In Hong Kong, freedom of expression is doubly protected, being guaranteed by both the Basic Law (Art.27) and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights (Art.16). The idea that people should be allowed to hold and express their own opinions has always been highly cherished in Hong Kong, and this did not change after 1997. In the Court of Final Appeal, the then-chief justice, Andrew Li Kwok-nang, described freedom of expression as "a fundamental freedom", and one that "lies at the heart of civil society and of Hong Kong's system and of its way of life" (FACC 4/1999).

After the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept 8, there was a huge outpouring of grief. This remarkable woman had reigned for over 70 years, longer than any other British monarch, and over 80 percent of Britons are said to have been born on her watch. Many of those paying tribute to her life and achievements said they would not see the like of her again, and her former prime ministers all held her in the highest regard.

After the Daoguang Emperor tasked Commissioner Lin Zexu with suppressing the opium trade bedeviling China in 1839, Lin initially tried diplomacy.

As the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area proceeds apace, an infrastructure boom is underway in Shenzhen. In Qianhai, which has been described as "Shenzhen's Manhattan", the Qianhai Cooperation Zone (QCZ) is scheduled for completion by 2025. Its development plan envisages closer ties with Hong Kong, particularly in the areas of business and technology, and the groundwork for this has already been done.

Although the National Security Law for Hong Kong prioritizes human rights, this is invariably disregarded by its critics. It not only highlights the role of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in its application (Art.4), but also requires the expeditious conduct of cases.

When the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan on Aug 2, she claimed it was "an unequivocal statement that America stands with Taiwan".

The Seminar on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Speech of President Xi Jinping at the Meeting Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong's Return to the Motherland and the Inaugural Ceremony of the Sixth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was held today (July 18). Mr. Grenville Cross SC, who is a Senior Counsel and Professor of Law, and was previously the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), addressed the seminar and the following is the full script of his opening statement.

As diplomats represent their country's interests abroad, most realize that tact has a vital role to play if anything is to be achieved. As Sir Isaac Newton long ago recognized, "Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy." This quality, however, is lost on the United States, and, after Michael Hanscom Smith was appointed its consul general to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 6, 2019, he disregarded diplomatic norms.

The United Nations Committee on Human Rights on Monday (July 4) held a meeting on International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Grenville Cross SC, who is a Senior Counsel and Professor of Law, and was previously the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), addressed the meeting with a focus on judicial independence in the HKSAR. The following is the full script of his opening statement.

On June 23, 1984, when China's then-State leader, Deng Xiaoping, outlined the concept of "one country, two systems", he asked, rhetorically, if "any country in the history of the world ever pursued a policy as generous as China's". He saw the policy as providing the solution not only to the Hong Kong question but also others, and this was clearly farsighted.

The Singapore Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong) organized a luncheon talk on "HKSAR 25th Anniversary Business & Rule of Law" on 30 June 2022. Mr. Grenville Cross, GBS, SC, who is a British Barrister who served as the Director of Public Prosecutions of the HKSAR from 1997 to 2009, addressed the event. The following is the full script of his opening remarks.

As the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region celebrates its 25th anniversary, its progress since 1997 is there for all to see. Quite clearly, the last 25 years have been something of a roller-coaster, with challenges aplenty.

The following is the full text of the speech delivered by Grenville Cross at the Bauhinia Culture International Symposium on the Achievements and Future of One Country, Two Systems on Thursday (June 16).

On June 4, the United States Consulate General in Hong Kong, headed by Michael Hanscom Smith, displayed candles to recall the social disturbances in Beijing in 1989.

On Nov. 27, 2019, the then-secretary for the civil service, Joshua Law Chi-kong, declared that "the civil service is the backbone of the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". While responsible to the chief executive, he said, it supports the government in formulating, explaining and implementing its policies.