Hong Kong is again struggling with a problem of perception. I’m not referring to the badmouthing and negative comment by people outside the city. As the Cantonese saying goes, “the mouth belongs to someone else”. You don’t get to control what comes out of other people’s mouths, however defaming and untrue the content.
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With the cancellation of the two drone shows that were supposed to be part of the over 400 events the government had planned to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, I’m afraid tongues are wagging again. And it’s not just the hundreds of thousands of people left disappointed after hours of waiting.
The organisers could have done better to communicate the problem. They said a “technical glitch” led to the cancellation. It wasn’t until later that we found out the reason was actually unsuitable atmospheric conditions. Given the potential adverse impact of ionospheric scintillation – including the risk of interference with the GPS, the possibility of the drones crashing and its implications for public safety – we understand it was a judgment call.
But the impression was made: a “glitch” implies an error. It was a public relations lesson. Meanwhile, lawmakers are now suggesting that contingency plans need to be made for future shows.
The damage didn’t stop there. Worse for Hong Kong, our neighbour Shenzhen managed to hold their drone shows the same day, albeit later than scheduled, and not just one show but successive ones in five districts. The drone operator said the difference came down to flexible timing – Shenzhen waited for conditions to improve while Hong Kong decided to cancel so its fireworks could start on time.
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The fireworks were indeed spectacular, but maybe not as “spectacular” as the fact that Shenzhen held multiple drone shows and live-streamed them while Hong Kong couldn’t get its own show off the ground. More reason for people to lament how far Hong Kong is falling behind Shenzhen.
The National Day fireworks display in Hong Kong, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, is seen from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront on October 1. Photo: Eugene Lee
Shenzhen’s phenomenal rise from a small fishing village just like Hong Kong into a bustling metropolis in lightning speed has been impressive, to say the least. By 2018, it had surpassed Hong Kong in gross domestic product.
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Hong Kong’s angst and lack of confidence is not without reason. Shenzhen’s growth is all the more incredible when seen against Hong Kong’s struggles in recent years. Some have called Shenzhen’s rise and Hong Kong’s “decline” a “reversal of fortunes”.
In fact, overall growth on the Chinese mainland has been phenomenal. In 1997, Hong Kong’s GDP was around 18 per cent of the rest of the nation’s GDP. By 2021, it’s gone down to a low single digit. As we celebrate the nation’s achievements, we cannot help but be made aware of our own city’s “decline”.
But it should not be seen as a decline – Hong Kong has made important contributions to the country’s overall growth. True confidence, of course, comes not from comparisons. In any case, as a developed economy, Hong Kong has no hope of matching the skyrocketing growth of a developing economy.
But Hongkongers’ lack of confidence is a problem our government must address. There are areas in which we do lag behind – like innovation and technology. With the Northern Metropolis plans being rolled out, and the synergies that are sought with Shenzhen and others under the Greater Bay Area development zone, we are indeed picking up the pace.
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There are more lessons we can learn from the drone tales of two cities. Maybe we were trying to do too much at the same time, making it difficult to be flexible. To carry on with the drone display, Shenzhen tweaked the scale of the shows and delayed them.
Perhaps we can draw inspiration from this. We need planning but also room to be flexible, for contingencies; we can adapt and tweak as we go. The government has been working hard on churning out blueprints for the future, but it is in how we navigate the changing dynamics around us that would determine whether we steer towards a better tomorrow.
Just coming up with a plan and hoping that it will go well isn’t enough. The government must identify areas in which we lack room for change and remove systemic hurdles, and put in place contingency plans.
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When our government asks us to innovate and think creatively, it, too, must show it will do that to lead this city forward. Hope and confidence are themes Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has evoked in the past. Now, his administration must show that it is ready to provide both.
