DotDotWeekly | 76-year-old HK man's controversial marriage to 46-year-old mainlander causes family rift and scrutiny from Housing Department

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News of the Week

Business visa duration extended 14 days for Mainlanders traveling to HK & Macao

The Chinese government has extended the business visa duration from 7 to 14 days for Mainlanders traveling to Hong Kong and Macao. Talent from Beijing and Shanghai will be allowed multiple entries into HK and Macao under a talent visa scheme and can stay in the city for up to 30 days from Monday (May 6). 

Six categories of workers in Beijing and Shanghai, including outstanding, scientific research, education, health care, legal, and "others" can now apply for multiple-entry talent visas, lasting one to five years, with each visit to HK or Macao limited to 30 days.

HK's tourism industry benefits from over 766,000 mainland arrivals during holiday period

Hong Kong has recorded about 766,000 visitor arrivals from the Chinese mainland through the air, sea and land control points during the Labor Day Golden Week of the mainland (May 1 to 5), with an average daily arrivals of about 153,000, up 22 percent year-on-year.

Citing statistics from the Hong Kong Immigration Department, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Monday that the overall number of inbound mainland visitors was in line with earlier estimate, and the operation at boundary control points and different arrangements for receiving visitors were conducted smoothly in general.

A total of about 570 inbound mainland tour groups visited Hong Kong during the holidays, registering around 19,000 arrivals, the spokesperson said.

Although most of the Golden Week was affected by rain, the number of visitors from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong matched our initial estimate, bringing more than 2 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 260 million U.S. dollars) in consumption benefits to Hong Kong's economy. The market is also vivacious, said Kevin Yeung, secretary for culture, sports, and tourism of the HKSAR government, adding that the government will draw on experience to better its services and woo visitors.

CE: HK has unique blend of 'global and China advantages'

Hong Kong is the place to be for global talent, in part because the SAR has long been one of Asia's most liveable cities, Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday (May 7).

Speaking at Global Talent Summit · Hong Kong, the CE said Hong Kong is the only city where "the global and China advantages" come together.

He added that other institutional strengths include prime business prospects because of the One Country, Two Systems principle, a low tax system as well as the free flow of information, capital, goods and people.

Lee said language is never a problem because English and Chinese are both official languages in the SAR, and Hong Kong will get even more multilingual as it thrives as a cultural hub where East meets West.

He noted that 40 percent of the territory is earmarked as country parks with an UNESCO geo-park, endless hiking trails and stunning beaches.

"In Hong Kong, you don't just get world-class work opportunities, you get a satisfying life, too," Lee said in an opening speech at the summit.

"Yes, choosing to relocate to Hong Kong on your own or with your loved ones is a big decision. But I'm here to tell you, that this is the place where you can work hard, play hard and enjoy hard."

The central government's recent move to relax visa rules for Shanghai and Beijing businesspeople to come to Hong Kong will promote professional exchanges and reinforce the SAR's role as the country's international talent hub, according to Lee.

The CE also thanked senior officials from Beijing, particularly Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Wang Xiaoping, as well as those from Guangdong and Macao, for attending the summit and sharing their ideas.

Wealthy individual residing in PRH with 4.5mn HKD under scrutiny by Housing Department

In a recent episode of TVB Scoop program, the spotlight was on a 76-year-old man, Mr. Ho, who made headlines for his whirlwind romance and subsequent marriage to a 46-year-old mainland Chinese woman. This intergenerational love affair not only strained Mr. Ho's relationship with his five children but also resulted in the loss of his life savings. Mr. Ho revealed his initial plan to gift his new wife HK$1 million to start a business. However, when he went to withdraw the funds from their joint account, he discovered that his younger spouse had already withdrawn HK$4.5 million. The woman claimed the money was rightfully hers, leaving Mr. Ho, who resides in public housing and has accumulated significant savings, in a contentious situation.

The Hong Kong Housing Authority is currently investigating whether Mr. Ho's actions violated the "Well-off Tenants Policies" governing public housing. Sources indicate that due to several unclear aspects of the case, the authorities are prioritising clarification. They have not ruled out any possible actions should violations be discovered. According to the regulations, public housing units can be reclaimed if tenants exceed the income threshold or own property in Hong Kong.

In the TVB Scoop segment, Mr. Ho described how he met the mainland Chinese woman at a local market, and their relationship developed quickly. He said, "We made eye contact, and things were good. She made soup for me, and I drank it. The soup tasted good, and our feelings grew. So, we signed the papers." The woman, in an interview, disclosed that they decided to marry after becoming intimate, sparking a wave of online criticism.

Mr. Ho's previous wife passed away nine years ago, and he had maintained a harmonious relationship with his five children. However, when his children learned about his plans to remarry, they strongly objected, accusing the new wife of being a gold digger. In an unexpected turn of events, Mr. Ho discovered that his new wife had withdrawn HKD 4.5 million from their joint account, claiming it was her hard-earned money. Despite this, Mr. Ho had prepared extravagant wedding gifts for his wife, including a diamond ring worth over HK$130,000 and a luxury watch valued at over HK$100,000.

The Housing Authority has been committed to combating the abuse of public housing. In addition to requiring residents to declare their assets, they also conduct random inspections of public housing estate parking lots to check for luxury cars or assets exceeding the prescribed limits. As of the end of February, approximately 190 cases of residential property ownership in Hong Kong were uncovered, resulting in the recovery of 60 units. Around 20 households have received eviction notices, while the remaining 110 cases will be processed or subject to further investigation. The Housing Authority has also received reports of public housing tenants owning multiple properties in mainland China. With the assistance of mainland authorities, they have successfully reclaimed public housing units in verified cases.