Launch of global legal body’s office in Hong Kong seals city’s law hub status: John Lee

South China Morning Post - Nov 2, 2026

The opening of the first regional office of an international legal body in Hong Kong will cement the city’s position as a global law hub, support its drive to attract global organisations and talent while deepening regional cooperation in legal issues, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said. Lee’s remarks came as the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (Unidroit), an independent intergovernmental body that aims to modernise and coordinate cross-border private law,...

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In the end, it was Winnie Ho Wing-yin, housing secretary at the time of the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po, who took the rap. Her resignation came after weeks of talk within political circles suggesting that bureau chiefs would not have to bear responsibility for the tragedy that killed 168 people and displaced 1,984 families. These suggestions were met with shock. Some spoke out against such talk, including Andrew Fung Wai-kwong, former information coordinator for the Chief Executive’s Office,...

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Top university research, cross-border data exchanges and access to mainland China’s large market have attracted Japanese firm Rohto Pharmaceutical to conduct clinical trials in Hong Kong, making it the first company from the country to partner with the city’s government under a flagship investment initiative. Rohto, known for its over-the-counter eye care and skincare products, is among the latest batch of 18 firms recruited by the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), a...

Will losing US midterms see Trump double down or signal beginning of the end?

Will losing US midterms see Trump double down or signal beginning of the end?

Tuesday’s US midterm election is both hugely consequential and not so consequential even as the world waits to see the American voters’ verdict on Donald Trump’s presidency – and the impact that verdict will have on his temperament, plans and possible petulant response, analysts and former government officials said. On the one hand, an expected strong showing by opposition Democrats could bring more Congressional scrutiny over some of the most unconventional, maximalist and disruptive policies...

Robert Hux on China’s governance achievements

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Joshua Cooper Ramo on whether the US can handle the stress test of China’s rise

Joshua Cooper Ramo on whether the US can handle the stress test of China’s rise

Joshua Cooper Ramo is chairman and CEO of Sornay, an investment and advisory firm. Previously he was CEO of Kissinger Associates. Ramo is the author of the new book Darwin’s Lock: America, China and the Shared Future of Nations. His 2004 analysis of “the Beijing consensus” contrasted the Western and Chinese economic development models. He is the author of two New York Times best-selling books and now lives in Shanghai with his family. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click...

Evolving China-Germany ties: A new engine for China-EU cooperation

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Ji So-yun brings wisdom, experience and winning spirit to Korean women's football

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“I am thinking about retiring after reaching 200 appearances for the national team.” Ji So-yun, a living legend of Korean women's football, has set a clear target for the final chapter of her international career: reaching 200 games before hanging up her cleats. The 35-year-old Suwon FC Women midfielder won a bronze medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and is now in her 20th year as a member of the national team. She first donned the Taegeuk mark in 2006 at the age of 15. Since making her Asian Games debut in Doha, Qatar, that year, she has competed in six games, including Guangzhou, China, in 2010, Incheon in 2014, Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia, in 2018, Hangzhou, China, in 2022 and this year's tournament. In a recent interview with Hankook Ilbo at the Suwon Athletes' Tillage, Ji spoke candidly about her retirement plans. “I think I could reach 200 appearances sometime next year or the year after,” she said. Ji holds the Korean record for most appearances and goals in international matches, with 182 caps and 76 goals. On the men's side, Son Heung-min (151 caps, 59 goals) sur

Former Apple Daily publisher joins mainland China tour for rehabilitated offenders

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A former publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper has joined a Hong Kong government-organised mainland study tour for rehabilitated offenders, telling a state-owned broadcaster he felt “very proud” as a Chinese national after experiencing the country’s technological advances first-hand. Cheung Kim-hung, a key prosecution witness in former media boss and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign or external...

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China’s ruling Communist Party will step up “party building” across the country’s tech sector and deploy digital tools to fight corruption, according to a landmark document adopted at a key political plenum. These tools include a digital discipline inspection platform and a big-data supervision platform. The party will also crack down on corruption involving the internet, virtual currency, cross-border funds and blockchain technology, according to the document formally approved on Thursday at...

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Excerpts from resolution of CPC plenum

Excerpts from resolution of CPC plenum

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Could a midterm defeat tame Trump? Not on foreign policy, Chinese experts say

Could a midterm defeat tame Trump? Not on foreign policy, Chinese experts say

A potential lame-duck phase may not deter US President Donald Trump from pursuing more “transactional” or “risky” foreign policy moves after the midterm elections, Chinese experts warn, while casting doubt on expectations of a powerful Democratic wave. Amid a season of high-stakes contests that could reshape global politics, the US vote on Tuesday stands out. The election, which will determine who takes control of the US Congress, could result in Trump and his fellow Republicans no longer...

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