Madam Lu Xinning Opening address
17 Apr 2023
Our Hong Kong Foundation International Forum on
Progress through Collaboration
“Connecting the World: Hong Kong’s
New Opportunities and New Future”
Opening address By Madam Lu Xinning
Deputy Director of Liaison Office of Central Government of HKSAR
Opportunities belong to a well-prepared Hong Kong
The Honourable K. K. Chan, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government, Mr Yang Yirui, Deputy Commissioner of Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Bernard Chan, Executive Vice Chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation and Chairman of M+ Museum, Professor William C. Kirby, Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Mr Ronnie Chan - Chair of Hang Lung Properties, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon everyone!
It is an honor to attend the Progress Through Collaboration International Forum on “Connecting the World: Hong Kong's New Opportunities and New Future”. Our Hong Kong Foundation’s Executive Vice Chairman Mr Bernard Chan previously mentioned to me that although the preparation time for this forum was not long, it received tremendous positive responses from all sectors. The fact that so many heavyweight guests are gathered here today is a testament to Hong Kong's attractiveness in "connecting the world," and also demonstrates the influence of Our Hong Kong Foundation as a world-class think tank, which will help the world better understand the development of Hong Kong which it has restored order and is set to thrive.
Just now, Chief Executive the Honourable John Lee and Director Zheng Yanxiong gave wonderful video speeches. Starting from the grand background of Chinese modernization, they shared their insights and opinions on Hong Kong's new advantages and opportunities. Hong Kong’s rich and diverse charm, when viewed from different perspectives, offers different potentials and strengths to be discovered. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to share my views on "Hong Kong's New Opportunities".
Firstly, the competition in today's world ultimately boils down to talent competition, and Hong Kong has unparalleled overall advantages. In the recent years, Hong Kong experienced “brain drain” , causing concern among its people. However, I believe that Hong Kong's overall advantages are evident, such as the common law system, "one country, two systems" institutional framework, the position of being backed by the motherland and connected to the world, and internationalization advantages. If all these potentials can be unleashed, Hong Kong’s attractiveness to high-end talents will continue to increase, and eventually, it will win the competition for talent. The recent measures taken by Chief Executive the Honourable John Lee to "compete for talents" have been effective. Hong Kong has many other "magnetic fields" to attract talents. During this period, Many university presidents have told me that significant progress has been made in introducing international top scholars and this momentum is still continuing. To my understanding, Professor Kirby has just published a book titled "Empires of Ideas," which conducts case analyses to compare the processes of university development in Germany, the United States, and China, with the last case being the University of Hong Kong, which is regarded as a representative of China's rise in higher education worldwide. This also illustrates the strength and potential of higher education in Hong Kong.
Secondly, the future development of the world depends on how different civilizations coexist, and Hong Kong can become an experimental field for civilization co-prosperity. Samuel Huntington proposed the Clash of Civilizations theory during the last century, but while the globalization process has made our planet more interconnected, it has not reduced conflicts. Today, the future and destiny of each country are closely linked. How can different civilizations coexist to promote human well-being? Recently, President Xi Jinping proposed the "Global Civilization Initiative," advocating that cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and coexistence transcend feelings of superiority. This provides a Chinese solution for humankind to excel against challenges. Because Hong Kong is connected to the whole world, it is uniquely characterized by an amalgamation of Chinese and Western cultures. As Director Zheng Yanxiong stated in his speech, Hong Kong's elegance and charm are best showcased through the "coexistence of two systems," the combination of Eastern and Western cultures, and a community with a shared future for mankind. For a city, this is, of course, an unparalleled advantage. There is limitless space for cultural exchange, mutual learning, industrial cooperation, and citizen comradery.
Thirdly, the technological revolution profoundly changes human social process, and Hong Kong faces a historic opportunity to redefine itself. Recently, ChatGPT emerged, and it has caused a worldwide surge in artificial intelligence. Even the most cautious observers recognize that the global economy, society, and even political operations will be affected. I saw a Goldman Sachs report predicting that ChatGPT will affect the work of 300 million people worldwide, and Hong Kong is the most affected, with 30% of jobs being replaced, because Hong Kong's economy is dominated by professional services. This is obviously a huge challenge that Hong Kong is facing, but to put it another way, what if it is a historic opportunity? Hong Kong is intensively building an international innovation and technology center. If it can make good use of its advantages in basic research, high-end talents, the hinterland of the Greater Bay Area, and diverse cultures, it can turn this crisis into an opportunity, cultivate the courage to innovate and reform, accelerate the transformation and upgrading of economic structures, and catch up with this wave of technological revolution. The history of Hong Kong is the history of re-emergence from the ashes under the spirit of Lion Rock, and this time is by no means an exception.
Looking back at the famous cities in human history, including Chang'an in China's Tang Dynasty, Venice in the Renaissance, London in the Industrial Revolution, and New York in the post-industrial era, all were built by seizing opportunities, making bold choices, and working hard under specific conditions of their time and space. As one of the Four Asian Tigers, Hong Kong emerged in the 1970s and has gradually developed into a world-renown dynamic city and the Pearl of the Orient amidst the tide of globalization and China's reform and opening-up. There is a famous saying, "Opportunities belong to the prepared." Today's Hong Kong fully enjoys the development dividends brought by Chinese modernization and it’s own Internationalization. The right time, the right place and the right people are all available. As long as Hong Kong seizes the opportunity and strives to forge ahead, it will surely have a promising future with unlimited glory.
I wish this forum a great success!
Thank you all!