Alibaba picks CICC, credit Suisse to lead Hong Kong offer

Hong Kong has undergone dramatic changes since the imposition of the national security law in the summer of 2020. Many pro-democracy politicians and activists have been arrested.

The Hong Kong Alliance leaders were arrested under the national security law for failing to handover details about the organization's meetings and finances.

Journalists forced to leave Hong Kong have set up numerous online platforms from abroad to document the developments in the city. But they face a shortage of resources, as well as limited access to news sources.

Albert Ho, a prominent pro-democracy figure in Hong Kong, has once again been arrested. He is already facing up to a decade in prison for other charges under the national security law.

Alibaba is the latest tech company to enter the artificial intelligence race, as it unveils its own chatbot, Tongyi Qianwen. But it could face restrictions before even launching, as authorities in Beijing have outlined draft regulations to govern AI, including the stipulation that such platforms will reflect the core values of socialism.

The Civic Party, one of the main democratic groups in the Chinese territory, said its members had agreed to wind up their activities. Almost three years ago, Beijing introduced a security law limiting their activities.

June 4 marks the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China. Usually, Hong Kongers take the lead in commemorating this event with massive candle light vigils. But, since China imposed its national security law in 2020, public criticism of the regime in Beijing has become dangerous.

Choy had been accused of making false statements to access vehicle registration records for a documentary. The film covered the 2019 attack on pro-democracy protesters.

Three years ago, Beijing imposed a set of new laws on Hong Kong that dissolved many civil liberties. "We've lost our freedom and all forms of protests are now criminalized," a former Hong Kong legislator told DW.

Coco Lee, who was the first Chinese-descent singer to grace the Oscar stage in 2001, had been suffering from depression for a few years. She had fans around the world.

Cheng Wing-chun is accused of replacing China's national anthem with a popular Hong Kong protest song in a YouTube video. A 2020 law in Hong Kong makes insulting the Chinese national anthem illegal.

A top court in the semi-autonomous territory has turned down an effort to ban the protest song "Glory to Hong Kong." The anthem emerged from the city's widespread pro-democracy protests in 2019.