HONG KONG - One of Hong Kong's most prestigious sporting tournaments on Friday became the latest victim of the huge protests convulsing the city as a growing roster of events and entertainment acts pull out of the financial hub.
Hong Kong's protests were triggered by alarm over a controversial Bill, since scrapped, to allow extraditions to mainland China. In recent weeks, a growing number of stars have cancelled or postponed events, from prominent K-Pop acts such as Daniel Kang and GOT7 to the popular US-based comedian Trevor Noah.On Thursday, producers behind the award-winning musical Matilda - based on the children's novel by Roald Dahl - announced they were scrapping a planned month-long run in the city that was supposed to kick off next week.
On-year tourist arrivals fell by 40 per cent in August, the city's financial secretary Paul Chan revealed this month, with hotel occupancy rates down by around half, causing knock-on impacts on the retail and dining sectors. Seasonally adjusted economic growth dropped by 0.4 per cent in the second quarter, most of which fell before the pro-democracy rallies began.
Under a deal signed with Britain ahead of the city's 1997 handover to China, Hong Kong is allowed to keep its unique freedoms for 50 years.