Hong Kong and China: One country, two systems</s>It was the sternest warning yet from the most powerful of the financial tycoons, who worry that demands for full democracy that brought thousands of protesters onto Hong Kong streets late last year will undermine stability and business.

Hong Kong legislators are due to vote in late June or early July on whether or not to accept a Beijing proposal, backed by the city government, that would allow all citizens a vote in the city's next leadership election in 2017, but only for candidates pre-screened by a pro-Beijing committee.

The protesters who camped out for two months last year and some city legislators reject that, and instead demand full and free democracy for Hong Kong.

"If the proposal got voted down, you and me, everyone in Hong Kong, will be big losers," Li, 86, said at an earnings briefing for his flagship companies, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd and Hutchison Whampoa, whose combined market value is more than $100 billion (64 billion pounds).

"China gives us this policy, we turn it down, then who'd lose out if we regret it in the future? It's you and me ... I don't want to become a loser, especially a big loser."

A former British territory, Hong Kong is ruled under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows wide-ranging autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland and specifies universal suffrage as an eventual goal.

But Beijing ruled on Aug. 31 it would screen candidates who want to run for the city's chief executive in 2017, which democracy activists said rendered the concept of universal suffrage meaningless.

Democratic lawmakers who hold a one-third veto bloc in the 70-seat legislative council have vowed to vote down the proposal.

The Hong Kong government has warned that the city must make economic stability a top priority after the student-led protests last year paralysed some city districts and unnerved authorities in Beijing.

But Li said he was upbeat about Hong Kong's outlook, adding that its biggest advantage was backing from mainland China.

Known as "Superman" in Hong Kong for his deal-making savvy, Li was among a group of Hong Kong tycoons who visited Beijing in September to discuss issues including Hong Kong affairs with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.</s>Hong Kong and China: One country, two systems</s>Visitors to a luxury 15-storey Hong Kong shopping mall were sent hurtling down a massive escalator when it suddenly went into reverse.

At least 18 people were injured when the 40-meter escalator in the Langham Place mall in Hong Kong’s Mongkok district changed direction without warning.

READ MORE: 7 people injured tumbling down New York escalator like dominos

The incident, which was caught on camera, happened on Saturday afternoon as visitors to the high-rise center were going about their shopping, according to the South China Morning Post.

One eyewitness, who was on the escalator at the time of the incident, told the news outlet that it went into reverse and was travelling “two times faster than normal.”

Footage of the accident reveals how, in one rapid maneuver, the escalator travelling towards a higher floor of the mall suddenly changes direction. The sharp interchange results in a crowd of unsuspecting shoppers being upended and flung towards a pile of people at the bottom of the staircase.

Another clip filmed from the bottom of the staircase reveals how some people desperately tried to get out of the way of falling men and women. One person can be seen running against the direction of the speeding stairs in an effort to escape harm.

The Grand Atrium of Langham Place includes two escalators, described as ‘Xpresscalators,’ which measure a total of 83 meters. The multimillion-dollar development also houses Mongkok’s only five star hotel.

A Langham Place spokesperson said that the particular piece of machinery involved in the mishap passed an inspection as recently as March 23.</s>Feb 26 Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, said on Thursday Hong Kong people would be "big losers" if legislators reject a government proposal for limited democracy, as some have threatened to do in their campaign for full democracy.

It was the sternest warning yet from the most powerful of the financial tycoons, who worry that demands for full democracy that brought thousands of protesters onto Hong Kong streets late last year will undermine stability and business.

Hong Kong legislators are due to vote in late June or early July on whether or not to accept a Beijing proposal, backed by the city government, that would allow all citizens a vote in the city's next leadership election in 2017, but only for candidates pre-screened by a pro-Beijing committee.

The protesters who camped out for two months last year and some city legislators reject that, and instead demand full and free democracy for Hong Kong.

"If the proposal got voted down, you and me, everyone in Hong Kong, will be big losers," Li, 86, said at an earnings briefing for his flagship companies, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd and Hutchison Whampoa, whose combined market value is more than $100 billion.

"China gives us this policy, we turn it down, then who'd lose out if we regret it in the future? It's you and me ... I don't want to become a loser, especially a big loser."

A former British territory, Hong Kong is ruled under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows wide-ranging autonomy and freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland and specifies universal suffrage as an eventual goal.

But Beijing ruled on Aug. 31 it would screen candidates who want to run for the city's chief executive in 2017, which democracy activists said rendered the concept of universal suffrage meaningless.

Democratic lawmakers who hold a one-third veto bloc in the 70-seat legislative council have vowed to vote down the proposal.

The Hong Kong government has warned that the city must make economic stability a top priority after the student-led protests last year paralysed some city districts and unnerved authorities in Beijing.

But Li said he was upbeat about Hong Kong's outlook, adding that its biggest advantage was backing from mainland China.

Known as "Superman" in Hong Kong for his deal-making savvy, Li was among a group of Hong Kong tycoons who visited Beijing in September to discuss issues including Hong Kong affairs with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. (Reporting by Clare Jim and Donny Kwok; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Robert Birsel)</s>Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that gives it a separate legal system and greater freedoms than the Communist Party-ruled mainland - and the promise of universal suffrage.

Beijing says it will allow a free vote for Hong Kong leaders in 2017, but only between pre-screened candidates. Pro-democracy protests last year shut down parts of the city for two and a half months.

Li said the government was committed to the consistent and full implementation of the "one-country, two systems" policy.

"Some people worry whether the central government will tighten these policies toward Hong Kong. There is no need," Li said at a briefing after the close of an annual meeting of China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress.

"The Basic Law stipulates that the systems of the special administrative region, and one-country, two systems policy represent the will of the country and the desire of the people. They cannot be changed easily," Li said.

China's third-ranked leader Zhang Dejiang said in early March that a patriotic curriculum for Hong Kong youth could be needed after "illegal" street protests by student-led pro-democracy activists.

The comments echoed remarks last month by the head of China's Hong Kong Liaison Office, who said Beijing aimed to tighten control of the global financial hub.

The duration and intensity of last year's democracy protests surprised government officials in Hong Kong and China.

Anger at Beijing's unwillingness to negotiate over the election of the next chief executive has upset residents, prompting a new wave of more radical protests against traders and mainland visitors, whom Hong Kong residents have long accused of flooding shopping malls and emptying store shelves.

Since the beginning of the year, activists have staged weekend protests at malls, urging mainlanders to return home and advocating greater Hong Kong nationalism and even independence.</s>SINGAPORE: At least 18 people were injured after the steps on one of Hong Kong's longest indoor escalators abruptly slid backwards on Saturday (Mar 25) afternoon, according to local reports.

Video footage of the incident showed the 45m-long escalator between the fourth and eighth floors of Langham Place moving upwards, before suddenly going backwards, throwing shoppers off balance.

Rescue workers rushed to the popular mall at Mong Kok's Argyle Street after the incident, which took place at around 4pm.

According to Apple Daily, 14 women and four men were injured, with one of the men sustaining head injuries. Those hurt were sent to Kwong Wah Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.

The South China Morning Post quoted Tsim Sha Tsui fire station's Assistant Divisional Officer Chung Chi-wai saying that none of the injured had suffered broken bones and all of them were conscious.

A spokesperson for Langham Place was quoted by Apple Daily as saying that all escalators in the mall were inspected by Otis Elevator, the maintenance contractor, in accordance with the law.

The escalator that malfunctioned undergoes annual inspections twice a year, with the last such inspection carried out on Jan 27, as well as routine inspections every two weeks, the spokesperson said. The last routine inspection was on Thursday and the escalator was found to be functioning normally and in compliance with safety standards, according to the spokesperson.

The mall will cooperate fully with authorities and has asked Otis Elevator to investigate the cause of the accident, the spokesperson added.

Langham Place, completed in 2004, is said to attract more than 200,000 visitors each day.</s>HONG KONG: Two technicians have been arrested after an escalator malfunctioned at a Hong Kong shopping mall on Saturday (Mar 25) injuring at least 18.

The men from Otis Elevator Company were arrested for attempting to pervert the course of justice and have been released on bail, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. They were held on suspicion of handling mechanical parts in relation to the incident at Langham Place shopping mall, SCMP added.

Video footage of the incident shows the 45m-long escalator - one of Hong Kong's longest indoor escalators - between the fourth and eighth floors of Langham Place suddenly reversing and throwing shoppers off balance.

Of those injured, two remain in hospital in a stable condition, according to SCMP.

A damaged driving chain might have been the cause of the incident and a braking device may have also malfunctioned, a spokesperson from Hong Kong's Electrical and Mechanical Services Department told SCMP.



“The department is conducting a thorough investigation to ­confirm the causes of the accident,” the spokesperson added.



Hong Kong's government has also ordered contractors to conduct tests on 57 escalators that are more than 15m tall within a month, according to SCMP.</s>An escalator malfunction inside a mall in Hong Kong’s Langham Place lead to 18 people being injured after it stopped and began moving in the opposite direction. A video footage of the incident, which surfaced online, saw several people screaming in terror as they were hurtled down one of Hong Kong’s longest escalator. The shoppers lost their balance and stumbled down the escalator, leading to a pile up at the bottom. The escalator connects Mong Kok Mall’s fourth and eight floors and is 45 metres in length, according to the South China Morning Post.

According to the Straits Times, of the 18 injured, four were men and 14 women. A man who suffered a head injury was reportedly taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and is said to be serious. The mall management and Otis Elevator Company (HK) Limited will be carrying out an investigation to ascertain the cause of the incident. Also, the victims will be appropriately compensated. According to the Langham Place spokeswoman, the escalator had passed a biannual safety test on March 23. The incident took place at 4 pm local time.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now</s>Stepping off the plane in Hong Kong or Taiwan is like stepping into another world where cosmopolitan life meets street markets and something unfamiliar to see, taste and experience lurks around every corner.

“Going to Hong Kong and Taiwan you’ll experience some of the best food, a really different culture and great shopping,” says Rosana Loo, general manager of Silkway Travel and Cruise. “It’s really for people looking to have an amazing Asian experience.”

Here are the top 3 reasons to visit Hong Kong and Taiwan:

Food: With over 14,000 restaurants in Hong Kong, it can be tough to know where to start, but the first thing you have to try are the dim sum favourites: barbecue pork bun, ha gau and siu mai, both delicious steamed dumplings. Due to international influence, Hong Kong has become a melting pot of Asian fusion cuisine, and if you want to experience the whole spectrum of Hong Kong food then dim sum is a must.

Taiwan is known for a drink that has taken Vancouver by storm – bubble tea. The pearl milk tea originated in the ’80s and is the Taiwanese equivalent of a milkshake. It’s sweet tea with milk, with chewy tapioca balls at the bottom.

Shopping: There is no place quite like Hong Kong for shopping. From the best of high-end luxury items, to street market stalls where bartering is expected, Hong Kong is a shopper’s paradise. “We love shopping in Hong Kong and Taiwan,” says Loo, “from brand name stores to small items for sale at street stalls, shopping in Hong Kong and Taiwan is a cultural experience and something everyone has to try.”

Culture: While Hong Kong is a metropolitan mecca, Taiwan is a history buff’s dream. The National Palace Museum alone houses 690,000 artifacts from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. For the more contemporary traveller there’s the Taipei Fine Art Museum, which was the first to display modern art in Taiwan and is the largest modern art museum in Asia. There’s even a place where old meets new at the Huashan Creative Park, which is an old winery turned outdoor modern art exhibition. The contemporary art juxtaposes the old buildings, making for a beautiful stroll through past and present.

Hong Kong and Taiwan are separated by a short 90-minute flight, and with more than 60 flights daily, it’s a great multi-destination adventure. Silkway Travel and Cruise offers two different travel experiences. For those who love the city life: Hong Kong and Taipei 10-Night Tour. For those who like to explore beyond the cities’ borders: Hong Kong and Taiwan Round Island Exploration. For more information, visit Silkway.com/TWHK.

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Silkway Travel and Cruise.
A 45-meter long escalator at Langham Place in Hong Kong malfunctions injuring at least 18 people.