Why are Hongkongers obsessed with Singapore, even as they give their own government the cold shoulder?
The Lion City does well in areas Hong Kong struggles in, analysts say
Hongkongers are feeling more love for Singapore, even as they shun their own and the United States’ governments.
In a University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme poll asking 502 Hongkongers how they feel about different governments, the Lion City came out on top in a list of 14 places.
In contrast, Hong Kong was ranked 11th and Canada slipped to 2nd, from 1st in August last year. The US was at the bottom of the list of places that included regions in Greater China and other countries.
Professor Xun Wu, the director of the institute for public policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, did not comment directly on the findings but said Singapore often stood out in international rankings.
“In general, I think that people may view Singapore’s experience more positively as the country has performed very well in various international rankings, such as competitiveness, innovation, quality of education and liveable cities, while Hong Kong continues to struggle in areas where Singapore has excelled in … such as housing affordability,” Wu said.