Opening remarks: Hong Kong: Big picture & possible futures

March 09, 2023 8:45 AM – 9:30 AM (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi In-person

Hong Kong’s fascination is that it has always been a place at the edge, from before its time as a colony through today as a special administrative region. Hong Kong’s identity remains contested – between extremes – and its survival and success has come from accepting, and exploiting, its ambiguity. The city’s edginess made people work hard and thrive, but more than once in Hong Kong’s history they have questioned whether their luck has run out and voted with their feet. Yet, Hong Kong’s people enjoy exceptional longevity; it has some of the best infrastructure on the planet despite, or perhaps because, constraints on land and space; its efficiency outclasses many other places by a long stretch; and the city continues to invest billions on its continuing development.

The Big Picture perspective depends on how we see the opportunities for shaping Hong Kong’s possible ‘futures’ and how we collectively contribute to building its capabilities.

Speakers