Open Hong Kong

One of the biggest secrets of Hong Kong’s success is its openness. The opening has not always been voluntary. It was forced open by the British in 1842, certainly involuntarily.   In came the British who ruled it for 150 years. Yet it can be argued that Hong Kong would not have achieved the prominence that it did had it not been forced open. The British brought their political and economic system, rule of law, …, and a lot more.  

After the Second World War, in came refugees from China.  Some brought with them their skills, factories, wealth, and business acumen.  Hong Kong was then able to rebuild after the devastation of the war.  It was definitely open for business.  In came trade, light industry, and fast growth.   Hong Kong also became the middlemen between Mainland China and the outside world.  Business prosper.  Land rise in value.  Many Hong Kongers become rich.  People begin to travel internationally, in large numbers.  They bring back more experiences, knowledge, ideas.  

When Mainland China began to open up, Hong Kong was the first to invest in it, with skills, technology, business acumen, international connections.  In the 1990s, when the higher education sector enter a period of rapid growth, in came professors and researchers - returning HongKongers, Mainlanders, Americans, Australians, Canadians, Indians, …  Universities in Hong Kong rise rapidly through the ranking lists across the world.  

At times of uncertainty, whether economic, political or otherwise, people drift away, many emigrate to foreign countries such as Canada, Australia, Britain, USA, …  When the crises pass, many would drift back.  Some more than once.  

Hong Kong has not been afraid of strangers, new ideas, new technologies, new practices.  it has always been stimulated by challenges and competition, and taken advantage of the opportunities offered.   

It is hence terribly sad to see Hong Kong looking inward, tightening control on ideas,  restricting movement, closing borders, effectively killing itself.  In the short run, a kind of stillness may be achieved.  But it is a suffocating kind of stillness.  Opportunities open up only when there is movement.  People are stimulated only when there is hope, expectation.  People cannot innovate when they are afraid to think, or feel that it is useless to think.  

For the sake of Hong Kong, open it up.