Thomas Chan

Thomas Chan

Freelance journalist

Thomas Chan is a Hong Kong-based freelance journalist and independent researcher on Asian affairs. He frequently writes analysis and commentary for outlets like The Diplomat, 9Dashline and ASPI Strategist, and has had reported journalism published in VICE, The Guardian and Hong Kong Free Press. He is finishing his Master of International and Public Affairs degree from the University of Hong Kong, and previously worked there as a research assistant.

For mainland youth, the world could be their oyster in Hong Kong​. Scene at a promenade next to Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, China, on 20 November 2022. (Bertha Wang/AFP)

Mainland youth: Hong Kong a reassuring place with good opportunities

Hong Konger freelance writer Thomas Chan speaks with young mainland Chinese who have chosen to seek their futures in Hong Kong. Aside from push factors from the mainland or the West, many of them think Hong Kong has positive attributes of its own that makes it an appealing choice.
A man pushes a trolley across a street in the Kowloon district of Hong Kong on 22 November 2022. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP)

A battle for the Hong Kong narrative: Why TVB is losing support among Hong Kongers

Hong Konger Thomas Chan reflects on the decline of TVB, once an icon of Hong Kong’s success in entertainment. While business bottom lines and competition are real concerns, the tussle to tell the Hong Kong narrative is at the heart of the strong centripetal forces at work.
A sailboat with a slogan celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain to China sails at the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, 27 June 2022. (CNS)

To leave or not to leave: The cry of Hong Kong’s youth

As the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover draws near, Hong Konger Thomas Chan reflects on the changes that have taken place over the last few years and the real and pressing issue of residents, especially the young, drifting away. Most are seeking better prospects abroad in a wry turn of events from a time when the city was viewed as the land of opportunity. Now, amid dreary skies and Telegram alerts announcing yet another citizen-police chase, the city stands forlorn as it watches its people leave.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un meets troops who have taken part in the military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), 29 April 2022. (KCNA via Reuters)

Can South Korea’s Yoon and China’s Xi denuclearise North Korea?

North Korea conducted an unprecedented seven missile tests in January and continues to test boundaries as it isolates itself from the world amid the Ukraine war. Yoon Suk-yeol, who becomes South Korea’s president on 10 May, has every reason to work with Chinese President Xi Jinping on denuclearising North Korea. But will joint efforts be a casualty of tectonic shifts in the global landscape?