A Taiwanese fishing boat operating close to a Taiwan-controlled island was boarded and then taken to a Chinese port, the Taiwan coast guard reported late on Tuesday ( Jul 2 ), in a further escalation of tensions. Since President Lai Ching-te took office in May, Beijing accuses him of beingContinue Reading
HONG KONG: Drawn by the sheer variety of cheap food and entertainment across the border, Hong Kong residents troop into Shenzhen when weekends and holidays roll around.
Since cross-border travel restrictions were lifted last year, the city has emptied out even more as soon as the work week ends.
The lack of footfall has greatly affected Hong Kong’s food and beverage (F&B) sector.
Businesses say they are struggling to stay afloat, with industry players estimating that about 200 restaurants are closing down each month.
“The growing trend of northbound consumption has greatly impacted our dine-in business, resulting in a decline in nighttime business of approximately 30 per cent,” said Mr Simon Wong, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades Limited.
“On an annual basis, about 2,000 restaurants have shut down. This is a substantial figure that cannot be overlooked.”
However, Chinese F&B firms are bucking the trend, with more setting up shop in the city – the first stop in their long-term strategy for global expansion.
Buoyed by its popularity with Hong Kongers in China, restaurant chain Nong Geng Ji opened four branches in the city in less than a year.
It is part of a “chu hai” movement, where Chinese companies move to break into a more lucrative market abroad.
SEOUL: A auto hit commuters near Seoul town house, killing six people and injuring at least eight, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported, citing a police official, who said there could be more deaths. A police official informed Reuters officials were looking at the scene but declined to provide moreContinue Reading
A 68-year-old vehicle allegedly struck people who were waiting at a customers message, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. He struck two different vehicles while heading the wrong way, according to Yonhap, before striking the pedestrians. A person was detained by police over the affair, said Kim Suk- hwan,Continue Reading
SEOUL: A auto hit commuters near Seoul town house, killing nine people and injuring at least four, North Korean media accounts said, citing police and fire officials. A police standard declined to provide more details about the investigation underway at the scene, telling News officers were conducting an investigation.Continue Reading
BEIJING: The Chinese National Immigration Administration announced on Monday ( July 1 ) that foreigners who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macao and who want to travel to mainland China may apply for multiple-entry travel visas with a five-year validity. According to the presidency, international permanent occupants ofContinue Reading
Seoul: The latest in a series of Pyongyang weapons tests that have strained relations with Seoul, North Korea on Monday ( Jul 1 ) launched two ballistic missiles, the South Korean military confirmed. A small- range ballistic missile was launched in the early morning hours, the South’s defense Joint ChiefsContinue Reading
Beijing: On Friday ( Jun 28 ), the foreign ministry of China expressed condolences over the death of a woman who attempted to stop a knifeman from attacking two people at a bus stop outside a Japanese school in Suzhou. A Chinese woman and her baby were fatally shot atContinue Reading
The latest development in the development of a cult of the leader’s personality emerged on Sunday ( Jun 30 ) when North Korean officials wore pins with a portrait of Kim Jong Un in public for the first time in photos released by state media. The officials, speaking at aContinue Reading
TOKYO:  , Japanese health supplement maker Kobayashi Pharmaceutical said on Friday ( Jun 28 ) it was probing 76 more deaths possibly linked to its tablets containing red yeast rice, or “beni koji”, meant to lower cholesterol. It furthers a controversy that broke out earlier this year when the companyContinue Reading