Adam Au

Opinion | Give Hong Kong’s talented Gen Z skin in the game or prepare for an exodus

Hong Kong’s millennials face diminished economic opportunities, widening income inequality and perceived interference with their way of life. More must be done to increase their political and economic participation, tapping their digital fluency

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Adam Au

Published: 10:15am, 17 Aug 2020Updated: 10:38am, 17 Aug 2020

The controversial national security law has quelled the disruptive social movement that caused Hong Kong’s economy to smoulder. But in the seemingly tranquil city that has taken down all pro-Hong Kong independence flags and silenced all subversive slogans, resentment towards mainland China lingers.

Many see this quiet as brought on by fear of legal repercussions, even as, inspired in part by last year’s anti-extradition bill movement, there has been a shift in collective consciousness towards a uniquely Hong Kong identity that is ideologically non-Chinese.

Online, “we just really f**king love Hong Kong” has become a Gen Z catchphrase. While most Hongkongers still consider themselves Chinese – distancing from any allusion to an independent state – this is by far the most polarised Hong Kong has been since the handover.

Where Hongkongers once proudly identified as part of China, millennials and Gen Z no longer feel they belong to the special administrative region. There are reasons aplenty: diminished economic opportunities, widening income inequality, perceived interference with their way of life, and so on.

There is a generational element at work. Gen Z has no knowledge of a world without the internet and digital technology, as the first generation of true digital natives. Technology will be an essential component in their career development.

Yet, neither their technical proclivities nor sound understanding of the digital economy has brought rewarding careers. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a tried-and-tested formula that many Hong Kong companies stubbornly cling to. More than anything, such reluctance to change may hasten the end of Hong Kong’s competitiveness.