Opinion | Coronavirus crisis in Hong Kong means political reform is needed more urgently than ever

To reshape a battered economy and livelihoods, the Hong Kong government must rise to the challenge of making bold decisions and confronting vested interests

Without major changes to the political structure, the city will no longer be among the top choices for the best and brightest

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Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meets the press at the government headquarters in Admiralty on March 31. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 2:30pm, 5 Apr 2020Updated: 8:41pm, 5 Apr 2020

For the past two months, the message from the government’s press briefings on the coronavirus outbreak has been: the next two weeks are absolutely critical. And each time it has been true. The trouble is that it will still be true for the next few months, and perhaps right up to the end of 2020.

The focus on the here and now is understandable: peoples’ first priority is to still be alive tomorrow. But one consequence of concentrating on the short term is that it obscures some of the long-term changes that are going to affect our city, for which we need to be planning now.

For example, the broad economic restructuring that is now inevitable, the urgency of the need for fundamental political reform, and a likely rise in emigration. These issues are linked.

Let’s start with the economy. The temporary restrictions on the way restaurants operate may have a minor impact on the virus’ spread, but they are already having a major effect on the viability of the catering scene.

Virtually all eating establishments are struggling. Nor is there an easy way forward. We could follow the example of some other cities and close them all for a spell, but at the end of that period the premises would still be absurdly expensive to rent.

It is a similar story with the retail sector, especially at the luxury end. Rents are far too high, landlords are unrelenting, sales volumes have to be substantial just for operators to make ends meet.