Editorial | Hong Kong cannot afford to lose talent as it wins over snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan
With snooker star latest big name to gain Hong Kong residency under admission scheme, care must be taken to ensure those already here stay
A series of aggressive recruitment drives by the government has enriched Hong Kong’s talent pool in recent years. The latest to take up residency is seven-time snooker world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan.
But while the city continues to appeal to celebrities and their like, many more who have arrived are struggling to secure jobs. In addition to widening the search for talent, greater effort is also required to retain them.
Describing Hong Kong as a “great place to live” in a video released by the Immigration Department, the British snooker star spoke about how the local food and low-tax system had lured him. O’Sullivan said moving to the city “just made sense” because of the amount of time he spent playing tournaments and exhibition events in Hong Kong, Macau and on the mainland.
The publicity given to his move under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme will no doubt help raise the profile of Hong Kong. It is also seen as a vote of confidence in the city, which hopefully, will encourage more high-fliers to make it their home.
Among others who have entered via the scheme are renowned pianists Li Yundi and Lang Lang, as well as actresses Zhang Ziyi and Tang Wei.
