City Beat | A lesson for Hong Kong from the Big Apple – conflict is inevitable, just move forward

“I’m not complaining about Hong Kong’s traffic jams any more,” I jokingly told the New York taxi driver as we became stuck in a Manhattan snarl on the way back to my hotel after a meeting on Friday.

The cabbie, who immigrated to the US 19 years ago from Bulgaria, started to ask me about Hong Kong, and was surprised when I told him the cost of living here was probably as high as in the Big Apple.

“New York is the only place I can live in,” he said, telling me how much he loved his city.

I know where he’s coming from – New York has always been one of my favourite cities, and I was reminded why again during my trip there and to Washington DC for business on a visit organised by the Better Hong Kong Foundation.

Although I found the traffic to be terrible, there was no denying the dynamism and draw of the city.

New York always reminds me of Hong Kong in many ways – both are melting pots, and both are vibrant, efficient and tenacious, to name a few shared strengths. At the same time, of course, the two are also very different, Hong Kong being distinct with its unique “one country, two systems” governing model.

This being the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty, “one country, two systems” was an unavoidable topic during our meetings in the US with key China-watchers, business leaders, researchers from think tanks, NGOs and former diplomats.