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A worker removes netting from a scaffold in Hong Kong on December 5, following the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong society

Letters | Building renovation management should not be entrusted to laymen

Readers discuss the law that makes owners responsible for common parts of buildings, the opening of the Chinese Medicine Hospital, and a robot’s record-breaking feat of endurance.

Extreme weather

Letters | Asia is not built for extreme weather. This must change

Hong Kong society

Letters | Tai Po fire tragedy shows importance of disaster risk reduction

Greater Bay Area

Letters | As Greater Bay Area shifts to carbon-free trade, Hong Kong must catch on

Readers discuss a key role for the city gleaned from China’s central economic work conference, promotion of indoor sports, and the mass shooting at Australia’s Bondi Beach.

President Xi Jinping speaks at the annual central economic work conference in Beijing on December 11. Photo: Xinhua
President Xi Jinping speaks at the annual central economic work conference in Beijing on December 11. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

Letters | World must learn to live with China’s manufacturing prowess

Readers discuss China’s record trade surplus so far this year, Hong Kong’s ambitions to be a cryptocurrency hub, and how to effectively curb social media overuse.

Accidents and personal safety

Letters | Hong Kong’s ageing buildings need better care under stronger rules

Readers call on the government to revamp the city’s governance of building management and repair, and rethink its approach to teenagers’ social media use.

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Hong Kong society

Letters | Hong Kong’s ‘coin carts’ are not serving residents who need them most

Readers discuss the city’s coin collection programme, Hongkongers’ response to the Tai Po fire, and why Russia can’t be framed through a Western or Eastern lens.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority staff collect coins from residents in Lam Tin in 2024. Photo: Edmond So
Hong Kong Monetary Authority staff collect coins from residents in Lam Tin in 2024. Photo: Edmond So
Nexperia

Letters | The case for separating the Dutch and Chinese arms of Nexperia

Readers discuss the fight for control over the semiconductor company, the case of two skirt-wearing Malaysian women barred from entering a police station, and a potential ban on smoking at construction sites.

Japan

Letters | Japan overplayed its hand at the table of great powers

Readers discuss the broader implications of Tokyo’s miscalculation, Hong Kong’s entry requirements for native English-speaking teachers, and whether anything could have been done differently in Tai Po.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Uncovering truth of Tai Po tragedy not at odds with care for survivors

Readers discuss concerns raised about survivors’ psychological well-being, recognising migrant domestic workers’ contribution over the years, and stepping up efforts at disease prevention.

Flowers are placed in mourning near Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district on December 9, two weeks after the deadly fire that killed at least 159 people. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong society

Letters | How Tai Po fire exposed weakness in Hong Kong contract governance

Readers call for steps to improve procurement and contract oversight, official accountability for lapses that led to the tragedy, and appreciation for donor generosity.

Volunteers sit in front of the flowers left by mourners for the victims of a deadly fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, on December 8. Photo: AFP
Volunteers sit in front of the flowers left by mourners for the victims of a deadly fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, on December 8. Photo: AFP
Scams and swindles

Letters | Cambodia is confronting the scourge of online scams head-on

Readers discuss the cross-border effort targeting the syndicates behind Cambodia’s scam farms, Malaysia’s first fully home-grown EV, and the investigation into the Tai Po fire in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Letters | Hong Kong hospital fee rises a necessary step towards sustainability

Readers discuss the healthcare reform aimed at directing care to those most in need, recovering from a traumatic disaster, and AI’s impact on society.

Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

Letters | It shouldn’t take a tragedy for Hong Kong to treat domestic workers fairly

Readers discuss the wave of support for migrant helpers in the wake of the Tai Po fire, professionals who volunteer their skills, and the educational value of play.

People mourn the domestic helpers who lost their lives in the Tai Po fire, at community prayers at Chater Road in Central on November 30. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Hong Kong society

Letters | Commercialisation of Hong Kong’s public venues must come with a caveat

Readers discuss the government’s bid to open up underused public venues, call for a Firefighters’ Day, and take issue with the sensationalisation of news.

Dancers perform at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre piazza on November 16, as part of the Asia+ Festival programme this year. Photo: Sam Tsang
Dancers perform at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre piazza on November 16, as part of the Asia+ Festival programme this year. Photo: Sam Tsang
Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Safety lapses in Hong Kong’s construction industry must be fixed

Readers discuss an overhaul of the project tendering process, more raids at renovation sites, high-rise building design, and deploying the emergency alert system.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Investigate real causes of Tai Po fire before blaming bamboo scaffolding

Readers discuss why bamboo scaffolding is a cultural asset that should be preserved, respecting the contributions of all in community, watching the tragedy from afar, and the appropriate distance between buildings in a housing estate.

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Hong Kong society

Letters | A kinder, gentler Hong Kong forged in shared pain

Readers praise Hongkongers’ empathetic response to the Tai Po fire tragedy, clarify the workings of the Observatory’s chatbot, and call on Hong Kong to consider a social media ban for adolescents.

Volunteers organise aid distribution for residents affected by the Tai Po apartment fire in Hong Kong on November 28. Photo: EPA
Volunteers organise aid distribution for residents affected by the Tai Po apartment fire in Hong Kong on November 28. Photo: EPA
2025 National Games

Letters | In the National Games, Hong Kong has a model of a green mega event

Readers discuss the features of the games that safeguard sustainability and the passing of an Indian cinema legend.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Letters | Hong Kong will emerge stronger from Tai Po fire tragedy

Readers offer condolences to the bereaved, call for prompt action to improve fire safety measures and pay tribute to the inspiring outpouring of help from all quarters of the community.

Hong Kong fires and safety

Letters | Hong Kong fire must force rethink on use of bamboo scaffolding

Readers discuss the massive fire at a housing estate in Tai Po, and how a clumsy response to sexual abuse can result in re-traumatisation.

Fire burns the bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, on November 26. Photo: Reuters
Jobs

Letters | To prevent an AI job apocalypse, take a leaf from immigration policy

Readers discuss managing AI like foreign hires, rewilding open spaces in Hong Kong, and economic rebalancing.

Immigration officers escort suspected illegal workers from a renovation site in Tuen Mun on January 7. Photo: Jelly Tse
Immigration officers escort suspected illegal workers from a renovation site in Tuen Mun on January 7. Photo: Jelly Tse
Malaysia

Letters | Academic theories deserve rigorous scrutiny, not public shaming

Readers discuss the controversy over a Malaysian academic’s hypothesis about Roman shipbuilding, the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, and cutting back Hong Kong children’s screen time.

Hong Kong economy

Letters | Hong Kong should consider easing visa rules for belt and road partners

Readers discuss the difficulties of securing entry to Hong Kong, investing in people’s well-being as an economic strategy, and child protection measures in Singapore.

United States

Letters | US lawmakers are finally putting a check on the executive branch

Readers discuss the signs of recovery in the US system of checks and balances, how to better leverage Hong Kong Observatory’s resources, and appreciation for the city’s emergency response.

Epstein abuse survivors and Congressional lawmakers attend a bipartisan vigil hosted by the Democratic Women’s Caucus on November 18 in Washington, DC. The US Senate unanimously approved passage of the House’s Epstein Files Transparency Act. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
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