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Hong Kong is in the spotlight as the National People's Congress plans improvements to the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). The changes are expected to encourage more patriots to be in charge of governing Hong Kong. But these proposals have been met with opposition from Western media. These changes are a product of Hong Kong's winding history and recent turmoil.
Martin Jacques, a British author and journalist, said that Hong Kong has a fantastic opportunity to be part of a new China-centric future. But for various reasons, young people in Hong Kong are reluctant to embrace this. CGTN Host Tian Wei asks Jacques about whether Hong Kong's history is obstructing it from embracing its future.
Jacques explored the colonial legacy that has haunted Hong Kong since its return to China. Jacques said, "Under the British, Hong Kong was a typical colonial-style economy. Dominated by a few favored tycoons, particularly in the way land was distributed. Property prices were sky high. The economy was typically oligopolistic."
Jacques said that this oligopolistic status quo has carried over into post-handover Hong Kong. "The discontentment among young people is with their prospects. They never thought they could buy anywhere because the prices were too high. Hong Kong is one of the most unequal societies in the world. You can't solve the problem at the political level. You have to tackle underlying social problems."
He also said that Hong Kong is ironically one of the luckiest places in the world due to both its colonial and post-colonial history. "Hong Kong got lucky when it got stolen by the British from China. Britain was on the rise."
"Hong Kong was part of that Western rise that happened in the mid-19th century onward. With the 1997 handover, Hong Kong got lucky again, because the West is in decline and China is on the rise. Hong Kong is right there on the southern part of China. It can embrace this opportunity. But for political, ideological and historical reasons, Hong Kong people have looked westward not northward," added Jacques.
He pointed out that this ignorance of China is still evident in the travel patterns of the Hong Kong population, and that they travel to the UK, the U.S., Canada, but rarely venture northward.
Jacques said that for Hong Kong's success and for the employment prospects of Hong Kong's youth, Hong Kong should embrace integration with China. Jacques allayed concerns that integration would hurt Hong Kong's status as a financial hub.
"Hong Kong will continue to prosper as a financial center. Few Western firms have left. There is renewed interest in Hong Kong because more firms from the Chinese mainland are becoming interested in Hong Kong. The center of gravity of the global economy is shifting away from the U.S. to China."
Jacques added that young people in Hong Kong need to interact more with the Greater Bay Area. He recommended that Hong Kong's education system could play a role in contributing to the hi-tech sector in Guangdong Province.
Jacques identified many issues that have caused discontentment for Hong Kong's youth, be it job prospects or living costs. He believes that a government that is patriotic and unencumbered by political deadlock can better integrate Hong Kong with the Chinese mainland market.
Jacques concluded that Hong Kong is fortunate for hitching a ride upon China's rising economy. All that is left for Hong Kong to do is to embrace the trajectory.
World Insight with Tian Weiis an international platform for debate and intelligent discussion. It is the meeting point of both the highly influential and rising voices, facilitated by host, Tian Wei. It provides nutrition to form your own thoughts and ideas through 45-minute live debate and interviews.
Schedule: Monday-Saturday
Time (GMT): 1415, 2015
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