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China said it had carried out a scientific expedition in Scarborough Shoal, amid renewed confrontation with the Philippines over the disputed South China Sea atoll. The research mission – which began on May 20 – involved deploying a floating platform for environmental monitoring and sampling, the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ South China Sea Institute of Oceanology said in a statement on Wednesday. It came after Manila lodged a formal diplomatic protest on Tuesday against what it called the...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'Pay trend survey crucial in determining 2pc pay rise'

Civil service chief Ingrid Yeung on Wednesday said a pay trend survey that the government refers to in deciding a final pay rise was crucial in its decision-making process, even though the Executive Council's latest proposal fell short of the indicators for some staff. The blanket two percent pay rise will be backdated to April 1 if the Legislative Council gives the green light. The pay trend survey recently pointed to a 4.12 percent and 2.64 percent pay rise for senior and middle-ranking civil servants, respectively, and 1.17 percent for juniors. But Yeung told an RTHK radio show that the findings still played an important role. “The net indicators from the pay trend survey give us a very useful reference — specifically, the salary trends in the private sector, broken down by three different pay grades. What is the trend like? How is the trend moving? That is very useful,” she said. “I believe no one would want to lose this reference, and instead just pull a number out of thin air, that would be even less scientific and entirely groundless.” Yeung said the city’s 170,000 civil servants should be given a pay rise this year to recognise their efforts, maintain their morale and ensure that their salary is comparable with the private sector. Even though the SAR’s economic situation is good in the long-run and the government financial situation is improving, the minister said the city's development needs pose a big burden on the government's finances. “The [outcome of the] Middle East conflict has not become clear. The government, due to the situation there, initiated subsidies for some industries, otherwise the pressure would be passed on to the citizens. As for how things will be in the future, no one knows yet. Most importantly, it is not as though everything will be fine once it is over,” she said. “It actually reminded us that Hong Kong, as an externally oriented economy, is particularly vulnerable to such a blow. We could be severely impacted by international economic developments and financial fluctuations. So we have to be cautious in handing the government's finances.” Yeung went on to say that the relief measures were an unexpected step, which constitute an additional financial commitment. Ahead of a meeting with civil service union representatives later on Wednesday, the minister said she would analyse the current situation with them and tell them the Executive Council’s considerations, adding she believes they would understand. Edited by Tony Sabine

South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong’s first astronaut shows world a different side to the city

Hong Kong’s first astronaut may have travelled into space, but the significance of the moment extends far beyond the mission itself. Lai Ka-ying became our first home-grown astronaut to reach space, as part of China’s Shenzhou-23 mission to the Tiangong space station, marking a historic milestone for the city and its role within the country’s scientific ambitions. For many, the moment naturally evokes pride and excitement. Yet, beyond science and national achievement, this milestone may also...

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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Asia’s ‘NewSpace’ economy is about more than just exploration

For decades, Asia’s ambitions in outer space were closely associated with scientific discovery, technological prestige and national symbolism. Space programmes were designed to demonstrate engineering capability, economic modernisation and geopolitical influence. Today, outer space is undergoing a deeper transformation. It is no longer viewed merely as a frontier for exploration; increasingly, it is seen as a strategic domain tied to sovereignty, economic security and geopolitical...

South China Morning Post

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Chinese PhD dropout turned whistle-blower exposes data fabrication by renowned scholars

A Chinese PhD dropout who has become a viral influencer exposing academic misconduct is building a growing army of followers eager to reveal ethical malpractice among scientific researchers. The former PhD candidate in bioscience at the prestigious Beihang University, Geng Hongwei, dropped out in 2025, and became a full-time whistle-blower with over two million followers on an online platform. Geng attracted public attention for a video in April, in which he questioned a paper from the team of...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'Pay levels in recent years should also be considered'

Some lawmakers said the government should take into consideration the impact of salary freezes for civil servants in recent years when deciding their pay this year. The latest pay trend survey – released on Thursday – pointed to a pay rise of 4.12 percent for senior staff, 2.64 percent for middle-rank and 1.17 percent for juniors. It's one of six major factors that will be taken into account when the Executive Council makes the final pay decision, which also include the state of the economy, cost-of-living changes, staff pay claims, civil service morale and the government's fiscal position. Unionist legislator Chau Siu-chung said the latest pay trend findings were in line with expectations. He pointed out that in the past six years, civil servants have experienced three pay freezes and two pay rises that were lower than the survey findings, and that their salary adjustments lagged behind the private sector. “After the pay freeze last year, [the city] has actually experienced two years of inflation. Salary can be frozen, but inflation won’t be frozen. Two years of inflation have added up to as much as 3.8 percent,” he said. “So I think that, on top of taking reference to the pay trend survey result, I hope the government can, after considering other factors, offer an increment for civil servants that is slightly higher than the findings.” Chau, of the Federation of Hong Kong & Kowloon Labour Unions, said such a move would help maintain morale among civil servants and prevent their salary gap with the private sector from widening. DAB legislator Nixie Lam also said civil service salaries had not caught up with inflation or private sector pay increment. She added that when it comes to a pay decision, the government needs to adopt a prudent approach in ensuring the city is financially sound in the long run while making sure the quality of public services is sustainable. Tsoi Koon-lung, president of the Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants’ Association, said it's too early to comment on the possible increment because the Executive Council will make a final decision later. “The figure appears to be pretty good, but what matters most is whether this number will be endorsed. Regardless of whether the figure is high or low, we must ensure it is derived through rigorous scientific methodology and is reliable,” Tsoi said. “Whether the result is favourable or not, if we confirm it was obtained through strict scientific procedures, we must accept it as one of the key factors for consideration.” Edited by Edmond Fong

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RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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