Beijing Briefing: 28 November 2025

Hong Kong death toll reaches 128; media report contractor had record of safety offences

The devastating fire at a residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po that has killed at least 128 people and been described by local outlets as the 'worst fire in seven decades' continues to be a major story in Chinese media today.

The local independent newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP) continues to run a live page of relevant news developments. As well as providing the updated death toll, it says that the "status of 200 people [is] unclear". The official China News Service highlights that Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Chris Tang "warned that more bodies may still be found".

Other outlets are also running round-the-clock coverage, including China's official China Daily newspaper.

The official newspaper People's Daily signals that the fire has now fully been extinguished. Quoting the Hong Kong Fire Department, it reports that firefighting and rescue work concluded today at 10:18am local time. China's official broadcaster CCTV says that efforts have now turned towards "searching each apartment one by one from bottom to top".

The People's Daily highlights that Secretary for Security Chris Tang has said that the investigation into the incident could take three to four weeks. The paper reports: "he said he believes the fire initially started in the lower-level fencing… ignited the foam boards and quickly spread to other buildings. This also caused glass to shatter, the fire to intensify rapidly, and to spread into interior spaces".

The People's Daily highlights that Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption has today arrested two directors of an engineering consultancy firm responsible for overseeing maintenance work at the residential estate. SCMP reports that a further six have been arrested, saying that at least two arrests have been made at the Will Power Architects Company.

SCMP is giving a lot of attention today to the contractors involved in the project: Prestige Construction. In an exclusive, the newspaper says that they have a "record of safety offences", and were "fined twice for offences in Mid-Levels projects in 2023 before taking on renovation work in Tai Po".

In a separate report, SCMP says that "Hong Kong's labour authorities had warned the contractor working on Wang Fuk Court's renovation about a fire hazard just a week before".

The paper says that Hong Kong's Labour Department "had inspected Wang Fuk Court 16 times since July last year, and as recently as 20 November", with inspections "including verifying whether the scaffolding nets met safety standards". It adds that "less than a week ago, it reminded the contractor of the need to implement appropriate fire safety measures".

Beijing News highlights that Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee has announced the cancellation or postponement of all upcoming government-organised celebrations, while follow-up work is conducted into the fire. It says that government officials will also "reduce their attendance at non-essential public events and focus on handling and supporting the aftermath".

The entertainment platform Sina News also highlights that at today's MAMA awards ceremony in Hong Kong, organisers have instructed artists to refrain from "encouraging enthusiastic responses from the audience" with things like laughing gags. SCMP notes that the event has been downsized, and that many artists have pulled out from attending tonight.

A lot of media attention is given to survivors of the fire, and concerns from loved ones about the fate of friends and relatives.

Beijing News shares footage of a woman speaking from her hospital bed about "fire debris spraying down from above" and firefighters guiding her to safety. SCMP speaks to residents at shelters, who largely speak of struggling to sleep, and being uncertain about what the fire means for their futures.

Sina News highlights the concerns of a daughter who is still looking for her mother. SCMP has a report on how families have been enduring "unimaginable loss" either learning that their loved ones were among the fatalities, or being left with no answers over their fate. 

SCMP reports that Hong Kong's insurance sector is "expected to face record claims of HK $2.6bn (US $334m) related to the deadly fire".

A lot of media are focused on ways that the local community have pulled together in a time of crisis.

SCMP reports on how multiple developers and hoteliers have offered free lodgings to people affected by the Tai Po fire.

The popular video site Pear Video reports on how "a large number of Hong Kong citizens have spontaneously visited blood donation centres in various districts to donate blood, resulting in long queues". Sina News adds that blood donation appointments are "fully booked until next month" in the city. It says the Guangdong government has already arranged for medical supplies, rescue equipment and consumables to be sent over the border. CCTV has been running TV reports on this.

The popular video site Kankan News also has a video report on how Hong Kong locals have been arriving with donations at firefighters' designated rest points. It says that people have been arriving with thermoses and thermal blankets. Beijing broadcaster BTime has a video on a 70-year-old Hong Kong woman delivering water to firefighters at 4am this morning.

The People's Daily is running video reports on how residents in China's southwest Guizhou province have also rallied together to send supplies to Hong Kong. Its report features a 95-year-old woman who has contributed, saying: "Others have helped us; now it's our turn to help others". CCTV reports that many donations have come from the region's Rongjiang County area, which was impacted by devastating floods in June this year.

The People's Daily says that China's border province Guangdong is coordinating with Hong Kong to provide support and disaster relief.

The media are highlighting that large donations are continuing to pour in. The People's Daily notes that the Macau government have donated HK $30m (US $3.85m) to support Hong Kong. Beijing News daily highlights that China's All-China Women's Federation has donated 5m yuan (US $710,000). Popular news site The Paper says that actor Wang Yibo has donated 1m yuan.

SCMP reports that the incident has led to a rush in Hong Kong for people to snap up fire safety equipment in the wake of the incident.

Three Chinese nationals killed near Tajikistan-Afghanistan border

Some media attention today to an armed attack on 26 November in Tajikistan's Shamsiddin-Shohin district, which has resulted in three Chinese being killed and another injured.

According to China's Global Times newspaper, the three victims were workers at a camp housing company called LLC Shohin SM near the Afghan border and were killed in a drone attack "carried out from across the border in Afghanistan".

The paper highlights that the Chinese Embassy in Tajikistan has strongly condemned the attack, calling it a "criminal act", and has dispatched a working team to the area to handle follow-up matters, while also urging the Tajik government to "conduct a thorough investigation".

It also notes that the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan has "issued a renewed warning to Chinese companies and personnel engaged in gold mining operations in the affected region, urging them to leave the area as soon as possible".

Media continue discussing deteriorating China-Japan ties after PM Takaichi's Taiwan remarks

Chinese officials and leading news outlets continue to issue critical comment on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, after she implied in early November that Japan could intervene, should China send warships to Taiwan.

The People's Daily has an editorial today in which it says that Takaichi has chosen not to acknowledge or rectify her "misstatements", instead opting "for a high-profile diplomatic performance", in which she has proclaimed her "willingness to engage in dialogue with China".

Beijing News highlights that China's foreign ministry has again today stressed that China views Takaichi as having sent "wrong signals to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces" and has called on her to retract her remarks. The foreign ministry has issued repeat comment on this on an ongoing basis. The China News Service reports that the Chinese foreign ministry has rejected claims that she might have done so thus far.

The China Daily newspaper shares pictures of protesters outside the Japanese prime minister's official residence on 26 November, and suggests that she is under pressure to retract her remarks from within Japan itself too.

The Global Times highlights that China's foreign ministry issued further comment today targeting Taiwan's leadership, saying that their "fawning on Japan and pursuing independence" was seen by Beijing as "despicable". The paper notes that criticism has extended beyond Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party to the Taiwan People's Party, after a visiting delegation posed "with Sanae Takaichi's desk" at the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party headquarters. The Global Times says that Chinese social media users have mocked the picture, saying that it looks like they are attendees at a funeral.

Meanwhile, media are keen to highlight that China still has grave concerns over Japan deploying medium-range air missiles to Yonaguni Island, which is close to Taiwan.

The Global Times highlights China's further concern today at Japan's defence minister recently inspecting a Self-Defence Force Base in the Ryukyu Islands. The paper says that this is further evidence the country is "rekindling its long-dormant spectre of militarism".

The China Daily highlights that China's Ministry of Defence yesterday warned that "if Japan dares to cross the red line and invites trouble for itself, it will be destined to pay a heavy price". In a separate report, the paper says that spokesman Jiang Bin warned Japan on its "rising militarism", saying: "Any attempt to repeat the evil path of aggression and expansion and undermine the post-WWII international order will not succeed".

The South China Morning Post highlights that Beijing has now frozen all youth exchange programmes with Tokyo amid the row. It says, quoting a diplomatic source that this is amid "concern that the bilateral rift could affect younger generations".

Taiwanese media have given little focus today to the ongoing row; however, an editorial in the pro-democracy Taiwan News outlet says that "Japan's debate over Taiwan has entered a new phase", and it argues that "it's time for US clarity on Taiwan".

President Donald Trump recently spoke via phone to the leaders of both China and Japan, and the outlet calls on the US to show less ambiguity and more support for Tokyo over Taiwan.

However, Chinese media earlier suggested this week that, given tensions between the US and China over the ongoing tariff war, that the US has been treading carefully where Beijing is concerned to avoid derailing its own fragile relationship with China.

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