Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing notes that Hong Kong has seen a mass exodus of talents in recent years, and many have cited exorbitant rent, lack of growth opportunities and other factors as major causes. The brain drain in key sectors will impact the special administrative region’s economic development, given the high dependence on skilled professionals. How should the authorities create opportunities and retain and attract talent?

Hong Kong films have been doing well in the second half of this year, with several films among the top in box office takings. Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing looks at the factors behind this strong showing, including government funding, cast appeal, pent-up demand due to the pandemic, and possibly an indirect way for people to express their political wants.

Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing looks at the recent drop in Hong Kong’s property prices and asks: will the Hong Kong government take any measures to make sure the market remains stable, or allow the market to regulate itself?

The new Hong Kong administration led by Chief Executive John Lee has made notable progress in its one month of office, from controlling the spread of malaria to addressing emergencies that have caught the Hong Kong public’s concern. Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing believes that the new government has been responsive, but it remains to be seen how it can implement effective policies to address long-standing issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the housing crisis.

Despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent speech reaffirming Hong Kong’s future as well as the “one country, two systems” policy, many are worried that Hong Kong’s unique advantages are weakening fast amid a tightening of political space. Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing tells us more.

Hong Kong’s incoming Chief Executive John Lee has nominated the next batch of senior officials, who have been duly appointed by China’s State Council. Many “new Hong Kongers” are gradually making their way into politics through various channels, facilitated by the central government in Beijing, who are not satisfied with the pro-establishment camp in Hong Kong. But can these new Hong Kongers show that they have the interests of all Hong Kongers at heart?

After the political and societal changes that have taken place in Hong Kong in the 25 years since the handover, what’s left in the aftermath? Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing ponders the nostalgic, the bittersweet and the hard realities of Hong Kong’s present and future.

Amid a bleak economic outlook, a pay increment has been proposed for Hong Kong’s civil servants, sparking criticisms that the Hong Kong government is out of touch with popular sentiment. Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing observes that the backlash is not just a public outcry but a way for Beijing to vent its frustration against the civil servants too.

Hong Kong is facing its toughest Covid-19 test yet with Covid-19 variants proving tricky and daily cases going into the thousands. Some panicked Hong Kongers have taken flight to the mainland to avoid catching the disease. Others are questioning the “dynamic zero-Covid” policy, asking why Hong Kong can’t “live with the virus” as countries like Singapore are doing.