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Hong Kong maintains ban on seafood from 10 areas in Japan
Hong Kong maintains ban on seafood from 10 areas in Japan

South China Morning Post

time13-07-2025

  • Business
  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong maintains ban on seafood from 10 areas in Japan

China has lifted part of a ban on seafood products from Japan. The ban was first put in place when Japan began releasing waste water from the out-of-use Fukushima nuclear power plant. But Hong Kong will not change its own ban, which does not allow sea products from Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama. In August 2023, Japan began discharging treated waste water. The water was collected in a 2011 tsunami that severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. A Hong Kong government spokesperson said that the release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant was unusual in both size and time frame. The waste water was filtered through a process which removes most radioactive elements. But the decision to discharge the water prompted China to ban all Japanese sea products. At the same time, the Hong Kong government restricted imports from 10 Japanese regions. China said it would resume importing seafood products from Japan, except for the same 10 areas.

Hong Kong should seek Olympic gold with a bid for 2036 Summer Games
Hong Kong should seek Olympic gold with a bid for 2036 Summer Games

South China Morning Post

time13-07-2025

  • Politics
  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong should seek Olympic gold with a bid for 2036 Summer Games

I hope I'm not upsetting anyone's plans for a relaxing summer, but I think the Hong Kong government should start urgently on a bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics . We can do it, cities within the Greater Bay Area need it and competitors are already lining up. The Summer Olympics have been held 20 times since resuming after the Second World War. The locations of the next two games, in 2028 and 2032, have already been determined. Hosting the Olympics is a fair reflection of a city's financial acumen and interest in sports. Of the 22 held or scheduled Summer Olympics, Europe – including Russia – has hosted them nine times. By 2028, North America is likely to have hosted five of them. In Oceania, Australia is slated to host three by 2032. Meanwhile, Asia has hosted the Summer Games four times and South America only once. Notable for their absence are South Asia and all of Africa, arguably due to resource constraints. Contenders for the 2036 games include Ahmedabad in India; Santiago, Chile; Istanbul, Turkey; Nusantara, Indonesia and North Jeolla province in South Korea. Bids may also come in from Doha, Qatar, and Egypt's new administrative capital. All of these places have their strengths and weaknesses, including financial capacity, climate suitability and organisational ability. An established track record should also be an important factor. Taking into account population size, interest in sports, including medals won in past Olympics and organisational capability, the 2036 Summer Olympics should be held in Asia. In this regard, China has a very strong claim.

Hong Kong to introduce same-sex partnership bill with penalties for tampering on July 16
Hong Kong to introduce same-sex partnership bill with penalties for tampering on July 16

South China Morning Post

time10-07-2025

  • Politics
  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong to introduce same-sex partnership bill with penalties for tampering on July 16

Hong Kong authorities will introduce a bill to the legislature next Wednesday that will recognise same-sex partnerships, following a landmark court ruling in 2023, with those found tampering with records facing up to two years in prison. Details of the bill were published in a government gazette and submitted to the Legislative Council on Thursday. The first and second readings will take place in the legislative meeting on July 16. 'The Hong Kong government … must make it clear that same-sex partnerships registered under the alternative framework are not equivalent to marriages,' authorities said in the paper, highlighting that it firmly upholds the monogamous and heterosexual marriage system. Under the five-part bill, couples who have a valid same-sex marriage, partnership or civil union registered in a jurisdiction outside Hong Kong could have their relationship recognised under the proposed registration mechanism. Both individuals must be adults, with at least one of them being a Hong Kong resident. They cannot be blood-related. The recognised same-sex couples will be granted some rights related to medical matters such as hospital visits and the ability to access their partner's health records, as well as those relating to after-death arrangements and organ transplants. The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs will appoint a public officer to be the Registrar (Same-sex Partnerships), with an office being set up.

Hong Kong government proposes system to recognise same-sex partnerships
Hong Kong government proposes system to recognise same-sex partnerships

South China Morning Post

time02-07-2025

  • Politics
  • South China Morning Post

Hong Kong government proposes system to recognise same-sex partnerships

The Hong Kong government has proposed a system to recognise same-sex partnerships in accordance with a landmark court ruling two years ago, but couples will first need to have their relationship registered outside the city. Advertisement The new mechanism proposed by the government on Wednesday would also grant same-sex couples rights that have been established through previous court rulings, such as those related to medical and after-death matters, but it stops short of enshrining the same rights as marriage confers. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council, the government said it was proposing to implement the new registration mechanism through legislation that would allow same-sex couples to apply to have their relationship recognised in the city. Both individuals would have to be of the same sex, adults and at least one must be a Hong Kong resident. They cannot be blood-related. Additionally, the couple must have a valid same-sex marriage, partnership or civil union registered in a jurisdiction outside Hong Kong, while neither can be married to someone else at the time Advertisement Civil partnerships, or civil unions, are a kind of parallel institution to marriage that have been adopted in many jurisdictions where same-sex couples are not allowed to, or previously could not, marry.

After Beijing review, Hong Kong maintains ban on seafood from 10 Japanese prefectures
After Beijing review, Hong Kong maintains ban on seafood from 10 Japanese prefectures

South China Morning Post

time30-06-2025

  • Business
  • South China Morning Post

After Beijing review, Hong Kong maintains ban on seafood from 10 Japanese prefectures

Hong Kong has underscored the need for prudence in allowing Japanese seafood imports after Beijing partially lifted its own ban on such products, which had been put in place over concerns about waste water discharged from the decommissioned Fukushima nuclear power plant. Advertisement In a statement issued in the early hours of Monday, a Hong Kong government spokesman stopped short of saying whether the city would reconsider import restrictions on Japanese seafood, which had been in place since August 2023. 'The [Hong Kong] government has been maintaining communication with the Japanese authority on the relevant issues, including requesting Japan to provide information on latest developments and scientific evidence concerning the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water, to assess whether there are conditions for relaxing the current precautionary measures,' he said. 'The government will make a public announcement if there is any policy adjustment.' But the spokesman stressed that the duration and scale of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant were 'unprecedented' and required Hong Kong authorities to 'act in a prudent manner'. Advertisement On Sunday, China's General Administration of Customs said it would immediately resume importing sea products from Japan, excluding 10 prefectures: Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama.

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