Hong Kong

2022 - 8 - 28

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

'Wood Is Life': A Hong Kong Sawmill's Last Days (The New York Times)

Chi Kee Sawmill and Timber, in business since the 1940s, will soon make way for a vast development project. But it is still bringing new life to old wood.

Wong, Mr. “You put in only half a day’s work,” Mr. Wong, overwhelmed with other tasks, offered a “special price” if Mr. In 2019, the government told Mr. She has worked her whole life at Chi Kee and watches over Mr. He sees the same neglected value in Mr. But it was a far cry from the boom years. Artisans saw character in the wood and [turned some of it into cafe furniture](https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/cvzvz/laab-transformed-demolished-pier-into-a-modern-cafe.html). But business dried up in the 1990s, as “Wood is life, even if it can’t speak,” Mr. But he had hoped that his family’s soaring, 10,000-square-foot mill in Kwu Tung village — and the 1,000 tons of wood there, amounting to recycled Hong Kong history — could somehow be preserved. It stands in the way of the Hong Kong government’s

Covid-19: Hong Kong may suspend full-day in-person classes again ... (Hong Kong Free Press)

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin said that the Education Bureau would review current schooling arrangements “if the Covid tally really tops 10,000.”.

[Newsletter](https://www.hongkongfp.com/newsletter/) [Error/typo?](https://www.hongkongfp.com/hkfp-corrections-policy/) [Contact Us](https://www.hongkongfp.com/contact-us/) [Code of Ethics](https://www.hongkongfp.com/hkfp-code-ethics/) The government is still in talks to secure doses of the BioNTech vaccine for children younger than three. Since the Covid-19 pandemic began over two and a half years ago, in-person learning at Hong Kong schools has been repeatedly interrupted.

Hong Kong's latest social rules: RAT result needed for banquet ... (Human Resources Online)

The current testing requirements applicable to staff of catering premises are extended to staff of scheduled premises, including commercial bathhouse, ...

- The maximum number of persons per table at bars/pubs (i.e. "We have strengthened our publicity efforts and will continue to take stringent enforcement actions. The government explains that "banquet" refers to a situation with customers exceeding the number allowed to be seated together at one table (i.e. For the operators of catering premises, there is a seven-day adaptation period until 3 September 2022. For details, please browse exceeding eight customers under the existing requirement), and dining together at the catering premises with a common purpose.

Airwallex commits additional HK$2.25 million to further support ... (PR Newswire Asia)

HONG KONG, Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Airwallex commits additional HK$2.25 million to further support Hong Kong SMEs and startups.

With one of the world's most powerful payments and banking infrastructure, our technology empowers businesses of all sizes to accept payments, move money globally, and simplify their financial operations, all in one single platform. Established in 2015 in Melbourne, our purpose is to connect entrepreneurs, business builders, makers and creators with opportunities in every corner of the world. Over the past few years, we are encouraged to see the continued entrepreneurial spirit of so many startups and SMEs in Hong Kong. "We are glad to continue supporting the initiative by Airwallex that could help SMBs succeed in their digital journey. [SME initiative](https://www.airwallex.com/newsroom/airwallex-launches-hkusd2-25-million-initiative-to-support-smes) in April, and saw more than 450 of its SME customers benefit from the initiative. "The last few years have tested the resilience, determination, and endurance of businesses in Hong Kong," said Arnold Chan, General Manager, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia at Airwallex.

Hong Kong's rise and fall: Can they scale greater heights? (Cricket.com)

A good show in the Asia Cup this time could help Hong Kong perhaps erase some of the heartbreaks from the last 4-5 years.

Beating UAE – the highest ranked associate side in the Asia Cup Qualifiers and one of the winners of T20 World Cup Qualifiers, was also an impressive feat. They’ll hope to give the world a glimpse of their true capabilities. It was a huge gap to fill, especially with the loss of left-arm spinner Nadeem, who is still Hong Kong’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs and in T20Is, he is their third highest wicket-taker, despite last playing international cricket in 2017. They have had mixed results in T20Is of late, finishing sixth in the T20 World Cup Qualifiers out of eight teams, which included two losses to Uganda. They will have to be wary of veteran 37-year-old off-spinner Ehsan Khan, who picked up 10 wickets in three matches in the Qualifiers. Yet, they gave India a scare in the Asia Cup in 2018, where Nizakat and Rath forged a huge first-wicket stand. While Chapman rose through the ranks in Auckland and has now forged a career with the Blackcaps, Rath recently switched his allegiance to India. From 2015 to 2018, Cricket Hong Kong (CHK) received government funding of close to USD 1 million, which helped them grow the sport in the country. Hong Kong Sixes was a tournament that the city boasted of during the 90s and early 2000s that saw many current and future international stars take part in creating a carnival-like atmosphere. Our fitness trainer and our head coach Trent Johnston put in a lot of effort. The same can be said about players Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Kinchit Shah and many others, who had a glorious opportunity to be up and close with the best, see them train, seek tips and watch their methods when it comes to preparing for a game. The tournament also launched Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane, who then went on to play in some of the biggest T20 leagues, including the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Behind the Scenes, Hong Kong is Setting the Stage for the Next ... (Finextra)

As a global financial centre, Hong Kong is at the forefront of CBDC innovation. Since 2017, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has been researching the ...

As the city continues to adapt, Hong Kong is poised to lead the next wave of fintech innovation. In terms of public funding, the HKSAR Government recently launched the HK$ 5 billion Strategic Tech Fund to fill the gap between series A and series B financing for startups with the aim to further facilitate growth. Hong Kong’s leadership in CBDC aptly shows that the city has been setting the stage for the next fintech revolution. On the retail CBDC (rCBDC) front, Hong Kong is leading the way with the HKMA recently publishing a whitepaper exploring potential technical design options for issuing and distributing rCBDC. On the wholesale CBDC (wCBDC) front, the HKMA collaborated with the Bank of Thailand to initiate Project Inthanon-Lion Rock in 2019 to explore the application of CBDC in cross-border payments. As a global financial centre, Hong Kong is at the forefront of CBDC innovation.

Hong Kong's gossipy Facebook pages disappear following arrests (Restofworld.org)

As Hong Kong cracks down on dissent, anonymous insider Facebook pages have shut down to prevent becoming the next police targets.

[coalition of legislators](https://www.wsj.com/articles/global-coalition-of-legislators-faces-challenges-countering-china-11591980969) that seeks to counter Beijing’s influence, told Rest of World that a fear of national security charges had deterred many Hong Kongers from expressing themselves on social media. “The Hong Kong government has gone from cracking down on political organizations to cracking down on citizens’ interest groups,” said the person, who requested anonymity to avoid being targeted by the national security law. Since 2020, several people have been arrested for publishing what the police have suspected to be seditious messages aimed at [inciting violence](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/24/hong-kong-five-arrested-sedition-25th-anniversary-china-british-handover) or [resisting](https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3168287/hong-kong-national-security-police-arrest-co-owners) the government’s Covid-19 measures. “Free speech continues to be further repressed, and government criticism will go even more underground,” Lokman Tsui, a fellow at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, told Rest of World, adding that it will make it harder for whistleblowers. The officer was later [put under a disciplinary](https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3187226/snoozing-hong-kong-police-officer-faces-disciplinary-action) investigation and prevented from carrying guns. [showed](https://www.am730.com.hk/%E6%9C%AC%E5%9C%B0/%E6%9C%89%E8%BB%8D%E8%A3%9D%E8%AD%A6%E6%B6%89%E7%95%B6%E5%80%BC%E6%9C%9F%E9%96%93%E8%84%AB%E4%B8%8B%E4%BD%A9%E6%A7%8D%E7%9D%A1%E8%A6%BA/331296) a police officer sleeping with his gun unattended. As a result, it has led to a rise in self-censorship among residents of Hong Kong, leaving people with fewer avenues to hold authorities accountable. Following the anti-government movement in 2019, Hong Kong authorities have been steadily silencing opposition voices under a national security law imposed by Chinese leadership. Shortly after the arrests, many other popular pages each with tens of thousands of followers shut down, as people feared becoming the next targets of Hong Kong’s crackdown on dissent. “If many people dare to speak up on ‘secrets,’ we might be able to risk running the page,” the administrator told Rest of World. In CUHK Secrets, students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong recount how they [spotted cockroaches](https://collection.news/appledaily/articles/O7JZDFTZDKF72R5BGHU3P3GEII) at a campus canteen. [complaints](https://collection.news/appledaily/articles/ECSOSRK2UIEDKXDF7E73SRPGTY) about irresponsible school teachers.

Britain's next prime minister must stand with Hong Kong (PoliticsHome.com)

There's something missing. The Conservative leadership contest has understandably been dominated by the candidates' plans for addressing the cost-of-l...

The question is: which candidate will be brave enough to say that that has to mean targeted sanctions on the perpetrators? We have already acted to challenge the worst of Beijing’s crimes. Britain’s response to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, including the use of targeted sanctions, asset freezes and travel bans, has been exemplary. That is why Rishi Sunak’s and Liz Truss’s pivot to a harder line on China is absolutely right. Yes, we have toughened our stance, and for that Dominic Raab, Priti Patel, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak should share the credit, but to what effect? We may take it for granted here in the UK, but freedom of conscience is priceless, while standing up for it comes at a very heavy personal price.

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