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5050

5050
The latest news, analysis and opinion on 5050. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Two Sessions 2026

Opinion | China’s ‘two sessions’ show plans for resilience in a stormy world

Beijing signals it is prepared to recalibrate its development model rather than cling to the habits of the boom years.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Girlfriends: Fish Liew and Jennifer Yu reunite for tender lesbian romance

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Disease

Opinion | Nipah and mpox expose Asia’s urgent need for stronger disease surveillance

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Wellness

It’s not ‘all in your head’: women’s pain really lasts longer, study finds

Myth-busting findings that immune system differences cause chronic pain to persist longer for women highlight the need for better treatment.

Women’s pain has often been overlooked as “more in the mind”. But a new study has found chronic pain to be more exacerbated for women than for men, and the biological reason behind it. Photo: Shutterstock
Education in Hong Kong

Opinion | Bridging East and West, Hong Kong offers talent the best of both worlds

The Study in Hong Kong Week will showcase how the city’s globally ranked universities and access to the mainland give students a competitive edge.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Hong Kong’s finance chief must return to his original aspirations

As the financial secretary prepares his budget speech, he would do well to remember his initial focus on using the city’s wealth to help the needy.

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US-China relations

Opinion | Pax Sinica vs Pax Silica: how China-US mineral war is taking shape

The US approach of deploying capital and diplomatic leverage must make up for China’s years-long head start in building its reserves.

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An employee of Chinese company CMOC holds a form of cobalt hydroxide produced at the Tenke Fungurume mine, one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world, in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 17, 2023. Photo: AFP
Chinese culture

Opinion | Lunar New Year doesn’t need a home-cooked feast to be full of flavour

The most important thing isn’t if you cooked the food yourself or followed tradition to the letter – it’s being with people you care about.

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Hong Kong politics

Opinion | Government must reflect on its failures as we enter Year of the Horse

The past year has been a difficult one and it is important for the administration to assess its performance and embrace change.

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Tourism

Women-only travel tour to Vietnam sparks adventure and sisterhood

Amid growing demand for safe, small-group female travel, 17 women travelled with US-based AdventureWomen to explore Vietnam’s treasures.

A member of an AdventureWomen tour poses for a photo with women working in rice paddies in northern Vietnam. Photo: TNS
Hollywood

Breaking into Hollywood was a slog. Ally Pankiw wants to make it easier for you

Ally Pankiw set up Breadcrumbs to give up-and-coming women directors the on-set experience needed to break into a male-dominated industry.

Ally Pankiw speaks at a Women in Film panel at Acura House of Energy, in Park City, Utah, in January 2024. The director, who got her break in the Netflix series “Feel Good”, is now paving the way for other women and non-binary filmmakers with her mentorship programme, Breadcrumbs. Photo: Getty Images for Acura
Hong Kong environmental issues

Opinion | Hong Kong needs to ask the hard questions about its net-zero challenge

Analytical depth in property developer Hang Lung’s net-zero report offers a glimpse of what the path to Hong Kong’s emissions goals might look like.

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Taiwan

KMT chair hopes to take peace message to Beijing while on political tightrope

Cheng Li-wun is concerned about timing of visit as election season looms, while critics say her plan downplays security threat to Taiwan.

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Technology

Opinion | Amid the bad news of 2025, science cooperation has been a beacon of hope

Even in a difficult year for many, science has demonstrated the ability to transcend borders, unite people and help those in need.

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A visitor interacts with a robot at the Pujiang Innovation Forum in Shanghai on September 21. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong transport

Opinion | Hong Kong’s lack of direction goes beyond road signs

The absence of clearly visible signage on a newly opened section of the Central Kowloon Bypass is emblematic of wider issues in officials’ vision for the city.

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Vehicles navigate the Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass during its first day of operation on December 22. Photo: Karma Lo
China society

Opinion | How young Chinese learned to stop worrying and love themselves

Amid disillusionment and a stagnant economy, China’s young people are taking the initiative to embrace self-compassion and treat themselves well.

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Women and gender

How to succeed? Siobhan Haughey and other Hong Kong women trailblazers open up

Olympian Siobhan Haughey, businesswoman Joanna Hotung and education advocate Vivian Chung discuss female leadership and youth empowerment.

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Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Opinion | Tai Po fire tragedy brings out the true meaning of community

Our urge to fight the feelings of powerlessness amid devastation changes our priorities. That is the power we must harness as we rebuild not only homes but hope.

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Hundreds of people queue up at night to pay tributes and mourn the victims of the fatal fire in Tai Po, on November 29. Photo: Dickson Lee
India

Opinion | If China can cut its pollution, why can’t India?

India’s pollution crisis demands sustained, year-round action, not just emergency steps that kick in when the air turns toxic.

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Fashion

Women’s fashion has a sizing problem, says this designer who’s out to fix it

Edeline Lee, who has dressed Kate Middleton, says women don’t fit into five sizes and suggesting they do ‘doesn’t help with insecurities’.

LGBTQ

Hong Kong pop-up Queer Room gives ‘alternative individuals’ a place to connect

Until December 14, the inclusive Sheung Wan space welcomes guests with LGBTQ literature and group talks. Here are some of its coming events.

(From left) Queer Room co-founders Lisa Lam, Li Mei-ting and Patricia Lam stand together at the Hong Kong pop-up in Sheung Wan that embraces the LGBTQ community and those living “lifestyles that differ from social norms”. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Books and literature

China’s crackdown on same-sex love stories leaves women ‘less happy’

Despite the largest crackdown yet, danmei stories are still available in China – but they are far tamer and, some say, just not as good.

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Women near shelves of merchandise for danmei stories in a comic store in Beijing. China is cracking down on stories about men in love. Photo: AP
Korean drama reviews

Review | As You Stood By: well-meaning domestic violence K-drama is a clumsy miss

Netflix’s As You Stood By tackles domestic violence – a worthy subject, but the K-drama falters with melodrama and incoherent storytelling.

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Art

Artists’ Indonesia-themed works explore transformation in Hong Kong shows

Thresholds, a group exhibition running at 2 Hong Kong venues, sees 9 artists exploring Indonesian tradition to chart their spiritual journey.

Renewable energy

Opinion | How strategic planning is powering China’s green energy transition

China’s energy strategy reflects a long-term vision made possible by political stability and a governance model ensuring policy continuity.

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The sun sets over solar panels deployed at the Kubuqi Photovoltaic Desert Control Project near Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on August 11. Photo: AFP
Hong Kong society

Opinion | Gaping holes in Hong Kong government oversight need to be plugged

While resources are provided for worker safety and respite care, the hard part is ensuring the intended recipients actually benefit.

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An elderly person walks through Oi Man Estate in Ho Man Tin on October 10. Social welfare authorities have pledged to improve their services for carers by removing unnecessary checks on their background and medical history, adding that any care homes failing to do it would receive a warning. Photo: Jelly Tse
Wellness

‘What’s she got to be depressed about?’ How mental health views have changed

On World Mental Health Day, Anthea Rowan considers the ways treatments and attitudes have changed in the last half a century.

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Robotics

Opinion | How China’s robotics push is clearing path to tech independence

Already a global leader in robotics, China is now embedding it in the fabric of its society – and building a complete physical AI supply chain in the process.

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