Hong Kong seeks bigger role for yuan in regional trade, treasury chief says

South China Morning Post - Oct 25, 2026

Hong Kong officials held discussions with finance ministers and representatives from economies such as Brunei during last week’s Apec meeting on reducing reliance on the US dollar and expanding the use of local currencies and the yuan for bilateral trade settlement, the city’s treasury chief has said. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu on Sunday also shared lighthearted but telling anecdotes about the intangible gains made by the city from hosting the...

Read full article

More News

How China’s regional leadership changes offer clues to the future of the Communist Party

China’s five-year leadership cycle is getting under way at a provincial level, with new teams being installed in a process that offers important clues to the future of the Communist Party at a national level. Last week, four provinces – Anhui, Henan, Shanxi and Xinjiang – wrapped up their respective party congresses and appointed new standing committees for the next five years. The meetings were held a week before a key party gathering in Beijing – known as the fifth plenum – that runs from...

How China’s regional leadership changes offer clues to the future of the Communist Party

Beijing pledges to back Taiwan’s pro-unification ‘patriots’ as it marks key anniversary

Beijing pledged to support pro-unification forces in Taiwan on Sunday as it mounted a concerted publicity campaign on Sunday to mark the 81st anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule over the island. October 25 was formally established by Beijing last year as an official memorial date known as “Taiwan Restoration Day”. Speaking at an event in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province, on Sunday, Song Tao, the head of Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said the memorial day highlighted...

Beijing pledges to back Taiwan’s pro-unification ‘patriots’ as it marks key anniversary

Veteran Hong Kong stock commentator Louie Shum dies aged 66

Veteran Hong Kong stock commentator Louie Shum Chun-ying has died aged 66, with a police source revealing he had a history of heart disease and diabetes. His twin sister confirmed on Sunday that he died on Saturday night at Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai, sharing the news in a post on his social media page. Shum was chief executive of stock brokerage Sincere Securities until his retirement two years ago. “My brother dedicated his life to Hong Kong’s financial and securities industry, mentoring...

Veteran Hong Kong stock commentator Louie Shum dies aged 66

The Weeknd wows Hong Kong fans with tribute song sampling Faye Wong classic

Canadian singer The Weeknd surprised concertgoers in Hong Kong on Saturday with a new song inspired by the city, evoking nostalgia among local music fans. Abel Tesfaye – the Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer and actor known professionally as The Weeknd – performed “Hong Kong” to tens of thousands of fans at Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday night. It was his first of four concerts in the city as part of the “After Hours Til Dawn Tour” world tour. The crowd reacted with awe and cheers. “Hong...

The Weeknd wows Hong Kong fans with tribute song sampling Faye Wong classic

AIIB keen to fund projects in Northern Metropolis, Hong Kong finance chief says

The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has expressed interest in financing projects in the Northern Metropolis mega development, Hong Kong’s finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also told the media on Sunday that global finance leaders had set aside their political differences during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) finance ministers’ meeting held in Hong Kong last week and reached a consensus on promoting digital infrastructure, employment...

AIIB keen to fund projects in Northern Metropolis, Hong Kong finance chief says

1 million Hong Kong employees to get ‘full portability’ of MPF funds in December

About 1 million employees in Hong Kong will be allowed to move their entire Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) balance to a different provider once a year under the “full portability” arrangement, effective from December 21 for the first phase of implementation. The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, which manages the city’s mandatory pension plans, said on Sunday that the “full portability” arrangement would be carried out in two phases to ensure a smooth and orderly implementation. In a...

1 million Hong Kong employees to get ‘full portability’ of MPF funds in December

What’s next for Hong Kong developers in mainland China?

Hong Kong’s major property developers are shifting investment in mainland China from residential projects to commercial assets, including hospitality, as weak home sales and fewer attractive investment opportunities prompt them to focus on existing properties, recurring income and debt reduction. “In recent years, after we recycled the capital from our projects, we haven’t really found many good opportunities on the mainland,” Stephen Ng, chairman and managing director of Wharf Holdings, said at...

What’s next for Hong Kong developers in mainland China?

Law enforcement alerted to firm offering LGBTQ surrogacy services in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s regulator for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) has referred a case to law enforcement agencies after a mainland Chinese influencer was suspected of offering to bring non-local surrogate mothers of LGBTQ parents to give birth in the city. Tan Zubiao, also known as berlinsun, had set up a company in the city and advertised on social media commercial surrogacy services for LGBTQ couples, according to Hong Kong media. Tan and his foreign husband, who have two children through surrogacy, were...

Law enforcement alerted to firm offering LGBTQ surrogacy services in Hong Kong

Will China’s 4 peace principles for tackling African conflicts work?

Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined Beijing’s formula for tackling African conflicts and hot-button issues during a meeting this month with visiting Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbe, framing it around four principles linking peace to development. The principles focus on African-led security free from outside intervention; upholding sovereignty and UN Charter principles; rejecting force and sanctions and favouring ceasefires through dialogue; and focusing on both immediate security concerns and...

Will China’s 4 peace principles for tackling African conflicts work?

Will AI-powered open-door vending machines reshape Hong Kong’s retail landscape?

Sherry Shum has embraced a new shopping routine after finding a smart vending machine near her home in Chai Wan. The 37-year-old retail worker uses her phone to scan a QR code, opens the smart machine’s door, picks up a bottle of Coca-Cola, an oolong tea and a pack of potato chips, closes it and walks away with HK$60 (US$7.70) worth of goods. The whole process is so seamless that the only time she spends is deciding what to buy. The moment Shum takes an item from the shelf, the machine detects...

Will AI-powered open-door vending machines reshape Hong Kong’s retail landscape?

'Happy 55th birthday': UN officials reaffirm stance on China's UN seat

Senior United Nations officials have reaffirmed the world body's unwavering adherence to UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758, as Sunday marks the 55th anniversary of the restoration of China's lawful seat at the UN.

'Happy 55th birthday': UN officials reaffirm stance on China's UN seat

Fandom vs flag: why young Chinese embrace Japanese pop culture but reject war-era symbols

Young Chinese people enjoy Japanese pop culture such as anime and music, but many draw a firm line at symbols of Japanese militarism. That line was tested recently at Moscow State University, where Chinese students confronted a classmate wearing Japan’s rising sun flag in class and called for his repatriation, state-run newspaper Global Times reported on Sunday. Many countries, including China, view the flag as a symbol of Japanese militarism and aggression. Japan’s Self-Defence Forces still use...

Fandom vs flag: why young Chinese embrace Japanese pop culture but reject war-era symbols

Recommended