https://www.scmp.com/rss/318082/feed A selection of Hong Kong's leading figures give their views on the city's economic and social future in this 10-part series. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A light government touch, flexibility in business and the city’s strategic position with the mainland will allow Hong Kong to continue the economic success it has enjoyed over the past decades, despite short-term political turbulence, according to the chairman of conglomerate Swire Pacific. “We are part of the second-largest economy in the world. This is a fantastic thing for Hong Kong. It gives us chance to take part in China’s economic growth,” said John Slosar, who is also chairman of Swire... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1941519/hong-kong-can-sustain-its-economic-success-flexibility-and-commitment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1941519/hong-kong-can-sustain-its-economic-success-flexibility-and-commitment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2016 14:01:41 +0000 Since its establishment 154 years ago with a capital of only 35,000 British pounds in the early colonial days, Hong Kong and China Gas (Towngas) has come a long way as a provider of cleaner-burning energy. Its story began when British entrepreneur William Glen won a concession from the Hong Kong government in 1861 to light the city. Instead of raising money in Hong Kong, he registered the firm the following year in London and sold shares mainly to investors in Britain. As the oldest public... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1941129/towngas-marches-hong-kongs-ups-and-downs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1941129/towngas-marches-hong-kongs-ups-and-downs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2016 14:00:49 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng Hong Kong is still a great place to launch new businesses and young people with innovative ideas should take advantage of the city’s talent pool and proximity to the mainland market and vast ­resources. That’s the view of Alfred Chan Wing-kin, managing director of Hong Kong and China Gas (Towngas), Hong Kong’s oldest utility company, which has taken exactly that approach to maintain long term growth despite already having a dominant position in the city’s mature energy gas market. “Hong Kong is... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1941119/millennials-should-embrace-hong-kong-base-develop-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1941119/millennials-should-embrace-hong-kong-base-develop-businesses?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2016 14:00:48 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Hong Kong is still a blessed city for business. Despite a slowdown, the mainland’s economic growth is still at 6.5 per cent, which cannot be found in many places. China will still be a relatively dynamic place economically in the next decade. Hong Kong people need to adjust their mentality to the “new normal” when tapping into the mainland’s resources and opportunities. Although political infighting has increased, I don’t think it... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1941126/effort-needed-tackle-labour-shortage-artisanal-technical-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1941126/effort-needed-tackle-labour-shortage-artisanal-technical-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2016 14:00:48 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Yes. Hong Kong is where our company is founded. Geographically, it is very close to our manufacturing centres in mainland China. It is very easy for our staff and designers to travel from Hong Kong to our factories. Hong Kong itself is also a very good sales centre: it has many hotels, restaurants, and it is only one hour from Macau where almost all the casinos and hotels use our carpets. We could also recruit good talent in Hong... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940973/tai-ping-carpets-looking-hire-millennials-have-one-core-ability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940973/tai-ping-carpets-looking-hire-millennials-have-one-core-ability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2016 14:30:32 +0000 Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt have walked on them, Britain’s royal family have too, as have countless visitors to hotels and casinos in Hong Kong and elsewhere. Tai Ping Carpets is one of the few Hong Kong home-grown luxury brands that have entered the world of palaces, luxury hotels, private jets and the homes of movie stars. Set up in 1957 by seven businessmen led by Lawrence Kadoorie of the famous Hong Kong business dynasty, the company initially aimed to provide jobs for skilled traditional carpet... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940988/hong-kong-luxury-brand-has-become-global-phenomenon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940988/hong-kong-luxury-brand-has-become-global-phenomenon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2016 14:04:03 +0000 Hong Kong should let its artistic side come out and work towards positioning itself as a major design and creative centre, in the view of James Kaplan, chief executive of Tai Ping Carpets International. “Hong Kong has been a very successful banking and financial hub while its stock market is one of the world’s largest fund raising centres. However, in terms of design and the creative industry, the city still needs to do more,” Kaplan told the South China Morning Post in an interview at the... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940970/hong-kong-should-promote-itself-hub-design-and-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940970/hong-kong-should-promote-itself-hub-design-and-creativity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 May 2016 13:08:31 +0000 Will people still go to a shop 10 years from now? That is the question posed by Thomas Woo Ka-wah, president of City’super Group, about the future for Hong Kong’s many retailers as customers increasingly turn to technology and e-commerce. Woo has always told his 2,700 staff to be aware of how technology could change the way people shop and to think of innovative ideas to meet new trends. “Technology and e-commerce will affect traditional retailers. It is just like how Uber affected how taxi... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940506/will-people-still-go-shops-10-years-now?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940506/will-people-still-go-shops-10-years-now?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 May 2016 08:00:00 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Absolutely. Hong Kong is the No 1 location to do business. It is a well-regulated city with rules and order and at the same time it gives a lot of freedom to entrepreneurs. They can run various types of businesses based on innovative ideas or with new operating models. It is very relaxed. You can import almost any type of food or drink to Hong Kong. That has made the city the ideal place to run lifestyle stores for food and... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940505/hong-kong-best-place-do-business-citysuper-group-president-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940505/hong-kong-best-place-do-business-citysuper-group-president-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 May 2016 07:53:05 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Absolutely! I set up my company in Japan in 1965. However, once I came to Hong Kong in 1970 and found it was so much easier to do business here, with the very efficient banking, financial and legal system, I moved my company’s headquarters here. I have since opened offices in cities all over the world and I have never found one as good as Hong Kong. Very little has changed since the handover in 1997. The freedoms to operate a... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940019/hong-kong-easy-place-do-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940019/hong-kong-easy-place-do-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 May 2016 14:00:35 +0000 Pop concerts by big international acts could help Hong Kong attract more tourists, but public money should not be used to put on such shows, says Jim Thompson, who helped arrange a series of concerts 13 years ago as the city looked to bounce back from the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak. Visits by mainland tourists, who account for roughly 80 per cent of Hong Kong’s arrivals, fell 15 per cent year on year in March after falling 18 per cent in the first two months of the... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940018/show-must-go-just-dont-use-government-money-says-jim-thompson?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1940018/show-must-go-just-dont-use-government-money-says-jim-thompson?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 May 2016 14:00:34 +0000 Jim Thompson had just US$1,000 to his name in Japan in 1965, but with that modest amount of money, a desk and two staff, he set up Transport Services International, now known as Crown Worldwide. Half a century on, the company has become one of the world’s largest removal companies. It operates in 60 countries with 5,000 staff worldwide and had a turnover of US$830 million last year. To turn that US$1,000 into a US$830 million business took leadership and changes in society. Thompson, now 76, was... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939545/crowns-been-moving-people-around-world-not-just-furniture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939545/crowns-been-moving-people-around-world-not-just-furniture?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 May 2016 14:00:33 +0000 Hongkongers are living in a city overwhelmed by social conflict and the grievances of its young, and need to get their mojo back, according to one of the city’s leading retailers. One way to restore confidence would be for the government to join hands with big business to organise a big promotional shopping campaign, said Philip Ma King-huen, chairman of the 116-year-old ­Sincere Company, Hong Kong’s first Chinese-owned department store. “Hong Kong’s feel good factor has gone,” Ma told the South... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1939890/hong-kongs-sincere-company-urges-government-support-efforts-boost-retail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1939890/hong-kongs-sincere-company-urges-government-support-efforts-boost-retail?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Apr 2016 15:00:18 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Yes. Hong Kong has a well established legal framework, fast information flow and a highly developed transportation network. The negative side is high rents, and the Hong Kong currency being pegged to the US dollar, which makes everything expensive here for tourists. How is your company coping with the ­economic downturn in Hong Kong and the ­mainland? Fortunately, Sincere is not heavily reliant on tourists. We mainly target local... https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1939889/hong-kong-needs-restore-peoples-confidence-instil-belief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/1939889/hong-kong-needs-restore-peoples-confidence-instil-belief?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Apr 2016 14:23:54 +0000 Over a century ago, a man named Ma Ying Piu and several friends from the southern Guangdong Province went to seek their fortunes in Australia. Through the rather unlikely means of selling bananas, they did indeed achieve their fortunes, and on their return to Hong Kong decided that they wanted to run a store like the David Jones department store they had admired in Sydney. Thus in 1900 Ma opened Sincere, the first Chinese-owned department store in Hong Kong, on the Sheung Wan site the company... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1939886/sinceres-journey-australian-inspiration-first-chinese-owned-department?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1939886/sinceres-journey-australian-inspiration-first-chinese-owned-department?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Apr 2016 14:11:31 +0000 Maxim’s is well known in Hong Kong for its cake shops, moon cakes and dim sum, but it actually began life as a western restaurant 60 years ago, founded by S.T. Wu and his brother James in Central on the site where the Landmark now stands. The brothers decided to set up their own establishment after often finding themselves seated next to the toilets in other restaurants because many owners at the time thought Chinese were not important customers. From that single site the company has travelled... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939059/maxims-journey-start-hong-kongs-largest-restaurant-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939059/maxims-journey-start-hong-kongs-largest-restaurant-group?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:00:30 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Yes, definitely. Hong Kong is a miracle. When we travel overseas and discuss with our peers, many of them wonder how Hong Kong restaurant operators can survive with rental levels which are the most expensive in the world. But then, we have done so for 60 years and we can still cope with ever-rising rents. This may be related to the Hong Kong spirit of working hard and playing hard. After a hard day at work, many opt for having a good... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939052/maxims-raymond-tong-says-catering-industry-offers-good-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939052/maxims-raymond-tong-says-catering-industry-offers-good-career?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:00:30 +0000 A proper system to draw young people into careers in the kitchen will help build Hong Kong’s reputation as a global food paradise, according to Raymond Tong Kwok-kong, chief operating officer of the Maxim’s Group. The government would make Hong Kong a better place for restaurant operators if it could provide more courses and certification programmes to encourage youngsters to become chefs or restaurant managers, said Tong, who oversees operation for the city’s largest food services group. “The... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939040/maxims-raymond-tong-says-hong-kong-could-be-become-world-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939040/maxims-raymond-tong-says-hong-kong-could-be-become-world-food?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2016 14:00:15 +0000 The history of Lawsgroup is a typical story of how a Hong Kong manufacturer used theopportunities presented by economic reform in the mainland that began in the late 1970s to set up factories to make use of cheap labour to expand into a global business. Lawsgroup was co-founded by Law Ting-pong in 1975, a boom time for the “Made in Hong Kong” label. The company has passed through three generations of family management and is now one of the world’s largest textile manufacturers, employing 20,000... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939023/lawsgroups-corporate-history-tale-flexibility-globalisation-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1939023/lawsgroups-corporate-history-tale-flexibility-globalisation-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2016 05:00:06 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Hong Kong has rule of law and a very good regulatory environment which makes it an ideal place to do business. For any company, it is very important for them to operate in a market where there is a set of clear rules and laws to follow. However, since Hong Kong has already become a developed city, some businesses have matured and are hard to develop further. We have moved our manufacturing out of Hong Kong while all our factories are... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938974/lawsgroups-bosco-law-says-hongkongers-need-stay-positive-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938974/lawsgroups-bosco-law-says-hongkongers-need-stay-positive-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Apr 2016 04:17:12 +0000 Space, space and more space: that’s what Hong Kong needs to further develop as a business centre, according to the head of one of the city’s biggest companies. In fact Bosco Law Ching-kit, deputy chairman and chief executive of textiles firm Lawsgroup and Laws Fashion Group, sees the land issue as critical. “The shortage of land is a problem for everybody. A lot of companies cannot find good offices, many people cannot find sufficient places to live, retailers cannot find suitable areas to set... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938558/textile-giant-lawsgroup-survives-cycles-globalisation-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938558/textile-giant-lawsgroup-survives-cycles-globalisation-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:00:30 +0000 It is not just difficult, but impossible to separate the tourist hot spot Lan Kwai Fong, just up the hill from Central, from Allan Zeman. Walking with him through the narrow streets of the area, there are always tourists asking for a selfie with him or businessmen stopping to hand a name card to him. Raised in Canada, Zeman’s father died when he was eight. His mother worked in a Montreal hospital and he started working at the age of 10, delivering newspapers and cleaning tables at restaurants.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938373/how-lan-kwai-fong-has-changed-over-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938373/how-lan-kwai-fong-has-changed-over-years?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Apr 2016 14:02:09 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Hong Kong can always bounce back. The low tax rate, rule of law and press freedom are vital for Hong Kong to be an ideal place to do business. The strength of China, which is now the world’s second-largest economy, is also what makes Hong Kong attractive to international investors, who use the city as a stepping stone to invest in China. If Hong Kong would become separate from the mainland, the city would die and lose all... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938369/allan-zeman-hong-kong-should-promote-itself-south-korea-young?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938369/allan-zeman-hong-kong-should-promote-itself-south-korea-young?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Apr 2016 14:02:08 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong’s government and its companies should listen to the views and desires of young people if they want to see the city move forward, according to Allan ­Zeman, the entrepreneur behind the city’s hugely successful Lan Kwai Fong entertainment district. “It is important for us to listen to the young people and to what they want. We cannot neglect them, we need to let them see they have a future in Hong Kong: we have to let them win sometimes,” Zeman told the South China Morning Post. “Many... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938363/allan-zeman-has-some-advice-about-winning-and-what-millennials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938363/allan-zeman-has-some-advice-about-winning-and-what-millennials?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Apr 2016 14:02:06 +0000 HSBC has been part of Hong Kong life for 151 years, through two world wars and numerous economic crises. As one of the three note-issuing banks in the city, its logo is a familiar sight in wallets, while the two bronze lions, Stephen and Stitt, that guard its building and symbolise wealth and power, are icons in the city. International knowledge and standards keys for HK to move forward, HSBC head says The bank’s founder was Thomas Sutherland, a Scotsman working in Hong Kong for a shipping firm.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938271/bullets-cash-machines-hsbcs-151-year-history-closely-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938271/bullets-cash-machines-hsbcs-151-year-history-closely-aligned?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2016 15:24:45 +0000 Do you think Hong Kong is still an ideal place to do business? Absolutely. Hong Kong is an international financial centre. It is a relatively safe city and it is part of China. Hong Kong is the only international financial centre in the country. Shanghai has been growing in recent years but it would take time for it to become an international financial centre. How is HSBC coping with the economic downturn in Hong Kong and the mainland? We believe worry about the economic slowdown is overstated.... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938267/hsbc-encourages-young-people-forge-ahead-remains-cautious-towards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938267/hsbc-encourages-young-people-forge-ahead-remains-cautious-towards?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2016 15:02:29 +0000 For HSBC’s Peter Wong Tung-shun, the way for Hong Kong’s young to prepare themselves for a key role in maintaining the city’s place as a link between the mainland and the world could be as simple as turning a page. “Young people should read more international newspapers to have a strong understanding of international affairs and developments,” Wong, HSBC’s head of Asia Pacific, told the South China Morning Post. “They should read the international newspapers to understand what is happening... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938263/international-knowledge-and-standards-keys-hk-move-forward-hsbc?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1938263/international-knowledge-and-standards-keys-hk-move-forward-hsbc?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Apr 2016 14:47:33 +0000 In today's Moving Forward, our final one in the year-long series, CARLYE TSUI WAI-LING, a veteran in corporate governance, offers her views on Hong Kong's situation after the failure to achieve electoral reform last summer. Tsui also talks to Oliver Chou about what the government and individuals need to do to raise their competitiveness from a business standpoint.   How do you see the rejection of electoral reform last summer and the impact on Hong Kong? It is not the end of the world. While... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1873914/its-time-rebuild-hong-kongs-spirit-optimism-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1873914/its-time-rebuild-hong-kongs-spirit-optimism-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Oct 2015 19:09:56 +0000 How did you get involved in working with Zhang Yimou on the Beijing Olympics in 2008? We knew each other from way back. I was producing TV commercials at an advertising agency in the early 1990s. I was a fan of his films such as Raise the Red Lantern. So I tried to ask him to see if he would work with us. Then he agreed and shot his first TV commercial with us. That was how we got to know each other. The first TV commercial we did was for Marlboro Lights. It was a big production, featuring... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1873434/move-out-comfort-zone-and-start-taking-risks-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1873434/move-out-comfort-zone-and-start-taking-risks-says-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Oct 2015 20:36:25 +0000 What message has been reflected in the failure of political reform? It was a missed opportunity. I believed the city would become nearly ungovernable if universal suffrage could not be attained for 2017, and my fear came true on June 18 after the bungled walkout of the Legislative Council by pro-establishment lawmakers. During the reform exercise, forces across the political divide failed to reach a consensus on how to elect the chief executive in 2017. It's really sad that the Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1872963/burying-our-heads-sand-governance-problems-wont-work-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1872963/burying-our-heads-sand-governance-problems-wont-work-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Oct 2015 19:25:04 +0000 [Poman Lo, Class of 1996] Regal Hotels group heiress POMAN LO says running a business may be challenging but there are many opportunities for those who dare to dream. Growing up in her father Lo Yuk-sui's bricks-and-mortar hotel empire, the young entrepreneur has ventured into the creative and online business world. She tells Eddie Lee that she wants to instil positive values in the next generation, adding that Hongkongers have to maintain a cosmopolitan image to stay ahead.   Can you tell us... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1872585/youngsters-should-dare-dream-ever-changing-business-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1872585/youngsters-should-dare-dream-ever-changing-business-world?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Oct 2015 18:30:45 +0000 There is a Chinese saying that when there is harmony in a family, it thrives; when a family wanes, there is endless bickering. In this instalment of Moving Forward, RICKY SZETO WING-FU portrays Hong Kong as that quarrelling family, looking at recent examples such as the widening divide between pro-democracy lawmakers and Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, and the mistrust between university students and administrators. But the general manager of Hung Fook Tong, abrand name famous for its herbal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1871973/hongkongers-must-stop-behaving-dysfunctional-family-says-hung?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1871973/hongkongers-must-stop-behaving-dysfunctional-family-says-hung?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Oct 2015 18:00:15 +0000 In today’s Moving Forward, we feature YIP YAN-YAN, chief executive officer of Civic Exchange, one of the city’s leading public policy and environmental think tanks. The organisation, co-founded in 2000 by Undersecretary for the Environment Christine Loh Kung-wai,  does research on areas such as conservation, air quality and urban environment. Yip tells Ernest Kao why think tanks are important in pushing policies to make the city not only more competitive, but also sustainable, liveable and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1871233/think-tanks-hong-kong-have-vital-role-play-examining-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1871233/think-tanks-hong-kong-have-vital-role-play-examining-long?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Oct 2015 18:15:06 +0000 How do you see the rift that has torn Hong Kong's society apart over the past year, especially among the younger generation? This is not just a phenomenon in Hong Kong, but one that's happening around the world, where people refuse to accept the establishment and system. That includes democratic countries. Take Thailand as an example. The parliament was democratically elected, but in the end the military took over. Egypt, too, had its democratically elected president. But it also ended up being... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1870612/healing-generation-divide-hong-kongs-past-can-be-guide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1870612/healing-generation-divide-hong-kongs-past-can-be-guide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Oct 2015 19:46:19 +0000 What is the current state of Hong Kong cinema? Hong Kong cinema isn’t doing as well as it did before. But there are two layers of issues. In the past, Hong Kong cinema was the leader in the region. Films from Hong Kong were selling all over the world. When I was working at Golden Harvest, which was producing a lot of action films starring Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, deals were signed as long as there was a film title and the names of the stars were attached. Overseas buyers were fighting one... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1870218/think-outside-box-spur-citys-creativity-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1870218/think-outside-box-spur-citys-creativity-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Oct 2015 19:39:19 +0000 Today’s Moving Forward features a candid chat with former Hospital Authority chairman ANTHONY WU TING-YUK, 61, who now spends much of his time on the mainland as an adviser on matters such as national health care reform, family planning and the development of traditional Chinese medicine. This year the State Council appointed him to its Medical Reform Leadership Advisory Commission. The veteran administrator tells Cannix Yau that to really move forward, Hongkongers should seize the advantages of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1869799/grasp-opportunities-mainland-china-former-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1869799/grasp-opportunities-mainland-china-former-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:30:00 +0000 Q: How should young people in Hong Kong equip themselves to stay competitive? A: They should embrace everything instead of withdrawing. Go to China to work for a few years! From a teaching job with the United States Air Force to a top university post in Hong Kong, Dr Eden Woon Yi-teng has done it all. His portfolio in the intervening years includes working as a diplomat to bargain with Beijing, heading Hong Kong's biggest business chamber, and even selling coffee and toys in Shanghai. Now a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1806385/its-time-step-out-our-comfort-zone-so-hong-kong-can-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1806385/its-time-step-out-our-comfort-zone-so-hong-kong-can-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2015 19:00:15 +0000 Q: What is one thing Hong Kong should do to brush up its competitiveness? A: It should wake up from past glories and identify its present strengths to keep up with the changing world Complacency and stagnation are two predilections that hamper creativity and thus competitiveness, says Stanley Wong Ping-pui, the city's prolific creative designer most famous for his "red, white and blue" artwork series. He cites these twin dangers as warning signs he saw in his personal life more than two decades... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1804842/we-need-recapture-lion-rock-spirit-says-designer-stanley-wong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1804842/we-need-recapture-lion-rock-spirit-says-designer-stanley-wong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2015 21:30:45 +0000 Q: What does the future hold for Hong Kong manufacturing? A: The next step is to build luxury brands, and the government needs to think about how to promote them Pop into any kitchen in Hong Kong and chances are you will find a bottle of Lee Kum Kee sauce. Peek into a closet and chances are you will find clothing from Giordano or Bossini. These local brands are well known and much-loved at home and perhaps even in the region. Internationally, however, they are also-rans, says veteran... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1804149/hong-kong-needs-burnish-its-image-says-entrepreneur-eddy-li?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1804149/hong-kong-needs-burnish-its-image-says-entrepreneur-eddy-li?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2015 15:30:45 +0000 Q: How can our universities help students start a career after they graduate? A: By introducing them to foreign cultures, particularly through international exchanges The current political stalemate is taking up young people's energy and attention and preventing them from seizing their future, says a leading academic. The mood in the city is perhaps the most divided it has ever been. On one side is the government rallying people to accept Beijing's electoral-reform package for the selection of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1802602/lingnan-university-chief-says-young-people-must?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1802602/lingnan-university-chief-says-young-people-must?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2015 18:45:30 +0000 Q: What can be done when the needs of younger people are sometimes difficult to define, let alone address? A: If you don't 'unlock' what people want to do, I think it's difficult to really come up with a concrete solution People all around him may be talking about political deadlock and social strife, but for the man who runs the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the venerable betting institution is a relative sea of calm - a healer of wounds, if you will. Jockey Club chief executive officer Winfried... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1801686/jockey-club-chief-wants-keep-hong-kong-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1801686/jockey-club-chief-wants-keep-hong-kong-track?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2015 18:30:45 +0000 Q: What can Hong Kong do to attract more tourists from different parts of the world, so that the industry can remain successful? A: It must look beyond traditional sightseeing to a new tourism experience that is more personal For someone who hardly ever gives interviews, Pansy Ho Chiu-king is surprisingly forthcoming and frank when it comes to talking about tourism. Hong Kong's wealthiest woman, with a personal net worth of US$4.5 billion, waxes eloquent about developing the city's tourism... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1797472/pansy-ho-tells-hong-kong-prepare-next-tourism-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1797472/pansy-ho-tells-hong-kong-prepare-next-tourism-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2015 15:00:00 +0000 Q: What is the one thing you would like to change about Hong Kong? A: The attitude of young people. They should think more about giving to society before taking from it. Hong Kong has long been renowned internationally for its medical expertise, especially in battling liver cancer and its success rates for liver transplants. That reputation was earned largely through the work of Professor Lo Chung-mau and his team. The head of surgery at the University of Hong Kong, he was a pioneer of living... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1795993/young-no-longer-willing-make-sacrifices-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1795993/young-no-longer-willing-make-sacrifices-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2015 19:00:30 +0000 Q: Why is Hong Kong particularly suitable as a place to launch a business? A: The city helps innovators through its independent legal system, fast internet network and container ports As a child, entrepreneur Rex Sham Pui-sum was among the minority of his peers who ate dinner with family every night, but one topic of conversation never entered the mealtime chats. While academic results, future careers and the stock market were common talking points at the table, politics was not on the menu,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1794695/innovation-way-forward-young-says-entrepreneur-rex-sham?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1794695/innovation-way-forward-young-says-entrepreneur-rex-sham?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2015 19:15:15 +0000 Even as Hong Kong braces itself for the intense run-up to the vote on electoral reform, leading figures are calling on residents to also focus on new ideas to enhance the city's energy and dynamism. Look past the divisions and come together to build a community to secure its long-term future, said several of them in the latest instalment of the Moving Forward series, an interview initiative of the South China Morning Post. The first to be featured today, chairman of investment firm Value... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1792410/create-sense-hope-energise-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1792410/create-sense-hope-energise-city?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2015 20:00:15 +0000 Q: Is there any way we can improve relations between city residents and people on the mainland? A: We could set up a volunteer corps that sends young Hongkongers to work on mainland community projects All that glitters in the city is not what it seems, says a veteran investor and leading figure in Hong Kong's financial sector. Cheah Cheng Hye warns that unless they are tackled now, nascent problems lurking in the shadows will hurt Hong Kong in the long term. As the chairman of Value Partners... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1792415/investor-cheah-cheng-hye-says-hong-kong-must-become?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1792415/investor-cheah-cheng-hye-says-hong-kong-must-become?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2015 20:00:15 +0000 Q: What is the one big idea you have for Hong Kong's future? A: We must think globally instead of locally - be a visionary dreamer to transform Hong Kong Albert Oung is wearing a green jacket and a green tie; his WhatsApp profile picture is a green rose; his office is named Green House and his mobile number includes five sixes - luk in Cantonese, which means, of course, green. Oung is the founder of the World Green Organisation (WGO) and the Hong Kong branch of global political group the Green... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1736290/environmental-activist-albert-oung-sees-hong-kongs-myriad-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1736290/environmental-activist-albert-oung-sees-hong-kongs-myriad-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2015 19:15:00 +0000 Continuing our series on ideas to shape the city’s future, we talk to business leader Shirley Yuen Q: What is the one big idea you have for Hong Kong's future? A: The most important strategy is to nurture our young people ... so that we have the necessary talents Talented young people need to be groomed for leadership but those in a position to help them must relearn how to be mentors, according to the leader of a prominent business group. The young do not need the older generation for... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1735377/youngsters-have-lots-knowledge-still-need-guiding-hand-says-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1735377/youngsters-have-lots-knowledge-still-need-guiding-hand-says-business?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Mar 2015 18:30:00 +0000 Q: If Hong Kong could do one thing to boost its competitiveness, what would it be? A: What the government should do is to maintain a stimulating environment Hong Kong has shown it can lead the world in innovation - but it can only do so if it maintains its reputation for free-thinking while prioritising research, adding creativity to the curriculum and being prepared to take a few risks. The man saying this should know. Professor Ron Hui Shu-yuen made a huge breakthrough in a field that has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1734648/inventor-professor-ron-hui-says-free-thinking-vital-hong-kongs-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1734648/inventor-professor-ron-hui-says-free-thinking-vital-hong-kongs-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2015 20:15:45 +0000 In our special series on Hong Kong’s future, we talk to veteran ex-legislator Paul Cheng Ming-fun Q: How should Hong Kong move forward? A: We should take greater advantage of being part of China and to work with China rather than blocking it … The sooner the city's denizens accept that Hong Kong is Chinese and part of the mainland, the better off they will be, says entrepreneur and former legislator Paul Cheng Ming-fun. It is time to embrace the reality that the city's fate is inextricably... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1733751/more-integration-mainland-best-way-forward-says-entrepreneur-paul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1733751/more-integration-mainland-best-way-forward-says-entrepreneur-paul?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Mar 2015 18:45:30 +0000