Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam must defuse protests by restarting universal suffrage talks and tackling housing crisis, trade boss Peter Levesque says

Help Hongkongers priced out of city and salvage democratic reform discussions after ‘missed opportunity’ of 2014, Lam told

The former head of influential American business group warns US legislation could harm Hong Kong’s cargo industry

Reading Time:4 minutes

Peter Levesque, the outgoing managing director of a major cargo business in Hong Kong, suggests quelling anti-government anger by addressing democracy deficiencies, the wealth gap and housing issues in the city. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 8:30am, 16 Dec 2019Updated: 8:41am, 16 Dec 2019

Hong Kong’s leader should break the deadlock from months of protests by restarting talks on universal suffrage, tackling the housing crisis and engaging more with the public, according to a business leader.

Peter Levesque, who runs one of the city’s largest container terminal operators, bemoaned the “missed opportunity” for democratic reforms five years ago, as he warned of a widening wealth gap between generations that made it too expensive for many Hongkongers to start a family.

The American, who is group managing director of Modern Terminals Ltd, also said companies needed swift action from Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s administration to repair the damage to the city’s global reputation, caused by six months of anti-government unrest.

But the former chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said the situation was “fixable” by focusing on fresh dialogue for universal suffrage and helping people to buy their own homes.

Tear gas has filled Hong Kong streets during often-violent clashes gripping the city since June. Photo: Edmond So

“I have seen over the last 20-plus years since the handover, that ‘one country, two systems’ has been very successful,” Levesque told the Post, referring to the principle under which the city is ruled from Beijing but promised a high degree of autonomy.

“But while it has been successful for one generation it has not necessarily been as successful for the next generation. In some ways, the next generation has viewed it as ‘one country, too bad’.”