Hong Kong

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.

Queen Elizabeth II was not only an ever-present figure in British modern history, she also played an important role in diplomacy. Over her 70-year reign, she has met with Chinese leaders since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and witnessed the handover of Hong Kong. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk takes a look at the late Queen’s relationship with China.

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?

US and Chinese regulators have been ramping up talks to resolve the longstanding audit dispute under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA). In the meantime, will US-listed Chinese companies flock to Hong Kong? Is the city able to offer a profitable haven for investors?

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.

Amid the tense situation arising from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the Chinese public have made loud cries against China’s seemingly disappointing response. Academic Zhang Chengxin assesses what led to such sentiments and how they can be abated.

Vancouver-based academic Leo K. Shin remembers his former professor, eminent historian and sinologist Yü Ying-shih, on the first anniversary of the latter’s passing. He says Yü was a staunch defender of humanity intrinsic in Chinese culture who always spoke up against the use of cultural tenets for political gain or acts against human dignity. It comes as no surprise then that he understood well the significance of Hong Kong as a beacon of freedom, democracy and human rights.

At his first Legislative Council meeting on 6 July, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee laid out his work plan and likened Hong Kong to a “gentleman” that has to respond robustly to attacks from “nasty people” bent on smearing the city. Zaobao’s associate editor Han Yong Hong examines how he plans to tell the Hong Kong story well.

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.