Munich is the city that Hong Kong can be, with the right governance

A regional centre of business and finance, innovation and culture, with a great quality of living, Munich is everything that Hong Kong would want to be

To be that truly world-class city, Hong Kong needs a government that is representative and responsive to people’s needs

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Children play at a fountain in Munich, southern Germany, on July 25. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 6:00am, 24 Sep 2019Updated: 6:00am, 24 Sep 2019

I recently spent a week in the southern German city of Munich. It is the home of the carmaker BMW, electronics firm Siemens, financial services company Allianz, FC Bayern Munich, one of the most successful European soccer teams, and right now, Oktoberfest, the world’s largest beer festival. The city ranks near the top of global surveys for standard and quality of living. In short, it is everything Hong Kong would want to be.

Hong Kong protesters still have four demands of the government, which are unlikely to be adequately met. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s administration has embarked on a series of public consultations to appease and cajole, contending that the aim is to find out the root of the discontent.

But officials are being disingenuous; they know very well why citizens are so unhappy. No matter where in the world they live, people simply want a reasonable standard of living, good jobs, a healthy environment and home that they can be proud to call their own.

I would wager they would be more than happy if the fundamentals of Munich could be laid over Hong Kong’s grid.

A city’s development should be organic. There is no model that can be copied and imposed on a society; geography, culture and history always dictate circumstances. But ideas can be considered and adapted and when suitable, adopted. Munich is awash with them, from vehicle-free streets and green belts to outdoor restaurants and beyond.

Broadly, Munich checks all the boxes that Hong Kong is or aspires to be; a regional centre of business, finance, education, science, technology, innovation, culture and tourism. Hong Kong’s population size and unemployment rate are not that far removed from those of Munich’s metropolitan area. But where the two diverge is in governance.