EU tariffs a factor as value of Chinese electric vehicle exports falls 42%
By Mia Nulimaimaiti
The value of China’s electric vehicle exports plunged last month to their lowest level since July 2022, driven by tariff challenges in Europe, large declines in shipments to emerging markets and intensified price cuts.
Exports were worth US$1.58 billion in November, according to the latest detailed customs data. In July 2022 they were worth US$1.4 billion.
In year-on-year terms, electric vehicle exports were down 42 per cent by value last month, the steepest decline since April 2022, when global supply chains were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic lockdown in Shanghai and the conflict in Ukraine. By volume, exports were down 19 per cent last month, indicating that falling prices were a big factor in the larger decline in export value.
Liang Yan, an economist at Willamette University in the US state of Oregon, said the decline was largely due to the European Union’s implementation of tariffs at the end of October, as the bloc now accounted for around a quarter of the total value of China’s electric vehicle exports, as well as weakening shipments to emerging markets.
The value of electric vehicle exports to the EU dropped 36 per cent year on year in November, while export volume declined by 23 per cent. On October 31, the bloc began to enforce new import tariffs of up to 45 per cent on electric vehicles produced in China.
Exports to emerging markets also fell, with the value of China’s electric vehicle exports to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last month down by a quarter year on year and those to Latin America plunging 47 per cent.
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By Mia Nulimaimaiti
The value of China’s electric vehicle exports plunged last month to their lowest level since July 2022, driven by tariff challenges in Europe, large declines in shipments to emerging markets and intensified price cuts.
Exports were worth US$1.58 billion in November, according to the latest detailed customs data. In July 2022 they were worth US$1.4 billion.
In year-on-year terms, electric vehicle exports were down 42 per cent by value last month, the steepest decline since April 2022, when global supply chains were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic lockdown in Shanghai and the conflict in Ukraine. By volume, exports were down 19 per cent last month, indicating that falling prices were a big factor in the larger decline in export value.
Liang Yan, an economist at Willamette University in the US state of Oregon, said the decline was largely due to the European Union’s implementation of tariffs at the end of October, as the bloc now accounted for around a quarter of the total value of China’s electric vehicle exports, as well as weakening shipments to emerging markets.
The value of electric vehicle exports to the EU dropped 36 per cent year on year in November, while export volume declined by 23 per cent. On October 31, the bloc began to enforce new import tariffs of up to 45 per cent on electric vehicles produced in China.
Exports to emerging markets also fell, with the value of China’s electric vehicle exports to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations last month down by a quarter year on year and those to Latin America plunging 47 per cent.
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Hong Kong launches facial recognition tech for entry to street in border town
By Johnny Wan
Hong Kong authorities have launched a facial recognition pilot scheme to allow permit holders to enter part of a restricted town on the border with mainland China without showing any documents.
No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki, who officiated the opening ceremony of the revamped Chung Ying Street checkpoint in Sha Tau Kok on Monday, said authorities hoped to improve efficiency for those living and working there.
“Through this [facial recognition] pilot scheme, we hope to use innovative technology to replace manual checks and provide convenience to people going in and out the checkpoint,” the chief secretary said.
“This can raise the checkpoint’s capacity in handling commuters and showcase Hong Kong’s level of digital technology as an international metropolis.”
A permit is needed to enter Chung Ying Street, a shop-lined avenue jointly governed by Shenzhen and Hong Kong authorities. Most permits are held by those living there or working in its stores.
The street is part of the Sha Tau Kok border town, which has been closed off to most outsiders since the 1950s as part of colonial government efforts to combat illegal immigration, smuggling and spies.
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By Johnny Wan
Hong Kong authorities have launched a facial recognition pilot scheme to allow permit holders to enter part of a restricted town on the border with mainland China without showing any documents.
No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki, who officiated the opening ceremony of the revamped Chung Ying Street checkpoint in Sha Tau Kok on Monday, said authorities hoped to improve efficiency for those living and working there.
“Through this [facial recognition] pilot scheme, we hope to use innovative technology to replace manual checks and provide convenience to people going in and out the checkpoint,” the chief secretary said.
“This can raise the checkpoint’s capacity in handling commuters and showcase Hong Kong’s level of digital technology as an international metropolis.”
A permit is needed to enter Chung Ying Street, a shop-lined avenue jointly governed by Shenzhen and Hong Kong authorities. Most permits are held by those living there or working in its stores.
The street is part of the Sha Tau Kok border town, which has been closed off to most outsiders since the 1950s as part of colonial government efforts to combat illegal immigration, smuggling and spies.
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Why Afghanistan is once again a hotbed of terrorism
By Chris Fitzgerald
The Taliban is under pressure, facing an increasing number of attacks from terror groups seeking to undermine its rule and destabilise Afghanistan. However, this is a problem of the Taliban’s own making.
The Taliban’s acting refugee minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed in a suicide bombing earlier this month. Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called the bombing, which reportedly killed and wounded several other ministry employees, a “cowardly attack”.
Haqqani is the highest-ranking leader in the Taliban-led administration to be killed since the group re-took power in August 2021. He is the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani Network, and uncle of acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The family are key power brokers in Afghanistan, viewed as a more pragmatic faction vying for influence against the more extreme elements of Taliban leadership, who adhere to a strict interpretation of Islam.
Islamic State Khorasan (or Isis-K) quickly claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing this month, reportedly saying that its agent Abu Usman Khorasani evaded security to kill Haqqani. The group is an offshoot of Islamic State and seeks to create a caliphate across South and Central Asia.
Since 2021, the Taliban has claimed to have improved the security situation in Afghanistan by reining in Isis-K but the facts on the ground tell a different story.
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By Chris Fitzgerald
The Taliban is under pressure, facing an increasing number of attacks from terror groups seeking to undermine its rule and destabilise Afghanistan. However, this is a problem of the Taliban’s own making.
The Taliban’s acting refugee minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed in a suicide bombing earlier this month. Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called the bombing, which reportedly killed and wounded several other ministry employees, a “cowardly attack”.
Haqqani is the highest-ranking leader in the Taliban-led administration to be killed since the group re-took power in August 2021. He is the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani Network, and uncle of acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The family are key power brokers in Afghanistan, viewed as a more pragmatic faction vying for influence against the more extreme elements of Taliban leadership, who adhere to a strict interpretation of Islam.
Islamic State Khorasan (or Isis-K) quickly claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing this month, reportedly saying that its agent Abu Usman Khorasani evaded security to kill Haqqani. The group is an offshoot of Islamic State and seeks to create a caliphate across South and Central Asia.
Since 2021, the Taliban has claimed to have improved the security situation in Afghanistan by reining in Isis-K but the facts on the ground tell a different story.
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Head of Taiwan’s third political party Ko Wen-je set to resign over corruption probe
By Lawrence Chung
The leader of the party that holds the balance of power in Taiwan’s legislature is set to step down.
Ko Wen-je was one of the candidates for the island’s top job in January’s election but has since been arrested on corruption charges, throwing the future of the Taiwan People’s Party – which he founded in 2019 on promises of clean governance – into question.
Ko has been held incommunicado for over 100 days without being formally charged. He is accused of accepting bribes during his time as Taipei mayor between 2014 and 2022.
On Friday a district court in Taipei said it had approved Ko’s request to send a resignation letter to the party, adding that this would not prejudice his case.
However, TPP officials said they had yet to receive Ko’s resignation letter and criticised the court for overstepping its authority by suggesting the resignation would take effect automatically upon submission.
“So far, we have not received any resignation letter from Chairman Ko,” said TPP secretary general Vincent Chou on Monday. “Even if we do, we will make every effort to persuade him to stay.”
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By Lawrence Chung
The leader of the party that holds the balance of power in Taiwan’s legislature is set to step down.
Ko Wen-je was one of the candidates for the island’s top job in January’s election but has since been arrested on corruption charges, throwing the future of the Taiwan People’s Party – which he founded in 2019 on promises of clean governance – into question.
Ko has been held incommunicado for over 100 days without being formally charged. He is accused of accepting bribes during his time as Taipei mayor between 2014 and 2022.
On Friday a district court in Taipei said it had approved Ko’s request to send a resignation letter to the party, adding that this would not prejudice his case.
However, TPP officials said they had yet to receive Ko’s resignation letter and criticised the court for overstepping its authority by suggesting the resignation would take effect automatically upon submission.
“So far, we have not received any resignation letter from Chairman Ko,” said TPP secretary general Vincent Chou on Monday. “Even if we do, we will make every effort to persuade him to stay.”
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Can cultural exchanges fix ‘ambiguity and uncertainty’ in China-India ties?
By Maple Leung
China and India should work harder to promote exchanges and bridge the perception gap between two countries, according to a leading Chinese expert on South Asia.
Zhang Jiadong, director of the South Asian Studies Centre at Fudan University, said the level of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and India lagged “far behind”, considering the strength and international status of the two Asian powers.
This has resulted in “ambiguity and uncertainty” in their understanding of each other, Zhang said in an article published in the Global Times on Monday.
“This problem needs more frequent people-to-people and cultural exchanges to alleviate it,” he wrote.
The scholar noted that after years of tensions as a result of conflicts along their disputed Himalayan border, a lack of robust exchanges between China and India had contributed to misunderstandings as these exchanges were vital for fostering mutual trust.
Zhang’s commentary came as he and other Chinese scholars, including those from the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences, wrapped up talks with a delegation from the India Foundation – a think tank affiliated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – in China’s Tibet autonomous region.
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By Maple Leung
China and India should work harder to promote exchanges and bridge the perception gap between two countries, according to a leading Chinese expert on South Asia.
Zhang Jiadong, director of the South Asian Studies Centre at Fudan University, said the level of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and India lagged “far behind”, considering the strength and international status of the two Asian powers.
This has resulted in “ambiguity and uncertainty” in their understanding of each other, Zhang said in an article published in the Global Times on Monday.
“This problem needs more frequent people-to-people and cultural exchanges to alleviate it,” he wrote.
The scholar noted that after years of tensions as a result of conflicts along their disputed Himalayan border, a lack of robust exchanges between China and India had contributed to misunderstandings as these exchanges were vital for fostering mutual trust.
Zhang’s commentary came as he and other Chinese scholars, including those from the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences, wrapped up talks with a delegation from the India Foundation – a think tank affiliated with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – in China’s Tibet autonomous region.
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Singapore invokes fake news law against Bloomberg, 3 others over bungalow sales article
By Kimberly Lim
Singapore’s law ministry has invoked the fake news law against Bloomberg and three other news sites for publishing false information regarding the transparency of good-class bungalow (GCB) transactions.
The ministry said in a statement on Monday that Bloomberg published false statements that “attack the transparency of property transactions in Singapore”.
“Together, these falsehoods give the impression that Singapore does not have a robust legal framework to require disclosure of information to the government in GCB transactions, which may allow wrongdoing to take place undetected. It is in the public interest that these falsehoods are addressed so that public confidence in the government is not undermined.”
Apart from Bloomberg, the correction order was also issued to The Edge Singapore, The Independent Singapore and The Online Citizen.
The four news sites are required to carry correction notices against their original articles and social media posts, stating that they contained false statements of fact, and provide a link to the government’s clarification.
The Edge Singapore and Independent Singapore have published correction notices and removed their articles, while The Online Citizen carried the correction notice but its article is still online, according to checks by This Week in Asia.
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By Kimberly Lim
Singapore’s law ministry has invoked the fake news law against Bloomberg and three other news sites for publishing false information regarding the transparency of good-class bungalow (GCB) transactions.
The ministry said in a statement on Monday that Bloomberg published false statements that “attack the transparency of property transactions in Singapore”.
“Together, these falsehoods give the impression that Singapore does not have a robust legal framework to require disclosure of information to the government in GCB transactions, which may allow wrongdoing to take place undetected. It is in the public interest that these falsehoods are addressed so that public confidence in the government is not undermined.”
Apart from Bloomberg, the correction order was also issued to The Edge Singapore, The Independent Singapore and The Online Citizen.
The four news sites are required to carry correction notices against their original articles and social media posts, stating that they contained false statements of fact, and provide a link to the government’s clarification.
The Edge Singapore and Independent Singapore have published correction notices and removed their articles, while The Online Citizen carried the correction notice but its article is still online, according to checks by This Week in Asia.
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China’s local governments urged to rethink approach to infrastructure investment
By Luna Sun
China must address a rising problem of overinvestment in large but inefficient projects that is more rooted in habitual practice than any consideration of economic productivity, think tank scholars said.
Governments must make rational adjustments and “know where to hit the brakes and where to step on the gas” in order to ensure sustainable economic growth and avoid the pitfalls of overambitious spending that were seen in past projects of questionable utility, Chen Gong, the founder of the independent Anbound think tank, said during a discussion session in Hangzhou last week.
“One of the gravest challenges China’s future faces is how to compress inefficient and already excessive investments,” he said, adding that it is no longer feasible to approach future development using past methods that were often marked by low investment efficiency and rising local government debt.
The comments came as China struggles to find more sustainable growth drivers amid slowing economic expansion, with investment in infrastructure projects remaining a popular option to prop up economic activity.
China’s local governments have long relied on large construction projects to drive short-term regional growth, but many have been poorly planned and wasteful, failing to deliver the anticipated returns.
Local governments are burdened with massive levels of debt, with abandoned projects – such as unfinished flats and abandoned railway stations – leaving them unable to pay teachers and public servants, or maintain essential services like transport.
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By Luna Sun
China must address a rising problem of overinvestment in large but inefficient projects that is more rooted in habitual practice than any consideration of economic productivity, think tank scholars said.
Governments must make rational adjustments and “know where to hit the brakes and where to step on the gas” in order to ensure sustainable economic growth and avoid the pitfalls of overambitious spending that were seen in past projects of questionable utility, Chen Gong, the founder of the independent Anbound think tank, said during a discussion session in Hangzhou last week.
“One of the gravest challenges China’s future faces is how to compress inefficient and already excessive investments,” he said, adding that it is no longer feasible to approach future development using past methods that were often marked by low investment efficiency and rising local government debt.
The comments came as China struggles to find more sustainable growth drivers amid slowing economic expansion, with investment in infrastructure projects remaining a popular option to prop up economic activity.
China’s local governments have long relied on large construction projects to drive short-term regional growth, but many have been poorly planned and wasteful, failing to deliver the anticipated returns.
Local governments are burdened with massive levels of debt, with abandoned projects – such as unfinished flats and abandoned railway stations – leaving them unable to pay teachers and public servants, or maintain essential services like transport.
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Biden commutes sentences of 37 of 40 death row inmates, so Trump can’t have them executed
By ReutersAssociated Press
US President Joe Biden on Monday commuted the sentences for 37 of 40 federal inmates on death row, converting them to life in prison without parole before he hands over power to president-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities.
Biden’s move will frustrate Trump’s plan to resume a rapid pace of executions. Unlike executive orders, clemency decisions cannot be reversed by a president’s successor, although the death penalty can be sought more aggressively in future cases.
Biden also took a political jab at Trump, saying, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
Trump has spoken frequently of expanding executions. In a speech announcing his 2024 campaign, Trump called for those “caught selling drugs to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.” He later promised to execute drug and human smugglers and even praised China’s harsher treatment of drug peddlers. During his first term as president, Trump also advocated for the death penalty for drug dealers.
Trump restarted federal executions after a nearly 20-year pause during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.
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By ReutersAssociated Press
US President Joe Biden on Monday commuted the sentences for 37 of 40 federal inmates on death row, converting them to life in prison without parole before he hands over power to president-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
The move spares the lives of people convicted in killings, including the slayings of police and military officers, people on federal land and those involved in deadly bank robberies or drug deals, as well as the killings of guards or prisoners in federal facilities.
Biden’s move will frustrate Trump’s plan to resume a rapid pace of executions. Unlike executive orders, clemency decisions cannot be reversed by a president’s successor, although the death penalty can be sought more aggressively in future cases.
Biden also took a political jab at Trump, saying, “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
Trump has spoken frequently of expanding executions. In a speech announcing his 2024 campaign, Trump called for those “caught selling drugs to receive the death penalty for their heinous acts.” He later promised to execute drug and human smugglers and even praised China’s harsher treatment of drug peddlers. During his first term as president, Trump also advocated for the death penalty for drug dealers.
Trump restarted federal executions after a nearly 20-year pause during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.
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‘Net advantage for India’? What US sanctions mean for Pakistan’s relevance in Washington
By Junaid Kathju
The United States’ latest sanctions targeting Pakistan-based entities for their involvement in the country’s ballistic missile programme have bolstered India’s strategic position and underscored Islamabad’s fading relevance in Washington, analysts say.
The US sanctioned four entities on Wednesday, including the state-owned National Development Complex, that it said were contributing to the programme. A statement by the US Department of State said the entities were “proliferators of weapons of mass destruction”.
“Today, the United States is designating four entities that are contributing to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme. We have been clear and consistent about our concerns, and we will continue to engage constructively with Pakistan on these issues,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller posted on X.
Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, said the sanctions would benefit India by effectively limiting Pakistan’s ability to expand its ballistic missile arsenal, a development that New Delhi viewed as a strategic gain.
“Any attempt to weaken the growth of Pakistan’s missile development programme or any step to diminish the growth of any aspect of Pakistani proliferation programmes would be seen as a good thing in India, given its deep rivalry with Pakistan,” Kugelman said.
“From the zero-sum perspective, seeing its rival getting sanctioned is going to be a net advantage for India.”
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By Junaid Kathju
The United States’ latest sanctions targeting Pakistan-based entities for their involvement in the country’s ballistic missile programme have bolstered India’s strategic position and underscored Islamabad’s fading relevance in Washington, analysts say.
The US sanctioned four entities on Wednesday, including the state-owned National Development Complex, that it said were contributing to the programme. A statement by the US Department of State said the entities were “proliferators of weapons of mass destruction”.
“Today, the United States is designating four entities that are contributing to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme. We have been clear and consistent about our concerns, and we will continue to engage constructively with Pakistan on these issues,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller posted on X.
Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center’s South Asia Institute, said the sanctions would benefit India by effectively limiting Pakistan’s ability to expand its ballistic missile arsenal, a development that New Delhi viewed as a strategic gain.
“Any attempt to weaken the growth of Pakistan’s missile development programme or any step to diminish the growth of any aspect of Pakistani proliferation programmes would be seen as a good thing in India, given its deep rivalry with Pakistan,” Kugelman said.
“From the zero-sum perspective, seeing its rival getting sanctioned is going to be a net advantage for India.”
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Hong Kong tutoring centre owner slapped with 240 hours of community service
By Brian Wong
A Hong Kong private tutoring chain director has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service for selling HK$70,000 (US$9,000) worth of prepaid programmes to eight parents before the company’s abrupt closure last year.
Eastern Court on Monday also ordered Margaret Pang Tse-tung, 52, to pay back the eight customers after she decided to accept prepayments for courses at her company, Brilliant Education, despite plans to close down the business after accumulating a HK$6.4 million debt.
Pang, who was the education centre’s sole director, was arrested by customs officers days after she closed all of its five branches without prior notice on July 29 last year, sparking a wave of complaints from parents.
She earlier pleaded guilty to eight counts of wrongly accepting payment in breach of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
The court heard Brilliant Education had received from the eight parents tutorial fees ranging from HK$3,150 to HK$12,880 between July 9 and 24, 2023.
An investigation revealed the chain had defaulted on wage payments in excess of HK$2.7 million since April that year.
The company also failed to settle rents for its branches from as early as February 2023, with the outstanding sum snowballing to HK$3.7 million by the time of its closure.
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By Brian Wong
A Hong Kong private tutoring chain director has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service for selling HK$70,000 (US$9,000) worth of prepaid programmes to eight parents before the company’s abrupt closure last year.
Eastern Court on Monday also ordered Margaret Pang Tse-tung, 52, to pay back the eight customers after she decided to accept prepayments for courses at her company, Brilliant Education, despite plans to close down the business after accumulating a HK$6.4 million debt.
Pang, who was the education centre’s sole director, was arrested by customs officers days after she closed all of its five branches without prior notice on July 29 last year, sparking a wave of complaints from parents.
She earlier pleaded guilty to eight counts of wrongly accepting payment in breach of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
The court heard Brilliant Education had received from the eight parents tutorial fees ranging from HK$3,150 to HK$12,880 between July 9 and 24, 2023.
An investigation revealed the chain had defaulted on wage payments in excess of HK$2.7 million since April that year.
The company also failed to settle rents for its branches from as early as February 2023, with the outstanding sum snowballing to HK$3.7 million by the time of its closure.
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Seek empathy over revenge, Hong Kong cardinal says in Christmas message
By Emily Hung
Hong Kong’s top Catholic priest has called for the pursuit of justice through empathy instead of vengeance, while urging for renewed hope in the local and global economy in his Christmas message.
Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, head of the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong, on Monday invited the faithful to await the “promise of joy and hope of Christmas”, despite the “depressive and anxiety-provoking realities”.
He acknowledged the challenges facing Hong Kong and the world, including the slower-than-expected economic recovery, increasingly tense geopolitics and rising mental health problems among the younger and elderly.
But Chow said with “hope and love in our consciousness”, love could be brought to marginalised communities, who were struggling with feeling unwanted and abandoned.
They included prisoners waiting for a new life, married couples who cannot see a sufficiently stable future for childbearing, young people who fail to identify convincing reasons to envisage a hopeful future, and the elderly who are lonely and abandoned, among others.
“It is in our best interest, and that of future generations, when we can help the weaker parties to become stronger so that together we can have a better present and a hope-filled future,” he said.
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By Emily Hung
Hong Kong’s top Catholic priest has called for the pursuit of justice through empathy instead of vengeance, while urging for renewed hope in the local and global economy in his Christmas message.
Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, head of the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong, on Monday invited the faithful to await the “promise of joy and hope of Christmas”, despite the “depressive and anxiety-provoking realities”.
He acknowledged the challenges facing Hong Kong and the world, including the slower-than-expected economic recovery, increasingly tense geopolitics and rising mental health problems among the younger and elderly.
But Chow said with “hope and love in our consciousness”, love could be brought to marginalised communities, who were struggling with feeling unwanted and abandoned.
They included prisoners waiting for a new life, married couples who cannot see a sufficiently stable future for childbearing, young people who fail to identify convincing reasons to envisage a hopeful future, and the elderly who are lonely and abandoned, among others.
“It is in our best interest, and that of future generations, when we can help the weaker parties to become stronger so that together we can have a better present and a hope-filled future,” he said.
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Hong Kong fans of Jay Chou swindled out of HK$180,000 from fake concert tickets
By Ng Kang-chung
Hong Kong fans of star singer Jay Chou have reported losses reaching HK$180,000 (US$23,140) after being scammed into buying fake tickets to see the “King of Mandopop” perform at Kai Tak Sports Park next year.
Police said on Monday they had received eight reports of scams between Wednesday last week and Sunday, with six involving orders placed through mainland Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.
“The scammers claimed they had priority tickets to re-sell and asked victims to transfer the money to personal bank accounts. In the end, the ‘seller’ lost contact,” the force said.
The fans spent a combined HK$180,000 on the bogus tickets.
Police said organisers had clarified that the public sale date for tickets was yet to be announced. Priority bookings had closed and presale tickets were reportedly sold out.
The force warned fans to stay alert and only purchase tickets through official channels.
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By Ng Kang-chung
Hong Kong fans of star singer Jay Chou have reported losses reaching HK$180,000 (US$23,140) after being scammed into buying fake tickets to see the “King of Mandopop” perform at Kai Tak Sports Park next year.
Police said on Monday they had received eight reports of scams between Wednesday last week and Sunday, with six involving orders placed through mainland Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu.
“The scammers claimed they had priority tickets to re-sell and asked victims to transfer the money to personal bank accounts. In the end, the ‘seller’ lost contact,” the force said.
The fans spent a combined HK$180,000 on the bogus tickets.
Police said organisers had clarified that the public sale date for tickets was yet to be announced. Priority bookings had closed and presale tickets were reportedly sold out.
The force warned fans to stay alert and only purchase tickets through official channels.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
