Critical commentary and analysis on Hong Kong, China and Taiwan affairs from HKFP’s community of columnists, experts and advocates.
Uniformed youth groups are sprouting in Hong Kong’s national security era
The search for national security frequent flier miles is leading some of our leaders to strange places. While nobody was looking, the Security Bureau has hatched the interesting idea that all the government’s uniform-wearing departments should sprout uniformed youth groups. This is an attempt at a “do-it-yourself” patch for the education system, which in the…
The case of Tennis star Peng Shuai only widens China’s credibility gap
It is possible, albeit unlikely, that the tennis star Peng Shuai, one of China’s most successful sportswomen, is safe, secure, and not subject to intimidation after several publicised appearances following weeks out of the public eye. Even if this is the case, how can anyone believe the version of events concocted by official mainland media?…
Is ‘terrorism’ a real threat to Hong Kong?
If you believe Senior Superintendent Leung Wai-ki, head of Hong Kong’s Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU), “radicals” and “extremists” are hiding in our midst while they plan terrorist attacks on next month’s Legislative Council (LegCo) elections and popular city festivals, such as Chinese New Year. To demonstrate his group’s readiness to face down these dangerous…
Why invalid ballots are the Schrödinger’s cat of the national security law
Why am I writing about the national security law (NSL) again? I often ask myself this question, and the answer seems to be that our leaders just cannot stop talking about it. For something which is only supposed to affect a very small number of people it gets a lot of mentions. An interesting rift…
MeToo: Why Women’s Tennis Assoc. has little left to lose in leaving China over disappearance of champion Peng Shuai
By Francesca Chiu Since Chinese tennis player and two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai publicly accused retired Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault early this month, she has all but disappeared from the public eye. This has raised significant concerns over her safety, with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) issuing a statement…
Set up a tusk force: how to combat Hong Kong’s wild pig nuisance without culling
By Christie Wong The conflict between wild pigs and humans currently developing in Hong Kong is the result of too little action, too late. Whilst wild animal culls are at times unavoidable, the current action has been undertaken before the root causes of the problem have been effectively addressed. Justifying its actions, the government has…
Why culling is a viable, pragmatic option managing Hong Kong’s wild boars
By Anthony Lau and Evan Pickett The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) recently announced that they will resume culling as an option to manage the city’s worsening conflicts between city dwellers and wild boars. Under this new direction, wild boars causing nuisance in urban areas may be captured and euthanized directly, as opposed to…
Hong Kong centrists test the waters as Beijing tries to avoid the appearance of a stage-managed election
The demolition of Hong Kong’s democracy movement during the past year, along with the old way of electing local legislators, is by now a well-known story. Inevitably, the causes of this demolition have become the subject of contending narratives — between the central government in Beijing responsible for the demolition and those on the receiving end.…
Foodpanda Hong Kong: Now we understand the heartlessness of the ‘gig economy’
The gig economy is one of those phrases that has entered everyday language and become a form of shorthand, losing its pejorative force in the process. How is staying alive and supporting one’s family just a gig? With the now-settled strike of about 300 Foodpanda workers against tough working conditions and cuts in delivery fees,…
COP26 climate pact: kicking the can down the road, with help from China
The COP26 climate summit in Glasgow was supposed to be a breakthrough in climate diplomacy. In the event, it was a step in the right direction, but only a tiny one. The resulting agreement among governments – the Glasgow Climate Pact – does not avert the worsening climate crisis. Instead, it kicks the can down…
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