logo
Hong Kong media reshaped by dismissals, audits and red lines

Hong Kong media reshaped by dismissals, audits and red lines

Nikkei Asia01-07-2025
Workers hang Chinese and Hong Kong flags ahead of the July 1 anniversary of the 1997 handover of sovereignty from Britain to China. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
KENSAKU IHARA
HONG KONG -- Barry Wood, an international economics correspondent for Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), received an unexpected call on May 22 that brought his three-decade career at the broadcaster to an abrupt end.
The 81-year-old journalist, based in Washington, said RTHK's news division informed him that his contract would not be renewed. No reason was given, he said -- only that his final day would be the following week, despite his contract running through September.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

China Announces Birth-Rate Boosting Measures Including Free Pre-School Education, Some Say More Needs to be Done
China Announces Birth-Rate Boosting Measures Including Free Pre-School Education, Some Say More Needs to be Done

Yomiuri Shimbun

time9 hours ago

  • Yomiuri Shimbun

China Announces Birth-Rate Boosting Measures Including Free Pre-School Education, Some Say More Needs to be Done

SHENYANG, China — The Chinese government has announced plans to gradually make pre-school education free of charge and provide childcare subsidies, in an effort to reduce the burden on the child-rearing generation and improve the birth rate, which has undergone a period of significant decline. Some companies seemingly view the subsidies as an opportunity to raise prices of their baby products, leading to call for more comprehensive measures. According to an announcement by the Chinese government, tuitions fees for older students at public kindergartens will be waived from the start of the coming academic year this autumn. Private kindergartens also plan to reduce fees based on the level of waivers at public kindergartens. The Chinese government revealed at the National People's Congress, China's parliament, in March that it would gradually make pre-school education free, with an estimated 12 million children to be made eligible this year. Under the childcare subsidy, the government will provide 3,600 yuan (about ¥74,000) per year per child under 3, and applications for it are expected to be possible from as early as this month. According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, some local governments have previously provided such subsidies, but most were targeted at second and third children. A government official in charge of measures to combat the declining birth rate emphasized the significance of providing a uniform subsidy to parents nationwide regardless of the number of children and demonstrated the nation's commitment to tackling the issue. 'By including only-child households in the subsidy program, benefits will be brought to all child-rearing households,' the official said at a press conference at the end of July. The Xi Jinping administration rush to implement such measure is drive by the rapid decline in China's birth rate. The number of births in 2024 was 9.54 million, an increase of 520,000 from the previous year, but it is not even half the most recent peak in 2016. Rising education costs and a slowing economy are said to be behind the decline, making young people more reluctant to get married and have children. Parents bemoan price hikes While some have praised the government's proposed measures as a way to better conserve household budgets, others have pointed out that it is not generous enough. The increasing number of elementary school children attending cram schools in preparation for university entrance exams is making the monetary burden of raising children more difficult to bear. There have been a series of reports on social media that prices of powdered milk and diapers have risen. It is believed that some businesses have been raising the prices of their baby products in anticipation of the subsidies. People who have children are expressing dissatisfaction, saying it makes the subsidies pointless. Xinhua News Agency in an Aug. 9 article called for strict disciplinary action against businesses which unfairly inflate prices.

Trump says no imminent plans to penalize China for buying Russian oil
Trump says no imminent plans to penalize China for buying Russian oil

Nikkei Asia

time16 hours ago

  • Nikkei Asia

Trump says no imminent plans to penalize China for buying Russian oil

A vessel owned by Russia's leading tanker group, Sovcomflot, transits through Turkey in April 2024. China and India are the top two buyers of Russian oil. © Reuters August 16, 2025 13:37 JST WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he did not immediately need to consider retaliatory tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil but might have to "in two or three weeks." Trump has threatened sanctions on Moscow and secondary sanctions on countries that buy its oil if no moves are made to end the war in Ukraine. China and India are the top two buyers of Russian oil. The president last week imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing its continued imports of Russian oil. However, Trump has not taken similar action against China. He was asked by Fox News' Sean Hannity if he was now considering such action against Beijing after he and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to produce an agreement to resolve or pause Moscow's war in Ukraine. "Well, because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that," Trump said after his summit with Putin in Alaska. "Now, I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now. I think, you know, the meeting went very well." Chinese President Xi Jinping's slowing economy will suffer if Trump follows through on a promise to ramp up Russia-related sanctions and tariffs. Xi and Trump are working on a trade deal that could lower tensions -- and import taxes -- between the world's two biggest economies. But China could be the biggest remaining target, outside of Russia, if Trump ramps up punitive measures.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store