By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Editor
Hong Kong to ban plastic tableware at restaurants from 2025
- 2021-07-12
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Editor
- 2021-07-12
The Hong Kong government planned to ban all types of disposable plastic tableware at restaurants from 2025, according to an announcement made on Friday. The city’s Environment Protection Department, which is seeking public opinion on the proposal during the next two months, said parts of plastic cutlery often packaged in take-away services would also be banned. A consultation paper, released by the government on Friday, proposed to ban the local sale of disposable expanded polystyrene (EPS) utensils and discontinue their use at restaurants within four years. Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for the Environment of the HKSAR Government, wrote in the consultation paper that, “ practising ‘plastic-free’ at the source is the most fundamental way to achieve ‘waste free seas’.” “Countless waste plastics enter the natural environment, including the ocean, each year,” he wrote in the document. “They will eventually be fragmented into microplastics and enter the human food chain.” The department also suggested regulating the use of non-EPS plastic tableware for dine-in and take-away services in phases. The first stage was to ban all types of disposable tableware offered to dine-in customers at restaurants, with disposable cutlery, such as straws, knives and forks, banned in take-away food and beverage services. Take-away services would be regulated the same as dine-in services in the second stage, according to the statement. Chung Wai-yi, the owner of a ramen restaurant, said they were using recyclable plastic chopsticks and plastic food containers for take-away services. She supported the ban on disposable plastic tableware. “I always support the environmentally friendly promotion in Hong Kong, but this time, I hope the government can make it a reality rather than just talking,” she said. She expected the government to make laws and regulations on plastic use in the catering industry to ensure fair competition, and also find good substitutes …
University LGBTQ groups in China “muted” following social media account closures
- 2021-07-09
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Editor
- 2021-07-09
With no warning and little objection, more than 10 social media accounts for university LGBTQ groups in mainland China were shut down on July 6, according to members of the LGBTQ community in China. Posts and content published on the WeChat accounts, including WDH Purple from Tsinghua University, ColorsWorld from Peking University, and Zhi Heshe from Fudan University, were removed, according to members of those accounts. All of the account names were changed to “unnamed official account” by Tuesday evening. The closure of the accounts may have been connected to a student protest at Wuhan University in April 2021, according to the founder of an NGO in Wuhan that focuses on LGBTQ issues. The protest, in support of feminist issues in China, may have crossed the government’s “red line,” the person, who wished not to be identified by name, had written in a recent WeChat discussion with Cheung Kam-hung, a Hong Kong LGBTQ activist. During the protest, Chinese feminist activists, who are accused by the Chinese government of having been influenced or helped by foreign politicians, were mentioned. The activist wrote that, following the university protest at Wuhan University, the Chinese government probably began to collect information about the social media accounts belonging to the university LGBTQ groups. These digital social media accounts, mostly organised by student communities and teachers, were often used to share stories and research about LGBTQ groups. A message on the main page of the closed accounts stated, “(WeChat) received relevant complaints that (the account) violates The Internet User Public Account Information Service Management Regulation. All the content in the account has been blocked and usage of the account was stopped.” RucSGS, an organization at Renmin University of China advocating discussion on gender issues, said it was affected. The …
China’s ride-hailing app Didi still in use as authorities review cybersecurity
- 2021-07-06
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Jenny Lam
- 2021-07-06
Two days after mainland authorities ordered the removal of ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing from China’s app stores, it is still the preferred way of transport for many diehard customers For 29-year-old engineer Li Haining, who works in Qingdao, hailing a car from Didi Chuxing to get to her office has become part of her daily routine. “Honestly this incident will affect my choice in the future as I’m concerned about my privacy, but I will keep using this app as long as it’s the most convenient and affordable one for me,” she said. The Cyberspace Administration of China ( CAC) removed Didi’s app from local app stores last Sunday, shortly after it announced that it would start a cyberspace probe. “Didi Chuxing app has serious violations of laws and regulations concerning the collection and use of personal information. The Cyberspace Administration of China notified app stores to remove Didi Chuxing in accordance with relevant regulations of the National Cybersecurity Law,” the CAC said in a statement on July 4. Didi, a household name in China, raised US$ 4.4 billion in its IPO at the New York Stock Exchange on June 30. Its stock gained 1 percent on the first day of trading. Besides Didi Chuxing, the CAC also launched cyberspace reviews into Boss Zhipin, Yunmanman and Huochebang, three other companies listed in New York this year, and removed their apps from the country's app stores on Monday. When using those apps, customers need to provide their identity information such as identity card and phone numbers and their location. Cao Jing, 40, who is used to calling a car from Didi to work almost every day, said the fact that Didi was collecting data was no surprise to her. …
Fairwood’s annual profit doubles due to government subsidies
- 2021-06-29
- Business
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Alison Leung
- 2021-06-29
Hong Kong’s second largest fast food chain Fairwood Holding Ltd (00052) reported net profit attributable to shareholders of HK$153.6 million in the financial year ended Mar 31, 2021, more than doubled from a year ago due to government subsidies. This was 152.4% above its yearly net profit of HK$60.9 million the previous year. However, its annual revenue dropped 12.7% to HK$2.65 billion under COVID-19. Shares of the company rose about 1% to close at HK$18 after the results were announced while the Hang Seng Index lost 0.97% to 28,983.89. Basic earnings per share of the company increased 152.2% to 118.59 HK cents, from 47.03 HK cents a year ago, it said in a statement. Fairwood, which operated fast food restaurants, institutional catering and property businesses, said mandatory social distancing policies and restricted opening hours for restaurants led to a significant reduction in restaurant patronage during the reported period. However, the increase in take-away services offset part of the loss in revenue. Businesses in mainland China were also affected with same-store sales down by nearly 27% in local currency. But the company was optimistic that its businesses in Hong Kong will recover as the pandemic is kept under control, and it will continue to expand in the mainland. With the completion of a bakery production line in April this year, the company would offer various bakery products and reduce costs, it said.
Hong Kong’s first Chinese medicine hospital to provide training for local students
- 2021-06-28
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Jenny Lam
- 2021-06-28
Construction of Hong Kong’s first Chinese Medicine Hospital is expected to start in Tseung Kwan O in a couple of days. Speaking at a launch ceremony today, Secretary for Food and Health, Sophia Chan Siu-chee described it as a milestone in the development of traditional Chinese medicine in the city. Dr. Cheung Wai-lun, project director of the Chinese Medicine Hospital, said the facilities will include around 400 beds, 70 diagnostic rooms and 45 treatment rooms. The new hospital is expected to serve about 310,000 outpatients every year. “About 200 Chinese medicine practitioners will participate in training and research at the Chinese Medicine Hospital,” Dr. Cheung said. The hospital will also recruit both full-time and part-time traditional Chinese medicine workers. The hospital will be run by Hong Kong Baptist University under a private-public partnership arrangement and about 65% of the services will be government-funded. At the moment, traditional Chinese medicine students in Hong Kong have to go to the mainland for their internships. But once the new hospital comes into operation, a third of the students from three local universities can do their internships in Hong Kong initially. The hospital will come into service in phases from 2025 and eventually up to half of the local students can be trained there. Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong, president of Hong Kong Baptist University said the Chinese Medicine Hospital will hire Chineses medicine practitioners from Hong Kong, the mainland and other countries. Yao Yuzhen, a mainland student studying Chinese medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University, hoped the new hospital will make it more convenient to conduct scientific research. “Hong Kong does not have any inpatient department in traditional Chinese medicine right now, so there can only be limited use of some …
Disposable face masks aggravate Hong Kong’s ‘already very serious’ waste problem, says local environmentalist
- 2021-06-28
- The Young Reporter
- By: Charlotte Le ProvostEdited by: Robin Ewing
- 2021-06-28
As Hong Kong nears the one-year mark for mandatory face masks in public areas, the city’s already overstretched landfills are coping with more than 3 billion disposable masks, said Don Cheng, from local charity Greeners Action. “This is a very heavy burden on our environment, our landfills and on the whole waste management system,” Mr. Cheng said in a phone interview. Between 10 tonnes and 15 tonnes of masks are sent to Hong Kong landfills every day, Secretary for the Environment, Wong Kam-sing, said in a press release in May last year. Mr. Cheng said that the waste problem in Hong Kong was already serious before the pandemic. “We dispose of over 11,000 tonnes of solid waste every day, and 21% of it is plastic,” he said. Most single-use face masks are made of plastics such as polypropylene, which is recommended for preventing the spread of COVID-19 but may also contain cancer-causing toxins. “These masks also contain other kinds of materials and metals. It is quite difficult to separate them,” said Mr. Cheng, adding that this makes them unsuitable for recycling. “Quite a number of these face masks litter our natural environment, for example on hiking trails, at the beach and in the ocean,” he said. Disposable face masks may take as long as 450 years to break down, according to Hong-Kong-based marine conservation organization OceansAsia. Discarded masks are hazards for wild animals with environmental groups around the world reporting animals injured or killed after being caught in the straps. Most Hongkongers use seven to 10 single-use masks a week, according to a survey last year by Greeners Action. That’s 4 million to 6 million face masks a day, said Mr. Wong. Toni Lo, a local primary school teacher, …
Walk-in COVID-19 jabs for elderly please, say doctors
- 2021-06-21
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Editor
- 2021-06-21
The Hong Kong College of Physicians is calling on the government to allow people aged over 60 years to be vaccinated against COVID-19 without having to make an online booking. Speaking at a press conference today, HKCP president Professor Li Kam-tao said many elderly people have difficulties accessing the online booking system. He also called on the government to do more to eliminate elderly people’s misunderstandings about the side effects of vaccination. The college made the calls after a survey it commissioned found that only 5% of the elderly aged between 70 and 79 in Hong Kong have been vaccinated, and the figure for those aged over 80 is just 1%. “The vaccination rate (of Hong Kong’s elderly) is among the lowest in the world,” said Dr. Tsang Tak-yin, chairman of the HKCP’s infection and infectious diseases committee. Dr. Chan Tak-yeung, secretary of the college’s geriatrics committee, said many elderly people, particularly those with chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart problems, were worried about the safety and side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines. Chan Yuk-yin, 65, who has rheumatoid and vascular diseases, told The Young Reporter in a phone interview that she had reservations about being vaccinated as she was worried about her body’s possible adverse reactions to the vaccines. Chung Yuk-ching, 62, said she would not get vaccinated because of worries about the side effects and doubts about the efficacy of the vaccines. “Vaccination cannot protect me permanently; it would be a problem for me to get vaccinated every year,” she said. However, Dr. Chan said studies have shown that vaccinated elderly people are less likely to suffer pain at the injection site and fever than younger people, and the side effects are usually mild. The saying that elderly people with chronic diseases cannot be …
Hong Kong IPO market continues to thrive, ranks top three
- 2021-06-18
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Alison Leung
- 2021-06-18
Hong Kong’s initial public offering (IPO) market is expected to raise more than HK$ 400 billion this year and rank third in the global league, with more new economy companies coming to list from Mainland China, according to the National Public Offering Group of Deloitte China. In the first half of this year, 46 IPOs raised a total of about HKD 209.7 billion in Hong Kong, which decreased 22% in the number of new listings but increased 138% in the IPO proceeds compared to that in the same period last year. In general, Hong Kong IPO market performed well in the first half of 2021,” said Edward Au, Deloitte South China Region managing partner. “We are confident that HKEX will get the third place of top global new listing markets in the coming half year and continue its strong performance,” he added. In terms of total proceeds raised, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange took the lead in the first half year, followed by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Hong Kong ranked the second largest IPO market in the world in 2020, after Nasdaq, and raised about HK$ 398 billion. Among the top ten IPOs in the world in the first half of 2021, four were listed in Hong Kong and all of them were innovative and technologies companies, it said. Healthcare and medical industries and property industries continued to dominate Hong Kong’s new listing market. On the first day of trading, the three best performers were from the new economy sector, with two in the health industry and one in TMT, while the three worst performers were from the property sector. “Investors have shown more acceptance for new economy companies, but at the same time, they are less optimistic about traditional and capital-intensive …
Former C.E. says HK “wasted years” in Greater Bay Area
- 2021-06-15
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Jenny Lam
- 2021-06-15
Former Hong Kong chief executive, Leung Chun-ying has urged students in Hong Kong to be involved in the planning of the Greater Bay area. Speaking at the 2021 China Conference: Hong Kong, Mr. Leung said the city has already wasted years of opportunities because of endless filibustering in Legco, social unrest and the pandemic, “The window of opportunities for Hong Kong will not be open forever,” Mr. Leung said. The Conference focuses on economic development in the GBA and Hong Kong and has drawn participants from both sides. “The good opportunity is about short distances between cities and a comparatively large market,” said Davon Hui Jun-git, founder of a Hong Kong technology startup who developed business both in Hong Kong and Dongguan. He said at the conference that his company attracted many new customers after winning the 2020 Qianhai Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao-Taiwan Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship competition. “We don't even have enough products to actually meet the huge customer demand,” he added. Hendrick Sin, who founded CMGE, China’s biggest publisher of mobile games, advised new startups in Hong Kong to understand policies in the GBA in order to maximise the support they need. “I think there are lots of office spaces, apartments, tax subsidies to support you,” However, some Hong Kong entrepreneurs find it difficult to do business in the mainland because of differences in market size, customers’ behaviors and other aspects between Hong Kong and the mainland. Milktea Wong, a local university student said in a phone interview that she is willing to work in the mainland because there are more job opportunities than in Hong Kong. But she is concerned about welfare issues in the mainland, such as healthcare insurance. She hoped the government can help to ensure the welfare of Hongkongers …
Colorful art exhibition livens up Hong Kong’s harbourfront
- 2021-06-07
- Photo Essay
- The Young Reporter
- By: WANG Jingyan 王婧言Edited by: Robin Ewing
- 2021-06-07
More than 45,000 colourful streamers flutter over Central as part of a two-week exhibition by local and international designers along the harbourfront. Seven installations are placed along the walking path from the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter to Central for the “transFORM” exhibition curated by Design District Hong Kong. Artists were inspired by Chinese garden design and the Tai Hang traditional fire dragon dance originally created to ward off plague, according to the exhibition website. Five of the installations are open with two still under construction.