For the first time in 33 years, church services to commemorate the&nbsp;Tiananmen&nbsp;crackdown will not be held in Hong Kong, erasing one of the last reminders of China's bloody suppression of the 1989 protests.

Since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 to snuff out pro-democracy demonstrations,&nbsp;once-packed candlelit vigils have been banned, a&nbsp;Tiananmen&nbsp;museum has been forced to close, and statues have been pulled down.

The annual Catholic masses were one of the last ways for Hong Kongers to come together publicly to remember the deadly clampdown in Beijing on June 4, 1989, when the Chinese government set tanks and troops on peaceful demonstrators.

But this year, they too have been cancelled over fears of falling foul of Hong Kong authorities.

"We find it very difficult under the current social atmosphere," said Reverend Martin Ip, chaplain of the Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students -- one of the organisers.

"Our bottom line is that we don't want to breach any law in Hong Kong," he told AFP.

The Diocese, whose Justice and Peace Commission was a co-organiser, said its frontline colleagues were concerned they might violate Hong Kong law.

Decades erased in months

Discussion of the 1989 crackdown is all but forbidden in mainland China.

But&nbsp;in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, its history was often taught in schools and advocacy for ending the rule of the Chinese Communist Party was alive and kicking -- until the imposition of the security law.

In the space of months, decades of commemoration have been wiped out as authorities wield the law to refashion Hong Kong in Beijing's authoritarian image.

The Hong Kong Alliance, the most prominent&nbsp;Tiananmen&nbsp;advocacy group and the candlelight vigil organiser, was prosecuted as a "foreign agent" over incitement to subversion.

Last September,&nbsp;its leaders were arrested, their June 4 Museum was shuttered after a police raid, and digital records of the crackdown were deleted overnight under a police order to close the group's website and social media accounts.&nbsp;

For others, much like the organisers of the masses, uncertainty over where the new red lines fall&nbsp;has been enough to make them pull back.

Six universities removed June 4 monuments that had stood on their campuses for years -- just before Christmas last year, three were whisked away within 48 hours.

The "Pillar of Shame" in the University of Hong Kong (HKU), an eight-metre-high sculpture by Danish artist Jens Galschiot, was dismantled, tucked into a cargo container and left on an HKU-owned&nbsp;plot of rural land.

At Lingnan University, a wall relief by artist Chen Weiming was banished to an underground storage room.

His "Goddess of Democracy" statue at the Chinese University of Hong Kong was sent to a secretive "safe place".

"They are trying to wipe out a shameful episode in history when the state committed a crime on its people," Chen told AFP. &nbsp;

The universities said they had never consented to the statues' presence, and that their removal was based on an assessment of legal risk.

Overseas vigils

Where the Goddess used to stand, only a faint mark from her square pedestal can now be seen.

The Pillar has been replaced by a new sitting-out area with pebble-shaped chairs and potted flowers.&nbsp;

"This is the meaning... after a few years nobody knows what happened there," the sculptor Galschiot told AFP.

He has been trying to take the Pillar back to Europe, but such is the sensitivity around it that the university refused to lend him its crew, and logistics companies dare not get involved.

They say "it's too complicated and it's too dangerous", Galschiot said.&nbsp;

The drive to remove all trace of&nbsp;Tiananmen&nbsp;is ongoing -- earlier this year, HKU covered a painted June 4 slogan on campus with cement and called it "regular maintenance".&nbsp;

In the city's public libraries, 57&nbsp;Tiananmen&nbsp;books are restricted from general borrowers -- nearly double the amount since local news outlet Hong Kong Free Press counted last November.

Instead, the space for remembering the crackdown now lies outside Hong Kong, with exiled dissidents setting up their own museums in the United States and activists planning to resurrect the Pillar of Shame in Taiwan.

On June 4, vigils will be held globally, with rights group Amnesty International coordinating candlelit ones in 20 cities "to demand justice and show solidarity for Hong Kong".&nbsp;

Tiananmen&nbsp;survivor Zhou Fengsuo, who lives in the United States, told AFP that in recent years he has seen more people joining such events in the West, including recently emigrated young Hong Kongers.

"I am grateful that Hong Kong for the last 30 or so years has carried the torch of commemorating&nbsp;Tiananmen," Zhou said.&nbsp;

For the first time in 33 years, church services to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown will not be held in Hong Kong, erasing one of the last reminders of China's bloody suppression of the 1989 protests.

For the first time in 33 years, church services to commemorate the Tiananmen crackdown will not be held in Hong Kong, erasing one of the last reminders of China's bloody suppression of the 1989 protests. Since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 to snuff out pro-democracy demonstrations, once-packed candlelit vigils have been banned, a Tiananmen museum has been forced to close, and statues have been pulled down. The annual Catholic masses were one of the last ways for Hong Kongers to come together publicly to remember the deadly clampdown in Beijing on June 4, 1989, when the Chinese government set tanks and troops on peaceful demonstrators. But this year, they too have been cancelled over fears of falling foul of Hong Kong authorities. "We find it very difficult under the current social atmosphere," said Reverend Martin Ip, chaplain of the Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students -- one of the organisers. "Our bottom line is that we don't want to breach any law in Hong Kong," he told AFP. The Diocese, whose Justice and Peace Commission was a co-organiser, said its frontline colleagues were concerned they might violate Hong Kong law. Decades erased in months Discussion of the 1989 crackdown is all but forbidden in mainland China. But in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, its history was often taught in schools and advocacy for ending the rule of the Chinese Communist Party was alive and kicking -- until the imposition of the security law. In the space of months, decades of commemoration have been wiped out as authorities wield the law to refashion Hong Kong in Beijing's authoritarian image. The Hong Kong Alliance, the most prominent Tiananmen advocacy group and the candlelight vigil organiser, was prosecuted as a "foreign agent" over incitement to subversion. Last September, its leaders were arrested, their June 4 Museum was shuttered after a police raid, and digital records of the crackdown were deleted overnight under a police order to close the group's website and social media accounts. For others, much like the organisers of the masses, uncertainty over where the new red lines fall has been enough to make them pull back. Six universities removed June 4 monuments that had stood on their campuses for years -- just before Christmas last year, three were whisked away within 48 hours. The "Pillar of Shame" in the University of Hong Kong (HKU), an eight-metre-high sculpture by Danish artist Jens Galschiot, was dismantled, tucked into a cargo container and left on an HKU-owned plot of rural land. At Lingnan University, a wall relief by artist Chen Weiming was banished to an underground storage room. His "Goddess of Democracy" statue at the Chinese University of Hong Kong was sent to a secretive "safe place". "They are trying to wipe out a shameful episode in history when the state committed a crime on its people," Chen told AFP. The universities said they had never consented to the statues' presence, and that their removal was based on an assessment of legal risk. Overseas vigils Where the Goddess used to stand, only a faint mark from her square pedestal can now be seen. The Pillar has been replaced by a new sitting-out area with pebble-shaped chairs and potted flowers. "This is the meaning... after a few years nobody knows what happened there," the sculptor Galschiot told AFP. He has been trying to take the Pillar back to Europe, but such is the sensitivity around it that the university refused to lend him its crew, and logistics companies dare not get involved. They say "it's too complicated and it's too dangerous", Galschiot said. The drive to remove all trace of Tiananmen is ongoing -- earlier this year, HKU covered a painted June 4 slogan on campus with cement and called it "regular maintenance". In the city's public libraries, 57 Tiananmen books are restricted from general borrowers -- nearly double the amount since local news outlet Hong Kong Free Press counted last November. Instead, the space for remembering the crackdown now lies outside Hong Kong, with exiled dissidents setting up their own museums in the United States and activists planning to resurrect the Pillar of Shame in Taiwan. On June 4, vigils will be held globally, with rights group Amnesty International coordinating candlelit ones in 20 cities "to demand justice and show solidarity for Hong Kong". Tiananmen survivor Zhou Fengsuo, who lives in the United States, told AFP that in recent years he has seen more people joining such events in the West, including recently emigrated young Hong Kongers. "I am grateful that Hong Kong for the last 30 or so years has carried the torch of commemorating Tiananmen," Zhou said.

Tiananmen masses axed as crackdown memorials erased in Hong Kong

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's next leader in Beijing, telling John Lee he has the full trust of the central government,&nbsp;state media said Monday.

Lee travelled to the capital on Saturday to receive Beijing's blessing as he prepares to take office in a month.

The 64-year-old former security chief, who oversaw a crackdown on&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's democracy movement, was chosen as the next chief executive by a small committee of Beijing loyalists in early May.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-president-xi-jinping-issues-strongest-warning-to-silence-uproar-over-zero-covid-policy-477028">Chinese President Xi Jinping issues strongest warning to silence uproar over zero-Covid policy</a>

"I believe that the administration of the new government will definitely bring forth a new atmosphere, and compose a new chapter in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's development," Xi said, according to official news agency Xinhua.

Lee will assume office on July 1, which is the 25th anniversary of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's transfer from British to Chinese rule and the halfway point of its "One Country, Two Systems" political model.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;has never been a democracy -- the source of years of public frustration and protests -- but China agreed that&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;could maintain certain freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after its handover.

According to Xinhua, Xi said Lee has the "courage to take responsibility" and "had made contributions to safeguarding national security and&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's prosperity and stability".

"The central government fully affirms and fully trusts you," Xi added.

Lee was the sole candidate in the race to succeed outgoing leader Carrie Lam at a time when&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;is being remoulded in China's authoritarian image.

According to a statement from the&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;government, Lee said in the meeting that he was "deeply honoured by the appointment and fully aware of the great responsibility upon me".

He promised to "unite all sectors" and bring the government and people together to "strive for the well-being of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;and its people".

"Together, we will build&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;into a city with long-term prosperity and a caring and inclusive society," he added.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Small Pacific Nations reject China's deal

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Selection controversy

China imposed a national security law on&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;that has clamped down on dissent after widespread and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests rocked the city in 2019.

The elevation of Lee, who is under US sanctions, places a security official in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's top job for the first time after a tumultuous few years for a city battered by the unrest and economically debilitating pandemic controls.

Lee spent 35 years in the police before jumping to the government in 2012, serving in the Security Bureau and then leading it before becoming the city's number two official last year.

He won the top role this month with more than 99 percent of votes from the 1,461-member committee.

Under the slogan "Starting a new chapter for&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;together", Lee has vowed to&nbsp;bring in "result-oriented" governance, forge unity and reboot the city's economy.&nbsp;

Insiders told AFP at the time of Lee's selection that his unwavering commitment won China's confidence when other&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;elites were seen as insufficiently loyal or competent.

This month countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States joined the European Union in voicing alarm over the selection process for the new leader, which they called a "continued assault on political pluralism and fundamental freedoms".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-wavering-after-turning-to-putin-xi-faces-hard-wartime-choices-for-china-460046">‘No wavering’: After turning to Putin, Xi faces hard wartime choices for China</a>

But Beijing hailed the process as "a real demonstration of democratic spirit" and said it was the culmination of a strategy to ensure only "patriots" run&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong.

Outgoing leader Lam is on track to leave office with record-low approval ratings.&nbsp;

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Hong Kong's next leader in Beijing, telling John Lee he has the full trust of the central government, state media said Monday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Hong Kong's next leader in Beijing, telling John Lee he has the full trust of the central government, state media said Monday. Lee travelled to the capital on Saturday to receive Beijing's blessing as he prepares to take office in a month. The 64-year-old former security chief, who oversaw a crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement, was chosen as the next chief executive by a small committee of Beijing loyalists in early May. Also read | Chinese President Xi Jinping issues strongest warning to silence uproar over zero-Covid policy "I believe that the administration of the new government will definitely bring forth a new atmosphere, and compose a new chapter in Hong Kong's development," Xi said, according to official news agency Xinhua. Lee will assume office on July 1, which is the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's transfer from British to Chinese rule and the halfway point of its "One Country, Two Systems" political model. Hong Kong has never been a democracy -- the source of years of public frustration and protests -- but China agreed that Hong Kong could maintain certain freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after its handover. According to Xinhua, Xi said Lee has the "courage to take responsibility" and "had made contributions to safeguarding national security and Hong Kong's prosperity and stability". "The central government fully affirms and fully trusts you," Xi added. Lee was the sole candidate in the race to succeed outgoing leader Carrie Lam at a time when Hong Kong is being remoulded in China's authoritarian image. According to a statement from the Hong Kong government, Lee said in the meeting that he was "deeply honoured by the appointment and fully aware of the great responsibility upon me". He promised to "unite all sectors" and bring the government and people together to "strive for the well-being of Hong Kong and its people". "Together, we will build Hong Kong into a city with long-term prosperity and a caring and inclusive society," he added. Watch | Gravitas: Small Pacific Nations reject China's deal Selection controversy China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong that has clamped down on dissent after widespread and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests rocked the city in 2019. The elevation of Lee, who is under US sanctions, places a security official in Hong Kong's top job for the first time after a tumultuous few years for a city battered by the unrest and economically debilitating pandemic controls. Lee spent 35 years in the police before jumping to the government in 2012, serving in the Security Bureau and then leading it before becoming the city's number two official last year. He won the top role this month with more than 99 percent of votes from the 1,461-member committee. Under the slogan "Starting a new chapter for Hong Kong together", Lee has vowed to bring in "result-oriented" governance, forge unity and reboot the city's economy. Insiders told AFP at the time of Lee's selection that his unwavering commitment won China's confidence when other Hong Kong elites were seen as insufficiently loyal or competent. This month countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States joined the European Union in voicing alarm over the selection process for the new leader, which they called a "continued assault on political pluralism and fundamental freedoms". Also read | ‘No wavering’: After turning to Putin, Xi faces hard wartime choices for China But Beijing hailed the process as "a real demonstration of democratic spirit" and said it was the culmination of a strategy to ensure only "patriots" run Hong Kong. Outgoing leader Lam is on track to leave office with record-low approval ratings. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Xi hails 'new atmosphere' in Hong Kong, welcomes next leader

Hong&nbsp;Kong's&nbsp;next&nbsp;leader&nbsp;John Lee travelled to&nbsp;Beijing&nbsp;on Saturday to receive the central government's blessing as he prepares to take office in a month.

Lee, 64, a former security chief who oversaw the crackdown on&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's democracy movement, was chosen as the&nbsp;next&nbsp;chief executive by a small committee of&nbsp;Beijing&nbsp;loyalists in early May.

He was the sole candidate in the race and received 99 percent of the vote, after China remoulded&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's electoral system in 2021 to ensure anyone deemed unpatriotic would be ineligible to run.

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As part of a four-day trip, Lee will be officially appointed and is expected to meet with top Chinese leaders, according to local media.

The South China Morning Post reported that Lee is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, and will present a list of his team for approval.

The incoming chief executive will have to undergo testing and quarantine over the weekend, and will not be able to meet outsiders during his trip, the report said.

Lee will assume office on July 1, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's transfer from British to Chinese rule and the halfway point of the "One Country, Two Systems" political model.

Watch |&nbsp;US, Australia &amp; allies counter China as it steadily builds influence in the South Pacific

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It is not yet confirmed whether Xi will visit&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;for the 25th anniversary celebrations, which will be seen as a symbolic endorsement of Lee's new administration.

Such a trip would also mark the first time he has travelled outside the Chinese mainland since the pandemic began.

In July 2017, Xi attended the swearing-in of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;leader&nbsp;Carrie Lam as part of a three-day trip, which also included a visit to the local Chinese army barracks.

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But the protests that accompanied Xi's 2017 trip are not likely to be repeated this year, after&nbsp;Beijing&nbsp;imposed a national security law that has clamped down on dissent.

More than 10,000 police officers will be deployed in the event a Chinese&nbsp;leader&nbsp;does visit&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong, local publication Eastweek magazine reported.

Local authorities are also finding ways to protect Xi against the risk of coronavirus infection, as both&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;and China remain committed to a zero-Covid strategy.

Xi may opt for a day trip or scrap the visit entirely if new coronavirus outbreaks are found, according to the Wall Street Journal.

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Hong Kong's next leader John Lee travelled to Beijing on Saturday to receive the central government's blessing as he prepares to take office in a month. Lee, 64, a former security chief who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement, was chosen as the next chief executive by a small committee of Beijing loyalists in early May.

Hong Kong's next leader John Lee travelled to Beijing on Saturday to receive the central government's blessing as he prepares to take office in a month. Lee, 64, a former security chief who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong's democracy movement, was chosen as the next chief executive by a small committee of Beijing loyalists in early May. He was the sole candidate in the race and received 99 percent of the vote, after China remoulded Hong Kong's electoral system in 2021 to ensure anyone deemed unpatriotic would be ineligible to run. Also read | Racist, pornographic illustrations in Chinese textbooks spark uproar As part of a four-day trip, Lee will be officially appointed and is expected to meet with top Chinese leaders, according to local media. The South China Morning Post reported that Lee is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, and will present a list of his team for approval. The incoming chief executive will have to undergo testing and quarantine over the weekend, and will not be able to meet outsiders during his trip, the report said. Lee will assume office on July 1, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's transfer from British to Chinese rule and the halfway point of the "One Country, Two Systems" political model. Watch | US, Australia & allies counter China as it steadily builds influence in the South Pacific It is not yet confirmed whether Xi will visit Hong Kong for the 25th anniversary celebrations, which will be seen as a symbolic endorsement of Lee's new administration. Such a trip would also mark the first time he has travelled outside the Chinese mainland since the pandemic began. In July 2017, Xi attended the swearing-in of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam as part of a three-day trip, which also included a visit to the local Chinese army barracks. Also read | Ensure maritime freedom in South China Sea, Biden tells naval graduates But the protests that accompanied Xi's 2017 trip are not likely to be repeated this year, after Beijing imposed a national security law that has clamped down on dissent. More than 10,000 police officers will be deployed in the event a Chinese leader does visit Hong Kong, local publication Eastweek magazine reported. Local authorities are also finding ways to protect Xi against the risk of coronavirus infection, as both Hong Kong and China remain committed to a zero-Covid strategy. Xi may opt for a day trip or scrap the visit entirely if new coronavirus outbreaks are found, according to the Wall Street Journal. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Hong Kong's next leader visits Beijing for official nod

It is always risky to leave kids unattended in a toy store and it turned out to be quite a costly mistake for a Hong Kong dad. The man, who was identified as just Cheng, ended up paying HK$33,600 ($4,255) at a toy shore in Mong Kok after it seemed like his son broke a golden-coloured, 1.8-metre-tall Teletubbies during their visit. Cheng was in the shop with his wife and two sons and after hearing a loud sound, he found his son looking over the 1.8-metre gold Teletubbies toy that was shattered to pieces. However, the store video indicates that there can be more than just what meets the eye.

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The video shows that the five-year-old leaned lightly against the doll and a lot of people online believes that the store – KKPlus – unfairly blamed the child for the accident. “My son was motionless. He was staring down, looking at the toy,” Cheng said on commercial radio.

He added that the staff told him that he has to pay the money as his kid kicked the toy. While Cheng did offer to play the selling price, the store charged him the cost price of $33,600 instead.

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Since the video has been released, a lot of people have been criticising the store for framing the child and KKPlus have themselves come out with a statement. The company defended their position and said that they did not want to bother the customer and just asked for the cost price.

&nbsp;“The company did not charge more than the selling price of the item,” the statement stated.

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It is always risky to leave kids unattended in a toy store and it turned out to be quite a costly mistake for a Hong Kong dad. The man, who was identified as just Cheng, ended up paying HK$33,600 ($4,255) at a toy shore in Mong Kok after it seemed like his son broke a golden-coloured, 1.

It is always risky to leave kids unattended in a toy store and it turned out to be quite a costly mistake for a Hong Kong dad. The man, who was identified as just Cheng, ended up paying HK$33,600 ($4,255) at a toy shore in Mong Kok after it seemed like his son broke a golden-coloured, 1.8-metre-tall Teletubbies during their visit. Cheng was in the shop with his wife and two sons and after hearing a loud sound, he found his son looking over the 1.8-metre gold Teletubbies toy that was shattered to pieces. However, the store video indicates that there can be more than just what meets the eye. Also read | Watch | Pak Army called in Islamabad as Imran Khan supporters turn violent The video shows that the five-year-old leaned lightly against the doll and a lot of people online believes that the store – KKPlus – unfairly blamed the child for the accident. “My son was motionless. He was staring down, looking at the toy,” Cheng said on commercial radio. He added that the staff told him that he has to pay the money as his kid kicked the toy. While Cheng did offer to play the selling price, the store charged him the cost price of $33,600 instead. Also read | Was monkeypox already circulating in UK? Scientists have interesting answers Since the video has been released, a lot of people have been criticising the store for framing the child and KKPlus have themselves come out with a statement. The company defended their position and said that they did not want to bother the customer and just asked for the cost price. “The company did not charge more than the selling price of the item,” the statement stated. WATCH WION LIVE HERE -

Man pays $4,255 for Tellytubby toy after son accused of breaking it in Hong Kong store

Can you imagine a thief going to all the trouble and stealing something worth hundreds of millions of dollars, just to sell it for a mere $25?

It is definitely tough to fathom, but this is exactly what happened in Hong Kong.

AFP reports that three burglars successfully carried out the biggest art heist estimated at around USD 637 million (or HK$ 5 billion), but they were oblivious to its true value.

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The heist took place in September 2020, when the three burglars targetted Chinese collector Fu Chunxiao's apartment in Hong Kong's Kowloon District.&nbsp;

Chunxiao was travelling overseas at the time of the theft.

Among the pieces of art that were stolen was a two-metre scroll by Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China. This scroll by itself was priced at USD 292 million (HK$ 2.3 billion).

Watch |&nbsp;Meet Hong Kong's new leader John Lee: Why his election is a slap at the pro-democracy movement?

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The thieves were in the dark about this scroll's real value and sold it to an amateur collector for $25 (HK$ 200).

Police recovered the parchment a month after it was discovered, only to discover that the amateur collector failing to recognise it as genuine had cut it in half so that it can be stored easily.

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A calligraphy letter and a poem written by Mao were also among the loot, but both are still missing.&nbsp;Also missing are dozens of highly prized Chinese stamps as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The three burglars Ho Yik-chiu, 46, Ng Wing-lun, 45, and Hui Ping-kei, 48, as per SCMP have been sentenced to up to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to being part in the crime.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Can you imagine a thief going to all the trouble and stealing something worth hundreds of millions of dollars, just to sell it for a mere $25? It is definitely tough to fathom, but this is exactly what happened in Hong Kong.

Can you imagine a thief going to all the trouble and stealing something worth hundreds of millions of dollars, just to sell it for a mere $25? It is definitely tough to fathom, but this is exactly what happened in Hong Kong. AFP reports that three burglars successfully carried out the biggest art heist estimated at around USD 637 million (or HK$ 5 billion), but they were oblivious to its true value. Also read | Calling a man 'bald' is sexual harassment, equal to commenting on woman's breasts, says British tribunal The heist took place in September 2020, when the three burglars targetted Chinese collector Fu Chunxiao's apartment in Hong Kong's Kowloon District. Chunxiao was travelling overseas at the time of the theft. Among the pieces of art that were stolen was a two-metre scroll by Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China. This scroll by itself was priced at USD 292 million (HK$ 2.3 billion). Watch | Meet Hong Kong's new leader John Lee: Why his election is a slap at the pro-democracy movement? The thieves were in the dark about this scroll's real value and sold it to an amateur collector for $25 (HK$ 200). Police recovered the parchment a month after it was discovered, only to discover that the amateur collector failing to recognise it as genuine had cut it in half so that it can be stored easily. Also read | From coffin making classes to digital tombstones, Germany changes the way it views the taboo of death A calligraphy letter and a poem written by Mao were also among the loot, but both are still missing. Also missing are dozens of highly prized Chinese stamps as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The three burglars Ho Yik-chiu, 46, Ng Wing-lun, 45, and Hui Ping-kei, 48, as per SCMP have been sentenced to up to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to being part in the crime. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

Oblivious to the heist's value, thieves in Hong Kong sell a $292 million scroll for $25

Hong Kong has accused Cardinal Joseph Zen and three others who ran a fund to provide legal assistance to help those detained over the 2019 protests of “collusion with foreign powers” under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law.

Hong Kong arrests Cardinal Zen, singer over activist fund

64-year-old John Lee has been elected as Hong Kong's new chief executive. From the method of his election to the reputation that he has, everything about him is controversial. Watch this report to know more.

Meet Hong Kong's new leader John Lee: Why his election is a slap at the pro-democracy movement?

Timeline of Hong Kong politics ahead of chief executive election on May 8

A four-inch tall soapstone seal unearthed from the possession of a deceased ambassador who spent his retirement seeking Imperial China antiques in Britain's auction houses and private collections was sold for nearly £15 million.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Dr Wou Kiuan, who died in 1997 and worked in the Chinese Embassy in London before retiring to the UK, amassed a collection of over 1,000 items.

In 1965, he purchased the seal, a carving done for the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century.&nbsp;

It had been lost since the early twentieth century upheaval in China, when a republican revolution ended 2,000 years of imperial authority.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/largest-ever-black-diamond-fetches-43-million-in-sotheby-auction-451790">Also read | Largest ever black diamond fetches 4.3 million in Sotheby auction</a>

Wou Kiuan's collection is presently being sold by his family.

The seal was expected to fetch £5 million but ended up fetching three times that, breaking the world record for a seal in Asia.

In the West, seals were used to encase letters and other documents in wax, but in China, they replaced signatures and other forms of permission.

They used paste or ink to make an impression. 'It was like an electric jolt,' said Nicolas Chow of auctioneer Sotheby's, when he first saw the soapstone seal in the Wou collection.

The buyer was not identified, but the price of Chinese art has soared in the last 15 years as increasingly wealthy Chinese reclaim their lost history. 
&nbsp;

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A four-inch tall soapstone seal unearthed from the possession of a deceased ambassador who spent his retirement seeking Imperial China antiques in Britain's auction houses and private collections was sold for nearly £15 million.

A four-inch tall soapstone seal unearthed from the possession of a deceased ambassador who spent his retirement seeking Imperial China antiques in Britain's auction houses and private collections was sold for nearly £15 million. During the 1950s and 1960s, Dr Wou Kiuan, who died in 1997 and worked in the Chinese Embassy in London before retiring to the UK, amassed a collection of over 1,000 items. In 1965, he purchased the seal, a carving done for the Qianlong Emperor in the 18th century. It had been lost since the early twentieth century upheaval in China, when a republican revolution ended 2,000 years of imperial authority. Also read | Largest ever black diamond fetches 4.3 million in Sotheby auction Wou Kiuan's collection is presently being sold by his family. The seal was expected to fetch £5 million but ended up fetching three times that, breaking the world record for a seal in Asia. In the West, seals were used to encase letters and other documents in wax, but in China, they replaced signatures and other forms of permission. They used paste or ink to make an impression. 'It was like an electric jolt,' said Nicolas Chow of auctioneer Sotheby's, when he first saw the soapstone seal in the Wou collection. The buyer was not identified, but the price of Chinese art has soared in the last 15 years as increasingly wealthy Chinese reclaim their lost history. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Seal of Chinese emperor fetches £15 million at auction in Hong Kong

Hong Kong saw a massive fall in the recently released international press freedom rankings as it fell 68 places to the 148th spot after the introduction of strict security laws targeting news outlets.

With China flexing its muscle in the region and growing unrest surrounding the "patriots only" legislature, a number of journalists have been jailed due to their reportage and that result in their drastic fall in the rankings published by media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

"It is the biggest downfall of the year, but it is fully deserved due to the consistent attacks on freedom of the press and the slow disappearance of the rule of law in Hong Kong," Cedric Alviani, head of RSF's Taiwan-based East Asia bureau, told AFP after the rankings were published.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/leaked-draft-shows-us-court-set-to-strike-down-abortion-rights-politico-475914" hreflang="en">Leaked draft shows US Supreme Court will strike down abortion law: Politico&nbsp;</a>

"In the past year we have seen a drastic, drastic move against journalists," he added.

Here’s a look at the reasons behind Hong Kong’s fall in the press freedom rankings - 

Chinese intervention

The strong-arming tactics by China has caused a lot of unrest in Hong Kong and the new national security law implemented in 2020 has made things even more difficult for the journalists in the country. “China (175th), one of the world’s most repressive autocratic regimes, uses its legislative arsenal to confine its population and cut it off from the rest of the world, especially the population of Hong Kong (148th), which has plummeted in the Index,” RSF said in their official website.

Media houses closing down

Two major independent news outlets – Apply Daily and Stand News – fell victim to the security law as Apply Daily owner Jimmy Lai was arrested over suspected relationship with foreign forces. Apple Daily was one of the most prominent pro-democracy publications in Hong Kong since China took control of the nation in 1997 and it was shut down by the authorities citing legal risks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sense-of-urgency-us-says-russia-is-planning-to-annex-ukraines-donetsk-luhansk-regions-475904" hreflang="en">'Sense of urgency': US says Russia is planning to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk regions</a>

Legal problems

The National Security Law imposed by the authorities is in direct contradiction with the Hong Kong constitution which guarantees “freedom of speech, of the press and of publication”. The new law allows the authorities to target news outlets for “terrorism”, “secession”, “subversion”, and “collusion with foreign forces” and its vague wording makes it a lethal weapon for them.

Economic distress

The other strategy applied by the pro-China government to strangle the media is the introduction of economic fines on pro-democratic media houses and with most media houses belonging to Chinese backed organisations, there is a major dearth of independent voices in the country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-killed-as-al-shabaab-militants-attack-african-union-camp-in-somalia-476036">Three killed as Al-Shabaab militants attack African Union camp in Somalia</a>

Safety of the journalists

Since the protests in 2019, a huge number of journalists were arrested by the police and in 2021, more journalists were charged by the authorities in relation to national security crimes.

WATCH |&nbsp;EU prepares next Russia sanctions including German-backed oil ban

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Hong Kong saw a massive fall in the recently released international press freedom rankings as it fell 68 places to the 148th spot after the introduction of strict security laws targeting news outlets.

Hong Kong saw a massive fall in the recently released international press freedom rankings as it fell 68 places to the 148th spot after the introduction of strict security laws targeting news outlets. With China flexing its muscle in the region and growing unrest surrounding the "patriots only" legislature, a number of journalists have been jailed due to their reportage and that result in their drastic fall in the rankings published by media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). "It is the biggest downfall of the year, but it is fully deserved due to the consistent attacks on freedom of the press and the slow disappearance of the rule of law in Hong Kong," Cedric Alviani, head of RSF's Taiwan-based East Asia bureau, told AFP after the rankings were published. Also read | Leaked draft shows US Supreme Court will strike down abortion law: Politico "In the past year we have seen a drastic, drastic move against journalists," he added. Here’s a look at the reasons behind Hong Kong’s fall in the press freedom rankings - Chinese intervention The strong-arming tactics by China has caused a lot of unrest in Hong Kong and the new national security law implemented in 2020 has made things even more difficult for the journalists in the country. “China (175th), one of the world’s most repressive autocratic regimes, uses its legislative arsenal to confine its population and cut it off from the rest of the world, especially the population of Hong Kong (148th), which has plummeted in the Index,” RSF said in their official website. Media houses closing down Two major independent news outlets – Apply Daily and Stand News – fell victim to the security law as Apply Daily owner Jimmy Lai was arrested over suspected relationship with foreign forces. Apple Daily was one of the most prominent pro-democracy publications in Hong Kong since China took control of the nation in 1997 and it was shut down by the authorities citing legal risks. Also read | 'Sense of urgency': US says Russia is planning to annex Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk regions Legal problems The National Security Law imposed by the authorities is in direct contradiction with the Hong Kong constitution which guarantees “freedom of speech, of the press and of publication”. The new law allows the authorities to target news outlets for “terrorism”, “secession”, “subversion”, and “collusion with foreign forces” and its vague wording makes it a lethal weapon for them. Economic distress The other strategy applied by the pro-China government to strangle the media is the introduction of economic fines on pro-democratic media houses and with most media houses belonging to Chinese backed organisations, there is a major dearth of independent voices in the country. Also read | Three killed as Al-Shabaab militants attack African Union camp in Somalia Safety of the journalists Since the protests in 2019, a huge number of journalists were arrested by the police and in 2021, more journalists were charged by the authorities in relation to national security crimes. WATCH | EU prepares next Russia sanctions including German-backed oil ban

Why Hong Kong plummeted 68 places in the recent press freedom rankings

On Monday morning, Hong Kong saw its coldest May day in almost a century, prompting a seasoned meteorologist to hail it as a "positive sign" amid climate change concerns.

In Tsim Sha Tsui, the Hong Kong Observatory reported a minimum temperature of 16.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest for May since 1917 and breaking the previous record of 16.6 degrees set in 2013.

According to the forecaster, the city's cold weather was produced by a northeast monsoon and showers brought on by an upper-air disturbance. The rest of Guangdong's coastline has also been devastated by the monsoon.

The Observatory issued the first "extremely hot weather" warning since the system was implemented in 2000 on Friday. When the Hong Kong Wetland Park in the city's northwest recorded afternoon temperatures of 35.9 degrees in April, the warning was sent for the first time.

Watch | Hong Kong takes a step further in tourism

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However, a respected meteorologist stated that there was no solid proof that the recent weather changes were caused by climate change.

Former Observatory assistant director Leung Wing-mo noted that Hong Kong was transitioning from winter to summer, causing different seasonal monsoons to alter the current temperature.

The low temperature in May as "unusual," noting that it was roughly seven degrees below the average minimum temperature of 23.3 degrees for the first five days of May from 1991 to 2020.

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On Monday morning, Hong Kong saw its coldest May day in almost a century, prompting a seasoned meteorologist to hail it as a "positive sign" amid climate change concerns.

On Monday morning, Hong Kong saw its coldest May day in almost a century, prompting a seasoned meteorologist to hail it as a "positive sign" amid climate change concerns. In Tsim Sha Tsui, the Hong Kong Observatory reported a minimum temperature of 16.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest for May since 1917 and breaking the previous record of 16.6 degrees set in 2013. According to the forecaster, the city's cold weather was produced by a northeast monsoon and showers brought on by an upper-air disturbance. The rest of Guangdong's coastline has also been devastated by the monsoon. The Observatory issued the first "extremely hot weather" warning since the system was implemented in 2000 on Friday. When the Hong Kong Wetland Park in the city's northwest recorded afternoon temperatures of 35.9 degrees in April, the warning was sent for the first time. Watch | Hong Kong takes a step further in tourism However, a respected meteorologist stated that there was no solid proof that the recent weather changes were caused by climate change. Former Observatory assistant director Leung Wing-mo noted that Hong Kong was transitioning from winter to summer, causing different seasonal monsoons to alter the current temperature. The low temperature in May as "unusual," noting that it was roughly seven degrees below the average minimum temperature of 23.3 degrees for the first five days of May from 1991 to 2020. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Hong Kong experiences its coldest day in May in almost a century

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;reopened gyms, beauty parlours, theme parks and cinemas for the first time in more than four months on Thursday, as authorities relax some of the world's most stringent covid&nbsp;restrictions that have weighed on residents and businesses.

Many restaurants reported full bookings for the coming weeks as&nbsp;dining&nbsp;out has been extended until 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) from 6 p.m. and group gatherings have been expanded to four people, from two previously. Many schools have also resumed in-person learning after months of online classes.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;has eased the measures as Shanghai authorities said tough coronavirus restrictions would remain in place for now.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/plastic-everywhere-chinas-zero-covid-facilities-causing-environmental-problems-472088">Plastic everywhere: Hong Kong's zero-Covid facilities have become an environmental nightmare</a>

Residents flocked to gyms, salons and massage parlours, while others visited temples and churches which had also been shut.

"Everyone has things to do and be able to make money. It's excellent and people can come out for activities again, everyone is happy," said Idy Lee, 44, who owns a hair salon in the city's bustling Mong Kok district.

The easing comes as the number of daily&nbsp;COVID-19 infections in the global financial hub dropped below 1,000 for the past six days from a peak of more than 70,000 on March 3.

While many residents are relieved at the relaxation of rules, scores of businesses have already closed and tens of thousands of people have fled the city as authorities re-imposed measures in January that were first implemented in 2020.

Watch |&nbsp;Plastic waste surges amid COVID crisis: Hong Kong landfills run out of space

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Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;has grappled to impose a "dynamic zero" covid&nbsp;policy similar to mainland China, which aims to quash all outbreaks versus living with the virus as many countries are doing.

Hong&nbsp;Kong's borders have been effectively sealed since 2020 with few flights able to land and hardly any passengers allowed to transit, isolating a city that had built a reputation as a global hub.

Swimming pools and beaches remain shut, frustrating many athletes and residents. Bars, nightclubs and saunas are also still closed, with many unable to stay afloat and others on borrowed time.

"The reopening of gyms is a happy thing, but I hope the government will give us some subsidies because we have been closed on and off for a year and a half and lost a lot of customers," Parker Chan, a 25-year-old coach at Fitness Formula.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-to-ease-covid-19-restrictions-as-infections-fall-470984">Hong Kong to ease COVID-19 restrictions as infections fall</a>

While&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;managed to keep the coronavirus at bay for much of 2021, a surge of the highly contagious Omicron variant brought the former British colony to its knees in February, swamping its world-class medical system as&nbsp;cases&nbsp;ripped through the densely-packed city.

It has recorded more than 1.1 million infections and 8,963 deaths.

Hong Kong reopened gyms, beauty parlours, theme parks and cinemas for the first time in more than four months on Thursday, as authorities relax some of the world's most stringent covid restrictions that have weighed on residents and businesses.

Hong Kong reopened gyms, beauty parlours, theme parks and cinemas for the first time in more than four months on Thursday, as authorities relax some of the world's most stringent covid restrictions that have weighed on residents and businesses. Many restaurants reported full bookings for the coming weeks as dining out has been extended until 10 p.m. (1400 GMT) from 6 p.m. and group gatherings have been expanded to four people, from two previously. Many schools have also resumed in-person learning after months of online classes. Hong Kong has eased the measures as Shanghai authorities said tough coronavirus restrictions would remain in place for now. Also read | Plastic everywhere: Hong Kong's zero-Covid facilities have become an environmental nightmare Residents flocked to gyms, salons and massage parlours, while others visited temples and churches which had also been shut. "Everyone has things to do and be able to make money. It's excellent and people can come out for activities again, everyone is happy," said Idy Lee, 44, who owns a hair salon in the city's bustling Mong Kok district. The easing comes as the number of daily COVID-19 infections in the global financial hub dropped below 1,000 for the past six days from a peak of more than 70,000 on March 3. While many residents are relieved at the relaxation of rules, scores of businesses have already closed and tens of thousands of people have fled the city as authorities re-imposed measures in January that were first implemented in 2020. Watch | Plastic waste surges amid COVID crisis: Hong Kong landfills run out of space Hong Kong has grappled to impose a "dynamic zero" covid policy similar to mainland China, which aims to quash all outbreaks versus living with the virus as many countries are doing. Hong Kong's borders have been effectively sealed since 2020 with few flights able to land and hardly any passengers allowed to transit, isolating a city that had built a reputation as a global hub. Swimming pools and beaches remain shut, frustrating many athletes and residents. Bars, nightclubs and saunas are also still closed, with many unable to stay afloat and others on borrowed time. "The reopening of gyms is a happy thing, but I hope the government will give us some subsidies because we have been closed on and off for a year and a half and lost a lot of customers," Parker Chan, a 25-year-old coach at Fitness Formula. Also read | Hong Kong to ease COVID-19 restrictions as infections fall While Hong Kong managed to keep the coronavirus at bay for much of 2021, a surge of the highly contagious Omicron variant brought the former British colony to its knees in February, swamping its world-class medical system as cases ripped through the densely-packed city. It has recorded more than 1.1 million infections and 8,963 deaths.

Hong Kong reopens venues, extends dining hours as covid cases fall

Hong Kong's COVID policy is creating mountains of plastic waste amid the ongoing pandemic. Hong Kong landfills are now running out of space.

Plastic waste surges amid COVID crisis: Hong Kong landfills run out of space

Plastic everywhere: Hong Kong's zero-Covid facilities have become an environmental nightmare

Hong Kong will ease some social distancing measures later this month, allowing people to dine in at restaurants in the evening and lifting restrictions on private gatherings, as the number of COVID-19 infections declined in recent weeks.

From April 21, restaurants will be able to operate until 10 p.m. With a maximum of four people per table, officials said Thursday.

Other businesses that were ordered to temporarily close due to Hong Kong's fifth wave of infections, such as beauty parlors, gyms, theme parks and cinemas, will also be allowed to re-open, although capacity will be limited to 50 per cent. Bars and pubs will remain closed.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-leadership-contender-john-lee-says-he-plans-a-new-chapter-for-the-global-financial-hub-469610">Hong Kong leadership contender John Lee says he plans a new chapter for the global financial hub</a>

Restrictions that currently only allow two households to gather will also be lifted.

To relax these measures, to allow some degree of normal activities in society, with more interactions among citizens, inevitably they will come with some transmission risks,&nbsp;Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said during a news conference Thursday.

Lam appealed to the public to comply with the social distancing measures that remain in place and to get vaccinated.

While the number of positive cases reported every day has dropped to a relatively low level, in absolute terms they are still rather high ,&nbsp;she said.

Watch |&nbsp;Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam to step down as city's chief executive, won't seek re-election

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The city reported 1,260 cases in the community on Wednesday, down more than 95 per cent&nbsp;from the peak of the outbreak in March, when over 30,000 daily infections were reported.

Lam said the city is now much, much better prepared&nbsp;to handle another wave if it hits, due to increased levels of vaccination and more facilities to handle patients, such as community isolation and treatment centers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-deputy-chief-says-he-plans-to-run-for-citys-top-job-468986">Hong Kong deputy chief says he plans to run for city's top job</a>

Lam also said the government has not given up on mass testing for the city, but that timing was important.

Other restrictions will be also lifted later this month. Local tours will be allowed to resume and public gatherings of four people instead of two will also be permitted.

Hong Kong will ease some social distancing measures later this month, allowing people to dine in at restaurants in the evening and lifting restrictions on private gatherings, as the number of COVID-19 infections declined in recent weeks.

Hong Kong will ease some social distancing measures later this month, allowing people to dine in at restaurants in the evening and lifting restrictions on private gatherings, as the number of COVID-19 infections declined in recent weeks. From April 21, restaurants will be able to operate until 10 p.m. With a maximum of four people per table, officials said Thursday. Other businesses that were ordered to temporarily close due to Hong Kong's fifth wave of infections, such as beauty parlors, gyms, theme parks and cinemas, will also be allowed to re-open, although capacity will be limited to 50 per cent. Bars and pubs will remain closed. Also read | Hong Kong leadership contender John Lee says he plans a new chapter for the global financial hub Restrictions that currently only allow two households to gather will also be lifted. To relax these measures, to allow some degree of normal activities in society, with more interactions among citizens, inevitably they will come with some transmission risks, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said during a news conference Thursday. Lam appealed to the public to comply with the social distancing measures that remain in place and to get vaccinated. While the number of positive cases reported every day has dropped to a relatively low level, in absolute terms they are still rather high , she said. Watch | Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam to step down as city's chief executive, won't seek re-election The city reported 1,260 cases in the community on Wednesday, down more than 95 per cent from the peak of the outbreak in March, when over 30,000 daily infections were reported. Lam said the city is now much, much better prepared to handle another wave if it hits, due to increased levels of vaccination and more facilities to handle patients, such as community isolation and treatment centers. Also read | Hong Kong deputy chief says he plans to run for city's top job Lam also said the government has not given up on mass testing for the city, but that timing was important. Other restrictions will be also lifted later this month. Local tours will be allowed to resume and public gatherings of four people instead of two will also be permitted.

Hong Kong to ease COVID-19 restrictions as infections fall

&nbsp;Hong Kong's former No. 2 official John Lee, who has announced he will run in a&nbsp;leadership&nbsp;election in May, said on Saturday he plans a new chapter for the global financial hub that has been wracked by unprecedented upheaval with protests and COVID-19.

Lee, 64, resigned on Wednesday to run to replace Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose five-year term ends on June 30. Lam oversaw one of the most tumultuous periods in Hong Kong history with pro-democracy demonstrations and coronavirus.

"This will be&nbsp;a new symphony and I am the conductor," Lee, who was the city's security chief during anti-government protests in 2019, told a press conference.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-deputy-chief-says-he-plans-to-run-for-citys-top-job-468986">Hong Kong deputy chief says he plans to run for city's top job</a>

"Together, we will play a more splendid new piece for Hong Kong."

Fleshing out his policy platform, Lee said loyalty to the central government was a priority for any chief executive and part of his platform included accelerating plans to resolve the city's chronic housing shortage.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Hong Kong separates 2,000 Covid-positive children from parents

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Hong Kong media reports said this week that Beijing officials want Lee to be the only candidate, and will not give the green light to others to stand against him.

Lee said he welcomed any other&nbsp;leadership&nbsp;contenders.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-activists-fade-from-view-as-national-security-case-drags-469025">Hong Kong activists fade from view as national security case drags</a>

The city's four biggest property tycoons, including CK Asset's Victor Li, son of billionaire Li Ka-shing, said in separate statements this week that Lee was a suitable candidate to lead Hong Kong to stability.

The show of support, from some of the city's most powerful property tycoons, came before Lee officially announced his bid to run for leader, signalling the move had already been approved and received tacit approval from some Hong Kong business people.

Hong Kong's former No. 2 official John Lee, who has announced he will run in a leadership election in May, said on Saturday he plans a new chapter for the global financial hub that has been wracked by unprecedented upheaval with protests and COVID-19.

Hong Kong's former No. 2 official John Lee, who has announced he will run in a leadership election in May, said on Saturday he plans a new chapter for the global financial hub that has been wracked by unprecedented upheaval with protests and COVID-19. Lee, 64, resigned on Wednesday to run to replace Chief Executive Carrie Lam, whose five-year term ends on June 30. Lam oversaw one of the most tumultuous periods in Hong Kong history with pro-democracy demonstrations and coronavirus. "This will be a new symphony and I am the conductor," Lee, who was the city's security chief during anti-government protests in 2019, told a press conference. Also read | Hong Kong deputy chief says he plans to run for city's top job "Together, we will play a more splendid new piece for Hong Kong." Fleshing out his policy platform, Lee said loyalty to the central government was a priority for any chief executive and part of his platform included accelerating plans to resolve the city's chronic housing shortage. Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong separates 2,000 Covid-positive children from parents Hong Kong media reports said this week that Beijing officials want Lee to be the only candidate, and will not give the green light to others to stand against him. Lee said he welcomed any other leadership contenders. Also read | Hong Kong activists fade from view as national security case drags The city's four biggest property tycoons, including CK Asset's Victor Li, son of billionaire Li Ka-shing, said in separate statements this week that Lee was a suitable candidate to lead Hong Kong to stability. The show of support, from some of the city's most powerful property tycoons, came before Lee officially announced his bid to run for leader, signalling the move had already been approved and received tacit approval from some Hong Kong business people.

Hong Kong leadership contender John Lee says he plans a new chapter for the global financial hub

Hong Kong Chief Secretary&nbsp;John&nbsp;Lee, a security official during the global financial hub's prolonged and often violent 2019 pro-democracy protests, said on Wednesday he had resigned in a bid to run in an election in May to become the city's new leader.

Lee, 64, a former deputy commissioner of police, was promoted to the global financial hub's No. 2 role in 2021 in a move that some political analysts said signalled Beijing's priorities for Hong Kong were security rather than the economy.

"I indicate in the letter the reason for my resignation is that if my resignation is approved by the Central People's Government, I shall plan to prepare to stand for the upcoming chief executive election,"&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;said at a news conference.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-firm-surges-229-in-hong-kong-after-claims-its-covid-drug-reduces-deaths-and-hospitalisation-report-468844">Chinese firm surges 229% in Hong Kong after claims its Covid drug reduces deaths and hospitalisation: Report</a>

He is the first government official to announce a bid for the Chinese-ruled city's top job, with media reporting that he will be the only candidate in the chief executive election due to take place on May 8.

Lee&nbsp;was among other senior Hong Kong and Chinese officials sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for what Washington described as their role in curbing Hong Kong's freedoms under a sweeping national security law imposed on the city by Beijing.

Hong Kong and Chinese authorities deny individual rights are being eroded and say the security legislation was needed to restore stability after prolonged unrest in 2019.

Previous chief executives had extensive economic and social policy-making expertise and&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;was the first security official to lead the city in his role as chief secretary.&nbsp;Lee's promotion to the city's No. 2 position saw police chief Chris Tang take the security secretary post previously occupied by&nbsp;Lee.

Watch |&nbsp;Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam to step down as city's chief executive, won't seek re-election

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Last year, as Hong Kong's security chief,&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;sent letters to media tycoon Jimmy Lai and branches of HSBC and Citibank threatening up to seven years' jail for any dealings with the billionaire's accounts in the city, according to documents seen by Reuters.
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Rise of security officials

His bid for the city's top political post is a sign of the growing power security officials are gaining in the former British colony after faithfully implementing Beijing's new laws. If successful,&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;would be the first person with a security background to lead Hong Kong since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Lee's announcement comes two days after incumbent Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she would not seek a second five-year term, saying "it's time for me to go home", after presiding over one of the most tumultuous periods in Hong Kong's history.

Previous chief secretaries had extensive economic and social policy-making expertise and&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;is the first security official to lead the city in his role as chief secretary.&nbsp;Lee's promotion to the city's No. 2 position saw police chief Chris Tang take the security secretary post previously occupied by&nbsp;Lee.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/carrie-lam-leader-who-helped-usher-in-the-era-of-beijings-dominance-in-hong-kong-468269">Carrie Lam: Leader who helped usher in the era of Beijing's dominance in Hong Kong</a>

Last year,&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;led the vetting of candidates for the first "patriots-only" election for a new-look Legislative Council, where only those loyal to Beijing were allowed to run.

Lee&nbsp;holds a degree from Charles Sturt University in Australia, and joined the Hong Kong Police in 1977.

He played a key role in trying to implement a contentious proposed extradition law in 2019 that divided Hong Kong society and triggered the mass protests. That legislation was eventually scrapped amid widespread public calls for&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;to quit.

Some observers of Hong Kong politics describe him as resolute, earnest and efficient, but lacking a natural feel for politics.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-to-leave-office-468212">Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam not seek a second term</a>

Known for his hawkish stance,&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;had spearheaded the city's disciplinary forces, including the police, in the national security crackdown, which saw mass arrests of democratic activists, politicians, students and journalists.

In one high-profile action this year,&nbsp;Lee&nbsp;sent a letter to the Wall Street Journal, demanding the newspaper support, rather than criticise a raid by 200 police on a liberal media outlet, Stand News, that led to the arrest of senior editors and the online news portal's closure.

Hong Kong Chief Secretary John Lee, a security official during the global financial hub's prolonged and often violent 2019 pro-democracy protests, said on Wednesday he had resigned in a bid to run in an election in May to become the city's new leader.

Hong Kong Chief Secretary John Lee, a security official during the global financial hub's prolonged and often violent 2019 pro-democracy protests, said on Wednesday he had resigned in a bid to run in an election in May to become the city's new leader. Lee, 64, a former deputy commissioner of police, was promoted to the global financial hub's No. 2 role in 2021 in a move that some political analysts said signalled Beijing's priorities for Hong Kong were security rather than the economy. "I indicate in the letter the reason for my resignation is that if my resignation is approved by the Central People's Government, I shall plan to prepare to stand for the upcoming chief executive election," Lee said at a news conference. Also read | Chinese firm surges 229% in Hong Kong after claims its Covid drug reduces deaths and hospitalisation: Report He is the first government official to announce a bid for the Chinese-ruled city's top job, with media reporting that he will be the only candidate in the chief executive election due to take place on May 8. Lee was among other senior Hong Kong and Chinese officials sanctioned by the United States in 2020 for what Washington described as their role in curbing Hong Kong's freedoms under a sweeping national security law imposed on the city by Beijing. Hong Kong and Chinese authorities deny individual rights are being eroded and say the security legislation was needed to restore stability after prolonged unrest in 2019. Previous chief executives had extensive economic and social policy-making expertise and Lee was the first security official to lead the city in his role as chief secretary. Lee's promotion to the city's No. 2 position saw police chief Chris Tang take the security secretary post previously occupied by Lee. Watch | Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam to step down as city's chief executive, won't seek re-election Last year, as Hong Kong's security chief, Lee sent letters to media tycoon Jimmy Lai and branches of HSBC and Citibank threatening up to seven years' jail for any dealings with the billionaire's accounts in the city, according to documents seen by Reuters. Rise of security officials His bid for the city's top political post is a sign of the growing power security officials are gaining in the former British colony after faithfully implementing Beijing's new laws. If successful, Lee would be the first person with a security background to lead Hong Kong since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Lee's announcement comes two days after incumbent Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she would not seek a second five-year term, saying "it's time for me to go home", after presiding over one of the most tumultuous periods in Hong Kong's history. Previous chief secretaries had extensive economic and social policy-making expertise and Lee is the first security official to lead the city in his role as chief secretary. Lee's promotion to the city's No. 2 position saw police chief Chris Tang take the security secretary post previously occupied by Lee. Also read | Carrie Lam: Leader who helped usher in the era of Beijing's dominance in Hong Kong Last year, Lee led the vetting of candidates for the first "patriots-only" election for a new-look Legislative Council, where only those loyal to Beijing were allowed to run. Lee holds a degree from Charles Sturt University in Australia, and joined the Hong Kong Police in 1977. He played a key role in trying to implement a contentious proposed extradition law in 2019 that divided Hong Kong society and triggered the mass protests. That legislation was eventually scrapped amid widespread public calls for Lee to quit. Some observers of Hong Kong politics describe him as resolute, earnest and efficient, but lacking a natural feel for politics. Also read | Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam not seek a second term Known for his hawkish stance, Lee had spearheaded the city's disciplinary forces, including the police, in the national security crackdown, which saw mass arrests of democratic activists, politicians, students and journalists. In one high-profile action this year, Lee sent a letter to the Wall Street Journal, demanding the newspaper support, rather than criticise a raid by 200 police on a liberal media outlet, Stand News, that led to the arrest of senior editors and the online news portal's closure.

Hong Kong deputy chief says he plans to run for city's top job

Hong&nbsp;Kong's most prominent democracy&nbsp;activists&nbsp;have disappeared&nbsp;from&nbsp;view&nbsp;as their prosecution under a&nbsp;security&nbsp;law&nbsp;drags&nbsp;into its second year, with lawyers and family members warning the defendants are losing faith in the courts.

The 47&nbsp;activists&nbsp;make up a swathe of the city's depleted democracy movement,&nbsp;from&nbsp;veteran former lawmakers to young firebrands and community organisers as well as academics and unionists.

Charged with subversion, the majority have been held in custody for more than a year and the few granted bail must adhere to strict speech curbs.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-deputy-chief-says-he-plans-to-run-for-citys-top-job-468986">&nbsp;Hong Kong deputy chief says he plans to run for city's top job</a>

Most of what has occurred during pre-trial hearings is blanketed by reporting restrictions, even though the defendants want them lifted. And their trial is not expected to begin until at least 2023.

"The prosecution and the court are making the defendants invisible in plain sight," legal scholar Eric Lai of Georgetown University told AFP.

Using the&nbsp;national&nbsp;security&nbsp;law Beijing imposed in 2020 following huge democracy protests, authorities targeted the&nbsp;activists&nbsp;for organising an unofficial poll to choose opposition candidates.

Some observers have voiced alarm about how lengthy pre-trial proceedings under the law have generated precedent-setting decisions without public scrutiny.&nbsp;

The hearings, Lai said, have produced "very substantial evaluations that are rarely seen in ordinary criminal cases" including detailed discussions over the&nbsp;security&nbsp;law's stricter bail terms, the admissibility of evidence as well as shifting prosecution charges.

"(Court) procedures should be more open and transparent so the public can see how the court handled the cases and what it did to protect the integrity of trial."

Watch |&nbsp;Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam to step down as city's chief executive, won't seek re-election

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Changing legal landscape&nbsp;

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;faces scrutiny over whether its internationally respected common law legal system can be maintained as China cracks down on dissent with the&nbsp;security&nbsp;law, which has ensnared some 170 people.

Last month, two of Britain's most senior judges pulled out of sitting on&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's top court citing the law's impact on freedoms, though nine other foreign judges confirmed they would stay.

The prosecution of the 47&nbsp;activists&nbsp;is seen as a legal litmus test.

While&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;allows the public to attend pre-trial hearings, reporting is largely limited to names, hearing dates and what a judge rules –- unless that judge lifts restrictions.&nbsp;

The rules are in place to protect a defendant&nbsp;from&nbsp;potential prejudice, especially if a jury may be involved in their trial.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-firm-surges-229-in-hong-kong-after-claims-its-covid-drug-reduces-deaths-and-hospitalisation-report-468844">&nbsp;Chinese firm surges 229% in Hong Kong after claims its Covid drug reduces deaths and hospitalisation: Report</a>

But so far, all&nbsp;national&nbsp;security&nbsp;cases to reach trial stage have been heard by handpicked judges, not juries.

The 47&nbsp;activists&nbsp;want the reporting restrictions lifted but their requests have been opposed by the prosecution and denied by the courts.

Independent legal scholar Wong Kai-yeung said it was unusual for judges both in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;and under the English common law to deny such requests.

"Here it was they, the defendants to be put on trial, who actively sought publicity of the proceedings," he told AFP.&nbsp;

"It is their trial. They have the autonomy to make the informed decision to not accept arrangements brought in in the name of their protection."

Frustrated and defeated

Those facing trial are in custody or barred&nbsp;from&nbsp;speaking to the press as part of their bail conditions.

But four barristers with knowledge of the proceedings told AFP that defendants were growing exasperated, believing prosecutors have filed vague charges and are dragging their feet, knowing their actions will not face public scrutiny or backlash.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-to-leave-office-468212">Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam not seek a second term</a>

All requested anonymity to speak freely.

"Some defendants feel they are being played by the court, the prosecution and the whole procedure," said one barrister. "They think it's a sham."

"There has been general distrust of the impartiality of the proceedings," another said. "It's fair to say some defendants do not believe they will get a fair trial in this&nbsp;case."

The barristers themselves also described a sense of frustration with proceedings -– two accused prosecutors of "moving the goalposts" by failing to disclose key evidence and frequently changing the charges.

Hong&nbsp;Kong's Department of Justice said it took "strong exception" to such criticisms.

"Any allegation that the prosecution is 'taking advantage' of the reporting restrictions is based on a misconception of the rationale underlying such restrictions, if not based on malice," it said.

The judiciary said it would not comment on individual cases.

Chan Po-ying, an activist and the wife of former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, said the media blackout had "dialled up the pressure" on defendants.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-judges-quit-hong-kongs-top-court-over-security-law-467072">UK judges quit Hong Kong’s top court over security law</a>

"When public attention starts to wane, it could make them feel frustrated and defeated."

Emilia Wong, the partner of detained activist Ventus Lau, said the defendants were "exhausted" and feeling silenced.

"This is what authorities want -- to minimise the defendants' influence."

Hong Kong's most prominent democracy activists have disappeared from view as their prosecution under a security law drags into its second year, with lawyers and family members warning the defendants are losing faith in the courts.

Hong Kong's most prominent democracy activists have disappeared from view as their prosecution under a security law drags into its second year, with lawyers and family members warning the defendants are losing faith in the courts. The 47 activists make up a swathe of the city's depleted democracy movement, from veteran former lawmakers to young firebrands and community organisers as well as academics and unionists. Charged with subversion, the majority have been held in custody for more than a year and the few granted bail must adhere to strict speech curbs. Also read | Hong Kong deputy chief says he plans to run for city's top job Most of what has occurred during pre-trial hearings is blanketed by reporting restrictions, even though the defendants want them lifted. And their trial is not expected to begin until at least 2023. "The prosecution and the court are making the defendants invisible in plain sight," legal scholar Eric Lai of Georgetown University told AFP. Using the national security law Beijing imposed in 2020 following huge democracy protests, authorities targeted the activists for organising an unofficial poll to choose opposition candidates. Some observers have voiced alarm about how lengthy pre-trial proceedings under the law have generated precedent-setting decisions without public scrutiny. The hearings, Lai said, have produced "very substantial evaluations that are rarely seen in ordinary criminal cases" including detailed discussions over the security law's stricter bail terms, the admissibility of evidence as well as shifting prosecution charges. "(Court) procedures should be more open and transparent so the public can see how the court handled the cases and what it did to protect the integrity of trial." Watch | Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam to step down as city's chief executive, won't seek re-election Changing legal landscape Hong Kong faces scrutiny over whether its internationally respected common law legal system can be maintained as China cracks down on dissent with the security law, which has ensnared some 170 people. Last month, two of Britain's most senior judges pulled out of sitting on Hong Kong's top court citing the law's impact on freedoms, though nine other foreign judges confirmed they would stay. The prosecution of the 47 activists is seen as a legal litmus test. While Hong Kong allows the public to attend pre-trial hearings, reporting is largely limited to names, hearing dates and what a judge rules –- unless that judge lifts restrictions. The rules are in place to protect a defendant from potential prejudice, especially if a jury may be involved in their trial. Also read | Chinese firm surges 229% in Hong Kong after claims its Covid drug reduces deaths and hospitalisation: Report But so far, all national security cases to reach trial stage have been heard by handpicked judges, not juries. The 47 activists want the reporting restrictions lifted but their requests have been opposed by the prosecution and denied by the courts. Independent legal scholar Wong Kai-yeung said it was unusual for judges both in Hong Kong and under the English common law to deny such requests. "Here it was they, the defendants to be put on trial, who actively sought publicity of the proceedings," he told AFP. "It is their trial. They have the autonomy to make the informed decision to not accept arrangements brought in in the name of their protection." Frustrated and defeated Those facing trial are in custody or barred from speaking to the press as part of their bail conditions. But four barristers with knowledge of the proceedings told AFP that defendants were growing exasperated, believing prosecutors have filed vague charges and are dragging their feet, knowing their actions will not face public scrutiny or backlash. Also read | Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam not seek a second term All requested anonymity to speak freely. "Some defendants feel they are being played by the court, the prosecution and the whole procedure," said one barrister. "They think it's a sham." "There has been general distrust of the impartiality of the proceedings," another said. "It's fair to say some defendants do not believe they will get a fair trial in this case." The barristers themselves also described a sense of frustration with proceedings -– two accused prosecutors of "moving the goalposts" by failing to disclose key evidence and frequently changing the charges. Hong Kong's Department of Justice said it took "strong exception" to such criticisms. "Any allegation that the prosecution is 'taking advantage' of the reporting restrictions is based on a misconception of the rationale underlying such restrictions, if not based on malice," it said. The judiciary said it would not comment on individual cases. Chan Po-ying, an activist and the wife of former lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, said the media blackout had "dialled up the pressure" on defendants. Also read | UK judges quit Hong Kong’s top court over security law "When public attention starts to wane, it could make them feel frustrated and defeated." Emilia Wong, the partner of detained activist Ventus Lau, said the defendants were "exhausted" and feeling silenced. "This is what authorities want -- to minimise the defendants' influence."

Hong Kong activists fade from view as national security case drags

Hong Kong is facing a coronavirus (COVID-19) surge with reports of bodies being "piled up together" for funerals and authorities are running short of traditional wooden coffins.&nbsp;

As reported by the news agency Reuters, Hong Kong has recorded more than a million infections and more than 8,000 deaths since the fifth wave of coronavirus hit the global financial hub.&nbsp;

Amid the rise in cases, some pharma firms are making profits globally. For example, the latest data by Bloomberg shows how Chinese Pharma firm Kintor Pharmaceutical Ltd surged to 229 per cent in Hong Kong.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-chinese-people-claim-quarantine-facilities-in-shanghai-have-insufficient-staff-shortage-of-food-468545">Shanghai residents claim quarantine facilities have insufficient staff, shortage of food</a>

The rise was witnessed after the firm stated its drug reduces Covid deaths and is quite effective in reducing the risk of hospitalisation. The comments raised the prospect of a first homegrown antiviral treatment.&nbsp;

The Bloomberg report published on April 6 stated that shares of the company were up 141 per cent as of 11:06 am (local time) after earlier surging as much as 229 per cent. This is said to be the biggest jump after the company got listed in Hong Kong in mid-2020.&nbsp;

All this has happened after the company released a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kintor-pharmas-proxalutamide-demonstrated-reduction-in-hospitalizationmortality-for-patients-with-mild-to-moderate-covid-19-in-phase-iii-mrct-study-301518525.html">statement</a> related to its effectiveness. Kintor announced the top-line results of the Phase III MRCT of proxalutamide in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status and risk factors.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shanghais-covid-mission-impossible-38k-health-workers-deployed-sampling-of-25-million-residents-completed-468430" hreflang="en">Shanghai's 'mission impossible': 38k health workers conduct citywide sampling</a>

As per the statement, data from the study demonstrated that the protection rate of patients in the trial (regardless of age or risk factors) treated with proxalutamide for more than seven days reached 100% (p &lt; 0.02).&nbsp;

"The treatment with proxalutamide significantly reduced hospitalization or death in COVID-19 patients, especially in the middle-aged and elderly with high-risk factors," the statement added.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;China reports highest ever-daily cases, 'Shanghai insufficiently prepared,' says top official

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Hong Kong is facing a coronavirus (COVID-19) surge with reports of bodies being "piled up together" for funerals and authorities are running short of traditional wooden coffins.

Hong Kong is facing a coronavirus (COVID-19) surge with reports of bodies being "piled up together" for funerals and authorities are running short of traditional wooden coffins. As reported by the news agency Reuters, Hong Kong has recorded more than a million infections and more than 8,000 deaths since the fifth wave of coronavirus hit the global financial hub. Amid the rise in cases, some pharma firms are making profits globally. For example, the latest data by Bloomberg shows how Chinese Pharma firm Kintor Pharmaceutical Ltd surged to 229 per cent in Hong Kong. ALSO WATCH | Shanghai residents claim quarantine facilities have insufficient staff, shortage of food The rise was witnessed after the firm stated its drug reduces Covid deaths and is quite effective in reducing the risk of hospitalisation. The comments raised the prospect of a first homegrown antiviral treatment. The Bloomberg report published on April 6 stated that shares of the company were up 141 per cent as of 11:06 am (local time) after earlier surging as much as 229 per cent. This is said to be the biggest jump after the company got listed in Hong Kong in mid-2020. All this has happened after the company released a statement related to its effectiveness. Kintor announced the top-line results of the Phase III MRCT of proxalutamide in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status and risk factors. ALSO READ | Shanghai's 'mission impossible': 38k health workers conduct citywide sampling As per the statement, data from the study demonstrated that the protection rate of patients in the trial (regardless of age or risk factors) treated with proxalutamide for more than seven days reached 100% (p < 0.02). "The treatment with proxalutamide significantly reduced hospitalization or death in COVID-19 patients, especially in the middle-aged and elderly with high-risk factors," the statement added. WATCH | China reports highest ever-daily cases, 'Shanghai insufficiently prepared,' says top official ×

Chinese firm surges 229% in Hong Kong after claims its Covid drug reduces deaths and hospitalisation: Report

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced Monday that she will step down in June, ending a divisive term that saw democracy protests squashed and strict pandemic curbs plunge the business hub into international isolation.

Ending months of speculation, Lam confirmed she would not seek a second term when a committee made up of the city's political elite chooses a new leader next month.&nbsp;

"I will complete my five-year term as chief executive on June 30, and officially conclude my 42-year career in government," Lam told reporters.

Lam said China's leaders "understood and respected" her choice not to seek another term and that she wanted to spend more time with her family.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-judges-quit-hong-kongs-top-court-over-security-law-467072">UK judges quit Hong Kong’s top court over security law</a>

The 64-year-old had dodged questions for months over her future and during Monday's announcement she revealed that she had informed Beijing of her plans to quit more than a year ago. &nbsp;

A career bureaucrat, Lam became Hong Kong's first woman leader in 2017 but she is on track to leave office with record-low approval ratings.&nbsp;

Kenneth Chan, a political scientist at Baptist University, said Hong Kong leaders have always suffered from a "chronic legitimacy crisis" because they are not popularly elected.

But Lam had lost support across the political spectrum.&nbsp;

"Not merely among the pro-democracy citizens but also increasingly among the pro-Beijing camp as she has done such a terrible job with the pandemic," he told AFP.

Security tsar next leader?&nbsp;

Hong Kongers and businesses based in the finance hub currently have little clarity on who will be the next leader at a time when Beijing is increasingly calling the shots directly.

The chief executive position is not popularly elected, something that years of democracy protests failed to change.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Hong Kong separates 2,000 Covid-positive children from parents

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Instead, the position is selected by a 1,500-strong pro-Beijing committee, the equivalent of 0.02 percent of the city's 7.4 million population.&nbsp;

The next chief executive will be chosen on May 8 but so far no one with a realistic prospect has publicly thrown their hat into the ring.&nbsp;

Hong Kong's number-two official, John Lee, who has a background in the security services, has been tipped by local press as the most likely contender.

Another potential front runner is finance chief Paul Chan.

Lam's successor will take office on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover by Britain to China.

Supporters saw Lam as a staunch Beijing loyalist who steered the city through huge democracy protests and a debilitating pandemic.&nbsp;

Starry Lee, who leads Hong Kong's largest pro-Beijing party the DAB, described Lam on Monday as a "hard-working" official.

"Her merit... should be left to history to judge," she said.

Critics, including many Western powers, viewed Lam as someone who oversaw the collapse of Hong Kong's political freedoms and its reputation as a stable regional business hub.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-hong-kong-says-to-halve-flight-suspension-rule-to-seven-days-465864">COVID-19: Hong Kong says to halve flight suspension rule to seven days</a>

Protests and pandemic

After huge and sometimes violent protests swept Hong Kong in 2019 Beijing responded with a crackdown that has remoulded the once-outspoken city into a mirror of the authoritarian mainland.&nbsp;

Lam became the first Hong Kong leader to be sanctioned by the United States, because of her support for the crackdown, which has seen most of the city's prominent democracy supporters arrested, jailed or flee overseas.

Her administration also hewed to China's zero-Covid model, implementing some of the world's toughest anti-coronavirus measures and exasperating international businesses.

The largely closed borders and strict quarantine rules kept infections at bay for some two years at the expense of Hong Kong being cut off internationally.

But the strategy collapsed when the highly transmissible Omicron variant broke through earlier this year leaving Hong Kong with one of the developed world's highest fatality rates.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kongs-lam-mulls-easing-covid-rules-as-public-tolerance-fading-463165">Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam mulls easing Covid rules</a>

Hong Kongers have been leaving the city over the last two years at a rate not seen since the period before the handover.

Thousands of foreign residents have also departed, especially in the first quarter of this year when the Omicron outbreak raged and it became clear the city would remain cut off.

Hong Kong's stock exchange was trading up two percent following Lam's announcement.

While the return of protests are unlikely in the current draconian political climate, Lam's successor will need to reboot business confidence and tackle perennial Hong Kong problems such as a dismal shortage of housing. &nbsp;&nbsp;

But Lam predicted on Monday that whoever replaces her will have an easier ride.&nbsp;

"Compared to this term of government, the next government will be seeing a more stable political environment," she told reporters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced Monday that she will step down in June, ending a divisive term that saw democracy protests squashed and strict pandemic curbs plunge the business hub into international isolation.

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced Monday that she will step down in June, ending a divisive term that saw democracy protests squashed and strict pandemic curbs plunge the business hub into international isolation. Ending months of speculation, Lam confirmed she would not seek a second term when a committee made up of the city's political elite chooses a new leader next month. "I will complete my five-year term as chief executive on June 30, and officially conclude my 42-year career in government," Lam told reporters. Lam said China's leaders "understood and respected" her choice not to seek another term and that she wanted to spend more time with her family. Also read| UK judges quit Hong Kong’s top court over security law The 64-year-old had dodged questions for months over her future and during Monday's announcement she revealed that she had informed Beijing of her plans to quit more than a year ago. A career bureaucrat, Lam became Hong Kong's first woman leader in 2017 but she is on track to leave office with record-low approval ratings. Kenneth Chan, a political scientist at Baptist University, said Hong Kong leaders have always suffered from a "chronic legitimacy crisis" because they are not popularly elected. But Lam had lost support across the political spectrum. "Not merely among the pro-democracy citizens but also increasingly among the pro-Beijing camp as she has done such a terrible job with the pandemic," he told AFP. Security tsar next leader? Hong Kongers and businesses based in the finance hub currently have little clarity on who will be the next leader at a time when Beijing is increasingly calling the shots directly. The chief executive position is not popularly elected, something that years of democracy protests failed to change. Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong separates 2,000 Covid-positive children from parents Instead, the position is selected by a 1,500-strong pro-Beijing committee, the equivalent of 0.02 percent of the city's 7.4 million population. The next chief executive will be chosen on May 8 but so far no one with a realistic prospect has publicly thrown their hat into the ring. Hong Kong's number-two official, John Lee, who has a background in the security services, has been tipped by local press as the most likely contender. Another potential front runner is finance chief Paul Chan. Lam's successor will take office on July 1, the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover by Britain to China. Supporters saw Lam as a staunch Beijing loyalist who steered the city through huge democracy protests and a debilitating pandemic. Starry Lee, who leads Hong Kong's largest pro-Beijing party the DAB, described Lam on Monday as a "hard-working" official. "Her merit... should be left to history to judge," she said. Critics, including many Western powers, viewed Lam as someone who oversaw the collapse of Hong Kong's political freedoms and its reputation as a stable regional business hub. Also read | COVID-19: Hong Kong says to halve flight suspension rule to seven days Protests and pandemic After huge and sometimes violent protests swept Hong Kong in 2019 Beijing responded with a crackdown that has remoulded the once-outspoken city into a mirror of the authoritarian mainland. Lam became the first Hong Kong leader to be sanctioned by the United States, because of her support for the crackdown, which has seen most of the city's prominent democracy supporters arrested, jailed or flee overseas. Her administration also hewed to China's zero-Covid model, implementing some of the world's toughest anti-coronavirus measures and exasperating international businesses. The largely closed borders and strict quarantine rules kept infections at bay for some two years at the expense of Hong Kong being cut off internationally. But the strategy collapsed when the highly transmissible Omicron variant broke through earlier this year leaving Hong Kong with one of the developed world's highest fatality rates. Also read | Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam mulls easing Covid rules Hong Kongers have been leaving the city over the last two years at a rate not seen since the period before the handover. Thousands of foreign residents have also departed, especially in the first quarter of this year when the Omicron outbreak raged and it became clear the city would remain cut off. Hong Kong's stock exchange was trading up two percent following Lam's announcement. While the return of protests are unlikely in the current draconian political climate, Lam's successor will need to reboot business confidence and tackle perennial Hong Kong problems such as a dismal shortage of housing. But Lam predicted on Monday that whoever replaces her will have an easier ride. "Compared to this term of government, the next government will be seeing a more stable political environment," she told reporters.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam not seek a second term

Carrie Lam: Leader who helped usher in the era of Beijing's dominance in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam will be stepping down from her position bringing an end to the controversial term which saw massive democracy protest.

Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam to step down as city's chief executive, won't seek re-election

More than 30 firms, including at least two major Chinese property developers, saw trading in their shares halted in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;on Friday after they failed to report annual results.

The move deepens uncertainty for China's embattled property sector, which has been struggling after a clampdown by Beijing suddenly turned off the liquidity taps.

It also comes as China's wider economy battles with sweeping lockdowns in key cities including Shanghai after a surge of coronavirus infections.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-judges-quit-hong-kongs-top-court-over-security-law-467072">UK judges quit Hong Kong’s top court over security law</a>

Major Chinese developers Shimao Group and Sunac China were among at least 33 companies suspended on Friday.

The firms had all failed to publish their unaudited annual results by a March 31 deadline. &nbsp;

This year's trading suspension figure compares with more than 50 for 2021 and at least nine for 2020, according to Bloomberg News.

In a notice to&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's stock exchange, Shimao said it could not report annual results on time because of the latest coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in the "lockdown of the office building of the company’s headquarters in Shanghai".

Some staff involved in preparing annual results have also been quarantined without a clear date of when virus-control measures will be eased, Shimao added.

Because of virus-related delays,&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's stock exchange allowed firms to submit unaudited figures by March 31 and the audited version by April 30 to avoid suspension.

The exchange had 2,570 listed companies at the end of March, with at least 138 saying they would delay reporting their audited 2021 results past the March deadline, Bloomberg said.

Chinese property firms have struggled in the wake of Beijing's ongoing drive to curb excessive debt in the real estate sector as well as rampant consumer speculation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-hong-kong-says-to-halve-flight-suspension-rule-to-seven-days-465864">COVID-19: Hong Kong says to halve flight suspension rule to seven days</a>

The failure to report audited results will compound worries about the transparency of debt restructurings within troubled Chinese firms and could spark further credit rating downgrades.&nbsp;

Sunac in its Friday statement said its own delay was partly because of issues related to offshore loans "arising from the recent downgrade of the company's credit ratings by international rating agencies".

On March 24, Fitch Ratings downgraded Sunac's rating to "CC", which the agency said reflected its "narrowing margin of safety for refinancing capital-market maturities".

Property developer China Aoyuan Group, whose shares were also among those suspended on Friday, said it would delay reporting annual results as it did not accurately reflect the group's financial performance and position.

"Publication of the 2021 unaudited management accounts at this stage could potentially be misleading to the shareholders and potential investors of the company," the firm said in a stock exchange notice.

The Hang Seng Index fell more than one percent in morning trade Friday and is down seven percent.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Hong Kong separates 2,000 Covid-positive children from parents

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kong-separates-2000-covid-positive-children-from-parents-466791/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

More than 30 firms, including at least two major Chinese property developers, saw trading in their shares halted in Hong Kong on Friday after they failed to report annual results.

More than 30 firms, including at least two major Chinese property developers, saw trading in their shares halted in Hong Kong on Friday after they failed to report annual results. The move deepens uncertainty for China's embattled property sector, which has been struggling after a clampdown by Beijing suddenly turned off the liquidity taps. It also comes as China's wider economy battles with sweeping lockdowns in key cities including Shanghai after a surge of coronavirus infections. Also read | UK judges quit Hong Kong’s top court over security law Major Chinese developers Shimao Group and Sunac China were among at least 33 companies suspended on Friday. The firms had all failed to publish their unaudited annual results by a March 31 deadline. This year's trading suspension figure compares with more than 50 for 2021 and at least nine for 2020, according to Bloomberg News. In a notice to Hong Kong's stock exchange, Shimao said it could not report annual results on time because of the latest coronavirus outbreak, which resulted in the "lockdown of the office building of the company’s headquarters in Shanghai". Some staff involved in preparing annual results have also been quarantined without a clear date of when virus-control measures will be eased, Shimao added. Because of virus-related delays, Hong Kong's stock exchange allowed firms to submit unaudited figures by March 31 and the audited version by April 30 to avoid suspension. The exchange had 2,570 listed companies at the end of March, with at least 138 saying they would delay reporting their audited 2021 results past the March deadline, Bloomberg said. Chinese property firms have struggled in the wake of Beijing's ongoing drive to curb excessive debt in the real estate sector as well as rampant consumer speculation. Also read | COVID-19: Hong Kong says to halve flight suspension rule to seven days The failure to report audited results will compound worries about the transparency of debt restructurings within troubled Chinese firms and could spark further credit rating downgrades. Sunac in its Friday statement said its own delay was partly because of issues related to offshore loans "arising from the recent downgrade of the company's credit ratings by international rating agencies". On March 24, Fitch Ratings downgraded Sunac's rating to "CC", which the agency said reflected its "narrowing margin of safety for refinancing capital-market maturities". Property developer China Aoyuan Group, whose shares were also among those suspended on Friday, said it would delay reporting annual results as it did not accurately reflect the group's financial performance and position. "Publication of the 2021 unaudited management accounts at this stage could potentially be misleading to the shareholders and potential investors of the company," the firm said in a stock exchange notice. The Hang Seng Index fell more than one percent in morning trade Friday and is down seven percent. Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong separates 2,000 Covid-positive children from parents

Trade halted in 33 Hong Kong-listed firms on earnings no-show

Children as young as 11-month-old have been separated from their parents after testing positive for the Wuhan Virus in Hong Kong. Parents are not allowed to meet their children or isolate with them. Expats are fleeing Hong Kong in fear of separation. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Hong Kong separates 2,000 Covid-positive children from parents

Hong Kong is now running out of coffins as it battles yet another severe wave of the pandemic. People are hesitant to use paper coffins, but this is an eco-friendly solution that could help cope with this shortage.

Hong Kong runs out of coffins as covid-19 death toll rises, surge puts strain on mortuaries

Hong Kong said on Sunday it is shortening the ban on airlines that are found to have carried three or more passengers who test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, as the number of local cases continues to ease from its peak.

Starting on Friday, the ban on individual airline routes will be reduced to seven days, from 14 previously, as part of its ongoing "flight suspension mechanism", the government said in a statement.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/50-of-foreign-companies-in-hong-kong-plan-to-relocate-465296">&nbsp;50% of foreign companies in Hong Kong plan to relocate&nbsp;</a>

The change came after the government said last week a ban on flights from nine countries - Canada, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Britain, the United States, France, Australia and the Philippines - would be lifted on April 1.

If there is at least one positive test and at least one case of non-compliance with pre-departure testing on any single flight, the airline will also be suspended from flying the route for seven days.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/high-death-rate-in-hong-kong-shows-importance-of-vaccinating-the-elderly-464569">High death rate in Hong Kong shows importance of vaccinating the elderly</a>

Hong Kong reported 8,841 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, down from 10,405 on Friday, as its latest wave of infections continues to ease.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Hong Kong's Covid-19 outbreak triggers mass exodus

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kongs-covid-19-outbreak-triggers-mass-exodus-461093/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hong Kong said on Sunday it is shortening the ban on airlines that are found to have carried three or more passengers who test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, as the number of local cases continues to ease from its peak.

Hong Kong said on Sunday it is shortening the ban on airlines that are found to have carried three or more passengers who test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, as the number of local cases continues to ease from its peak. Starting on Friday, the ban on individual airline routes will be reduced to seven days, from 14 previously, as part of its ongoing "flight suspension mechanism", the government said in a statement. Also read | 50% of foreign companies in Hong Kong plan to relocate The change came after the government said last week a ban on flights from nine countries - Canada, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Britain, the United States, France, Australia and the Philippines - would be lifted on April 1. If there is at least one positive test and at least one case of non-compliance with pre-departure testing on any single flight, the airline will also be suspended from flying the route for seven days. Also read | High death rate in Hong Kong shows importance of vaccinating the elderly Hong Kong reported 8,841 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, down from 10,405 on Friday, as its latest wave of infections continues to ease. Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong's Covid-19 outbreak triggers mass exodus

COVID-19: Hong Kong says to halve flight suspension rule to seven days

According to a new poll, over half of the European companies in Hong Kong aim to shift their operations and workers entirely or partially out of the city, the latest indicator that the world's tightest COVID-19 travel and quarantine rules are diminishing the city's allure.

According to a new study conducted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, over 25% of responding companies aim to totally relocate out of Hong Kong in the coming year, while another 24% plan to partially relocate out of the city.

Around 34% of businesses indicated they were undecided about their plans, while only 17% said they had no plans to relocate in the next 12 months.&nbsp;

According to the European Chamber of Commerce assessment, the city's "zero COVID" plan had serious effects on businesses and inhabitants.

The Chamber claims that Hong Kong's "greatest advantage"—its global connectedness and proximity to mainland China—has been "almost completely crippled."&nbsp;

Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong's Covid-19 outbreak triggers mass exodus

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kongs-covid-19-outbreak-triggers-mass-exodus-461093/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The quarantines in Hong Kong are well-known among locals and expats.

Most inbound passengers were once obliged to self-isolate in hotel rooms for three weeks on their own dime, one of the world's longest isolation periods.

Despite the fact that Hong Kong officials recently relaxed flight bans and reduced quarantine rules to seven days, an exodus is already underway.

The stringent approach to COVID has developed alongside a national security law that has brought new levels of unpredictability into a city that was once famed for calm and openness, following sometimes-violent democratic protests in 2019. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: Covid-19 surge brings Hong Kong to its knees

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-covid-19-surge-brings-hong-kong-to-its-knees-454147/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to a report published by Bloomberg, the sombre findings reflect those of previous surveys, such as one conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce, which revealed that 44 percent of respondents were likely to leave the city, with around 60 percent citing international travel restrictions as the city's top problem to businesses.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to a new poll, over half of the European companies in Hong Kong aim to shift their operations and workers entirely or partially out of the city, the latest indicator that the world's tightest COVID-19 travel and quarantine rules are diminishing the city's allure.

According to a new poll, over half of the European companies in Hong Kong aim to shift their operations and workers entirely or partially out of the city, the latest indicator that the world's tightest COVID-19 travel and quarantine rules are diminishing the city's allure. According to a new study conducted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, over 25% of responding companies aim to totally relocate out of Hong Kong in the coming year, while another 24% plan to partially relocate out of the city. Around 34% of businesses indicated they were undecided about their plans, while only 17% said they had no plans to relocate in the next 12 months. According to the European Chamber of Commerce assessment, the city's "zero COVID" plan had serious effects on businesses and inhabitants. The Chamber claims that Hong Kong's "greatest advantage"—its global connectedness and proximity to mainland China—has been "almost completely crippled." Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong's Covid-19 outbreak triggers mass exodus The quarantines in Hong Kong are well-known among locals and expats. Most inbound passengers were once obliged to self-isolate in hotel rooms for three weeks on their own dime, one of the world's longest isolation periods. Despite the fact that Hong Kong officials recently relaxed flight bans and reduced quarantine rules to seven days, an exodus is already underway. The stringent approach to COVID has developed alongside a national security law that has brought new levels of unpredictability into a city that was once famed for calm and openness, following sometimes-violent democratic protests in 2019. Watch | Gravitas: Covid-19 surge brings Hong Kong to its knees According to a report published by Bloomberg, the sombre findings reflect those of previous surveys, such as one conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce, which revealed that 44 percent of respondents were likely to leave the city, with around 60 percent citing international travel restrictions as the city's top problem to businesses. (With inputs from agencies)

50% of foreign companies in Hong Kong plan to relocate 

The first time the omicron variant breached Hong Kong’s coronavirus defenses, in late 2021, the city stamped it out, cementing its status as one of the world’s most formidable redoubts of “zero COVID.”

But a few weeks later, omicron came to the metropolis again, this time causing an outbreak among cleaners at a public-housing estate that spiraled out of control. The conflagration of resulting cases is now killing people at a rate exceeding that of almost any country since the coronavirus emerged.

Over the entire pandemic, Hong Kong’s death toll per capita, once far lower than those of Western nations, is no longer exceptional. A month ago, Americans had died from COVID at 90 times the rate of people in Hong Kong. By Monday, the cumulative American toll was 3 1/2 times as high.

As the United States braces for its own, less punishing rise in cases, and mainland China battles its biggest outbreak in two years, scientists have looked to Hong Kong for clues about the threat omicron poses in an entirely different setting: a dense city where people were not only largely untouched by previous infections, but whose oldest and most vulnerable residents were also largely unvaccinated.

Several critical lessons emerged, health experts said.

In the era of omicron and its even more infectious subvariant, BA.2, vaccinating a broad swath of the population remained important, scientists said. But inoculating as many older people as possible had become far and away the top priority.

That message, they said, was most pressing for China, where vaccinations in older age groups also appear to be lagging and there is little immunity from earlier infections.

But it was relevant again in the United States, too, where subpar vaccination and booster rates among older people have left scientists concerned about a potential surge of BA.2 cases. Partly because so many more Americans have been infected and killed by the coronavirus during earlier waves, scientists do not expect the United States to face as serious a situation in the coming months as Hong Kong.

Hong Kong’s dreadful outbreak also signals the perils of trying to eliminate the virus without a plan for what would come next, health experts said. Omicron’s high transmissibility, they said, made outbreaks almost inevitable.

Hong Kong, which along with mainland China had been among the last holdouts of a strategy of tight restrictions and border controls to eradicate the virus, was left vulnerable by how few of its residents had any immunity from prior infections: Before the omicron surge, scientists estimated that only 1% of Hong Kong’s population had contracted the virus.

Those low levels of immunity can leave places vulnerable to waves of cases, as more contagious variants sneak in or restrictions are lifted. But governments can still prepare for those waves, said Dr. Gabriel Leung, dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong.

Less than one-quarter of people aged 80 and over in Hong Kong had been given two doses of a vaccine before omicron surged, compared with more than 90% of people in Singapore and New Zealand.

Because of the number of unvaccinated older people in China, scientists said, it might also have some difficulty lifting “zero COVID” restrictions. More than 87% of China’s population have been vaccinated. But just over half of people 80 and older have had two shots, and less than 20% of people in that age group have received a booster, Zeng Yixin, a vice minister of the National Health Commission, said Friday.

“I don’t think it’s quite ready for the transition,” Leung said.

A number of Asian and Pacific countries had largely kept the virus at bay for two years, only to face omicron outbreaks because the virus was so contagious and their populations had avoided earlier infections. But high vaccination rates, including among older people, have helped many of those countries avoid more devastating surges.

In South Korea, for example, where 87% of people are vaccinated and 63% have booster shots, the cumulative death toll per capita is one-tenth of America’s, even though South Korea has recorded more than three-quarters as many cases as the United States over the entire pandemic.

Health experts said that Hong Kong’s difficulties vaccinating older people resulted from a combination of complacency, given the city’s earlier success in containing the virus, and unfounded fears that older people and those in poor health faced particular risks from vaccines.

The city has now vaccinated 39% of residents aged 80 and above, despite having inoculated almost two-thirds of 12- to 19-year-olds.

Many people in Hong Kong have been given the Chinese vaccine Sinovac, which appears to offer relatively little protection from omicron infections but a better defense against severe disease. Scientists noted that almost 90% of people who died during the latest wave were not fully vaccinated, suggesting that getting shots to the most vulnerable is more important than the particular brand.

“The problem in Hong Kong is, we haven’t succeeded in vaccinating our most vulnerable population — the elderly, especially those staying in elderly-care homes,” said Dr. Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical virologist at the University of Hong Kong. “And as a result, we are in a very bad situation.”

The United States has vaccinated many more of its older residents than Hong Kong but fewer than Western Europe and has seen a high death rate. And as immunity from early vaccinations wanes and booster shots become critical for shoring up protection against omicron among older people, the United States finds itself exposed on that count, too. About 41% of people 65 and over have not received a booster shot.

Unlike other parts of Asia that had gradually lifted restrictions in recent months, Hong Kong was not ready for its defenses to fail, scientists said.

“From the government’s point of view, there was such a strong fixation on ‘zero COVID’ that as long as that worked, vaccination was not necessarily the priority,” said Ben Cowling, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong.

Many older residents and their families adopted the same view, public health experts said. If Hong Kong’s rigid social-distancing measures and careful border controls were going to keep the virus out anyway, the conventional thinking went, was getting a vaccine worth the trouble?

“If you’re telling people that the disease is never going to get in, then there’s less of an incentive to go and get vaccinated,” said Dr. David Owens, a family doctor in Hong Kong. “To an extent, the messaging around elimination confounded the need to vaccinate.”

Cowling, of the University of Hong Kong, said that his city could have responded in one of two ways to signs that cases would surge: either double down on “zero COVID” through measures like building better quarantine facilities for overseas arrivals, or acknowledge that outbreaks are unavoidable and raise vaccination rates.

“Zero COVID is a really good strategy if you can stay at zero,” Cowling said. “But as we found in Hong Kong, it doesn’t last forever.”

Hong Kong eventually took steps to persuade older people to become vaccinated, once earlier inducements like vaccine passes proved ineffective. In January, the government announced that it would ban unvaccinated people from restaurants that serve dim sum, which are popular among older residents. But it was too late.

With cases and deaths now declining, Hong Kong announced Monday that it would lift certain restrictions.

Singapore began abandoning “zero COVID” policies in the summer. Dr. Ooi Eng Eong, an infectious disease expert at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, said that it took a wave of the delta variant to raise vaccination rates and disabuse people of the notion that they did not need protection.

Now, cases in Singapore have surged, but deaths are relatively low.

“It’s so much more transmissible that I think wearing a face mask and all — that helps but not to the extent that it has impacted the epidemiology,” Ooi said of omicron. “The trends are really driven by vaccination.”

Still, even after five or six waves of the pandemic, the reasons that some countries have succeeded while others have suffered remain unclear.

Japan, for example, has tamped down on cases throughout the pandemic without resorting to full-fledged lockdowns, scientists said.

The country benefited from its government sharing sound public health advice early in the pandemic. As much as residents tired of precautions, they largely took the advice seriously, said Taro Yamamoto, a professor at the Institute of Tropical Medicine at Nagasaki University.

Roughly 80% of people in Japan have had their initial vaccine series. But even though the country is lagging in administering booster doses and had a surge of omicron infections, death rates during omicron have remained considerably lower than in nearby South Korea.

“Partly it’s a mystery,” Yamamoto said. “We cannot explain it all.”

The first time the omicron variant breached Hong Kong’s coronavirus defenses, in late 2021, the city stamped it out, cementing its status as one of the world’s most formidable redoubts of “zero COVID.

The first time the omicron variant breached Hong Kong’s coronavirus defenses, in late 2021, the city stamped it out, cementing its status as one of the world’s most formidable redoubts of “zero COVID.” But a few weeks later, omicron came to the metropolis again, this time causing an outbreak among cleaners at a public-housing estate that spiraled out of control. The conflagration of resulting cases is now killing people at a rate exceeding that of almost any country since the coronavirus emerged. Over the entire pandemic, Hong Kong’s death toll per capita, once far lower than those of Western nations, is no longer exceptional. A month ago, Americans had died from COVID at 90 times the rate of people in Hong Kong. By Monday, the cumulative American toll was 3 1/2 times as high. As the United States braces for its own, less punishing rise in cases, and mainland China battles its biggest outbreak in two years, scientists have looked to Hong Kong for clues about the threat omicron poses in an entirely different setting: a dense city where people were not only largely untouched by previous infections, but whose oldest and most vulnerable residents were also largely unvaccinated. Several critical lessons emerged, health experts said. In the era of omicron and its even more infectious subvariant, BA.2, vaccinating a broad swath of the population remained important, scientists said. But inoculating as many older people as possible had become far and away the top priority. That message, they said, was most pressing for China, where vaccinations in older age groups also appear to be lagging and there is little immunity from earlier infections. But it was relevant again in the United States, too, where subpar vaccination and booster rates among older people have left scientists concerned about a potential surge of BA.2 cases. Partly because so many more Americans have been infected and killed by the coronavirus during earlier waves, scientists do not expect the United States to face as serious a situation in the coming months as Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s dreadful outbreak also signals the perils of trying to eliminate the virus without a plan for what would come next, health experts said. Omicron’s high transmissibility, they said, made outbreaks almost inevitable. Hong Kong, which along with mainland China had been among the last holdouts of a strategy of tight restrictions and border controls to eradicate the virus, was left vulnerable by how few of its residents had any immunity from prior infections: Before the omicron surge, scientists estimated that only 1% of Hong Kong’s population had contracted the virus. Those low levels of immunity can leave places vulnerable to waves of cases, as more contagious variants sneak in or restrictions are lifted. But governments can still prepare for those waves, said Dr. Gabriel Leung, dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong. Less than one-quarter of people aged 80 and over in Hong Kong had been given two doses of a vaccine before omicron surged, compared with more than 90% of people in Singapore and New Zealand. Because of the number of unvaccinated older people in China, scientists said, it might also have some difficulty lifting “zero COVID” restrictions. More than 87% of China’s population have been vaccinated. But just over half of people 80 and older have had two shots, and less than 20% of people in that age group have received a booster, Zeng Yixin, a vice minister of the National Health Commission, said Friday. “I don’t think it’s quite ready for the transition,” Leung said. A number of Asian and Pacific countries had largely kept the virus at bay for two years, only to face omicron outbreaks because the virus was so contagious and their populations had avoided earlier infections. But high vaccination rates, including among older people, have helped many of those countries avoid more devastating surges. In South Korea, for example, where 87% of people are vaccinated and 63% have booster shots, the cumulative death toll per capita is one-tenth of America’s, even though South Korea has recorded more than three-quarters as many cases as the United States over the entire pandemic. Health experts said that Hong Kong’s difficulties vaccinating older people resulted from a combination of complacency, given the city’s earlier success in containing the virus, and unfounded fears that older people and those in poor health faced particular risks from vaccines. The city has now vaccinated 39% of residents aged 80 and above, despite having inoculated almost two-thirds of 12- to 19-year-olds. Many people in Hong Kong have been given the Chinese vaccine Sinovac, which appears to offer relatively little protection from omicron infections but a better defense against severe disease. Scientists noted that almost 90% of people who died during the latest wave were not fully vaccinated, suggesting that getting shots to the most vulnerable is more important than the particular brand. “The problem in Hong Kong is, we haven’t succeeded in vaccinating our most vulnerable population — the elderly, especially those staying in elderly-care homes,” said Dr. Siddharth Sridhar, a clinical virologist at the University of Hong Kong. “And as a result, we are in a very bad situation.” The United States has vaccinated many more of its older residents than Hong Kong but fewer than Western Europe and has seen a high death rate. And as immunity from early vaccinations wanes and booster shots become critical for shoring up protection against omicron among older people, the United States finds itself exposed on that count, too. About 41% of people 65 and over have not received a booster shot. Unlike other parts of Asia that had gradually lifted restrictions in recent months, Hong Kong was not ready for its defenses to fail, scientists said. “From the government’s point of view, there was such a strong fixation on ‘zero COVID’ that as long as that worked, vaccination was not necessarily the priority,” said Ben Cowling, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong. Many older residents and their families adopted the same view, public health experts said. If Hong Kong’s rigid social-distancing measures and careful border controls were going to keep the virus out anyway, the conventional thinking went, was getting a vaccine worth the trouble? “If you’re telling people that the disease is never going to get in, then there’s less of an incentive to go and get vaccinated,” said Dr. David Owens, a family doctor in Hong Kong. “To an extent, the messaging around elimination confounded the need to vaccinate.” Cowling, of the University of Hong Kong, said that his city could have responded in one of two ways to signs that cases would surge: either double down on “zero COVID” through measures like building better quarantine facilities for overseas arrivals, or acknowledge that outbreaks are unavoidable and raise vaccination rates. “Zero COVID is a really good strategy if you can stay at zero,” Cowling said. “But as we found in Hong Kong, it doesn’t last forever.” Hong Kong eventually took steps to persuade older people to become vaccinated, once earlier inducements like vaccine passes proved ineffective. In January, the government announced that it would ban unvaccinated people from restaurants that serve dim sum, which are popular among older residents. But it was too late. With cases and deaths now declining, Hong Kong announced Monday that it would lift certain restrictions. Singapore began abandoning “zero COVID” policies in the summer. Dr. Ooi Eng Eong, an infectious disease expert at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, said that it took a wave of the delta variant to raise vaccination rates and disabuse people of the notion that they did not need protection. Now, cases in Singapore have surged, but deaths are relatively low. “It’s so much more transmissible that I think wearing a face mask and all — that helps but not to the extent that it has impacted the epidemiology,” Ooi said of omicron. “The trends are really driven by vaccination.” Still, even after five or six waves of the pandemic, the reasons that some countries have succeeded while others have suffered remain unclear. Japan, for example, has tamped down on cases throughout the pandemic without resorting to full-fledged lockdowns, scientists said. The country benefited from its government sharing sound public health advice early in the pandemic. As much as residents tired of precautions, they largely took the advice seriously, said Taro Yamamoto, a professor at the Institute of Tropical Medicine at Nagasaki University. Roughly 80% of people in Japan have had their initial vaccine series. But even though the country is lagging in administering booster doses and had a surge of omicron infections, death rates during omicron have remained considerably lower than in nearby South Korea. “Partly it’s a mystery,” Yamamoto said. “We cannot explain it all.”

High death rate in Hong Kong shows importance of vaccinating the elderly

Hong Kong plans to relax some anti-COVID-19 measures next month, lifting a ban on flights from nine countries, reducing quarantine and reopening schools, after a backlash from business and residents.

The moves, announced on Monday by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, come as many countries shift to trying to living with the virus rather than trying to keep it out.

Residents in the Chinese-ruled territory have become increasingly frustrated with the stringent measures, many of which have been in place for over two years.

A ban on flights from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and the United States will be lifted from April 1.

"The flight ban is no longer timely and appropriate...it will bring huge disturbances to Hong Kong people who are stuck in these nine countries if we continue the ban," Lam told a news briefing.

Hotel quarantine for Hong Kong residents arriving into the city could be cut to seven days from 14 if they tested negative, Lam said. She had previously said measures would be in place until April 20.

Schools would resume face to face classes from April 19 while public venues including sports facilities would also reopen from April 21, she said.

Hong Kong`s border has effectively been shut since 2020 with few flights able to land and hardly any passengers allowed to transit, isolating a city that had built a reputation as a global financial hub.

Hong Kong has registered the most deaths per million people globally in recent weeks – more than 24 times that of rival Singapore - due to a large proportion of elderly who were unvaccinated as the highly transmissible Omicron variant ripped through care homes.

The densely packed city has recorded more than a million infections since the pandemic started and about 6,000 deaths - most of them in the past month. Authorities reported 14,068 new cases on Monday and 223 deaths.

As many as 4 million people, out of a population of 7.4 million, could be infected according to estimates from health experts as many residents have contracted the virus and isolated at home without notifying authorities.

Businesses and the city`s economy are reeling from widespread closures, while doctors say many residents are grappling with rising mental health issues, particularly among low-income families.

Lam`s policy turnaround comes after her administration has been scolded repeatedly by politicians, pro-Beijing media and on Chinese social media, just weeks before the city is due to hold an election on May 8 to choose who will lead the territory for the next five years.

She declined to comment on whether she will run for a new term.

EXIT STRATEGY

A plan to carry out mass coronavirus testing would be put on hold, Lam said, citing experts who said it was not a suitable time. Hong Kong needs to have a clear exit strategy rather than trying to completely eradicate the virus, experts said.

While the former British colony has officially stuck to the "dynamic zero" coronavirus policy, similar to mainland China, which seeks to curb all outbreaks, it has been shifting to mitigation strategies as deaths skyrocketed.

Lam said social distancing measures would be eased in phases starting April 21, allowing restaurant dining after 6 p.m. with tables of four people from two currently.

Nightclubs, pubs and beaches would be allowed to open in the second phase while people would be allowed to exercise outdoors without a mask. Masks are currently compulsory everywhere outside the home.

Until this year, Hong Kong had been far more successful at controlling the coronavirus than many other cities its size, but the latest wave of infections swamped its world class medical system, morgues are overflowing and public confidence in the city government is at an all-time low.&nbsp;

Hong Kong plans to relax some anti-COVID-19 measures next month, lifting a ban on flights from nine countries, reducing quarantine and reopening schools, after a backlash from business and residents.

Hong Kong plans to relax some anti-COVID-19 measures next month, lifting a ban on flights from nine countries, reducing quarantine and reopening schools, after a backlash from business and residents. The moves, announced on Monday by Chief Executive Carrie Lam, come as many countries shift to trying to living with the virus rather than trying to keep it out. Residents in the Chinese-ruled territory have become increasingly frustrated with the stringent measures, many of which have been in place for over two years. A ban on flights from Australia, Britain, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and the United States will be lifted from April 1. "The flight ban is no longer timely and appropriate...it will bring huge disturbances to Hong Kong people who are stuck in these nine countries if we continue the ban," Lam told a news briefing. Hotel quarantine for Hong Kong residents arriving into the city could be cut to seven days from 14 if they tested negative, Lam said. She had previously said measures would be in place until April 20. Schools would resume face to face classes from April 19 while public venues including sports facilities would also reopen from April 21, she said. Hong Kong`s border has effectively been shut since 2020 with few flights able to land and hardly any passengers allowed to transit, isolating a city that had built a reputation as a global financial hub. Hong Kong has registered the most deaths per million people globally in recent weeks – more than 24 times that of rival Singapore - due to a large proportion of elderly who were unvaccinated as the highly transmissible Omicron variant ripped through care homes. The densely packed city has recorded more than a million infections since the pandemic started and about 6,000 deaths - most of them in the past month. Authorities reported 14,068 new cases on Monday and 223 deaths. As many as 4 million people, out of a population of 7.4 million, could be infected according to estimates from health experts as many residents have contracted the virus and isolated at home without notifying authorities. Businesses and the city`s economy are reeling from widespread closures, while doctors say many residents are grappling with rising mental health issues, particularly among low-income families. Lam`s policy turnaround comes after her administration has been scolded repeatedly by politicians, pro-Beijing media and on Chinese social media, just weeks before the city is due to hold an election on May 8 to choose who will lead the territory for the next five years. She declined to comment on whether she will run for a new term. EXIT STRATEGY A plan to carry out mass coronavirus testing would be put on hold, Lam said, citing experts who said it was not a suitable time. Hong Kong needs to have a clear exit strategy rather than trying to completely eradicate the virus, experts said. While the former British colony has officially stuck to the "dynamic zero" coronavirus policy, similar to mainland China, which seeks to curb all outbreaks, it has been shifting to mitigation strategies as deaths skyrocketed. Lam said social distancing measures would be eased in phases starting April 21, allowing restaurant dining after 6 p.m. with tables of four people from two currently. Nightclubs, pubs and beaches would be allowed to open in the second phase while people would be allowed to exercise outdoors without a mask. Masks are currently compulsory everywhere outside the home. Until this year, Hong Kong had been far more successful at controlling the coronavirus than many other cities its size, but the latest wave of infections swamped its world class medical system, morgues are overflowing and public confidence in the city government is at an all-time low.

Hong Kong to ease strict COVID curbs after business backlash

A top government advisor in Hong Kong has estimated that 2.5 million Hongkongers may have already been infected with COVID-19.

Professor Yuen Kwok-yung has requested residents to get vaccinated and brace for future waves as ''eradication of the virus will not happen''

He also suggests city could consider easing travel restrictions, with imported cases far below that in the community.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kong-shipping-containers-hired-to-store-dead-bodies-460391/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hong Kong’s leader said Sunday that the government would consider lifting strict social distancing measures as new COVID-19 infections in the city continued trending downward.

“I wouldn’t promise now that there’s room for adjustment,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam said. “But following a review, we have a duty to account for the findings in this review and the direction we will take.”

“Having gone through the peak that you have seen here ... I think a responsible government should regularly and vigorously review these measures, to see whether there is room for adjustment,” Lam said.

“The COVID situation is still severe although we have hit the peak apparently and there’s a downward trend,” said Lam. “However, from sewage surveillance, we can see there can be a possibility of rebound.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-infections-in-hong-kong-reach-record-high-testing-capacity-to-ramp-up-451091">Also read |&nbsp;Covid infections in Hong Kong reach record high, testing capacity to ramp up</a>

Densely populated Hong Kong has registered the most deaths per million people globally in recent weeks.

But restrictions, including a ban on flights from nine countries such as Britain and the United States, quarantine of up to 14 days for residents returning to Hong Kong, and the closure of schools, gyms, beaches and other venues, have frustrated many.

Hong Kong is in the middle of a massive outbreak, recording over 1 million total cases in the city of 7.4 million. The city has been hit hard, with mortuaries full as they try to cope with a high number of deaths. Hong Kong has so far refrained from a strict city-wide lockdown like those that China regularly imposes to control the spread of the virus.

But new infections in the city have been declining. In early March, Hong Kong reported more than 50,000 new infections in one day. On Saturday, it recorded 16,583 new cases.

Many of the recent deaths are due to a large proportion of elderly people being caught unvaccinated after living in a relatively virus-free city for two years before the Omicron variant emerged.

With future outbreaks seen as inevitable, Hong Kong must make plans to eventually live with the virus, rather than insisting on eradicating all outbreaks, some epidemiologists say.

Mainland China, which has similar COVID policies, is also battling its worst outbreak since the virus first emerged in Wuhan in 2020.

President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China would stick with its zero-Covid strategy but allow for a more "targeted" approach.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A top government advisor in Hong Kong has estimated that 2.5 million Hongkongers may have already been infected with COVID-19. Professor Yuen Kwok-yung has requested residents to get vaccinated and brace for future waves as ''eradication of the virus will not happen'' He also suggests city could consider easing travel restrictions, with imported cases far below that in the community.

A top government advisor in Hong Kong has estimated that 2.5 million Hongkongers may have already been infected with COVID-19. Professor Yuen Kwok-yung has requested residents to get vaccinated and brace for future waves as ''eradication of the virus will not happen'' He also suggests city could consider easing travel restrictions, with imported cases far below that in the community. Hong Kong’s leader said Sunday that the government would consider lifting strict social distancing measures as new COVID-19 infections in the city continued trending downward. “I wouldn’t promise now that there’s room for adjustment,” Chief Executive Carrie Lam said. “But following a review, we have a duty to account for the findings in this review and the direction we will take.” “Having gone through the peak that you have seen here ... I think a responsible government should regularly and vigorously review these measures, to see whether there is room for adjustment,” Lam said. “The COVID situation is still severe although we have hit the peak apparently and there’s a downward trend,” said Lam. “However, from sewage surveillance, we can see there can be a possibility of rebound.” Also read | Covid infections in Hong Kong reach record high, testing capacity to ramp up Densely populated Hong Kong has registered the most deaths per million people globally in recent weeks. But restrictions, including a ban on flights from nine countries such as Britain and the United States, quarantine of up to 14 days for residents returning to Hong Kong, and the closure of schools, gyms, beaches and other venues, have frustrated many. Hong Kong is in the middle of a massive outbreak, recording over 1 million total cases in the city of 7.4 million. The city has been hit hard, with mortuaries full as they try to cope with a high number of deaths. Hong Kong has so far refrained from a strict city-wide lockdown like those that China regularly imposes to control the spread of the virus. But new infections in the city have been declining. In early March, Hong Kong reported more than 50,000 new infections in one day. On Saturday, it recorded 16,583 new cases. Many of the recent deaths are due to a large proportion of elderly people being caught unvaccinated after living in a relatively virus-free city for two years before the Omicron variant emerged. With future outbreaks seen as inevitable, Hong Kong must make plans to eventually live with the virus, rather than insisting on eradicating all outbreaks, some epidemiologists say. Mainland China, which has similar COVID policies, is also battling its worst outbreak since the virus first emerged in Wuhan in 2020. President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China would stick with its zero-Covid strategy but allow for a more "targeted" approach. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: 2.5 million people in Hong Kong infected, top government adviser estimates

Hong&nbsp;Kong's leader said Thursday she was mulling&nbsp;easing&nbsp;some of the city's coronavirus restrictions due to waning&nbsp;public&nbsp;tolerance, but could not provide a roadmap out of the current Omicron-fuelled crisis.

Carrie&nbsp;Lam's administration has been pummelled by all sides over its unclear&nbsp;public&nbsp;messaging and handling of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's fifth wave, which has brought nearly a million cases and 4,600 deaths in less than three months.

The jump in case numbers comes despite the finance hub putting in place border restrictions since the pandemic's start and deploying some of the harshest social-distancing measures outside mainland China.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fourth-covid-shot-provides-little-benefit-against-omicron-infection-study-463048">Fourth Covid shot provides little benefit against Omicron infection: Study</a>

Since Omicron broke through in January, there have been bans on&nbsp;public&nbsp;gatherings of more than two, restrictions on night-time dining and mandatory masking while doing outdoor activities.&nbsp;

The latest new restrictions came Thursday, when&nbsp;public&nbsp;beaches were closed.

But&nbsp;Lam&nbsp;told a press conference that "the time has come" to review the restrictions.&nbsp;

"Not because the number of cases has come down... but I have a very strong feeling that people's&nbsp;tolerance&nbsp;are&nbsp;fading," she said.

"Some of our financial institutions are losing patience about this sort of isolated status of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong," she added, promising an update would come "around March 20 or 21".

When pressed on a roadmap for a way out of the crisis, she declined to give specifics.&nbsp;

"The most difficult part of fighting the virus is that we cannot fully predict what's going to happen."&nbsp;

Despite two hard-won years of breathing room due to&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's adherence to the mainland's zero-Covid&nbsp;strategy, the city is currently seeing scenes reminiscent of the pandemic's start, with mounting elderly deaths and overcrowded hospitals.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-says-global-rise-in-covid-cases-is-tip-of-the-iceberg-463031">WHO says global rise in COVID-19 cases is 'tip of the iceberg'</a>

Authorities initially announced plans for mass testing of the city's 7.4 million people accompanied by a lockdown, before rolling them back.&nbsp;

The panic fuelled by mixed messaging and further restrictions prompted a record-high exodus of 65,400 local and foreign residents from the finance hub in February.&nbsp;

International banks such as JPMorgan and Bank of America have been working on relocation plans in view of flight bans and potential lockdown, according to a Financial Times report last week.

And&nbsp;Lam's near-daily press conferences about&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;have done little to stop rumours about mass testing and lockdown plans.

Very grateful

Researchers estimate&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's infection toll is significantly higher than official figures, likely already reaching half its population.

China has offered to aid&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;in its&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;battle, including providing about 400 medics who arrived this week to support the city's health workers.&nbsp;

But members of the health sector, lawmakers and reporters have repeatedly raised questions about the visiting medics' legal liabilities.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-hong-kong-leader-says-city-is-not-yet-past-covid-peak-461568">COVID-19: Hong Kong leader says city is not yet past Covid peak</a>

On Wednesday a reporter from local NowTV channel asked&nbsp;Lam&nbsp;how patients' complaints over the medics will be handled -- drawing wrath from a pro-Beijing group that started a petition calling for the journalist's firing.&nbsp;

Newspaper Ta Kung Pao -- affiliated with Beijing's liaison office -- also published an article alleging questions of liability were "seditious" and could run afoul of China's national security law.

By Thursday afternoon, NowTV news channel issued an apology for the reporter's question at the press conference.&nbsp;

"We are very grateful for the selfless support from the central government and mainland China," it said.&nbsp;

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;authorities have said the city will shoulder ultimate responsibility.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Hong Kong's Covid-19 outbreak triggers mass exodus

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hong-kongs-covid-19-outbreak-triggers-mass-exodus-461093/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Hong Kong's leader said Thursday she was mulling easing some of the city's coronavirus restrictions due to waning public tolerance, but could not provide a roadmap out of the current Omicron-fuelled crisis.

Hong Kong's leader said Thursday she was mulling easing some of the city's coronavirus restrictions due to waning public tolerance, but could not provide a roadmap out of the current Omicron-fuelled crisis. Carrie Lam's administration has been pummelled by all sides over its unclear public messaging and handling of Hong Kong's fifth wave, which has brought nearly a million cases and 4,600 deaths in less than three months. The jump in case numbers comes despite the finance hub putting in place border restrictions since the pandemic's start and deploying some of the harshest social-distancing measures outside mainland China. Also read | Fourth Covid shot provides little benefit against Omicron infection: Study Since Omicron broke through in January, there have been bans on public gatherings of more than two, restrictions on night-time dining and mandatory masking while doing outdoor activities. The latest new restrictions came Thursday, when public beaches were closed. But Lam told a press conference that "the time has come" to review the restrictions. "Not because the number of cases has come down... but I have a very strong feeling that people's tolerance are fading," she said. "Some of our financial institutions are losing patience about this sort of isolated status of Hong Kong," she added, promising an update would come "around March 20 or 21". When pressed on a roadmap for a way out of the crisis, she declined to give specifics. "The most difficult part of fighting the virus is that we cannot fully predict what's going to happen." Despite two hard-won years of breathing room due to Hong Kong's adherence to the mainland's zero-Covid strategy, the city is currently seeing scenes reminiscent of the pandemic's start, with mounting elderly deaths and overcrowded hospitals. Also read | WHO says global rise in COVID-19 cases is 'tip of the iceberg' Authorities initially announced plans for mass testing of the city's 7.4 million people accompanied by a lockdown, before rolling them back. The panic fuelled by mixed messaging and further restrictions prompted a record-high exodus of 65,400 local and foreign residents from the finance hub in February. International banks such as JPMorgan and Bank of America have been working on relocation plans in view of flight bans and potential lockdown, according to a Financial Times report last week. And Lam's near-daily press conferences about Covid have done little to stop rumours about mass testing and lockdown plans. Very grateful Researchers estimate Hong Kong's infection toll is significantly higher than official figures, likely already reaching half its population. China has offered to aid Hong Kong in its Covid battle, including providing about 400 medics who arrived this week to support the city's health workers. But members of the health sector, lawmakers and reporters have repeatedly raised questions about the visiting medics' legal liabilities. Also read | COVID-19: Hong Kong leader says city is not yet past Covid peak On Wednesday a reporter from local NowTV channel asked Lam how patients' complaints over the medics will be handled -- drawing wrath from a pro-Beijing group that started a petition calling for the journalist's firing. Newspaper Ta Kung Pao -- affiliated with Beijing's liaison office -- also published an article alleging questions of liability were "seditious" and could run afoul of China's national security law. By Thursday afternoon, NowTV news channel issued an apology for the reporter's question at the press conference. "We are very grateful for the selfless support from the central government and mainland China," it said. Hong Kong authorities have said the city will shoulder ultimate responsibility. Watch | Gravitas: Hong Kong's Covid-19 outbreak triggers mass exodus

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam mulls easing Covid rules

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