Latest news with #LeungChun-ying
South China Morning Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong doesn't need lawmakers who have to be reminded to do their job
Every now and then, Hong Kong's Legislative Council reminds us of grade school. Just like in a school year, lawmakers have historically enjoyed a summer recess – of two to three months at the end of July – before beginning the next legislative year in October. Advertisement After the 2021 overhaul of the electoral system, however, Legco elections were moved from September to December, which meant the legislative year started in January instead. To ensure that school could still be out for the summer, lawmakers voted in 2023 to abolish a rule of procedure requiring that two consecutive meetings are not held more than six weeks apart in the same legislative year. Summer was saved – by lawmakers undoing the rules. There has been noise over the prolonged summer 'break' our honourable legislators enjoy. Most notably in 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Leung Chun-ying , vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the city's former chief executive, challenged the need for a Legco recess when so much needed to be done. In 2022, former lawmaker Wong Kwok-hing urged the chief executive to cancel the recess altogether. In 2023, commentator Chris Wat Wing-yin called the arrangement ridiculous and wondered why not a single member of the expanded 90-person Legco had proposed its cancellation. Advertisement Every time the subject is brought up, lawmakers react with indignance. It's not a break from work but an adjournment of meetings, they say; they don't stop working because there are other meetings and events to attend and people to meet; and, some of these people they need to meet require overseas travel as lawmakers work to tell good stories of Hong Kong, they also say.
South China Morning Post
12-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
No losses caused by Hong Kong top talent scheme: labour minister
A government scheme to lure top-notch talent has brought no losses to Hong Kong, the labour minister has reiterated amid concerns that the system is being abused, saying authorities will reveal more details of the visa renewal by mid-2025. Advertisement Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han defended the scheme on Wednesday, weeks after former city leader Leung Chun-ying said that he met mainland Chinese people who came to Hong Kong through different programmes just for purposes such as facilitating their travel, enrolling their children in local schools and benefiting from tax concessions across the border. Leung argued that these cases were contrary to the original intention of the city's talent policy while also casting doubt over authorities' capacity to handle applications and verify documents. Sun said authorities had approved about 90,000 applications under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, noting that about 80,000 people had arrived in the city. He added that he did not expect all of them to eventually settle in Hong Kong, but added that the scheme brought no loss to the city while the government was optimistic about their visa renewal. Advertisement 'Hong Kong has not suffered any losses. They do not use the welfare benefits, but need to spend on staying in hotels, consuming, dining and exploring the city,' he said.
South China Morning Post
22-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
CY Leung says Hong Kong should help Qinghai products reach global marketplace
Published: 8:30am, 22 Feb 2025 Hong Kong should help agricultural products from mainland China's Qinghai province enter the global market by providing quality verification and branding services, former chief cxecutive Leung Chun-ying said on Friday, in an effort to drive economic growth. Leung said Hong Kong, with its sophisticated testing and trading capacities, could help mainland Chinese products 'cover the last mile' before entering the global marketplace. He added that the Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre, a not-for-profit inspection and certification organisation, could help mainland Chinese products meet global standards. 'This, in the long run, could be an area of growth for the Hong Kong economy, other than financial services,' he said at a partnership launch ceremony for Hong Kong catering group Maxim's Group and the mainland's northwestern Qinghai province. Under the cooperation scheme, Hongkongers will be able to taste Cantonese cuisine made with produce from Qinghai – including goat, yak, and wolfberry – at 22 Maxim's Chinese restaurants in the city.
South China Morning Post
20-02-2025
- South China Morning Post
Wines from China's Ningxia region get perfect food pairings at exclusive Hong Kong dinner
Which dishes go best with wines from China's Ningxia region? A recent gastronomic event at high-end mall Harbour City, in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood, aimed to find out. Advertisement The 818 The Seafood x Ningxia Wineries Pairing Dinner featured six premium wines from four Ningxia wineries and a menu curated by chef Francis Chong Wui Choong. Among the diners were former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying and Ningxia winery representatives. The evening highlighted wines from the region in northern China that has risen to become one of the country's viniculture heartlands, and showed how well they pair with Chinese food. Chef Chong's appetisers (from left) marinated Scottish razor clams, sea urchin tofu with century egg sauce, and almond-crusted crispy chicken skin. Photo: 818 The Seafood The meal began with three appetisers – almond-crusted crispy chicken skin, marinated Scottish razor clams, and sea urchin tofu with century egg sauce – paired with Fei Tswei Reserve Chardonnay 2019.
South China Morning Post
20-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Wines from Ningxia, China get perfect food pairings at Hong Kong dinner
Published: 5:15pm, 20 Feb 2025 Which dishes go best with wines from China's Ningxia region? A recent gastronomic event at high-end mall Harbour City, in Hong Kong's Tsim Sha Tsui neighbourhood, aimed to find out. The 818 The Seafood x Ningxia Wineries Pairing Dinner featured six premium wines from four Ningxia wineries and a menu curated by chef Francis Chong Wui Choong. Among the diners were former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying and Ningxia winery representatives. Chef Chong's appetisers (from left) marinated Scottish razor clams, sea urchin tofu with century egg sauce, and almond-crusted crispy chicken skin. Photo: 818 The Seafood The meal began with three appetisers – almond-crusted crispy chicken skin, marinated Scottish razor clams, and sea urchin tofu with century egg sauce – paired with Fei Tswei Reserve Chardonnay 2019.
