122-588: The South China Morning Post ( SCMP ), with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post , is a Hong Kong -based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group . Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained Hong Kong's newspaper of record since British colonial rule. Editor-in-chief Tammy Tam succeeded Wang Xiangwei in 2016. The SCMP prints paper editions in Hong Kong and operates an online news website that
244-406: A proposed extradition amendment bill permitting the extradition of fugitives to mainland China. The protests are the largest in Hong Kong's history, with organisers claiming to have attracted more than three million Hong Kong residents. The Hong Kong regional government and Chinese central government responded to the protests with a number of administrative measures to quell dissent. In June 2020,
366-559: A subscription -only service, which also allows the retrieval of archive articles dating back from 1993. It was launched online in December 1996. On 30 May 2007, SCMP.com relaunched with a new look, features, and multimedia content. Headlines and the introduction to stories were now free to view, while the full articles are available to subscribers. Archive photos and articles are available for purchase. On 16 July 2007, SCMP.com launched its first-ever viral video marketing campaign targeting
488-782: A 2016 public survey conducted by the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey at the Chinese University of Hong Kong , the SCMP received a credibility rating of 6.54, the highest credibility score among the various paid newspapers in Hong Kong. In 2016, following the Alibaba acquisition, the SCMP removed its paywall , but in July 2020, SCMP announced that it would return to a subscription model in August 2020. In March 2021, it
610-629: A CBE by Britain for services to journalism in 2000. In 2013, the government of France awarded Fenby the status of a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur for his contributions promoting Anglo-French understanding. Fenby was educated at King Edward VI School , Birmingham and at Westminster School , an independent school for boys in central London, followed by New College at the University of Oxford . Fenby joined Reuters in 1963, and reported from Europe and Vietnam as well as working as an editor at
732-464: A bias of its own, as if to say newspaper owners must espouse certain views, while those that hold opposing views are 'unfit'. In fact, that is exactly why we think the world needs a plurality of views when it comes to China coverage. China's rise as an economic power and its importance to world stability is too important for there to be a singular thesis." He also said, "Today when I see mainstream western news organisations cover China, they cover it through
854-467: A businessman with close ties to Beijing, or part of a large enterprise, which has financial interests over the border." Editor-in-chief Wang Xiangwei, appointed by the owner in 2012 after consultation with the Liaison Office, was criticised for his decision to reduce the paper's coverage of the death of Li Wangyang on 7 June 2012. Wang, who had left the office for the day, reportedly returned to
976-574: A diverse ecosystem; over 3,000 species of vascular plants occur in the region (300 of which are native to Hong Kong), and thousands of insect, avian, and marine species. Jonathan Fenby Jonathan Fenby CBE (born 11 November 1942) is a British writer, analyst, historian and journalist who edited major newspapers in Britain and Asia. He was Editor of Reuters World Service from 1973 to 1977 and then held senior editorial posts at major news organisations in Britain, Europe and Hong Kong. He headed
1098-438: A few academics pointed out in 2013, 2016 and 2021 that there was a negative or discriminatory discourse present in SCMP ' s coverage of mainland Chinese people. Questions were raised about the relationship between the publication and Chinese authorities after the SCMP was able to secure an interview with Zhao Wei , the legal assistant of human rights defender Li Heping , who was in the custody of Chinese police. The SCMP
1220-845: A four-year term. Twenty are directly elected from geographical constituencies , thirty-five represent functional constituencies (FC), and forty are chosen by an election committee consisting of representatives appointed by the Chinese central government. Thirty FC councillors are selected from limited electorates representing sectors of the economy or special interest groups, and the remaining five members are nominated from sitting district council members and selected in region-wide double direct elections . All popularly elected members are chosen by proportional representation . The 30 limited electorate functional constituencies fill their seats using first-past-the-post or instant-runoff voting. Twenty-two political parties had representatives elected to
1342-546: A global audience and highlighting the new multimedia features of the website. At present, SCMP also provides free subscription to "The South China Morning Post iPad edition" for the Apple iPad . SCMP.com launched a major redesign on 20 April 2015. Upon having been acquired by Alibaba, the new owners announced that the paywall would be removed. The paywall was subsequently removed on the night of 4 April 2016. By doing so, SCMP wished to increase its readership globally and allow
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#17327725525201464-600: A mission to promote China's soft power abroad. Anti-Qing revolutionary Tse Tsan-tai and British journalist Alfred Cunningham (克寧漢) founded the South China Morning Post in 1903, publishing its first issue on 6 November 1903. The purpose of founding the SCMP is disputed, although it has been attributed to supporting the reform movement in the late- Qing Empire . Early editorials were mainly written by British journalists, such as Cunningham, Douglas Story and Thomas Petrie, while Tse attracted business to
1586-491: A neutral zone to safeguard its status as a free port. The colonial government prepared for a possible attack, evacuating all British women and children in 1940. The Imperial Japanese Army attacked Hong Kong on 8 December 1941 , the same morning as its attack on Pearl Harbor . Hong Kong was occupied by Japan for almost four years before the British resumed control on 30 August 1945. Its population rebounded quickly after
1708-484: A person with name bearing this character. The second character 港, /hœŋ/, means a branch flow of water body, or a channel for boats to go through. This means the translation to harbour was a modern invention. There were four basic speculations, namely fragrant/incense wood, fragrant river, female pirate named 香, and red incense burner . Not all of them are plausible in face of language, history and geography evidences. The Cantonese name in Chinese character 香港
1830-483: A public appeal to help archive back issues of the magazine, expressing doubt that SCMP would preserve the full archive. He found that he was unable to access issue 1,103, which featured Leung Chun-ying on the cover. The paper's average audited circulation for the first half of 2007 stood at 106,054; while its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post , has a readership of 80,865. In 2012, the readership of
1952-539: A reputation as being a censor of the news...Talk to anyone on the China reporting team at the South China Morning Post and they'll tell you a story about how Wang has cut their stories, or asked them to do an uninteresting story that was favorable to [mainland] China." Mooney, whose contract with the paper was not renewed in May 2012 reportedly because of budgetary reasons, said he had won more journalism awards than anyone else in
2074-531: A series of protests in 2014 which became known as the Umbrella Revolution. Discrepancies in the electoral registry and disqualification of elected legislators after the 2016 Legislative Council elections and enforcement of national law in the West Kowloon high-speed railway station raised further concerns about the region's autonomy. In June 2019, mass protests erupted in response to
2196-467: A sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, the territory is now one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. Hong Kong is the world's third-ranked global financial centre (behind New York City and London ), ninth-largest exporter, and eighth-largest importer. Its currency, the Hong Kong dollar , is the ninth most traded currency in the world. Home to
2318-406: A very particular lens. It is through the lens that China is a communist state and everything kind of follows from that. A lot of journalists working with these western media organisations may not agree with the system of governance in China and that taints their view of coverage." The acquisition by Alibaba was completed on 5 April 2016. The SCMP took down the paywall to its website. According to
2440-487: A voice. Use it. Or you will surely lose it. Initially SCMP stated that the HK Magazine website would be deleted from the internet, but the move was criticised. The Hong Kong Journalists Association lodged an inquiry with SCMP management. Hines stated, "It is unthinkable that a newspaper of record would ever consider deleting content from its archive. The SCMP should be held to proper journalistic standards. HK Magazine
2562-471: Is a highly developed territory and has a Human Development Index (HDI) of 0.956, ranking fourth in the world and currently the only place in Asia to be in the top 5. The city has the highest life expectancy in the world , and a public transport usage exceeding 90 per cent. There is no lack of tales and speculations on the etymology of Hong Kong. It was because the name was mysterious that no longer fitted
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#17327725525202684-610: Is a special administrative region of China . With 7.4 million residents of various nationalities in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq mi) territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the world. Hong Kong was established as a colony of the British Empire after the Qing dynasty ceded Hong Kong Island in 1841–1842 as a consequence of losing the First Opium War . The colony expanded to
2806-431: Is a special administrative region of China , with executive, legislative, and judicial powers devolved from the national government . The Sino-British Joint Declaration provided for economic and administrative continuity through the handover, resulting in an executive-led governing system largely inherited from the territory's history as a British colony. Under these terms and the "one country, two systems" principle,
2928-521: Is an effort to shift the focus away from Hong Kong to mainland China and target western readers. Hines wrote in the Hong Kong Free Press of its closure: The South China Morning Post purchased us at the right time, and for sensible reasons. The media landscape was changing dramatically, as it continues to do, and their ownership bought us a few final years of life. But, like " One Country, Two Systems ", this odd and uncomfortable marriage
3050-493: Is blocked in mainland China . The newspaper's circulation has been relatively stable for years—the average daily circulation stood at 100,000 in 2016. In a 2019 survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong , the SCMP was regarded relatively as the most credible paid newspaper in Hong Kong. The SCMP was owned by Rupert Murdoch 's News Corporation from 1986 until it was acquired by Malaysian real estate tycoon Robert Kuok in 1993. On 5 April 2016, Alibaba Group acquired
3172-468: Is generally believed to be an early phonetic rendering of the Cantonese (or Tanka Cantonese ) of characters 香港. Sir John Davis , the second colonial governor, offered an alternative origin; Davis said that the name derived from "Hoong-keang" ("red torrent"), reflecting the colour of soil over which a waterfall on the island flowed. The simplified name Hong Kong was frequently used by 1810. The name
3294-410: Is governed by a hybrid regime that is not fully representative of the population. Legislative Council members elected by functional constituencies composed of professional and special interest groups are accountable to these narrow corporate electorates and not the general public. This electoral arrangement has guaranteed a pro-Beijing camp majority in the legislature since the handover. Similarly,
3416-542: The Basic Law of Hong Kong for 50 years after the handover. It does not specify how Hong Kong will be governed after 2047, and the central government's role in determining the territory's future system of government is the subject of political debate and speculation. Hong Kong's political and judicial systems may be integrated with China's at that time, or the territory may continue to be administered separately. However, in response to large-scale protests in 2019 and 2020 ,
3538-591: The Basic Law of Hong Kong is the regional constitution. The regional government is composed of three branches: The chief executive is the head of government and serves for a maximum of two five-year terms. The State Council (led by the Premier of China ) appoints the chief executive after nomination by the Election Committee , which is composed of 1500 business, community, and government leaders. The Legislative Council has 90 members, each serving
3660-604: The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference appointed by the central government. Chinese national law does not generally apply in the region, and Hong Kong is treated as a separate jurisdiction. Its judicial system is based on common law , continuing the legal tradition established during British rule. Local courts may refer to precedents set in English law and overseas jurisprudence. However, mainland criminal procedure law applies to cases investigated by
3782-563: The Chinese central government 's adherence to the "one country, two systems" principle. After reversal of the last colonial era Legislative Council democratic reforms following the handover, the regional government unsuccessfully attempted to enact national security legislation pursuant to Article 23 of the Basic Law . The central government decision to implement nominee pre-screening before allowing chief executive elections triggered
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3904-646: The Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and was further extended when the United Kingdom obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. Hong Kong was occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during World War II . The territory was handed over from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of one country, two systems . Originally
4026-734: The Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR . Interpretative and amending power over the Basic Law and jurisdiction over acts of state lie with the central authority, making regional courts ultimately subordinate to the mainland's socialist civil law system. Decisions made by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress override any territorial judicial process. Furthermore, in circumstances where
4148-670: The Paleolithic period. The claim is based on an archaeological investigation in Wong Tei Tung , Sai Kung in 2003. The archaeological works revealed knapped stone tools from deposits that were dated using optical luminescence dating . During the Middle Neolithic period, about 6,000 years ago, the region had been widely occupied by humans. Neolithic to Bronze Age Hong Kong settlers were semi-coastal people. Early inhabitants are believed to be Austronesians in
4270-717: The People's Liberation Army is responsible for the region's defence. Although the Chairman of the Central Military Commission is supreme commander of the armed forces, the regional government may request assistance from the garrison. Hong Kong residents are not required to perform military service, and current law has no provision for local enlistment, so its defence is composed entirely of non-Hongkongers. The central government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs handle diplomatic matters, but Hong Kong retains
4392-418: The SCMP and the Sunday Morning Post was estimated at 396,000. Its readership outside Hong Kong remains at some 6,825 copies for the same period, again, relatively unchanged. It also had the position as the most profitable newspaper in the world on a per reader basis, profit declined since peaking in 1997 at HK$ 805 million. Its average audited circulation for the first half of 2015 stood at 101,652 copies, with
4514-534: The SCMP attended regular meetings at the Government House for disclosures that aimed to influence public opinion and received business briefings from the HSBC. For most of the 1990s, the SCMP was the world's most profitable newspaper. By 1993, the SCMP 's daily circulation exceeded 100,000 and posted profits of HK$ 586 million (US$ 75.6 million) from mid-1992 to mid-1993. In September 1993, Murdoch
4636-523: The SCMP was "sharply critical of the Hong Kong government" and that this may have been a factor behind Fenby being replaced. The SCMP has had 10 editors from 2000 to 2011. Mark Clifford, editor-in-chief of The Standard from 2004 to 2006, was hired as editor-in-chief in February 2006. Clifford brought with him several staffers from The Standard , including business section editor Stuart Jackson, who departed after seven turbulent months. He presided over
4758-595: The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was passed by the Legislative Council to grant officials "even more powers to crack down on opposition to Beijing and the Hong Kong government" and includes penalties such as life imprisonment for political crimes such as treason and insurrection . Critics state that this expansion "will strike a lasting blow to the partial autonomy the city had been promised by China [in
4880-502: The Sino-British Joint Declaration ]." Hong Kong's administrative divisions are divided into three levels: Areas (區域), Districts (地區), and Sub-districts (分區). Hong Kong is administratively divided into three areas: Hong Kong Island , Kowloon , and the New Territories . They are further divided into 18 districts. The area of Hong Kong Island has four districts, the area of Kowloon has five districts, and
5002-457: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed the controversial Hong Kong national security law . The law criminalises secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign elements and establishes the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the CPG in the HKSAR, an investigative office under Central People's Government authority immune from HKSAR jurisdiction. Some of
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5124-523: The Sunday Morning Post . A discounted student subscription is also available. It was increased 14.5% (from HK$ 7) and 25% (from HK$ 8) respectively in August 2011. As of 26 August 2010, SCMP Group posted a profit of $ 52.3 million in the first half of 2010. The printed version of the SCMP is in a broadsheet format, in sections: Main, City, Sport, Business, Classifieds, Property (Wednesday), Racing (Wednesday), Technology (Tuesday), Education (Saturday), Style magazine (first Friday of every month);
5246-565: The Tiananmen Papers , though ultimately was allowed, after protesting "strenuously", to do so. The editor stated that there had already been sufficient coverage. At the launch of a joint report published by the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and Article 19 in July 2001, the chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists' Association said: "More and more newspapers self-censor themselves because they are controlled by either
5368-566: The central government in Beijing in June 2020 resulted in the suspension of bilateral extradition treaties by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, and Ireland. The United States ended its preferential economic and trade treatment of Hong Kong in July 2020 because it was no longer able to distinguish Hong Kong as a separate entity from the People's Republic of China. In 2024,
5490-461: The central government of the People's Republic of China , and questions were raised over the paper's editorial independence and self-censorship. The paper's editors nevertheless did assert their independence during Kuok's ownership. There have been concerns, denied by Kuok, over the forced departures, in rapid succession, of several staff and contributors who were considered critical of China's government or its supporters in Hong Kong. These included, in
5612-449: The one-child policy in 2013. The SCMP published an interview with Jack Ma , founder of Alibaba and a member of the CCP, in which Ma defended late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's decision to crack down on pro-democracy student protests, saying it was "the most correct decision". The relevant remark was deleted not long after the article was published; the reporter responsible for the interview
5734-409: The seventh-highest number of billionaires of any city in the world, Hong Kong has the largest number of ultra high-net-worth individuals . Although the city has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, severe income inequality exists among the population. Despite being the city with the most skyscrapers in the world , housing in Hong Kong is consistently in high demand . Hong Kong
5856-507: The "huge responsibility to deliver news... [and]... the journalistic heritage we have inherited". and said that his decision not to pursue extensive coverage as the story broke was pending "more facts and details surrounding the circumstances of this case". Wang admitted that his decision on Li Wangyang was a bad one in retrospect. Reporter Paul Mooney said that the Li Wangyang story was not an isolated incident: Wang Xiangwei has "long had
5978-641: The China Team at the research service Trusted Sources from 2006 to 2022 where he was also a founding partner and a managing director at Trusted Sources an emerging markets research and consultancy firm headquartered in London which merged with Lombard Street Research in 2016. His investment and strategy research was focused towards policy interpretation, politics and the broader political economy including East Asian politics and strategy. He has written twenty books, including The General: Charles de Gaulle and
6100-481: The China section, was promoted to deputy editor under Wang. In May 2015, the SCMP told columnists Philip Bowring, Steve Vines, Kevin Rafferty and Frank Ching – all of whom have criticised the government in commentaries to varying degrees on different subjects over the years – that their services would no longer be needed. The manner of their dismissal generated criticism, as well as speculation as to who had instigated
6222-568: The Chinese Liaison Office raised objections of insensitivity as well as incurring the owner's wrath. Kuok berated Keatley in his office and wrote a two-page letter, which Keatley published in the letters section of the paper. Kuok stepped down as group chairman that year. Editorial page editor Gittings complained that in January 2001 he was told to take a "realistic" view of editorial independence and ordered not to run extracts of
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#17327725525206344-531: The Feign case defending the sacking. Vittachi explained his own departure from the journal in his book, linking it to the pressures he – and other contributors – faced from top management and editors to abstain from writing on topics that were deemed "sensitive", basically in denial of the free speech rights enshrined in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the one country, two systems policy. In 2000, Fenby
6466-664: The France He Saved and Chiang Kai-shek: China's Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost . His books predicted the slowing of China's economy and the concentration of political power by Xi Jinping as well as the rise of the far right in France. He has worked as an award-winning editor and foreign correspondent at publications including The Observer and the South China Morning Post . He was made
6588-498: The Hong Kong Island and thus Hong Kong was named after her. But she was born around 1775, not even close Ming Dynasty, that it is impossible as etymology of Hong Kong. Hung-heung-lo , 紅香爐, red incense burner, was a station of Ch'ing Dynasty coastal defense. The name once used to refer the whole Hong Kong Island after the station was established. It was too late to be the etymology of Hong Kong. Some points fragrant to
6710-406: The Legislative Council and the requirement that all candidates be vetted and approved by a Beijing-appointed Candidate Eligibility Review Committee . In May 2023, the Legislative Council also introduced legislation to reduce the number of directly elected seats in the district councils, and a District Council Eligibility Review Committee was similarly established to vet candidates. Hong Kong
6832-548: The Legislative Council in the 2016 election . These parties have aligned themselves into three ideological groups: the pro-Beijing camp (the current government), the pro-democracy camp , and localist groups . The Chinese Communist Party does not have an official political presence in Hong Kong, and its members do not run in local elections. Hong Kong is represented in the National People's Congress by 36 deputies chosen through an electoral college and 203 delegates in
6954-562: The Legislative Council passed the National Anthem Ordinance , which criminalised "insults to the national anthem of China". The Chinese central government meanwhile enacted the Hong Kong national security law to help quell protests in the region. Nine months later, in March 2021, the Chinese central government introduced amendments to Hong Kong's electoral system , which included the reduction of directly elected seats in
7076-587: The Middle Neolithic period and later the Yue people. As hinted by the archaeological works in Sha Ha, Sai Kung, rice cultivation had been introduced since Late Neolithic period. Bronze Age Hong Kong featured coarse pottery, hard pottery, quartz and stone jewelry, as well as small bronze implements. The Qin dynasty incorporated the Hong Kong area into China for the first time in 214 BCE, after conquering
7198-503: The New Territories. Much of this is built on reclaimed land ; 70 km (27 sq mi) (6% of the total land or about 25% of developed space in the territory) is reclaimed from the sea. Undeveloped terrain is hilly to mountainous, with very little flat land, and consists mostly of grassland, woodland, shrubland, or farmland. About 40% of the remaining land area is country parks and nature reserves. The territory has
7320-478: The Philippines and Indonesia, have little protection under regional law. Although they live and work in Hong Kong, these workers are not treated as ordinary residents and do not have the right of abode in the territory. Sex trafficking is also an issue, local, mainland Chinese, and foreign women have been trafficked for sex in brothels , homes, and businesses in the city. The Joint Declaration guarantees
7442-538: The Standing Committee declares a state of emergency in Hong Kong, the State Council may enforce national law in the region. The territory's jurisdictional independence is most apparent in its immigration and taxation policies. The Immigration Department issues passports for permanent residents which differ from those of the mainland or Macau, and the region maintains a regulated border with
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#17327725525207564-472: The Sunday edition contains Main, a Review section, a Post Magazine, Racing, "At Your Service", a services directory, and "Young Post", targeted at younger readers. On 26 March 2007, the SCMP was given a facelift, with new presentation and fonts . Another redesign in 2011 changed the typefaces to Farnham and Amplitude for headlines, Utopia for text, and Freight for headers. SCMP.com had started out as
7686-516: The United States and the rest of the west. HK Magazine is a canary in the coal mine. [...] As this sad end to HK Magazine shows, it is clear that it is time now for someone else to step up and provide an alternative voice for Hong Kong. If you care about free speech and the liberal values that make Hong Kong what it is, say something about it. Do something about it. Support independent outlets like Hong Kong Free Press and FactWire . You have
7808-606: The Yuan Dynasty. By the end of the Yuan dynasty , seven large families had settled in the region and owned most of the land. Settlers from nearby provinces migrated to Kowloon throughout the Ming dynasty . The earliest European visitor was Portuguese explorer Jorge Álvares , who arrived in 1513. Portuguese merchants established a trading post called Tamão in Hong Kong waters and began regular trade with southern China. Although
7930-747: The ability to maintain separate economic and cultural relations with foreign nations . The territory actively participates in the World Trade Organization , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the International Olympic Committee , and many United Nations agencies. The regional government maintains trade offices in Greater China and other nations. The imposition of the Hong Kong national security law by
8052-537: The aforementioned acts were previously considered protected speech under Hong Kong law. The United Kingdom considers the law to be a serious violation of the Joint Declaration. In October 2020, the Hong Kong Police arrested seven pro- democracy politicians over tussles with pro-Beijing politicians in the Legislative Council in May. They were charged with contempt and interfering with members of
8174-635: The agreement. After more than a year of further hostilities, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded to the United Kingdom in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking . Administrative infrastructure was quickly built by early 1842, but piracy, disease, and hostile Qing policies initially prevented the government from attracting commerce. Conditions on the island improved during the Taiping Rebellion in the 1850s, when many Chinese refugees, including wealthy merchants, fled mainland turbulence and settled in
8296-399: The area of the New Territories has nine districts. Each district is represented by a district council . The district councils advise the government on local issues such as public facility provisioning, community programme maintenance, cultural promotion, and environmental policy. As of 2024, there are a total of 470 district council seats, 88 of which are directly elected. In May 2023,
8418-1041: The chief executive is selected by establishment politicians and corporate members of the Election Committee rather than directly elected. Despite universal suffrage being established as ultimate goals for the election of the chief executive and all members of the Legislative Council in Articles 45 and 68 of the basic law, the legislature is only partially directly elected, and the executive continues to be nominated by an unrepresentative body. The government has been repeatedly petitioned to introduce direct elections for these positions, but has not introduced these direct elections as of 2024. Ethnic minorities (except those of European ancestry) have marginal representation in government and often experience discrimination in housing, education, and employment. Employment vacancies and public service appointments frequently have language requirements which minority job seekers do not meet, and language education resources remain inadequate for Chinese learners. Foreign domestic helpers , mostly women from
8540-511: The colony. Further tensions between the British and Qing over the opium trade escalated into the Second Opium War . The Qing were again defeated and forced to give up Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island in the Convention of Peking . By the end of this war, Hong Kong had evolved from a transient colonial outpost into a major entrepôt . Rapid economic improvement during the 1850s attracted foreign investment, as potential stakeholders became more confident in Hong Kong's future. The colony
8662-481: The controversial dismissal of several journalists over an internal prank, and himself resigned with effect 1 April 2007. Following Gina Chua 's short-lived tenure at the Post, from 2009 to April 2011, and deputy editor, Cliff Buddle served as acting editor-in-chief for 10 months. Wang Xiangwei [ zh ] , a member of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , succeeded him in 2012. Tammy Tam, senior editor of
8784-590: The council, while none of the pro-Beijing lawmakers were detained. Annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre were also cancelled amidst fears of violating the national security law. In March 2021, the Chinese central government unilaterally changed Hong Kong's electoral system and established the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee , which would be tasked with screening and evaluating political candidates for their "patriotism", effectively crushing
8906-419: The editorship of The Observer from 1993 to 1995 and then of the South China Morning Post from 1995 to 2000 during the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty . After returning to London from Hong Kong in 2000, Fenby wrote extensively about China for British and other publications as well as working at various on-line services and as associate editor of the newspaper Sunday Business . In 2006, he
9028-599: The end of 1997. Kuok Khoon Ean's sister, Kuok Hui Kwong, was named chief executive officer on 1 January 2009. Kuok launched a general offer for the remaining shares in September 2007, and increased his stake to 74 per cent at US$ 209 million. It was delisted in 2013 when the shares' free float fell below the required 25 per cent. Jonathan Fenby served as editor until 1999, when he was replaced by Robert Keatley from The Wall Street Journal , who became interim editor. Mark Ländler of The New York Times wrote that under Fenby,
9150-404: The end of the New Territories lease approached, and Governor Murray MacLehose raised the question of Hong Kong's status with Deng Xiaoping in 1979. Diplomatic negotiations with China resulted in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration , in which the United Kingdom agreed to the handover of the colony in 1997 and China would guarantee Hong Kong's economic and political systems for 50 years after
9272-637: The environment on the eve of colonisation by the British. It was because the name was on a remote island that was somehow far from the attention of administration and hence lack of documentation or documentation was destroyed easily year by year. The name of Hong Kong comes from Cantonese name 香港, /hœŋ kɔŋ/, in Chinese character. The name commonly translates as "fragrant harbour" or alternatively "incense harbour". The first character 香, /hœŋ/, means any pleasant or sweet smell , namely fragrant , or materials that could produce pleasant smell, usually comes from plants or animals, including incense . But it could
9394-417: The global community to have access to its news of China. It vowed to better adapt to the reading habits of the readers. The news site remains blocked in mainland China as of 2018. SCMP also provided a "China-focused" Chinese-language version of The Post, nanzao.com, but was shut down in 2016. The previous owners of the publication, Kerry Group's Robert Kuok and his family, are claimed to be inclined towards
9516-572: The government proposed reforms to the District Council electoral system which further cut the number of directly elected seats from 452 to 88, and total seats from 479 to 470. A requirement that district council candidates be vetted and approved by the District Council Eligibility Review Committee was also proposed. The Legislative Council approved the reforms in July 2023. Hong Kong
9638-418: The handover. The impending handover triggered a wave of mass emigration as residents feared an erosion of civil rights, the rule of law, and quality of life. Over half a million people left the territory during the peak migration period, from 1987 to 1996. The Legislative Council became a fully elected legislature for the first time in 1995 and extensively expanded its functions and organisations throughout
9760-432: The head office in London. He was Paris bureau chief from 1968 to 1973 before being appointed as Editor of the agency's World Service in 1973. After leaving Reuters in 1977, he joined The Economist where he was chief correspondent in both Paris and Bonn (1981-1986) and wrote three books. He then became the first home editor of The Independent (1986–1988) and then deputy editor of The Guardian (1988–1993), followed by
9882-732: The indigenous Baiyue . The region was consolidated under the Nanyue kingdom (a predecessor state of Vietnam ) after the Qin collapse and recaptured by China after the Han conquest . During the Mongol conquest of China in the 13th century, the Southern Song court was briefly located in modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before its final defeat in the 1279 Battle of Yamen by
10004-401: The last years of the colonial rule. The handover of Hong Kong to China was at midnight on 1 July 1997, after 156 years of British rule. Immediately after the handover, Hong Kong was severely affected by several crises. The Hong Kong government was forced to use substantial foreign exchange reserves to maintain the Hong Kong dollar's currency peg during the 1997 Asian financial crisis , and
10126-536: The maritime area is included) consists of Hong Kong Island , the Kowloon Peninsula , the New Territories , Lantau Island , and over 200 other islands. Of the total area, 1,073 km (414 sq mi) is land and 35 km (14 sq mi) is water. The territory's highest point is Tai Mo Shan , 957 metres (3,140 ft) above sea level. Urban development is concentrated on the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong Island, and in new towns throughout
10248-463: The media properties of the SCMP Group, including the SCMP . In January 2017, former Digg CEO Gary Liu became the SCMP ' s chief executive officer . Since the change of ownership in 2016, concerns have been raised about the paper's editorial independence and self-censorship. Critics including The New York Times , Der Spiegel , and The Atlantic have alleged that the paper is on
10370-483: The mid-1990s, cartoonist Larry Feign , humour columnist Nury Vittachi , and numerous China-desk staff, namely 2000–01 editorial pages editor Danny Gittings, Beijing correspondent Jasper Becker and China pages editor Willy Lam . Not long after Kuok's purchase of the newspaper, and after running several cartoons about the culling of human body parts from Chinese prisoners , Larry Feign was abruptly dismissed and his satirical comic strip "Lily Wong" axed in 1995. His firing
10492-639: The name of Hong Kong was referring to Aberdeen Channel associating with once flourishing incense industry in Ming Dynasty. It could be where the incense was manufactured, stored or exported but there are no evidences to support it. Another speculation is that "fragrant" may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's freshwater influx from the Pearl River. It is very unlikely the etymology relating to fragrant river. The whole territories of Hong Kong are surrounded by sea, namely salt water. Aberdeen Channel
10614-503: The news team, but that for seven months prior to his departure from the newspaper, Wang had marginalised him by blocking him from writing any China stories, and then reportedly hiring several new young reporters, many from mainland China, after he had been ousted. Despite the reported sentiments of the owners, the SCMP does report on commemorations of the Tiananmen Square Massacre , and ran an editorial criticising
10736-526: The newspaper would become a mouthpiece of the Central People's Government . Among the possible motives of the Alibaba acquisition was to make media coverage of China "fair and accurate" and not in the optic of Western news outlets. Alibaba said that the newspaper's editorial independence would be upheld. Joseph Tsai , executive vice-chairman of Alibaba Group, said that the fear that Alibaba's ownership would compromise editorial independence "reflects
10858-612: The newspaper. It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in November 1971, but was privatised again in 1987 after being bought by the News Corporation in 1986 for HK$ 2.2 billion (US$ 284.4 million). SCMP relisted in 1990. Reading the SCMP has been described as a status symbol in the 20th century, when the newspaper represented the interests of Hong Kong elites and the British government. Editors of
10980-537: The newspaper. The editors maintained a good relationship with the Hong Kong government. In 1904, the newspaper's circulation was 300 copies. The newspaper faced competition from three English-language newspapers: the Hong Kong Daily Press , China Mail , and Hong Kong Telegraph . After the Second World War , the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) bought majority shares in
11102-484: The opium trade. The commissioner destroyed opium stockpiles and halted all foreign trade, triggering a British military response and the First Opium War . The Qing surrendered early in the war and ceded Hong Kong Island in the Convention of Chuenpi . British forces began controlling Hong Kong shortly after the signing of the convention, from 26 January 1841. However, both countries were dissatisfied and did not ratify
11224-407: The paper after midnight to reverse the staff editors' decision to run a full story. The SCMP published a two-paragraph report inside the paper; other news media reported it prominently. A senior staff member who sought to understand the decision circulated the resulting email exchanges, that indicate he received a stern rebuff from Wang. Wang made a statement on 21 June, in which he said he understood
11346-440: The post-war decades to provide safer housing, integrity in the civil service, and more reliable transportation. Nevertheless, widespread public discontent resulted in multiple protests from the 1950s to 1980s, including pro- Republic of China and pro- Chinese Communist Party protests. In the 1967 Hong Kong riots , pro- PRC protestors clashed with the British colonial government. As many as 51 were killed and 802 were injured in
11468-421: The print edition representing 75 percent of the number of copies; the Sunday edition registered 80,779 copies on average during the same period. The Group reported net profit of HK$ 338 million for the year 2006 ( 2005 = HK$ 246m ), the operating profit of HK$ 419m ( 2005 = HK$ 306m ) was attributable mainly to the newspaper operation. The selling price of the paper is HK$ 9 each from Monday to Saturday, and HK$ 10 for
11590-476: The recovery from this was muted by an H5N1 avian-flu outbreak and a housing surplus. This was followed by the 2003 SARS epidemic , during which the territory experienced its most serious economic downturn. Chinese communists portrayed the return of Hong Kong as key moment in the PRC's rise to great power status. Political debates after the handover have centred around the region's democratic development and
11712-543: The region into a wasteland. The Kangxi Emperor lifted the maritime trade prohibition, allowing foreigners to enter Chinese ports in 1684. Qing authorities established the Canton System in 1757 to regulate trade more strictly, restricting non-Russian ships to the port of Canton . Although European demand for Chinese commodities like tea, silk, and porcelain was high, Chinese interest in European manufactured goods
11834-731: The remainder of the Pro-Democracy camp . Hong Kong is on China's southern coast, 60 km (37 mi) east of Macau, on the east side of the mouth of the Pearl River estuary . It is surrounded by the South China Sea on all sides except the north, which neighbours the Guangdong city of Shenzhen along the Sham Chun River . The territory's 1,110.18 km (428.64 sq mi) area (2,754.97 km if
11956-531: The removals. In January 2016, Tam was promoted to the paper's editor-in-chief. During Alibaba's failed attempt at securing an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange , the SCMP published articles questioning the business practices of the platform, including incidents involving counterfeit goods. On 11 December 2015, Alibaba Group announced that it would acquire the media assets of SCMP Group, including SCMP , for HK$ 2 billion (US$ 266 million). Alibaba's ownership of SCMP led to concerns that
12078-412: The rest of the country. All travellers between Hong Kong and China and Macau must pass through border controls, regardless of nationality. Mainland Chinese citizens do not have right of abode in Hong Kong and are subject to immigration controls. Public finances are handled separately from the national government; taxes levied in Hong Kong do not fund the central authority. The Hong Kong Garrison of
12200-407: The shore region was in deprived state. Few people came back to rebuilt the region and the government at that time introduced Hakka migrants to refill the region. New migrants knew nothing about the incense industry and marked its end. From 2000s onward, the remainants of incense trees in Hong Kong were recurrently being chopped down by cross-border illegal loggers. These are strong indicators that
12322-406: The smell of opium, but it is impossible as there was no opium trade in Ming Dynasty. The first romanisation came as "He-Ong-Kong" in 1780, originally referred to a small inlet located between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen. Although the source of the romanised name is unknown, it
12444-525: The traders were expelled after military clashes in the 1520s, Portuguese-Chinese trade relations were re-established by 1549 . Portugal acquired a permanent lease for Macau in 1887. After the Qing conquest , maritime trade was banned under the Haijin policies. From 1661 to 1683, the population of most of the area forming present day Hong Kong was cleared under the Great Clearance , turning
12566-440: The village was marked as Little Hong Kong in a map of 1899. Regarding fragrant/incense wood, historian professor Lo Hsiang-lin was the one first exploring the etymology of Hong Kong with incense tree. The whole territory of Hong Kong, being part of Tung Kwun County, once cultivated incense trees, Aquilaria sinensis , in industrial scale during Ming Dynasty. The county incense was known as kwun-heung , 莞香 in character, which
12688-485: The violence, including dozens killed by the Royal Hong Kong Police via beatings and shootings. Although the territory's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined because of rising labour and property costs, it transitioned to a service-based economy. By the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre and shipping hub. The colony faced an uncertain future as
12810-756: The war, as skilled Chinese migrants fled from the Chinese Civil War and more refugees crossed the border when the Chinese Communist Party took control of mainland China in 1949. Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies to industrialise during the 1950s. With a rapidly increasing population, the colonial government attempted reforms to improve infrastructure and public services. The public-housing estate programme , Independent Commission Against Corruption , and Mass Transit Railway were all established during
12932-489: Was a founding partner at Trusted Sources in charge of the analytical service on China, which he visited frequently. Between 1998 and 2019, he published 17 books, nine on China, four on France and others on the Second World War and the shaping of the world after 1945. He is quoted in press in the UK, US and Far East and broadcasts, as well as speaking at conferences and lecturing at universities and public forums on China. Fenby
13054-449: Was able to make contact with Zhao Wei a few days after her release from prison while she was still in the custody of Chinese security forces and at a time when neither her husband nor lawyer was able to reach her. The interview quoted Zhao giving what was taken to be a telephone confession, including "I have come to realise that I have taken the wrong path... I repent for what I did. I'm now a brand new person." Hong Kong Hong Kong
13176-520: Was also commonly written as the single word Hongkong until 1926, when the government officially adopted the two-word name. Some corporations founded during the early colonial era still keep this name, including Hongkong Land , Hongkong Electric Company , Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC). Earliest known human traces in what is now Hong Kong are dated by some to 35,000 and 39,000 years ago during
13298-471: Was an important feature of Hong Kong's media landscape, and it must be preserved. Deleting it would be an utter travesty of journalistic principles – and a slap in the face to SCMP's readers and to Hong Kong society in general." Following the negative reaction, SCMP stated that HK Magazine content would be migrated to the South China Morning Post website before the HK Magazine website was deleted. Additionally, Hong Kong data scientist Mart van de Ven launched
13420-741: Was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours List for services to journalism, and was appointed a Knight of the French National Order of Merit in 1997, and then of the French Légion d'honneur . He is an Associate of the London School of Economics (LSE) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and is on the advisory board of
13542-446: Was defended as "cost cutting", but was widely viewed as political self-censorship in the face of the imminent handover of Hong Kong to the PRC. In his book North Wind , Hong Kong author Nury Vittachi documented that then-editor Jonathan Fenby , who had joined from The Observer of London, suppressed letters querying the disappearance of the popular strip and then busied himself writing letters to international media that had covered
13664-542: Was first mentioned a book Yuet Tai Kei (粵大記) written between 1577 and 1595, that means it was in 16th century when Hong Kong was ruled by Ming Dynasty , that means any speculations do not fit the background could be ruled out. The location is on the north shore of Aberdeen Island, or Ap Lei Chau natively, next to Aberdeen Channel . Hong Kong Tsuen, 香港村, namely the village of Hong Kong, was recorded on San On County Gazetteer of 1819, situated near Shouson Hill . When Hong Kong became well-known colonial name under British rule,
13786-538: Was further expanded in 1898 when the United Kingdom obtained a 99-year lease of the New Territories. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first institution of higher education. Kai Tak Airport began operation in 1924, and the colony avoided a prolonged economic downturn after the 1925–26 Canton–Hong Kong strike . At the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared Hong Kong
13908-524: Was in negotiations to sell his 50 percent interest in the SCMP as part of a scheme to increase the News Corporation's investments in the Asian electronic media industry. News Corporation then announced that it would sell 34.9 per cent stake – a controlling interest – for US$ 375 million to Kerry Media owned by Malaysian businessman Robert Kuok . Kuok's son, Kuok Khoon Ean, took over as chairman at
14030-404: Was in the works. Since the Alibaba acquisition, the SCMP has discontinued several subsidiary publications, including its Chinese-language edition, the 48 HOURS weekend magazine, and the popular HK Magazine alternative weekly. The 48 HOURS staff continue to write on other SCMP platforms. Zach Hines, former editor-in-chief of HK Magazine from 2000 to 2015, said that closing the magazine
14152-531: Was insignificant, so that Chinese goods could only be bought with precious metals. To reduce the trade imbalance, the British sold large amounts of Indian opium to China. Faced with a drug crisis, Qing officials pursued ever more aggressive actions to halt the opium trade. In 1839, the Daoguang Emperor rejected proposals to legalise and tax opium and ordered imperial commissioner Lin Zexu to eradicate
14274-419: Was luxury and worth silver of the same weight, says one gram of kwun-heung worth one gram of silver. Once flourishing incense industry came to the end due to Manchu invasion. The new Manchu rulers ordered all people to evacuate from shore region to eradicate all resistance of Ming from the sea in 1661. Villages and properties were burnt and many people died during this period. The order was revolted in 1683 but
14396-540: Was never going to last. To be a truly independent press, you cannot be beholden to anyone except your readers. But, to my great dismay, this is becoming an increasing impossibility in Hong Kong, in both the mainstream Chinese and much-smaller English media. SCMP is owned by Alibaba, perhaps the biggest pro-China organization in the world, if you don't count the Communist Party. The paper's business interests are also drifting away from Hong Kong, and toward readers in
14518-426: Was reported that the Chinese government is pressuring Alibaba to sell SCMP, due to concerns over the company's influence over public opinion in Hong Kong. Critics say this is designed to move the paper under the ownership of Chinese state-owned firm or an associated billionaire, placing it under the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In a leaked internal November 2021 memo, SCMP CEO Gary Liu denied any sale
14640-485: Was succeeded by Robert Keatley, a former Wall Street Journal journalist. After the paper ran a story by Willy Lam on its front page about a delegation of Hong Kong tycoons meeting with Chinese President and General Secretary of the Communist Party Jiang Zemin , in which it was reported that business opportunities in China were being offered as a quid pro quo for the tycoons' political support,
14762-401: Was suspended and later was resigned. Alibaba said that Ma had been quoted "improperly", and demanded a rectification, but the editor-in-chief refused. The New York Times stated that Alibaba is steering the newspaper into promoting the PRC's soft power , and several critical stories about China's current government have been rewritten in an act of self-censorship by the top editors. However,
14884-431: Was very far from any river. Hsu Ti-shan was the proponent of heung kong, 香江, namely fragrant river, but of different explanation. He refers the freshwater of a waterfall near Aberdeen Channel with sweet taste. But the character 江 never refers to any streams, creeks or brooks in Hong Kong. Famous female pirate, Heung-kwu , 香姑, literally fragrant-girl, was the youth name of Cheng I Sao . Legend had it that she occupied
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