‘Don’t exaggerate’: Hong Kong’s leader urges calm amid string of business closures, saying operators come and go during transition
- Chief Executive John Lee says Hongkongers should adopt ‘positive and enterprising’ attitude and stand united in telling others about ‘real and glorious’ side of city
- Concerns raised after two cinemas shut in about a week, with some residents flagging ‘wave of shop closures’ given empty stores on the streets
Hong Kong’s leader has called on residents to refrain from exaggerating business conditions in the city amid a string of recent shop closures, saying operators are bound to come and go during an economic transition.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Tuesday was addressing the demise of two cinemas in the space of about a week, as well as what some described as “a wave of shop closures” given the empty stores on the streets.
“Some businesses might not be too successful, but there are also new operators in the market so changes are bound to happen during our economic transition period,” Lee said ahead of the weekly meeting of the city’s key decision-making Executive Council.
Lee called on Hongkongers to see problems with a “positive and enterprising” attitude and stand united in telling others about the “real and glorious” side of the city.
“If we only focus on certain changes we often see in daily life and deal with it in an exaggerated way, it may not be the most correct approach for Hong Kong as a whole,” he said.
Lee said Hongkongers were full of ideas, agile and creative, adding he had seen growing activity in several areas of the economy in the city.
