The call for better standards of English made by former chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang this week reflects one of Hong Kong's deep-seated insecurities.
We are constantly worrying about whether our city's grip on the 'language of commerce' is slipping.
Few people would disagree with the need to maintain good standards of English. In Hong Kong, we have more reason to do so than those in other parts of the region. English is, after all, one of our two official languages.
But which form of English should we be learning - and polishing? The Basic Law does not tell us whether it is referring to the Queen's English spoken by our city's former British rulers or to some other form of the language.
Perhaps it has American English in mind. This is spoken by many Hong Kong people and dominates popular culture. Or could it be the version spoken in Australia, Canada, or somewhere else in the English-speaking world? Maybe Chinglish would fit the bill.
The classic Hong Kong form of English would probably incorporate elements of all of these. This is a product of our racially and nationally diverse community.
We might add a distinctive Filipino twang - the result of Hong Kong children spending so much time in the company of their domestic helpers.