The falling visitor numbers, increase in Hongkongers heading to the mainland and a patchy economic recovery call for a clear-eyed recognition of the changed environment. The government must think hard about what sort of city Hong Kong will become in 10 to 20 years’ time.
Despite what most Western pundits think, both sides will test each other’s intentions in a way that may lead to a temporary easing of tensions.
Despite a similar outlook on maritime disputes with China and past cooperation, a US-wary Vietnam, increasingly dependent on China, is likely to resist any fully fledged alliance with the Philippines.
China’s economic success can be attributed in part to internal competition for growth among the country’s hundreds of municipalities, but those days are over as consumers drive growth.
If the Hong Kong government is going to ease the pressure on the city’s A&E departments, it would do well to learn from the failures of Cathay Pacific. In both cases, the flu season that exacerbated the staffing shortage can’t be blamed.
New York’s first murder of 2024 – an Asian man – is a reminder of the spectre of violence facing immigrants to the US. However, without more direct contact between the youngest and brightest from China and US, the outlook for better relations is bleak.
