This article is the official English translation of the original Chinese document released by Xinhua.
Strong government-industry partnership and interdisciplinary education are what make a university town financially viable and successful, the head of a University of Cambridge college has said, sharing the UK’s experience as Hong Kong develops its Northern Metropolis plan. In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Professor Girish Menon, president of Lucy Cavendish College, said Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan character made it “best placed” to place young people at the heart of its university...
Construction workers have been working late into the night in downtown Shenzhen as the city makes its final preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in two weeks’ time. On a weekday night, a South China Morning Post reporter saw at least 50 construction workers gathered at an intersection about 1km (just over half a mile) from the Apec venues in the central district of Futian, laying down pebbles and planting trees along the pavements. The main road that leads up to the...
In the end, it was Winnie Ho Wing-yin, housing secretary at the time of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, who took the rap. Her resignation came after weeks of talk within political circles suggesting that bureau chiefs would not have to bear responsibility for the tragedy that killed 168 people and displaced 1,984 families. These suggestions were met with shock. Some spoke out against such talk, including Andrew Fung Wai-kwong, former information coordinator for the Chief Executive’s Office,...
Top university research, cross-border data exchanges and access to mainland China’s large market have attracted Japanese firm Rohto Pharmaceutical to conduct clinical trials in Hong Kong, making it the first company from the country to partner with the city’s government under a flagship investment initiative. Rohto, known for its over-the-counter eye care and skincare products, is among the latest batch of 18 firms recruited by the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), a...
Tuesday’s US midterm election is both hugely consequential and not so consequential even as the world waits to see the American voters’ verdict on Donald Trump’s presidency – and the impact that verdict will have on his temperament, plans and possible petulant response, analysts and former government officials said. On the one hand, an expected strong showing by opposition Democrats could bring more Congressional scrutiny over some of the most unconventional, maximalist and disruptive policies...
Joshua Cooper Ramo is chairman and CEO of Sornay, an investment and advisory firm. Previously he was CEO of Kissinger Associates. Ramo is the author of the new book Darwin’s Lock: America, China and the Shared Future of Nations. His 2004 analysis of “the Beijing consensus” contrasted the Western and Chinese economic development models. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books and now lives in Shanghai with his family. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click...
“I am thinking about retiring after reaching 200 appearances for the national team.” Ji So-yun, a living legend of Korean women's football, has set a clear target for the final chapter of her international career: reaching 200 games before hanging up her cleats. The 35-year-old Suwon FC Women midfielder won a bronze medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and is now in her 20th year as a member of the national team. She first donned the Taegeuk mark in 2006 at the age of 15. Since making her Asian Games debut in Doha, Qatar, that year, she has competed in six games, including Guangzhou, China, in 2010, Incheon in 2014, Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia, in 2018, Hangzhou, China, in 2022 and this year's tournament. In a recent interview with Hankook Ilbo at the Suwon Athletes' Tillage, Ji spoke candidly about her retirement plans. “I think I could reach 200 appearances sometime next year or the year after,” she said. Ji holds the Korean record for most appearances and goals in international matches, with 182 caps and 76 goals. On the men's side, Son Heung-min (151 caps, 59 goals) sur
A former publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper has joined a Hong Kong government-organised mainland study tour for rehabilitated offenders, telling a state-owned broadcaster he felt “very proud” as a Chinese national after experiencing the country’s technological advances first-hand. Cheung Kim-hung, a key prosecution witness in former media boss and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign or external...
China’s ruling Communist Party will step up “party building” across the country’s tech sector and deploy digital tools to fight corruption, according to a landmark document adopted at a key political plenum. These tools include a digital discipline inspection platform and a big-data supervision platform. The party will also crack down on corruption involving the internet, virtual currency, cross-border funds and blockchain technology, according to the document formally approved on Thursday at...
Hong Kong tour groups returning from Japan have praised a smooth roll-out of the country’s new tax refund arrangement that requires travellers to complete refund procedures at airports or ports rather than at shops. Under the “pay first, refund later” scheme, which took effect on Sunday to curb illicit domestic reselling and tax evasion, international tourists must now pay the 10 per cent consumption tax upfront at the counter. Travellers are now required to complete customs verification before...
A potential lame-duck phase may not deter US President Donald Trump from pursuing more “transactional” or “risky” foreign policy moves after the midterm elections, Chinese experts warn, while casting doubt on expectations of a powerful Democratic wave. Amid a season of high-stakes contests that could reshape global politics, the US vote on Tuesday stands out. The election, which will determine who takes control of the US Congress, could result in Trump and his fellow Republicans no longer...
Chinese President Xi Jinping has mounted a direct defence of the campaign for strong Communist Party governance and internal discipline, describing them as a “fundamental guarantee” for China’s rise and warning against any easing of scrutiny, according to state media. Xi took the floor as the party’s 20th Central Committee closed its fifth plenum on Thursday, to directly address the scepticism over the sweeping campaign, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday. According to “side notes”...