The Hong Kong government's language barrier

Last Sunday, Hong Kong watched Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor deliver an opening speech at a crucial meeting between Beijing officials and the pan-democrats in a last-ditch attempt to break the deadlock over electoral reform.

It was a Chinese-only speech and many who don't know the language had no idea what she was saying while watching live coverage of an issue that affects everyone in this city.

It's just one example of English being increasingly ignored or sidelined by the administration at a time when Hong Kong's proficiency in the language of the world is the subject of much public concern and debate.

Most critics put the blame squarely on the government, pointing out a steady erosion of the official use of English since the handover to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. English-language journalists often complain about Chinese-only press releases and briefings. One of their biggest gripes is the practice of ministers writing Chinese-only blogs to float important policy ideas.

"The government is simply irresponsible," says Civic Party lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching, a former journalist who feels strongly about the problem. "When I was working as a journalist [during the colonial days], for any public statement we always got both the Chinese and English versions. But now the situation is going downhill."