Author Archives: biglychee

This is pretty much a restaurant-review-free-zone (apart from once, maybe), but a few comments on Tanya Chan’s Taipei private kitchen Red Cotton… As a pro-democracy politician, the former Civic Party lawmaker was last heard of in Hong Kong being hounded … Continue reading →

Hong Kong retail sales down 7.3% in November year-on-year, and 8.3% by volume/inflation-adjusted. Big falls in cars, electronics, Chinese medicine, furniture and many other consumer items, except supermarket goods. In volume terms, sales are around 30% lower than in 2015-19.  … Continue reading →

The COMAC C919 aircraft makes its first commercial scheduled flight into Hong Kong, receiving a rapturous reception from RTHK… The homegrown passenger jet, operated by China Eastern airlines and carrying around 160 passengers, took off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport … Continue reading →

The government’s new tourism blueprint – looks a lot like all the existing banal initiatives bundled up into one document, plus something called ‘bleisure travel’. Eco-tourism, mega-events, East-meets-West culture, ‘coastal platforms’, pandas, Lantau, Lamma, hotels, spas, horse-racing, cruise tourism, and … Continue reading →

The government strips pro-democracy veteran Martin Lee of his ‘Justice of the Peace’ title. Insofar as JPs have serious duties (such as visiting prisons), surely they should all relinquish the office at a certain age, well before Lee’s 86 years. … Continue reading →

Of the six people added to the NatSec wanted list on Christmas Eve – with HK$1 million rewards going – one is 19 years old. Chloe Cheung’s photo used in the official publicity was taken when she was 11. She … Continue reading →

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China issues its annual report, putting Hong Kong together with Xinjiang and Tibet as a place where Beijing ‘most brutally’ violates human rights. HKFP says… “The façade of an alternative system of political governance that was … Continue reading →

Hong Kong bureaucrats tasked with boosting the tourism industry furiously organize mega-events in an attempt to meet arbitrary targets for visitor numbers. As a HKFP op-ed points out, the results are mixed… The idea that events should be supported by … Continue reading →

The trial of Jimmy Lai continues, with judges suggesting that more of his opinions – eg that Xi Jinping has put China onto a dangerous path – could be ‘inciting hatred’… Lai, 77, told his national security trial on Thursday … Continue reading →

It’s one of those times all-patriots folk find themselves opposing the government: legislators derail a plan for ‘smart ballot boxes’… But within just two days, the bureau decided to withdraw the initiative after the backlash. “The original intention of the … Continue reading →