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HKFP
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- HKFP
HKFP Monitor August 16, 2025: Will Whampoa residents welcome a new music venue? And academic integrity row rolls on
Welcome back to HKFP Monitor. This week: Live Nation unveils plans for a new mid-sized music venue amid a shortage of small performance spaces. An academic integrity row over an award-winning student project deepens. Press freedom group RSF faces attacks from Beijing-backed media over its call to free Jimmy Lai. And LegCo's summer break gets a dose of gossip after an opened condom package is found in a restroom inside the building complex. SHIP-SHAPED NEW MUSIC VENUE Music fans in Hong Kong may have reason to celebrate: US-based entertainment giant Live Nation, which brought Coldplay to the city earlier this year, will open a new 'state-of-the-art' live entertainment venue at The Whampoa in Kowloon. The venue, named TIDES, will span the 1/F and U1/F of the ship-shaped building and host up to 1,500 people. Live Nation says it will be Hong Kong's 'only mid-sized venue with fully integrated production capabilities and touring-grade infrastructure.' It is slated to open in the fourth quarter of this year, with a target of 250 events annually. While the opening may ease the city's shortage of small and mid-sized music venues, some netizens have voiced concerns about potential noise and crowds in the otherwise quiet neighbourhood. The move comes as the government pushes to grow Hong Kong's 'concert economy.' Culture minister Rosanna Law said in January that large-scale pop concerts drew 4.3 million spectators between 2023 and 2024, generating HK$3.7 billion in spending and adding HK$2.2 billion to the economy. Can TIDES fill the gap left by the closure of Music Zone at KITEC last year? The loss of the medium-sized Kowloon Bay venue due to a redevelopment plan was a blow to independent gig organisers, many of whom have since struggled to find affordable spaces. Local promoter Leung of Neonlit told HKFP in April 2024 that some organisers may now gravitate toward stadium-filling acts, while those specialising in mid-sized gigs could face a 'hiatus' without suitable venues. Small livehouses have long faced challenges in Hong Kong. Hidden Agenda, a popular indie spot, was raided by authorities in 2017 before rebranding as This Town Needs, which closed in 2020. The team has since staged events at venues like MacPherson Stadium and PORTAL. Covid-era travel restrictions gave the local gig scene an unexpected boost, despite public gathering restrictions, as audiences sought homegrown entertainment. Demand for small to mid-sized venues has persisted – and with more overseas acts returning post-pandemic, promoters are racing to meet it. ACADEMIC INTERITY CONTROVERSY An academic integrity controversy involving a local secondary school student and an award-winning AI-powered piece of software has continued to unfold. Student Clarisse Poon has been accused of academic dishonesty after her science project, MediSafe, was alleged to have been developed by a US-based AI company rather than by herself. The app, designed to detect potential prescription errors, also drew criticism over possible privacy violations after Poon said she tested it using data from at least 100 patients. The allegations first surfaced in June in a LinkedIn post by Hailey Cheng. Although Cheng did not name Poon, the student responded on the same platform, calling the claims 'humiliating.' The response was later deleted. The controversy soon spread online, with Cheng reiterating her claims on Threads. Public attention also turned to Poon's family background, with some questioning whether her father – renowned liver disease specialist Ronnie Poon – had provided patient data for the project. He told Ming Pao in June that the app used only simulated patient data. Calls mounted for a government investigation, as MediSafe had won multiple awards at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2024, organised by Hong Kong Education City Limited and backed by the government's Digital Policy Office. The organisers told local media on Wednesday they were still gathering information and following up on the case. Earlier this month, the US company involved — AI Health Studio — broke its silence. Founder Ahmed Jemaa said the project was commissioned by Poon's mother. While the student may have provided the initial idea, Jemaa said his team built the software 'from scratch' and were never told it would be entered into academic competitions. The controversy may escalate as Cheng said on Friday that she met with lawmakers to discuss the incident. She called on the public to focus on the award organiser's response, instead of the family's personal background. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) came under fire from Beijing-backed media this week after calling for the release of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, whose trial was set to resume following a five-month break. RSF's Director of Advocacy and Assistance, Antoine Bernard, said Lai had faced 'inhumane conditions' in detention, reflecting authorities' efforts to 'silence' a prominent press freedom advocate. The Hong Kong government condemned the criticism as 'slanderous,' accusing external forces and 'anti-China media' of distorting the truth and discrediting the judiciary. State-backed outlets Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po attacked RSF, calling it a 'vanguard of anti-China forces' and alleging it serves as a tool of the US, citing previous funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Ta Kung Pao also accused the group of using its annual Press Freedom Index report to 'vilify' Hong Kong. This year, the city tumbled five places, entering the 'red zone' – meaning a 'very serious' situation – for the first time, alongside China. RSF responded, saying it was 'pro-press freedom, not anti-China,' and accused Beijing-backed media of trying to distract the public from Lai's 'arbitrary detention.' 'This is not about being 'pro' or 'anti' China, but about supporting free, pluralistic, and independent media,' Bernard said. LOCAL MEDIA MONITOR Hong Kong's 'patriots-only' legislature may be on summer break, but chatter in political circles heated up this week after a photo of an opened condom packet found in an accessible toilet inside the Legislative Council complex began circulating among lawmakers. Local media reported the torn packet was discovered in the toilet bowl of a 14th-floor restroom – the floor housing offices of the self-styled 'C15+' group, which includes Doreen Kong, Chu Kwok-keung, and Gary Zhang. The lawmakers asked the LegCo Secretariat to check surveillance footage, but it showed no more than one person using the restroom at a time. Hong Kong Economic Times said only a lawmaker's assistant had entered during the relevant period and later received a 'warm reminder.' The Secretariat told Ming Pao there was no suspicious activity and the case was closed, though some lawmakers reportedly suspect more political gossip could surface ahead of December's 'all-patriots' legislative election. After a five-month pause, Jimmy Lai's closely watched national security trial was set to resume this week with closing arguments from both the prosecution and defence. But Thursday's session was called off due to a black rainstorm warning, and Friday's hearing was postponed again after his lawyer said the 77-year-old media tycoon was experiencing a heart-related medical issue. 'Time is running out,' Lai's son, Sebastien, told Nikkei Asia, adding that 'something bad could happen at any time' because of his father's age. Lai, the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, has been behind bars since December 2020. His trial – focused on charges of foreign collusion and sedition -began in December 2023 and has now run for over 140 days, making it the longest national security case in Hong Kong so far.
HKFP
09-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
HKFP Monitor August 9, 2025: Ex-protester drops case against ban on overseas study; HK$233-million by-elections largely uncontested
Welcome back to HKFP Monitor. This week: A former protester dropped his legal fight against a travel ban that stopped him from studying abroad – a move that may signal Hong Kong authorities are becoming more cautious about allowing ex-prisoners or people on bail to leave the city. Meanwhile, next month's HK$233 million Election Committee by-elections are set to be mostly uncontested, with a pro-establishment commentator saying it's all about avoiding in-house clashes. Also, a diaspora media merger has quickly drawn fire from Beijing-backed press, and a lawmaker has walked back his comments after publicly accusing a minister of 'threatening' him over the controversial same-sex partnerships bill. University of Hong Kong graduate To Kai-wa, jailed for five and a half years in 2021 for biting a police officer's finger during a 2019 protest, has dropped his legal challenge against a post-release order barring him from studying in the UK. To, who was released in October, told local media on Tuesday that he had withdrawn his judicial review against the Correctional Services Department's (CSD) decision to reject his April request to study law at the University of Birmingham. Asked why, he said: 'There are many things I cannot answer.' The case highlights growing caution from Hong Kong authorities in allowing released prisoners to travel abroad, following incidents where prominent activists failed to return. The CSD's Supervision Case Review Committee said To had not shown 'sincere remorse' or completed 'rehabilitation and de-radicalisation.' They also flagged his British National (Overseas) passport, warning he could abscond from supervision. The CSD also told To that, if he broke his supervision order, British authorities would not cooperate with extradition. The refusal referenced a recent case in which the British government met with a wanted individual who had breached a supervision order – believed to be pro-independence activist Tony Chung, who fled to the UK in December 2023 after being allowed to travel to Japan. Chung was put on a wanted list in December 2024 for alleged incitement to secession and foreign collusion, with a HK$1 million bounty on his head. Moreover, there is the case of former student leader Agnes Chow, who jumped bail in 2023. After being released from prison in June 2021 for protest-related offences, Chow was still subject to a list of bail conditions because she was arrested in a 2020 national security case involving pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai. Police approved her travel to Canada to study on the condition that she first visit Shenzhen with them and write letters praising the 'great development of the motherland.' She left in September 2023 but refused to return that December as agreed. Police condemned her move as 'challenging the rule of law' and said she would carry the 'fugitive' label for life if she stayed away. An official arrest warrant for Chow was issued in February last year. Hong Kong's powerful Election Committee – the body that picks the city's leader – is set to fill 93 vacancies in by-elections next month, which the government estimated in February will cost HK$233 million. The government said on Monday it had received 101 nominations from 28 sectors. But local media found that 72 seats in 22 sectors – almost 80 per cent of the total – would go uncontested. Those candidates will be automatically elected once they pass national security checks. Pro-establishment commentator Lau Siu-kai told Ming Pao that the short term for the seats won in by-elections – they have to serve only until October 2026 – means few people are interested. He called it an 'elite-type election,' where potential rivals avoid going head to head to prevent friction and keep the pro-Beijing camp united. Winners next month will get a say in the Legislative Council elections in December – a new power given to the committee after a 2021 electoral overhaul. The revamp also saw the committee expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members. The revamped system, built to ensure only 'patriots' run Hong Kong, has effectively shut out nearly all pro-democracy candidates. Political circles are now buzzing over which of the 90 sitting lawmakers will keep their seats. Some say top government officials may have a say – an unusual twist if true – while pro-Beijing outlets quote unnamed heavyweights claiming Beijing still wants legislators who are 'vocal.' STATE MEDIA MONITOR 'Anti-China' diaspora outlet: Pulse HK, a new digital platform to be launched out of the merger of two Hong Kong diaspora media groups, has become the latest target of Beijing-backed newspaper Ta Kung Pao. In a Monday op-ed, Ta Kung Pao labelled Pulse HK an 'anti-China' platform aiming to spread ideological propaganda against mainland China and Hong Kong. Pulse HK emerged from the merger of The Chaser and Photon Media – both founded overseas after the 2021 national security crackdown that shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and independent outlet Stand News. The Chaser was started by ex-Apple Daily reporter Shirley Leung in Taiwan in 2023, while Photon Media, launched in the UK in 2022, is run by veteran Hong Kong journalists. Wu Lik-hon – former head of RFA's Cantonese unit, which recently halted service due to funding cuts by US President Donald Trump – will become Pulse HK's editor in chief. Last week, Pulse HK announced a crowdfunding campaign aiming to raise HK$4 million to build a 16- to 18-person team across Taiwan, the UK, and North America, targeting 4,000 subscribers in its first year. Ta Kung Pao questioned the merger's timing, claiming Pulse HK is trying to 'integrate public opinion forces' for an 'upcoming confrontation.' The op-ed accused the outlet of planning to publish biased reporting, doctored images, and smear campaigns to undermine Hong Kong's progress. At a press conference last week, Wu said the journalists, despite being away for years, remain deeply connected to Hong Kong. Co-founder Edward Li, formerly with Apple Daily, called for diaspora media to unite and pool their strengths. Leung added, 'In these dark times, with press freedom collapsing, we want to be a ray of light.' When asked if he was worried about being labelled as engaging in 'soft resistance,' Wu said Pulse HK does not promote any political agenda and aims to be a neutral news organisation. Legislator backtracks after fiery Facebook post: The Hong Kong government's proposal to register same-sex partnerships has sparked rare pushback from the city's 'all-patriots' legislature since the bill was tabled last month. Officials want it passed by October to meet a 2023 Court of Final Appeal deadline, but some conservative lawmakers stand firm in opposing it. Tensions between the executive and legislative branches hit a new high last week when Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) chairperson Stanley Ng publicly blasted Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, the bill's lead advocate. In a Facebook post on the late evening of July 31, Ng said he had met Tsang that morning and that the minister had 'almost begged' and 'threatened' him to ensure 'safe passage' of 'his bill' – without naming which one. Ng claimed Tsang warned he would 'bear the consequences' if he refused, but stressed the FTU's position 'would not be swayed.' 'I urge him to save his breath!' Ng added. Around two hours later, Ng edited the post – visible in the edit history – removing Tsang's name. He still alleged facing 'threats' and kept the 'save his breath' line, but left the source vague. The following afternoon, Ng apologised to Tsang on Facebook, admitting his earlier remarks 'went too far' and saying he respected Tsang's 'dedication and sense of responsibility.' Hong Kong was drenched on Tuesday as record rainfall saw the black rainstorm warning raised for the fourth time in a week – a first in the city's history. Torrential downpours triggered flash floods and landslides, causing part of Bride's Pool Road in Tai Po to collapse. Authorities fielded over 480 calls for help, a quarter of them flood-related, while more than 30 trees were brought down. expect more extreme weather due to the impact of climate change.
HKFP
02-08-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
HKFP Monitor August 2, 2025: Advocacy space shrinks as LGBTQ event axed, academia falls in line
Welcome back to HKFP Monitor. This week, we covered the cancellation of Hong Kong's biggest LGBTQ event after yet another last-minute venue pullout, new rules pushing public universities to align with Beijing, and a podcast taken down over 'sensitive' comments. We also dived into the ongoing debate over the same-sex partnerships bill within the pro-establishment camp, plus viral clips from the year's first Black Rainstorm Warning – and how netizens mocked the lack of 'advanced planning' by officials. Hong Kong's biggest LGBTQ event, Pink Dot, has been cancelled this year after organisers failed to secure their usual venue at the West Kowloon Cultural District. No reason was given for the sudden withdrawal. Large-scale LGBTQ events have become rare in Hong Kong. The last Pride Parade was held in 2018. In recent years, organisers have switched to indoor bazaars instead of street marches. The cancellation also comes as a controversial government bill granting limited rights to same-sex couples faces pushback from conservative lawmakers. The advocacy space has tightened since the national security law came into effect in June 2020, forcing more than 60 civil society groups to shut down. At the same time, sudden cancellations of venue bookings have become more common – impacting NGOs, opposition parties, and even artists. In September 2023, the Democratic Party had to cancel its fundraising dinner after two restaurants pulled out at the last minute – one blamed typhoon damage. Once the city's largest pro-democracy party, it now faces disbandment, with key figures jailed or barred from running in the city's overhauled elections. Singer-activist Denise Ho, who was arrested for suspected involvement in the Stand News sedition case, has also struggled to book venues. In 2021, her concert at the Hong Kong Arts Centre was axed over vague 'public safety' concerns. A planned live show in May 2024 was also scrapped and moved online. For the first time, Hong Kong's University Grants Committee has explicitly told its eight publicly funded universities to follow guidance from Beijing and align with remarks by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This new directive appeared in the latest University Accountability Agreement signed by the eight public universities in late June. Schools were urged to support Hong Kong's integration with the mainland, with a focus on 'invigorating China through science and education.' They were also told to follow Xi's views on driving Hong Kong's growth and nurturing young talent, including the 'four musts' and 'four proposals' from his 2022 Hong Kong visit. The latest accountability deal seems to be another step in keeping local universities in check, following the 2019 protests and unrest – during which campuses became battlegrounds between police and protesters. Since then, most universities have cut ties with student unions, while 'democracy walls' and sculptures marking the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown were removed. University councils were also reshaped to boost the number of external members, while reducing student influence. In September 2024, the Hong Kong government slammed a Human Rights Watch and Hong Kong Democracy Council report that warned of a 'severe decline' in academic freedom since the national security law. The report cited self-censorship and professors avoiding 'sensitive' topics. Officials dismissed the report as 'fabricated,' insisting academic freedom remains a core value in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, state media attacks continue. This week, Beijing-backed Ta Kung Pao targeted the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) over a poll showing weaker support for Chief Executive John Lee, contradicting another survey that claimed 70% approval. The paper also went after two honorary researchers – American academic Morton Holbrook and Taiwan's Michael Hsiao – calling them 'anti-China forces' and accusing them of smearing the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. CUHK responded by stating both scholars were unpaid and would have their honorary titles revoked. The university said it would also suspend future hires who may violate local laws. LOCAL MEDIA MONITOR The episode in question, which discussed the passing of renowned food critic Chua Lam, was removed from platforms including Xiaohongshu (RedNote), Ximalaya, and Bilibili. Chua is considered one of Hong Kong's 'Four Great Talents,' along with writers Louis Cha and Ni Kuang, and lyricist James Wong. Leung mentioned that Chua's early columns appeared in Next Magazine, a now-defunct publication, which he called a 'very sensitive' topic. He added that bringing up its owner – jailed pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai – is considered 'unhealthy.' Still, he named 'Jimmy' and noted that Apple Daily, also under Lai's Next Digital, once 'pushed certain things in Hong Kong to a peak.' Towards the end, Leung discussed political commentary by the 'Four Great Talents,' saying some views expressed by Cha, better known by his pen name Jin Yong, could land someone in jail in today's climate. He also commented on the city's current downturn, saying Hong Kong's economy is 'very bad,' with a wave of business closures, while officials focus on 'soft resistance.' Leung told HK01 on Wednesday that his team was notified they couldn't post for 15 days. While expecting the podcast to return on August 6, they declined to speculate on the reason for the takedown. Constitutional crisis? The government's plan to let same-sex couples married overseas register their partnerships in Hong Kong has sparked debate within the pro-establishment camp, with politicians and legal scholars split on the issue. This week, Gu Mingkang, a scholar at the Education University of Hong Kong, wrote in Ming Pao to rebut City University of Hong Kong legal academic Zhu Guobin. In an earlier op-ed published in Ming Pao, Zhu had warned that if lawmakers reject the bill, it could be seen as going against a 2023 Court of Final Appeal ruling – putting the judiciary in an 'awkward' spot and possibly triggering a constitutional crisis. Gu disagreed, saying that passing or rejecting a bill is part of the legislature's normal function. He argued that calling it a 'constitutional crisis' is just sensationalism, and shows either a lack of understanding or disrespect for the city's constitutional setup. In early July, University of Hong Kong law professor Albert Chen offered a similar view to Zhu's, warning that failing to follow the court's ruling would be a 'major shock' to Hong Kong's constitutional system. Black rainstorm chaos: Photos and videos of serious flooding in Hong Kong went viral this week after the year's first Black Rainstorm Warning was issued on Tuesday. One clip showed a man walking on a road barrier near Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, as water covered both roads and sidewalks. Eastern District was among the hardest hit – another video showed water gushing down a hillside on Yiu Hing Road in Shau Kei Wan, turning into mini waterfalls and flooding nearby areas. Some joked it looked like Niagara Falls. A viral photo also showed flooding outside Quarry Bay MTR station, where a big crowd of commuters were stuck at the exit. Memes quickly spread, with many questioning why the Observatory only raised the warning at 9.10am – just after most people had already started work. Others mocked the lack of 'advanced planning,' a phrase used by Chief Secretary Eric Chan earlier last month when explaining a premature class suspension decision. Barely any rain fell the next day, sparking public backlash at the time. HKFP PHOTO OF THE WEEK Hong Kong's non-binary artist Holok Chen and an activist, who chose to stay anonymous, staged a performance on Monday outside the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry in Central and spoke to reporters. The two were dressed as monsters – Chen in a wedding gown and the activist in a tuxedo. Chen explained that their outfits were a response to how lawmakers have been 'demonising' the LGBTQ community during discussions on the government's proposed framework for granting limited rights to same-sex couples. 'I want to create a speculative future where monsters, even monsters of different taxonomy, can live, can love, can kiss and can enjoy their divine union,' they said.
HKFP
14-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
10 Years of HKFP: Our new, free, weekly newsletter offering
Sign up to receive a birds-eye view of the week's news and views from across the Hong Kong media landscape every Friday. We round-up the essentials, what you may have missed in the Chinese press, and insights into what's causing a buzz on local social media and in the pages of the state-run press. If you struggle to keep up, HKFP Monitor offers a one-stop, digestible summary of Hong Kong happenings, curated by our trusted team. Arriving on Mondays, HKFP Dim Sum is a showcase of our original reporting and HKFP highlights from the past week. HKFP Daily Digest is an automated daily digest of HKFP's reporting, sent at 9pm daily.
