to pervert the course of justice by […]

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

중도 성향

사회

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

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

기타

‘Another empty promise’: Quad’s proposed Fiji port project raises doubts

A proposal by Quad to build a port in Fiji, seen by analysts as a move to counter China’s rising economic clout in the Pacific region, has fuelled doubts about whether the four-member security bloc is committed to completing the project amid different policy priorities. At a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, in New Delhi last week, the foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the United States – Penny Wong, S. Jaishankar, Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

중도 성향

기타

Govt will not implement HK$2 scheme journey cap

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said on Friday that the government will not implement a cap on the number of trips under the HK$2 transport subsidy scheme, citing the travel needs of people with disabilities. Starting from April 3, people aged 60 and above, as well as those with disabilities, pay a flat HK$2 fare for trips costing HK$10 or less. For more expensive journeys, they pay 20 percent of the fare. The government had planned to cap subsidised trips at 240 per person each month. On the Labour and Welfare Bureau Facebook page, Sun said some people with disabilities had voiced concern about the proposed cap because they need to transfer more often than other residents in order to reach the same destination. He said the latest figures show that on average, only about 450 people make more than 240 trips per month – a tiny number among the 2.7 million users of the transport subsidy. However about a fifth of those 450 people are people with disabilities. He said this proves that some disabled people do need more trips. "If we go ahead with the trip cap, it will inevitably affect some people with disabilities – including their need to see a doctor, attend rehabilitation services, go to work, and other daily necessities," he wrote. He added the cap could cause worry among some commuters – especially the elderly – about going over the limit, and would create unnecessary stress. Sun also said a cap would not be cost-effective, as limiting the subsidised trips would save only a few hundred thousand dollars, but updating the subsidy system to accommodate a limit would cost an estimated HK$30 million. He concluded that the government decided not to go ahead with the cap – hoping everyone can travel happily and integrate into society. Edited by Thomas McAlinden

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

정치

Malaysian state polls loom as Negeri Sembilan snap vote tests Anwar’s alliance

Malaysia is heading into a run of state elections, including two triggered by early assembly dissolutions, after Negeri Sembilan became the latest state to call a snap poll amid fraying ties inside Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ruling alliance. While the polls will not directly affect Anwar’s parliamentary majority, they will test whether his federal partners can keep their coalition functioning at the state level or whether local disputes will deepen the fractures between them. On Friday,...

Hong Kong Free Press

중도 성향

사회

7 taken away by Hong Kong police on Tiananmen crackdown anniversary

Hong Kong police took away seven people in Causeway Bay, where past public commemorations for China’s 1989 Tiananmen crackdown were once held, on Thursday, the 37th anniversary of the event. Police said late on Thursday that five men and two women, aged 17 to 79, were stopped by officers on suspicion of “disrupting order” near […]

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

중도 성향

문화/연예

HK, Uzbek museums plan co-curated exhibitions in 2028

Hong Kong Palace Museum and the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan have begun discussions on co-curating exhibitions in late 2028, with plans to bring each other's collections to Hong Kong and Tashkent, according to Hong Kong Palace Museum director Louis Ng. Speaking during Chief Executive John Lee’s visit to Central Asia, Ng said the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, covering cooperation in research, exhibitions, education and talent training. Ng added that preliminary talks on the exhibition exchange have already taken place. “We will bring collections from the State Museum of History of Uzbekistan to Hong Kong,” he said. “On the other hand, we will bring our collections from the Hong Kong Palace Museum – including our ancient gold artefacts and textiles – to exhibit here in Uzbekistan.” He said the timeline is still subject to further negotiations between the two museum teams and depends on their respective schedules, as well as any other exhibition commitments for the Uzbek artefacts. Ng described Uzbekistan as an ancient civilisation and a “cultural hub” along the historic Silk Road and said the collaboration aims to bring Central Asian history to Hong Kong audiences. “We hope to take this opportunity to present the history of Central Asia, the history of Uzbekistan and the history of the Silk Road through an exhibition in Hong Kong,” he said. He also emphasised that the initiative supports both the Belt and Road Initiative and Hong Kong’s development into a centre for Chinese and international cultural and artistic exchanges. He said this marks the first time a Hong Kong museum has cooperated with a Central Asian counterpart. “Central Asian museums don’t know much about Hong Kong’s museums either,” Ng said, adding that he has invited Uzbek museum directors to visit Hong Kong in the coming year to share experiences and expertise. “Together, we can advance the development of our respective cultural and museum sectors more prosperously,” Ng said. Edited by Thomas McAlinden

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

기타

Hong Kong authorities prosecute butcher shop over video of rats on exposed meat

Hong Kong’s food hygiene authorities have prosecuted a popular butcher shop in Kwun Tong after a viral video and a subsequent inspection found rats running over pig carcasses, as well as cracked ceilings and stained floors. A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said staff were deployed to inspect a shop on Hip Wo Street after a clip circulated on social media showing rats roaming over the carcasses and feeding on the meat. The outlet is a branch of Qiandama, a mainland...

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

기타

Nose down: Lufthansa investigating Boeing 787 landing gear collapse in Frankfurt

German airline Lufthansa said several employees were injured on Thursday after the nose gear of a Boeing jet collapsed while the aircraft was parked at a gate at Frankfurt Airport. Only crew members and ground staff were on board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner when the front tip of the plane crashed to the ground ahead of passenger boarding for a scheduled flight to Los Angeles. The flight was later cancelled. “Several employees were injured and are currently receiving medical attention,” Lufthansa...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

중도 성향

기타

'Incentives needed to boost tourism to Central Asia'

Direct flights and longer visa-free access for travellers will help unleash the potential of tourism across Central Asia, industry representatives said as Chief Executive John Lee concludes his visit to the landlocked region on Friday. SAR passport holders can travel to both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan visa-free, but the length of stay per visit is "borderline", according to Sunny Yip, director of Hong Kong travel agency Goldjoy Travel. Currently, Hong Kong permanent residents can stay in Kazakhstan up to 14 days each time, and 10 days in Uzbekistan. "These countries have a great deal of historical sites. From one site to another takes half a day or more by road," Yip said in an interview with RTHK. "If the countries could consider having 30 days visa-free, which is quite common for Hong Kong travellers to other countries, it would be very advantageous." But he said the real game-changer would be the introduction of direct flights. Hong Kong has never had direct air services to Uzbekistan, while Air Astana, Kazakhstan's flag carrier, used to operate flights between the SAR and Almaty before Covid. Lee on Tuesday announced that a Hong Kong carrier will start operating services to Almaty from the first quarter of 2027, with more details to follow. Sardor Nuritdinov, general director of Marco Polo Central Asia Travel in Uzbekistan, explained the importance of direct flights. "Most number of people travelling to Uzbekistan [from Hong Kong], they are 65-plus-year-old elderly people. For them, the biggest issue for them is the flight time and extra hassle in getting to the destination," he said. "If there is a direct flight ... it will at least increase the number of travellers to Uzbekistan in the first year already at least 10 times than what is right now." Yip said Hong Kong businesses can also actively participate in the development of tourism-related industries in Central Asia. "I would expect our chief executive to encourage more Hong Kong investment into hotel sectors," he said. "The airports are relatively basic. Development will be important to increase capacity." Nuritdinov agreed, noting that while Tashkent has no shortage of five-star hotels, cities like Samarkand and Bukhara lack premium accommodation. "Travellers from Hong Kong, they prefer more comfort compared to what can be offered in Uzbekistan at the moment in terms of accommodation," he said. With China emerging as a major market, Nuritdinov said Putonghua-speaking local guides remain scarce. "The local universities are also starting to think we need to add Chinese language as a course to the classes in the university," he said. "But I think it's a long way ahead. I'm thinking like five, 10 years ahead." Despite these challenges, both Nuritdinov and Yip see enormous potential in the region's tourism industry. Instability in the Middle East, they say, could also drive tourists to Central Asia. Nuritdinov recommended immersive experiences beyond historical sites, be it cooking Kazakhstan's national dish plov with a local family, silk embroidery workshops or dance lessons. Edited by Raymond Yeung

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

기타

China pancake seller in US plans to run for mayor, generating buzz despite thorny past

A Chinese pancake seller in the US has announced plans to run for mayor within three years, despite past controversy over an arrest. Tang, 31, was born to a rural family in Sichuan, southwestern China, and left school after secondary education. He is the son of a security guard and a cleaner. After working in sales and the car industry, he moved to the US in 2022, with little English, first taking a job at a used-car showroom. Two years later, he settled in Los Angeles and began selling savoury...

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

정치

Trump unveils plan to add ‘Trump promenade’ to Lincoln Memorial

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced plans to add a potential “Trump promenade” to the iconic Lincoln Memorial, in his latest grandiose bid to leave his mark on the US capital. Trump said the walkway would link the huge marble monument, built to commemorate Civil War-era president Abraham Lincoln, to the nearby Potomac River. “They want to call it the Trump Promenade,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office as he unveiled the project for the first time. “I don’t know if I want to do...

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

기타

Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation raises €3 billion in its first public euro green bond sale

Hong Kong rail giant the MTR Corporation has raised €3 billion (U$3.5 billion) by selling its first euro-denominated public green bonds, in its largest bond deal to date. The semi-privatised corporation said on Thursday that the sale also marked the largest Asia ex-Japan non-sovereign euro green bond offering. Amid a string of new rail projects in Hong Kong, the MTR Corp is raising fresh capital to fund them. The latest deal is the third round of bond sales so far this year, bringing the total...

South China Morning Post

중도 성향

정치

Are Japan-Philippines talks a maritime red line for China’s blue-water ambitions?

Beijing’s strong opposition to maritime boundary talks between Manila and Tokyo reflects growing wariness over a shifting balance of power in the western Pacific. And, experts warn, these talks – part of a highly calculated geopolitical effort by US allies – could reinforce the so-called first island chain and restrict Beijing’s naval access in an area vital to any potential conflict over Taiwan: its clear red line. Tensions have sharpened since Japan and the Philippines announced last week that...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

중도 성향

기타

CE hails Central Asia trip a major success

Chief Executive John Lee on Thursday declared his trip to Central Asia a major success, revealing that a total of 96 memoranda of understanding and partnership agreements worth an estimated US$1.65 billion have been made. Summing up the tour from the Uzbek capital of Tashkent, Lee said 15 pacts were signed directly on a government-to-government level with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, covering business, education and development projects. Lee also announced that Uzbekistan has agreed to establish a consulate-general in Hong Kong. He added that details for a relaxed travel arrangement – where Hong Kong and Uzbekistan could each allow the other's passport holders to enter visa-free for up to 30 days – will be announced soon. “Both governments are working very hard to implement this visa-free 30-day arrangement. We have overcome the most difficult part, that is both sides work on the details and yesterday we exchanged the notes verbally on this matter,” he said. “With the enthusiastic attitude of both governments, I think we can see very early implementation of the arrangement. I will push my colleagues to work harder, and I received the same assurance by my counterparts in the government of Uzbekistan.” The Chief Executive said that the SAR and Uzbekistan governments also signed an aviation agreement, adding that some SAR airlines are already planning to launch direct flights to Uzbekistan. He noted that the two sides have also initiated talks to establish an avoidance of double taxation agreement to lower fiscal barriers for cross-border businesses. When asked about plans for the next trip, Lee said officials will summarise the experience from the current visit and assess locations that would bring long-term benefits to the SAR's economic and trade development. For his part, Frederick Ma, chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), noted that many small doors of business opportunity have opened up in the past few days. One example, he said, was that at least one state-owned Kazakh enterprise has explicitly expressed interest in pursuing a public listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Since arriving in the Uzbek capital on Wednesday, Lee has met with several senior Uzbek officials, including President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov. The Chief Executive will attend a business dinner hosted by the SAR government and HKTDC on Thursday night to promote the SAR’s business opportunities to local commercial representatives. On Friday, Lee and his delegation will visit IT Park Uzbekistan – the country's primary technology and innovation hub – before setting off on his return journey to Hong Kong. Edited by Aaron Tam

Hong Kong Free Press

중도 성향

기타

In Pictures: Foreign missions in Hong Kong mark Tiananmen crackdown with candles, social media tributes

The US consulate in Hong Kong displayed commemorative candles in its windows on the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown on Thursday, while other diplomatic missions paid tribute with social media posts. The annual move is often blasted by local and Chinese authorities, and has been cited by Beijing as “evidence” of foreign interference in a 6,300-word “fact […]

뉴스

타임라인 키워드

Most Asia-Pacific firms use AI for tasks without cutting jobs: survey

Do China-Russia trade payment frictions show limits of de-dollarisation?

Thailand to join UN maritime arbitration with Cambodia

Asia’s marine pledges face credibility test at global ocean conference

Hong Kong gov’t seeks to overturn ex-legislator’s acquittal over deleting protest photos

TIA to work with Shenzhen to combat coercive shopping

‘Another empty promise’: Quad’s proposed Fiji port project raises doubts

Govt will not implement HK$2 scheme journey cap

Malaysian state polls loom as Negeri Sembilan snap vote tests Anwar’s alliance

7 taken away by Hong Kong police on Tiananmen crackdown anniversary

HK, Uzbek museums plan co-curated exhibitions in 2028

Hong Kong authorities prosecute butcher shop over video of rats on exposed meat

Nose down: Lufthansa investigating Boeing 787 landing gear collapse in Frankfurt

'Incentives needed to boost tourism to Central Asia'

China pancake seller in US plans to run for mayor, generating buzz despite thorny past

Trump unveils plan to add ‘Trump promenade’ to Lincoln Memorial

Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation raises €3 billion in its first public euro green bond sale

Are Japan-Philippines talks a maritime red line for China’s blue-water ambitions?

CE hails Central Asia trip a major success

In Pictures: Foreign missions in Hong Kong mark Tiananmen crackdown with candles, social media tributes