Flying Sand | From Asia’s World City to China’s running boy – Beijing and Carrie Lam carve out new role for Hong Kong
Leader and her top officials have visited a dizzying array of foreign capitals and mainland provincial governments since taking office – a sign China sees value in deploying her and the city’s soft-power appeal
It seems to me that since Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was installed as Hong Kong leader, and for that matter in the months before, we have witnessed a bold and not exactly unsurprising redefinition of the city’s role in the world.
All the available evidence points to a clear shift from the overblown, nebulous and conceited claim to be Asia’s “World City” to a much more grounded and realistic role as the world city of China.
In the spirit of understatement which embodies the way Beijing goes about its business, this change has not be trumpeted by overpaid and undereducated purveyors of branding who came up with the hollow “World City” wheeze.
Instead, in the spirit of a country used to the one-sided benefits of totalitarian rule, which allows ruthless economic and political planning, this shift in the role of Hong Kong is based on actual work on the ground, a heady mix of glad-handing and arm twisting, and as little trumpeting as possible.
Here is the evidence for my contention.
