Beijing announced sanctions on seven American citizens and entities Friday in response to a US advisory on deteriorating freedoms in Hong Kong, just days ahead of a visit from a senior Biden administration official. Tensions between Beijing and Washington have soured on a number of fronts, including human rights, trade, cybersecurity and the origins of […]
HONGKONG
US businesses ‘fear internet curbs in Hong Kong’
US businesses in Hong Kong fear mainland Chinese internet curbs and want local authorities to commit to the free flow of information, the head of the city’s American Chamber of Commerce said Monday. Hong Kong has long marketed itself as an international business centre, free from China’s controls and the “Great Firewall” used to censor […]
US warns of ‘growing risks’ for business in blow to Hong Kong
The United States on Friday warned its business community of growing risks of operating in Hong Kong due to China’s clampdown, as an increasing number of Western companies consider abandoning the historic financial hub. The United States also imposed sanctions on seven more Chinese officials in Hong Kong as it vowed there would be a […]
Hong Kong journalist union says press freedoms ‘in tatters’
Hong Kong’s press freedoms are “in tatters” as China remoulds the once outspoken business hub in its own authoritarian image, the city’s main journalist union said Thursday, adding it feared “fake news” laws were on their way. “The past year is definitely the worst year so far for press freedom,” Ronson Chan, chairman of the […]
Hong Kong leader dismisses Big Tech privacy law fears
Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday brushed off a warning by major tech companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter that they may quit the financial hub if authorities push ahead with a new privacy law. City authorities have unveiled plans to pass a new law targeting “doxxing” — the act of publishing someone’s private details online […]
Hong Kong stocks flat at start of trade
Hong Kong shares were barely moved at the start of trade on Tuesday morning, with focus this week on the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent policy meeting, looking for clues about its monetary policy plans. The Hang Seng Index inched down 6.87 points to 28,136.63. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index was […]
Vitasoy tumbles on China boycott calls over Hong Kong police stabbing
Shares in Hong Kong’s Vitasoy plunged Monday as the beverage brand was hit by online boycott calls from Chinese consumers after an employee stabbed a policeman and then killed himself. The 81-year-old soy milk manufacturer saw as much as 15 percent wiped off its share price before closing some 12 percent down, its worst performance […]
Hong Kong police arrest top writer from shuttered Apple Daily
Hong Kong police arrested the lead opinion writer of Apple Daily on national security grounds as he tried to fly out of the city, local media reported, days after the pro-democracy newspaper was forced to shut down. Apple Daily, an unapologetic backer of Hong Kong’s democracy movement, put out its last edition on Thursday after […]
Hong Kong pro-democracy paper Apple Daily confirms closure
Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily announced Wednesday it was printing its final edition after authorities froze its assets using a sweeping new national security law, silencing the city’s most China critical media outlet. The decision is the latest blow to Hong Kong’s freedoms and will deepen unease over whether the international finance centre can […]
Hong Kong leader says press must not ‘subvert’ government
Media outlets in Hong Kong must not “subvert” the government, the city’s leader said Tuesday, rejecting US criticism of recent action against a pro-democracy newspaper under a powerful new security law. Hong Kong has long hosted a vibrant international and local media scene but press freedoms have slipped dramatically in recent years. Last week, authorities […]