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Shenzhen, Singapore … Guiyang? Who else can Hong Kong fall behind?
Michael Chugani says the financial secretary invoking the little-known capital of Guizhou province as an example to follow was the final insult to Hong Kong’s prowess as an innovator, as well as a wake-up call
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If you can’t stomach the fact it’s already game over for Hong Kong, take out a map of China and find Guiyang. Guiyang? I, too, had never heard of it until last Sunday when Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told Hongkongers that the once-obscure mainland city can teach us a lesson or two about innovation.
Now that’s a stinging reality slap. I can swallow learning from Silicon Valley, Singapore, maybe even Shenzhen. But Guiyang? Have we sunk so low we must learn from upstarts?
Surely, the very name of Hong Kong still rings proud and loud around the world. Surely, our rule of law, independent judiciary, democratic freedoms and standard of English make us a role model for our rivals.
If you still believe that, you must be Rip Van Winkle and have just woken up. Rub the sleep from your eyes. We’re no longer the Hong Kong our regional rivals once envied. We’re a dying city slumped on the sidelines as others race past us with mocking grins.
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