Letters | Hong Kong must focus on the economy, not politics

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“A barren rock, with nary a house upon it” was how Lord Henry John Temple Palmerston, then British foreign secretary, described Hong Kong 180 years ago. What the British saw as a “fishing village” may not have seemed a particularly attractive place to live and do business, but the first British governor of Hong Kong declared it a free port.

Today, Hong Kong once again must respond to a slew of challenges. The city has been hit by years of social upheaval and, more recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. There has reportedly been a steady flight of capital and talent from Hong Kong to our rival Singapore, which will affect our economic development. How can we tackle both the capital outflow and the brain drain?

We desperately need good policies. We have to make both local residents and newly arrived migrants regard Hong Kong as “home sweet home” so we can stem the tide of emigration and Hong Kong residents will not be affected by push and pull factors, but will stay here as permanent residents.

There is a well-known couplet that goes, “The door is open to bliss for all seasons, the house has room for wealth from all directions”. Hong Kong has prospered when it focused on business and trade but withered when it was involved in political turmoil and conflict.