John Lee boosts Hong Kong baby bonuses and internships, delivers historic 5-year plan

South China Morning Post - Sep 16, 2026

This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has unveiled the city’s first five-year plan at the legislature, followed by his annual policy address. The highly anticipated plan, which comes after a two-month public consultation, aims to align the city’s priorities with the nation’s 2026-30 development blueprint. Lee has set 22 major indicators in the plan, with five being binding targets mostly focusing on...

Read full article
MORE NEWS
Will ‘transactional’ America assist India in a future border crisis with China?
Will ‘transactional’ America assist India in a future border crisis with China?
When Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last week on the sidelines of the Brics summit, another country loomed large in the background,...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Why I am grateful for Asean’s endless meetings
Why I am grateful for Asean’s endless meetings
I remember 2011 well. Indonesia was chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and I was serving as deputy foreign minister for Asean cooperation. I learned a great deal, although...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Scott Bessent confirms weekend meeting with He Lifeng days before Xi’s US visit
Scott Bessent confirms weekend meeting with He Lifeng days before Xi’s US visit
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday confirmed that he will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng this weekend for the final preparatory talks between the two sides, less than...
Sep 15, 2026See more
China funds major renovation of Bangui Friendship Hospital
China funds major renovation of Bangui Friendship Hospital
The Sino-Central African Friendship Hospital in Bangui is undergoing an $11.5 million renovation and expansion project as China and the Central African Republic seek to strengthen healthcare services in the...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Experts: Xi sets clear direction for greater BRICS cooperation
Experts: Xi sets clear direction for greater BRICS cooperation
Experts: Xi sets clear direction for greater BRICS cooperation
Sep 15, 2026See more
Art education and growth can't be measured
Art education and growth can't be measured
Art education and growth can't be measured
Sep 15, 2026See more
Hong Kong finance chief urges Cathay to keep fares attractive, add routes
Hong Kong finance chief urges Cathay to keep fares attractive, add routes
Hong Kong’s finance chief has called on Cathay Pacific Airways to offer attractive fares and expand its route network, as China’s national development plan reinforces the city’s status as a...
Sep 15, 2026See more
How Okinawa’s political shift could make Japan more prepared for a Taiwan contingency
How Okinawa’s political shift could make Japan more prepared for a Taiwan contingency
Okinawa’s election on Sunday of a governor backed by Japan’s ruling party ended 12 years of local leadership opposed to the relocation of a US airbase and elements of Tokyo’s...
Sep 15, 2026See more
ICE death, strikes on China proposed over AI, Huawei on trial: 7 US-China relations reads
ICE death, strikes on China proposed over AI, Huawei on trial: 7 US-China relations reads
We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting,...
Sep 15, 2026See more
China calls for global AI governance framework amid rapid advances
China calls for global AI governance framework amid rapid advances
China calls for global AI governance framework amid rapid advances
Sep 15, 2026See more
US-China ties haunted by lack of mutual trust, Beijing Xiangshan Forum told
US-China ties haunted by lack of mutual trust, Beijing Xiangshan Forum told
A lack of mutual trust and confidence haunts Sino-US relations, a major security conference in Beijing has heard, just a week before Xi Jinping travels to America for his first...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Tighter scrutiny of Hong Kong IPOs could slow deal flow, analysts say
Tighter scrutiny of Hong Kong IPOs could slow deal flow, analysts say
Securities regulators in Hong Kong and mainland China are doubling down on efforts to raise the quality of Hong Kong initial public offerings (IPOs), which could slow the flow of...
Sep 15, 2026See more
China unveils 5-year plan for electronic information manufacturing
China unveils 5-year plan for electronic information manufacturing
China recently issued a development plan for the electronic information manufacturing industry during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), aiming to make the sector play a pivotal role in the...
Sep 15, 2026See more
The world is not so much embracing China as recoiling from Trump’s US
The world is not so much embracing China as recoiling from Trump’s US
Global surveys show China is now more popular than the United States in most countries. The reality is China hasn’t become more popular, only that Uncle Sam has become odious. Two...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Uruguay defense official calls for greater autonomy and cooperation
Uruguay defense official calls for greater autonomy and cooperation
Uruguay defense official calls for greater autonomy and cooperation
Sep 15, 2026See more
China mulls building nuclear-powered tank with 450km-range railgun in 2 decades
China mulls building nuclear-powered tank with 450km-range railgun in 2 decades
Chinese military researchers have outlined an ambitious plan to develop a nuclear-powered main battle tank armed with an electromagnetic railgun capable of hitting targets up to 450km (280 miles) away,...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Xi's article on advancing basic research to be published
Xi's article on advancing basic research to be published
An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on strengthening basic research will be published on Wednesday.
Sep 15, 2026See more
Iran’s top diplomat heads to China for talks as Middle East diplomacy falters
Iran’s top diplomat heads to China for talks as Middle East diplomacy falters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in China on Wednesday, amid stalled diplomatic efforts to de-escalate conflicts in the Middle East. The meeting comes...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Mainland Chinese joint venture launches new electric taxi in Hong Kong
Mainland Chinese joint venture launches new electric taxi in Hong Kong
A mainland Chinese joint venture will introduce an electric taxi in Hong Kong next month, but a lawmaker has warned that a lack of quick-charging stations remains the biggest challenge...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Man arrested after HK$1 million in gems stolen from hotel guest asleep in lobby
Man arrested after HK$1 million in gems stolen from hotel guest asleep in lobby
Hong Kong police have arrested a man and recovered uncut gemstones worth nearly HK$1 million (US$127,500) that were allegedly snatched from an overseas businessman as he slept in a hotel...
Sep 15, 2026See more
How Pinglu Canal could reshape China-ASEAN trade
How Pinglu Canal could reshape China-ASEAN trade
Pinglu Canal, a 134.2-kilometer-long river-to-sea waterway in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is scheduled to officially open on September 16. Linking the country's inland river network with the Beibu...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Taiwan tests US-made MQ-9B drones to counter PLA ‘grey-zone’ operations
Taiwan tests US-made MQ-9B drones to counter PLA ‘grey-zone’ operations
Taiwan has begun flight testing its newly acquired MQ-9B drones, giving the island a long-range reconnaissance platform capable of monitoring People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and grey-zone activities across vast stretches...
Sep 15, 2026See more
China is beating the US in consumer AI adoption, thanks to super apps: Morgan Stanley
China is beating the US in consumer AI adoption, thanks to super apps: Morgan Stanley
China is surging ahead of the US in consumer AI adoption as technology giants like Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding embed artificial intelligence directly into popular everyday apps, even...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Clues in the Blood: Solving the Mystery of Cancer of Unknown Origin
Clues in the Blood: Solving the Mystery of Cancer of Unknown Origin
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]  Imagine a detective who finds clear clues at a crime scene but has no idea where the crime actually...
Sep 15, 2026See more
85% of Wang Fuk Court owners sign sale deals as flat selection moves ahead
85% of Wang Fuk Court owners sign sale deals as flat selection moves ahead
More than 85 per cent of owners at the blaze-hit Wang Fuk Court have signed agreements to sell their flats to the Hong Kong government as authorities move ahead with...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Riding the tide at 2026 KPL Summer Finals
Riding the tide at 2026 KPL Summer Finals
Riding the tide at 2026 KPL Summer Finals
Sep 15, 2026See more
China hopes Japan-China friendship group helps improve ties
China hopes Japan-China friendship group helps improve ties
China hopes that the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union will build on its traditional goodwill toward China, fulfill its responsibility and create conditions for bringing the bilateral relations back on the...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Has a Chinese DF missile been used for the first time in the Middle East?
Has a Chinese DF missile been used for the first time in the Middle East?
Debris from a Chinese-made short-range ballistic missile has been found in Yemen for the first time, suggesting Chinese weapons systems may have been used during the heated conflict between Saudi...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Forget AI KPIs: how China’s tech giants are rationing tokens for employees
Forget AI KPIs: how China’s tech giants are rationing tokens for employees
When generative artificial intelligence first swept through China’s technology sector, workers faced a clear directive from management: use AI and use it often. Consuming vast numbers of AI tokens – the...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Tracing the Long March at Jiaopingdu
Tracing the Long March at Jiaopingdu
Tracing the Long March at Jiaopingdu
Sep 15, 2026See more
US judge blocks Trump’s ‘absurd’ visa caps for students, journalists
US judge blocks Trump’s ‘absurd’ visa caps for students, journalists
A US federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a new visa cap for international students, visiting scholars and foreign journalists, saying the Trump administration’s national security justification “borders on the...
Sep 15, 2026See more
CGTN poll on the China-ASEAN Expo
CGTN poll on the China-ASEAN Expo
CGTN poll on the China-ASEAN Expo
Sep 15, 2026See more
Brazilian president's special advisor to visit China Sept. 16-17
Brazilian president's special advisor to visit China Sept. 16-17
Brazilian president's special advisor to visit China Sept. 16-17
Sep 15, 2026See more
China urges US to stop expanding military buildup in outer space
China urges US to stop expanding military buildup in outer space
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Tuesday urged the US side to stop expanding its military buildup and preparing for war in outer space, and safeguard global strategic stability through...
Sep 15, 2026See more
China's Zhuque-2E rocket launches 10 satellites into space
China's Zhuque-2E rocket launches 10 satellites into space
China's Zhuque-2E rocket launches 10 satellites into space
Sep 15, 2026See more
Graphics: Key takeaways from China's August 2026 economic figures
Graphics: Key takeaways from China's August 2026 economic figures
Graphics: Key takeaways from China's August 2026 economic figures
Sep 15, 2026See more
China's August industrial output growth picks up on high-tech, robots
China's August industrial output growth picks up on high-tech, robots
China's value-added industrial output expanded 5.2% year on year in August, accelerating by 0.7 percentage point from the previous month, official data showed Tuesday, with industrial robots among the standout...
Sep 15, 2026See more
Guizhou village holds harvest festival to boost rural tourism
Guizhou village holds harvest festival to boost rural tourism
On September 12, Guojiawan Village in Yuping Dong Autonomous County, southwest China's Guizhou Province hosted its ninth annual rice harvest opening ceremony.
Sep 15, 2026See more
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to visit China
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to visit China
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to visit China
Sep 15, 2026See more
Bonfire party ignites the night on the Hulunbuir Grasslands
Bonfire party ignites the night on the Hulunbuir Grasslands
A blazing bonfire, Mongolian singing and dancing, and dazzling fireworks... a bonfire party on the Hulunbuir Grasslands in Inner Mongolia is filled with joy and excitement.
Sep 15, 2026See more
RECOMMENDED