US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has lashed out at Beijing in a long-awaited speech on Washington's strategy to address China's rise as a great power. He accused China of being the most serious challenge to the international order, and said the ruling Communist Party had become more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad. However, he also said the United States does not seek to sever China from the global economy, but wants Beijing to adhere to international rules. The Global Times tabloid said in an editorial that Blinken's speech appears to be relatively 'moderate' compared with the aggressive stance adopted by his predecessor Mike Pompeo. It noted that Blinken said Washington is willing to increase communication across a full range of issues with Beijing, and it does not want to transform China's political system, nor stop it from growing its economy:

Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China has “no intention at all” to build a military base in the Solomon Islands, where he began a 10-day tour of Pacific nations. Australia's former government had said any move to create a military base would amount to crossing a "red line". But Wang countered by saying "China's cooperation with Pacific Island countries does not target any country and should not be disrupted. Aaron Tam reports:

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has spoken out against recommended pay rises for civil servants, saying they could drive private-sector wages up as the economy shrinks. As Joanne Wong reports, it says the proposed raises are 'out of touch':

The honorary chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association says he expects workers to demand pay rises in line with an expected increase in public sector salaries -- even though businesses can't afford it. Danny Lau joins a growing backlash against findings of a private sector pay trend survey -- which suggests that civil servants may receive pay hikes of between 2.04 and 7.26 percent. Janice Wong asked him if he agrees with an assessment by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, that pay rises of this magnitude is 'out of touch' with reality:

The Ombudsman has accused the aviation authorities of being too lax in regulating the increasingly popular sport paragliding. The watchdog wants the Civil Aviation Department to tighten regulations introduce real-name registration. Wendy Wong has the details:

The chairman of Hong Kong Paragliding Association, Paul Zimmerman, says he supports a call by the Ombudsman for the government to introduce a real-name registration system after the watchdog accused the authorities of being too lax in enforcing the rules. He told Vicky Wong that real-name registration will aid the development of the growing sport, while keeping it safe:

Researchers from Polytechnic University say they have developed a portable Covid antibody test kit using saliva, unlike conventional tests that use blood. They say their technology is not only non-invasive, but also highly sensitive and much cheaper than laboratory tests. Dr Helen Law, associate professor in radiography with the university, told RTHK's Violet Wong how the device works:

The government is looking to expand non-smoking public areas as the percentage of smokers in Hong Kong drops to single digits for the first time. It's also planning a month-long campaign this summer in its drive to encourage more smokers to quit. Maggie Ho reports:

The Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Liu Guangyuan, says Hong Kong's constitutional order must be protected in order to preserve the rule of law here. He also called for law enforcement to be strengthened in the face of what he described as rampant anti-China forces. Damon Pang has the details: