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What signal is China sending with first official footage of sixth-generation fighter?

2026-06-29T01:30:01+00:00

China’s military apparently released the first official footage of its sixth-generation fighter over the weekend – a move that analysts said might suggest Beijing was ahead of its competitors, including the US, in developing the next generation of warplanes.

China Military Bugle, the official press account of the People’s Liberation Army, published a four-minute video on Sunday marking the 10th anniversary of China’s first heavy transport aircraft, the Y-20, entering service.

In the video’s closing sequence, the Y-20’s co-pilot asked the captain: “Who are we refuelling today?” He replied: “First the ‘Master Six’, then the ‘Little Six’.”

The camera then shifted to the view outside the cockpit window, capturing a fleeting, blurry silhouette of a tailless plane widely believed to be a sixth-generation fighter.

“Master Six” is an informal nickname used by Chinese defence enthusiasts for the H-6 strategic bomber, but the nickname “Little Six” – a clear reference to the sixth-generation fighter – had not appeared in official military media before.

The brief sequence, which generated widespread discussion online, was significant because it was the first implicit acknowledgement of the sixth-generation fighter in official military media.

Russian strikes on Ukraine kill at least 11, injure 40, as heatwave attacks too

2026-06-29T01:00:01+00:00

By Associated Press

Russian missiles and drones killed at least 11 civilians and injured 40 others in Ukraine on Monday in what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as “horrific attacks”, while the nation’s energy grid buckled under temperatures in excess of 36 degrees Celsius, hit by the deadly heatwave that has afflicted much of Europe.

Russian drone and missile attacks have decimated Ukraine’s energy network since Moscow invaded in February 2022, causing tens of billions of dollars worth of damage and leading to frequent power outages in the coldest and hottest parts of the year, as it cannot handle surges in demand.

Some customers in eight Ukrainian regions were left without power on Monday after Russian strikes, while very hot weather drove up electricity use as people turned on air conditioners, grid operator Ukrenergo said.

Ukraine’s record temperature is 42 degrees Celsius, recorded in the eastern city of Luhansk – now under Russian occupation – in August 2010.

Current scorching temperatures are a “a serious test for equipment that has been operating under wartime conditions for more than four years and has withstood numerous attacks”, said Sergii Kovalenko, CEO of the Yasno energy company, speaking over the weekend.

People cool themselves with water from a sprayer set up on a pavement in Lviv, Ukraine, on Monday. Some people in the nation were left without power after the latest Russian strikes, while others turned on air conditioners. Photo: EPA.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

Why is Taiwan’s KMT calling for the government to spend billions more on drones?

2026-06-29T00:30:01+00:00

By Lawrence Chung

After rejecting a government spending package, Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has submitted its own proposal worth several billion dollars more to boost the military’s unmanned vehicle capabilities and the island’s broader drone sector.

The move reflects growing consensus across Taiwan’s political spectrum that unmanned systems will be central to the island’s defence in the future.

Defending its decision to reject the government’s proposal for the sector, KMT officials on Monday said the party disagreed with the cabinet over how the programme should be funded, managed and integrated with broader industrial policy.

The party’s lawmakers said their budget – which was submitted to the legislature on Monday – would allocate up to NT$240 billion (US$7.5 billion) over six years through the regular annual budget, compared with the cabinet’s proposal for a NT$210 billion special budget unveiled on Friday.

The KMT has long opposed funding defence programmes through special budgets, which are subject to less legislative scrutiny and avoid spending caps.

Unlike the government’s bill, which specifies procurement targets for various drone types, the KMT version would leave procurement decisions up to the defence ministry while requiring lawmakers to be notified of any individual drone purchase exceeding NT$100 million.

China’s cooling, e-commerce giants reap windfall as a scorched Europe scrambles for relief

2026-06-29T00:00:01+00:00

By Ann Cao

A heatwave sweeping across Europe has triggered a massive surge in sales for Chinese home appliances, with e-commerce giant Alibaba recording triple-digit growth for air conditioners and fans on its overseas platforms.

On AliExpress, Alibaba’s international retail site, the June debut of air conditioners in Germany saw warehouse inventory for a 2.35-kilowatt Midea model completely wiped out by Thursday, according to data from Alibaba.

The trend was also stark in southern Europe. Fan sales in Spain soared by 94 per cent from June 17 to 23, compared with the same period in May, while Italy recorded a 100 per cent month-on-month jump in cooling appliances and sun-protection apparel in June.

The sales frenzy highlights the critical role that Chinese e-commerce platforms are playing as the historic heatwave rolls east across Europe, leaving people scrambling for anything that might cool a room.

After baking France, Belgium and the Netherlands, extreme temperatures are now reaching Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, and the human toll is mounting. French authorities on Sunday reported that there had been about 1,000 additional deaths since Wednesday, including a 40 per cent increase in at-home fatalities.

The scramble among European consumers was mirrored on Alibaba.com, the e-commerce giant’s business-to-business platform, reflecting urgent procurement by local merchants. In June, air conditioner orders in Spain nearly doubled, year on year, while wholesale orders for fans skyrocketed by 378 per cent in Sweden and 114 per cent in Belgium, according to Alibaba data.

5 die in Germany shooting at welfare centre, 2 people arrested

2026-06-29T00:00:06+00:00

By Associated Press

Five people were killed in a shooting on Monday at a youth welfare facility in the northern German town of Stade, police said.

Two people were arrested, including the suspected shooter.

Other people were wounded, police said, but they did not give a figure.

Police said the shooting took place in the facility on Dankersstrasse, a street south of the town centre. That facility includes temporary accommodation for pregnant women or young mothers with children.

There was no danger to the public, police said. Video footage after the shooting showed a large police presence, along with other emergency service personnel and several ambulances.

Two suspects were arrested, one of whom is believed to have fired the shots. Police said they were working to establish the background to the shooting and what exactly happened.

Members of the emergency services work at the scene of a deadly shooting in the town of Stade, Germany, on Monday. Photo: via Reuters.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

China says desert moss suited to Mars as it tests hi-tech tools for space and astronauts

2026-06-28T23:30:01+00:00

By Dannie Peng

China has hopes for a desert moss that it says could colonise Mars following a revival experiment inside a mini space laboratory that showed it was remarkably resilient, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday.

The plant, a highly drought-resistant species called Syntrichia caninervis, was revived after it was subjected to a series of extreme space conditions – including microgravity, intense radiation and severe dehydration – according to the report.

Chinese scientists had previously established in simulated Martian environments that the moss was a promising pioneer species for colonising extraterrestrial worlds.

The findings are expected to “provide theoretical backing” for its use in low-energy ecological improvement and the in-situ use of local resources for future off-Earth settlements.

The experiment was among the latest in-orbit test results from the prototype Qingzhou cargo spacecraft that were released on Monday following an earlier batch of scientific and engineering trial outcomes announced in April.

According to CCTV, the results are expected to help China deploy its new space technologies, operate and maintain the space station safely and efficiently, and make the best use of future space resources.

Developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Innovation Academy for Microsatellites (IAMCAS), the Qingzhou experimental cargo spacecraft – along with two small satellites – was launched on March 30 aboard a Kinetica-2 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan launch centre in northwestern China.

Syntrichia caninervis, a desert moss, is sometimes referred to as “space moss”. It can survive desiccation and freezing. Photo: CGTN.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

Is the Chinese dream replacing the American dream?

2026-06-28T23:00:01+00:00

By Ken Ip

For much of the 20th century, the “American dream” was perhaps the most successful export in human history. It reached far beyond American borders. Millions of people around the world, including generations of Chinese families, believed in its promise. Study hard. Work hard. Build a career. Buy a home. Raise a family. Create a better life than the previous generation.

The dream was never about becoming rich. It was about becoming comfortably middle class. For decades, that vision helped define America’s global appeal. Chinese students competed for places at US universities. Professionals sought jobs in New York and Silicon Valley. Parents encouraged their children to learn English because the future seemed to point west.

Today, something remarkable is happening. A growing number of young Westerners are developing an interest in China. This is not because they have suddenly become experts on Chinese politics or economics. Rather, they are responding to something much simpler: the possibility that an ordinary income can still support an ordinary life.

In cities across China, some Westerners see something that feels elusive in their own countries: affordability, convenience and a sense that the future might be getting better rather than worse.

The change is unfolding through social media rather than government campaigns or official slogans. Spend a few minutes on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram and a trend emerges. Young Americans and Europeans post videos documenting life in Chinese cities such as Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Chongqing. They marvel at clean subway systems, extensive high-speed rail networks, affordable housing, mobile payment ecosystems and food delivery services that arrive in minutes.

Some of these videos attract millions of views. What makes them fascinating is not the technology itself but the reaction they provoke. For years, Western audiences were accustomed to viewing China through the lens of factories, exports and economic statistics. Many younger viewers now encounter China through home tours, grocery shopping videos, city walks and family vlogs.

78 arrested as Hong Kong police bust HK$5 million online shopping scams

2026-06-28T22:30:01+00:00

By Ng Kang-chung

Hong Kong police have arrested 78 people in a citywide crackdown on online shopping fraud, solving 165 cases involving more than HK$5 million (US$637,565) in losses, including one victim who was cheated out of HK$1.2 million while seeking cheaper medicine.

Officers arrested 59 men and 19 women aged between 15 and 73 during the operation code-named “Blacksword”, which ran from June 15 to 26.

Of them, 69 were suspected holders of mule accounts used to transfer or process illicit proceeds, with the majority claiming to be unemployed.

Cheung Chin-hung, a senior inspector at the force’s cyber security and technology crime bureau, said the operation had successfully dismantled several major local syndicates involved in online shopping scams.

The suspects face charges of obtaining property by deception and money laundering, police said.

Investigation showed that about 60 per cent of the 165 cases were linked to seven local suspects from five separate groups.

Heatwave grips Eastern Europe after Germany weather breaks records

2026-06-28T22:30:06+00:00

By Bloomberg

The deadly heatwave that’s set temperature records across western Europe for more than a week has shifted east to scorch Hungary, Romania and the Balkans.

Hungary’s Budapest is expected to top 40 degrees Celsius (104F) on Tuesday, according to models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Belgrade in Serbia and Bucharest in Romania will reach 38 degrees and 37 degrees, respectively, on Monday.

Red warnings for extreme heat have been issued in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovakia.

Similar alerts are still in place for parts of southern and western Switzerland.

The intense and unusually early heat event underscores how climate change is transforming summers in the world’s fastest-warming continent.

People walk by a water mist machine in Romania’s city of Bucharest. The machine was installed by officials to help with coping in the heat. Photo: AP.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

2 PLA navy ships to visit Hong Kong for 5-day port call

2026-06-28T22:30:11+00:00

By Lo Hoi-ying

Two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval vessels are set to visit Hong Kong for a five-day port call from July 2, during which residents will be able to board them and take part in cultural exchange activities.

China’s Ministry of National Defence said on Monday that a PLA naval task group would visit Hong Kong waters from Thursday to next Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty.

The guided-missile destroyer Nanning and the guided-missile frigate Hengyang will visit.

The PLA will distribute 14,000 tickets to residents through its WeChat social media account from June 30 to July 2, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Residents can book visiting slots at 10am, 3pm and 8pm over the three days. The naval base will be open between 8.30am and 5.30pm on July 4 and July 5.

To facilitate the arrival and departure of the two vessels on July 2 and 6, some ferry services will be rescheduled or cancelled.

China conducts ground test of hypersonic ramjet that can change shape in flight

2026-06-28T22:30:17+00:00

By Stephen Chen

At a test facility in China, a hypersonic engine that reshapes its internal airflow channel – much like a throat tightening and relaxing – has operated continuously from a relatively modest Mach 1.8 (nearly twice the speed of sound) all the way to Mach 6 without failing.

And the material that kept superheated gases from escaping? Essentially the same black mineral found inside a pencil: graphite.

For years, engines of this type could not ignite until the aircraft had already reached Mach 4 – meaning a separate rocket booster was needed to get up to speed first, adding cost and complexity.

Now, researchers from Northwestern Polytechnical University and the Beijing Power Machinery Institute say they have solved a problem that has stumped engineers for decades.

They ran the variable-geometry ramjet – a type of air-breathing jet engine with no moving compressor – at a ground-based facility that simulates high-speed flight conditions.

The engine’s combustion chamber throat – a moving metal component that tightens and relaxes to manage airflow at different speeds – adjusted itself in one third of a second while inhaling gases at 1,650 degrees Celsius, according to a paper published in the Journal of Propulsion Technology on May 28.

UK’s Andy Burnham, nation’s likely next leader, promises ‘number 10 north’

2026-06-28T22:00:01+00:00

By Bloomberg

Andy Burnham, Britain’s presumptive next prime minister, has set out details giving more powers to local government as part of a plan to spread wealth and economic growth.

Saying Westminster “is not working” and is “broken”, he set out a sweeping economic vision in a key speech from Manchester – where he was mayor for nine years – to bring voters, colleagues and financial markets up to speed with his ideas during his rapid progress towards power.

He set out a 10-year vision for “good growth in every postcode” in a country where wealth and power are concentrated in London and the south of England, saying places would no longer be “forgotten” or “written off”.

“Place first, not party first. Problem solving not point scoring. Long term not short term,” he said, pledging to raise the living standards of everyone.

During the speech, Burnham outlined plans to move part of his prime ministerial operation to the northwest England city, saying Number 10 north “will be the nerve centre”.

Andy Burnham hopes to replicate nationally the approach he took in Manchester, where he harnessed private and public money to invest in transport, housing and infrastructure. Photo: AP.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

‘Queuing gangs’ exploited Hong Kong driving licence ticketing system: ombudsman

2026-06-28T22:00:06+00:00

By Lam Ka-sing

The Hong Kong government watchdog has slammed the Transport Department over systemic deficiencies that allowed “queuing gangs” to abuse public resources, along with digital shortcomings that left overseas and mainland Chinese applicants with a negative impression.

An investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman, released on Monday, revealed that a group of seven agents exploited the ticketing system to submit 135 applications for the direct issue of Hong Kong full driving licences in a single day, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the daily quota.

The Transport Department pointed out that the situations outlined in the report mainly concerned operations before the implementation of an online-only appointment system for counter services on March 16.

The watchdog pointed out that the online booking system was also abused, with duplicate bookings found every working day of spot checks and one individual hoarding 18 appointment slots on the same day.

“Our investigation revealed that the problem was not a coincidence, but rather stemmed from systemic deficiencies in the Transport Department’s queue management and abuse prevention mechanisms for counter services at the licensing offices, including their implementation, enforcement and crisis response,” the Office of the Ombudsman said.

“The above situations reflected Transport Department’s inadequate arrangements and failure to keep pace with the times, leading to the engrossing of scarce counter resources for commercial gain by agents who were familiar with Transport Department’s operations and relevant loopholes.”

South Korea’s World Cup early exit sparks fury, death threats, restaurant bans

2026-06-28T21:30:01+00:00

By SCMP’s Asia desk

South Korea’s World Cup squad is set to be greeted on arrival by heightened police security rather than the usual airport welcome ceremony, as fury over head coach Hong Myung-bo’s failed campaign spills into online death threats, viral restaurant bans and renewed calls for sweeping changes inside the country’s football establishment.

Hong and eight players, including Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Lee Kang-in, were due to arrive at Incheon International Airport on Tuesday morning after leaving Mexico, while the country’s most famous football star Son Heung-min and several others were expected to return separately.

The Korea Football Association said there would be “no separate homecoming event”, according to Yonhap, making it the first time South Korea has returned from an overseas World Cup without a formal airport reception.

The decision comes as police monitor a furious public response to South Korea’s failure to reach the round of 32 at this year’s edition of football’s most prestigious tournament, with local reports saying officers were tracing the author of a deleted online post that allegedly threatened to kill Hong at Incheon airport on the day of his return.

The writer claimed to be a 41-year-old US national, according to Korea Daily, while police were preparing to respond to possible disturbances at the airport and considering whether to apply criminal intimidation charges.

The anger has also moved from social media into everyday spaces, with South Korean media reporting that restaurants, convenience stores and other businesses had posted signs saying Hong was barred from entry.

‘Deficiencies’ in maintenance, repairs at Hong Kong parks mar visitor experience

2026-06-28T21:30:06+00:00

By Wynna Wong

Inadequate monitoring, lengthy repairs and poor information for hikers are among the “deficiencies” that have undermined public safety and visitors’ experience at Hong Kong’s country parks, according to the city’s ombudsman, which urged relevant authorities to overhaul how they manage and maintain facilities.

In a report released on Monday, the Office of the Ombudsman said it made 42 recommendations to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), all of which had been accepted by the country parks manager.

“Hong Kong’s country parks, hiking trails and related countryside facilities are important public resources for hiking, countryside recreation, leisure activities and enjoying nature,” the watchdog said.

“Proper management and maintenance of countryside facilities are vital for ensuring public safety, maintaining the normal operation of these facilities and enhancing the quality of the rural environment.”

The ombudsman cited a rain shelter in Aberdeen Country Park as an example, saying it took five years and nine months to rebuild after its roof was first reported damaged in April 2019, despite the case being flagged as “urgent” or “very urgent” throughout the period.

By April 2021, the damage had worsened to the extent that the department’s engineering division determined that its structural integrity had been compromised. Simple repairs were no longer possible and the shelter had to be completely rebuilt.

China warns popular phone games may provide map data to train foreign military AI models

2026-06-28T21:30:11+00:00

By Carol Yang

China’s top anti-espionage agency on Monday warned gamers that a company with overseas defence ties may be obtaining geospatial data via an augmented reality game.

The warning quoted media reports about “the militarisation of civilian data” that said billions of environmental scans from a popular mobile phone game were being used to train AI models with potential battlefield applications.

In a social media post, Beijing’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) cited reports that said an AI company linked to a prominent augmented reality (AR) game had harvested user geospatial scans, which could be used to train spatial AI models and potentially be deployed for military purposes by the firm which had partnered with a foreign defence contractor.

“The report has fuelled global concern over the ‘militarisation of civilian data’ and served as a warning of the growing data security challenges in the digital intelligence era,” the ministry said.

While the ministry did not explicitly name the company, the details match recent controversy surrounding Pokemon Go, the AR mobile hit game developed and published by United States’ firm Niantic in partnership with Japanese firms Nintendo and The Pokemon Company.

The game encouraged players to scan and upload recordings of real-world locations through their devices in exchange for in-game rewards.

Niantic Spatial – a spin-off company from Niantic – owns nearly 30 billion scans from the game and used these data in training a 3D model that allows for very precise navigation when the GPS signal drops, Dutch media outlet Trouw reported this month.

Confirmed Ebola cases in Congo at 1,274, including 360 deaths

2026-06-28T21:00:01+00:00

By Bloomberg

As more patients recover from the world’s largest recorded Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, doctors are beginning to piece together how the rare virus behaves, offering the clearest picture yet of one of the disease’s least-studied strains.

The number of recoveries reported by Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) health authorities almost doubled in a week, rising to 148 on Thursday from 80 on June 18, even as treatment centres admit dozens of patients daily.

⁠The DRC said late on ⁠Sunday that ‌confirmed Ebola ‌cases in ⁠the ⁠country ‌had reached ‌1,274, ‌including ‌360 ⁠deaths.

Previous Bundibugyo outbreaks had lower reported fatality rates than epidemics caused by the more common Zaire and Sudan species, but doctors say it is too early to know whether the current epidemic will follow the same pattern because hundreds of patients remain hospitalised.

The uncertainty reflects how little scientists still know about the virus.

Before this year, Bundibugyo had caused just two recognised outbreaks since it was identified in Uganda in 2007, with only 193 confirmed cases combined.

A priest conducts a blessing ceremony on June 19 for a fourth DRC child who died from Ebola at an orphanage in Bunia, Ituri Province. Children account for over 25 per cent of deaths, according to the UN. Photo: via TNS.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}

China pledges extra US$14.7 million in earthquake relief to Venezuela

2026-06-28T20:30:01+00:00

By Phoebe Zhang

China is providing an additional 100 million yuan (US$14.7 million) worth of relief items to Venezuela after two earthquakes last week left at least 1,450 dead, including eight Chinese citizens.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Monday said Beijing had decided to furnish the relief items in addition to cash aid already extended to the country.

China had also provided satellite images of the affected areas to support Venezuela’s relief operations, he added, noting that Chinese enterprises and overseas Chinese communities in Venezuela had given urgently needed engineering machinery and medical supplies, as well as formed rescue teams to actively take part in search-and-rescue operations.

“China stands ready to provide further support to Venezuela based on the evolving needs of the disaster situation,” Guo said.

The cash aid was announced by the China International Development Cooperation Agency on Friday. No amount was specified.

Also on Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez.

Hong Kong proposes cooling-off period for beauty, gym deals to curb hard-sell tactics

2026-06-28T20:30:06+00:00

By Natalie Wong

Hong Kong has proposed a statutory seven-day cooling-off period and a 14-day refund window for prepaid beauty and fitness contracts as part of efforts to strengthen consumer protection amid persistent complaints against unfair trade practices and high-pressure sales tactics.

The measures form part of three major policy recommendations suggested by the government as it launched a two-month public consultation on Monday aimed at addressing enforcement gaps under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance in sectors involving large prepayments and long-term contracts.

The other two proposals are a two-year limit on contract duration for consumers to assess whether the prepayment amounts are reasonable, and empowering the Customs and Excise Department with powers to handle cases involving the wrongful acceptance of payment.

“Amid growing concern in the community over high-pressure and persuasive sales tactics, as well as the risks associated with the prepayment mode of consumption, the government has to step up its efforts to provide better protection to consumers, while respecting the freedom of contract to maintain a favourable business environment in Hong Kong,” a government spokesman said.

Complaints involving beauty and fitness services account for nearly 90 per cent of sectors most prone to improper selling practices, according to the government.

Consumers often enter into long-duration contracts involving substantial prepayments under aggressive commercial practices or persuasive sales tactics.

Under the proposal, consumers will be entitled to cancel any prepaid beauty or gym contract within seven calendar days, with a mandatory 14-calendar-day deadline for merchants to issue full refunds, aiming to provide consumers with “room to reconsider their prepayment decisions following the conclusion of contracts”.

82% of Wang Fuk Court flat owners accept buy-back offer before priority deadline

2026-06-28T20:30:11+00:00

By Ng Kang-chung

More than 80 per cent of owners of the fire-ravaged housing estate, Wang Fuk Court, have accepted the Hong Kong government’s buy-back offer, a day before the deadline for them to secure priority flat selection under a special sales plan.

The Housing Bureau said in a statement on Monday that it had received a total of 1,635 signed letters of acceptance, accounting for about 82.4 per cent of the total number of flats in the estate’s eight blocks.

“Among them, 1,429 letters came from the seven buildings from Blocks A to G, representing about 82.3 per cent of the total number of flats in these seven buildings, and 206 letters came from Wang Chi House, or Block H, representing about 83 per cent of the total number of flats [there],” it said, adding that the figures reflected “good progress”.

The inferno on November 26 last year tore through seven of the complex’s eight blocks, killing 168 people, including a firefighter, and displacing about 5,000 residents.

The buy-back plan followed the government’s announcement in February that it would spend about HK$6.8 billion (US$867 million) to acquire flats from the affected owners. The budget consists of HK$4 billion in taxpayers’ money and HK$2.8 billion from a support fund largely made up of public donations.

After selling their ownership to the government and receiving cash payments, owners of the eight buildings can purchase a home in the market, or participate in a special sales programme to buy a new subsidised sale flat with cash or via a flat-for-flat arrangement.

Hong Kong’s housing minister Winnie Ho (left) and deputy finance chief Michael Wong said in late April that the government could extend the buy-back plan to Wang Chi House residents. Photo: Jelly Tse.css-mkkf9p{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}