Editorial | Unity more important than PR campaign to rebuild Hong Kong

As the Covid-19 outbreak appears to be stabilising in Hong Kong, the city is gearing up for a global image rebranding. Whether this is the time for such an endeavour is open to debate. But for the city to fully restore its vitality, there needs to be more than just a publicity blitz.

The previous tender in September for an overseas public relations drive did not yield positive responses from PR firms. That was unsurprising, given that anti-government protests were still raging at the time. Now that the social unrest has somewhat subsided, the government may think it is time for a relaunch.

Indeed, the need to reboot the city has never been greater. According to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, the economy is facing its worst downturn in decades, with gross domestic product expected to fall by 4-7 per cent in the coming year. Tourism, aviation and retail are some of the hardest hit sectors. The year-long PR push means officials realise that a quick rebound is unlikely.

The successful bidder should set out a communications strategy to highlight Hong Kong’s recovery and help rebuild confidence in the city as a place to invest, do business, work and live. It also needs to explain how the strategy would be impacted by continuing social unrest, as well as counter negative international perceptions, according to the requirements in the tender.

It is true that any promotion may be held back by a resurgence of violent protests. The negative sentiments sparked by the now-withdrawn extradition bill last year were only suppressed by the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic. Almost a year has passed but the political deadlock remains. The recent gatherings in some shopping malls are testimony to the lingering sentiments.

The improving situation across the globe means many countries could be launching their own overseas promotions at the same time. How Hong Kong can stand out for attention will be a challenge. Our strong fundamentals and relatively effective health control measures are our selling points.

But it takes more than a publicity campaign to rebuild the city. Increasingly, there are doubts about the way “one country, two systems” is implemented. Criticisms of mainland China and the perceived erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms and institutional safeguards are turning global opinion against us. No less important is rebuilding from within. Many are wondering what is to become of Hong Kong when the political and health crises finally subside.