Hong Kong is positioning itself as a strategic bridge for mainland Chinese firms exploring stablecoin-based commerce, according to EBANX’s chief executive.

The Brazilian payments-tech company is actively evaluating how Hong Kong’s recent stablecoin licensing regime can enable cross-border trade and settlement for China-based businesses.

“The new framework in Hong Kong is transformational,” said João Del Valle, CEO and co-founder of EBANX.

“Hong Kong is becoming an entry point into the mainland, and that is the most attractive aspect of it.” He added that while adoption of stablecoins might be gradual, the city’s regulatory clarity and connectivity to China make it a natural hub for experimentations in “programmable money”.

Hong Kong rolled out one of the world’s first full-licensing regimes for fiat-referenced stablecoins on August 1 2025, under which issuers must secure a licence from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), hold reserves of high-quality liquid assets and meet stringent operational requirements.

Analysts note that the high barriers are likely to channel initial activity toward well-capitalised incumbents rather than startups.

Del Valle said that EBANX is exploring embedding stablecoin support into its global payment-rails ecosystem and targeting Chinese-export firms that face friction in traditional settlement channels.

He emphasised that settlement via stablecoins can occur in seconds compared with one to two days for conventional wire transactions, a key benefit for international trade.

The Hong Kong regime is not designed for rapid speculation, but rather for a controlled runway of institutionalised stablecoin participation.

According to regulators and market observers, the city aims to serve as a sandbox for innovation in tokenised finance and cross-border settlement, tied to the broader agenda of internationalising the Chinese currency and enhancing the global role of the renminbi.

Nevertheless, new reporting shows that some mainland firms—including tech giants that had been preparing for stablecoin issuance—have paused their projects following more cautious guidance from mainland regulators.

This introduces uncertainty into the ecosystem, even as Hong Kong continues to promote itself as a fintech bridge between China and the world.

For EBANX, the opportunity lies in servicing a new wave of Chinese exporters, e-commerce companies and digital-commerce platforms that can benefit from faster settlement and broader access via stablecoins.

Del Valle said the firm expects “some significant growth next year in stablecoin use as a payment method globally.”

Beyond China-linked trade, the developments reinforce Hong Kong’s ambition to build up digital-asset infrastructure and tokenised finance capability.

Whether stablecoins will scale quickly or remain niche remains to be seen, but for firms like EBANX the regulatory foundation in Hong Kong offers an attractive platform to test next-generation payments and settlement models.

Hong Kong is poised to serve as a crucial hub for talent and innovation in support of China’s broader push for technological self-reliance, say senior experts, following the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held from October 20–23. The session’s “15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30)” recommendations underscored the importance of enhancing scientific and technological strength as a national priority, and positioned the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau as key contributors.

Commentators highlight the city’s dual advantage of “having the backing of the motherland and maintaining close connections with the rest of the world”, pointing to its potential to bridge mainland China’s innovation ecosystem with global research networks.

Consultant Lau Siu-kai urged the Hong Kong government to adopt a proactive industrial transformation role, particularly in coordinating economic development and embedding the city more deeply into the national strategy.

He suggested that success would see Hong Kong simultaneously become a global financial, shipping, trade, innovation and technology centre as well as a hub for high-calibre international talent.

Angus Ng Hok-ming, chairman of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association, echoed the call by highlighting opportunities for Hong Kong youth to transition from “specialised professionals” into “strategic generalists”.

He cited emerging roles in green finance, digital trade and mediation services under the Belt and Road Initiative as avenues for young talent to engage globally while supporting national infrastructure and ESG standards.

These reflections come amid strong recent indicators of Hong Kong’s rising talent and innovation standing: the city moved up to fourth-place globally in the 2025 World Talent Ranking and topped Asia, and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster was ranked first globally by the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index.

Policymakers view this as affirmation that local measures in education, innovation and technology are yielding results.

Stakeholders say that clear governance, strategic planning and deeper cooperation with mainland manufacturing and innovation ecosystems will be critical as Hong Kong seeks to fulfil its role in national development.

The emphasis includes strengthening digital infrastructure, advancing cross-border data flows, and attracting global scientific talent to reinforce Hong Kong’s contribution to China’s self-reliance and global competitiveness aspirations.

Ryan Choi Chun-yin, Hong Kong’s newly crowned world champion in men's foil fencing, attributes his unconventional style to a restless spirit.

“I leap, crouch and charge forward,” he told the South China Morning Post, reflecting on what he described as a very unorthodox approach to the sport.

Born on October 9, 1997, in Hong Kong—just months after the territory’s handover—Choi began fencing at age nine at a school in Kowloon.

He admits he initially resisted the sport, viewing it as “violent and dangerous,” but stayed on after his mother’s encouragement and the coach’s early praise.

“He kept saying I was talented, which made me very proud,” Choi recalled.

His leap into prominence has been meteoric.

In May 2025 he captured his first senior international gold at the Shanghai Grand Prix.

He followed that with victory at the Asian Fencing Championships in June, and sealed his momentous streak by defeating Russia’s Kirill Borodachev 15-9 to become Hong Kong’s first ever men’s foil world champion in Tbilisi, Georgia, in July.

His triumph simultaneously elevated him to world No. 1 in the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime rankings.

Chief coaches Maurizio Zomparelli and Giacomo Fanizza embraced his atypical method rather than overhaul it, observing that his leap-crouch-charge rhythm didn’t conform with tradition—but it worked.

“I am not a traditional fencer,” Choi said.

“But now I have reached the top using my style, maybe it will inspire fencers worldwide that you don’t have to follow tradition.”

Choi’s victory follows Hong Kong’s fencing surge led by Olympic champions such as Edgar Cheung Ka-long and Vivian Kong, yet stands out for achieving the first men’s foil world title for the territory.

The path was not smooth: earlier this season Choi had discussed quitting after a run of poor results, only to be persuaded to persevere and channel his instinctive movement into a compelling, elite-winning approach.

As Choi moves into the next phase of his career his coaches plan to optimise rather than suppress his natural style—ensuring his explosive rhythm sustains stamina over long tournaments.

With his leap-crouch-charge trademark now global-known, Choi’s success challenges fencing orthodoxy and signals a new era of creative athletic identity in the sport.

China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced that from November 5, 2025 its expanded Talent Visa Programme will allow designated professionals to apply for multiple-entry travel permits covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, enhancing mobility for business and tourism in the region.

The move opens the scheme to talent from newly included mainland areas such as the Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and all national pilot free-trade zones.

Under the revised rules, qualified professionals in fields including scientific research, culture, education, health care and law may obtain permits valid for up to one to five years, with each visit lasting up to 30 days.

Business activity in Hong Kong and Macau is expected to increase accordingly, as professionals engage in cross-border collaboration, conferences and leisure travel.

Tourism and hospitality sectors in both Special Administrative Regions are poised to benefit from the arrival of frequent travellers seeking both work and leisure.

The visa revision aligns with China’s broader “talent-power” strategy, positioning cross-border mobility as a catalyst for innovation and economic integration.

The scheme further consolidates Hong Kong’s and Macau’s roles as global business and tourism hubs, reinforcing their connectivity with mainland China’s innovation and financial ecosystems while enabling professionals to participate in the regions’ advanced infrastructure and services.

With border processes also enhanced through biometric smart-channel systems, entry and exit at major crossings between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau are expected to become faster and more efficient, reducing friction for frequent travellers.

Business communities, tourism operators and talent agencies citing the development see it as an opportunity to tap a broader talent pool, boost hotel and event revenues and foster greater cultural and economic exchange across these jurisdictions.

In a statement accompanying the rollout, the NIA emphasised the intention to “support professional mobility and service trade” and to open “new pathways for innovation and talent circulation” between the mainland and the two Special Administrative Regions.

Stakeholders are advised to review detailed eligibility criteria, prepare supporting documents for roles and travel plans, and monitor guidance from immigration authorities in Hong Kong and Macau to take full advantage of the expanded visa framework.

A budget carrier, HK Express, removed two passengers ahead of take-off on a Sunday evening flight from Da Nang to Hong Kong following a heated confrontation that caused a delay of nearly ninety minutes.

The couple were asked to leave while boarding Flight UO559 after an argument in the waiting area escalated, with online footage showing the woman shouting accusations of prostitution visits and physical abuse against her partner, including claims she had been “punched forty times”.

The pair subsequently disrupted boarding, engaging in a verbal altercation with three cabin crew members once on board.

The airline confirmed that the behaviour was considered disruptive, and appropriate action was taken in line with its zero-tolerance policy toward conduct that endangers crew or passengers.

The aircraft departed later than scheduled after the removal of the individuals following intervention by ground staff.

Although the incident centred on personal allegations rather than public safety per se, its impact on operational scheduling underscores the sensitivity of passenger conduct in confined travel environments.

HK Express noted the delay in its official flight status tracker, showing Flight UO559 pushed back from its scheduled departure following the incident.

The carrier has not publicly disclosed the identities of the removed passengers, nor whether further sanctions—such as blacklisting from future flights—will apply.

The airline emphasised that it remains committed to safeguarding both safety and the travel experience of its clientele in line with aviation security regulations.

Observers say the episode may prompt a review of boarding screening and crew-response protocols for managing heated disputes before or during flight boarding procedures.

Hong Kong health authorities have reported the third locally acquired case of Chikungunya fever in the city, a 45-year-old man residing in the Mount Haven estate in Tsing Yi and working in Sheung Wan.

He developed fever, joint pain and rash on October 30 and sought treatment at a hospital, where his infection was confirmed in a mosquito-free ward.

The patient has no travel history in the preceding three months and did not visit Fung Tak Estate in Wong Tai Sin, the site of previous local cases, raising concern of a second source of transmission.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has begun genome sequencing to assess whether the latest infection links to earlier local cases or represents a new transmission chain.

Around 1,500 households in the nearby estate area will undergo health surveys and screening, while city-wide mosquito suppression efforts remain reinforced.

An 82-year-old woman from Wong Tai Sin, identified on October 26, and a 55-year-old woman from the same district, confirmed on October 31, represent the first two local-acquired infections in Hong Kong.

To date in 2025, Hong Kong has recorded 55 confirmed chikungunya cases, including three local and the remainder imported.

The city’s health and environmental agencies continue to emphasise mosquito-breeding site elimination, use of insect repellent and early clinical detection, especially as neighbouring Guangdong Province endures a large outbreak numbering thousands of cases.

Officials noted that while the risk of widespread transmission remains “not high” thanks to rapid intervention, the unforeseen third case underscores the need for vigilance.

Residents with symptoms such as sudden fever, joint pain and rash — particularly if they live in or have visited affected districts — are urged to seek immediate medical attention.

The CHP will maintain enhanced surveillance and vector control until local spread is confidently ruled out.

Olympic gold-medallist Vivian Kong Man-wai confirmed on Monday her intention to contest the tourism functional constituency seat in the 2025 Legislative Council election in Hong Kong, marking her entry into politics following her retirement from competitive sport.

The 31-year-old fencer submitted her nomination form in the afternoon, after weeks of speculation about her potential candidacy.

Kong, who clinched the women’s individual épée title at the 2024 Paris Olympics and subsequently retired, had served as the assistant external affairs manager at the Hong Kong Jockey Club before suspending her duties to prepare for public service.

The tourism seat is being vacated by incumbent lawmaker Yiu Pak-leung (Perry Yiu), who announced his intention to switch to contest in the Election Committee constituency, effectively clearing a path for Kong’s bid.

On her social-media account, Kong emphasised that her previous posts were unrelated to the election, underscoring her newly declared focus.

Analysts view her transition from elite athlete to political candidate as emblematic of a broader pattern where celebrated sports figures seek public office, leveraging their personal brand and public goodwill.

The tourism functional constituency is one of 30 such seats in Hong Kong’s Legislative Council reserved for specific sectors.

Kong’s nomination highlights her sectoral ties: her prior role at the Jockey Club involved promoting visitor engagement and tourism-related initiatives.

While functional constituencies permit candidates with foreign right of abode—unlike geographical seats—some commentators note scrutiny may arise from questions over her professional experience and sectoral eligibility.

Kong’s campaign is expected to focus on post-pandemic recovery of Hong Kong’s visitor economy, enhancement of inbound travel, and positioning of the city as a premier global tourism hub.

The election arrives at a strategic moment as Hong Kong seeks to regain international traveller flows and revitalize its tourism-led sectors.

With nominations closing soon, Kong’s entry consolidates a growing talent pipeline within Hong Kong’s political-economy interface and signals a generational shift in candidate profiles across the functional constituencies.

Chinese autonomous-driving firm Pony AI Inc. announced on 27 October 2025 that it is launching a Hong Kong initial public offering of 41,955,700 Class A ordinary shares, with a maximum offering price set at HK$180 per share (equivalent to US$23.17).

The company will retain its American depositary shares listed on Nasdaq under the ticker PONY and is presenting the Hong Kong listing via a dual-primary structure on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong under stock code “2026”.

Under the offering structure, approximately 4.2 million shares will be allocated to the Hong Kong public (about 10%), with the remaining 37.8 million shares reserved for the international tranche subject to reallocation and over-allotment options.

Final pricing is scheduled on or around 3 November, and cannot exceed the HK$180 ceiling.

Pony AI is targeting the net proceeds for large-scale commercialisation of its Level 4 autonomous-driving technology, expansion of research and development, and general working-capital purposes.

Cornerstone investors have already committed to roughly US$120 million in the international segment of the offering.

The Hong Kong listing aligns with the approval issued by China’s securities regulator, and follows the firm’s Nov 2024 Nasdaq debut.

Investors will not be able to convert the Hong Kong shares into American depositary shares during a 40-day distribution-compliance window, after which fungibility will be enabled.

While the firm has outlined strong growth ambitions, observers note the capital-intensive nature of autonomous-driving deployment and rising competition in the sector.

Nonetheless, the IPO marks a significant milestone for Pony AI’s expansion and for China’s driverless-mobility industry more broadly.

Hong Kong’s benchmark equity market rose on Monday amid fresh signs of a thaw in the U.S.–China trade standoff, as Beijing signalled it would pause planned export controls on rare earth metals and drop probes into U.S. semiconductor supply-chain firms.

The Hang Seng Index advanced by 0.4 per cent to 26,001.13 by 9:50 a.m. local time, while the Hang Seng Tech index slipped 0.1 per cent, and mainland indexes recorded modest declines.

The market response followed statements attributed to the White House that China would suspend additional rare-earth export curbs and terminate investigations into U.S. chip-industry firms under a framework reached between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

The accord reportedly involves Washington holding off on imposing further reciprocal tariffs in return.

Among sector winners in Hong Kong, travel booking platform Trip.com Group rose approximately 1.5 per cent, e-commerce player JD.com gained around 0.9 per cent, and tech hardware company Xiaomi climbed about 2.5 per cent.

By contrast, jewellery chain Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group dropped 6.6 per cent and gold producer Zijin Mining shed 2.5 per cent.

Commentators noted that the rare-earth sector remains closely watched as a flashpoint in the broader technology and defence trade dispute.

China controls about 70 per cent of the world’s rare-earth mining and approximately 90 per cent of its processing.

Recent Beijing announcements mandated licensing for exports of even minute traces of Chinese-sourced rare earths—fuel for global nervousness around high-tech supply chains.

The latest uptick in equities appears driven by improved risk sentiment, with investors interpreting the developments as a return to negotiation rather than escalation.

However, analysts caution that the details of any trade “pause” remain vague and that sustaining the positive momentum may depend on concrete regulatory actions and follow-through from both sides.

Global markets echoed the shift in tone: U.S. and Asian stocks rallied last week as the prospect of a meeting between Trump and Xi boosted hopes of a more enduring truce.

Metals such as copper also received a lift, while safe-haven assets like gold eased.

Still, underlying trade frictions remain.

While the framework may offer temporary relief, many key barriers—including tariffs and technology restrictions—remain intact until both capitals deliver on commitments.

Investors remain alert to any signals that the détente could unravel.

The move underscores how strategic minerals such as rare earths are increasingly central to global supply-chain and geopolitical risk assessments.

Alibaba Group Holding has unveiled a 2 billion yuan (approximately US$281 million) investment for a new initiative that will turn convenience stores across more than two hundred Chinese cities into branded outlets supporting its Taobao instant-commerce network.

Rather than opening entirely new storefronts, the plan involves retrofitting existing convenience-store operators with Alibaba’s digital supply-chain tools, Taobao branding and clearance to access the group’s wholesale platform 1688.com and on-demand replenishment logistics via its Aoxiang system.

Under the programme, participating convenience stores will receive technical support in areas including product procurement, inventory replenishment and omni-channel logistics integration.

The aim is to deliver “one-stop, 24-hour and 30-minute delivery” shopping services, as described by Hu Qiugen, general manager of Taobao Shangou (the instant-commerce unit).

The first batch of these partner stores has already gone live in eastern China’s Hangzhou and Nanjing.

The move builds on Alibaba’s broader push into “instant retail,” where orders placed via Taobao may be fulfilled—in some cases within an hour—by leveraging its food-delivery unit Ele.me and extensive logistics network.

Earlier this year, the Taobao Instant Commerce portal exceeded 40 million daily orders within a month of launch.

The retrofit of convenience stores seeks to strengthen Alibaba’s local presence and fulfilment capabilities within dense urban neighbourhoods.

Industry observers see the plan as a response to intensifying competition in China’s instant-retail space, where rivals such as Meituan and JD.com are investing heavily.

By empowering convenience-store owners to operate as fulfilment nodes, Alibaba hopes to reduce last-mile costs and accelerate consumer delivery times without the expense of opening dedicated outlets.

Analysts note that China’s convenience-store market has robust growth potential and is well suited to the instant-retail transformation: the number of stores recently surpassed 250,000 and the category enjoys rising consumer relevance.

The retrofit strategy allows Alibaba to tap that existing infrastructure and remodel it into a network of rapid-delivery hubs.

Execution will focus on rolling out store partnerships in more than two hundred cities nationwide, anchored in Taobao’s digital ecosystem.

Participating stores will be supplied via 1688.com and managed through Alibaba’s Aoxiang logistics and inventory platform.

The company says it is committed to a “win-win” outcome within its retail ecosystem.

The success of this push may influence how online-to-offline retail evolves in China and beyond, as seamless integration of digital and physical channels becomes increasingly central to consumers’ shopping habits.

The transformation of local convenience stores into instant fulfilment nodes is a key step in that strategy.

Five-five-year-old government worker Huynh Kuan Thu heads out every couple of weeks from Ho Chi Minh City, battling traffic and pot-holed roads to reach his twelve-hectare durian plot in the hilly hinterlands.

There, he tends some 1,200 trees of the Thai-bred Monthong variety, cultivated with one eye on China’s voracious appetite for the “king of fruits”.

Vietnam’s durian industry has soared in recent years.

Exports reached an estimated three-point-three billion US dollars in 2024, helped by surging demand from China and millions of young Chinese consumers.

The fruit now accounts for nearly half of the country’s fruit and vegetable export value.

This boom has turned retired officials, farmers and plantation managers into entrepreneurs.

Acres once planted with coffee or cashews are being replanted with durian.

Processing sheds and sorting stations are becoming commonplace along rural roads.

China remains the chief export market, absorbing over ninety per cent of Vietnam’s durian shipments.

Yet the rapid growth conceals mounting challenges.

Earlier this year, Vietnamese producers saw their exports to China fall sharply as Beijing tightened testing protocols for residues such as cadmium and Auramine O, and required stricter traceability.

In the first half of February 2025, only about 3,500 tonnes crossed the border — a drop of around eighty per cent.

In response the Vietnamese government and industry are scrambling to uplift compliance, establish planting-area codes, increase laboratory testing and even expand frozen-durian exports, which tripled to over 14,000 tonnes in the first half of 2025. But farmers like Thu remain exposed to the uncertainties of shifting border rules, quality standards and international competition from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Thu’s journey illustrates the stakes: a five-hour drive from the city, an early start, remote roads — all for the promise of accessing a trade driven by China’s cravings.

His plantation is a bet on global demand and domestic adaptation.

Whether Vietnam’s durian boom evolves into a resilient export engine or stalls under regulatory and market pressure may determine the livelihood of thousands of growers who have switched pathways in hope of the next harvest reward.

Hong Kong took the streets on Sunday morning as torchbearers began a 10-kilometre relay to mark the local leg of the 15th National Games, ahead of the event’s official opening on November 9. The route started at the Government Headquarters in Tamar, passed the Central harbourfront, Golden Bauhinia Square and Victoria Harbour via ferry, before concluding at Kai Tak Sports Park.

More than 50 participants from different sectors took part in the Hong Kong segment, joined by simultaneous relays in Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

The relay is part of a regional joint-hosting format, underlining the cooperation of the three places.

Road closures, ferry adjustments and a temporary restricted flying zone were put in place to manage the event safely.

Organisers emphasised the city’s desire to showcase its distinctive mix of urban culture, waterfront vistas and new sports infrastructure.

Representatives said the route was chosen to highlight Hong Kong’s harbour, skyline and sporting venues, underscoring its evolving role as a major sports city.

With the flame now gathered across the four regional cities, all eyes turn to the Games proper, where Hong Kong will field its largest-ever delegation of more than 600 athletes competing in 28 events.

The torch-relay event served both as a celebration and a public prelude to the competition ahead.

During his October visit to South Korea, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang sparked global attention with a viral “chimaek” (fried chicken and beer) dinner in Gangnam alongside Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group executive chair Chung Eui-sun.

However, the gathering notably did not include SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, head of SK Hynix — Nvidia’s largest supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips for AI systems.

Questions circulated over why a key player like SK Hynix was absent from the spontaneous meetup.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the dinner was never intended as a formal “Korea Inc.” summit but simply as a casual get-together: Huang himself described it as wanting to “eat chimaek with friends”, not hold a press conference.

The venue’s limited seating meant only a small circle could attend.

SK Hynix’s exclusion appears to be a matter of scheduling rather than cold-shouldering.

The company, which announced earlier in September that it had completed development of its mass-production-ready HBM4 memory chips, was engaged in separate meetings and discussions during the same visit.

Industry reports say Chey and SK Hynix executives were tied up in supplier negotiations and infrastructure planning with Huang and the Korean government, preventing attendance at the dinner.

The memory firm remains fully integrated into Nvidia’s ecosystem: earlier public disclosures from last year showed that Huang asked SK Hynix to accelerate delivery of its HBM4 chips by six months, a pivotal component in Nvidia’s next-generation AI systems.

Skipping the dinner thus provided no indication of a breakdown in relations.

For Samsung and Hyundai, the dinner symbolised high-level alignment with Nvidia in AI, semiconductors and mobility.

But its informal format and limited scope inadvertently sidelined SK Hynix, prompting analysis of perception versus substance in global tech diplomacy.

As Nvidia progresses its Korean visit — which coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit — the broader set of supplier discussions, infrastructure commitments and strategic announcements points to Seoul’s elevated role in Nvidia’s global AI supply chain.

SK Hynix remains a central player; its absence from the headline photo appears logistical rather than strategic.

The Rosewood Hong Kong has been awarded the No. 1 spot in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 list, beating out high-end competitors across the globe and marking a significant win for the city’s luxury-travel sector.

The accolade was revealed during a gala event in London and comes as Asia once again dominated the ranking, with six of the top ten properties located in the region.

Opened in 2019 and overlooking Victoria Harbour in the Victoria Dockside precinct, the Rosewood Hong Kong impressed judges with its expansive scale and design that blends modern sophistication with local identity.

With more than 400 rooms and a starting nightly rate near €750, the hotel was described as “a beacon of modern Asian minimalist hospitality” by the ranking organisers.

The second-place finish went to Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, while Bangkok’s Capella Bangkok took third.

Europe featured prominently as well, with Passalacqua on Lake Como ranked fourth and Raffles Singapore fifth.

Overall, Asia accounted for 18 of the top 50 entries, underscoring the region’s dominance in ultra-luxury hospitality.

In their commentary, the list organisers highlighted a widening trend: travellers are now favouring hotels that emphasise “experience over extravagance” – properties that offer authenticity, emotional resonance and a deep sense of place, rather than pure opulence.

This thematic shift helps explain why properties like Rosewood Hong Kong, which fuse local culture with high design, have surged ahead.

Europe and the Americas also held strong positions.

Italy claimed six hotels in the top 50, including major names in Paris and Florence, while the U.S. and Mexico showed rising representation, particularly in nature-based or design-forward properties.

Emerging destinations such as Kenya and Brazil also registered with standout entries, signalling broader global ambition in luxury travel.

For Hong Kong, the win represents more than just a prize.

It serves as a symbol of the city’s resurgence in global hospitality following pandemic disruptions, and reinforces its place as a creative hub in the Asia-Pacific’s luxury circuit.

The hotel’s owner-operator, Rosewood Hotel Group, said the award will further bolster its growth and brand positioning across the region.

Top-seeded Swiss player Belinda Bencic withdrew from the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Friday due to a thigh injury, allowing Spain’s Cristina Bucsa to advance to the semi-finals without playing her quarter-final match.

Bencic had defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Yafan Wang in earlier rounds but announced she could not continue further in Hong Kong because of her thigh discomfort.

Bucsa will face Australia’s No. 5 seed Maya Joint in the semi-final, after Joint secured her spot by defeating Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the quarter-finals.

In the bottom half of the draw an all-Canadian semi-final is set where No. 2 seed Leylah Fernandez beat Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea 6-4, 6-4, and No. 3 seed Victoria Mboko advanced when Anna Kalinskaya retired while trailing 6-1, 3-1.

Bencic, who entered the tournament fresh from a title in Tokyo, expressed regret that she would be unable to compete further and thanked Hong Kong for its hospitality.

While her withdrawal shifts the dynamic of the draw, the remaining top seeds remain on course to contest the title in the final week of the season.

This development underscores the physical toll on the tour as players contend with a crowded calendar and late-season demands.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has written to Hong Kong’s civil service, urging all 171,000 government employees to take part in the upcoming Legislative Council election on December 7 and set an example for society.

In his message, Lee cited the Civil Service Code and affirmed that casting a vote is “a manifestation of civil servants upholding” the Basic Law and demonstrating allegiance to the city.

The letter appeals to civil servants to vote as the “backbone of the government” and emphasises that taking part in elections is a civic duty.

Lee did not specify whether staff who do not vote could face disciplinary consequences, but he confirmed there is no hard target for turnout.

The government has also encouraged private-sector organisations and institutions to support voter participation.

Lee requested businesses to provide staff with opportunities to vote, highlighting that allowing civic participation is part of their social responsibility.

For its part, one major property group has announced half a day’s leave for staff to facilitate voting.

While the appeal to vote is not directed at any specific candidate or party, the tone of the campaign underscores the government’s emphasis on participation under the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong.” Reports indicate that civil-service unions are monitoring the arrangements, particularly whether leave provisions or other accommodations will be offered for staff on polling day.

The election authorities and government officials have pledged to ensure a safe, fair and orderly poll.

Lee reiterated that the election is integral to governance and that departments will make special arrangements for civil servants on duty to cast ballots.

The upcoming election will test whether participation can improve on the low turnout recorded in previous cycles.

With nominations now open, the government’s appeal to civil servants signals its intent to integrate public-sector workers into the wider effort to boost civic engagement across the city.

Hong Kong’s economy expanded by 3.8 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, official advance estimates showed, comfortably surpassing the Reuters-polled forecast of around 3.1 per cent.

The gain marks the eleventh straight quarter of growth for the territory.

The stronger-than-expected performance was driven by a 12.2 per cent rise in goods exports and a 2.1 per cent increase in private consumption expenditure during the July-to-September period.

Exports of services rose 6.1 per cent.

On a seasonally adjusted basis the economy grew 0.7 per cent compared with the previous quarter, up from 0.4 per cent in Q2.

Government officials said the outlook remains positive, with “further solid growth” expected for the remainder of 2025, supported by robust regional trade flows and sustained demand for electronics-related products.

However, some structural headwinds persist.

The unemployment rate rose to 3.9 per cent in the July-September period, and a consulting firm warned that industrial transformation is constrained by limited land and talent.

While the financial and trading sectors continue to recover, retail and hospitality remain less dynamic, highlighting a divergence within the economy.

The government has maintained its annual growth target of 2 to 3 per cent, despite the more-vibrant third-quarter performance.

Authorities also reduced the city’s main interest rate in line with developments in the United States, citing benefits to asset-market sentiment, while the pace of future rate cuts remains uncertain.

While the headline figures offer a clear indication of recovery momentum, analysts say that sustaining the gains will depend on deeper labour-market improvements, diversification of growth drivers and progress in areas such as real-estate reform and innovation industries.

Second-seeded Leylah Fernandez of Canada advanced to the semi-finals of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on Friday after defeating Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea 6-4, 6-4 in 1 h 44 m at Victoria Park.

Her victory secures an all-Canadian semi-final clash against compatriot Victoria Mboko, the tournament’s third seed, who progressed when Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya retired while trailing 6-1, 3-1.

The match between Fernandez, the 2023 champion and world No. 2 seed, and Mboko, aged 19 and rising fast, is scheduled no earlier than 3.30pm.

“It’s going to be an amazing match,” Fernandez said.

“Victoria has been playing great all year.

This match-up is simply great for Canadian tennis.” Meanwhile Mboko described Fernandez as a “true model for Canadian girls.”

Elsewhere in the draw, top seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland withdrew before her quarter-final match with Spain’s Cristina Bucsa due to a thigh injury, allowing Bucsa to advance.

Bucsa will face Australia’s fifth seed Maya Joint in the other semi-final, after Joint defeated Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

With the top seed now out, the path to the title is wide open.

Fernandez aims to add another Hong Kong trophy to her résumé, while Mboko seeks a breakthrough on the WTA 250 stage.

The match will not only determine the finalist but also carry significant momentum as the season draws to a close in Asia’s final stop on the women’s tour.

Hong Kong’s Rosewood Hong Kong has been officially named the world’s best hotel in the 2025 edition of The World’s 50 Best Hotels, the independent ranking announced at a ceremony in London.

This marks a significant achievement for both the hotel and the city’s standing in luxury hospitality.

The property, located on Kowloon’s waterfront in Victoria Dockside, offers 413 rooms and suites, eleven restaurants, a spa-and-wellness complex and sweeping views of Victoria Harbour.

Its win follows a strong previous showing and reflects growing recognition of its blend of design, service and local identity.

Asia again dominated the 2025 list, with eighteen of the top fifty hotels located in the region.

Notable entries alongside Rosewood Hong Kong include Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River (No. 2), The Upper House in Hong Kong (No. 4) and Passalacqua on Lake Como (No. 5).

Rosewood’s ascent to the top spot reflects broader trends in global luxury travel: micro-boutique experiences, thoughtful design rooted in sense of place and the value of authenticity over extravagance.

The hotel’s owner, hotel-group chief Sonia Cheng, called the award “a tribute to Hong Kong as a global hospitality capital”.

With this win, Hong Kong asserts its role not merely as a gateway city but as a destination where world-class hospitality is crafted locally and rivalled globally.

The accolade is expected to further boost inbound luxury tourism and support the city’s tourism and hospitality sector recovery in the post-pandemic era.

Rosewood Hong Kong now joins an elite circle of global properties cited across six continents, and its elevation to No. 1 will serve as a benchmark for hoteliers and travellers alike seeking experience, not just opulence.

As the awards ceremony revealed new categories such as “Best Boutique Hotel” (won by Passalacqua) and others recognising design, sustainability and new entries, the hospitality industry’s evolving priorities were on full display.

Rosewood Hong Kong’s position at the top embodies that evolution — modern luxury rooted in place and purpose.

The United States has taken major strategic steps to realign global supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals by finalising cooperation agreements with Malaysia and Thailand.

On 26 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Malaysia and Thailand aimed at securing direct access to resources and processing infrastructure outside of China’s dominance.

Under the pact with Malaysia, the two nations agreed to deepen collaboration on rare earth elements and other critical materials, and Malaysia committed to refrain from imposing export bans or quotas on these resources to the United States.

The agreement also opens the door for U.S. investment in Malaysian mineral processing and downstream industries, and a reciprocal trade component valued by Malaysian reporting at around US$150 billion.

Malaysia holds substantial rare earth deposits—estimated at 16.1 million metric tonnes—but has limited processing capability.

By partnering with the U.S., Kuala Lumpur seeks technology transfer and value-added growth in its mining sector.

Malaysia remains cautious, however: its trade minister reaffirmed that raw ore exports will continue to be restricted to ensure domestic processing remains in-country.

Simultaneously, the U.S. and Thailand signed their own MOU, also on 26 October, which covers exploration, extraction, processing, refining, recycling and recovery of critical minerals and rare earths.

Bangkok described the pact as non-binding and subject to Thai law, but recognised it as a strategic entry point to connect more firmly with U.S. supply chains for industries such as electric vehicles, clean energy, semiconductors and defence systems.

These agreements come at a time of heightened global concern over China’s dominant role in rare earth mining and processing—often estimated at roughly 70 percent of mining and 90 percent or more of global processing capacity.

The U.S. has been actively seeking to diversify its supply away from Beijing’s control, particularly since China introduced new export control measures in recent months that threatened to disrupt key industrial flows.

In Kuala Lumpur, the U.S. also advanced a reciprocal trade agreement with Malaysia that elevates bilateral ties to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.” The scope of the deal encompasses rare earths, aerospace procurement, semiconductors and data-centre infrastructure, and broad market access provisions for U.S. firms.

For Washington, the strategic logic is clear: to build more resilient, friend-shored supply lines for materials essential to next-generation technologies, renewable energy deployment and national security systems.

By shifting from dependency on a single supplier to regional partnerships in Southeast Asia, the United States is reshaping the geopolitical architecture of its industrial base.

For Malaysia and Thailand, catering to U.S. demand creates an opportunity to attract investment, ramp up domestic processing capacity and capture more value within their material-value chains.

However, both nations face practical challenges: the need for infrastructure, technology, regulatory clarity and environmental safeguards remains significant.

Beijing, for its part, is not standing still.

China’s state-linked firms are reportedly in discussions with Malaysia’s sovereign investment vehicles to build rare earth processing within Malaysia under Chinese terms—underscoring the competition for influence in the region.

While the signed MOUs do not instantly eliminate China’s dominant position, they signal a structural shift.

Investors and industrial planners take note: the era of “flat world” global supply chains appears to be giving way to a more region-anchored, supply-chain security-driven model centred in Washington’s orbit.

The next major test will be how swiftly the agreements translate into concrete production and processing capacity, and how Beijing reacts in kind or counters via its own strategic alliances.

United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping formalised a one-year trade truce following their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Busan, South Korea.

The accord delays several planned trade escalations, including Beijing’s export restrictions on rare earth minerals and Washington’s threatened increase in tariffs on Chinese goods.

Under the agreement, China will hold off on implementing new export controls for up to twelve months, while the U.S. will suspend immediate additional punitive tariffs—representing a strategic de-escalation in the world’s largest bilateral economic rivalry.

According to U.S. officials, the deal also includes commitments from China to boost imports of American agricultural goods, particularly soybeans, and to enhance cooperation on controlling the flow of fentanyl precursors.

President Trump praised the arrangement as a “deal done”, calling the summit a “twelve out of ten” success, and asserted that markets had reacted positively to the renewed stability in global trade relations.

Chinese state media offered guarded confirmation, saying the two nations had reached a “basic consensus” and pledged to maintain channels for economic coordination.

Despite the breakthrough, analysts caution that the agreement represents a tactical pause rather than a comprehensive settlement: core disputes such as semiconductor export controls, Taiwanese supply-chain access, and Chinese industrial subsidies remain unresolved.

Officials emphasised that a detailed framework is still under negotiation, and both sides will hold senior-level follow-up talks in the coming weeks.

From Washington’s perspective, the truce validates Trump’s approach of pressing for reciprocal trade terms while offering flexibility in pursuit of de-risking supply-chain dependencies and restoring U.S. industrial leadership.

Beijing, meanwhile, views the hiatus as an opportunity to stabilise foreign investment flows and preserve access to critical export markets.

With tensions temporarily subdued, attention now turns to implementation: companies and investors will assess whether the pause heralds a durable shift or simply a breathing space before further confrontation.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China had “made a real mistake” by threatening to restrict exports of rare-earth minerals, arguing the move has undermined Beijing’s own influence over global supply chains.

In a recent interview, Bessent said that while relations between Washington and Beijing have stabilised somewhat, China’s decision to use rare earths as a geopolitical tool has triggered an international effort to secure alternative sources.

Bessent explained that China’s tightening of export licenses for rare earths and other critical minerals alarmed industries and governments worldwide, prompting a rapid shift to new suppliers in countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United States.

He predicted that within two years, China’s dominance in the rare-earth market would lose its coercive edge.

“They fired the first shot—and it’s going to cost them,” Bessent said.

The Treasury Secretary described the current balance between the two powers as an “equilibrium,” achieved through measured diplomacy between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping.

He credited Trump’s economic and industrial strategy for reinforcing U.S. resilience, noting that the United States remains “the world’s premier military power and the strongest economy,” while regaining its competitive edge in technology and manufacturing.

China has defended its export controls, insisting they are consistent with international trade rules and designed to ensure responsible resource management.

However, Washington and its allies view the move as a strategic misstep that accelerates diversification away from Chinese supply chains.

Bessent said the United States remains open to cooperation with Beijing but warned that “coercive trade practices will only isolate China further.”

The recent emergence of a sweeping U.S. policy initiative suggests that international students and their families must look beyond mere academic credentials when choosing higher-education destinations.

Under the so-called “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” introduced by the administration of Donald Trump, American institutions would commit to ideological and institutional reforms in exchange for privileged federal funding access.

Proposals include limits on international undergraduate enrolment, mandatory standardised testing, and a freeze on tuition for five years for participating institutions.

While the compact was initially extended to nine major U.S. universities, subsequent data indicates most have declined to endorse it.

For students from Hong Kong and other international markets, this development alters the calculus of choosing the United States for tertiary study.

Institutions may increasingly emphasise domestic regulatory alignment and funding priorities over international recruitment.

In parallel, U.S. visa rules now face more restrictions: students may encounter fixed enrollment terms, tighter social-media screening, expanded fees and policy changes designed to curb enrolment from specific nationalities — particularly Chinese students in science and technology fields.

The strategy reflects a broader erosion of the open U.S. higher-education model, as tuition-dependant universities confront federal leverage over admissions, faculty hiring, curriculum design and international-student quotas.

Hong Kong students, who once viewed U.S. campuses as global launchpads, must now factor in shifting policy landscapes and institutional stability.

Meanwhile, the push for diversification of study destinations is gaining traction.

Countries in Asia, Europe and the Pacific are stepping up recruitment efforts, offering more predictable visa regimes and growing international student services.

For Hong Kong’s student community, this presents an opportunity to evaluate new pathways where academic quality is complemented by institutional autonomy, visa reliability and meaningful post-graduation support.

Ultimately, the decision to study abroad might hinge less on institutional prestige and more on how well universities adapt to evolving geopolitical and regulatory realities.

The Hong Kong government’s decision to pause commercial land sales for a second consecutive year has raised alarms about the city’s fiscal resilience and planning of major development projects.

The Development Secretary Bernadette Linn Hon-ho confirmed that due to weak demand, no further commercial sites will be offered this year, even as residential prices show tentative signs of recovery.

Recent data indicate the residential market may have reached a floor: the government’s index of lived-in home prices rose 1.3 per cent in September, the highest monthly gain in over a year, and up-market first-hand transactions between HK$30 million and HK$49.99 million reached a ten-month high in the first twenty days of October.

Yet the commercial sector tells a different story.

Analysts highlight that office vacancy rates remain elevated and demand sluggish, prompting the government to delay land-sales tenders and defer public-revenue expectations tied to land premiums.

Land sales have been a core revenue stream for the city, helping to underpin its low-tax regime and infrastructure agenda.

With the freeze in place, the risk is that funding for major developments may become strained or protracted.

The editorial perspective argues that while caution is warranted given market conditions, the government cannot wait indefinitely for a full market rebound before re-engaging with land auctions.

Delayed supply and stagnant tenders could hinder timely investment decisions and inflate costs on schemes already in motion.

To maintain fiscal balance, some suggest the government should reassess site-release timing, repurpose under-demand commercial stock into residential or modern-industry uses, and coordinate policy flexibly.

Meanwhile, the property market’s improvement offers a window for a phased return to sales, but the broader concern remains whether investor confidence and institutional demand will follow.

With land-sale revenue sharply diminished and the economy still navigating uncertainty, Hong Kong’s status as a business and development hub may depend on the pace at which the government realigns supply-side strategy with emerging market realities.

As admissions season gathers pace in Hong Kong, many schools are moving beyond grades and formal exams to assess broader student competencies such as cognitive reasoning, social-emotional development and interpersonal skills.

This shift reflects a growing view that academic results alone cannot capture a young learner’s full potential.

Admissions directors at leading international schools in the city say they review indicators like numerical and non-verbal reasoning, an ability to engage in community, and behaviours that suggest a student is a “whole-learner”.

“These are ways of describing observable learning behaviours, rather than just focusing on test scores,” says Joanne Stanley, director of admissions at a French international school.

She emphasises that the terms may sound opaque but refer to clear competencies schools observe in interview settings or interactive tasks.

At the Canadian International School Hong Kong, the admissions director Emily Pong highlights that non-exam formats allow educators to evaluate how a student thinks, collaborates and adapts in varied settings.

“This ensures that we’re not just looking at isolated data points, but rather understanding the child as a whole learner and community member,” she explains.

Schools often include short essays, on-campus tasks, group activities and interviews that probe student curiosity, resilience and social awareness in practice.

International-school observers say the shift is driven by evolving university expectations and a more competitive admissions environment.

A recent survey of 327 Hong Kong secondary schools found that parental demand for “whole-person development” is rising alongside academic performance.

Scholars note the transition remains complex in a system long shaped by exam-dominated culture, though reforms to the curriculum have aimed to promote student-centred learning and lifelong skills.

Parents navigating this change are advised to explore schools’ philosophies rather than simply chasing grades.

Admissions professionals recommend letting children talk about their interests, try out tasks that require reasoning or collaboration beyond lessons, and practise articulating what they enjoy and how they work with others.

Rather than trying to decipher every buzzword, one admissions director suggests: “Focus on whether a school truly values who your child is, and how they will grow in that environment.”