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Peta members wearing dolphin masks protest against the Ocean Park’s dolphin shows on August 20. Photo: Nora Tam
Hong Kong society

Letters | Let 2026 be the year we are kinder to animals

Readers suggest what Hongkongers can do in the coming year to make a difference and reflect on the constant pursuit of gratification.

Social media

Letters | To kick our social media habit, let’s start with the adults

Education in Hong Kong

Letters | Hong Kong’s AI grant for schools shouldn’t leave out teacher training

China's economic recovery

Letters | Shenzhen-Hong Kong special zone could better serve national economy

Readers discuss takeaways from the central economic work conference, native-level English proficiency, and how to honour those lost in the Tai Po fire.

The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone on April 24. Photo: Edmond So
The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone on April 24. Photo: Edmond So
Hong Kong society

Letters | Medical volunteers’ joint effort on Tai Po fire relief made a difference

Readers discuss the collaborative spirit of and bonds forged through the mobilisation, and smoking in public in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong society

Letters | Building renovation management should not be entrusted to laymen

Readers discuss the law that makes owners responsible for common parts of buildings, the opening of the Chinese Medicine Hospital, and a robot’s record-breaking feat of endurance.

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Extreme weather

Letters | Asia is not built for extreme weather. This must change

Readers discuss the urban planning features essential to climate resilience, the demise of Hong Kong’s Democratic Party, and the Legislative Council election.

Workers try to restore the damaged railway track after landslides in Badulla, Sri Lanka, on December 13. Many parts of the island were inundated in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. Photo: EPA
Workers try to restore the damaged railway track after landslides in Badulla, Sri Lanka, on December 13. Many parts of the island were inundated in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong society

Letters | Tai Po fire tragedy shows importance of disaster risk reduction

Readers discuss how addressing risk factors can save lives and minimise loss, the turnout of the Legislative Council election, and the Japanese prime minister’s controversial remarks on Taiwan.

Greater Bay Area

Letters | As Greater Bay Area shifts to carbon-free trade, Hong Kong must catch on

Readers discuss a key role for the city gleaned from China’s central economic work conference, promotion of indoor sports, and the mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach.

China trade

Letters | World must learn to live with China’s manufacturing prowess

Readers discuss China’s record trade surplus so far this year, Hong Kong’s ambitions to be a cryptocurrency hub, and how to effectively curb social media overuse.

Vehicles intended for export are lined up at Longtan Container Terminal of Nanjing Port in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on December 7. Photo: Xinhua
Accidents and personal safety

Letters | Hong Kong’s ageing buildings need better care under stronger rules

Readers call on the government to revamp the city’s governance of building management and repair, and rethink its approach to teenagers’ social media use.

Workers carry out emergency repair works outside Po On Building in Mong Kok on July 5, 2023, after concrete chunks fell off the building for a second time in three days. Photo: Jelly Tse
Workers carry out emergency repair works outside Po On Building in Mong Kok on July 5, 2023, after concrete chunks fell off the building for a second time in three days. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hong Kong society

Letters | Hong Kong’s ‘coin carts’ are not serving residents who need them most

Readers discuss the city’s coin collection programme, Hongkongers’ response to the Tai Po fire, and why Russia can’t be framed through a Western or Eastern lens.

Nexperia

Letters | The case for separating the Dutch and Chinese arms of Nexperia

Readers discuss the fight for control over the semiconductor company, the case of two skirt-wearing Malaysian women barred from entering a police station, and a potential ban on smoking at construction sites.

Japan

Letters | Japan overplayed its hand at the table of great powers

Readers discuss the broader implications of Tokyo’s miscalculation, Hong Kong’s entry requirements for native English-speaking teachers, and whether anything could have been done differently in Tai Po.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meets the press in Wajima, Japan on December 7. Photo: Kyodo
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Uncovering truth of Tai Po tragedy not at odds with care for survivors

Readers discuss concerns raised about survivors’ psychological well-being, recognising migrant domestic workers’ contribution over the years, and stepping up efforts at disease prevention.

Flowers are placed in mourning near Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on December 9, two weeks after the deadly fire that killed at least 159 people. Photo: Eugene Lee
Flowers are placed in mourning near Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on December 9, two weeks after the deadly fire that killed at least 159 people. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong society

Letters | How Tai Po fire exposed weakness in Hong Kong contract governance

Readers call for steps to improve procurement and contract oversight, official accountability for lapses that led to the tragedy, and appreciation for donor generosity.

Scams and swindles

Letters | Cambodia is confronting the scourge of online scams head-on

Readers discuss the cross-border effort targeting the syndicates behind Cambodia’s scam farms, Malaysia’s first fully home-grown EV, and the investigation into the Tai Po fire in Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Letters | Hong Kong hospital fee rises a necessary step towards sustainability

Readers discuss the healthcare reform aimed at directing care to those most in need, recovering from a traumatic disaster, and AI’s impact on society.

Hospital staff attend to a patient at the accident and emergency department at Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun Hospital on January 10. Photo: Jelly Tse
Hospital staff attend to a patient at the accident and emergency department at Hong Kong’s Tuen Mun Hospital on January 10. Photo: Jelly Tse
Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Letters | It shouldn’t take a tragedy for Hong Kong to treat domestic workers fairly

Readers discuss the wave of support for migrant helpers in the wake of the Tai Po fire, professionals who volunteer their skills, and the educational value of play.

Hong Kong society

Letters | Commercialisation of Hong Kong’s public venues must come with a caveat

Readers discuss the government’s bid to open up underused public venues, call for a Firefighters’ Day, and take issue with the sensationalisation of news.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Safety lapses in Hong Kong’s construction industry must be fixed

Readers discuss an overhaul of the project tendering process, more raids at renovation sites, high-rise building design, and deploying the emergency alert system.

People hug at a makeshift memorial outside the Wang Fuk Court apartment blocks in the aftermath of the deadly fire in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, on December 1. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Investigate real causes of Tai Po fire before blaming bamboo scaffolding

Readers discuss why bamboo scaffolding is a cultural asset that should be preserved, respecting the contributions of all in community, watching the tragedy from afar, and the appropriate distance between buildings in a housing estate.

Bamboo scaffolding and mesh covering cling to the burnt-out structure in the aftermath of the Tai Po apartment fire in Hong Kong, on November 28. Photo: Photo: EPA
Bamboo scaffolding and mesh covering cling to the burnt-out structure in the aftermath of the Tai Po apartment fire in Hong Kong, on November 28. Photo: Photo: EPA
Hong Kong society

Letters | A kinder, gentler Hong Kong forged in shared pain

Readers praise Hongkongers’ empathetic response to the Tai Po fire tragedy, clarify the workings of the Observatory’s chatbot, and call on Hong Kong to consider a social media ban for adolescents.

2025 National Games

Letters | In the National Games, Hong Kong has a model of a green mega event

Readers discuss the features of the games that safeguard sustainability and the passing of an Indian cinema legend.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Hong Kong will emerge stronger from Tai Po fire tragedy

Readers offer condolences to the bereaved, call for prompt action to improve fire safety measures and pay tribute to the inspiring outpouring of help from all quarters of the community.

A firefighter searches through a building in the aftermath of the fire at Wang Fuk Court. The heroic efforts of Hong Kong’s firefighters and emergency services must be acknowledged. Photo: AP
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