Category Archives: Blog

HKFP interviews citizens who wonder why civil servants seem to be relatively unaffected by the government’s attempts to reduce its budget deficit. They also question the point of the cuts to older folks’ transport subsidies – and not without good … Continue reading →

…a chart from The Collective showing ‘projected bond issuances and debt repayment by the Hong Kong government over the next 5 years. By 2029-30, cumulative bond issuance will exceed HK$1 trillion, but it will also need to repay a total … Continue reading →

Budget overview here. More details here. Whole thing here. If an organization decides not to sell land as part of its annual budgeting process, you would assume it must be a real-estate company. Or, it’s the Hong Kong government. This … Continue reading →

Transit Jam is being charged with public disorder, apparently for complaining to cops about illegally parked vehicles.  The government might raise the fine for illegal parking from HK$320 to HK$400, which won’t make any meaningful difference to either revenues or … Continue reading →

The Jimmy Lai verdict – the NatSec trial started in December 2023 – is expected in October… Lai has pleaded not guilty to two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, and a third … Continue reading →

From AFP via HKFP, a look at Hong Kong’s  ‘mammoth’ budget deficit… The Chinese finance hub last saw a string of deficits after the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s — but their scale was a fraction of the … Continue reading →

The government plans to make sure independent Hong Kong unions do not pose a NatSec or foreign-influence risk… The Hong Kong government has proposed legislative amendments to permanently bar those convicted of national security offences from serving in labour unions … Continue reading →

The Democratic Party considers disbanding. Along with other pan-dem groups, they are barred from participation in what was once a semi-representative electoral process for the legislature and district councils. In a system that does not recognize the independent voices of … Continue reading →

An NYT op-ed looks at the other huge threat to global trade… China now dominates global manufacturing, and its trade surplus dwarfs the biggest run by Germany and Japan during their eras of postwar export supremacy. Countries around the world … Continue reading →

NatSec police bring in another relative of former District Council member Carmen Lau for questioning. A week ago, they brought in her uncle and aunt. She says the latest to be interviewed is a ‘distant’ relative (apparently her sister-in-law). As … Continue reading →