Hong Kong won’t see a bright future by constantly looking to its past

Earlier this month, the first batch of 14,000 free tickets to visit the People’s Liberation Army’s naval vessels during their stopover in Hong Kong was claimed within minutes of being released. Families queued online for the opportunity to step aboard the ships, and the open days quickly became one of the most talked-about events of this year’s handover anniversary. The scenes stood in contrast to those of July 1997. When the PLA Hong Kong Garrison was first stationed following the handover, images of the convoys crossing the border were watched around the world with intense attention on the city’s future. Nearly three decades later, a naval visit by the same institution has become a community event attracting families, students and visitors alike. Whether one sees this as growing familiarity, curiosity or a stronger sense of national identity, it reflects an undeniable reality: Hong Kong has changed. However, that is no longer the most important story. Every handover anniversary invites inevitable comparisons with 1997. We ask whether Hong Kong has become more prosperous, resilient or confident than it was nearly three decades ago. While these reflections are natural, at what point does a city stop measuring itself against its past? Twenty-nine years is a long time – long enough for an entire generation to have known no other Hong Kong. For much of the past three decades, Hong Kong has understandably measured its progress against its own history. That made sense during a period of significant transition as the city adapted to new constitutional, economic and social realities. Today, Hong Kong is entering a different phase. The challenge is no longer simply to demonstrate how far it has come since 1997. It is to demonstrate how far it can go during the next 29 years, and that requires a different benchmark. Successful global cities do not define themselves by their history. They define themselves by their ambition. They ask how to become more competitive, innovative and attractive than their peers. They measure themselves against the world’s best, not against yesterday’s version of themselves. Hong Kong should do the same. The city has many enduring advantages. It remains one of the world’s leading international financial centres, serves as an important gateway between China and global markets, enjoys a common law system and possesses world-class universities and research capabilities. These strengths provide a solid foundation, but they cannot be taken for granted. The question is no longer whether Hong Kong can preserve its traditional strengths. It is whether it can adapt them to changing needs. The Northern Metropolis presents an opportunity to create one of Asia’s leading innovation corridors, bringing together research, advanced industries and cross-boundary collaboration. Hong Kong’s universities already rank among the world’s best. The challenge is translating more of that research into globally competitive companies and industries, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), life sciences and green technology. We have begun to put some of the necessary building blocks in place. Hong Kong now has a HK$3 billion (US$382.7 million) subsidy scheme widening access to AI infrastructure and a planned HK$1 billion AI research institute. The Hong Kong Investment Corporation has also backed more than 190 projects in hard technology, life sciences and green technology. Infrastructure and investment are only part of the equation. These ambitions must also translate into opportunities for people. Young Hongkongers should see the city both as a place with a proud past and one where they can build world-class careers, launch innovative businesses and contribute to industries that will shape the global economy. Around the world, cities have continued to rejuvenate themselves time and again. Shenzhen has focused on building the industries that will power its next stage of growth. Dubai has repeatedly reinvented its economy, expanding from trade into aviation, logistics, tourism, finance and, more recently, the digital economy. Even long-established global centres such as London and New York continue to evolve, adapting to changing economic realities rather than relying solely on past success. What these cities share is a common mindset: they measure themselves not by how much they have changed from where they once were but by how well they are preparing for what comes next. Hong Kong does not need to copy any of them. It occupies a unique position that no other city can replicate under “one country, two systems”, but it should embrace the same habit of continually redefining success. The benchmark for Hong Kong’s future should not be whether it is different from the Hong Kong of 1997. It should be whether it is becoming one of the world’s most competitive, innovative and liveable cities by 2035 and beyond. None of this diminishes the significance of Hong Kong’s journey during the past 29 years. On the contrary, it acknowledges that the city has reached a level of maturity where it no longer needs to define itself primarily by the changes it has experienced. The enthusiastic response to this year’s handover celebrations reflected a city that has grown more comfortable with itself across nearly three decades. That evolution is worth recognising, but it should not be the destination. The benchmark for Hong Kong moving forward should be whether we have built a city that others look to for ideas, innovation and opportunity. The cities that shape the future are rarely those preoccupied with where they have been. They are the ones confident enough to decide where they want to go.

Hong Kong won’t see a bright future by constantly looking to its past

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Successful global cities are defined by their ambition and measure themselves against the world’s best rather than their past

Successful global cities are defined by their ambition and measure themselves against the world’s best rather than their past