Think tanks can play bigger role in guiding Hong Kong

AS HONG KONG celebrates the 25th anniversary of its reunification with China, numerous articles have been published, illustrating the success of Hong Kong under “one country, two systems”, a political framework full of Chinese wisdom. As a think-tank leader and researcher for more than 10 years, I would like to discuss how think tanks…

July 2, 20220Comments ByHenry Ho

Opinion

Hong Kong must integrate while maintaining its uniqueness

ON FRIDAY THIS WEEK, this city will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Looking back on the past quarter century after returning to the governance of mainland China, Hong Kong has often been praised as the showcase of the ground-breaking "One Country, Two Systems” concept, proposed by…

June 27, 20220Comments ByAndrew Lam

Opinion

Indian and Chinese voices trade sarcastic barbs: humor spot

ASIANS CAN BE FUNNY. We are not just math-loving nerds. Well, some of us are. But this weekend, Ashok Swain, an Indian academic, revived the long-running rivalry between China and India with a photograph of a road in India which was basically a string of huge potholes. “India's Road with Swimming Pools. Can China build…

June 27, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

Opinion

A list of songs used by torturers

A HUGE NIGHTMARE has descended on Hong Kong. Yes, a new Y.U.U. song. Last year, the first song promoting the Y.U.U. shoppers’ loyalty card was played on a loop in thousands of shops for months, causing utter misery for shoppers and, surely, a major retail crisis. The new Y.U.U. song ("YUU to me") is 80…

June 6, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi

Opinion

Our civil servants are loyal – just like those of other countries

A RECENT ARTICLE in the Economist titled "Stay neutral, love the party" said that the Central Government of China had “no abundant trust” in Hong Kong’s civil service. It said Chief Executive-elect Mr. John Lee Ka-chiu would appoint fewer administrative officers (AOs), the elite rank of civil servants to be his cabinet members. And as…

May 23, 20220Comments ByHenry Ho

Opinion

Hong Kong can grow fast, and keep to zero carbon goals

Greater Bay Area cities are growing at high speed, and Hong Kong must develop too Yet it’s vital we do so in a sustainable way that meets our 2050 climate target New nuclear plants planned for Shenzhen can provide zero-carbon energy The way forward is clear, writes S.H. Chan, Legislative Councillor, in the essay below…

May 11, 20220Comments ByChan Siu-hung

Opinion

Why has the government disappeared?

The fragmentization of the media means that it is no longer easy for citizens and authorities to talk to each other. The government needs to look at new channels and new voices to fix communication issues, argues Kevin Lau Chung-hang U.S. PRESIDENTS' “Address to the Nation” speeches often appear in documentaries. Lyndon Johnson’s speech on…

May 4, 20220Comments ByKevin Lau

Opinion

‘Rules-based order’ means U.S. supremacy, no more and no less

THE PHRASE “rule-based order” (RBO) is one of the most hackneyed in the West’s political lexicon, although “international” is increasingly included these days. It sounds good, can mean different things, and may be easily weaponized. It recalls Humpty Dumpty, who, in Lewis Carroll’sThrough the Looking-Glass, told Alice that “when I use a word, it means…

May 3, 20220Comments ByGrenville Cross

Opinion

The strange headline that appears every decade

A NEWS REPORT, widely reprinted today, indicates that Iran is almost ready to complete its first nuclear weapon. But the problem is that the same story has been printed many times over the past 38 years, and has always been wrong -- so far. Why does the media not print the background? It's hard to…

April 27, 20220Comments ByNury Vittachi