文革廣西武宣縣紅衛兵吃人肉事件

這是人應有的行為嗎？
北韓人吃人肉只是旱災嚴重
可大陸人呢？

真是人傑地靈呢......
難怪現在大陸喱是這副德性......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlrnY1H8_Bg

[傑出華人系列]中國遊客劣行驚全球 敲爛羅浮宮玻璃金字塔

http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?iss_id=20061228&sec_id=15335&subsec_id=15336&art_id=6661141

中 國 遊 客 劣 行 驚 全 球
敲 爛 羅 浮 宮 玻 璃 金 字 塔

在 梵 蒂 岡 堂 外 蹲 在 地 上 用 樽 蓋 喝 白 酒 、 遊 巴 黎 羅 浮 宮 竟 然 敲 爛 玻 璃 金 字 塔 ...... 內 地 人 出 國 旅 遊 時 ， 種 種 不 文 明 的 劣 行 ， 不 但 令 人 髮 指 ， 更 無 遠 弗 屆 ， 惡 名 傳 遍 世 界 各 地 ， 遭 中 外 旅 遊 界 人 士 齊 聲 聲 討 。 但 國 家 旅 遊 局 有 關 人 士 無 奈 說 ， 文 明 質 素 屬 精 神 領 域 ， 只 能 用 宣 傳 和 育 方 式 改 善 。

「 簡 直 恐 怖 ！ 」 港 人 領 隊 呂 小 姐 早 前 帶 一 批 內 地 人 去 巴 黎 ， 她 對 記 者 稱 ， 他 們 遊 羅 浮 宮 竟 然 用 手 敲 爛 玻 璃 金 字 塔 ！ 在 五 星 級 酒 店 餐 廳 用 餐 ， 自 己 不 懂 法 語 ， 竟 然 強 行 拉 侍 應 出 來 跟 繙 譯 溝 通 ； 而 更 離 譜 的 ， 是 自 己 遲 到 ， 看 見 團 隊 欲 開 車 離 開 時 ， 竟 狂 扯 女 導 遊 頭 髮 。

蹲 在 梵 蒂 岡 堂 外 飲 酒

「 我 那 天 在 梵 蒂 岡 四 周 尋 找 兩 個 客 人 ， 突 然 看 到 一 班 老 外 正 好 奇 地 圍 一 些 東 西 在 拍 照 。 我 上 前 一 看 ， 天 啊 ！ 我 的 媽 呀 ！ 兩 名 客 人 竟 蹲 在 堂 外 ， 捲 起 褲 腳 ， 拿 汽 水 蓋 喝 起 白 酒 來 ...... 」 經 常 帶 商 務 團 出 訪 歐 洲 的 內 地 導 遊 小 林 對 本 報 稱 ， 客 人 丟 人 的 行 為 令 她 差 點 暈 了 過 去 。 目 前 ， 內 地 人 可 出 外 旅 遊 國 家 或 地 區 超 過 20 個 ， 每 年 出 境 旅 遊 資 金 逾 千 億 美 元 。 臨 近 元 旦 和 春 節 ， 各 國 歡 迎 出 手 豪 爽 的 內 地 遊 客 的 同 時 ， 亦 只 好 容 忍 其 不 文 明 舉 止 。

半 夜 在 酒 店 大 堂 練 太 極

據 《 北 京 晨 報 》 引 述 內 地 康 輝 旅 行 社 領 隊 孟 欣 說 ， 在 新 加 坡 等 地 ， 入 住 的 酒 店 指 明 自 助 餐 中 的 乳 酪 和 水 果 可 以 隨 便 取 走 ， 內 地 團 友 便 拚 命 狂 掃 ， 所 以 酒 店 劃 設 了 中 國 人 用 餐 區 。 導 遊 李 東 莉 一 次 帶 團 飛 泰 國 ， 客 機 上 竟 罕 見 地 用 中 文 廣 播 ： 「 各 位 乘 客 ， 耳 機 是 不 能 過 泰 國 海 關 的 。 」 隔 一 會 又 來 ： 「 請 不 要 把 機 上 毛 氈 帶 下 去 。 」 第 三 次 是 餐 具 。 有 澳 洲 導 遊 亦 試 過 半 夜 4 時 ， 全 酒 店 的 人 被 吵 醒 ， 下 樓 一 看 ， 竟 然 見 十 多 位 老 人 在 大 堂 練 太 極 ， 酒 店 人 員 還 以 為 是 中 國 人 在 示 威 抗 議 ， 竟 然 報 警 。 本 報 記 者 中 國 遊 客 在 境 外 的 不 文 明 行 為 梵 蒂 岡 ： 在 堂 外 蹲 在 地 上 ， 用 汽 水 蓋 喝 起 自 攜 的 白 酒 來 香 　 港 ： 讓 小 朋 友 在 士 尼 的 花 盆 等 地 方 隨 處 大 小 便 英 　 國 ： 遊 大 英 博 物 館 時 粗 魯 觸 碰 展 品 ， 並 亂 拋 垃 圾 澳 　 洲 ： 半 夜 在 酒 店 大 堂 內 練 太 極 莫 斯 科 ： 不 肯 付 領 隊 小 費 ， 在 飯 店 內 公 然 大 打 出 手 歐 　 洲 ： 被 形 容 為 暴 發 戶 ， 買 一 包 香 煙 也 用 500 歐 元 大 鈔 新 加 坡 ： 在 酒 店 吃 自 助 餐 時 將 可 取 走 的 食 物 全 掃 光 泰 　 國 ： 拿 走 客 機 上 的 耳 機 、 毛 氈 等 ； 海 邊 餐 廳 用 餐 ， 男 子 當 眾 換 泳 褲 ， 女 子 脫 剩 內 衣 暢 泳 法 　 國 ： 羅 浮 宮 禁 止 拍 照 的 油 畫 ， 一 樣 照 拍 ， 並 大 聲 喧 嘩 資 料 來 源 ： 《 北 京 晨 報 》 / 本 報 記 者

心涼......

http://210.177.167.10/cgi-bin/nsrch.cgi?seq=601946

我的心真係涼了一大截


同場加映：真‧香港人 VS 港產土共走狗
http://www16.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=3075809&extra=&page=10

機會......

http://210.177.167.10/cgi-bin/nsrch.cgi?seq=601407
http://210.177.167.10/cgi-bin/nsrch.cgi?seq=601596

本來對這件保險騙案興趣缺缺的，不過看見這些報導後，我的雙眼當堂閃閃發光......

如果那名日籍空姐返日後將其經歷奔走相告，我會非常高興。

續：無言......

上回提到我有同學向某人借了3千多元，給果那人因為無錢還，所以北上深圳當一名脫衣舞孃。

後來這名同學上深圳找她追回那3千多元，結果無功而還。

其後他找一間信譽良好、已持有相關牌照的誇國追數公司代為追討欠款。根據他的一面之詞，該公司的追討流程如下：
1.先寄一封欠債通知書至欠債人家中
2.致電至欠債人家中
3.派人上門進行家訪
4.如前3步也追討欠款不果，追數公司會訴諸法庭。
當中不會有任何暴力及恐嚇成分。而他亦已要求該公司職員承諾不會對該名少女的家人造成困擾。(但是，只其父母知道女兒欠債，不是為他們造成困擾嗎？@.@)

當然，在商言商，追數公司不會白白幫人追債的。據知成功追討欠款後，追數公司會收取欠款中的若干百分比作為手續費。

暫時未知那同學成功追回欠款與否，不過那名少女的家可能會有大地震......



p.s.
想起那少女的的底細的人請看反白字
koei_32@hotmail (如果我無記錯的話)

傷人全無歉疚 還說世界不黑不白 大陸新移民咬斷人拇指囚21月

再一次證明大陸喱的低質素不是多讀點「番書」便能改變的。
看着不少劣質大陸人口以專才身分來港，香港的未來一定會......



http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?iss_id=20061223&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=12731&art_id=6649201



【本 報 訊 】 擁 有 碩 士 學 位 的 大 陸 新 移 民 ， 因 不 肯 在 巴 士 上 摺 起 嬰 兒 車 ， 跟 女 車 長 爭 執， 不 僅 推 倒 女 車 長 ， 更 將 上 前 勸 阻 的 男 乘 客 拇 指 咬 斷 一 截 ， 區 域 法 院 暫 委 法 官 嚴 舜儀 昨 認 為 受 過 高 深 教 育 的 被 告 難 適 應 新 移 民 身 份 問 題 ， 巴 士 上 遭 遇 喚 起 了 他 一 直 抑 壓 的 情 緒 及 壓 力 ， 惟 他 至 今 仍 毫 無 悔 意 ， 判 其 入 獄 21 個 月 ， 其 間 須 接 受 心 理 治 療 。
35 歲 的 被 告 武 鵬 對 於 判 刑 並 沒 有 太 大 反 應 ， 反 而 其 妻 子 雙 眼 通 紅 ， 趕 緊 在 丈 夫 步 進 羈 留 室 前 ， 緊 捉 着 丈 夫 的 手 飲 泣 ， 要 懲 教 人 員 勸 阻 才 放 手 ， 被 告 吐 下 一 句 「 這 個 世 界 真 是 不 黑 不 白 」 ， 才 步 進 羈 留 室 。


稱 受 歧 視 買 鹹 蛋 都 貴 5 角
根據 心 理 報 告 ， 被 告 處 理 人 際 衝 突 能 力 不 足 ， 需 要 接 受 心 理 輔 導 ； 被 告 對 於 犯 案 有 其一 番 見 解 ， 他 透 過 辯 方 大 律 師 陸 偉 雄 解 釋 ， 由 於 他 是 新 移 民 ， 女 車 長 才 這 樣 待 他 ，加 上 事 發 當 日 ， 他 須 在 安 頓 好 一 歲 兒 子 後 ， 趕 往 見 工 ， 但 遭 男 乘 客 阻 撓 ， 故 當 時 認為 「 咬 手 指 」 是 唯 一 的 解 決 方 法 。
被 告 在 大 連 出 生 ， 曾 留 學 日 本 ， 擁 有 經 濟學 碩 士 學 位 ， 因 港 人 妻 子 要 求 回 港 定 居 才 來 港 ； 大 律 師 指 ， 被 告 自 05 年 10 月 來 港定 居 後 一 直 找 不 到 工 作 ， 遂 當 上 住 家 男 人 ， 令 他 自 覺 學 無 所 用 ， 感 到 挫 敗 ， 他 又 不諳 廣 東 話 ， 鄰 居 待 他 不 友 善 ， 令 他 感 覺 飽 受 歧 視 。 辯 方 又 舉 例 說 ， 被 告 往 街 市 買 鹹蛋 ， 本 地 人 1.5 元 一 隻 ， 他 卻 要 花 2 元 才 買 得 到 。


官 斥 被 告 將 錯 失 歸 咎 社 會


法 官 指 明 白 被 告 屬 高 級 知 識 分 子 ， 因 尊 嚴 而 放 不 下 身 段 ， 惟 報 告 反 映 出 被 告 夫 婦 對男 乘 客 拇 指 斷 掉 從 無 歉 疚 ， 更 說 成 是 環 境 及 社 會 造 成 ， 兩 人 只 是 五 十 步 笑 百 步 ， 再者 車 長 勸 喻 乘 客 收 好 嬰 兒 車 的 情 況 亦 時 有 發 生 。
事 發 於 今 年 5 月 26 日 ， 被 告 於 上 水 太 平 攜 子 登 上 一 部 273A 路 線 九 巴 ， 初 不 聽 女 車 長 王 嫦 玲 （ 45 歲 ） 及 男 乘 客 李 鏡 泉 （ 58 歲 ） 勸 喻 摺 起 嬰 兒 車 ， 惟 見 女 車 長 不 肯 開 車 ， 遂 抱 起 兒 子 收 好 嬰 兒 車 。 行 車 期間 ， 被 告 跟 李 發 生 衝 突 ， 又 再 度 打 開 嬰 兒 車 ， 將 兒 子 放 在 車 上 ， 女 車 長 停 車 報 警 ，被 告 欲 跟 其 他 乘 客 轉 乘 另 一 輛 巴 士 ， 遭 王 阻 截 ， 被 告 兩 度 將 她 摔 跌 ， 又 用 手 捉 着 李 ， 咬 斷 李 的 拇 指 指 尖 ， 斷 指 無 法 駁 回 。
案 件 編 號 ： DCCC605/06

[FW] 無線新聞 賤人片段

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijQtXHk4XWw

國之將亡，必有妖孽呀......

不知自愛的傢伙

http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?iss_id=20061219&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=11867&art_id=6634376

雖然我對「家陣D後生」不斷沉淪已經見怪不怪。但我見到這類新聞時，我的心又會下沉.......

有時我懷疑她們真的是白痴。這樣放縱自己，雞難道要到最後因自己的「過去」影響自己一世才後悔？

在此想起一句話：「今日的東京，十年後的香港。」其實不用十年，一年已足，尤其是香港這種鬼地方......

「悍」政勵治

http://appledaily.atnext.com/template/apple/art_main.cfm?iss_id=20061219&sec_id=4104&subsec_id=11867&art_id=6634316

本來我昨晚想說：咱們的特「衰」政府除了懂怎樣做大陸喱的走狗及制造破壞外，還懂做甚麽？

不過原來我又錯了，它還有一項專長。就是懂得怎樣做流氓。

拆毁天星碼頭不特只，還語帶恫嚇地表示鐘樓已被肢解，十足十似皮諾切特還魂。

想不到煲呔會如此過份，很心寒......

死不足惜

http://210.177.167.10/cgi-bin/nsrch.cgi?seq=600080

1.這人的行為與港奸無異。
2.他不配做香港人。
3.明知北上=送死仍要冒險，結果不但損失財物還被「破相」。這是他咎由自取，不值得可憐。

新‧子部落格正式始動

由於分拆部落格的關係，以後所有「吹水」文章都會轉移陣地至此繼續發表。

其實一早已有把原部落格內容分拆的打算。想當初主部落格的建立是以談談J-pop為目的。後來漸漸也談起其它話題，甚至開始「有妹仔大過主人婆」。為免繼續被「吹水」文章佔據主部落格，分拆是唯一的辦法。

由於技術問題，我不打算將現存在主部落格的「吹水」文章轉移至此。反正這裹打着「新‧子部落格」的旗號，那就在此重新開始吧。

Another carcinogenic toxin found in Hong Kong fish

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061208/hl_afp/hongkonghealthfoodfish_061208100641

Another carcinogenic toxin found in Hong Kong fish Fri Dec 8, 5:06 AM ET



HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong shoppers were on alert following the discovery of another cancer-causing toxin in fish, the latest in a string of food-related health scares in the territory.

The government said Friday that tests on samples of saltwater fish sold in Hong Kong's markets had traced small amounts of the banned antibiotic nitrofuran.

In small doses nitrofuran is used to treat illnesses such urinary infections, however larger doses are believed to be dangerous and potentially carcinogenic.

Dr Mak Sin-ping, controller of the Centre for Food Safety (CFS), a government lab, said the chemical was found in minute concentrations in samples of pompano, tiger grouper and flowery grouper fish.

"As the levels of nitrofurans detected in the fish samples were low, normal consumption should not pose any adverse health effects," Mak said in a statement. "There is no cause for undue alarm.

"We would continue to monitor the situation closely to protect public health," she said.

Some of the contaminated fish were bought from a branch of the Park n Shop supermarket chain, which is owned by Asia's richest man, tycoon Li Ka-shing. The rest came from a fish wholesalers.

The fish are believed to have been imported from mainland China, the source of the vast majority of the tiny former British colony's food.

Supplies of freshwater fish from the mainland -- which come under stricter import checks that saltwater fish -- have been halted since samples were found with the cancer-causing industrial dye malachite green, a banned additive that is nonetheless found in some farm-fish feed.

Media reports say mainland wholesalers are believed to have unilaterally stopped the imports in protest at Hong Kong's increasingly stringent food safety standards.

The latest fish scare follows many in the past couple of years that have prompted temporary import bans, mostly concerning the presence of malachite green.

However, chicken eggs recently came under the spotlight after it was found the carcinogenc Red Sudan dye was being added to some mainland chickens' feed to produce red egg yolks, seen as a delicacy in China.

There have been other recent scares, over pork from China and poultry imports amid bird flu outbreaks.

Classic HK films leap onto mobile platform

http://www.telecomasia.net/article.php?type=article&id_article=2957


Classic HK films leap onto mobile platform

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Dec 08, 2006
By Stefan Hammond
ITU Telecom World 2006 Show Daily

Ever since mainstream Western - audiences discovered Hong Kong film a decade ago, the power of Chinese storytelling has snowballed. But mobile telephony remains unleveraged by Hong Kong filmmakers, which opt instead for product placement – actors brandish the latest handset, then the manufacturer's logo appears in the film's credits.

But Celestial Pictures – guardian of the Shaw Brothers library of classic Hong Kong films – is porting HK's martial arts fantasies from the silver screen to the mobile phone screen. Many Shaws films – from "King Boxer" (aka "Five Fingers of Death") to "One-Armed Swordsman," "Come Drink With Me" and "Five Deadly Venoms" – are well known among Western action-film fans. The massive Celestial library comprises 760 films produced from the 1950s to the 1990s and including drama, musicals, even horror and science-fiction genres. But their kung fu films made Shaws worldfamous, and as they re-engineer their content for mobile entertainment, Celestial plunges in with flying fists, clanging swords and flowing robes.

"We're exploring different content options, and getting feedback from the telcos," said CEO William Pfeiffer at ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006, where Celestial's booth screened "mobisodes": 2-3 minute chunks of martial arts films with inserted animation sequences helping propel the action. So far "King Boxer" and "Twelve Gold Medallions” have gotten the mobisode treatment, with more to come.

Also on offer are videoclip messages for mobile devices. "If you're running late, you can send a clip from a [Shaw Brothers] movie of a kung fu hero getting attacked and tied up with the message 'I'm all tied up'," said Pfeiffer. "It's clever tonguein-cheek fun."

Ringtones based on theme music are spearheaded by the Shaw Brothers theme – you heard it in Quentin Tarentino's "Kill Bill Vol. One." The strident opening theme is a natural – "Hard to ignore that one!," noted Pfeiffer, adding that there are 3,000 other pieces of music in the Shaws' library.

The mobile strategy includes multiple products for different regions. In China, a mobile game – based on the 1969 film "The Wandering Swordsman" – is now available on China Mobile.

But even with its vast library, Celestial is active in production: their recent efforts include the feature film "Perhaps Love" – a musical from award-winning director Peter Chan. "We're also shooting high-budget TV productions on the mainland, with themes inspired by Shaw Brothers films," said Pfeiffer, adding that Celestial's new material would migrate to mobile as well.

The Hong Kong film industry has fallen from an annual peak of over 200 films in the early 90s to less than 50 now. Ironically, these films from Hong Kong's rich past are first to somersault onto the mobile platform.

Hong Kong threaten China in table tennis

http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/fri/dec8s3.htm

Hong Kong threaten China in table tennis


DOHA (AFP) - Hong Kong clinched gold in the men's doubles while China took the women's title as the Red Army's dominance of table tennis at the Asian Games came under threat on Wednesday.

With two titles already secure, China's Guo Yue and Li Xiaoxia defeated Hong Kong's Tie Ya Na and Zhang Rui 4-1 in a spirited match.

The Hong Kong pair, who downed China's Wang Nan and inexperienced Chen Qing earlier Wednesday in the semifinal, took the first set easily.

But the number one seeds simply upped the tempo in response, fighting back for a 4-1 victory.

China arrived in Doha seeking to cement their reputation as the world's best paddlers after taking just three of seven gold on offer at the last Games.

They quickly won the team titles here, blanking Singapore in the women's final and South Korea in the men's.

But their attempts at a gold-medal clean sweep were derailed when Hong Kong's Ko Lai Chak and Li Ching defeated China's Ma Lin and Chen Qi in the men's doubles in a reverse result of the Athens Olympics final. The Hong Kong Olympic silver medallists had earlier dispensed with another Chinese pair Ma Long and Wang Hao in a tense semifinal match.

The southern territory has a chance of another gold on Thursday when Tie takes on Guo in the women's singles after upsetting Wang Nan on her way to the final. Tie fought a ferocious battle against the three-time world champion before emerging with a 4-3 victory, her first against the world number three.

A surprised Tie, ranked three here, said she had decided before the match to take a risky stand against the world number three and play courageous shots.

Yuan becomes stronger, worries Hong Kong

http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=7944

Yuan becomes stronger, worries Hong Kong
China’s currency has appreciated by more than 5.3% against the US dollar since July 2005 and it is poised to become more profitable than Hong Kong’s currency. There are concerns about the city’s economy and about an increase in local inflation.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – The Chinese yuan hit a new high yesterday when it reached an exchange rate of 7.8226 yuan to one US dollar. The Chinese currency now has the same value as the Hong Kong dollar and its appreciation is expected to continue.

The exchange rate for the Hong Kong dollar is around 7.8 to one US dollar. The RMB (renminbi) yuan has grown by more than 5.3% since 21 July 2005, when the exchange rate was revised and fixed at 8.28 yuan to the US dollar, with the possibility of floating within a daily 0.3% band. Further appreciation is generally anticipated so the RMB should soon acquire a higher exchange rate than the Hong Kong dollar.

Paul Gruenwald, Hong Kong representative at the International Monetary Fund, yesterday spoke out to calm the city and its markets. He reiterated that the local currency remains “strong” and that the Fund “strongly supports the authorities” of the city. Gruenwald excluded the threat of serious consequences for markets and the global economy although he did admit that increased local inflation –currently around 2% – should be expected. The municipal government must now decide whether to readjust the currency, something that may however lead to more inflation and serious psychological reactions, showing that the local currency must follow the progress of the renminbi.

For years, the United States has accused Beijing of keeping the exchange rate low to favour its exports, so experts believe the Central Bank is for this appreciation as a sign of “goodwill” in view of the imminent visit of Henry Paulson, US Treasury Secretary.

Meanwhile, there is the risk that the current relationship between Hong Kong and neighbouring Shenzhen may change and even reverse. In Shenzhen (Guandong), the Hong Kong dollar has always been preferred as a strong currency and it circulates freely. The city has always been a traditional destination for Hong Kong businessmen and consumers, and thousands pass through the customs points at Lok Fu and Huanggang every day. Many employees in Shenzhen receive their wages in Hong Kong dollars. It is estimated that visitors from Hong Kong spend more than 30 billion HK dollars every year (812 million US dollars).

But now more and more shops are refusing to accept the Hong Kong currency for fear that it will devalue compared to the RMB and many traders have already revised their exchange rates, valuing 100 HK dollars at no more than 95 yuan. For now, analysts say, the influx of Chinese from Hong Kong has not diminished: they come to Shenzhen over the weekend and during the holidays to eat and to shop, not least because prices are cheaper. But some do not exclude the possibility that soon there will be a reverse influx, if revaluation of the RMB makes prices in Hong Kong worthwhile.

Guo Shipin, economic consultant of Shenzhen’s town government and dean of the local university’s finance department, said that the Shenzhen economy had not yet been affected because fear of a further yuan appreciation had prompted Hong Kong residents to invest in real estate and other financial sectors.

According to statistics from Shenzhen customs, the amount of yuan exported to Hong Kong decreased by 90% in the first half of 2006 in comparison with the same period last year. Meanwhile, 460 million yuan more than last year were exported from Hong Kong.

1.70 Million Broadband Customers Were Registered in Hong Kong at the End of August 2006

http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/759565/170_million_broadband_customers_were_registered_in_hong_kong_at/index.html?source=r_technology

1.70 Million Broadband Customers Were Registered in Hong Kong at the End of August 2006

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c46734) has announced the addition of "Hong Kong SAR Telecommunications Market Intelligence Report 2006" to their offering.

Hong Kong's telecommunications market has been progressively liberalised and is now one of the most sophisticated and successful in the world, reflecting the country's status as a leading business and financial centre. Indeed, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) claims that gross revenues from the provision of telecommunications services in Hong Kong amounted to HK$46,000 million (US$5,915 million) in 2005, representing a 3.3% increase over the previous year's HK$44,620 million (US$5,737 million).

All sectors of the market have been liberalised with no foreign ownership restrictions. The regulatory regime is pro-competitive and very much in favour of the consumer. There are 10 fixed telecommunications network services (FTNS) operators, led by incumbent PCCW-HKT Ltd (owned by PCCW Ltd) and rival Hutchison Global Communications (HGC), New World Telecommunications (NWT), Wharf T&T, and Hong Kong Broadband Network. Approximately 71% of residential households have access to a choice of fixed-line service providers, although the majority remain served by PCCW-HKT despite the introduction of number portability. There were 3.82 million direct exchange lines (DELs) operated by these 10 companies as of August 2006.

Broadband services are very popular in Hong Kong, with the switch to broadband having led some customers to do away with their traditional fixed telephone line. There were 1.70 million broadband customers registered at the end of August 2006, with more than 700,000 of these customers also accessing video services from PCCW-HKT and others. There are more than 180 ISPs licensed in Hong Kong, but demand for dial-up services is falling and the number of ISPs is set to fall.

Competition is most intense in the wireless telephony sector, with five companies operating 14 digital networks based on a mixture of GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA, and UMTS technologies. There were 9.193 million 2G/2.5G/3G subscribers in Hong Kong at the end of Augist 2006 (latest data), giving a penetration rate in excess of 127%. Consolidation in 2006 saw two operators merge to create a market-leading service provider with a reported 3.0 million subscribers as of mid-2006; this is Telstra-owned CSL New World Mobility. Trailing it by nearly a million subscribers is the former market leader, 3 (owned by the Hutchison group). Having sold CSL some years earlier, PCCW broke back into the wireless market in 2005 by taking a controlling stake in one of the smaller operators, SUNDAY. It had hoped to gain full control of SUNDAY before privatising it, but this scheme ran aground on shareholder disapproval and PCCW may not ultimately choose to keep SUNDAY.

PCCW has its own problems, however, with several private equity groups having made tentative offers for the telecommunications business in mid-2006, before being ousted by a takeover offer from a local businessman. This complex scheme also involves Telefonica SA and China Netcom taking stakes in PCCW and went before a shareholder vote at the end of November 2006. The outcome of this vote was not certain but, if approved, it will see the end of Richard Li's time in charge of the business. Mr Li is not at all happy with the proposed transaction but is powerless to influence the vote in any way.

Each extensive ITI Market Intelligence Report includes the following sections: Economic, Social, Political, and Telecoms Indicators; key data presented in tabular form. Regulation; a summary/overview of the market and regulatory climate, followed by synopses of the regulator's powers and other competition or ministerial bodies to which it reports or with which it co-operates. A summary of the regulations in force, a list of differences in the types of available licences and a list of the licences issued. Market Indicators; the available data is presented in tabular form with commentary and graphics. Major Operators; contact data and company information, including ownership, background where relevant for pan-European carriers, licensed activities, scope of activities/services, recent major equipment contracts, summary of network status, references to major subsidiaries, joint ventures, and alliances. Major Manufacturers; contact data and company information including ownership, background where relevant, manufacturing & distribution activities, recent major equipment contracts, references to major subsidiaries, joint ventures, and alliances. Industry Associations; contact data and organisation information covering background where relevant, activities/objectives and references to members.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c46734

Source: Business Wire

Public sector CIOs 'must stop thinking paper, start thinking change'

http://www.silicon.com/0,39024729,39164577,00.htm


Public sector CIOs 'must stop thinking paper, start thinking change'
So says Hong Kong's IT boss...
By Jo Best

Published: Thursday 7 December 2006

The CIO of Hong Kong has warned that the public sector around the world is too hung up on old business processes and is failing to get all the benefits of online government.

Howard Dickson, CIO of the Hong Kong special administrative region, said the legacy of paper is holding back governments.

He told delegates at the ITU Telecom World conference in Hong Kong: "A lot of communication is predominantly messaging - the end product still ends up on paper. Administration is still very much paper-based."

He added that information management has not progressed at the same pace as connectivity: "It was designed in a different era... [There are] the Bluetooths and wi-fis and WiMaxes - what are the equivalents in information management?"

The Hong Kong CIO believes radical change may be necessary. Dickson said: "As well as investing in the agencies, do we need to reinvent our entire structure of government?"

He also suggested governments are hung up on rationalising potential tech change and proving the business model when they should consider taking more leaps of faith, offering the example of the development of the BlackBerry.

He said of technology: "The more we can capture people's imagination, I think you'll see it much more the centrepiece going forward."

Despite the widespread connectivity in many countries, Hong Kong's IT head said the digital divide can still be found in richer nations, where the elderly and lower income families don't enjoy the same connectivity as the digital majority.

He added: "It's comforting looking at the numbers but the more people at the end of the tail not included it will start to cost us money further along the line."

HONG KONG: Richard Li tightens grip on PCCW with share purchases

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=59109


HONG KONG: Richard Li tightens grip on PCCW with share purchases

Principal shareholder says he feels confident about the telecom

South China Morning Post
Friday, December 7, 2006

Richard Li Tzar-kai has further tightened his grip on PCCW by buying more shares and redeeming bonds convertible into the company's shares.

Pacific Century Regional Developments, 75 per cent owned by Mr Li, yesterday said it paid US$173.9 million to redeem US$150 million of bonds indirectly held by American International Group.

As the bonds can be swapped into PCCW shares, the early redemption will prevent dilution of Mr Li's holding in the company.

He also bought 11.3 million PCCW shares at an average HK$4.777 each on December 4 after snapping up 41 million shares at an average HK$4.841 each on December 1, stock exchange filings show.

The purchases lifted his stake in the company to 27.16 per cent from 26.38 per cent.

PCCW's stock rose 0.83 per cent to close at HK$4.85 yesterday.

"I'm very confident about PCCW," Mr Li said yesterday, without revealing whether he will buy more.

Mr Li bought the shares after PCRD shareholders voted against a planned sale of his PCCW stake to a group led by former Citigroup banker Francis Leung Pak-to, preventing China Netcom Group from wresting control.

"Mr Li is buying shares because he wants to make sure he stays in control of PCCW," Nomura Securities analyst Kelvin Ho said.

China Netcom, which owns 20 per cent of PCCW, may still try to increase its stake by buying shares from investors, Mr Ho said.

"We have no plans right now to either increase or decrease our stake in PCCW," said Li Tao, a Beijing-based spokesman for China Netcom's Hong Kong-listed unit.

Date Posted: 12/7/2006

Ofta may issue two 3G licences based on mainland standard

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=59110


HONG KONG: Ofta may issue two 3G licences based on mainland standard

New licenses could encourage development of new technology

South China Morning Post
Friday, December 7, 2006

By Frederick Yeung

Hong Kong's telecommunications regulator may issue two more third-generation mobile licences based on China's home-grown technology standard, a move market observers expect to open the market for mainland operators.

Industry watchers said such an arrangement is a political decision to support the mainland technology, known as time division-synchronous code division multiple Access (TD-SCDMA).

Mainland firms, such as China Mobile, which are expected to implement TD-SCDMA for their 3G operations in the country, may be interested in a Hong Kong licence using the same standard, they said.

"There is no business case for investing in the new technology for roaming in China only, as the investment is over HK$100 million for a new network," an executive of a local 3G operator said yesterday.

Ha Yung-kuen, a deputy director-general of the Office of the Telecommunications Authority, said during the ITU Telecom conference yesterday that Hong Kong is preparing to tap mainland visitors whose mobile-telephone network is based on TD-SCDMA.

He said that since no 3G operator shows interest in building a TD-SCDMA network, new licences may be needed to encourage the development of such technology.

3G operators in Hong Kong, namely Hong Kong CSL, Hutchison Telecom, SmarTone-Vodafone and Sunday Communications (now controlled by PCCW Mobile), were assigned spectrum in 2001.

All are offering the service using the European-developed wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) standard. The spectrum is also suitable for implementing the TD-SCDMA standard.

"[Ofta] hasn't received any application or notice from operators to launch TD-SCDMA service. It should be a commercial decision," Mr Ha said.

"If [no 3G player builds] the network, we will assign additional spectrum and might issue two new licences based on this technology," he said without giving a timetable.

Should the proposal go through, there will be seven 3G licences in Hong Kong. Apart from the existing four using WCDMA, and the two using TD-SCDMA, the government is considering issuing a 3G licence for the US-based code division multiple access (CDMA) technology no later than 2008.

China Unicom, which operates a CDMA network in the mainland, will bid for the CDMA licence in Hong Kong once the tender is launched next year, according to Chen Wu, Unicom's Macau deputy general manager.

Date Posted: 12/7/2006

Hong Kong in maggot disease clampdown

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/061206/health/hongkong_health_politics_1



Hong Kong in maggot disease clampdown
Wed Dec 6, 12:33 PM



AFP Photo: Health secretary York Chow, seen here in March 2006, said Hong Kong health chiefs are...

HONG KONG (AFP) - Hong Kong health chiefs are to step up checks at old people's homes after a spate of maggot infestations, an official said.

The move comes amid a sudden increase in incidents of human myiasis, an affliction caused when flies lay their eggs in wounds or folds of the skin.

The disease usually afflicts old or infirm people who are unable to keep themselves clean.

Health secretary York Chow said that checks in the homes would be stepped up following the discovery last month of the 14th victim this year.

"(We) will enhance training of elderly home staff on oral hygiene and wound management," Chow told legislators.

"Apart from regular health education, when a case of myiasis occurs in an elderly home, the Centre for Health Protection will alert visiting health teams, which will take the necessary follow-up actions," Chow added.

In the most recent case, a 97-year-old woman was found to have human myiasis after maggots had begun infesting a wound in her gums.

Hong Kong, opting to remain a shopper's paradise, takes a risk

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/06/business/hkecon.php

Hong Kong, opting to remain a shopper's paradise, takes a risk
By Patrick L. Smith
Published: December 6, 2006


HONG KONG: The Hong Kong administration's abrupt decision to drop the introduction of a sales tax will probably make tourists happy in this shopping paradise. But it is also likely to send leaders in search of other revenue sources, some of which could cut into profits of those who make the city into a financial capital as well.

Prominent among the options, according to those involved in the consultation process, may be taxes on dividends, interest, capital gains or the global income of corporations and individuals.

Such taxes were among more than a dozen listed in a government document issued in 2002, after lengthy discussions among tax experts in the private sector and in the administration about how best to reduce Hong Kong's long dependence on an outsized property sector.

Other ideas included taxes on billboards or cellphones, a poll tax and increased property taxes.

Hanging in the balance is Hong Kong's long-term economic vitality and its ability to innovate, economists and other analysts said Wednesday.

"We've got to back to 2002 and all the rejected alternatives," said David O'Rear, chief economist for the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. "Dividend taxes, taxing investments or global income - these were the also- rans, and we decided against them precisely because they would damage Hong Kong as a place to do business."

There is general agreement that Hong Kong needs to diversify its public revenues, which are heavily skewed toward land values and property development.

The imbalance has long been viewed as unhealthy among analysts and many executives here because it raises the cost of doing business and leaves the government dependent on highly cyclical sources of income.

Public consultations on a sales tax, known here as a general services tax, or GST, began last summer and were to have extended into the first quarter of 2007. But on Tuesday, the financial secretary, Henry Tang, announced that the administration was cutting them off, citing "insufficient public support."

The secretary had been an ardent proponent of the sales tax, which the administration considered to be the best alternative because it would have spread the burden most effectively among taxpayers.

Advocates also asserted that Hong Kong was one of the few economies of its sophistication that did not have a sales tax. Singapore, whose economy has long been considered comparable to Hong Kong's, has a sales tax of 5 percent and plans to raise it to 7 percent.

But the opposition to the tax was widespread, notably in the commercial and retail sectors and among political leaders and community groups.

The primary complaints were that the tax would damage both tourism and Hong Kong's reputation as a global shopping center, and that it would unfairly penalize those with low incomes.

"I unreservedly called for the abolition of the GST consultations," said Alan Leong Kah Kit, a member of the Legislative Council, Hong Kong's equivalent of a parliament. "We can look at the tax structure in some other context later on."

While figures vary according to what is counted as land-related, economists say that about a third of Hong Kong's government revenue is dependent on land sales, property taxes and the like.

This has left government finances highly uncertain during economic downturns, requiring unusually high government reserves.

The Hong Kong tax system is also top-heavy - that is, narrowly focused - in terms of how it taxes corporate profits and individual incomes. Roughly 17 percent of the territory's seven million residents pay personal taxes. The rest earn less than minimum taxable incomes. About 500 companies account for 80 percent of the taxes paid on total corporate profits.

Critics of the decision to drop consultations said that the government's retreat raised questions as to its ability to restructure the economy to maintain its competitiveness.

It also reflected the difficulty in pushing through change, even when proposed by the administration, since politicians tend to preoccupy themselves with playing to their constituencies without having to worry about the long- term consequences for the economy.

"We're a politically immature system," O'Rear said.

"It's not about considered policy, it's about megaphones. He who shouts first and loudest wins."

HK has all the trappings of an election ... except voters

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061205/wl_asia_afp/hongkongchinapolitics_061205162223

HK has all the trappings of an election ... except voters

by Mark McCord Tue Dec 5, 12:33 PM ET



AFP/File Photo: Political hopeful Alan Leong addresses the press at an election rally in the central district...



HONG KONG (AFP) - Political hopeful Alan Leong's campaign to become Hong Kong's next leader has all the trappings of a modern democratic electoral battle.
ADVERTISEMENT

He has an eye-catching logo, he holds fund-raising gatherings, he canvasses support on the streets and he talks of his manifesto changing the city for the better.

All that's missing are the voters.

In undemocratic Hong Kong, it will not be electors who choose the winner of the chief executive selection race in March, but a panel of elites sympathetic to the city's overall rulers in China.

But while Leong concedes he has no chance of winning against China's favoured candidate, incumbent chief executive Donald Tsang, the pro-democracy lawmaker has decided he must still pound the streets building up public support.

"I have set for myself the target of rekindling the interest of Hong Kong people in the chief executive election to at least give them a chance to choose between policies," Leong said after a fund-raising luncheon.

"If I succeed in doing that I will consider myself a winner," he added.

A lawyer by trade, Leong is a leading light in the moderate faction of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, which has long campaigned for an overhaul of the city's electoral system.

While he objects to the narrow-franchised election that will choose the chief executive in March, he has nonetheless put himself forward as a protest candidate.

He has begun campaigning early because he fears Hong Kong's seven million citizens have become politically complacent in recent years, thanks to the booming economy and the leadership of Tsang, who while considered a Beijing yes-man, is popular among the people.

"(I want) to try to overcome this feeling of helplessness or this culture of disability," he said.

As well as stimulating debate, Leong hopes to give Hong Kong a taste of what electoral politics would look like if democracy was introduced.

To even stand a chance of competing, he must first win the nominations of 100 of the 800 members of the Election Committee that will select the chief executive.

That's a tough task as the election committee is stuffed with pro-Beijing conservatives who are unlikely to vote against the communist leadership's preferred candidate.

That system -- introduced after sovereignty of the city passed from colonial rulers Britain to China in 1997 -- has prevented other challengers from toppling incumbent leaders.

In both elections since the handover, China's anointed candidate ran unopposed after receiving more than 700 nominations in the first round.

Leong is undeterred, however. His goal is simply to stimulate debate on what he and his fellow pro-democrats feel is an unjust political system.

"I cannot accept there will be no competition for the top political post in Hong Kong for the third time in 10 years," he said.

"Open competition creates a political marketplace where policies compete, proposals are tested and wider perspectives and better solutions are rewarded," he added.

"An absence of competition favours the mediocre (and) the unimaginative, and allows leaders to become arrogant, complacent, remote and defensive."

According to street surveys by his Civic Party, Hong Kong people are clamouring for the chance to vote for their leaders.

Margaret Ng, a colourful pro-democracy legislator in Leong's party, said he has been receiving positive responses from the public during hustings.

"They understand why he is doing this -- why he is standing even though he will loose," said Ng. "People from all over the territory come up to us and wish us luck. They want a competitive election."

So far Tsang has yet to indicate whether or not he will run in March, but the indications from Chinese leaders is that Beijing has found no other potential candidate to back.

HK wants film-making ties with Kingdom

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12/05/business/business_30020729.php

HK wants film-making ties with Kingdom

Potential to open China to Thai features

Hong Kong, home to one of Asia's most productive film industries, has proposed an international agreement with Thailand to enhance cooperation and generate plans to produce films and exchange technology jointly.

Suphatra Srimaitreephithak, Thai deputy consul-general in Hong Kong, said the proposed letter of intent seeks cooperation in producing films and other entertainment products.

Thailand is the gateway through which Hong Kong films reach the wider Southeast Asian market, while Hong Kong is the gateway through which Thai films reach the rest of the world. She said the proposed agreement would not only increase export opportunities for films from both sides, but also enable exchanges of film production technology.

Thailand's Culture Ministry is currently considering whether to sign the contract. If it does, cooperation should commence next year.

Sophia Chong, senior services-promotion manager for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said Hong Kong was one of Asia's largest film producers and had both high technology and a high awareness of intellectual-property protection. Cooperation would create great opportunities for both sides.

Chong said the proposed agreement opened the door for cooperative projects like film-content adaptation, remaking films for fresh markets, co-productions or joint ventures to produce films, distribution in China - because Hong Kong has a closer economic partnership arrangement with the mainland - and exchanges of human resources.

China and Hong Kong have an agreement to collect no tariffs on movies brought in from Hong Kong.

She said cooperation would also lead to tangible cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Thailand.

The Motion Pictures Industry Association reports Hong Kong films earned a total of US$24 billion (Bt862 billion) in 2004. The figure is expected to increase three-fold next year.

Chong said consumers were also showing a preference for animated films and that innovations and technology development in Hong Kong would create wide opportunities in this medium. She said one-third of the 300 million movie-goers aged under 18 favour animated films, adding that production companies should focus on this market to increase the industry's income.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation

Hong Kong

Journalism fund aimed at instilling a global outlook

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=58932


HONG KONG: Journalism fund aimed at instilling a global outlook

The fund will support overseas visits to international organisations and provide on-the-job training

South China Morning Post
Saturday, December 2, 2006

By Felix Chan

Journalists will have a chance to upgrade their skills with overseas trips and on-the-job training under a new fund announced yesterday.

Organisers of the Journalism Education Foundation hope the fund -- which is still being raised -- will enhance public understanding of the local media. The money will help pay for media education courses for students from primary school to university.

The Foundation is co-promoted by the Hong Kong Newspaper Society and the News Executives' Association. Its chairman, Eric Chan Cho-biu, said the fund was aimed at raising the standard of journalists and expanding their horizons.

He cited reporting on the election of former director of health Margaret Chan Fung Fu-chun as the chief of the World Health Organisation as an example of the need for reporters to have a better global outlook.

"The election has shown the growing involvement of Hong Kong and China on the world stage," he said. "But Hong Kong journalists in general are unable to come to grips with the operations and influence of the WHO and this was reflected in the apparent lack of information about the election."

Mr Chan said it was important to encourage journalists to upgrade their skills and establish better relations with world organisation.

The fund will support overseas visits to international organisations and provide on-the-job training. Organisers also plan to run media education courses for students to raise their interest in journalism.

Mr Chan did not reveal how much they had raised so far or their intended target but said it could cost several million dollars a year to run the proposed activities.

Several media organisations, including the South China Morning Post, have contributed to the fund.

A number of recognisable names have agreed to be the fund's honorary sponsors and to monitor its operation, including executive councillors Charles Lee Yeh-kwong and Henry Fan Hung-ling, Hong Kong Jockey Club chairman John Chan Cho-chak, Cathay Pacific chief executive Philip Chen Nan-lok, Hospital Authority chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, former Chinese University vice-chancellor Ambrose King Yeo-chi and Hong Kong Newspaper Society chairman Lee Cho-jat.

Date Posted: 12/2/2006

HONG KONG: Li commits to PCCW after sale blocked

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=58860

HONG KONG: Li commits to PCCW after sale blocked
Chairman says he will work with China Netcom; Broadcasting Authority will investigate possible breach of ownership rules

South China Morning Post
Friday, December 1, 2006

By Frederick Yeung


Richard Li Tzar-kai said last night he remained committed to PCCW following a vote in Singapore that torpedoed his plans to sell his controlling stake in the telecoms giant.

The PCCW chairman said he would continue to work with the China Network Communications Group (Netcom), which owns a 20 per cent stake in PCCW and had earlier opposed a sale of Mr Li's stake to foreign firms, to explore opportunities for the company.

"I have considered very carefully what is in the best interests of the company going forward. In the past six months we have explored a number of options to create shareholder value which, together with Netcom, I will continue to explore," Mr Li said.

"I remain as committed as ever to PCCW...and I intend to remain a major shareholder."

Mr Li's assurances came after minority shareholders of PCCW's parent, Singapore-listed Pacific Century Regional Developments, vetoed the sale of his 23.6 per cent stake to a consortium led by investment banker Francis Leung Pak-to.

"There are no discussions with any party concerning a possible sale of shares in the company in progress," PCCW said in a statement last night.

PCCW, Hong Kong's largest telephone company, was also not in negotiations with any third party concerning the possible sale of its telecoms and media-related assets, the board said.

The company would "continue to pursue innovative business strategies and market opportunities...under the continued chairmanship of Mr Li".

The statement indirectly denied a market rumour that China Network might seek to buy out Mr Li if the deal was voted down by PCRD's minority shareholders.

The damage to relationships that might have been caused by Mr Li's attempts over the past five months to divest himself of PCCW needed to be repaired, a source familiar with the situation said.

"Mr Li should make efforts to rebuild relationships with parties involved in the deal, such as China Network, and he should commit to this," the source said.

PCCW directors "all showed their confidence and support for Mr Li" at a meeting on Wednesday, the source said.

Mr Li said he appreciated the efforts Mr Leung had made in the process of the transaction.

The deal was opposed by PCRD's minority shareholders, with 76.3 per cent, holding 366 million shares, voting against the sale, while 23.7 per cent, holding 113 million shares, supported the sale.

Shareholders attending yesterday's meeting said PCCW should not be sold at such a low price.

Mr Leung offered HK$6 per PCCW share, making the deal worth HK$9.2 billion. Supporting the bid, he lined up Li Ka-shing foundations in Hong Kong and Canada to take a 12 per cent interest in PCCW and Spanish telecoms firm Telefonica to buy 8 per cent.

"PCCW should be a goose that can lay golden eggs. It is PCRD's best asset and we shouldn't sell it for such a low price," one shareholder said after the vote.

Mr Li said he accepted their decision. "PCRD minority shareholders have spoken and the PCRD board respects their decision."

China Network, which would have assumed Mr Li's position as the single largest shareholder of PCCW if the deal had gone through, declined to comment on the results of the vote.

China Network might still want to boost its stake in PCCW by buying either in the open market or from other institutional investors, market sources said.

Shareholders hoping for a better offer may be disappointed, according to broker Merrill Lynch.

"As not all bidders will have Beijing's blessing, Beijing has taken the stance that a change of control of the PCCW assets is a one-country issue, but not a two-systems issue," Merrill Lynch said last night in a research report.

Mr Leung said the rejection of his bid should mark the end of the proposed sale to his consortium. He blamed the media for scuppering the deal.

"It is perhaps unfortunate that certain recent media reports and speculation have caused confusion amongst minority shareholders as to the rationale and overwhelming benefits of the transaction," Mr Leung said in a statement.

Local newspapers reported last week that Mr Li, who had to abstain from voting on the sale, wanted PCRD's minority shareholders to vote it down as he did not want PCCW to be involved in a political and murky transaction. PCRD's independent directors had previously called for a vote in favour of the deal.

Questions about the future of China Network's relationship with PCCW sparked political concerns, particularly the possibility that the Hong Kong business would be merged with the mainland fixed-line carrier's operations if the sale went ahead.

Li defeat dims PCCW China outlook

By Tim Leemaster and Lee Yuk-Kei

PCCW's prospects in the high-growth mainland market and the outlook for its share price are dim after minority shareholders blocked chairman Richard Li Tzar-kai's plan to sell his stake, fund managers and analysts said.

Such an expectation comes because the company is still headed by Mr Li, whose attempt to sell his stake reflects that he does not want to run the company, they said.

At the same time, they said PCCW's second-largest shareholder China Netcom Group, caught off guard by Mr Li's sell-off plans, considers him an unwelcome partner.

"It's a real stalemate situation," said one hedge fund manager who recently sold down his stake in the company. "Had the deal gone through, you would have had Francis Leung Pak-to go in there and repair bridges with the Chinese and then there would be some upside."

Minority shareholders of Pacific Century Regional Developments, a Singapore-listed firm controlled by Mr Li, spurned an offer yesterday from former banker Mr Leung, two charities owned by Mr Li's father Li Ka-shing and Spanish company Telefonica to buy a 22.7 per cent stake in PCCW for HK$9.2 billion.

"Shareholders should be very disappointed at the result," said Auyeung Tat, a fund manager at Apex Capital. "The situation becomes murky again ... in the short term, PCCW shares will be under pressure."

The shares have plunged 95 per cent since it bought control of Cable & Wireless HKT in 2000 to become Hong Kong's dominant telecommunications service operator.

Kenny Tang Sing-hing, an associate director of Tung Tai Securities, said the shares of PCCW will be under heavy selling pressure as shareholders will not get the special dividend that Richard Li promised if the deal was approved.

Many market observers expect a period of quiet after the number of iterations the deal has seen since it all started earlier this year.

US buyout firm TPG-Newbridge and Macquarie Bank failed in their bids to buy PCCW assets after Beijing objected to them falling into foreign hands. The two suitors would not comment.

Local tycoons appear to be uninterested as none, apart from the elder Mr Li, joined Mr Leung's consortium. That leaves Netcom and other mainland firms likely buyers.

"Everyone needs a period of stability where they can just focus on the business," said one fund manager who asked not to be identified. "It's been deals and deals and now they have to turn back and focus on the business and let management get back to management."

However, any quiet will not last long as the company is likely to remain the object of acquisitional interest despite Beijing's sentiments to the contrary.

Everyone agrees that PCCW has a lot going for it, particularly the Now Broadband television unit which has attracted a growing number of subscribers and has recently won the exclusive right to broadcast English Premier League football.

PCCW, with more than 700,000 subscribers, has the most broadband television subscribers of any service provider in the world.

"PCCW has the management and technical experience that could make it a bid target again with interested bidders including telecoms operators and private equity, especially if recent management disputes escalate and the stock takes a hit," said Cyrus Mewawalla, an analyst at broker Westhall Capital.

PCCW tumbles 4.95pc

Shares in Hong Kong’s dominant telecom firm PCCW tumbled 4.95 per cent on Friday amid disappointment at shareholders’ rejection of the controversial sale of the company, dealers said.

Minority shareholders in Singapore-listed Pacific Century Regional Developments on Thursday voted down the sale of PCCW chairman Richard Li Tzar-kai’s 23 per cent controlling stake to a consortium led by financier Francis Leung Pak-to.

Mr Leung, a close associate of Richard Li’s father, Asia’s richest man Li Ka-shing, led a ground which included the elder Mr Li’s charitable foundations and Spanish telecom giant Telefonica.

PCCW shares closed 25 cents lower at HK$4.80, just off the intraday low of HK$4.79, while the benchmark Hang Seng Index declined 269.66 points or 1.42 per cent to 18,690.82.

Dealers said PCCW’s future remained uncertain. Richard Li said he remained committed to the company but shareholders and investors were concerned as to whether or not he would ever try to sell his controlling stake again.

“Shareholder disappointment with [the vote] ... was exacerbated by their concerns over the uncertain growth prospects [for PCCW] under chairman Richard Li,” said YK Chan, strategist at Phillip Asset Management.

In July, Mr Leung stepped in to buy Richard Li’s stake for HK$9.2 billion after central government-controlled China Netcom, which holds a 20 per cent stake, insisted that strategic telecom assets should not be sold to foreign investors.

This squashed previous offers of US$7 billion (HK$54.6 billion) from Australia’s Macquarie Bank and the Texas Pacific Group from the United States for PCCW’s key telecoms and media assets.

On Thursday, the PCCW board said it was not in negotiations with any third party concerning the possible sale of its key assets. Richard Li said he would continue to work with China Netcom and explore opportunities for the business.

The controversial deal had worried analysts in Hong Kong given Beijing’s intervention to stop the initial sale and sparked concerns over corporate governance standards.

Investment house JP Morgan said it expected “increased risks on the horizon” as a result of Richard Li’s unsuccessful attempt to exit the company.

“We believe PCCW’s prospects of gaining a foothold in the mainland telecom market is at risk, along with its future strategic direction due to the tenuous relationship between the company’s two largest shareholders,” referring to China Netcom and Richard Li.

The rejection, coupled with PCCW’s earlier decision to buy broadcast rights for England Premier League (EPL) football, would impact the company’s earnings, it said.

“EPL will be a drag on profitability over the next two years and ownership and corporate governance overhangs remain. This may see the stock trading at levels below what we would regard as fair value,” it added.

Regulator checks for media rule breach

By Frederck Yeung

As his attempt to sell a stake in PCCW has failed, Richard Li Tzar-kai now faces a possible breach of local media ownership rules with his 50 per cent stake in Hong Kong Economic Journal.

The Broadcasting Authority, the media regulator in Hong Kong, said it is seeking more information from PCCW, the second largest pay-television operator, to see if the rule banning cross-media ownership has been breached.

The authority's rule states that anyone who controls one media organisation is barred from owning 15 per cent or more of another.

Mr Li indirectly owns 23 per cent of PCCW through Pacific Century Regional Developments. He also personally owns 3 per cent of PCCW, making him the largest shareholder in the company.

The problem would have been solved had PCRD minority shareholders approved the sale of the PCCW stake to a consortium led by former investment banker Francis Leung Pak-to.

The proposal was voted down yesterday. Mr Li, who owns 75 per cent of PCRD, could not vote after it was revealed his father Li Ka-shing was a member of the consortium.

Mr Li could get a waiver allowing him to control more than one media group but a Broadcasting Authority spokesman said it has not received an application from him.

Democratic Party lawmaker Sin Chung-kai said the government is unlikely to let Mr Li control PCCW and the Journal at the same time.

"Mr Li had spoken to the public on how he would like to operate the Journal when the transaction closed in August. Mr Li and PCCW are clearly breaching the cross-media ownership rule," Mr Sin said.

A source familiar with the situation said technically Mr Li has not broken the rule, as he invested in the Journal through a trust firm.

In August, Mr Li struck a deal with Journal founder Lam Shan-muk and columnist Cho Chi-ming to take 50 per cent of the Journal for HK$280 million.

The purchase was made through a trust company called Clermont Media of which Mr Li is a settlor.

"We noticed the sensitive of cross-media ownership issue from the first day we negotiated with Mr Lam," said a source familiar with the situation.

He added Mr Lam would not have sold his stake to Mr Li had they not been confident cross-media ownership was not a problem.

"Technically speaking, the trust set up by Mr Li could be treated as an independent body from PCCW or Mr Li himself," the source said.

Mr Li may also get the so-called "firewall treatment" from the government as in the case of Television Broadcasts, a free-to-air broadcaster that owns 49 per cent of a pay-television operator, the source said.

Date Posted: 12/1/2006

PCCW saga a blow for HK's credibility

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=58861

PCCW saga a blow for HK's credibility
Beijing politics and the finances of Richard Li interfered with the Hong Kong business sale, says the South China Morning Post

South China Morning Post
Friday, December 1, 2006


Richard Li Tzar-kai's grand plan to retreat from the telecoms industry has hit the rocks, leaving behind a litany of questions about political interference, family discord and corporate governance. They cast a long shadow over Hong Kong's image as a credible centre of international finance.

Australian investment bank Macquarie and US buyout firm TPG Newbridge had proposed separate bids to acquire PCCW's key assets. China Netcom, PCCW's second-largest shareholder, decided against selling and enlisted Xinhua, the state-run news agency, to issue a press release to publicise its desire that PCCW should remain in local hands. The unusual arrangement speaks volumes about the nature of the opposition to the deal. Beijing was firmly against allowing what it considers to be a strategic asset of Hong Kong to fall into foreign hands.

Francis Leung Pak-to, an investment banker with strong ties to Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong's richest tycoon and father of Richard, then emerged as a white knight to block the foreign bids. In July, Mr Leung put together a deal to acquire Richard Li's 23 per cent stake in PCCW, held through his Singapore-listed vehicle Pacific Century Regional Development.

Quizzed at the time, Mr Leung denied that the elder Mr Li was among his backers. It turned out that this was a technical denial. The tycoon was not an investor at that stage, but he was the source of a HK$500 million loan that Mr Leung drew on to pay a deposit to PCRD. The Li Ka-shing Foundation, the tycoon's vehicle for charity work, has since taken a 10 per cent stake in Mr Leung's consortium.

Mr Leung appears to have been acting as the front man for the elder Mr Li. It looks as if the tycoon, with extensive connections in Beijing, engineered the deal to resolve the political problem his son had caused. Father and son, it seems, did not communicate over the matter. When Richard knew of his father's involvement in Mr Leung's bid, he was so angry he reportedly said last week that he would rather PCRD's minority shareholders vote it down. Now that the younger Mr Li's reported wishes have come true, following the vote in Singapore yesterday, Hong Kong's reputation for having a level playing field for business has suffered a severe beating.

It would be naive to think that politics never plays a role in business here. British interests once dominated key sectors in Hong Kong, relinquishing their firm grip only in the last years of colonial rule. Indeed, politics was believed to be behind the sale by Cable & Wireless HKT -- renamed PCCW by Richard Li -- in 2000, three years after Hong Kong's return to China.

Beijing was widely believed to have an influence over the choice of Richard Li as the buyer, in preference to a strong rival bid from Singapore Telecom. No wonder Beijing was taken aback when he decided to sell his stake to foreigners.

But the way in which the planned sale of PCCW's assets was handled in recent months, both in Beijing and Hong Kong, has dealt a heavy blow to our city's reputation. It has done so in two key areas. The first is the blatant interference by Beijing in a proposed business deal which was really not important enough to justify such attention. This was done in an underhand way and it has gravely damaged Hong Kong's image as a city that offers fair treatment to all businesses, wherever they may come from.

Since the handover, there have been few occasions when Beijing has so obviously interfered with Hong Kong affairs. We have had a pretty good nine years. But that record has now been seriously dented. The blocked PCCW deal is a signal moment that has been watched with consternation both here and around the world.

The second concern is the failure of Hong Kong's regulators to do anything about it. This has shown them to be ineffective when faced with a series of events that raises serious questions.

The vote in Singapore might bring the whole sorry affair to the end. Now, it is hoped, we can move on. But the damage has already been done.

Date Posted: 12/1/2006

Hong Kong TV campaign to promote big families

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2006/December/theworld_December3.xml§ion=theworld&col=

Hong Kong TV campaign to promote big families
(DPA)

1 December 2006



HONG KONG - A TV campaign to promote parenthood in Hong Kong was under way Friday to counter the city’s tumbling birth rate, which is now one of the lowest in the world.


Two advertisements showing the joys of newborn babies began screening on prime time TV from Thursday night in the city of 6.8 million where the average number of children per family is only 0.9.

The short films show a small boy watching his pregnant mother and looking forward to a bigger family and a father and son preparing for the birth of a new child.

The advertisements have been produced by the territory’s Family Planning Association which says it is not trying to directly promote bigger families but rather to highlight their positive aspects.

China’s one-child policy does not apply to the former British colony but family sizes have shrunk dramatically because of limited home space, high education costs and a trend of marrying late.

Hong Kong’s family size has tumbled from nearly three children in 1980 and the city now faces a population crisis with people aged over 64 expected to account for nearly half the population by 2033.

Birth rates are falling globally but Hong Kong’s rate of 0.9 per woman is one of the lowest in the world, comparing to 1.6 in the UK and 1.3 in Germany.

The Family Planning Association says it wants the advertisements to encourage parents to plan ahead and gives them the option of a bigger family before they are too old.

Hong Kong’s chief executive Donald Tsang last year made a more direct appeal, saying couples should aim to have three children each to combat the ageing population.

In an interview with Friday’s South China Morning Post, Family Planning Association vice-chairman Linda Lo said the advertisements were intended to convey ‘a positive image to couples about having children.’

‘Having children is not that horrible,’ she said. ‘Although the intention of the advertisements is not to urge people to have more children, they do talk about the joy of having a baby if couples plan ahead.’

HONG KONG: PCCW sale rejected

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=58727

HONG KONG: PCCW sale rejected
Vast bulk of PCRD's minority shareholders turn down deal

South China Morning Post
Thursday, November 30, 2006


Minority shareholders of Singapore-listed Pacific Century Regional Developments on Thursday rejected the sale of a controlling stake in Hong Kong telecommunications giant PCCW, a PCRD spokesman said.

The spokesman, who declined to be named, said 76.3 per cent of the votes cast were against the deal.

Votes were counted immediately after the meeting to discuss the sale, which lasted about one hour at the private Raffles Town Club, marking the culmination of a corporate and family saga involving Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing.

The deal has been mired in controversy since Mr Li's son, PCCW chairman Richard Li Tzar-kai, announced earlier this year that he wanted to sell out, drawing bids worth as much as US$7 billion (HK$54.6 billion) from foreign investors for PCCW's core telecoms assets.

That sale option was vetoed by central government-owned China Netcom, PCCW's second-largest shareholder, which said the company should not be sold to foreign interests.

Amid dire warnings that such direct intervention by the mainland in Hong Kong's business affairs compromised its corporate governance standards, a close associate of Li Ka-shing stepped forward with a counter offer.

Francis Leung Pak-to, an investment banker, said in July that he would buy the 23 per cent controlling stake held by PCCW chief Richard Li's PCRD for HK$9.2 billion.

Li Ka-shing initially denied involvement in the deal but Mr Leung later revealed the elder Mr Li and Spanish telecom firm Telefonica would in fact be the main buyers.

The revelation sparked an apparent change of heart by Richard Li, who has long wanted to escape his father's shadow and he was quoted by Ming Pao last week as saying he would be pleased if PCRD shareholders rejected the deal.

Richard Li holds 75 per cent of PRCD but, because of his father's involvement, he cannot take part in the vote under regulations governing connected transactions, which left minority shareholders to decide the deal.

"Why should we give away the golden goose?" Edward Gay, a shareholder who said he would vote against the sale, told reporters as he arrived for the vote.

"They are making very good business" yet shareholders had not received "even a single cent" in dividends, Mr Gay said.

The meeting itself was closed to the press.

Date Posted: 11/30/2006

Hong Kong cardinal criticizes ordination

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_on_re_as/china_vatican_1

Hong Kong cardinal criticizes ordination By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer
Thu Nov 30, 11:06 PM ET


HONG KONG - Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen on Friday lashed out at China's latest ordination of a bishop without papal approval — the third known case this year — accusing Beijing of reneging on a promise to the Vatican to stop the practice.

Wang Renlei, the 37-year-old vicar-general of the Xuzhou Diocese in the eastern province of Jiangsu, was ordained Thursday in a two-hour ceremony attended by about 1,000 people, said Liu Bainian, deputy chairman of the government-backed Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

Liu defended the installment of Wang, saying his predecessor needed to be replaced because he was more than 90 years old.

Beijing broke ties with the Vatican in 1951 after the communists took power and set up a separate Catholic church outside the authority of the Holy See. Local faithful are only allowed to worship with the state-sanctioned church.

Efforts to resume Sino-Vatican diplomatic ties have been hindered by China's reluctance to cede its power to name bishops. Beijing views papal appointments in China as an interference in internal affairs.

China drew fire from the Vatican when it installed Bishops Ma Yinglin in the southwestern city of Kunming and Liu Xinhong in Wuhu in the central province of Anhui earlier this year. The Holy See threatened to excommunicate the priests.

Zen, however, said in a statement Friday that after the first round of bishop appointments this year, Beijing had invited a Vatican delegation to the Chinese capital and promised to stop the practice.

"It is hard to understand how there can be people who obstinately work for destruction," Zen said.

The cardinal suggested China's government-backed church fears it will lose power if Beijing recognizes the Vatican.

He said Thursday's ordination "made evident how those with vested interests are terribly afraid that the church one day may operate normally and freely according to her constitution."

Zen also criticized the Chinese government for allegedly detaining two bishops recognized by the Vatican and forcing them to attend Wang's ordination.

Despite the Vatican's illegitimacy in China, millions remain loyal to the pope and worship in secret, but priests and members of their congregations are frequently detained and harassed.

While banned in mainland China, the Vatican operates in Hong Kong, a Chinese-ruled former British colony that is promised significant autonomy and Western-style civil liberties such as religious freedom.

HK wants tougher food laws after recent scares

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HKG177646.htm

HK wants tougher food laws after recent scares
30 Nov 2006 05:48:45 GMT
Source: Reuters


HONG KONG, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Hong Kong has called for tougher laws to allow the mandatory recall of food items found to be contaminated, the city's top health official said on Thursday after a spate of food scares.

Eggs tainted with a carcinogenic industrial dyes, freshwater fish with traces of toxic chemicals and formaldehyde-laced bean curd have been detected by food safety officials in recent weeks.

"Yes, we absolutely would like to legislate to regulate the trade. There are some inadequacies, and legislating would be intended to address all these problems," York Chow, Hong Kong's Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, told a special legislative council meeting to discuss food safety.

Hong Kong laws only allow the government the right to seize tainted food, but not the power to prohibit the sale of contaminated food items. Most of the former British colony's food comes from across the border in China.

By boosting its enforcement powers, the government said it could act more effectively to freeze the sale of potentially dangerous foods and track down the source of suspect products.

Hong Kong has been among several Chinese cities to be hit by eggs tainted with the industrial and cancer-causing Sudan IV dye, mixed in with chicken feed, to make egg yolks redder and therefore more expensive.

Hong Kong has so far only detected a small number of Sudan dye tainted eggs -- two salted ducks eggs and five hen eggs -- but the scandal has undermined public confidence in food safety, particularly after officials at first denied any such imports.

Hong Kong imports 90 percent of its food and has been at the mercy of food traders who've used unscrupulous means to make a profit and get around perfunctory supervision.

Its porous land and sea borders also make Hong Kong vulnerable to smuggling of contraband fish, meat and vegetables from unregistered suppliers.

Fresh-water aquatic imports from Chinese fish farms have been a recurrent problem in recent years, with traces of toxic substances, such as the anti-fungal chemical malachite green, often showing up in fish and eels despite a ban.

Guangdong fish suppliers, however, claim that Hong Kong's standards are too stringent and recently suspended fresh-fish exports to the city in an apparent protest, causing a fish shortage in local wet-markets.

HONG KONG: Corporate saga to culminate in Singapore vote on PCCW deal

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=58618

HONG KONG: Corporate saga to culminate in Singapore vote on PCCW deal
Minority shareholders' vote will bring weeks of speculation, controversy to an end

South China Morning Post
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A corporate and family saga involving Asia's richest man culminates on Thursday at a private Singapore social club when minority shareholders vote on the proposed sale of Hong Kong's fixed-line telecommunications giant PCCW.

The deal has become mired in controversy since Richard Li Tar-kai, son of legendary Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing and PCCW's chairman, announced earlier this year that he wanted to sell out, drawing bids worth as much as US$7 billion (HK$54.6 billion) from foreign investors for the firm's core telecoms assets.

That option, however, was vetoed by central government-owned China Netcom, PCCW's second-largest shareholder, which objected that the company should not be sold to foreign interests.

Amid dire warnings that such direct intervention by the mainland in Hong Kong's business affairs compromised its corporate governance standards, a close associate of Li Ka-shing stepped forward with a counter offer.

Francis Leung Pak-to, a well known investment banker, in July said he would buy the 23 per cent controlling stake held by PCCW chief Richard Li's Singapore-listed Pacific Century Regional Developments (PCRD) for HK$9.2 billion.

That appeared to keep everyone satisfied until the details of how it was to be financed became clear -- Mr Leung would rely heavily on Li Ka-shing for the funding, sparking an apparent change of heart on the part of Richard Li who seems to have objected to his father's role.

Last week, the younger Li was quoted by Ming Pao in Hong Kong as saying he was "very unhappy" with his father's involvement and would be pleased if PCRD shareholders rejected the deal.

"[I] am very unhappy with the result; I am full of confidence in PCCW's outlook and if [PCRD] minority shareholders vote down [the deal] ... I would be very happy," he was quoted as saying.

Richard Li said that instead, he was now willing to "continue to develop and lead PCCW", rather than wanting to sell his stake.

His comments prompted a critical response from analysts, especially since Thursday's vote by minority shareholders was seen as a very close call.

"It's obvious that the father tried to help the son and the son didn't appreciate it," said one analyst in Hong Kong who requested anonymity.

Castor Pang, a strategist at Sun Hung Kai Financial Group, said the apparent turnaround was "ridiculous".

"One minute he wanted to sell PCCW and the next minute he didn't. There is no logic in this. It's very strange ... It seems like a careless and casual decision he made and was not properly thought through," he added.

Analysts say the deal did not reflect well on corporate governance standards in Hong Kong, with smaller investors particularly ignored while larger parties, including Beijing, work out the details to their advantage.

Singapore's The Business Times interviewed PCRD shareholders opposed to the deal. One, Gregory Chan, told the newspaper a vote against the sale would "send a signal that the minority shareholders are not happy about how we've been treated".

Richard Li holds 75 per cent of PRCD but cannot take part in the vote under regulations governing connected transactions since his father is involved, leaving the deal to be decided by minority shareholders.

The extraordinary general meeting begins at 10am on Thursday in Singapore's Raffles Town Club.

Date Posted: 11/29/2006

Ching Cheong petition to be handed to NPC chief

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=58610

CHINA: Ching Cheong petition to be handed to NPC chief
28 legislators sign letter that calls on Hu Jintao to release the jailed journalist

South China Morning Post
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

By Klaudia Lee and Jimmy Cheung


The Security Bureau yesterday promised to hand in a petition from Ching Cheong's family to National People's Congress chairman Wu Bangguo calling on him to review the jailed journalist's case during his visit to the city.

The comments by Ching's elder brother, Ching Hai, followed a meeting between the family and a Security Bureau official and came as former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang called on Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to take a more "proactive" role in helping the jailed journalist.

A signature campaign by Democratic Party legislator Cheung Man-kwong also gathered steam, with 28 lawmakers signing the letter that calls on President Hu Jintao to release Ching on medical parole.

Ching Hai said the official had promised the family that the letter would be handed to Mr Wu. The letter calls on the NPC chairman to look into the case, saying the verdict was unjust and was founded on biased and insufficient evidence.

The official also promised to pass the family's request to the mainland authorities asking for medical parole for Ching and to allow him to serve out his sentence in Guangzhou, he said.

Ching Hai also revealed that mainland sources had told him that the Beijing Higher People's Court would soon deliver a formal letter to the detention centre in Beijing notifying them that the case was closed.

Mrs Chan, who yesterday described Ching as journalist who loved the country and Hong Kong, said she was "very saddened" by the case.

"Hong Kong people hope that our chief executive can reflect Hong Kong's people's concerns and worries," she added.

Date Posted: 11/29/2006

Hong Kong forced to act on racism

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_World&set_id=1&click_id=&art_id=qw1164797820920B252

Hong Kong forced to act on racism
November 29 2006 at 01:27PM


Hong Kong - Hong Kong, bowing to pressure from civil rights groups, proposed new laws on racial discrimination on Wednesday to protect the rights of the city's ethnic minorities.

Under the Race Discrimination Bill, which requires legislative approval, "racial discrimination and harassment" in certain areas and "vilification on the grounds of race" will become illegal and punishable by fines and jail terms of up to two years.

"We are introducing the bill because we have international obligations to do so (and) because we have now gained general community support for legislation," said Carrie Lam, the government's Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs.

Racism is not often explicit or violent in Hong Kong but the city's many foreign migrant workers have often been denied jobs, accommodation or school places on the basis of their ethnicity.

Shoe master Jimmy Choo gives it all up to teach

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061129/lf_afp/afplifestylehongkong_061129145004

Shoe master Jimmy Choo gives it all up to teach Wed Nov 29, 9:50 AM ET


HONG KONG (AFP) - Shoemaker to the stars Jimmy Choo is ready to give shoe designing the boot and start teaching his skills to youngsters, he said.

Choo, whose often flamboyant designs have been worn by the likes of Madonna and Michelle Yeoh, said he felt he had proven himself as a designer and now wanted to pass on his talents.

"I want to be a hero, for all (parts) of my life," Malaysian-born Choo told reporters in Hong Kong, where he is a guest at a design expo.

"I'm a good designer, I'm a good shoemaker -- what is the next step for me? I want to be a good teacher," he said.

Choo said he had already begun teaching, and has lent his time to the London College of Fashion.

"Everyone can be a designer. As they say in Chinese, 'if you have a good master you will be a good student'," said Choo, who was taught to be a cobbler by his father in Malaysia.

"I like to travel around and show people how to make shoes," he added. "I respect my students and in return I hope they will learn something from me and go on to be great designers."

Born Zhou Yangjie to Hakka Chinese immigrants in Penang, Choo has risen to the top of the fashion pile, designing shoes for the rich and famous, including Princess Diana, and receiving Malaysia's equivalent of a knighthood, giving him the honorific Dato.

Now a British citizen, Choo confines himself to bespoke couture designs, having sold his ready-to-wear business to former Vogue editor Tamara Mellon.

Mayer Brown launches in Hong Kong with Jones Day raid

http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=123254&d=122&h=24&f=46

Mayer Brown launches in Hong Kong with Jones Day raid


Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw has swooped on Jones Day to kickstart its Hong Kong office, which has just had its licence approved by the Hong Kong Law Society.

As well as relocating London-based corporate partner Stephen Bottomley to Hong Kong to oversee the opening, Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw (MBRM) has lured Jones Day’s Hong Kong-based finance partner Jeff Chen to head the office’s securitisation and finance practice.

As first reported in The Lawyer (13 October), MBRM is to be fully operational in Hong Kong by the end of the year.

Bottomley told The Lawyer: “We are aware that our existing client base in both the US and Europe have aspirations to break into China and Asia generally. Our move into Hong Kong is consistent with the firm’s principle to establish offices in the major financial centres around the world. This is an exciting and significant commitment and we intend to stay here and be successful.”

The 1,535-lawyer firm already has consulting offices in Beijing and Shanghai but its Hong Kong office will be its first in China with a full legal mandate. Its licence is effective from Friday (1 December).

Bottomley added: “We will be applying for a practising licence for mainland China in early 2007. We will probably select from either Beijing or Shanghai as potential locations.”

The office will have an initial finance and corporate capability, with plans to expand into other areas. Bottomley said: “We are looking to build on our corporate/M&A practice as well as private equity and capital markets. We are also considering project finance, IP, international arbitration and international tax.”

The firm’s Hong Kong office currently has capacity for up to 18 lawyers and the firm will be looking to recruit within the year.

MBRM has been hiring partners with China expertise for some time, most recently Washington DC-based trade partner Duane Layton and former Chinese foreign affairs ministry official Connie Wang.

Up until now, the firm’s China consultancies have focused on MBRM’s global trade group, which includes the former American commerce secretary Mickey Kantor. The firm intends to leverage off existing clients of the trade team to provide a workflow to the Hong Kong office.

Reality of HK's 'one country, two systems'

http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto112820061735286294

Reality of HK's 'one country, two systems'

By Justine Lau and Tom Mitchell in Hong Kong
Tue Nov 28 17:15:27 EST 2006


The intervention of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office in the sale of PCCW (NYSE:PCW) to foreign bidders represents Beijing's boldest intervention in the territory's supposedly sancrosanct commercial affairs since the 1997 handover.

When Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule nine years ago, the former British colony was promised autonomy over all aspects of its governance except those related to defence and foreign affairs. Under the "one country, two systems" principle conceived by Deng Xiaoping, China's late patriarch, the world's biggest communist country pledged to protect Hong Kong's capitalist tradition.

Over the years many have accused China of wielding an "invisible hand" in the territory's political and judicial affairs but Beijing has trod carefully in the commercial arena for fear of damaging Hong Kong's reputation as an open place to do business.

However, the proposed sale of PCCW's telecoms assets to Australia's Macquarie Bank and TPG-Newbridge of the US struck a nerve.

Though supportive of Richard Li's takeover of PCCW six years ago, officials at the Beijing-based Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office were taken aback by Mr Li's moves in June to sell his company's assets to foreign companies.

By proposing to sell PCCW's assets rather than the company itself, Macquarie and TPG-Newbridge's bids neatly sidestepped the right of China Netcom (NYSE:CN) , PCCW's second-biggest shareholder, to veto sales of more than 10 per cent of the company's equity.

As part of China's state council, or cabinet, the HKMAO serves as a bridge between China and its two special administrative regions.

While the HKMAO stayed silent, in June state-owned China Netcom issued a strongly worded statement opposing any changes in PCCW, saying it should continue to be "managed and owned by Hong Kong people". It remains unclear if the HKMAO was acting on orders from higher above or on its own. One sceptic says: "This smacks of second-tier politics in Beijing."

Others note that the HKMAO's reporting lines flow to both Wen Jiabao, the premier, and Zeng Qinghong, vice-president, who heads an elite government working group that oversees Hong Kong-related policymaking.

Second-tier politics or not, the HKMAO has reminded foreign investors in Hong Kong that "one country, two systems" may be a nice catchphrase but it is not the reality.

Lawmakers asked to sign parole request for reporter

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=58537

HONG KONG: Lawmakers asked to sign parole request for reporter
Democratic party members urged to sign letter addressed to Wen Jiabao for the release of Ching Cheong

South China Morning Post
Tuesday, November 28, 2006

By Denise Hung and Gary Cheung

The Democrats are soliciting signatures from fellow lawmakers in the hope of making a joint appeal to President Hu Jintao to release journalist Ching Cheong on medical parole.

Party lawmaker Cheung Man-kwong said they would ask all members to sign the letter, irrespective of their party affiliation and political background.

The letter, which will also be addressed to Premier Wen Jiabao, said Ching, a correspondent for The Straits Times in Singapore, should be granted medical parole on humanitarian grounds and allowed to return to Hong Kong.

"I will set Friday as the last day for collecting the signatures, as some parties may need to have meetings before they decide to give their names or not," Mr Cheung said.

It is too early to say whether lawmakers will make a unanimous call.

Tsang Yok-sing, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, has previously written to mainland authorities requesting leniency, but yesterday a party lawmaker said they would have to discuss the letter once they received it.

The DAB's Tam Yiu-chung said: "We need to discuss it first, as we rarely express our views through signing letters like this. We have all along been expressing our concern through our own channels."

On Friday, a Beijing court rejected Ching's appeal against his conviction for spying for Taiwan, quashing the Hong Kong journalist's attempt to clear his name. Ching was jailed for five years by a lower court in August.

Ching, 56, has lost more than 4kg and suffered stomach pains almost every night, according to the Ching Cheong Incident Concern Group.

Mary Lau Man-yee, the journalist's wife, said Ching's family planned to write to the Hong Kong government this week to ask it to pass a letter to the mainland authorities.

The letter would call on the central government to release Ching on medical parole or allow him to serve out his sentence in Guangzhou, she said.

Lau, who is also a journalist, said the family would discuss the issue with security officials this week.

Date Posted: 11/28/2006

Pianist Lang Lang becomes HK resident

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-11/28/content_744881.htm

Pianist Lang Lang becomes HK resident
(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-28 13:34


HONG KONG -- Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang has formally become a Hong Kong resident, saying he hopes to spend more time mentoring aspiring musicians in the territory.

The former British colony Hong Kong is now under Chinese rule, but it remains separately governed and maintains immigration controls. Hong Kong residency is coveted in the Chinese mainland because of the higher standard of living here.

Lang Lang was granted Hong Kong residency under a new "quality migrant" scheme that allows foreigners and mainlanders to settle locally without first securing a job.

He presented original copies of documents proving his qualifications at Hong Kong immigration offices Monday and was issued a residency permit, Immigration Department spokesman K.K. Au said.

The 24-year-old Lang, a native of the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, told reporters, he's glad his move to Hong Kong allows him to keep Chinese citizenship.

"I'm very happy. I have many chances to get foreign passports, but this arrangement is especially good because I can maintain my Chinese citizenship," he told reporters.

Hong Kong residents have different passports than mainland Chinese citizens but are considered Chinese nationals.

Lang, who was named an honorary fellow at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts this year, said he wants to spend more time interacting with music students in Hong Kong.

"I hope to frequently visit the academy or other schools to conduct exchanges with local students," Lang said.

Lang's Hong Kong residency will be reviewed after a year to see if he has made moves to plant roots in Hong Kong, such as landing a job or setting up a business, immigration spokesman Au said.

Once Lang spends seven years living here he will qualify for permanent residency.

Local media reported immigration offices gave Lang preferential treatment Monday, extending their opening hours so that Lang, who arrived late, could complete his paperwork.

Au denied this, saying a representative for Lang arrived within working hours to provide documentation, although Lang himself showed up later, adding that the Immigration Department extends the same courtesy to ordinary citizens.

Other outstanding Chinese citizens rumored to have been granted Hong Kong residency under the "quality migrant" scheme include fellow Chinese classical pianist Li Yundi and Olympic gold medalist diver Fu Mingxia, who has married former Hong Kong Financial Secretary Antony Leung.

The Immigration Department declined to confirm other new residents. Eighty-three "quality" immigrants were approved in early November.