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Hong Kong
OpinionComment
Bernard Chan
Bernard Chan

Opinion | In a world of conflict, only dialogue and engagement can build better relations and set a good example for next generation

  • Respect, understanding and tolerance of others’ cultural values are fundamental to an open, inclusive society
  • Working more closely across the international community is the only way to overcome the most difficult challenges facing humanity

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Students at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong hold discussions as part of a two-day summit in March 2019. The college’s mission of promoting diversity and intercultural understanding can be a guiding light in increasingly intolerant times. Photo: Handout
Bernard Chan

Courage, commitment, passion and integrity seem increasingly elusive in today’s society. It falls to parents, the community and business leaders to instil these qualities into our young people. After all, they will have to deal with the major issues thrust upon them by previous generations.

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This reality was brought home to me recently at the 30th anniversary gala dinner for the 2023 graduates of Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong. The school is a member of United World Colleges, whose philosophy is focused on diversity and intercultural understanding. Their mission is to provide a life-defining educational experience.
I was invited to participate in a panel discussion alongside eminent academic Kishore Mahbubani and Teresa Ma, the founder of Peace Generation. The topic was “Peace in the Future of Asia Pacific”. This is a complex, sensitive subject but one that is relevant amid heightening geopolitical tensions between China and the United States.

This rise in tensions is being driven by a shift in global power. The increasing influence of China and India is the most noteworthy example from recent years, and many Southeast Asian countries have also achieved strong growth, which has enhanced the region’s economic power. This is not the result of war or military threats but pragmatic economic cooperation that has lifted millions of people out of poverty.

As McKinsey partners Jonathan Woetzel and Jeongmin Seong wrote in a 2019 commentary: “In the 19th century, the world was Europeanised. In the 20th century, it was Americanised. Now, it is being Asianised – and much faster than you may think.” They close by saying that, “We have entered the ‘Asian century’, as the author Parag Khanna puts it. There is no turning back.”
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During a forum in Hong Kong organised by the Singapore Chamber of Commerce last month, Mahbubani said war between China and the US was unlikely but Hong Kong should prepare to be “kicked around” like a football in the next decade. Such tactics are not advantageous to anyone, particularly our international partners. Many already benefit from our unique status and will do so for the foreseeable future.
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