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Reported by Akane Nakasuji, Cara Li, Vanessa Yung and Yetta Lam Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor unveiled her 2018 policy address today, announcing the launch of a new development project named “Lantau Tomorrow Vision”. The project will create artificial islands to increase the number of residential units and improve people’s livelihoods, she said, in a city where the estimated average waiting time for public housing is five years and three months. The government study on phased reclamation near Kau Yi Chau and Hei Ling Chau, two islands west of Lantau, with a total area of about 1,700 hectares is to start soon. The reclamation could create 400,000 residential units accommodating a population of more than a million, putting Lantau’s population on par with that of Hong Kong Island, with 70% of the blocks planned to be public housing units.   With a land mass of 147 square kilometres, Lantau Island is almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island and four times the size of Macau. The policy address stated that the project would incorporate the government’s long-term vision of a carbon-neutral community making wider use of renewable energies and technologies. But these new plans aren’t all received with enthusiasm. “We need to prioritise fixing-up the New Territories before building up a new island,” said Southern District Councillor and Designing Hong Kong CEO Paul Zimmerman, referring to the unresolved land disputes in the New Territories. Green groups Greenpeace and WWF held a public speech outside the Legco,  requesting the government to prioritize the use of brownfield sites. Samantha Lee Mei-wah, Associate Director of WWF Marine protection Hong Kong Branch, said that the damage to oceans would be irreversible. “The environmental evaluations made by companies are no longer to be trusted. We need to invite independent institutions, such as universities, …

  The Hong Kong government will not tolerate any act that advocates Hong Kong independence and threatens the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said in her annual policy address today. “We will fearlessly take actions against such acts according to the law in order to safeguard the interests of the country and Hong Kong,” Mrs. Lam said. This came a week after Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet’s visa renewal was rejected. Mrs Lam declined to explain the reason, but Mr. Mallet’s visa was turned down after he chaired a talk at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club given by the convenor of the Hong Kong National Party Andy Chan Ho-tin. His party advocates Hong Kong Independence. Mrs. Lam stressed that the chief executive of Hong Kong should be the defender of “one country, two systems”  and promote the relationship between the Chinese government and the HKSAR. “Hong Kong should enhance cooperation with the mainland, including active participation in the development of the Greater Bay Area,” said Mrs. Lam. One example of this cooperation is the new residence permit launched in September, Mrs Lam said, adding that it shows the central government’s support for the HKSAR. The permit allows residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan living on the mainland to access public services in employment, education, medical care, travelling and financial services. But the State Council in Beijing has stated that permits can be revoked if a person incites subversion of national sovereignty, security, honour and interest. Terence Lin Chiu-fai, director and researcher at the Beijing Institute of Hong Kong and Macau Scholars, said the residence permit does not play a major part in facilitating cooperation across the border. “The biggest advantage of the new residence permit is to ensure the convenience of the lives …