John Lee offers a chance for real change. Hong Kong must seize this opportunity
- Beijing can afford to ratchet down the threat level with Lee at the helm. It’s time to expand the discourse from patriotism, bring in the disenfranchised and flesh out policies to secure Hong Kong’s future
As the dust settles, a lone rider has emerged from the haze. He was duly anointed by the central government’s liaison office, thus saving a beleaguered Hong Kong from the onerous task of picking a chief executive. John Lee Ka-chiu was the sole candidate in the election and is now chief executive-elect. Case closed.
Whatever the emotions and calculations, Lee’s arrival offers the possibility of change, a new beginning. And it is this that must now be the city’s singular focus.
This is no idle gobbledegook. It has less to do with China’s political posture and everything to do with the potential benefits of “stability”, a much maligned word today.
With the city reading from the same script, it may be wise to expand the discourse from patriotism (the sole visible platform for many Legislative Council hopefuls at the last hustings) to fleshed-out policies and a game plan to secure the future of Hong Kong.
That the city has been brought back into the fold is beyond doubt. Whether this is in line with or ruffles the Basic Law is moot. It is a fait accompli and the political leadership must start focusing on the things that will make Hong Kong a must-do city again.
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With the city’s track record in virology, after its experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) catapulted it to centre stage, it could consider becoming a centre for the development and production of cutting-edge vaccines. Covid-19 has vigorously spotlighted this need.
The Northern Metropolis will allow sufficient space for this sort of integrated development within an ecologically green framework, the environment being another area where the city could work harder to build a good head of steam. It’s time Hong Kong ceased to be a one-trick pony.
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For any of this to happen, the education sector must be vigorously funded and encouraged to expand to include the broader region both in terms of syllabuses (and general knowledge) and to export valuable service skills.
Vijay Verghese is a long-time Hong Kong-based journalist and columnist