Kong

• China's fourth-generation independent superconducting quantum computer, "Origin Wukong 180," officially went online on May 9, 2026, and began accepting quantum computing tasks from users worldwide. • The 180-qubit system represents a significant advancement in China's quantum computing capabilities and marks progress toward building indigenous quantum technology infrastructure independent of foreign systems. • The launch demonstrates China's commitment to achieving technological self-sufficiency in emerging computing domains and competing with quantum research initiatives in the United States and Europe.

• Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) announced on May 7, 2026, the launch of its new AI‑enhanced market‑risk‑monitoring platform, which integrates real‑time connectivity‑pattern analysis and language‑model‑based compliance checks on trading messages. • The system, built with a Hong Kong‑based AI fintech partner, analyzes more than 4.8 million order‑book events per second and can automatically flag highly probable manipulative patterns such as quote spamming, wash‑trading, and quote‑stuffing. • HKEX expects the platform to reduce false‑positive alerts by 45% compared with legacy rule‑based systems, easing the workload of compliance officers and enabling faster response to live‑market anomalies.

Law says conviction of two men for spying raises serious concerns over how they accessed sensitive informationNathan Law, an exiled leader of the Hong Kong student protest who lives with a £100,000 bounty on his head from the Chinese authorities, was not surprised to discover a spy ring had photographed him entering the Oxford Union for an evening debate in November 2023.The conviction at the Old Bailey of Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 38, and Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 65, for assisting a foreign intelligence service, was a sobering first – no Chinese spies had been convicted in British criminal history before Thursday – but the details that came out in the nine-week trial mainly served to confirm his suspicions. Continue reading...

Media tycoon honoured in absentia as critics decry his 20-year sentence under national security lawThe jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle’s freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.The German public broadcaster said on Thursday that Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. Continue reading...

Hundreds of senior staff in territory benefit from nearly £30,000-a-year grant per child not available to staff in group’s other hubs HSBC is reportedly reviewing a perk that covers school fees for bankers in Hong Kong as part of a big overhaul of the bank under chief executive Georges Elhedery.Europe’s largest bank is considering whether to scrap the perk for new employees or make changes to total compensation, Bloomberg News reported. No decisions have been made yet. Continue reading...

Refusing to comply could lead to year in jail and hefty fine, while providing false information carries up to three years in prisonHong Kong police can now demand that people suspected of breaching the city’s national security law provide mobile phone or computer passwords in a further crackdown on dissent.The amendments to the law also empower customs officers to seize items that are deemed to have “seditious intention”, regardless of whether any person has been arrested for an offence endangering national security because of the items. Continue reading...

Independent committee to investigate safety standards and whether building practices contributed to worst residential fires in decadesHow the Hong Kong fire unfolded – visual guidePublic hearings in Hong Kong begin on Thursday into a devastating fire that ripped through a housing complex last year, killing 168 people.A judge-led independent committee will investigate whether fire safety standards were inadequate, if construction practices contributed to the fire, and if there were failures on the part of government officers or contractors. Continue reading...