Brian Y. S. Wong

Opinion | Hong Kong leader’s policy address is a promising start, but the city needs a transformative vision

Chief Executive John Lee’s first policy address showed the government understands its mission: bring back global talent, diversify the economy and cut policy inaction

But what is still missing is a sense of the values, principles and unique elements on which our city’s future success will be built

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Brian Y. S. Wong

Published: 9:15am, 21 Oct 2022

When Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu took office earlier this year, he was faced with a Hong Kong in dire need of repair and restoration. Two years of stringent quarantine restrictions, a pandemic-battered economy and escalating geopolitical tensions meant Lee’s administration could not simply rest on existing virtues.

The city that had always benefited from being China’s gateway to the world – and the world’s entry point into the 1.4-billion-people economy – faced challenges that were not merely transitory, but could be devastating to its future, if left to foment.

The policy address delivered on Wednesday was a testament to the administration’s resolve to take on many of these challenges.

The mass exodus of talent – induced by a combination of grievances over the seismic transformation of the city over the past few years, socioeconomic inequalities and general ossification of governance – was a notable red flag. The government clearly grasped that this was a problem.

The policy address proposed a basket of solutions, ranging from stamp duty rebates to new visa initiatives, paired with an aggressive public relations campaign abroad and attempts to address skyrocketing living expenses for young professionals.

Those who had waited decades for the government to grapple with the bureaucratic inertia underpinning the city’s housing crisis and economic stagnation found their calls partially answered. Pledges to increase efficiency, deliver more transitional housing and boost the medium-term housing supply and long-term land supply, were clearly outlined.