Letters | How Hong Kong could help expats feel at home

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I am writing in response to the letter, “Hong Kong is still attractive to expats – just walk around Happy Valley Racecourse” (January 22).

The government trumpets Hong Kong as “Asia’s World City” and tries hard to attract international talent which the city really needs if it intends to maintain its status as an international financial and commercial hub. If Hong Kong wants to attract expats and retain those who are already here, the government needs to make sure that they feel included, part of the city and able to enjoy all that the city has to offer.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is ensuring that all government department-related notices are bilingual. A good example is a letter from an expat permanent resident who wanted to vote but found that nearly all information about candidates was in Chinese. He felt he belonged enough to want to vote but it seemed like he’s not expected to.

The government must not forget there are also many Hongkongers who were educated abroad and may not be able to read Chinese. The government was disappointed with the low turnout for the district council election, but some might have actually been shut out.