Hong Kong protests

Beijing will dilute Hong Kong with Shenzhen

27 Dec 2019

Protests in the former British colony endanger China’s gateway to international markets. Past attempts to turn neighbouring Shenzhen into a rival financial hub have been half-hearted. Now Beijing has reason to press harder, especially with bold reform to capital controls.

Hong Kong’s stores could use some Chinese medicine

11 Dec 2019

Cosmetics chain Sa Sa has lost some 40% of its value this year. Months of protests have exposed existing ills, not least a reliance on Chinese visitors. With the economy ailing and tourists staying away, high-street retailers will have to find shoppers in the mainland and beyond.

Hong Kong pushes financial-hub limits

6 Dec 2019

Centres of banking and trading need money to move easily, free flows of information, stable laws and peace. Months of violent clashes raise fresh doubts about Hong Kong. As long as mainland China’s alternatives tick fewer boxes, though, the city will retain its relative appeal.

U.S.-China fault line runs right through Hong Kong

28 Nov 2019

President Donald Trump grudgingly signed a law effectively backing the city’s anti-government protesters. He tried to soften the blow for Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Bipartisan U.S. support, though, shows antagonism will outlast precarious trade talks – or a change of leader.

Hong Kong voters offer glimmer for recovery

25 Nov 2019

Record 71% turnout in local elections handed pro-democracy groups a big victory. It puts pressure on Chief Executive Carrie Lam to make some concessions. Even after six months of bumbling, she has a chance to take steps that could help keep the calm and reverse an economic slump.

Viewsroom: Rising Hong Kong tensions

21 Nov 2019

After more than five months of unrest in the city, a prolonged violent siege on a university campus ratcheted things up anew. Blocked roads and trains shuttered schools as tear gas wafted through the central business district. Its status as a financial hub may be under threat.

Hadas: Hong Kong tips Beijing’s balance quandary

20 Nov 2019

The territory’s economy is already hurting as residents battle the forces of oppression. The damage could multiply, if Xi Jinping were to follow the kind of tough strategy he’s using in Xinjiang. It is the autocratic dilemma: discontent rises with the costs of squelching it.

Hong Kong becomes potent piece in trade-war games

19 Nov 2019

China has challenged the territory’s judicial independence, just as a three-day siege at a local university ratchets up tensions again. U.S. lawmakers are backing protesters and increasing pressure on Donald Trump to follow. That could imperil an already-precarious trade deal.

Hong Kong property crash may hurt less this time

15 Nov 2019

The world's least affordable housing market is heading for a steep correction. The Asian currency crisis and SARS epidemic pushed prices down 69% from 1997 to 2003. But resilient local demand, a land shortage, fewer speculators and higher down payments might pad this downturn.

Volatile Hong Kong poses a supply-chain quandary

13 Nov 2019

Weekday tear gas in the heart of the financial centre means companies can no longer ignore protests. For some, moving will be as hard as it has been for toymakers to shift factories out of China. The brain drain risk is real, though, and the cost of doing business only rises.

Hong Kong protest demands reach their expiry date

11 Nov 2019

Police shot an activist at close range on Monday, exacerbating the city's turmoil days after a first protest fatality. Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s mismanagement persists. Now, even acquiescing to high-profile demands will not quell unrest or prevent a protracted economic slump.

Hong Kong IPOs get away with a protest discount

4 Nov 2019

Warehouse owner ESR is the latest issuer to pull off a $1 bln-plus debut, despite months of anti-government demonstrations that have left investors jittery. Alibaba's plans may be back on track too. But the welcome has been tepid, and may be reserved for blue-chip sellers.

Hong Kong exceptionalism lives another day

31 Oct 2019

The economic cost of the protests continue to mount with the territory now in a technical recession. Yet even as Chinese authorities tighten their grip on the city, Hong Kong’s special status endures, and past precedent suggests it can bounce back from the turmoil.

Mike Pence extends prickly olive branch to China

25 Oct 2019

The U.S. vice president blasted Beijing for protectionism, aggression and oppression in a long-delayed speech. He also blamed China for "decoupling" from global norms, but welcomed it to rejoin. The invitation may keep negotiations for a weak trade deal on track, but little else.

Worst of Hong Kong’s bling pain is yet to come

24 Oct 2019

Asia’s luxury-shopping mecca is in its fifth month of mass protests. Hermes, LVMH and others have so far managed to offset the hit by selling more in mainland China. But as violence escalates, so does the risk of regional contagion, challenging the resiliency of that strategy.

Hong Kong’s meeker neighbour faces its own perils

17 Oct 2019

Macau, run under similar rules to the former British colony, has been untroubled by anti-government protests across the water. History and size explain its model behaviour. The result, though, is less ideal: a $55 bln casino monoculture that relies on China’s tourists and favour.

Hong Kong’s best hope: billionaires’ self-interest

16 Oct 2019

Chief Executive Carrie Lam promised to tackle the severe inequality that has fuelled unrest. Instead, she offered a mish-mash of underwhelming measures. Her political capital shredded, the city’s powerful tycoons could do worse than step in to take matters into their own hands.

Hong Kong’s miseries enter self-perpetuating cycle

14 Oct 2019

Unhappy factors like property prices, living costs, and bankruptcies are pushing a Breakingviews index to historic highs. Demonstrators’ demands are political, not financial. But mounting economic stress on ordinary people sabotages government attempts to call a truce.

Viewsroom: General Motors strike runs on hot air

10 Oct 2019

Workers downed tools over three weeks ago, despite last-minute concessions by the U.S. carmaker. Job-security fears are a sticking point. So is the union’s need to prove its worth after a kickbacks scandal. Plus: U.S. basketball plays smart defense on China’s Hong Kong backlash.

China’s shot at NBA draws political foul

9 Oct 2019

State TV won't screen preseason games in the country after boss Adam Silver backed a manager who supported Hong Kong protesters. The basketball association has put its $4 bln business and partners at risk, but it is pushing back anyway. It can become a rallying point for others.