Latest news with #TheMurray
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
6 Hong Kong hotels offering summer fun and staycation deals so you needn't leave the city
There is a lot to love about a staycation. It is a break from routine without the typical travel hassles – and holidaying at home helps support your local economy. Air travel also has a significant environmental impact, with the greenhouse gas emissions it produces contributing to climate change. For this reason, staycations are a more sustainable travel choice. Those looking for a 'staycay' this summer should check out these hotels in Hong Kong that are offering a little more fun than the usual rooftop pool and gym. 1. Bubbles & Brews Festival at The Murray The Murray is hosting a Summer Bubbles & Brews Festival on July 25 and 26. Photo: The Murray Located in Hong Kong's Central neighbourhood, The Murray has 336 rooms and suites spanning 25 floors, and facilities including a swimming pool, spa and rooftop bar. For an extra dose of summer fun, head there on July 25 and 26 when the hotel hosts the Bubbles & Brews Festival at The Arches on its first floor. Local DJs will provide a feast of retro hits, while local and international wine and food vendors including Breer, Brightview, Veuve Clicquot, Whispering Angel, Two Moons Distillery, Vines and Terroirs, and Young Master will provide the food and drinks. 22 Cotton Tree Drive, Central. Tel: 3141 8888
HKFP
27-06-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong gov't slams top US diplomat in city over ‘biased remarks' about national security law, Jimmy Lai
The Hong Kong government has slammed the top US diplomat in the city for making 'untrue and biased remarks' about the Beijing-imposed national security law and jailed media mogul Jimmy Lai. The government said in a statement issued late Thursday night that it strongly condemned remarks made by outgoing Consul General of the US to Hong Kong, Gregory May. Authorities accused him of smearing the national security law and its work to safeguard national security. May, who will assume a new role as deputy head at the US embassy in Beijing next week, on Thursday said he was concerned about the treatment of Lai as well as 'other political prisoners.' '[US] President [Donald] Trump himself has mentioned Jimmy Lai several times now, and he is very concerned about the fate of Mr Lai,' May told reporters after delivering a speech at a US Independence Day reception at The Murray hotel in Admiralty. 'There are many other people, unfortunately, in Hong Kong who are in jail for [the] peaceful expression of political views, for putting things on the internet,' he added. In response, Hong Kong authorities said it 'strongly urges US politicians to immediately stop interfering' in the city's affairs. 'The suggestion that persons or organisations with certain backgrounds should be immune from legal sanctions for their illegal acts and activities… is totally contrary to the spirit of the rule of law,' the government wrote. Lai has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the national security law as well as a third charge of conspiring to publish 'seditious' materials under a colonial-era legislation. He has been in custody since December 2020. The departing consul general also criticised what he called 'transnational repression,' referring to Hong Kong police issuing arrest warrants and bounties on overseas pro-democracy activists. One of the activists, Joey Siu, has US citizenship. 'It's very disappointing to see, over my three years here, attempts by Hong Kong authorities to enforce the national security law within the borders of the United States against US persons,' May said. 'This is attempts to restrict the free speech of people in the United States and unfortunately, we're seeing Hong Kong authorities go after the family members of these overseas activists, and that's a very disturbing,' he added. The Hong Kong government rejected May's criticism, saying in its statement that people should not comment on Lai's ongoing proceedings. It also defended human rights protection in the national security law, saying that defendants were entitled to a fair trial. It added that extraterritorial effect for the city's security laws 'fully aligns with the principles of international law, international practice and common practice adopted in various countries and regions.' Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
HKFP
26-06-2025
- Business
- HKFP
US Consul General Gregory May to leave Hong Kong, begin new position in Beijing next week
US Consul General Gregory May has announced that he will leave Hong Kong and assume a role in Beijing next week, after an almost three-year tenure as the top American diplomat in the financial hub. Speaking on Thursday at an Independence Day event at The Murray, a hotel in Admiralty, May said he will be moving on to the US embassy in Beijing next week. He will take on the title of deputy chief of mission in the Chinese capital, making him second-in-command at the embassy. May will work as an assistant to David Perdue, the US ambassador to China, who began his role in April. '[My wife] Margaret and I, we lived in Beijing for a while. It'll be a bit of a return to familiar ground,' he said. May, an experienced diplomat who has spent much of his career in the US government abroad, arrived in the city in September 2022. During his time in Hong Kong, he saw two of the city's most high-profile national security trials get underway: that of media mogul Jimmy Lai and that of the 47 democrats. He also witnessed the enactment of Article 23, the city's homegrown and second national security law, in March 2024 after it passed in the opposition-free Legislative Council. Last May, the diplomat said Hong Kong authorities needed to 'stop the slide towards ever-greater repression.' He said nothing had done 'greater damage' to the US's relationship with Hong Kong than the city's police issuing bounties on a US citizen and residents, referring to arrest warrants placed on activists overseas. May's departure comes as tensions between Washington and Beijing remain high, after US President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on Chinese exports and ordered his government to 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party.' 'Big fan' of Hong Kong Speaking to reporters after his speech at the Independence Day event, May said he was leaving Hong Kong as a 'big fan' of the city, but what was 'not so great' was what he called the 'erosion of freedom' at the hands of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities. May said he was especially concerned about the treatment of Lai, the former owner of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, who has been charged under the national security law. Closing arguments for the trial are expected in late July. Lai faces up to life imprisonment if convicted. May said he was concerned not just about Lai, but 'other political prisoners' too. 'There are many other people, unfortunately, in Hong Kong who are in jail for [the] peaceful expression of political views, for putting things on the internet.' In response to a media report that the Education Bureau had warned students and teachers not to take part in American Independence Day activities, May said he had not heard anything directly from the city's government about it. But he said he was 'disappointed… education officials would have that kind of order.' 'I challenge any one of you to find anything about this event… at The Murray hotel this afternoon that would in any way violate the national security of any country,' May said, adding that cross-cultural exchanges with students were beneficial.
