Hong Kong is bouncing back just at the right time for John Lee

Timing is everything in politics, and Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has good timing on his side. Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xia Baolong’s fact-finding trip could not have come at a more perfect time for Lee because school is out and the report cards are rolling in.

The day before Beijing’s point man for Hong Kong and Macau affairs arrived for his third fact-finding trip, the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development released its latest World Competitiveness Ranking. Hong Kong scored 99.2 out of 100, rising two spots to came in third in global competitiveness. The city made it into the top three for the first time since 2019.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific returned to the top three of the Skytrax airline rankings, rising three places from last year. It also received awards for best in-flight entertainment and best economy class. Cathay came fifth in 2024 after another three-place rise. In April, meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport came sixth in the Skytrax World Airport Awards, rising from 33rd place in 2023 and 11th last year.

Fortunately for Lee, all these accolades came to Hong Kong under his watch. Xia can take them back to Beijing, using this rise in the rankings as evidence that the world’s perception of the city is improving and the pendulum is swinging back in its favour despite the persistent challenges posed by geopolitical developments.

This shift is the result of more than work done by the government. Not only has Cathay Pacific made a remarkable recovery since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Cathay Group – which includes the budget airline HK Express – celebrated the milestone of reaching 100 passenger destinations around the globe this month.

It is easy to forget the Hong Kong government no longer has a stake in Cathay Pacific, one of the most compelling success stories in the city. That is in contrast to Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, the two competitors that finished ahead of it in this year’s Skytrax rankings.

  

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