The Young Reporter
Global visitors flock to Victoria Park for festive lanterns
- 2026-09-27
- Culture & Leisure
- The Young Reporter
- By: Cao Beiyu、MA Yifan ChloeEdited by: Li Yinheng
- 2026-09-27
Hong Kong’s first International Lantern Spectacular is bringing lanterns from more than 20 countries to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, alongside local lantern art and traditional lantern-making craft from Nanjing. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board under the theme “Reunion”, the show was originally scheduled to run from Sept. 17 to 27 but has been extended through Oct.4. Follow the link below to watch the full reel: http://m.youtube.com/shorts/oQcVdWFLN3s?ra=m
HK Sign Language Day draws 2,400, as organisers push for public understanding
- 2026-09-20
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YAM Long Hei JamieEdited by: LAU Ka Yan
- 2026-09-20
About 2,400 visitors joined the first day of Hong Kong Sign Language Day in Tsuen Wan on Saturday, as organisers hoped to encourage greater public understanding of Hong Kong Sign Language and deaf culture. The two-day event, organised by the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, includes sign language workshops, stalls run by deaf people and interactive games. The event, featuring workshops that taught signs related to the upcoming Mid-Autumn festival, such as “moon cake”, “the moon” and “the moon rabbit,” comes ahead of the International Sign Language Day on Sept. 23. Cheung Hon-wah, director of the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, said the event aimed to help the public discover how interesting sign language can be. “We want more members of the public to understand sign language and promote barrier-free communication,” he said. Cheung said he hoped the event would encourage more people to become professional sign language interpreters, urging the government to create more interpreter jobs in public services, such as hospitals, so the public would better recognise the need and in turn attract more people to the profession. “A deaf person needs sign language interpretation on many occasions, but we can find that the number of professional sign language interpreters is not enough,” Cheung said. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service lists 53 professional sign language interpreters in the city, a figure that falls short of the roughly 6,000 people who use Hong Kong Sign Language as their primary form of communication, according to the Census and Statistics Department. Deaf attendee Ah Tan said it is very difficult for deaf people to find jobs, and that support for deaf employment is insufficient. “Especially when the employer knows that you cannot hear, they will not know how to communicate with you,” Ah Tan said. She added …
Policy Address 2026: Government to relax regulations for cross-border yachts
- 2026-09-17
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: WU Sitan Elaine、PENG Yixin NaomiEdited by: LAU Ka Yan
- 2026-09-17
Video description: The Policy Address 2026 sets out new plans to take forward Hong Kong's yacht economy, including expanded Greater Bay Area cross-border cruising arrangements and streamlined certification for visiting yacht captains. Industry stakeholders are calling for further investment in supporting infrastructure and marine services to underpin the sector's long-term growth.
Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong moves forward with shift to digital trade
- 2026-09-16
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: XIE Xinni Cindy、LO In Fei FayeEdited by: Li Yinheng
- 2026-09-16
Hong Kong is accelerating its digital trade initiatives by expanding paperless trade documentation and freight data sharing platforms, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in the policy address today. The government confirmed its goal of granting electronic trade documents the same legal validity as traditional paper documents in a response to the Legislative Council in April. “The government will introduce a bill on facilitating the digitalisation of ‘business‑to‑business’ trade documents,” Lee said. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority launched the Cargox pilot programme in May in collaboration with 21 major banks and leveraged the previously established Commercial Data Interchange infrastructure, with both programmes facilitating digital trade. Philip Li, manager of ICBC (Asia) Market Financing Department, said banks have more channels to access business data from small and medium-sized enterprises through these digital trade information platforms. “These third-party digital platforms add greater credibility to corporate information,” Li said. According to HKMA's research, the infrastructure narrows information gaps between banks and SMEs, helping smaller firms, especially young startups, obtain better loan terms with lower interest rates and less collateral required. Dong Xiaole, founder of Fortunae Limited, said everything in the trading process is becoming digitised, but the number of steps involved may have increased. “For instance, simply stamping a document is so easy, just one quick action, whereas electronic seals require more creation and verification steps,” Dong said. Chan Ka Ming, the Chief Operation Officer of Meat the Next Research and Development Company Limited, said when using electronic systems to process food customs declaration documents, it is necessary to backtrack and redo steps after an initial attempt, resulting in repetitive actions. “Regarding the CDI and Cargox launched by HKMA, we have only looked into it so far and haven't actually tried using these tools yet,” Chan added. According to the policy address, digitisation …
Policy Address 2026: HK$10 billion loan ‘not enough’ for building new campus site, after John Lee announced the development of Northern Metropolis University Town
- 2026-09-16
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHENG WU Anny、ZHENG Yuan ElaineEdited by: CHAU Wing Yau
- 2026-09-16
The new university town in the Northern Metropolis Development area will be expanded, Lee said today in the policy address, but universities, which are expected to fund new campuses, say the government is not offering enough money for building costs. In April, the government announced a low-interest loan scheme with HK$10 billion reserved to support universities in building campuses in the new development area. Dr Albert Chau, the Vice-President (Teaching and Learning) at Hong Kong Baptist University, said the low-interest loan is “not enough”. “Our university may build new laboratories and buildings, and the required funding is substantial, despite a HK$10 billion loan for universities.” Nineteen universities have submitted proposals for building a new campus in NMUT, Choi Yuk-lin, the secretary for Education of Hong Kong, said in a press conference in June. If all the proposals are accepted, each university would receive an average of around HK$500 million. According to the University Engagement Office of HKBU, its new Jockey Club Campus of Creativity, which opened in 2024 on its Kowloon Tong campus, cost HK$2.22 billion for 7,430 square metres, far exceeding HK$500 million. Zhou Haoming, a post-graduate student at the University of Hong Kong, said he is concerned that universities may raise tuition fees to fill the funding gap. “Government loans are a policy concession, but the school will ultimately have to put up the money for construction,”he said. Chau said that the tuition fee at HKBU will only be raised to meet inflation and won’t be a major way to gather funding for expanding the campus site. “We have no reason to transfer the burden of university development to our students. We should set proper tuition figures which students can afford. This is our social responsibility,” Chau said. Universities are expected to seek funds by utilising reserves or …
Policy Address 2026: Government to step up Chinese-language support for ethnic minority students
- 2026-09-16
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Cao Beiyu、Man Cheok Lam LorraineEdited by: FENG Zhenpeng
- 2026-09-16
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the government will adopt learning materials tailored for non-Chinese-speaking students and also provide them after-school Chinese language courses from Primary One to Secondary Three. The materials will help them pass two Chinese language standardised tests, which will help them integrate into the community and have more job opportunities. Based on the 2021 Population Census, ethnic minorities make up 8.4% of the population in Hong Kong. Among ethnic minorities under the age of 14, 35% to 38% are unable to read or write Chinese. Bahart Nangia, former director of the Support Service Centre for Ethnic Minorities and an Indian-Hong Konger, said, “language is the biggest barrier amongst ethnic minorities. Cantonese is not easy to learn.” He said for example, MTR staff may not be able to communicate in English if they need help. Chinese classes in schools are not “fully equipped to be teaching minorities with a cultural dynamic difference,” said Jeffery Andrews, one of the founders of the Diversity Hub, a multi-cultural community space in Hong Kong, as well as the first ethnic minority social worker in Hong Kong. Andrews said the government has put many resources into ethnic minority policies for the last 15 to 20 years but the framework for implementing Chinese as a second language in schools is still weak. Alishiba Matloob Aloosh, a Pakistani Hongkonger podcaster and a former TYR reporter who now works for RTHK Radio 3, said the government should put more effort into tackling the real adjustment issues behind why, even after learning the language, some people still find it hard to adapt in daily life. Discrimination, workplace barriers and difficulties with inclusion in schools and the community are all issues that need addressing. In the policy address, Lee said the scheme for ethnic minorities to serve …
Policy Address 2026: Hong Kong to support AI training for employees and SMEs
- 2026-09-16
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Shuyi、Yutong SuEdited by: Lou Zhengzheng、QIN Ziyang
- 2026-09-16
The policy address proposed several AI training programs to support employees in enhancing practical AI skills and optimized the existing AI support program for small and medium-sized enterprises. The government will release more than 200 training courses and activities under the “AI for All” programme before the first quarter of 2028. The government’s Employees Retraining Board will release an 18-month AI upskilling campaign in the first half of 2027, offering free online courses on workplace AI applications, expected to benefit at least 40,000 employees. Calvin Cheng, the Executive President of the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association, said that with subsidies from the government and corporate training, employees would be more willing to spend time learning how to use AI. “Many employees hold conservative views against AI, fearing job displacement,” Cheng said. “Companies need to educate their employees that AI is not meant to replace them, but to help improve their work efficiency.” According to Peter Shum, Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, a lack of clear AI strategies from management creates a gap with employees keen to adopt AI but remaining cautious due to data leakage and security risks. Microsoft’s May 2026 Work Trend Index reveals that only 19% of AI users in Hong Kong believe their leadership has set a clear and consistent AI strategy. “The market is flooded with information about AI for SMEs, leaving them confused and unsure of what to do,” said Cheng. “The government can provide some successful showcases as guidance for them.” According to the Census and Statistics Department, as of March 2026, there were approximately 360,000 SMEs, accounting for more than 98% of the enterprises in Hong Kong. “The government needs to prioritize supporting SMEs in the field of AI, because large companies have substantial financial resources to …
Policy address 2026: Expert questions government expectations on expanding new university town
- 2026-09-16
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: LI Jinyang Carlos、ZHENG XinyiEdited by: CHEN Ziyu
- 2026-09-16
The Northern Metropolis University Town will expand to about 300 hectares, as announced in the Policy Address 2026 today, more than triple the size in a 2025 press release from the Development Bureau. The University Town is intended to resolve insufficient land resources, providing more space for the development of innovation and technology, higher education and the cultivation for high caliber talents. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said today this town will become the main development thrust of the Northern Metropolis. The town also encourages institutions from the mainland and overseas to establish campuses in the area, according to the consultation document before the announcement of Hong Kong’s five-year plan. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the government has prepared HK$10 billion in loans to assist the campus development in the Northern Metropolis in his 2026 budget speech. “For now, the return of investing in the university town is uncertain,” said Terence Chong Tai-leung, Executive Director of the Lau Chor Tak Institute of Global Economics and Finance at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Chong said this depends primarily on its ability to attract major companies, yet those companies will not locate there based simply because of the surrounding infrastructure and that the government should adopt a public-private partnership model. “By providing land use to universities free of charge, while the universities themselves are responsible for constructing campus infrastructure. The government could then share the profits once the project becomes profitable,” he said. According to the Government's e-Tendering System, the estimated tender values for San Tin Technopole's supporting facilities,connected to the University Town, exceed HK$1.2 billion in Q3 and Q4 alone this year. Liu Xiao, owner of Golden Harbour Group Limited, a real estate company, said the long-term outlook for real estate around the university town is positive, though short-term …
Policy Address 2026: Northern Metropolis to build larger subsidised housing amid concerns
- 2026-09-16
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YAM Long Hei JamieEdited by: LEUNG Chi Ngai
- 2026-09-16
Subsidised housing in the Northern Metropolis will include a higher proportion of larger flats for purchase, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said at today's annual Policy Address. The share of units measuring around 45 square metres or more will rise from 20% to 25% from 2031, aiming to improve residents' overall quality of life, Lee said. The average public housing unit was 37.2 square metres in 2024, according to the Hong Kong Future Economy Institute. “If the transport can’t keep up, then no matter how good a place is to live, or how new and beautiful the developments are, it’s all meaningless,” Lai Chun-kit, 32, a chef, said. The Northern Metropolis, roughly one-third of Hong Kong’s total land area, is expected to provide over 70,000 public and private housing units within five years, according to the five-year plan announced today. The area’s transport is mainly linked by the Northern Link railway and the Northern Metropolis Highway. Both transport infrastructures are expected to be delivered by 2034 and 2036. Lai, together with his wife Chung and their daughter, will move into a public housing unit in Tuen Mun within a month, after five years of waiting. He said they have no intention of moving to the Northern Metropolis if they are allocated a flat there. The couple said that the quality of education provided by the school network would be the most important factor in their decision to relocate. “It’s not that people don’t want to choose that place, but the supporting infrastructure has to catch up as well,” Lai said. The government is set to advance transport infrastructure, building a new hospital in Ngau Tam Mei and develop cultural facilities. Job opportunities and adequate basic infrastructure are the key drivers in attracting people to settle in the Northern …
Youth summit focuses on opportunities for HK ethnic minority youth
- 2026-09-13
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Shuyi、XIE Xinni CindyEdited by: Lou Zhengzheng
- 2026-09-13
More than 300 ethnically diverse people aged 18 to 30 gathered on Saturday at a youth leadership Summit, which centred on prospective opportunities and challenges for ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong. The Ethnically Diverse Youth Leadership Summit 2026 was the second edition of the summit held by the Zubin Foundation in Ngau Tau Kok. The summit aimed to focus more on job opportunities, although much of the discussion about diverse ethnic communities centers on the negative barriers and challenges, said Shalini Mahtani, Founder and CEO of the foundation. “We're not downplaying them, but we also wanted to focus on something like your aspirations, leadership, and future in Hong Kong,” she said. Delivering his opening remarks as a guest speaker, Chris Sun Yuk-han, Secretary for the Labor and Welfare Bureau, said that as a policymaker, he is keen to listen to the group’s passion and concern. Sun encouraged young minorities to overcome difficulties in their work and said it was a great opportunity for him to hear the participants' thoughts. The summit revolves around the challenges and opportunities of the ethnically diverse community and features a debate titled “Are you optimistic or pessimistic about your future in Hong Kong?” Arvind Singh Dhaliwal, 23, an engineering student at the University of Hong Kong, is of Indian descent and grew up in Hong Kong. He speaks some everyday Cantonese and English, and represented the opposition side in debate. “A lot of engineering companies prefer people who can speak Mandarin, since many firms and departments are moving head to the mainland,” said Dhaliwal. “For Cantonese, I can speak enough to get by, but it is too stressful for me to speak Mandarin.” Subha Abedin, 21, a member of the Foundation for Youth Development—a youth-led non-governmental organisation—who graduated this year, said “Language can be …