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Explainers: Business

Explainers: Business
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Explainers: Business. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
China and US flags are seen near a TikTok logo in this illustration picture taken July 16, 2020. Photo: Reuters
TikTok

TikTok: how a viral app navigated turbulent times to secure its place in the US

A timeline of TikTok’s journey from obscure app to viral global hit.

Hong Kong economy

Explainer | What is Hong Kong’s free-port status and how will tariffs affect the economy?

Hong Kong property

Explainer | Why banks ‘call’ mortgage loans, and what your options are if they do

Hong Kong property

New roster of owners on The Peak as famous and hidden tycoons steal bargains

Rare fire-sale deals in Hong Kong’s exclusive residential enclave have brought famous and hidden tycoons to the fore.

An aerial view of a residential building on Peak Road. Photo: Roy Issa
Banking & finance

Explainer | In Hong Kong corporate governance, can Cadbury’s legacy survive scrutiny?

An explainer on the history of corporate governance reform and why independent directors are important.

Banking & finance

Exclusive | HSBC’s London-based CEO starts work in Hong Kong. Here’s why

A Mandarin-speaking chief executive may go some way to help HSBC mend ties with its biggest shareholder Ping An Insurance (Group), which has been agitating to break up the bank since 2022.

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Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Explainer | What are the biggest financial scams in Hong Kong? Here’s how to avoid being a victim

A company lost HK$200 million (US$25.6 million) in a corporate scam, while scores of cryptocurrency investors were duped in a HK$1.6 billion JPEX scandal. Here are some tips to avoid the pitfall and how to respond if you are targeted.

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Financial losses involving deception cases reported in Hong Kong nearly doubled to HK$9.18 billion (US$1.2 billion) last year, according to the police. Image: Shutterstock
China’s third plenum

How do investment analysts assess the third plenum’s communique?

The stock market was let down in its search for short-term fixes, as the benchmark index declined in Hong Kong after the communique. The yuan extended the deprecation against the US dollar and the yield on China’s government bonds drifter lower.

Explainers

Explainer | What are ETFs? How have they become the new darling of investors globally?

Since the first ETF was launched in 1993 in the US, the total amount invested in ETFs globally jumped to US$11.5 trillion at the end of last year, proving the popularity of the investment product.

Business of climate change

Explainer | What are electrolysers and fuel cells? How do they make and use hydrogen?

In the quest for a greener future, hydrogen is expected to play a key role. Here’s a look at the equipment that releases its potential as an energy source.

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China’s green hydrogen supply is forecast to rocket from around 350,000 tonnes in 2023 to 71 million tonnes in 2050, according to Shanghai-based consultancy Integral. Photo: Bloomberg
Business of climate change

Explainer | How do hydrogen vehicles work? Are they the future of transport?

Long-range vehicles that emit only water are enticing, but high costs and fast evolution among battery-powered EVs could limit prospects.

A display shows the fuel cell portion of a Hyundai hydrogen-powered vehicle at an exhibition in Beijing on May 27, 2023. Photo: Xinhua
Business of climate change

Explainer | What is green hydrogen and what is China’s role in its production and use?

Hydrogen is seen as a viable long-term solution that can reduce emissions in the most carbon-intensive sectors, but the path to making the zero-emission fuel commercially viable is long and arduous.

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International Property

Explainer | What Hongkongers need to know about the UK mortgage process

Analysts say now is a good time for Hongkongers to buy property in the UK. Here is what potential buyers need to know about mortgage requirements, the buying process and the types of loans available.

China jobs

Explainer | What is China’s youth unemployment rate and why does it cover ages 16 to 24?

Rising youth joblessness in China is one of Beijing’s biggest headaches, threatening the top leadership’s bottom line of ensuring social stability, with the figure rising to a record high of 20.4 per cent in April.

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The unemployment rate for the 16-24 age group in China hit a record high of 20.4 per cent in April, after rising from 19.6 per cent in March. Photo: AFP
Electric & new energy vehicles

Shanghai Auto Show: world’s largest vehicle fair dazzles with latest models

Battery power took center stage, with makers jostling to show off their electrification credentials.

A general view of Aito’s vehicle display during the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition on April 19, 2023. Photo: AFP
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)

Explainer | Why did Silicon Valley Bank fail and what does it mean?

In the end, it was an old-fashioned bank run that sent SVB spinning. But it was its decision to invest so much money in hold-to-maturity securities in a period of record-low rates that made it especially vulnerable.

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Hong Kong property

Explainer | Top tips for expats looking to strike a rental deal in Hong Kong market

Expats should be open-minded and willing to compromise, say agents, with property typically smaller than in other markets.

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Energy

Explainer | Can carbon capture and storage technologies fight climate change?

Unchecked greenhouse gas emissions could accelerate the climate crisis. To prevent such a catastrophe, governments and private companies are undertaking carbon capture and storage projects to limit – and hopefully – reverse the damage.

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Greenhouse gas emissions from many sources including power plants are contributing to global warming. Photo: AP
Explainers

Explainer | 21 private-sector firms tout China economy in state-TV showcase

Executives of 21 private-sector businesses, including Alibaba, JD.com, Fosun and Blue Moon, appear in a CCTV programme that signals Beijing’s determination to revive entrepreneur confidence.

Accounting and auditing

Explainer | What are the US audit regulator’s inspectors doing in Hong Kong?

What are audit working papers and what are US inspectors looking for as they examine the papers of US-listed Chinese companies at the Hong Kong offices of accounting firms PwC and KPMG?

Extreme weather

Explainer | What does 1 degree on the thermostat mean for climate change?

CLP Power and Hong Kong Electric have a range of incentives that encourage customers to use less energy during peak periods, under their mandates to help the city cut emissions and save electricity.

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Air-conditioners installed at a public housing estate in Tsuen Wan on 17 April 2018. Photo: Sam Tsang
IPO

Explainer | What are ‘red chips’ and why do they matter to Hong Kong’s market?

There are 175 so-called red-chip stocks listed in Hong Kong. Some of the biggest names include the holding companies for Bank of China’s local operations, conglomerate Citic and developer China Resources Land.

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A student walks past Chinese and Hong Kong flags decorated to mark the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong handover. Photo: AP
Banking & finance

Explainer | DeFi market’s global rout leaves investors holding the bag. Here’s why

Hong Kong investors caught in the decentralised finance market’s global rout can expect little to no chance of getting any remedy.

Shanghai

Explainer | What makes Shanghai the most important city for China’s economy?

The mainland’s commercial and financial hub accounts for an outsize portion of national GDP and plays home to the country’s biggest companies and busiest port.

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India

Asia’s two richest men to battle Netflix, Amazon

Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani are competing in a tough market vying for more than a billion viewers; an Ambani venture received US$1.8 billion, led by James Murdoch; Adani bought a stake in a former partner of Bloomberg.

India’s media sector is an arena in which Netflix and Amazon are vying for more than a billion viewers. Photo: Reuters
Explainers

Blackrock, Charles Schwab, Invesco, JPMorgan, PGIM on Fed’s rates

With inflationary pressure in the US, the Fed envisages seven rate increases this year, with another four next year, taking the Fed funds rate to 1.9 per cent by the end of 2022 and 2.8 per cent by the end of 2023

US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies during the Senate Banking Committee hearing titled ‘The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress’ in Dirksen Building in Washington, DC, on 3 March 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE
Hong Kong stock market

China’s stock rout reflects self-fulfilling fear amid cries for support

Investors are facing one of the wildest rides in recent history as prices swung big time within hours. Views among funds and seasoned analysts diverge, even as some semblance of stability is returning to the market.

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China property

Which indebted moguls will feel the most heat at China’s ‘Two Sessions’?

Six of the 13 property chairmen attending the meetings will be representing developers that have either officially defaulted on their debts or have asked creditors for more time.

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