Opinion | Amid an exodus, what Hong Kong needs most is unity

We should heed the words of Xia Baolong: the city needs officials who can contribute to China’s progress by uniting Hongkongers

The rise of boy band Mirror and the performance of our athletes have shown it is possible, however briefly, to bridge the political divide in Hong Kong

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A man waves the Hong Kong flag in a shopping mall in the city while celebrating Siobhan Haughey’s silver medal in the women’s 100m freestyle swimming final, at the Tokyo Olympics on July 30. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:30pm, 15 Aug 2021Updated: 2:30pm, 15 Aug 2021

The exodus from Hong Kong is very real. Estimates put the number of Hongkongers departing the city at 1,000 a day. More than 15,000 students have dropped out of the local educational system – though it remains to be seen how many of those have subsequently emigrated.

Increasingly ubiquitous are scenes of tearful farewells at the airport, of families being split by the hasty departure of younger people, of residents moving to foreign countries – all amid worsening tensions between China and the West.

Some say Hongkongers are “voting with their feet”. Others suggest the effects could be transient, much like the waves of emigration following the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, and in the run-up to the 1997 handover. Then, many Hongkongers who left eventually returned, some because of difficulty in adjusting and hardships.

Yet, this time, those who leave may not return any time soon. Push factors range from the seismic political changes and transformed social norms in Hong Kong, to dimming prospects and economic woes – in a city with sky-high property prices and a dearth of industrial diversification – and resentment of both the Hong Kong and Beijing authorities.

And even if some people are quitting the city on an impulse, it does not render their departure any less drastic and worrying.

We should heed the words of Xia Baolong, the top official in Beijing who oversees Hong Kong. He said the city needs officials with “strategic thinking and a broad vision”, who can contribute to China’s progress by uniting Hongkongers.

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