appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Letters

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification.
I refer to the letter, “Time to build up Hong Kong brand in Middle East” (December 10), and your correspondent’s call for Hong Kong officials to do more to attract tourists and investors from the Middle East.
It is commendable to see Hong Kong actively developing partnerships with countries in the Middle East to make its economy more resilient. However, to truly attract tourists and investors from Arab and Islamic countries, Hong Kong must prioritise the establishment of halal-friendly infrastructure.
Hong Kong lags behind in this regard. There is just one halal restaurant at the airport and while there are dozens more in the city, the number is nowhere near sufficient. Even major fast food chains, such as KFC, only offer a limited menu of halal food.
For a city that prides itself on being Asia’s World City, these issues should have been addressed long ago. How does Hong Kong plan to attract Muslim visitors without offering suitable meal options?
There is a misconception in Hong Kong that if food does not contain pork, then it is halal. This lack of understanding further highlights the need for Hong Kong to prioritise the development of halal-friendly infrastructure to cater to Muslim visitors.
Singapore serves as a successful model in this respect. The city state has excelled in creating a halal-friendly environment, and Hong Kong would benefit from learning from their experience. Events like our Wine and Dine Festival, Clockenflap, Night Vibes Hong Kong and the recently rejuvenated Temple Street night market will not attract Muslim visitors without catering to their needs.
Furthermore, the lack of awareness of Hong Kong in Muslim countries can also be attributed to the city’s failure to make cultural and religious accommodations. As a result, visitors from these countries often choose destinations like Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia instead.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board should be entrusted with developing a comprehensive plan to attract Muslim tourists, showcasing that Hong Kong is not only open to the Western world but also to the Muslim world. This will not only enhance the city’s reputation but also contribute to its economic growth and strengthen its partnerships with Muslim-majority nations.
Ilnur Minakhmetov, Jordan
An attractive tax rate would bring expats back
It’s the end of 2023, which has been a bad year for Hong Kong. We can’t deny it, but we also can’t just accept it. We have to reposition ourselves.
Our government has been talking about blending Hong Kong into the Greater Bay Area, but we are seeing people, not businesses, blending in. We are also talking about Hong Kong participating more in the Belt and Road Initiative but the Saudis and Emiratis are building their own answers to Hong Kong and probably don’t need us.
Expatriates moved to Singapore during the pandemic but found it too expensive. Instead of coming back to Hong Kong, however, many have headed for the Middle East, where there is Russian money for the finance guys to handle. So our mid- to high-end properties once again rely on mainland buyers. But they will still return to Shenzhen at weekends.
Why not fix a standard income tax rate for the expats who are not yet permanent residents, at, say, 7 per cent? This would convince some, if not a big number, to request relocation back to Hong Kong, helping us return to our glory days as a truly global city. A brighter 2024 is within reach, with some changes.
Joseph Chan, chairman, Silk Road Economic Development Research Centre
Harbour protection matters for the city’s shipping hub dreams
We refer to the front-page article, “HK aims to lift status as hub for shipping” (December 21), regarding the plan to develop the city into a leading maritime centre.
Our society would like to remind the government of the vital contributions of the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance, which saved Kowloon Bay from reclamation, consequently allowing the construction of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and the retention of Kai Tak Nullah.
The harbour was also saved from the Green Island reclamation project which would have blocked the Sulphur Channel and constricted the western shipping entrance into Victoria Harbour.
In total, the ordinance has saved the harbour from government plans to reclaim about 600 hectares from it. These would have reduced the harbour to a narrow sea channel, and made it impossible to construct the promenades which our community now enjoys.
Finally, the government’s aspirations and enlightened plans for the harbour mentioned in the article would have been impossible.
Hence, instead of proposing a watering down of the ordinance, the current government should support it such that future generations of Hong Kong will still have a harbour to enjoy.
Given the vital importance of the harbour and the variability of government policies, protection of the harbour by the law courts is essential.
The government should not denigrate the ordinance which has been so useful and beneficial to the Hong Kong community.
Winston Chu Ka-sun, vice-chairman, Society for Protection of the Harbour


Housing prices surge near new Huanggang Port as buyers eye ‘dual-city’ lifestyle

Reporter’s notebook: Kazakhstan trip highlights promise and limits of Central Asia ties

Hong Kong hopes to begin Victoria Park Tennis Centre redevelopment by 2030

Hong Kong to open waters to Guangdong yachts under southbound scheme from October

Hong Kong economy

To be a Muslim tourist draw, Hong Kong could be more halal-friendly

Muslims break fast during Ramadan at Kowloon Mosque in 2019. To attract Muslim visitors, Hong Kong has to offer suitable meal options. Photo: Xiaomei Chen 


Social media mockery will only drive Hong Kong to do better

An electric monitor in Hong Kong’s Central district showing the Hang Seng Index on December 11. Despite stiff competition, Hong Kong remains one of three major financial hubs in the world. Photo: Edmond So

In a more divided world, ‘superconnector’ Hong Kong must get creative

Pedestrians cross a road in the Central district in Hong Kong, on November 20. The people of Hong Kong have long shown their adaptability to changing times. Photo: Bloomberg

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu speaks at the Hong Kong Economic Summit on December 4. Photo: Handout from Hong Kong’s Information Services Department

Opinion

Readers discuss how the city can attract tourists from the Muslim world, lure expats back from the Middle East, and secure its status as a shipping hub


Readers discuss how the city can attract tourists from the Muslim world, lure expats back from the Middle East, and secure its status as a shipping hub.


Middle East

Hong Kong expats

Singapore

Hong Kong shipping and logistics

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Readers discuss how the city can attract tourists from the Muslim world, lure expats back from the Middle East, and secure its status as a shipping hub

Readers discuss how the city can attract tourists from the Muslim world, lure expats back from the Middle East, and secure its status as a shipping hub