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Opinion

Hong Kong Opinion

SCMP Editorials

Chief Executive John Lee addresses the participants of a town hall meeting on August 2 to gather feedback on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and the coming policy address. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | John Lee is right about local governance. Now he must deliver

Fixing Hong Kong’s district management in the wake of the devastating Tai Po fire is the next test for the chief executive.

11 minutes agovideocam

Opinion | Why Malaysia’s political turmoil matters to Beijing

4 hours agovideocam

Opinion | Japan’s defence white paper is the opening move in a longer game

9 Aug 2026 - 9:33PMvideocam

World Opinion

Outside In | Why Asia need not match West’s fear over data centre buildout

The spread of data centres in Asia does not seem to have sparked the kind of protests it has in the West, but good policies are needed to ensure that remains the case.

9 Aug 2026 - 8:40PMvideocam

Demonstrators participate in a nationwide protest against data centers in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on July 18. Photo: Reuters

Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | Hong Kong’s 5-year plan can’t just be a laundry list

Repackaging familiar initiatives is not enough – city leaders must deliver clear directions, tangible targets and real accountability.

9 Aug 2026 - 1:09PMvideocam

Asia Opinion

Opinion | South Asia’s Gen Z protests offer one lesson in common

From Sri Lanka and Nepal to Bangladesh and India, youth protests have shaken or even toppled governments, but creating lasting change has been more challenging.

9 Aug 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

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Asia Opinion

Macroscope | Behind the AI stock market bubble lies a weak yen

The tech stock boom, financed in large part by the yen carry trade, is at risk of collapse if the currency strengthens.

8 Aug 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Pedestrians pass a foreign currency indicator board showing the rate of the US dollar against the Japanese yen in Tokyo on August 3. The yen surged against the US dollar, reaching its strongest level in about three months after Japanese and US monetary authorities conducted a coordinated intervention to buy the yen for the first time in 28 years. Photo: EPA

Opinion

Asian Angle | Bangkok branches out: how Thai capital moved from concrete to real jungle

Bangkok’s urban greenery playbook contains lessons that other cities, including Hong Kong, should pay attention to.

8 Aug 2026 - 2:40PM

China Opinion

Being Chinese | Don’t you dare come between Chinese women and our virtual boyfriends

An unexpected game character inspired a revolt by disappointed female fans. To understand why, we need to look at Chinese digital culture.

8 Aug 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

China Opinion

Opinion | China’s brands must outgrow diaspora bubble to hit soft power potential

Only through commercial independence and deep localisation can Chinese firms abroad forge a durable soft power that state policy can’t produce.

8 Aug 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

China Opinion

As I see it | The world that made Confucius – and the China he made

China’s most enduring philosophical tradition didn’t merely revere the past; it drew upon history to construct the future.

7 Aug 2026 - 8:30PM

A statue of Confucius dominates the landscape in Qufu, his birthplace, in today’s Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua

China Opinion

Opinion | Why China’s trade partners may question value of economic integration

Both Beijing and its economic partners must ask whether expanding trade strengthens domestic productive capacity and improves long-term competitiveness.

7 Aug 2026 - 5:17PMvideocam

World Opinion

Opinion | Why underdogs like Alexandra Eala, Cabo Verde, Dear You fascinate us

Money still shapes the balance of power, but every so often a team, player or film will rise up to challenge the status quo and inspire us.

7 Aug 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | Criticism of Hong Kong’s economy and rule of law is baseless

The city’s economic achievements and stability, underpinned by its security laws and an independent judiciary, speak for themselves.

7 Aug 2026 - 5:30AM

Hong Kong residents’ livelihoods and the city’s business environment have steadily improved. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | Hong Kong must be realistic and flexible in re-engaging with the US

A more stable US-Hong Kong relationship need not come at the expense of domestic security or ties with the Global South or the mainland.

6 Aug 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

Illustration: Kaliz Lee

Asia Opinion

Macroscope | US efforts to prop up the yen risk doing more harm than good

Reversing the yen’s long-term decline ultimately rests on Japan’s ability to take its real interest rates out of negative territory – without triggering market panic.

6 Aug 2026 - 4:30PM

Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | Hong Kong needs regenerated districts, not piecemeal renewal

The government should tie redevelopment of properties in old districts to Northern Metropolis development rights and create an urban regeneration authority.

6 Aug 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

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Hong Kong Opinion

Opinion | Legco-executive dialogue must deliver more than novelty for Hong Kong

While more communication between the Legislative Council and the government is welcome, what matters most are outcomes that improve Hongkongers’ lives.

3 Aug 2026 - 5:30AM

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee and Legco President Starry Lee are seen after a dialogue session between the chief executive and lawmakers on July 28. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Asia Opinion

The View | Affordable housing a critical gap in India’s real estate boom

While the premium to luxury end of India’s property market is thriving, the dramatic shortage at the low-to-mid-end is coming under scrutiny.

4 Aug 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Asia Opinion

Opinion | Why global migration data should recognise subgroups like the Teochew

Until our data systems see past broad labels like Asian or Chinese, and recognise subgroups, our picture of global migration is incomplete.

4 Aug 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Asia Opinion

Opinion | How East Asia’s internet cafes became a cheap urban refuge

An informal safety net, these cafes offer gig workers and those between jobs crucial breathing space.

4 Aug 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

A customer at an internet cafe in Seoul, South Korea in December 2013. For years, internet cafes appeared destined for extinction. Instead, the industry reinvented itself. Photo: AP

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Opinion | John Lee is right about local governance. Now he must deliver

Alice Wu

11 minutes ago

Peter T. C. Chang

Opinion | Why Malaysia’s political turmoil matters to Beijing

Peter T. C. Chang

4 hours ago

Opinion | Japan’s defence white paper is the opening move in a longer game

Wenran Jiang

9 Aug 2026 - 9:33PM

Outside In | Why Asia need not match West’s fear over data centre buildout

David Dodwell

9 Aug 2026 - 8:40PM

Opinion | Hong Kong’s 5-year plan can’t just be a laundry list

Christine Loh

9 Aug 2026 - 1:09PM

Opinion | South Asia’s Gen Z protests offer one lesson in common

9 Aug 2026 - 5:30AM

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

SCMP managing editor Yonden Lhatoo sings a totally different tune to wish America a happy 250th anniversary.

HELP, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE

US-Israel war on Iran is as reckless and catastrophic as it is stupid and illegal

THEY WON’T EVEN LET US MOURN IN PEACE!

Yonden Lhatoo has a go at those who are politicising Hong Kong’s fire tragedy

Super stupid behaviour during a super typhoon

Super stupid behaviour during a super typhoon in Hong Kong

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