With less than a week before leaving the White House, President Joe Biden on Wednesday again shielded Hong Kongers who stay in the United States beyond the expiration of their visas from deportation.

President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered a two-year extension of a program allowing Hong Kong residents living in the US to stay beyond the expiry of visas.

Hong Kong democrat Jimmy Lai on Thursday told a court trying him for colluding with foreign powers that he paid a former U.S. general to advise former Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen in late 2017, but denied seeking to endanger China's national security.

Former US general Jack Keane and ex-deputy defence secretary Paul Wolfowitz received money for consultancy services for Taiwanese government.

The Hong Kong-listed shares of property developer China Vanke plunged more than 8% on Friday after state media reported that authorities had detained its chief executive.A Shenzhen government task force has stepped in to oversee operations at the state-backed developer,

Investors moved on from the headline number to focus on the durability of the recovery amid a lack of more clarity on stimulus policies.

Vanke's financial woes became public early last year after the firm sought to extend the maturity of its debt as its monthly sales plunged below break-even levels. It was ranked N