Hong Kong is still “Simply the Best”: The accolades keep rolling in

Mark Pinkstone/Former Chief Information Officer of HK government

Tina Turner’s signature song “Simply the Best,” was used by the Hong Kong Tourism Board some years ago to identify the attributes of Hong Kong, known as the Pearl of the Orient. Today, about 40 years later, it’s still true.

International leisure magazine Time Out has lauded Hong Kong as having the world’s best public transport system world-wide, a view shared by international transport publication Infra journal (published in Milan, Italy) which headlined a story “A world class leader in public transit: here is the Hong Kong model.”

But transport is not our only top ranker in the world economies. Hong Kong was first in Asia as a Global Financial Centre and maintained its placing as third in global rankings in the index. And as far as our prophets of doom are concerned, Hong Kong ranks high in the rule of law index, even surpassing the US.

Yes, we are simply the best and doing better day by day. Hong Kong has a remarkable “can-do” spirit and is always willing to face adversaries head-on. The Steve Roaches (former Asian chairman of JP Morgan) of the world who keep reciting the death of Hong Kong, have kept their heads in the sand during their tenure in the city. They have learned nothing about the resilience of its people. At times we might be down, but never out.

In the rule of law index, Hong Kong was placed 23rd out of 142 jurisdictions, one point above the US. A Hong Kong SAR government said at the time that the city remained high in the overall ranking and continued to be ahead of some European and American countries which “often unreasonably criticise Hong Kong’s rule of law and human rights situation. Hong Kong’s score in respect of Absence of Corruption was higher than the previous year, ranking 10th globally, showing that it remains one of the most corruption-free places in the world.

Hong Kong has long been recognised as the financial hub of Asia and well placed in global rankings. The Global Financial Centres Index assessing some 119 financial centres around the world, picked Hong Kong third globally. A government spokesman said the report recognises Hong Kong’s leading status and strengths as an international trading centre. Hong Kong’s ranking for human capital, infrastructure and financial sector development rose to second in the world while business environment and reputational and general rose to third globally.

As far as public transport is concerned, Hong Kong is second to none. Hong Kong claimed top spot in Time Out magazine’s survey of 18,500 interviews globally. Shanghai was second and Beijing third. Asian cities claimed nine of the 19 spots world-wide. The US didn’t make the grade.
Infra magazine said that in many cities, transport planners dream of a future when most people prefer to use public rather than drive a car. In Hong Kong, the future arrived early.

“Hong Kong’s leadership in public transit is the outcome of government policies, multimodal investments, meticulous planning and a rail plus property business model which foster and sustains high levels of transit usage.” the magazine said, noting that 80 per cent of Hong Kong residents use public transport.

The magazine marvelled at the MTR’s rail plus property model which allows the corporation to build a world-class transit system and operate a self-sustaining entity, unlike most cities where public transport systems require government subsidies. The success of the MTRC has been recognised world-wide. Its expertise and its corporation model now extends beyond Hong Kong with railway-related projects and operations in the mainland, (including lines in Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou), Macao, the United Kingdom (the Elizabeth Line in London), Sweden’s Stockholm Metro, Melbourne and the Sydney Metro North West Line in Australia.

Yes, Hong Kong is a city that never sleeps. The lights in the business commercial district burn relentlessly 24 hours day and the bus services run throughout the day and night taking commuters to their workplace to keep the cogs of Hong Kong churning.
This is how Hong Kong maintains its status as a world-class city.

Mark Pinkstone

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

So, US President Donald Trump is going to ask China to release former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, currently facing sedition and collusion charges in Hong Kong, during the trade negotiation talks in Switzerland this weekend, according to international news agency, Reuters.

There is little chance of that ever happening. In the whole scheme of world conflicts and international trade negotiations, the trial of a Hong Kong man on sedition charges pales into insignificance. Just a leaf in a tea cup. And even if it did come up during the hard talk negotiations, the Chinese side will simply ignore it.

British-based Reuters boasts a readership of more than one billion people a day and is used by some 750 television broadcasters covering 115 countries. Yes, it does have reach and is influential. But it is also biased, like most of the western media towards China and Hong Kong.

Indeed, the Reuters release was picked up by most of the world’s media.  Bloomberg quoted Trump from the release’s account of a radio interview: “I think talking about Jimmy Lai is a very good idea. We’ll put it down and we’ll put it as part of the negotiations.”

Trump was responding to a question put by Republican political commentator Hugh Hewitt on his Hughniverse podcast on May 7.

During the negotiations on Hong Kong’s future in the 1980s, Reuters moved its regional headquarters from Hong Kong to Singapore as it had no faith in Hong Kong’s future. It still doesn’t, even though Hong Kong has fought off adversaries and doomsday prophets with a shield of truth and perseverance. The story of Hong Kong’s triumphs and successes have been retold many times.

Reuters reports: “The trial of Lai – a long-standing critic of the Chinese Communist Party – has shone a spotlight on a sweeping crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong following China’s imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020.”

The writers, both Hong Kong residents, were in Hong Kong and witnessed the bloody riots that prevailed at the time, but chose to side with the dissidents and their reportage thereafter has been colored by their own emotions. Gone are the days of balanced, unbiased reporting, especially with such a reputable news organization.

But the story is continually fuelled by Lai’s son, Sebastien and his public relations team of barristers at Doughty Street Chambers in London.

On World Press Freedom Day last week, Fox News devoted a segment to Sebastien who noted that in 1995 Lai senior founded Apple Daily…which quickly “became a beacon for free speech.”  Every Hong Konger knows that Apple Daily was launched on a platform of sex, gossip and more sex. It was a sleaze newspaper, known in the west as the “yellow press.”  In its early days it had no political bias. It was not until he ran foul with the Beijing authorities over regulations concerning his Giordano store that his attitude changed towards Beijing and anything relating to authority.

Sebastien summed up his father as “an immigrant who never quite fit in.”

In this final plea, Sebastien sought the release of his father, even before a verdict has been reached in his trial, so that he “can leave Hong Kong and be with his family.”

Lai faces three charges: two counts of collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security and one count of conspiracy to publish a seditious publication.

Jimmy Lai wrapped up his testimony on March 6 after taking the witness stand for 52 days. The trial is set to hear closing arguments on August 14, which are expected to last eight days.

But again, the western press smeared the judiciary before the trial even began. The infamous BBC lauded: “Mr Lai cannot expect a fair trial in today’s Hong Kong…”

It quoted Doughty Street barrister Jonathan Price, a member of Lai’s so-called international legal team saying that the fundamental principle of the rule of law in Hong Kong has eroded and that “everybody knows there’s only going to be one result.”

Mr Price, his colleagues in Doughty Street Chambers and the BBC should be reminded that Hong Kong’s judiciary ranks No.23 out of the 142 jurisdictions in the authoritative World Justice Project last year and even higher ratings in World Economic Forum earlier findings.