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Wang Fuk Court administrator outlines HK$127 million refund for displaced owners
Business

Wang Fuk Court administrator outlines HK$127 million refund for displaced owners

Residents express dissatisfaction as administrator says HK$180 million in renovation levies have been paid, with remaining funds set aside for refunds Wang Fuk Court’s administrator has revealed that HK$180 million (US$22.9 million) has been paid to parties involved in the estate’s renovation project, with the remaining HK$127 million to be refunded to owners displaced by one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires in decades. The details were disclosed during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, one of two sessions arranged for residents by Hop On Management Company, the government-appointed administrator of the Tai Po estate following the fire. The second session is scheduled for May 20. The meetings were organised after more than 240 owners, representing over 12 per cent of households at Wang Fuk Court, petitioned Hop On in late April to convene an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) within 45 days, warning they might take legal action if their request was ignored. Since being appointed in January to represent the management committee of the Wang Fuk Court owners’ corporation, Hop On said it had completed the handover of 890,000 digital files from ISS EastPoint, the estate’s previous property management firm.

‘Frogs in a well’: Chinese diplomat slams Europe’s ‘outdated’ approach to China
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‘Frogs in a well’: Chinese diplomat slams Europe’s ‘outdated’ approach to China

Foreign ministry’s European Affairs chief warns about pitfalls of protectionism, says Beijing ready to address Brussels’ concerns A senior Chinese diplomat has accused Europe of taking an outdated, inward-looking approach to China, while signalling that Beijing is open to addressing Brussels’ concerns. Li Jian, director general of the Chinese foreign ministry’s Department of European Affairs, delivered his strongly worded speech at a high-level forum on Tuesday. Addressing the event, Li used a string of traditional Chinese idioms and other colourful expressions to criticise Europe’s approach towards China. He warned that “some voices arising in Europe” sought to push China-Europe ties “away from the track of long-term cooperation” and towards “comprehensive competition, or even confrontation”.

Top Swedish universities eager to forge ties with city, Hong Kong minister says
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Top Swedish universities eager to forge ties with city, Hong Kong minister says

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong says visit aimed at strengthening collaboration in innovation and technology Top Swedish universities are eager to deepen collaboration with Hong Kong in areas such as life sciences, the city’s innovation and technology minister has told the South China Morning Post during a visit to the country to strengthen ties. “What impressed us most during this trip to Sweden is the incredible enthusiasm of Swedish organisations, groups and individuals for cooperating with Hong Kong. This exceeded my expectations,” Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said on Tuesday, after visiting KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the Karolinska Institutet and Uppsala University in Sweden. “I have extended invitations to the three universities, hoping they will utilise our platforms such as InnoHK and the soon-to-be-established Life and Health Technology Research Institute. Many start-ups also hope to expand into the Chinese market while raising funds in Hong Kong to pursue global development.” The trip marked Sun’s first official visit to Northern Europe since taking office, with a stop in Helsinki, Finland, scheduled after Sweden.

Why Trump’s visit to Beijing has Taiwan on edge about US arms sales
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Why Trump’s visit to Beijing has Taiwan on edge about US arms sales

Taipei fears US leader’s transactional approach to diplomacy could turn the island into a bargaining chip for a broader Sino-American deal Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said arms sales to Taiwan would be among the issues discussed with Xi, who has long opposed Washington’s military support for the island. The remarks immediately reignited debate in Taiwan over whether Trump’s transactional approach to diplomacy could undermine the “Six Assurances” – long-standing US commitments that Washington would not consult Beijing in advance on arms sales to Taiwan. On Tuesday, Taiwanese foreign ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei said the island was “closely monitoring US-China interactions and maintaining close communication with Washington” to safeguard its interests.

US consumer inflation jumps as Iran war sends energy prices higher
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US consumer inflation jumps as Iran war sends energy prices higher

Inflation had been dropping more or less steadily since peaking with a 9.1 per cent year-over-year spike in prices in June 2022 US consumer prices climbed sharply again last month as the 10-week war with Iran pushed energy prices higher. The Labor Department’s consumer price index rose 3.8 per cent from April 2025, according to data released on Tuesday. On a month-to-month basis, April prices rose 0.6 per cent from March as petrol prices rose 5.4 per cent during the month; the month-over-month gain was down from 0.9 per cent increase from February to March. Labor Department figures showed that petrol prices are up more than 28 per cent compared with a year ago. However, the AAA motor club listed the average regular gallon of petrol above US$4.50 on Tuesday, about 44 per cent more than it cost last year at this time. Excluding volatile food and energy costs, so-called consumer core prices rose 0.4 per cent last month from March and 2.8 per cent from April 2025, relatively modest readings that suggest the energy price burst has yet to spill over more broadly into other prices. Grocery prices rose 0.7 per cent from March to April as meat prices rose. Those prices had retreated slightly the month before.

Trump’s cadre of CEOs hunts for wins in China, from soybeans to semiconductors
Business

Trump’s cadre of CEOs hunts for wins in China, from soybeans to semiconductors

Corporate leaders join this week’s state visit, with a diverse group eyeing market access and stability amid frictions Beyond high-profile names like Apple’s Tim Cook, a number of lesser-known CEOs joining US President Donald Trump on his trip to China this week represent industries caught in the crossfire of the trade war, analysts said, and are expected to push for deeper engagement rather than risk becoming a “geopolitical football”. Seventeen American CEOs have been invited in total, according to a list released by the White House on Monday – a smaller business delegation than in 2017, when 27 high-profile executives joined. “These companies are looking for engagement, both with China and with the Trump administration,” said Kent Kedl, managing partner at Blue Ocean Advisors. “They all know that they’re in sectors with significant exposure to geopolitical tensions between the US and China, and that the future is very unpredictable.” Dina Powell McCormick, president and vice-chair of Meta Platforms, Illumina CEO Jacob Thaysen and Coherent CEO Jim Anderson were also on the list.

Trump says Cuba is seeking help, will hold talks
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Trump says Cuba is seeking help, will hold talks

Trump had threatened that Cuba was ‘next’ after the US military seized ‌the leader of long-time Cuban ally Venezuela earlier this year US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Cuba was asking for help and “we are going to talk”, without providing any more detail. “No Republican ‌has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction – down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the ⁠meantime, I’m off to China!” Trump wrote on social media. Representatives for the White House and the State Department could not be immediately reached ‌for comment. Representatives for Havana also could not ⁠be immediately ⁠reached. Trump had threatened that Cuba was “next” after the US military seized ‌the leader of long-time Cuban ally Venezuela earlier this year and has ‌since imposed ‌fresh financial sanctions and expanded others. His administration has ‌also imposed a fuel blockade, curtailed US travel and ⁠remittances to the island nation and sought to dissuade regional ⁠allies from contracting Cuban doctors. China, where Trump is travelling this week to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, ‌has called ‌on Washington to immediately end its embargo and sanctions on Havana.

Elon Musk joins Trump’s Beijing delegation as a ‘natural bridge’ for trade
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Elon Musk joins Trump’s Beijing delegation as a ‘natural bridge’ for trade

Gigafactory stakes and a push for self-driving software approval cast the billionaire as a key US envoy while seemingly sealing a reconciliation with Trump The Tesla and SpaceX chief’s presence alongside Trump for meetings with President Xi Jinping adds a distinctive commercial and personal layer to a diplomatically delicate trip. “Musk’s inclusion in Trump’s China delegation has indeed come as a surprise to many,” said Bai Wenxi, chief economist at China Enterprise Capital Union (CECU). Bai suggested that the move signals Washington’s effort to ease tensions by prioritising commercial interests, recognising that progress – including on issues such as Taiwan, tariffs and artificial intelligence controls – requires leveraging business figures deeply embedded in the Chinese market. Musk’s local standing was most visibly cemented with the rise of Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai – the firm’s first wholly foreign-owned automotive plant in China. The facility was approved unusually quickly and became a flagship project in Beijing’s broader push to signal openness to advanced manufacturing and global capital.

Hong Kong police arrest 2 women after sewage-soaked puppy found in bin, put down
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Hong Kong police arrest 2 women after sewage-soaked puppy found in bin, put down

Golden Retriever pup, suffering from terminal canine distemper, found in rubbish bin drenched in sewage and chilli oil Hong Kong police have arrested two women on suspicion of animal cruelty after a sick three-month-old Golden Retriever was found dumped in a rubbish bin in Mong Kok, covered in sewage, and later euthanised. Inspector Yip Ho-lam said on Tuesday that police opened an investigation Saturday morning after a street cleaner discovered the puppy inside a bin in the alley behind 104 Hak Po Street. Officers from the animal crime investigation team later took over the case. “The puppy was immediately handed over to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for medical treatment and care. Following an examination, it was identified as a three-month-old Golden Retriever. It had no identification microchip and was in poor health,” Yip said. After reviewing CCTV footage and seeking help from local veterinary clinics, police tracked the suspects to a residential unit in Ho Man Tin and arrested two women, aged 28 and 39, on Monday morning. They were released on bail and must report to police in mid-June. During a search of the flat, officers discovered three additional dogs.

China backs Hong Kong courts, ignores calls to free Jimmy Lai ahead of Trump visit
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China backs Hong Kong courts, ignores calls to free Jimmy Lai ahead of Trump visit

Beijing reaffirms support for Hong Kong judiciary as foreign ministry calls former media boss ‘principal mastermind’ of 2019 anti-government protests China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reaffirmed its “firm support” for Hong Kong’s judicial authorities when asked whether Beijing would consider releasing jailed former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying ahead of US President Donald Trump’s three-day state visit starting Wednesday. “[Jimmy] Lai Chee-ying is the principal mastermind and perpetrator behind the riots that shook Hong Kong,” ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing, when asked whether Beijing would consider Lai’s release if Trump raised the issue during talks with Chinese officials. “Hong Kong affairs are China’s internal affairs. The central government of China firmly supports the Hong Kong judicial authorities in performing duties in accordance with the law.” Guo’s remarks came a day before Trump’s much-anticipated visit to China, which had previously been delayed and is taking place at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. The summit comes amid a US-Iran ceasefire and will mark the first time a US president has visited China since 2017, when Trump travelled there during his first term.

In a bind over rare earths, Europe watches US-China tussle from the sidelines
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In a bind over rare earths, Europe watches US-China tussle from the sidelines

As Xi Jinping and Donald Trump prepare to meet in Beijing, one European diplomat says the bloc is aware ‘we have little leverage here’ Crucially, there was now an extraterritorial element: China could deny exports not only to direct buyers, but also restrict products made in third countries if they contained Chinese-origin rare earth content or controlled inputs. “It’s not the most fun thing for a diplomat to say that I’ve been shepherding a steadily declining relationship on a daily basis for the last four years and trying to manage decline … but it’s hard to disagree,” Porter said.

Opposing Taiwan independence is in America’s own interest
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Opposing Taiwan independence is in America’s own interest

During Trump’s visit, Washington has an opportunity to send a restrained but clear signal that it is willing to work with China to manage risks This could be the moment when a clear US stance against Taiwan independence would carry the lowest cost and yield the highest return. If the Taiwan Strait spirals out of control, China and the US would risk a systemic confrontation affecting finance, supply chains, energy markets and military security. This would serve neither China’s interests nor those of the US, and certainly not those of Asia or the wider world.