Hong Kong developer swoops in with £96m steal for Vauxhall Square site March 16, 2022 Vauxhall Square in London has been sold by a Chinese developer for £96m, which is a reported discounted price of 42 per cent. A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based company the Far East Consortium International (FEC) swooped in for the 14m square-foot site, buying it off rival firm, Guangzhou-based R&F Properties, on the cheap. It was [...]
Chinese cities on lockdown as Covid-19 cases spiral and local stocks tumble March 14, 2022 As China battles its largest surge in Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, Beijing has shuttered several cities including technology hub Shenzhen. It comes as Covid-19 cases in the country, which has adopted a controversial ‘Zero-Covid’ stance, tripled in just one day. With fresh restrictions also being blanketed across Shanghai, China’s CSI 300 [...]
‘Unjustifiable’: Hong Kong rights group targeted by Beijing’s security law March 14, 2022 Hong Kong police have accused human rights group Hong Kong Watch of violating Beijing’s controversial national security law. Police in the city accused the UK-based group of “collusion with foreign forces”, a key violation of the law which China imposed on the city in June 2020. Foreign secretary Liz Truss has called the move “unjustifiable” [...]
Hong Kong Covid-19 death rate hits world’s highest March 7, 2022 Hong Kong’s Covid-19 death rate is now the highest in the world, according to new calculations today, as the city’s residents struggle under tough restrictions. The city has adopted Beijing’s controversial ‘zero-Covid’ stance, which pushed the US to caution against travelling to the financial hub last week. Hong Kong’s weekly rolling average climbed to 27 [...]
British human rights lawyer flees Hong Kong after meeting with national security police March 3, 2022 A British human rights lawyer has left Hong Kong after being ordered to meet with the city-state’s National Security police. British barrister Paul Harris, the former head of the Hong Kong Bar Association, got on a flight to Turkey, after attending an interview with Hong Kong police officers over alleged violations of Hong Kong’s national [...]
‘Zero-Covid’ measures: US warns against Hong Kong travel due to child separations March 2, 2022 The US has cautioned against travelling to Hong Kong, as the city records record Covid-19 cases, with cautions of children having to isolate alone if they test positive for the virus. The State Department said in a statement: “In some cases, children in Hong Kong who test positive have been separated from their parents and [...]
Hong Kong experiences yet another exodus as ‘zero-Covid’ stance bites February 28, 2022 Hong Kong is experiencing yet another exodus as a result of Beijing’s tough ‘zero-Covid’ stance, as outbound flights hit a new pandemic-era record. Major airlines saw a surge in bookings from Hong Kong last week, Bloomberg first reported, despite the global financial hub’s so-called ‘draconian’ Covid-19 restrictions. The city has already seen its population shrink [...]
UK’s Hong Kong visa scheme extended to include ‘youngsters born after 1997’ February 24, 2022 The government has today widened the parameters of its visa scheme for Hong Kong residents who wish to leave the city, following calls saying it had abandoned younger citizens. The British National (Overseas) immigration route was introduced last year to help resettle Hong Kong citizens in the UK, after Beijing’s crackdown on the former British [...]
Hitting the wrong note: Hong Kong official resigns after attending karaoke bash January 31, 2022 Hong Kong’s home affairs secretary has resigned after he broke the city’s tough “zero-Covid” guidelines to attend a karaoke party. Caspar Tsui attended the bash alongside 14 other senior officials including the police and immigration chiefs, as well as pro-Beijing lawmakers. Hong Kong enforced heavier restrictions following a new Omicron outbreak in the city. Hong [...]
Hong Kong’s ‘draconian’ travel restrictions push out corporate expats, says report January 19, 2022 Hong Kong may see even more residents pack their bags, with 44 per cent of Hong Kong expats saying they may leave over the city’s travel restrictions, a new report has revealed. Some 26 per cent of businesses in the global financial hub are also thinking of relocating, the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong [...]