Government to ‘be its own judge': Hong Kong harbour fighter weighs challenge
An advocacy group that has fought to protect Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour for 30 years may take the government to court for passing a legal amendment to relax reclamation restrictions, calling it the last-ditch effort before the organisation closes.
Advertisement
Winston Chu Ka-sun, founder of the Society for Protection of the Harbour, said on Saturday that the society had begun winding up procedures before a 'new turn of events' from legal advisers that might push the group to remain in operation for the time being.
'However, in this new turn of events, we are advised by senior counsel that there may be a remedy through the law courts. The law courts may be able to declare that this law offends the common law,' Chu said.
The 85-year-old lawyer, who began campaigning to protect the harbour in 1995, expressed his disappointment with a legal amendment on Wednesday that allows the government to carry out small-scale and temporary reclamation works.
The legal amendment also paves the way for large-scale reclamation under a new mechanism.
Advertisement
The new mechanism allows the chief executive and his advisers to decide if large-scale reclamation projects at Victoria Harbour could go ahead, replacing current rules stating all reclamation at the harbour is forbidden unless proven to have an 'overriding public need' supported by 'cogent and convincing materials' in court.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
19 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis can benefit from EU firms' expertise: John Lee
Hong Kong's leader has called for more cooperation with European businesses on the Northern Metropolis, a key initiative aimed at driving future growth and sustainability for the city, a day after a top Beijing official urged expediting the megaproject. Advertisement Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Monday during his opening remarks at the sustainability event Greenway 2025 that Hong Kong and the European Union could work together to find new solutions to climate change. 'I look forward to the expertise and support of EU companies in the Northern Metropolis, our new engine for growth, dedicated to green living and the area's long-term green development,' Lee said. On Sunday, Lee revealed that Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong had called on the city's authorities to speed up work on the megaproject by removing barriers. The Northern Metropolis scheme, which includes an innovation hub called the San Tin Technopole, aims to turn 30,000 hectares (74,132 acres) of land into a new engine for economic growth, with a population of about 2.5 million and providing around 650,000 jobs. Advertisement Monday's event was organised by the EU Office in Hong Kong and the city's European Chamber of Commerce under the theme of 'accelerating changes'. Both Hong Kong and the EU have set ambitious sustainability goals as they each seek to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
South China Morning Post
44 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Global investors turn to Hong Kong funds for returns amid geopolitical tensions
Hong Kong's fund industry will continue to attract strong inflows as international investors use the city as a 'safe harbour' amid rising geopolitical tensions, according to officials and fund managers. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the Middle East offered huge opportunities for Hong Kong despite the recent flare-up in the region. On Saturday, the US joined Israel in attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, a move that threatened to destabilise the Middle East. 'The Gulf economies remain resilient and forward-looking, [and] many GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] nations are advancing an ambitious diversification agenda, including financial market development,' Chan said in a speech on Monday at the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association's (HKIFA) annual conference, which was attended by hundreds of fund managers. Chan said the city's sound regulatory system and enabling government 'have reinforced Hong Kong's position as a safe harbour for global investors during these turbulent times'. 'This is most obviously reflected in the recent upturn in our stock market and influx of capital as reflected in bank deposits,' he said, adding that some US$44 billion worth of capital had flowed into Hong Kong-domiciled funds in the 12 months to the end of March, a threefold increase from a year earlier. Hong Kong managed nearly US$4 trillion in assets at the end of 2023.
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
China needs yuan-backed stablecoins ‘sooner rather than later', state media urges Beijing
Beijing must be proactive in 'adapting to the trend of stablecoins', and waiting is not an option as the US has a head start, warns an article on Monday in state media that simultaneously calls for leadership to consider legislation regulating stablecoins while hyping up their potential role in making the yuan a more global currency. Advertisement Securities Times, a publication under party mouthpiece People's Daily, said experts and industry insiders 'generally believe that, as an emerging payment tool, the unique advantages and potential risks of stablecoins cannot be ignored, and that the development of [yuan-backed] stablecoins should be sooner rather than later'. Unlike highly volatile cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum, stablecoins anchor their values to a fiat currency or other reserve assets, and are meant to combine the efficiency of cryptocurrencies with the reliability of traditional money. While allowing stablecoins to proliferate without regulations would harm the country's financial system, forgoing such an efficient settlement tool could mean missing a golden opportunity for the yuan, the article warns. 'For China, which is promoting the global use of the yuan, proactively regulating stablecoins and therefore facilitating the internationalisation of the yuan might be a better solution,' the piece said. Stablecoins reduce the capital and time costs ... making cross-border transactions more convenient CICC analysts
