During the recent “two sessions”, Chinese Premier Li Qiang reaffirmed Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” framework and called on the city to deepen international exchanges and cooperation. It was a timely reminder of Hong Kong’s unique value to the mainland and how the city can assert its relevance in an increasingly polarised world.
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Back in 2001, Hong Kong was branded “Asia’s world city”. In the last few years, the Hong Kong government has positioned the city as a “superconnector” and “value-added” partner to mainland China and the rest of the world.
Has the city fulfilled its role as a bridge facilitating the flow of people, capital and ideas? Or are we merely parroting slogans? It is high time we act on our brand promise, whether in relation to our talent mix, technology development, taking traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to the world or becoming a cultural melting pot and an education and management innovation hub.
The government is proactively trying to draw talent to Hong Kong. But marketing and talent admission schemes can only do so much. To be a magnet for global talent, the city must offer unique career and entrepreneurship opportunities with access to international networks and the Chinese mainland’s vast market.
Hong Kong firms should be comfortable using English as the language of international business. Talent from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas and beyond cannot be expected to work in a Chinese-speaking environment.
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The city has always been an international trading hub. Let’s not kid ourselves: we are not going to become the next Silicon Valley or Shenzhen, no matter how much we spend on research and development. We should focus on what we are good at – finance, business support, intellectual property protection and global connections.