China passes private sector law, addressing gripes of beleaguered businesses
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The 78-article Private Economy Promotion Law was passed following its third reading by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. It will come into force on May 20.
It stipulates measures to promote fair market competition; enhance the investment and financing environment; encourage private firms' involvement in scientific projects and technological innovation; and also safeguard their economic rights and interests.
China's leaders hope the new law will be a morale booster. There had been expectations that the law would be deliberated over – and possibly passed – during last month's annual legislative session, but
it was not
The drafting and crafting of a law dedicated to the private sector began in 2024, led by the top economic planning agency, the National Development and Reform Commission. A draft was
released for public feedback in October
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The LSCD said on Tuesday that a football pitch at Happy Valley Recreation Ground would be temporarily closed from February 7 to March 31 for 'repair works.' The press union had planned to hold the HKJA Cup matches at the Happy Valley pitch on February 8 and 15, according to InMedia. The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) was forced to hold its annual fundraising online after two hotels cancelled its bookings. The HKJA initially scheduled to hold its annual fundraising dinner on February 15 at the Regal Hongkong Hotel in Causeway Bay. But two days before the event, the hotel axed the venue booking, citing 'water leakage causing unstable power supply.' However, when an HKFP reporter visited the hotel on Friday, February 14, a Valentine's Day matchmaking event was taking place at the function room the HKJA had booked. Three staff members had no knowledge of a power failure. The HKJA rescheduled the fundraising dinner to be held at another hotel, Eaton HK, on February 24. 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June 2025: School debate contest A secondary-school debate competition featuring prominent democrats as judges was scrapped after a Tsuen Wan shopping mall and a local university cancelled bookings for the event. The competition was originally set to be held at the Citywalk shopping centre in Tsuen Wan, owned by developer Sino Group, on June 28. The organiser of Zi3Sin6 Debate said it was notified on June 25 that the booking had been pulled due to 'urgent repairs.' The group then booked to hold the competition at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, but the university withdrew the venue on June 26 'after inquiring into more details about the competition,' the organiser also said. The judges were to be former chairperson of the Democratic Party Emily Lau, and founding members of the now-defunct Civic Party Audrey Eu and Alan Leong. July 2025: Taiwanese singer Anpu Taiwanese singer Anpu cancelled her concert in Hong Kong scheduled to be held on August 23 at AsiaWorld Arena, with the organiser citing an 'irresistible force.' 'Due to the irresistible force of the organiser's situation, there is no way for the concert to go ahead as planned,' concert organiser CCY Entertainment said in a statement on July 29. It did not elaborate on what the 'irresistible force' was. However, the Taiwanese singer, whose full name is Chiao Anpu, publicly supported Taiwan's Sunflower Movement in 2014 and Hong Kong's pro-democracy Umbrella Movement in the same year. Anpu nevertheless came under fire from fans in 2024 after her management company posted her handwritten message celebrating China's National Day on October 1 on Weibo. July 2025: Pink Dot HK The city's largest LGBTQ+ event, Pink Dot, was cancelled after the organiser failed to secure its usual venue at the West Kowloon Cultural District. In a statement on July 31, the organiser said that it 'began to engage [with the] West Kowloon Cultural District' early in 2025 to rent Art Park – an outdoor venue – on October 12. 'However, while we were busy with planning and preparations, we were notified… that the venue could not be rented to us, without any explanation provided,' the statement read. The October event would have been the 11th year that Pink Dot had been held in Hong Kong.
