Democratic Party should reinvent itself for a better Hong Kong

Mark Pinkstone/Former Chief Information Officer of HK government

The disbandment of the Democratic Party from Hong Kong’s political scene would be seen as a blow to the HKSAR’s political development. In all democracies an incumbent government is balanced by an opposition. And the Democratic Party has played that role since its formation in 1994.

Way back in the 70's and 80's there were no political parties in Hong Kong. All members of the Legislative Council were appointed by the governor. But there was an underlying muttering among the young academics seeking change to the way Hong Kong was being administered. The government of the day was horrified that someone had the audacity to question its actions and set up a secret task force – Special Committee on Pressure Groups (SCOPG) – to monitor their actions. This was the start of political development in Hong Kong.

Two of these special interest groups – Meeting Point and United Democrats – merged in 1994 to form the Democratic Party of Hong Kong, led by barrister Martin Lee.

It gained in popularity and became the largest party in the legislature, which, at that time was 50 per cent elected and 50 per cent appointed.  But oppose they did. They protested and held vigils against the Tiananmen Square incidents with students and called for the end of the one-party rule in China. It was basically an anti-China organisation. They boycotted the Provisional Legislative Council in 1997 which was formed to transcend the legislature from British to Chinese Sovereignty, known as the “through train.”

By this time, Hong Kong had a fully elected legislature – 50 per cent elected by geographic constituencies and 50 per cent by functional constituencies – with the Democratic Party being the largest. The goal is to have a fully elected legislature by universal suffrage in accordance with the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini constitution, with no timetable set.

But this is not possible until there is a mature legislature and a public that fully understands Hong Kong’s relationship with China and its Central Committee. Hong Kong is, after all, and inalienable part of China. However, this was the downfall of the Democratic Party.

New blood joining the party were mainly high-spirited young lawyers and university graduates keen to change China and Hong Kong: the impossible. Their lack of maturity and understanding created squabbles within the Party and fractures appeared within its hierarchy.

During the mid- 90's the fractions within the party were becoming more public and the rebels, known as the Young Turks, took control of its leadership. Hong Kong was becoming more politicized and more political groups or parties emerged. The Young Turks have thrown their cultural heritage to the wind and have no loyalty to their homeland. Instead, they have been seeking independence for Hong Kong, which is totally unrealistic in practical terms. Besides, the majority of Hong Kong’s population is in favour of maintaining the status quo; the one country, two systems.

The Party was fairly well organized with 94 district offices and when organizing the mass protest against Article 23 legislation on national security it called 40,000 supporters personally on its data base to join the demonstration.  The protests won the day, and the government shelved the proposal to 2024 when it was passed,

However, the Party was losing ground. Hong Kong people don’t like confrontation and became more supportive towards pro-Beijing politicians. All they want is peace and stability. In the 2007 District Council elections, the Party lost 36 seats, compared with the 2003 elections, and 23 of the party’s incumbent councillors were ousted.

The immature Young Turks were also behaving badly in the Chamber by refusing to take the Oath of Allegiance as prescribed by the attending officers.  They were disqualified, as they would in any country, but they still cried foul and continued to get western support. There were several showtime antics and walkouts which did not endear them to the general public.

The party continued to have internal problems and by December 2020 some 50 members had left the party to form new parties.

On February 20, this year, the party announced it was preparing to disband, which immediately caught the attention of the international media, blaming the disbandment as a result of Beijing pressure.  Nothing could be further from the truth. It has run its course and its committee, at a soon to be announced general meeting, will decide whether to pack up their bags or stay in.

The problems with the Democratic Party has been internal bickering, but it serves a purpose in the Hong Kong political scene. It is the opposition. And blaming China does not help. Wikipedia, an internet portal encyclopaedia, said the party was to dissolve in 2025 after the party was unable to enter the elections at the end of the year with the national security threshold imposed. This is totally untrue as the elections are open to everyone. The piece was obviously written by a member of the party.

The best thing for the Party is to stay in the race by reinventing itself. Forget plans of grandeur and independence. Work with the people and with the administration to make Hong Kong a better place.

Mark Pinkstone

** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **

Without a doubt Hong Kong is a major player in global financial markets, an accolade that is being further enhanced with the city’s rising status as the top arts hub in Asia with global recognition in its sights.

International attention is focused on Hong Kong during March as it hosts a series of art-related events culminating in the world-acclaimed Art Basel Hong Kong 2026. For Hong Kong and, indeed, the art world, this is a major event where outstanding works of art are displayed and sold.

Art Basel Hong Kong kicked off locally in 2013 and has become a prominent flagship on the city’s international calendar every year thereafter. And it brings in thousands of visitors. Last year, for example, it featured 240 galleries from 42 countries and regions, attracting 85,500 visitors, half of which travelled to Hong Kong for the event. Another 240 galleries from Australia, Japan, Turkey, the Netherlands, France, Georgia, Spain and the United States are taking part in the exhibition this year.

A curtain raiser to Art Basel is the home-grown Art Central along the Central harborfront, which featured some 117 galleries with 500 artists from around the world. That makes 357 galleries featured in these two exhibitions this week.

This highlight of Hong Kong’s event calendar is a boon for our tourist industry, attracting several million visitors in a single month. Hotels are booked to capacity and bars and restaurants report an additional 15-20 per cent increase in revenue during the month. Government economists estimate that every 1.5 million tourists add HK$3 billion to Hong Kong’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Since its inaugural edition in 2015, Art Central has established itself as a leading platform for innovation in contemporary art, advancing the profiles of artists and galleries and reinforcing their presence within the international art landscape.

It was Betty Fung Ching Suk-yee, CEO of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WestK) who noted that the cultural industry is closely connected with finance, as family offices are increasingly looking to invest in art in Hong Kong.

“We could also work with financial institutions to encourage more of their clients to become art collectors,” she said. “It’s not going to be overnight, you might first become a member of a museum, then a patron, then you might start to buy or even donate.”

Having already developed a reputation as an art trading centre, the city is now making its mark as an arts and cultural hub, led by the continued development of WestK.

These two art exhibitions are in a place where new talent is discovered. Collectors generally buy art from well established artists like Pablo Picasso, who has a collection of about 30 pieces of his works on display at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. These art pieces are regarded as minor works and can be purchased for several thousand US dollars.

The art market has fully recovered from the declines due to the COVID outbreak and in 2024 sales of art works through auctions and private negotiations reached about US$39 million (HK$300 million).

The art market is full of artists that have yet to gain a following or break into the blue-chip world. Up-and-coming artists often produce top-tier quality works for a fraction of the price of blue-chip pieces because they don’t yet have the name recognition. Up and coming artists who have won competitions organised by the Sovereign Art Foundation and others have made the first step to such recognition.

Knowledge of the art world and art market is helpful, so beginners are not likely to stumble upon the next Andy Warhol. This form of investing is highly speculative compared to investing in old masters or blue-chip work. The exhibition is a showcase for new artists to make their debut to the international buyers and collectors looking for new talent with potential.

Hong Kong’s West Kowloon arts hub has signed agreements with 12 international institutions from Australia, the UK, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, paving the way for future collaborations as the city seeks to strengthen its role as an East-meets-West cultural hub. This will help bring more international performances to the city, showcase Hong Kong productions to global audiences, support the exchange of talent and more. The agreements were signed during a two-day International Cultural Summit held in conjunction with the cultural festivities.
But the agreement which cements Hong Kong as the arts hub of Asia was that signed by Art Basel of Switzerland to continue holding Art Basel Hong Kong for the next five years.

The collaboration with Art Basel for the next five years is the result of sustained investment in Hong Kong’s role as a global financial centre, collaboration and a shared commitment to make Hong Kong a place where the arts can truly flourish.

Internationally acclaimed artists bring fame to Hong Kong, a melting pot where culture transcends borders. And even without such major events, Hong Kong’s array of galleries along Hollywood Road is a living museum of fine arts, a major tourist attraction in the city.