https://www.scmp.com/rss/309578/feed Alex He Jingwei is acting director of the Institute for Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Elisha M. Sonthra,Alex He Jingwei Elisha M. Sonthra,Alex He Jingwei In the face of a persistently low total fertility rate of 0.8 births per woman – currently the lowest in the world – Hong Kong has reached a demographic crossroads. The experience of Japan and South Korea has taught us enough about how inevitable and irreversible the decline is. The absence of a magic bullet, however, should not become the reason for policy inertia because a passive stance would simply exacerbate an already grave situation. The Hong Kong government has implemented a suite of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245459/why-hong-kongs-demographic-dilemma-need-not-mean-doom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3245459/why-hong-kongs-demographic-dilemma-need-not-mean-doom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2023 01:30:16 +0000 Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address last month has given fresh impetus to the development of the Northern Metropolis. Needless to say, this mega project, covering about 300 sq km – 3.8 times the size of Hong Kong Island – is of strategic importance to the long-term development of the city. At a forum I attended this year, a senior official characterised the promotion of innovation and technology in Hong Kong through the Northern Metropolis project as a last chance for the city, and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240519/3-traps-hong-kong-must-avoid-building-innovation-driven-university-town?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3240519/3-traps-hong-kong-must-avoid-building-innovation-driven-university-town?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 01:30:16 +0000 The recent sharp resurgence in local infected cases has again pushed the normalisation of life and business in Hong Kong beyond reach. The cluster outbreak of unknown origins in densely populated parts of the city is particularly alarming. Classes are suspended again while social distancing measures get tightened again. What next? Covid-19 has clearly accelerated its spread in the community, making an exponential increase of local case count very likely in the coming weeks. Seven million... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3093065/hong-kong-coronavirus-third-wave-can-be-tamed-mass-testing-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3093065/hong-kong-coronavirus-third-wave-can-be-tamed-mass-testing-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Jul 2020 22:00:12 +0000 The Chinese government is being put to the test in yet another public health crisis. But unlike with Ebola, swine flu, avian flu or anything else in the past decade, this looming epidemic is of a much larger scale and severity, and potentially more catastrophic. In China alone, the number of infections for this novel coronavirus has already surpassed that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2003. Part of the nerve-racking threat is that this virus, unlike Sars, is infectious even... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3048268/china-coronavirus-crisis-beijing-marshalling-its-formidable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3048268/china-coronavirus-crisis-beijing-marshalling-its-formidable?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Feb 2020 00:30:06 +0000 Hong Kong is now halfway through its three-month public consultation on health care reforms. A mix of cautious optimism and pessimism pervades society. Instead of getting locked into domestic debates, we should broaden our horizons and look at international experiences to contribute to discussions. A good place to start is health care reforms on the mainland, in Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore, which offer a rich menu of policy lessons. The ultimate purpose of health insurance is to shield... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1701501/lessons-hong-kongs-neighbours-health-care-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1701501/lessons-hong-kongs-neighbours-health-care-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2015 04:58:09 +0000 Hong Kong's long-awaited health care financing reform was finally unveiled this month. If implemented, the voluntary health insurance scheme will bring about significant changes to the city's health financing arrangements, which have been in place for decades. The key: more Hong Kong citizens who have been enjoying heavily subsidised but often crowded public health care services will need to set aside several thousand dollars a year to buy health insurance and switch to private doctors. This... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1668684/give-hong-kong-people-more-incentives-switch-private-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1668684/give-hong-kong-people-more-incentives-switch-private-health?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2014 13:01:26 +0000 In mid-July, a legislator's motion on dissolving the Hospital Authority, the statutory body for managing all public hospitals and institutions, stirred widespread debate on Hong Kong's health policies. Although the motion did not succeed in the Legislative Council, heated discussion still goes on. A committee set up by the government late last month is due to review the authority's performance, but even this has proved contentious; controversies about its membership have arisen. Hong Kong has a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1308440/hospital-authority-passes-health-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1308440/hospital-authority-passes-health-test?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000