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Chief executive election 2017
OpinionComment

Hong Kong needs to do more to make its non-Chinese residents feel at home

Gary Wong wants the next chief executive to introduce new integration policies for the city’s non-ethnic-Chinese population, on issues from education and jobs to discrimination

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Chief executive candidate Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meets members of the non-ethnic-Chinese community to understand their difficulties, at Hong Kong Unison in Tai Kok Tsui on February 18. Photo: Felix Wong
Gary Wong Chi-him

Given the current political climate in Hong Kong, there is an urgent need to not only bridge the adversarial divide but also rebuild social cohesion. Fighting for the disadvantaged to create a diverse, inclusive society remains one of my goals as a politician.

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Despite Hong Kong’s privileged “small-circle” election system, the next chief executive must not turn a blind eye to the forgotten people in society, including the 450,000 non-ethnic-Chinese who account for 6 per cent of the total population.

Hong Kong’s next chief executive must better heed ethic minority views

Having spent time abroad, in places like Bangalore, Oxford and Shanghai, it is clear that a society free of discrimination is key to socio-economic development. Hong Kong, as a world city and home to thousands of migrants, should do more to ensure inclusion for non-ethnic-Chinese residents and empower them to lead a better life.

Thus, it is vital that all chief executive candidates acknowledge the importance of integration policies. On numerous occasions, I have heard non-ethnic-Chinese call for the term “ethnic minorities” to be discarded. Often associated with nationalities such as Indians, and others from South Asia, the term does not cover Caucasians, for example, who are also foreigners in this city.
Even though the community at large has no real bad intent in using the term, it nevertheless hints at discrimination. Concern groups have suggested alternatives such as “non-Chinese-speaking residents” and “non-Chinese Hongkongers”. With no solid solution yet, the next administration should tackle the issue.
Non-ethnic-Chinese residents call for a more inclusive education policy ahead of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s policy address, outside his office in Tamar on January 14. Photo: Xiaomei Chen
Non-ethnic-Chinese residents call for a more inclusive education policy ahead of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying’s policy address, outside his office in Tamar on January 14. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Discriminatory language abounds in describing Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities

Then there is the problem of education and jobs. In 2014, a survey by the City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Christian Service found that more than 60 per cent of non-ethnic-Chinese students aged 12 to 23 had only primary-school standard Chinese language proficiency. As many as 80 per cent of junior high school students and more than 50 per cent of their senior counterparts admitted that their Chinese standards had not improved beyond this level.

Hong Kong’s ethnic minority students ill-served by Chinese-language courses

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