Chan Says 'Chinese Need to Be Controlled'

(NEWSER) - An annual vigil marking the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre brought a record 150,000 people to a park in Hong Kong, the only place in China to mark the event, reports the BBC. “It is something to remember not only for our generation but for the next generation as well,” said an attendee. In Beijing, both traffic and foreign reporters were barred from the square. More»

Residents demand universal suffrage

(NEWSER) - Hong Kong observed the 10th anniversary of the handover to China today as tens of thousands took to the streets for the now-traditional annual pro-democracy rally. Beijing appears no more amenable to universal suffrage, however—Hu Jintao was in town to swear in the territory's new chief executive and his government, but the Chinese president departed before the march began. More»

Port city turning into financial capital

(NEWSER) - Hong Kong is in decline as Asia's premier shipping hub, but the dip in dockyard activity is nothing to fret over, Newsweek reports. The city is on the brink of becoming one of the world's financial capitals—on par with London and New York. Economic shifts are reconfiguring the political landscape as well: a rising middle class is clamoring for cleaner air and universal suffrage. More»

Panchen Lama not recognized by Tibet

(NEWSER) - Tibetan Buddhism's second-highest leader—selected by China but not recognized by the Dalai Lama's supporters—spoke today in Hong Kong, appearing for the first time outside the Chinese mainland. The 22-year-old Gyaltsen Norbu, picked by China at age 6, offered thoughts on Buddhist philosophy as China works to gain Tibetan support for its rule. The reclusive Panchen Lama called Buddhism the "sweet dew that ends human suffering and is a way to promote world peace." More»

Leung Chun-ying a self-made billionaire who advocates closer ties to China

(NEWSER) - In something of a non-surprise, Beijing's man won the race for chief executive of Hong Kong today, reports Reuters . A self-made billionaire and son of a policeman, Leung Chun-ying took 61% of the 1,200-vote election committee, comprised of political, business, and labor leaders, that decides Hong Kong's leadership. His main rival, Henry Tang, a billionaire construction mogul, had been the early favorite to win, but a series of scandals derailed his campaign. "Somehow Tang has managed to blow a fixed election," quipped one Western diplomat. More»