Beijing officials hold flag-raising ceremonies in SAR
Cui Jianchun (centre), the head of the foreign ministry's office in Hong Kong, attends a flag-raising ceremony. Photo: RTHK
Liaison office chief Zhou Ji was among those in attendance. Photo: RTHK
Beijing officials in Hong Kong held flag-raising ceremonies on Tuesday to mark SAR Establishment Day.
The national flag was raised at the Foreign Ministry's office in the city at around 7 am, as officials including Commissioner Cui Jianchun stood solemnly while the national anthem was played.
Members of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong also held a separate ceremony, attended by new director Zhou Ji.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
15 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Beijing summons Japanese diplomat over ‘Taiwan and Chinese citizens' safety'
Beijing has summoned a senior Japanese diplomat to express concerns over issues such as Taiwan , according to China's foreign ministry. Advertisement On Wednesday, Liu Jinsong, director general of the Department of Asian Affairs, summoned the chief minister of Japan's embassy in Beijing Akira Yokochi to express 'grave concern on issues including history, Taiwan and the safety of Chinese citizens in Japan,' the ministry said, without providing further details. The summons came in the run-up to a series of commemorations to mark the end of World War II, commonly known in China as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Japan's wartime atrocities are a long-standing cause of tension between the two countries, while relations have also suffered as a result of rising nationalism and the ongoing territorial dispute over the Diaoyu Islands, known in Japan as the Senkakus. Last month, the foreign ministry issued another protest after Taiwanese foreign minister Lin Chia-lung made a rare visit to Japan. Beijing described that as sending a 'seriously wrong signal' and 'providing a platform for his anti-China separatist activities.' Advertisement Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. In common with most countries, Japan does not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent state.
RTHK
18 hours ago
- RTHK
Veteran recalls joining war against Japan
Veteran recalls joining war against Japan Yang Huafeng recalls joining the Eighth Route Army at the age of 12 in the fight against Japanese forces. Photo: RTHK Fan Lihong, director of the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, expects higher visitor numbers this year. Photo: RTHK A veteran who fought in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression said he is proud to see the nation's military advancements over the years. Speaking in an interview with RTHK, 92-year-old Yang Huafeng also said China and Japan have maintained friendly ties in recent years, and he believes that Japan has learned lessons from history. Yang recalled joining the Eighth Route Army at the age of 12 and repelling Japanese forces in Heilongjiang province during the war. He also said he was very proud to have witnessed the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. With China set to stage a military parade next month marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Yang said the event will serve as another milestone in the country's military progress, showcasing its homegrown weaponry. Japan used the September 18 Incident in 1931 – in which Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang today and accused Chinese troops of sabotage – as a pretext to invade China. Japanese forces subsequently occupied the northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. "The northeast region was the area that suffered from the fascist rule the longest in China, perhaps even in the world," Li Bo, director of the Department of Party History at the Liaoning Provincial Party School, told RTHK. Fan Lihong, director of the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, said she expects more people to visit the facility in this year's anniversary of the September 18 Incident next month.
RTHK
2 days ago
- RTHK
Govt urged to ease property tax, investment rules
Govt urged to ease property tax, investment rules A local real estate leader says the government should cut property taxes to aid an industry rebound. Photo: RTHK The head of an association representing real estate developers in Hong Kong on Tuesday called on the government to cut property taxes and ease investment rules to prop up the sluggish market. The call comes ahead of the Chief Executive's Policy Address next month and as cash-strapped developers continue to reduce inventories by lowering prices. In an interview with RTHK, Stewart Leung, chairman of the executive committee of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong, said that while residential units valued at HK$4 million or below now enjoy a nominal stamp duty of HK$100, this could be extended to more expensive properties. "If you loosen the upper limit to be applied for properties valued at HK$6 million or below, up from the current HK$4 million, it will also attract potential buyers who are eyeing units valued around HK$6 million. "And when you have more people buying properties, you'll gain more stamp duty in the end, because even if you suffer losses in tax revenue in the short term, in the long term if there are more and more transactions, it will also make up for such losses," he said. Leung, who has spent over six decades in the real estate sector, said the association believes the current highest property tax rate of 4.25 percent for homes valued over HK$20 million is reasonable and needs no change. But he proposed the government revise the rules for those seeking residency in Hong Kong by investing HK$30 million or more under the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme. Under the scheme launched last year, up to HK$10 million of the minimum investment necessary can be accounted for by residential property, as long as the property in question is valued at HK$50 million or above. "For some investors, they might not only invest HK$50 million, they can even invest HK$500 million," Leung said. "But if you set a cap that only HK$10 million can be counted in the scheme to meet the minimum investment requirement, then the cap will not be attractive for them to invest in properties. So what we are proposing is why don't you raise the bar to HK$20 million, which could also drive the middle-class market." Leung said he forecasts the city's market will rebound and home prices could rise by four to five percent by the end of the year.
