For Hong Kong to have a future, its young people must have hope

Young Hongkongers do have it harder: owning a home is well nigh impossible, jobs are limited and society is deeply unequal. Both the authorities and the city’s business elite must address these issues, or Hong Kong will truly have no future

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Protesters occupy Nathan Road in Mong Kok on August 3. The root of young people’s despair in Hong Kong is, ultimately, economic. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 4:00pm, 13 Aug 2019Updated: 10:32pm, 13 Aug 2019

Why do Hong Kong’s youth continue to rage? Week after week, their anger has gone unabated, long after the extradition bill was declared dead. Yes, action, reaction, overreaction and inaction from different sides have resulted in a vicious circle spiralling out of control.

But beyond the immediate triggers, ultimately, economic issues are driving the despair, disillusionment and desperation of Hong Kong’s younger generation.

Hong Kong’s youth must be seen in a global context. First, while the younger generation in developing countries can expect a better standard of living than their parents, the opposite is true for developed economies — Hong Kong included.

Second, in many cities, from Australia to Canada, the younger generation are struggling with the prohibitively high costs of home ownership.

Third, as seen in Barack Obama’s re-election and the Brexit referendum, there is a clear divide on values and interests across generations.

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