Shades Off | My wish for the new year? For Hong Kong to finally embrace change and innovation
- The city’s transformation may be cause for unease, but resistance to change will hold back technological development
- ‘Asia’s world city’ must live up to its name by adopting smart technology, switching to clean energy and finally coming to terms with Covid-19
The Kammerer household isn’t a terribly festive place around Christmas. There isn’t a tree or decorations and the only difference from any other day is a German fruit and nut loaf known as a stollen and box of traditional mince pies on a shelf.
The ritual of gift-giving with family and friends was absent, lunch was at an Indian restaurant and my only goodwill gesture was writing a cheque to a non-profit organisation that supports the disabled, elderly and needy.
But being largely indifferent about an occasion that enraptures so many others does not mean I am devoid of hopes and wishes; my thoughts this year are with Hong Kong and what lies in store for the city that has been my home for more than 33 years.
Not in those three decades do I feel Hong Kong has undergone as much transformation as in the past 18 months. It’s not something that can be seen; the famed skyline hasn’t perceptibly changed and infrastructure is largely as it has been.
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Hong Kong's revamped electoral system bolsters pro-Beijing influence in key decision-making bodies
