Hong Kong Times

LEAP East Technology Summit Brings 35,000 Global Innovators to Hong Kong

Hong Kong hosted the first LEAP technology summit outside Saudi Arabia, attracting more than 35,000 technology professionals and 400 investors from 30 countries. Financial Secretary Paul Chan used the three-day event to promote Hong Kong...

Hong Kong Maintains 2026 Growth Forecast as Services and Technology Exports Support Economy

The Hong Kong government has kept its 2026 gross domestic product growth forecast at 2.5 to 3.5 percent after the economy expanded by nearly 6 percent in the first quarter. Officials said strong services exports and demand for artificial...

Hong Kong Exchange Introduces New Board Lot Rules to Improve Market Accessibility and Liquidity

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing has introduced a new board lot framework that standardizes trading units into eight options with values ranging from 1,000 to 50,000 Hong Kong dollars. The reform aims to make stock trading easier for ret...

Hong Kong Launches Intellectual Property Financing Sandbox to Support Technology Startups

Hong Kong regulators have introduced an Intellectual Property Financing Sandbox that allows technology companies to use intellectual property assets as collateral for financing. The initiative is designed to improve access to capital for...

Hong Kong Proposes Injury Compensation Protection for Gig Delivery Workers

Hong Kong authorities have introduced legislative proposals to provide mandatory job-related injury compensation for independent food and goods delivery riders. The measure aims to strengthen protections for workers in the growing gig ec...

Hong Kong Welcomes 26.7 Million Visitors in First Half as Mega-Events Tourism Strategy Gains Momentum

Hong Kong recorded 26.7 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 13 percent increase from a year earlier, driven by a 16 percent rise in mainland Chinese tourists. The growth reflects the city's push toward an event-led tour...

Hong Kong Hetao Innovation Hub Fully Leases First Laboratory Buildings to 90 Technology Firms

Two newly completed wet laboratory buildings at the Hong Kong Hetao cross-border innovation hub have reached full occupancy with around 90 scientific and technology companies. More than half of the incoming tenants are mainland Chinese f...

Reconova Technologies Listing Highlights Hong Kong's Growing Artificial Intelligence Fundraising Role

Mainland Chinese artificial intelligence company Reconova Technologies began trading on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing market on July 10. The listing reflects growing momentum for technology-focused initial public offerings in Hong...

Saudi Technology Firm Elm Explores Smart City Opportunities in Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis

Elm, a technology company backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has expressed interest in participating in smart city infrastructure projects linked to Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis development. The engagement highlights exp...

Hong Kong Advances New Pak Shek Kok Railway Station Plan to Support Science and Technology Growth

Hong Kong authorities are accelerating plans for a new East Rail Line station at Pak Shek Kok, with an expected opening as early as 2033. The project is intended to support growth around Hong Kong Science Park, while allowing the MTR Cor...

Typhoon Bavi Prompts Coastal Warnings Across South China as Hong Kong Monitors Weather Risks

The Hong Kong Observatory issued strong wind warnings for South China coastal waters as Severe Typhoon Bavi approached the region on July 11. The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometres per hour near its centre, has led to ...

Hong Kong Unveils New Measures to Expand Offshore Renminbi and Commodities Markets

The People's Bank of China, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Securities and Futures Commission have introduced 11 measures to strengthen Hong Kong's fixed-income and currency markets. The city has also begun trial operations of a...

China's Second-Quarter Economic Growth Expected to Ease as New Growth Drivers Take Hold

A survey of 14 chief economists by Yicai suggests China's economy likely grew 4.5 percent in the second quarter, down from 5 percent in the previous quarter. Weaker retail spending and continued declines in fixed-asset investment weighed...

China's Monthly Vehicle Exports Top One Million for the First Time on Strong New-Energy Vehicle Demand

Chinese automakers exported a record 1.04 million vehicles in June, up 75 percent from a year earlier and surpassing one million monthly shipments for the first time. Exports of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose 160 percent as ma...

China's Anti-Graft Watchdog Uncovers Fiscal Revenue Manipulation in Nanning

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said Nanning's municipal government inflated fiscal revenue through land transactions involving state-owned enterprises. The case highlights the financial pressure facing some local govern...

ChangXin Memory Technologies Launches 29.5 Billion Yuan Initial Public Offering to Expand Advanced Chip Production

ChangXin Memory Technologies will debut on Shanghai's STAR Market on July 16 in a 29.5 billion yuan initial public offering, the largest A-share listing of 2026. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand advanced dynamic random acc...

People's Bank of China Records Largest Gold Purchase in Twenty Months

The People's Bank of China added 480,000 ounces of gold to its reserves in June, marking its largest monthly purchase in 20 months and extending its recent buying streak. The increase came as global gold prices eased, supporting the cent...

The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More

The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More

THEY THOUGHT Al WAS FREE LABOR. THEN THE BILL CAME: A new global survey suggests many corporate executives who expected artificial intelligence to reduce costs are instead facing soaring computing bills and unpredictable usage-based pric...

Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance

A new UK study found that sexually transmitted strains of Shigella spread more than twice as fast as other strains and show substantially higher antibiotic resistance, prompting calls for updated clinical guidance and targeted prevention...

Following Massive Investor Demand: SK Hynix Raises 26.5 Billion Dollars on Nasdaq

The South Korean semiconductor giant completed the second-largest public offering in history after overwhelming investor demand, strengthening its position as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global artificial intelligence boom.

Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 returned safely to Thessaloniki after a cabin window became dislodged during climb, causing rapid decompression and injuring a passenger seated beside the damaged window.

Fitch Upgrades Ratings for Five Major Chinese Banks

Fitch Ratings raised the foreign-currency issuer and viability ratings of five Chinese joint-stock commercial banks, including China Merchants Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, citing improved asset quality and a continued shift...

China Releases New Five-Year Environmental Plan to Cut Industrial Carbon Intensity

The State Council unveiled the Beautiful China Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for 2026 through 2030, requiring industries covered by the national carbon market to reduce carbon emissions per unit of output by three percent while maintaining ti...

People's Bank of China Unveils Eleven Measures to Deepen Hong Kong-Mainland Financial Integration

People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng announced eleven new initiatives to strengthen financial links between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, including expanding the Southbound Bond Connect quota to eight hundred billion yuan,...

China's Property Market Recovery Expected to Remain Concentrated in Major Cities

The China Index Academy forecasts that the real estate market will continue stabilising gradually during the second half of the year, with stronger demand expected mainly in tier-one cities while lower-tier markets remain under pressure.

Flooding and Typhoon Maysak Leave Dozens Dead in Guangxi

Severe flooding triggered by Typhoon Maysak has killed at least thirty-nine people in Guangxi after torrential rain overwhelmed rivers and reservoirs, causing extensive infrastructure damage and disrupting communities across southern China.

Hong Kong Expands Renminbi Market Reforms with New Stamp Duty Payment Option

Investors can now pay stamp duty on eligible stock transactions in renminbi, a move designed to improve liquidity in renminbi-denominated securities and further support the international use of China's currency within Hong Kong's financi...

HSBC Pilots Digital Structured Product Platform in Hong Kong

HSBC has completed a pilot issuance of digital structured products using distributed ledger technology, testing a more efficient process for issuance, settlement and servicing while advancing the digital transformation of Hong Kong's ins...

Hong Kong Sets Timeline for Pak Shek Kok Station to Support Northern Metropolis Development

The Hong Kong government has confirmed the planning schedule for Pak Shek Kok Station, with detailed design work progressing toward construction beginning in 2028 and an expected opening in 2033 to improve rail connectivity and support t...

LEAP East Technology Conference Draws Global Industry Participation in Hong Kong Debut

The inaugural LEAP East technology exhibition attracted more than thirty-five thousand visitors and four hundred and fifty exhibitors from thirty countries, providing a platform for technology companies and startups to showcase innovatio...

Hong Kong Remains Among the World's Most Expensive Cities for Luxury Living

Hong Kong ranks as the fourth most expensive city globally and the second most costly market in the Asia-Pacific region for luxury lifestyle spending, underscoring its continued appeal as a premium destination despite broader economic he...

Hang Seng Bank Joins Alipay+ to Expand Cross-Border Digital Payments

Hang Seng Bank has integrated with the Alipay+ network, allowing customers to make QR code payments at more than one hundred million merchants worldwide through a single mobile application, strengthening its digital payment services for ...

Hong Kong Industrial Property Market Faces Continued Price Adjustments

A major industrial building in Kwai Chung has been listed at a thirty-two percent discount, reflecting continued repricing in Hong Kong's commercial property market as sellers adjust expectations amid subdued demand and elevated borrowin...

Midea and Hutchison Ports Partner to Strengthen Smart Logistics Operations

Midea Group and Hutchison Ports have signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance logistics cooperation, beginning at Yantian, with the aim of improving supply chain efficiency and expanding smart port solutions across the Greater Bay...

Hong Kong Consumers Remain Cautious Despite Improving Household Finances

Survey data shows that stronger household cash flow and fewer payment difficulties have not translated into higher consumer spending, as concerns over inflation, economic conditions and geopolitical uncertainty continue to weigh on retai...

Shanghai Technology Stocks Rally on Optimism Over China's Artificial Intelligence Sector

The Shanghai STAR Fifty Index climbed sharply after Goldman Sachs upgraded its outlook for China's artificial intelligence industry, citing strong government support and rising global demand for AI hardware and software.

China Allocates One Hundred Ninety-Three Billion Yuan to Strategic National Projects

The National Development and Reform Commission approved the final tranche of ultra-long special treasury bond funding for 2026, directing one hundred ninety-three billion yuan toward scientific innovation, underground infrastructure upgr...

Enflame Technology Wins Approval for Major Artificial Intelligence Chip Listing

China's securities regulator approved the initial public offering of Tencent-backed chip designer Shanghai Enflame Technology on the STAR Market, supporting the expansion of domestic semiconductor capabilities as China continues to devel...

MiniMax Raises Two Billion Dollars to Expand Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure

Chinese artificial intelligence developer MiniMax Group secured sixteen billion Hong Kong dollars through equity and convertible bond financing. The company plans to devote most of the funding to next-generation computing hardware and ne...

State Council Expands Anti-Sanctions Powers, Raising Compliance Risks for Multinational Companies

China's State Council has implemented Decree Number 835, giving prosecutors broader authority to penalize foreign companies that comply with Western export controls. The measure adds another layer of legal and regulatory complexity for m...

China Successfully Recovers Long March-10B Reusable Rocket Booster

China's National Space Administration successfully launched and recovered the Long March-10B reusable booster, marking a significant advance in reusable launch technology that is expected to reduce satellite deployment costs and strength...

People's Bank of China Expands Hong Kong Bond Connect to Strengthen Offshore Renminbi Markets

People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng announced a sixty percent increase in the Southbound Bond Connect quota to eight hundred billion yuan, alongside an expansion of the Renminbi Business Facility to five hundred billion yuan, r...

China's Export Sector Helps Offset Higher Energy Costs and Trade Uncertainty

Strong performance in high-tech and value-added manufacturing has helped China's export sector absorb the impact of higher energy prices and shipping disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.

Hong Kong Dollar Effective Exchange Rate Edges Lower

Financial authorities said the effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar slipped by 0.2 to 101.7 on July 10, a modest move that remains consistent with the currency's managed exchange rate framework.

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