How can Hong Kong make up lost ground with Shenzhen? Start by treating women better

True Hongkongers would have felt a collective sharp pang after learning that, for the first time in history, Shenzhen’s gross domestic product has surpassed Hong Kong’s. And no, it’s not the story of the tortoise and the hare, although Hongkongers often come across as overconfident.

For one thing, Hong Kong played an instrumental role in making Shenzhen what it is today. And a lot of Hongkongers take pride in that. The city’s significant and unique role in China’s reform and opening up is undeniable, and our reach goes beyond just Shenzhen. Hongkongers were the first to invest on the mainland, and they brought the talent, know-how, money and opportunities. 

Yet, now that Shenzhen, not Hong Kong, leads the Greater Bay Area, it will exacerbate Hongkongers’ existential crisis. There is already enough fear that Hong Kong will lose its edge through further integration and become just another Chinese city; losing our status as leader of the pack will send many into a tailspin.

The truth is that Shenzhen has been on our tail for some time now. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences ranks it as the most competitive city in China – a spot we had held for a decade. And it’s the same old story — Hong Kong failed to diversify its economy, relying too much on our traditional core industries and failing to invest in research and development. Shenzhen’s ascent has been due to its singular focus on innovation.

The truth is also that Hong Kong has struggled to solve long-standing problems. One only need look at our annual budget to be reminded of this sad fact. The annual exercise has long turned into one that gets residents riled over “what’s in it for me”. Then there are the old problems like a narrow tax base and the lack of political will or courage to put our reserves to good use dealing with our ageing population.

The government has reserves that others would kill for, yet, we sit on all that cash and have no idea how to spend it. With all our social ills, the chief executive proposes to throw the bulk of our reserves into land reclamation. We can’t even handle diversification in investing.

We’ve been stuck in a rut while Shenzhen, and others, overtake us. And indeed, Hong Kong has not been performing well in regional or international rankings. One of the biggest shocks came towards the end of last year when the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development dropped Hong Kong  six places when it comes to attracting and fostering talent. It attributed the drop partly to our city’s failure to invest in its own people, in education and in our students. But whether we look at how popular we are to expatriates, the city’s liveability   or people’s happiness, we have been slipping across the board.

Let’s face it, Hong Kong is never going to slam dunk the liveable city rankings

Just last week, a survey that looked at 14 places in the Asia-Pacific region and scored them for safety, health and opportunities for women placed Hong Kong at a pathetic sixth place overall. We ranked first in women’s access to health care, but an unacceptable ninth for safety and eighth for opportunities.

There’s no need to gasp in disbelief; while the Post may have covered many women’s issues, the stories haven’t changed much over the years.

It is unfathomable that, in today’s Hong Kong, women are faced with a wage gap that is widening instead of narrowing. That employers have no qualms about discriminating against employees who have become mothers. And that, in a city headed by a female chief executive, women are still smacking their heads against reinforced glass ceilings.

There may not be much we can do to make others hold us in high esteem, but we can start by giving our women the respect, protection and opportunities they deserve. If, in today’s world, we can’t figure out how to fight for half of our population, then we deserve to be overtaken and forgotten.

Alice Wu is a political consultant and a former associate director of the Asia Pacific Media Network at UCLA