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Letters

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I refer to your report, “Hong Kong’s religious communities unite in prayer to mourn Tai Po fire victims” (December 5), which described a picture of unity in diversity, as Muslims from Hong Kong and diplomats from South Asia gathered at Kowloon Mosque to pay their respects to the victims of the Tai Po fire.
Hong Kong has long been an attractive hub for trade, tourism and transit. South Asians on Hong Kong soil are unique due to their early settlement during the expansion of the British empire. Many came here as soldiers, workers, traders and government clerks.
According to the 2021 population census, 619,568 people, or 8.4 per cent of the population, identify as non-Chinese. They include members of ethnic minority groups permanently settled in Hong Kong.
Many of the South Asians who started settling in Hong Kong in the 1840s had been recruited into the British army. Deployed to prevent illegal entry near the border, the Nepalese lived in barracks in Jordan, Shek Kong and Yuen Long, or in Wan Chai, and continued to be stationed in Hong Kong until 1997. In the 1990s, the British government offered a nationality package to these Gurkhas, but that’s another story.
The Sikhs were recruited into the Hong Kong Police Force, formed in 1844, to maintain law and order. In the early 20th century, the force was expanded to include nearly as many Indian constables as Chinese ones, at a ratio of four to five.
Some South Asians arrived here as traders. An Indian Muslim community grew in Tsim Sha Tsui, which transformed into a tourist district.
Although the ethnic minority groups face a language barrier in assimilating, they have been able to project a kind of soft power through their day-to-day engagement in the city. All readers would be familiar with a multicultural hotspot like Chungking Mansions, for example, and tourists from around the world are attracted to this showcase for South Asian cuisine and business.
Dr Anmol Mukhia, visiting assistant professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong
How small businesses can become Venezuela’s lifeline
Despite having the world’s largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela has been stuck with a sagging economy shaped by autocracy, corruption, bureaucracy and other problems. The country relied heavily on oil exploration for revenue without pursuing industrial diversification and was hit hard by plummeting oil prices.
It is estimated that 99.5 per cent of businesses in Venezuela are small and medium-sized enterprises. But these SMEs struggle to produce enough essential goods to meet demand due to limited capital, complex government procedures and the unstable macroeconomic environment in the country.
When Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured by the United States, a window for political transition and economic development opened up. To cope with the country’s limited foreign exchange reserves, Venezuelan SMEs could be boosted to produce light industry goods to substitute for imports. Comprehensive financial reforms, support policies and efforts to simplify government procedures should be carried out to help SMEs attract local and international investors.
Tax incentives and more soft loans could help with adopting energy-efficient equipment, lean production methods and waste reduction practices that align with environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. By investing both financial and human capital, China can play a pivotal, mutually beneficial role in reinvigorating Venezuelan SMEs.
For example, supporting production in Venezuela could help China avoid the impact of US tariffs. Moreover, alongside its investments in the country, China can barter raw materials for Venezuelan crude oil to circumvent foreign exchange controls.
To support competent management, China can introduce a mentorship programme to forge legacy relationships across all levels of the workforce.
Albert Lau, Kwun Tong
Can Trump be trusted to cure ‘sick’ countries?
Following the surprise raid on Venezuela, US President Donald Trump told reporters: “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security”.
He also said Venezuela and Colombia were “very sick”. By the sound of it, if Venezuela has been cured, Colombia might be the next patient. But one has to wonder about patient outcomes, given that Trump also said he would follow his “own morality”, not international law.
Harry Lam, Quarry Bay


Second chance to earn college degree offered to Hong Kong’s Filipino domestic helpers

Hong Kong’s ethnic minority groups can play key role in belt and road, summit hears

Hong Kong’s ethnic minority students face a new challenge – Mandarin

How a new Hong Kong indie film uses tea to bridge the city’s ethnic minority divide

Ethnic minorities in Hong Kong

South Asians have a unique place in Hong Kong

Kowloon Mosque in Tsim Sha Tsui on June 13. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong has what it takes to run a bigger tennis tournament

Fans cheer during a semifinal of the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open at Victoria Park on January 10. Photo: Karma Lo

Japan should put more eggs in the renewable basket

Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant stands along the seaside in Kashiwazaki, northern Japan in 2021. Japan is about to restart the world’s biggest nuclear power plant. Photo: Kyodo News via AP


The strategic calculations behind Trump’s Venezuela raid

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House in Washington on January 9. Trump aims to convince them to support his plans for Venezuela. Photo: AFP


Opinion

Readers discuss early settlers in Hong Kong, small businesses in Venezuela, and Donald Trump’s ‘morality’


Readers discuss early settlers in Hong Kong, small businesses in Venezuela, and Donald Trump’s ‘morality’.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Readers discuss early settlers in Hong Kong, small businesses in Venezuela, and Donald Trump’s ‘morality’

Readers discuss early settlers in Hong Kong, small businesses in Venezuela, and Donald Trump’s ‘morality’