Beijing’s Xia Baolong urges Hong Kong to better integrate into development plans
By Lo Hoi-ying
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has told the city’s administration to ensure better integration into national development strategies, as the financial hub can benefit from aligning with its counterparts in Guangdong province.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said on Tuesday that Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), gave the directions when he met top officials over the weekend.
“Director Xia is very, very concerned about Hong Kong. He highly recognised the work of the [Hong Kong] government under the leadership of the chief executive,” said Chan, who is Hong Kong’s No 2 official.
Xia passed on the message during his visit to two special cooperation zones operated by Hong Kong and neighbouring Shenzhen.
“He also directed that we should try our very best to integrate into the mainland’s national policies, especially the Greater Bay Area initiative. This is very important to Hong Kong,” Chan said.
The initiative refers to the national drive to turn Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities in Guangdong into an economic powerhouse.
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By Lo Hoi-ying
Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs has told the city’s administration to ensure better integration into national development strategies, as the financial hub can benefit from aligning with its counterparts in Guangdong province.
Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki said on Tuesday that Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), gave the directions when he met top officials over the weekend.
“Director Xia is very, very concerned about Hong Kong. He highly recognised the work of the [Hong Kong] government under the leadership of the chief executive,” said Chan, who is Hong Kong’s No 2 official.
Xia passed on the message during his visit to two special cooperation zones operated by Hong Kong and neighbouring Shenzhen.
“He also directed that we should try our very best to integrate into the mainland’s national policies, especially the Greater Bay Area initiative. This is very important to Hong Kong,” Chan said.
The initiative refers to the national drive to turn Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities in Guangdong into an economic powerhouse.
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US-China relations: Trump confirms talks with Xi since his inauguration
By Kawala Xie
US President Donald Trump said that he has spoken to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping since his inauguration, signalling continued diplomatic engagement amid an escalating trade war.
Trump confirmed the discussions in a Super Bowl interview broadcast on Monday evening by Fox News, saying that he had communicated with both Xi and “his people”. Washington and Beijing have been locked in a tit-for-tat tariff battle.
“I happen to like him a lot, President Xi… I love talking to him,” Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier. “I’ve talked to him and I talk to his people too. His people come in all the time.”
Trump also hailed his “very good personal relationship” with Xi, saying that he knows him “probably better than just about anybody in various parts of the world”.
Trump did not disclose when exactly the conversation took place or what the two leaders discussed.
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By Kawala Xie
US President Donald Trump said that he has spoken to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping since his inauguration, signalling continued diplomatic engagement amid an escalating trade war.
Trump confirmed the discussions in a Super Bowl interview broadcast on Monday evening by Fox News, saying that he had communicated with both Xi and “his people”. Washington and Beijing have been locked in a tit-for-tat tariff battle.
“I happen to like him a lot, President Xi… I love talking to him,” Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier. “I’ve talked to him and I talk to his people too. His people come in all the time.”
Trump also hailed his “very good personal relationship” with Xi, saying that he knows him “probably better than just about anybody in various parts of the world”.
Trump did not disclose when exactly the conversation took place or what the two leaders discussed.
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Malaysian man caught trying to smuggle ‘pink cocaine’ into Australia
By dpa
Police in Australia have charged a 35-year-old Malaysian man over an attempt to import more than half a tonne of illegal drugs into the country.
The Malaysian national was arrested in Coffs Harbour, some 500km (310 miles) north of Sydney, on Monday, the Australian Federal Police said on Tuesday.
He is accused of being part of a plot to import 120kg (265lbs) of an illicit substance suspected to be “pink cocaine”, 421kg (928lbs) of MDMA pills and 80kg (176lbs) of methamphetamine in a shipment sent from Italy.
The MDMA pills had an estimated street value of about A$26 million (US$16.3 million), while the methamphetamine had an estimated street value close to A$74 million, the Australian Federal Police said.
Officers said that the Australian market for the drug cocktail known as pink cocaine, or Tusi, was “not well established”, but they estimated that it could be worth up to A$16.8 million.
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By dpa
Police in Australia have charged a 35-year-old Malaysian man over an attempt to import more than half a tonne of illegal drugs into the country.
The Malaysian national was arrested in Coffs Harbour, some 500km (310 miles) north of Sydney, on Monday, the Australian Federal Police said on Tuesday.
He is accused of being part of a plot to import 120kg (265lbs) of an illicit substance suspected to be “pink cocaine”, 421kg (928lbs) of MDMA pills and 80kg (176lbs) of methamphetamine in a shipment sent from Italy.
The MDMA pills had an estimated street value of about A$26 million (US$16.3 million), while the methamphetamine had an estimated street value close to A$74 million, the Australian Federal Police said.
Officers said that the Australian market for the drug cocktail known as pink cocaine, or Tusi, was “not well established”, but they estimated that it could be worth up to A$16.8 million.
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Floods wash out Malaysia’s palm oil harvest as output sinks most in 9 years
By Bloomberg
Palm oil output in Malaysia fell the most since 2016 as heavy rains and floods disrupted harvesting in the world’s second-biggest grower.
At least five people were killed and thousands forced to move to safer places last month after days of heavy downpour triggered floods and landslides in several areas of the Southeast Asian nation. The states of Sarawak and Sabah, top oil palm growing areas, were among the worst affected, according to a statement from the country’s weather agency.
Shrinking supplies in Malaysia could further support the commodity that gained more than 5 per cent in Kuala Lumpur last week. Prices jumped further on Monday, taking gains to 3.3 per cent so far in 2025, after being down 3.6 per cent for the year at the end of January.
Palm again commanded a premium over rival soybean oil – an unusual scenario as the commodity is generally the cheapest edible oil because of its round-the-year production, against the seasonal nature of other oilseeds. Oil palm also needs relatively less land to grow.
Palm has been trading higher than soyoil since September, except for about a month since January 10.
Output in the country fell almost 17 per cent from a month earlier to 1.24 million tons in January, according to data released by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board on Monday. That’s the lowest since April 2023 and below the median estimate in a survey of analysts last week.
Stockpiles dropped 7.6 per cent to 1.58 million tons (14.3 million tonnes), missing all analyst estimates in the survey. Exports decreased almost 13 per cent to 1.17 million tons (1.06 million tonnes), slightly better than the survey prediction.
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By Bloomberg
Palm oil output in Malaysia fell the most since 2016 as heavy rains and floods disrupted harvesting in the world’s second-biggest grower.
At least five people were killed and thousands forced to move to safer places last month after days of heavy downpour triggered floods and landslides in several areas of the Southeast Asian nation. The states of Sarawak and Sabah, top oil palm growing areas, were among the worst affected, according to a statement from the country’s weather agency.
Shrinking supplies in Malaysia could further support the commodity that gained more than 5 per cent in Kuala Lumpur last week. Prices jumped further on Monday, taking gains to 3.3 per cent so far in 2025, after being down 3.6 per cent for the year at the end of January.
Palm again commanded a premium over rival soybean oil – an unusual scenario as the commodity is generally the cheapest edible oil because of its round-the-year production, against the seasonal nature of other oilseeds. Oil palm also needs relatively less land to grow.
Palm has been trading higher than soyoil since September, except for about a month since January 10.
Output in the country fell almost 17 per cent from a month earlier to 1.24 million tons in January, according to data released by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board on Monday. That’s the lowest since April 2023 and below the median estimate in a survey of analysts last week.
Stockpiles dropped 7.6 per cent to 1.58 million tons (14.3 million tonnes), missing all analyst estimates in the survey. Exports decreased almost 13 per cent to 1.17 million tons (1.06 million tonnes), slightly better than the survey prediction.
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Hong Kong’s pearl will shine brighter under ‘one country, two systems’
By Cui Jianchun
In the Year of the Snake, Hong Kong, the “Pearl of the Orient” will continue to help build China into a great, modern, socialist country in all respects and achieve national rejuvenation. In the over 27 years since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, its remarkable achievements have shown that “one country, two systems” is a good framework.
As President Xi Jinping pointed out last December, at the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to China, one country, two systems, “with its distinctive institutional strengths and strong vitality, is a good system that sustains the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau”.
Xi added: “It is a good system that facilitates endeavours to build China into a great country and achieve national rejuvenation, and it is a good system for ensuring peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit between different social systems. So we must stay committed to this cause. The values embodied in the cause of one country, two systems, namely, peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing, are relevant to not only China but also the whole world, and they should be cherished by us all.”
Last year, Hong Kong strengthened its security safeguards by completing the historic legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, passing its own Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and solidifying the foundation for its effective governance and prosperity.
It also boosted economic development, worked on pressing issues such as housing and healthcare, strengthened external exchanges and cooperation and enhanced its international prestige. The economy grew by 2.5 per cent last year, showing a steady, progressive trend.
Last year, Hong Kong’s brand also shone brighter. Last September, it reclaimed third position on the Global Financial Centres Index and the stock exchange raised over HK$83 billion (US$10.66 billion) in initial public offerings as the world’s fourth top IPO fundraiser.
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By Cui Jianchun
In the Year of the Snake, Hong Kong, the “Pearl of the Orient” will continue to help build China into a great, modern, socialist country in all respects and achieve national rejuvenation. In the over 27 years since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, its remarkable achievements have shown that “one country, two systems” is a good framework.
As President Xi Jinping pointed out last December, at the 25th anniversary of Macau’s return to China, one country, two systems, “with its distinctive institutional strengths and strong vitality, is a good system that sustains the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macau”.
Xi added: “It is a good system that facilitates endeavours to build China into a great country and achieve national rejuvenation, and it is a good system for ensuring peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit between different social systems. So we must stay committed to this cause. The values embodied in the cause of one country, two systems, namely, peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing, are relevant to not only China but also the whole world, and they should be cherished by us all.”
Last year, Hong Kong strengthened its security safeguards by completing the historic legislation of Article 23 of the Basic Law, passing its own Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and solidifying the foundation for its effective governance and prosperity.
It also boosted economic development, worked on pressing issues such as housing and healthcare, strengthened external exchanges and cooperation and enhanced its international prestige. The economy grew by 2.5 per cent last year, showing a steady, progressive trend.
Last year, Hong Kong’s brand also shone brighter. Last September, it reclaimed third position on the Global Financial Centres Index and the stock exchange raised over HK$83 billion (US$10.66 billion) in initial public offerings as the world’s fourth top IPO fundraiser.
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DeepSeek frenzy leaves China’s venture capitalists on the AI sidelines
By Wency Chen
China’s venture capital (VC) firms have been sidelined in the frenzy surrounding DeepSeek, with none of them known to have invested in the open-source large AI model developer.
Baidu Venture, an independent AI-focused investment arm initiated by its namesake Chinese internet giant, did not invest in DeepSeek even though the venture company sits just one floor above the start-up’s Beijing office.
DeepSeek, spun off from one of China’s top hedge funds High-Flyer Quant in 2023, did not say it was in need of external funding, according to Baidu Venture’s chief executive and managing partner Gao Xue.
“High-Flyer’s AI large model business has no plans to raise capital, so like other VCs, we haven’t had the good fortune of becoming a DeepSeek investor,” Gao told a local news outlet.
The two firms had established contact and maintained “friendly interactions” since DeepSeek moved into the same building last May, he said.
Alibaba Group Holding, an active investor in Chinese AI start-ups from Moonshot AI to Minimax, also did not invest in DeepSeek, although both companies are based in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province.
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By Wency Chen
China’s venture capital (VC) firms have been sidelined in the frenzy surrounding DeepSeek, with none of them known to have invested in the open-source large AI model developer.
Baidu Venture, an independent AI-focused investment arm initiated by its namesake Chinese internet giant, did not invest in DeepSeek even though the venture company sits just one floor above the start-up’s Beijing office.
DeepSeek, spun off from one of China’s top hedge funds High-Flyer Quant in 2023, did not say it was in need of external funding, according to Baidu Venture’s chief executive and managing partner Gao Xue.
“High-Flyer’s AI large model business has no plans to raise capital, so like other VCs, we haven’t had the good fortune of becoming a DeepSeek investor,” Gao told a local news outlet.
The two firms had established contact and maintained “friendly interactions” since DeepSeek moved into the same building last May, he said.
Alibaba Group Holding, an active investor in Chinese AI start-ups from Moonshot AI to Minimax, also did not invest in DeepSeek, although both companies are based in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province.
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Tibetan tree rings highlight link between climate change and fall of major Chinese dynasties
By Shi Huang
Researchers have used tree rings to track rainfall patterns on the Tibetan Plateau over the course of almost 3,500 years and found a link between major changes and the downfall of some of the most powerful Chinese imperial dynasties.
A study found that long-term falls in precipitation following an extended humid period coincided with some of China’s most dramatic political upheavals.
The researchers from the Institute of Earth Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences also found that the past 100 years had been among the driest.
Although the most accurate climate data only dates back 200 years or so, the team was able to go back much further using evidence from living and dead Qilian junipers on the Tibetan Plateau, which is a vital water source for large areas of China and South Asia.
The Qilian juniper has a lifespan of up to 2,500 years and can remain preserved in the mountainous region long after its death.
This lifespan and its sensitivity to moisture make it ideal for reconstructing the climatic conditions on the plateau over a long period.
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By Shi Huang
Researchers have used tree rings to track rainfall patterns on the Tibetan Plateau over the course of almost 3,500 years and found a link between major changes and the downfall of some of the most powerful Chinese imperial dynasties.
A study found that long-term falls in precipitation following an extended humid period coincided with some of China’s most dramatic political upheavals.
The researchers from the Institute of Earth Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences also found that the past 100 years had been among the driest.
Although the most accurate climate data only dates back 200 years or so, the team was able to go back much further using evidence from living and dead Qilian junipers on the Tibetan Plateau, which is a vital water source for large areas of China and South Asia.
The Qilian juniper has a lifespan of up to 2,500 years and can remain preserved in the mountainous region long after its death.
This lifespan and its sensitivity to moisture make it ideal for reconstructing the climatic conditions on the plateau over a long period.
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5 arrested in Hong Kong for trying to withdraw US$100 million with fake documents
By Danny Mok
Hong Kong police have arrested five people after they attempted to withdraw US$100 million from a bank in Central using fake documents.
At about 5pm on Monday, police received a report from a staff member of a bank at China Building on Queen’s Road Central, where a man and a woman attempted to withdraw the sum using suspicious documents.
The Post learned that the suspects, a 68-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, both Filipino passport holders, had just arrived in Hong Kong earlier in the day.
With three forged bank documents, including a letter of credit, they approached the counter and requested the withdrawal.
Staff noticed inconsistencies in the paperwork and alerted police.
After an initial probe, officers found the documents to be forged and arrested the pair for using false instruments.
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By Danny Mok
Hong Kong police have arrested five people after they attempted to withdraw US$100 million from a bank in Central using fake documents.
At about 5pm on Monday, police received a report from a staff member of a bank at China Building on Queen’s Road Central, where a man and a woman attempted to withdraw the sum using suspicious documents.
The Post learned that the suspects, a 68-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, both Filipino passport holders, had just arrived in Hong Kong earlier in the day.
With three forged bank documents, including a letter of credit, they approached the counter and requested the withdrawal.
Staff noticed inconsistencies in the paperwork and alerted police.
After an initial probe, officers found the documents to be forged and arrested the pair for using false instruments.
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Hong Kong’s Ocean Park plans panda museum to drive craze for city’s bear family
By Denise Tsang
Hong Kong’s Ocean Park plans to build a panda museum as part of efforts to help promote interest in the city’s own family of bears in the long term, its chairman has told the Post as the public waits to meet two locally born cubs for the first time.
In an exclusive interview last week, Paulo Pong Kin-yee said the museum, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars, would be developed in stages over the coming years at the park’s existing site in Wong Chuk Hang.
The twin panda cubs, popularly known as “Elder Sister” and “Younger Brother”, are expected to make their public debut on Sunday. The pair were born to mother Ying Ying in August last year.
Pong said plans were under way to expand the park’s panda habitat for when the cubs turned three years old and started to live more independently.
“We have many stories to tell. Our journey started in 1999, when the late giant pandas An An and Jia Jia came to Hong Kong,” he said.
“A panda museum will serve this purpose in a holistic manner.
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By Denise Tsang
Hong Kong’s Ocean Park plans to build a panda museum as part of efforts to help promote interest in the city’s own family of bears in the long term, its chairman has told the Post as the public waits to meet two locally born cubs for the first time.
In an exclusive interview last week, Paulo Pong Kin-yee said the museum, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars, would be developed in stages over the coming years at the park’s existing site in Wong Chuk Hang.
The twin panda cubs, popularly known as “Elder Sister” and “Younger Brother”, are expected to make their public debut on Sunday. The pair were born to mother Ying Ying in August last year.
Pong said plans were under way to expand the park’s panda habitat for when the cubs turned three years old and started to live more independently.
“We have many stories to tell. Our journey started in 1999, when the late giant pandas An An and Jia Jia came to Hong Kong,” he said.
“A panda museum will serve this purpose in a holistic manner.
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US firm brings new prostate cancer treatment to Hong Kong, cutting risks posed by surgery
By Eric Ng
An American medical technology firm has introduced a novel treatment in Hong Kong that uses electric pulses to kill prostate cancer cells while minimising the risks of incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
AngioDynamics, of Latham, New York, said its NanoKnife system delivers “high-voltage, low-energy” electrical pulses to create irreversible electroporation (IRE), a form of damage that kills targeted cells. It was approved for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December.
“This allows a physician to destroy the targeted cells but preserve the underlying structure of the tissue,” said Jake Brumbaugh, the vice-president of oncology global marketing at the Nasdaq-listed firm.
“This unique mechanism of action means the NanoKnife system is extremely versatile, able to be used in any segment of an organ, even providing ablations across critical structures including nerves, the urethra and blood vessels.”
The voltage, typically in the range of 1,500 to 3,000 volts per centimetre between electrodes, varies depending on the tissue type and treatment plan, he said. The technology offers an alternative for patients whose cancer has yet to spread outside the prostate.
Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide and the second most common among men, with 1.47 million new cases in 2022, according to the UK-based charity World Cancer Research Fund International. Nations that reported the most cases were the US, which accounted for 15.7 per cent of the total, followed by China at 9.1 per cent.
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By Eric Ng
An American medical technology firm has introduced a novel treatment in Hong Kong that uses electric pulses to kill prostate cancer cells while minimising the risks of incontinence and sexual dysfunction.
AngioDynamics, of Latham, New York, said its NanoKnife system delivers “high-voltage, low-energy” electrical pulses to create irreversible electroporation (IRE), a form of damage that kills targeted cells. It was approved for marketing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December.
“This allows a physician to destroy the targeted cells but preserve the underlying structure of the tissue,” said Jake Brumbaugh, the vice-president of oncology global marketing at the Nasdaq-listed firm.
“This unique mechanism of action means the NanoKnife system is extremely versatile, able to be used in any segment of an organ, even providing ablations across critical structures including nerves, the urethra and blood vessels.”
The voltage, typically in the range of 1,500 to 3,000 volts per centimetre between electrodes, varies depending on the tissue type and treatment plan, he said. The technology offers an alternative for patients whose cancer has yet to spread outside the prostate.
Prostate cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide and the second most common among men, with 1.47 million new cases in 2022, according to the UK-based charity World Cancer Research Fund International. Nations that reported the most cases were the US, which accounted for 15.7 per cent of the total, followed by China at 9.1 per cent.
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