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.

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.”

Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko produced a gritty comeback to defeat her close friend and travelling companion Alexandra Eala of the Philippines 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the 2025 Hong Kong Tennis Open, moving her in striking distance of a Top-20 Women’s Tennis Association ranking.

The third seed found herself trailing 1-4 in the deciding set before rattling off five consecutive games to clinch the victory.

“I’ve known her for such a long time, so that made it a little emotional,” Mboko admitted in her on-court interview.

“I really had to fight for every single point.

I think it was just an unbelievable match.” The pair embraced after Eala’s loss, underlining their friendship off-court and competitive drive on the surface.

Mboko, who captured her first WTA 1000 title in Montréal in August, continues a breakthrough season and stands at a career-high ranking of world No. 21. With a win over sixth seed Anna Kalinskaya looming in the quarter-finals, she could ascend into the Top-20 for the first time.

Eala, ranked No. 51, also enjoyed a strong 2025 season and remains a trailblazer for Philippine tennis.

Although she could not complete the turnaround, she pushed Mboko deep and will regroup for the remainder of the Asian swing.

The match ends one chapter of their friendly rivalry but opens another for Mboko’s pursuit of higher ranking and consistent major-tournament results.

Hong Kong’s public-health authorities have been urged to prepare for heightened risk of transmission of Chikungunya fever during the upcoming National Games of the People’s Republic of China (Nov 9-21) co-hosted by the city, Guangdong Province and Macau, as the viral outbreak in Guangdong remains unchecked, a leading academic said.

Jasper Chan, professor of microbiology at The University of Hong Kong, noted that while case numbers in Guangdong have eased from earlier highs, transmission has not been fully contained.

“There was a period when the situation was very serious, with hundreds or even more cases reported every day,” he said, adding that the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital “frequently received cases … including locally acquired ones and those infected elsewhere.”

He highlighted that the elevated risk stems from increased mobility between Hong Kong and mainland-city participants, spectators and service staff entering the region for the National Games.

“With the increased traffic flow between the mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong and more frequent trips of Hongkongers to other cities within the Bay Area, the risks will inevitably become higher,” he warned.

Despite the potential threat, Hong Kong’s health authorities say no locally transmitted case has yet been confirmed in the city this year; all known cases have been imported.

However, the central vector of transmission—Aedes albopictus mosquitoes—is present across urban and suburban areas, and conditions such as rainfall and temperature are considered conducive to breeding.

The government has responded by reviewing surveillance strategies, enhancing mosquito-control measures at boundary control points and stepping up public-education campaigns.

The professor urged travellers entering or returning from mainland-China cities to remain vigilant, apply insect repellent regularly and seek medical attention if symptoms such as fever, rash or joint pain develop.

The unfolding situation places the city on alert as it readies itself for one of the largest sporting gatherings it has hosted in years and underscores the challenge of managing cross-border public-health risks in the region.

Hong Kong’s major banks have slashed their prime lending rates — some to a record low of five per cent — following the Federal Reserve’s reduction of its benchmark rate, a move the city’s finance chief said will ease pressure on borrowers and bolster sentiment in the territory.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo‑po told reporters in Riyadh that “I welcome the rate cut, as it could lower the pressure on residents and businesspeople paying their mortgages.” He noted that the city’s rate-setting is closely tied to U.S. monetary policy through the linked-exchange-rate system, prompting the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to cut its base rate to 4.25 per cent on Thursday, in lock-step with the U.S. cut to a range of 3.75 to 4.00 per cent.

Chan said the economy was “doing okay”, pointing to stabilising activity in retail, catering and property sectors, and said that a clearer path to rate relief was improving confidence: “When people see a clearer prospect of the rate-cut cycle and feel confident, the lived-in home market will be revitalised.

The market sentiment will improve.” Industry analysts welcomed the move as timely for households carrying Hong Kong dollar mortgages tied to prime.

Despite the rate relief, the finance chief reiterated a measured growth forecast for the year at two to three per cent, citing a challenging external environment.

He emphasised that although rates were easing, external variables such as trade tensions and global inflation still required vigilance.

Chan added that authorities will continue monitoring the property and consumer landscapes closely and that the latest cut should be seen as part of a broader support effort rather than immediate relief alone.

The rate-cut cycle begins at a time when Hong Kong is seeking to bolster its economic recovery, drawing on tourism rebounds and commercial inflows while managing its role as an international financial hub amid global volatility.

With borrowing costs set to moderate, homeowners and businesses alike may find renewed breathing space as local markets absorb the policy shift.

Hong Kong’s 17th International Wine & Spirits Fair will run from 6 to 8 November 2025 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

According to the event’s latest briefing, more than 620 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions will present a broad selection of wines, spirits, low- and no-alcohol beverages, beer, sake and related accessories.

A key feature this year is the new “World of Spirits” zone, which will showcase products from 13 regions including Australia, Ireland, Russia and the Chinese Mainland — with Chinese baijiu brands such as Kweichow Moutai, Luzhou Laojiao and Wuliangye among the headline participants.

The expansion of this zone aligns with last year’s reduction in liquor duty, a policy move that has encouraged exhibitors to explore the Hong Kong market and beyond.

In addition to beverage tastings, the fair will host seminars, masterclasses and blind-tasting sessions led by recognised industry figures.

The “Friends of Wine” zone will present gourmet foods and snacks to accompany beverages, and the final day will allow wine and spirits enthusiasts from the public to attend a designated section of the fair.

Trade-only access applies for the first two days.

Exhibitors from the Chinese Mainland include firms from Fujian, Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Xinjiang and Zhejiang, reflecting the diversity of supply-chain origins.

International participants stretch from Argentina, Brazil and Chile to France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, the United States and more.

By serving as a staging ground for both high-end imports and local brand innovation, the event underscores Hong Kong’s ongoing role as a regional hub for fine beverages and international trade.

Attendees will have early next month to engage with global beverage trends, investment-grade spirits and the latest in low-alcohol lifestyle products.

Five individuals were arrested in Hong Kong on Tuesday under charges of rioting and sedition linked to the 2019 anti-government protests, with the city’s police force confirming the detentions.

Superintendent Simon Cheung Pak-kit of the National Security Department stated that two men and three women were apprehended in Kowloon Bay and the New Territories, and HK$250,000 (approximately US$32,200) was seized in connection with the case.

A source familiar with the matter identified one suspect as 32-year-old Ng Tsz-lok, who was acquitted last month of conspiracy to bomb prescribed objects—charges arising from an alleged plot to trigger explosions at three public locations to force the government to close city borders during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Police emphasised that the current investigation is separate from the earlier bomb-plot trial and is grounded in newly developed evidence.

The charges centre on alleged involvement in rioting and acts with seditious intent tied to the events of 2019 and the imposition of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Observers regard this move as the latest in a sustained campaign by Hong Kong authorities to pursue cases arising from the large-scale protests, with some critics pointing to a broad interpretation of sedition provisions.

Legal experts note that sedition and related charges carry rising importance in Hong Kong’s policing of protest-related activity, given the overhaul of the city’s security legal framework in recent years.

The arrest of one individual recently cleared of serious charges adds complexity to the case and raises questions about the criteria for targeting suspects.

The development comes as the city remains on high alert for unrest ahead of politically sensitive anniversaries and as authorities reinforce a message of deterrence.

The five detainees are in custody and formal charges have yet to be filed publicly.

Police did not disclose further identities or details of the alleged activities.

The case underscores the continuing legal and political fallout from the 2019 movement and the evolving use of colonial-era and new security statutes in addressing public disorder and political dissent in Hong Kong.

Veteran Hong Kong actor Hui Shiu-hung—widely known by his nickname “Benz Hui”—passed away at the age of 76 on 28 October 2025 from multiple organ failure caused by cancer.

While he is best remembered for his esteemed five-decade career in film and television, Hui’s family heritage reveals deep roots in China’s merchant and official class.

In a 2024 interview, Hui disclosed that his ancestor, Xu Baiting (Cantonese: Hui Bai-ting), was ranked among the four major salt merchants of nineteenth-century Guangzhou.

Salt, a vital industrial and strategic commodity in imperial China, was included under state monopolies and contributed substantially to the Qing dynasty’s revenues.

Xu built considerable wealth through salt trading and maintained a private naval force to suppress piracy—actions that earned him official recognition from provincial authorities.

Hui’s ancestors also held high-ranking positions during the late Qing era: one served as aide to Empress Dowager Cixi and was regarded as a trusted imperial official; other branches of the family were involved in revolutionary-era politics and education reform in southern China.

Hui himself was born in Hong Kong in 1948, spent parts of his childhood in Guangzhou, and later became one of the territory’s most respected character actors.

His revelation of merchant ancestry offers insight into how business and official networks intertwined in Guangdong’s reform era and highlights the social mobility of merchant families who bridged commerce, governance and diplomacy.

Hui’s own legacy in the arts now joins that lineage of enterprise and public service, underscoring the family’s longstanding engagement with Hong Kong’s cultural and economic sphere.

Hong Kong’s major universities are reporting a sharp rise in non-local student enrolments—nearly doubling since 2021—with the influx driven chiefly by postgraduate study entrants from the Chinese mainland and beyond.

That growth is helping offset local demographic decline and is already affecting the city’s economy through rising rental demand and institutional property acquisitions.

The government announced in September that from the 2026-27 academic year, publicly funded universities will be permitted to admit non-local undergraduates—on a self-financing basis—up to fifty per cent of the local-student intake, up from the current forty-per-cent ceiling.

The over-enrolment ceiling for self-financing places in funded research postgraduate programmes will also rise from one hundred to one hundred and twenty per cent.

Institutions such as the University of Hong Kong (HKU) admitted more than twelve hundred first-year non-local undergraduates in autumn 2024—about a fifty-per-cent increase year-on-year—with half of that number hailing from the mainland.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) lists over forty-per-cent of its undergraduates and postgraduate students as non-local.

Universities are drawing strength from this shift.

HKU recently climbed to eleventh in the QS World University Rankings, out-ranking elite institutions such as Yale and Princeton, and surpassing Tsinghua and Peking Universities.

Observers attribute part of the leap to international diversification and aggressive global recruitment.

Institutions are simultaneously turning to property acquisition to accommodate the rising student numbers—amid a broader backdrop of rental-market pressure in the city.

Developers and universities alike are converting hotels and residential blocks into dormitories and student housing to meet demand.

This expansion comes at a time when Hong Kong’s wider economy is subdued, with the property market in long-term downturn and consumer sentiment weak.

The higher-education surge is providing a boost—though institutions caution that the accommodation challenge remains acute.

The government’s strategy aligns with its ambition to position Hong Kong as a global education hub.

A “Study in Hong Kong: Your World-class Campus” campaign and the creation of a “Task Force on Study in Hong Kong” accompany the regulatory changes, all aimed at attracting top global talent.

While questions about local student displacement and rising housing costs persist, the record numbers and improved ranking performance demonstrate that Hong Kong’s universities are not just holding steady—they are overtaking some mainland rivals and repositioning themselves as global players.