Singapore population push puts spotlight on Hong Kong
Rival's plans to allow in thousands of expats raises stakes for city, after its own attempts to halt fall in birth rate were branded a failure
A major push by Singapore to boost immigration over the next two decades has led to calls for Hong Kong to get its act together on population policy.
The move could see foreigners making up nearly half of Singapore's population by 2030.
It was inspired by concerns about the falling birth rate and ageing population, which mirror those in Hong Kong.
In a controversial white paper, Singapore officials said the city's population needs to rise by as much as 30 per cent over the next 17 years, to between 6.5 million and 6.9 million.
They plan to meet that target by taking in between 15,000 and 25,000 new citizens, including foreign-born professionals, and granting about 30,000 permanent resident permits each year. The Singapore proposals prompted accusations from some that an expatriate-led solution is a betrayal of locals.