‘Take action, don’t be bystanders,’ John Lee urges Hong Kong businesspeople

City leader echoes senior Beijing official Xia Baolong’s call on real estate tycoons and business leaders to take ‘concrete actions’

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Chief Executive John Lee calls on businesspeople to take action to contribute to the city’s development. Photo: ISD

Published: 12:57pm, 11 Nov 2024Updated: 6:59pm, 11 Nov 2024

Hong Kong businesspeople should go beyond being “bystanders and commentators” and take “practical actions” to contribute to the city’s development amid a period of economic transformation, the chief executive has said.

City leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s remarks on Monday echoed those made earlier by Beijing’s point man on Hong Kong affairs, Xia Baolong, in a closed-door meeting in Shenzhen, where he urged real estate tycoons and business leaders to take “concrete actions” and “recognise their responsibilities”.

At a forum attended by members of the business and academic communities, Lee said Hong Kong still has “more opportunities than challenges” amid “profound changes” in the international landscape, highlighting the role of businesspeople in the city.

“Hong Kong’s business sector and entrepreneurs are participants, beneficiaries to the city’s development. They should also be contributors, not only bystanders or commentators,” he said.

“In the face of an economic transformation, every industry in Hong Kong must begin with itself, act on its words, actively seize opportunities for change and engage in practical actions to develop alongside Hong Kong and build a promising future.”

At the forum marking the 10th anniversary of online media outlet Master Insight, the city leader underscored the critical need for reforms amid turbulent geopolitics, ongoing regional conflicts and prevalent protectionism.