Hong Kong’s Asian expats still see city as a ‘land of opportunities’
- As Hong Kong marks 25 years since its return to Chinese sovereignty, expats from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand share why they remain confident in its future
- From the Greater Bay Area plan to Hong Kong’s support of entrepreneurs, they say there’s still plenty to love – except the Covid-19 restrictions
Several years of political turmoil and the pandemic have sparked an exodus from Hong Kong as it marks the 25th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty. But how do foreigners in the city view it? For many, the lure of economic opportunities trumps any fears over shrinking political space – even if Covid restrictions remain a major turn-off.
A favourite was A Kindred Spirit, a television drama series that aired on TVB Jade from 1995 to 1999. From watching the series, he thought large families in Hong Kong lived in “relatively big apartments”.
“Of course this was not really true of the actual situation when I got to Hong Kong,” said Lim, 47, an independent advisory director of A. Plus International Corporation, a subsidiary of a company listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
“Canto-pop was big and my favourite singer and band was and still is Jacky Cheung and Beyond,” he said of the veteran singer and influential band.
Lim recalled that Hong Kong “came across as a very vibrant city” in those early years where “we would work all day and be out in Lan Kwai Fong until 2am to 3am and still be at our desks by 9am.”
