Hong Kong Times

Senate Scrutinises AI-Driven Personalised Pricing

A hearing led by Senator Josh Hawley examined whether companies can use browsing, location and purchasing data to charge different customers different prices for the same product.

Cyberport Joins Greater Bay Area Innovation Fund to Support Technology Startups

Cyberport has become a strategic partner in the Taiping Greater Bay Area innovation fund, which will invest in artificial intelligence and digital technology startups to strengthen innovation links across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.

Hong Kong Sets Five Percent Interest Rate for Silver Bond Payment

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority confirmed that the next interest payment on the Silver Bond Series due in twenty twenty-six will carry a guaranteed annual interest rate of five percent, providing stable returns for eligible retail inves...

Hong Kong Unveils Artificial Intelligence Training Initiative for Fifty Thousand People

The Hong Kong government has launched a fifty million Hong Kong dollar programme to provide artificial intelligence training to fifty thousand residents, students and professionals over the next two years, helping businesses and workers ...

Hong Kong Home Sales Fall Sharply as High Interest Rates Weigh on Property Market

Residential property transactions in Hong Kong dropped more than forty percent in July, with both sales value and transaction volumes declining as elevated borrowing costs continued to dampen buyer demand.

HSBC First-Half Profit Rises Twenty-Three Percent on Strong Asia Wealth Management Growth

HSBC reported first-half pre-tax profit of nineteen point five billion United States dollars, up twenty-three percent from a year earlier, as its Asia wealth business attracted fifty-seven billion dollars in net new assets, primarily thr...

Hong Kong and Macao Police Break Up Ninety-Four Million Dollar Cryptocurrency Fraud Operation

Authorities in Hong Kong and Macao arrested eight people during a joint operation targeting an alleged cryptocurrency investment fraud worth ninety-four million Hong Kong dollars, highlighting growing cross-border cooperation against fin...

Artificial Intelligence Is Becoming a Central Pillar of Hong Kong's Economic Strategy

Government-backed training programmes and new technology investment partnerships reflect Hong Kong's efforts to build digital skills, support innovation and deepen integration with the Greater Bay Area's technology ecosystem.

UBS Raises Hong Kong Economic Growth Forecast to Four Point Five Percent

UBS has upgraded its full-year growth forecast for Hong Kong to four point five percent after stronger-than-expected first-half economic expansion, citing resilient private consumption and solid growth in high-value exports.

Chinese Tax Enforcement on Hong Kong Insurance Policies Weighs on Financial Stocks

Mainland Chinese tax authorities have begun enforcing a twenty percent personal income tax on returns from Hong Kong-issued offshore insurance policies, triggering a sharp sell-off in financial shares as investors assessed the implicatio...

Unitree Technology Expects Strong Revenue Growth on Rising Robotics Demand

Humanoid robotics company Unitree Technology forecasts first-half revenue of about one point one billion yuan, representing year-on-year growth of up to forty-five percent as demand for commercial robotics continues to expand.

Artificial Intelligence Demand Drives Apple Mac Mini Shortages in Shenzhen

Electronics retailers in Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei market are reporting shortages of high-specification Apple Mac mini computers as developers purchase the devices to run open-source artificial intelligence agents, reflecting growing demand...

Competition Is Driving Faster Innovation and Lower Costs in China's Artificial Intelligence Sector

Technology companies are releasing increasingly capable open-source artificial intelligence models, intensifying competition and reducing deployment costs for enterprise customers across China.

China's Economy Shows Diverging Performance Between Traditional Industry and High Technology

Recent economic data point to weaker manufacturing momentum and domestic demand, while exports of advanced technology products continue to support growth in major manufacturing and trading centers.

China's Semiconductor Industry Continues to Expand Its Global Commercial Presence

The growing adoption of Chinese-made memory chips by international computer manufacturers suggests the country's semiconductor industry is making further progress from domestic development into commercial global supply chains.

Roborock Secures More Than Seventy Percent of South Korea's Robot Vacuum Market

Chinese smart appliance maker Roborock has captured more than seventy percent of South Korea's robot vacuum market, with overseas revenue exceeding domestic sales for the first time as the company expands its international presence.

ChangXin Memory Wins Supply Deals With Global Personal Computer Brands

ChangXin Memory Technologies has begun supplying memory chips for selected budget laptop models produced by HP, Asus and Acer outside the United States, marking a significant step in the company's expansion into international semiconduct...

China Approves New Nuclear Power Projects and Signals Further Economic Policy Support

China's State Council approved four new nuclear power projects and called for incremental measures to expand domestic demand and advance six major national infrastructure networks, as policymakers prepare priorities for the Fifteenth Fiv...

China Manufacturing Growth Slows as Caixin Factory Index Falls to Four-Month Low

The Caixin China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index eased to 50.9 in July, while the official manufacturing index remained in contraction at 49.2, pointing to softer industrial momentum and reinforcing expectations for addi...

Alibaba Unveils Qwen3.8-Max as Artificial Intelligence Competition Intensifies

Alibaba has launched its largest artificial intelligence model to date, stepping up competition with domestic rivals as lower-cost open-source models accelerate price competition across China's enterprise artificial intelligence market.

China Imposes Sanctions on Six United States Organizations

China's Ministry of Commerce announced sanctions against six United States entities, including Applied DNA Sciences, in response to Washington's restrictions on Chinese companies over alleged forced labor, further escalating tensions bet...

Shenzhen and Shanghai Lead China's Record Foreign Trade Growth

Shenzhen and Shanghai remained China's two largest foreign trade cities in the first half of the year, driven by strong exports of integrated circuits, smart products and new energy vehicles as advanced manufacturing continues to support...

Ant Group's Artificial Intelligence Unit Seeks Two Hundred and Twenty-Two Million Dollars in New Funding

Ant Group's artificial intelligence subsidiary, RobbyAnt, is raising two hundred and twenty-two million dollars to expand its enterprise artificial intelligence services and large language model capabilities as technology companies incre...

Intel China Expands Support for Domestic Artificial Intelligence Models

Intel China has completed day-one hardware optimization for MiniMax H3 after earlier supporting DeepSeek, reflecting continued efforts by global chipmakers to remain competitive within China's rapidly evolving artificial intelligence eco...

AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices

The race to build data centres and buy advanced chips is lifting investment, construction and stock values, while increasing debt, import demand and pressure on technology supply chains.

Indonesia’s Free School Meals Plan Has Been Hit by Poisoning, Corruption and Cuts

President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship nutrition programme aimed to reach tens of millions of children and pregnant women, but its rapid rollout has exposed major failures in food safety and oversight.

US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention

Washington joined Tokyo in buying yen after the currency fell to a four-decade low, raising the stakes for global bond markets as well as Japan’s economy.

The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills

Falling model costs are colliding with soaring use of AI agents, leaving software firms unsure whether to charge by subscription, usage or results.

Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware

OpenAI has answered Apple’s trade-secrets allegations with published emails and messages, turning a dispute over former employees into a test of both companies’ device ambitions.

UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000

Christopher Phillips concealed Sylvia Phillips’s death for nearly three years at their home in south Wales while her pension and benefits continued to be paid.

Employers Seek Ban on Moneylender Loans for Foreign Domestic Workers

Employer groups are urging the Hong Kong government to prohibit licensed moneylenders from extending loans to foreign domestic workers, arguing that rising debt burdens are creating financial risks for households despite tighter lending ...

Hong Kong Police Break Up HK$94 Million Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud

Police arrested six people over the alleged Fun Coffee cryptocurrency investment scam, which reportedly defrauded investors of about HK$94 million, as authorities continued efforts to strengthen confidence in the city's regulated digital...

Harbour Centre Development Returns to Profit as Luxury Hospitality Recovers

Harbour Centre Development reported an underlying first-half profit of HK$99 million, reversing a loss a year earlier as lower impairment provisions and improving tourism supported its luxury hotel business.

New World Development Posts Strong Sales at Kowloon West Office Project

New World Development sold more than 75 units at its Grade-A office development on Wing Hong Street, representing nearly 80% of the inventory released and pointing to resilient demand in selected commercial property segments.

Chinese Nuclear Fusion Startups Speed Development to Meet Future Artificial Intelligence Power Demand

Companies including NovaFusionX are accelerating commercialization plans for nuclear fusion technologies, aiming to meet the substantial long-term electricity needs expected from next-generation artificial intelligence data centers.

China's Property Market Shows Early Signs of Stabilization Despite Weak Demand

Sales declines among the country's 100 largest property developers continued to ease in July, suggesting the pace of the housing downturn is moderating even as consumer confidence remains subdued.

HSBC Launches US$1 Billion Share Buyback After Beating First-Half Profit Forecasts

HSBC announced a US$1 billion share repurchase after reporting stronger-than-expected first-half earnings, supported by higher lending income and wealth management fees that reinforced confidence in Hong Kong's financial sector.

Chinese Pension Funds Deliver Ninth Consecutive Year of Positive Returns

State-managed local pension funds generated a 5.8 percent annual return despite volatile markets, reflecting conservative investment strategies as policymakers prepare for growing demographic and retirement funding pressures.

Mid-Sized Chinese Property Developers Continue to Lose Ground in Housing Downturn

Years of weak home sales and lower land purchases have disproportionately affected mid-tier developers, while larger state-backed builders have been better positioned to maintain market share during the prolonged property slowdown.

Hong Kong IPO Revival Gains Momentum as Shein Targets Up to US$40 Billion Listing

Fast-fashion retailer Shein is reportedly seeking a valuation of between US$30 billion and US$40 billion for a Hong Kong initial public offering planned for mid-August, a landmark listing that could further strengthen the city's recoveri...

UBS Raises Hong Kong Growth Forecast to 4.5% After Strong First Half

UBS lifted its full-year Hong Kong economic growth forecast from 3.3% to 4.5%, citing strong high-value exports, resilient financial market activity, and expected support from the city's forthcoming five-year economic strategy.

Retail Sales Extend Fourteen-Month Growth Streak Despite Missing Expectations

Hong Kong retail sales rose 4.6% in June, marking a fourteenth consecutive month of expansion as domestic spending and inbound tourism remained supportive, although growth came in below market expectations.

Chongqing Completes Leadership Changes After Months of Political Upheaval

The southwestern municipality appointed a new acting mayor and police chief following the removal of its former mayor and the death of its senior security official, filling key leadership positions after months of uncertainty.

HKG Times