“From Beijing’s point of view, there is only one measure that will determine whether Lee will keep his job: will he be able to prevent any protests and snuff out any signs of dissent? By that measure, his performance so far has been faultless.” @antd.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/world/commen...

Silenced by China, Hong Kong struggles to voice its grief over the Tai Po fire disaster | Antony Dapiran

The pain is visceral, but civil society, media and the creative community have been in retreat since the 2019 pro-democracy protests, says author Antony Dapiran

theguardian.com

Oh hey! It's @antd.bsky.social ! (He really needs to come visit Bluesky more often) www.theguardian.com/world/commen...

Silenced by China, Hong Kong struggles to voice its grief over the Tai Po fire disaster | Antony Dapiran

The pain is visceral, but civil society, media and the creative community have been in retreat since the 2019 pro-democracy protests, says author Antony Dapiran

theguardian.com

This amazing account is by a person who I'd want as a tour guide to some of the world's most interesting historical sites and buildings, from China to Greece to Brazil. Please follow this account, and help him transition away from Twitter!

Antiokhos in the West@antiokhos.bsky.social · last yr.

Trying to transition away from X as much as possible, but still not enough familiar faces here to make the final leap!

When you want a Tesla but you don’t want people to judge you for it:

小红书 HQ: “How we will brand our app for international markets so that they don’t notice it’s literally named after a book by one of the 20th century’s most notorious murderous dictators?”

If one phrase could sum up post-2020 Hong Kong, it just might be: “For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.”

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP@hongkongfp.com · 2y ago

Hong Kong pollster Robert Chung is under investigation over assisting a “wanted person who has absconded overseas,” as police searched his home and office on Monday. In full: https://buff.ly/40aurrr Photos: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Love a good Tim Hamlett burn: “We must note that Richard Cullen spends more time writing for the China Daily than he does teaching law, & he appears to have no problem avoiding legalistic formal language in his usual output, which comprises rousing denunciations of American foreign policy.”

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP@hongkongfp.com · 2y ago

Opinion: Changing the constitution is "a matter for parliament, not something to be done in court in the name of 'context'," writes Tim Hamlett. In full: https://buff.ly/3PwwUYd

Oh, “emergency situations”? Ok… // “With the development of science & technology, more submarine cables & communication cables are laid on the seabed of all parts of the world & the cables need to be cut off in some emergency situations," the Lishui University authors wrote.

Melissa Chan@melissakchan.bsky.social · 2y ago

👀🇨🇳 "With Chinese ships suspected to have cut key undersea communications cables around the world, a Newsweek review of Chinese-language patent applications shows that engineers in China invented devices to sever such cables quickly and cheaply." By Didi Kirsten Tatlow:

Sad news. “Bottle” (known for his thick round glasses) inspired many as the cheerful MC of the Admiralty “main stage” during 2014’s Umbrella Movement. He was also a social worker, legislator, pro-democracy &—after his own stint behind bars—prisoners’ rights activist.

Patrick Poon🎐 潘嘉偉 パトリック．プーン patrick.kw.poon@connect.hku.hk@ppoon.bsky.social · 2y ago

RIP. Former Hong Kong legislator Shiu Ka-chun, a veteran social worker and who contributed so much to support political prisoners. Only 55 years old. 😢 www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...

Learning LA neighborhoods through obsessively following current news events conveniently supplementing my similarly acquired familiarity with Arizona and Pennsylvania counties.

The wheels of justice turn slowly…

Joel Chan@kjoules.org · 2y ago

From @holmeschan.bsky.social, five Hong Kong opposition figures (including Cardinal Joseph Zen, barrister Margaret Ng, and singer Denise Ho) who were convicted over their roles in the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund in 2022, had their January 8 hearing appeal delayed to December 3

HK is definitely NOT a sanctions-evading hub. But also: “HK’s treasury chief said the city has a greater chance of enticing investors to set up family offices due to Switzerland’s neutral image being impacted by the country’s stance toward the Russia-Ukraine war.” www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...

Hong Kong enjoys ‘greater investor appeal’ amid Swiss sanctions on Russia

Treasury minister says city more likely to entice investors to set up family offices after Switzerland’s neutral image called into question.

scmp.com

Per @tedgioia.bsky.social: “Nobody in the history of music has made more money than the CEO of Spotify. Taylor Swift doesn’t earn that much. Even after 50 years of concertizing, Paul McCartney & Mick Jagger can’t match this kind of wealth…”

Jarrod Watt@jaywatt.bsky.social · 2y ago

Fake news = old and busted Fake tunes = new hotness "Spotify, I discovered... has partnerships with a web of production companies, which... provide Spotify with “music we benefited from financially...” seeded on playlists to save $. Classic Enshittification. www.honest-broker.com/p/the-ugly-t...

“The hi-tech equipment on board was abnormal for a merchant ship & consumed more power from the ship’s generator, leading to repeated blackouts…The crew would have been aware of its spying activities…but were ‘threatened with their life, so everybody kept quiet’…”

Michael Kovrig@kovrig.bsky.social · 2y ago

Russia-linked cable-cutting tanker seized by Finland ‘was loaded with spying equipment’

“More than 20 Hong Kong police officers have been deployed to a neighbourhood where a week-long independent book fair was underway. Some attendees had their IDs and bags checked by the police.”

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP@hongkongfp.com · 2y ago

More than 20 Hong Kong police officers have been deployed to a neighbourhood where a week-long independent book fair was underway. In full: https://buff.ly/49TszrA

The Christmas spirit continues in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP@hongkongfp.com · 2y ago

Founding member of the Democratic Party Martin Lee has been stripped of his title as Justice of the Peace. In full: https://buff.ly/3VRLu0c

The tragedies of a society built upon a foundation of constrained personal expression.

Foreign Affairs@foreignaffairs.com · 2y ago

The Chinese Communist Party’s indifference to political rights and squelching of dissent are contributing to societal fractures within China—and driving more people to embrace violence out of desperation, writes Peidong Sun.

Hong Kong government reminding us all to focus on the important things about the spirit of Christmas:

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP@hongkongfp.com · 2y ago

Hong Kong national security police have issued a fresh round of arrest warrants for six people living overseas, including self-exiled activists, a former pollster and an ex-actor. A reward of HK$1 million has been offered for information leading to their arrests. In full: https://buff.ly/408b8jL

HK’s hub obsession 2024 edition:

Joel Chan@kjoules.org · 2y ago

The 2024 complete list of Hong Kong hubs (that it claims or aspires to be), seen in GovHK releases and English news sources 🧵 Air/aviation cargo hub Global/regional art hub - Art and culture hub - International hub for Chinese art collections and exhibitions - Thriving arts hub

Wonderful short film on Chow Yun Fat’s street photography (in Canto w/ Eng+Chi subtitles).

mrg@mrg.name · 2y ago

Hong Kong film icon Chow Yun Fat in a video promoting his current photo exhibition. Wonderful HK street scenes and interesting description of his method using old medium and large format lenses on a modern (very expensive) medium format digital camera. m.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkk...

Lovely nostalgia piece on cricket on the radio from @thawking.bsky.social for @theguardian.com: “And now, two decades later, I’m sitting in a new home in Brooklyn, looking down at a dark, wet street, wondering if it’ll ever snow again & listening to the cricket.” www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/d...

Pitch perfect: why listening to cricket on radio soothes a world that won’t hear sense

Waves crashing. Cicadas singing. And always the burble of cricket on the radio, unifying summers and people with its gentle pleasures for an uncertain world

theguardian.com

And yet again they are misusing “so-called”. You might not like it, but it was definitely called that. // “The Government of the HKSAR today strongly disapproved of and opposed the so-called "2024 Annual Report" issued by the US CECC…”

Joel Chan@kjoules.org · 2y ago

so-called ☑️☑️☑️☑️☑️☑️☑️☑️☑️ one country, two systems ☑️☑️☑️ strongly disapprove ☑️☑️ sternly refute ☑️☑️ slander ☑️☑️ smear ☑️☑️ despicable ☑️☑️ absurd ☑️☑️ untrue ☑️☑️ hypocrisy with double standards ☑️ grandstanding rife with ill intentions ☑️ ... www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/...

Can someone please tell SCMP about this thing called “Christmas holidays”?

HK CE John Lee: “We have long stays. We have short stays. That's Hong Kong. In fact, this is the world.” (No, it doesn’t make any more sense in context.) news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/comp...

CE visits panda carnival in Tsim Sha Tsui - RTHK

Chief Executive John Lee on Wednesday greeted members of the public as he visited a panda carnival in Tsim Sha Tsui. Lee visited several stalls at the...

news.rthk.hk

“Guys, have some perspective, it was just a _little_ bit of a coup…”

William Gallo@williamgallo.bsky.social · 2y ago

Pushing back against accusations of treason, Yoon says he only deployed a small number of troops and that the martial law decree did not last very long.

HK finally says ‘no’ to a hub: “Hong Kong no money-laundering hub, officials tell anti-crime forum” www.scmp.com/news/hong-ko...

Hong Kong no money-laundering hub, officials tell anti-crime forum

Secretary for Justice Paul Lam hits back at ‘misconceived’ comments about Hong Kong.

scmp.com

Fascinating story from @maryhui.bsky.social: “President Xi Jinping has said he wants China to become a “weather superpower,” and made it a national priority to win the world’s second-largest economy a bigger say in global meteorological governance.”

Mary Hui@maryhui.bsky.social · 2y ago

The weather has long been tied to military and national security interests. Now it's primed to emerge as another flashpoint in the US-China rivalry. On how Trump's return gives China a shot at being the next weather superpower, w/ @laurenthal.bsky.social: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

The other extremely annoying SCMP reporting habit: pieces which consist solely of a description of an amusing video incident that appeared on mainland social media with NEITHER THE ACTUAL VIDEO NOR ANY LINK TO IT.