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Most read commentaries of 2021

China’s challenges at home and abroad, the Covid-19 pandemic and Hong Kong’s future were some of the hottest topics for Post readers in 2021. Here are the most read commentaries on these issues.

Updated: 27 Dec, 2021
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[1]

Opinion | Is China’s population crisis reaching a point of no return?

China’s rapidly declining fertility reflects the legacy of family planning policies, which had caused the birth rate to plummet well below replacement level by the 1990s. If it is to sustain its economic dynamism, it must expand its labour force by raising the retirement age and encouraging families to have more children.

25 Mar, 2021
A child wearing a face mask runs along a path in a park in Beijing on February 19. Today, there are more elderly people in China than there are children. Photo: AP
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[2]

My Take | Think twice before leaving Hong Kong for Britain

An expat reader offers up-to-date information and advice from a long trip to Britain which exposes the wide gulf between the country as advertised and as it really is.

12 Aug, 2021
A Hong Kong expat and soon-to-be grandfather describes the difficulties of living in Britain. Photo: In Pictures via Getty Images
[3]

Opinion | China’s reported hypersonic missile test not a ‘Sputnik moment’

The test, if reports are accurate, is neither of drastically new technology nor shows capabilities the US does not possess or has not already considered. Still, that China is developing such systems indicates it is seeking ways to defeat US missile defences.

21 Oct, 2021
Chinese military vehicles carrying the DF-17 hypersonic missile pass by crowds during a parade, in Beijing on October 1, 2019, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Photo: AP
[5]

Beijing is making it clear that my sort are no longer welcome in Hong Kong

As Beijing erodes the city’s rights and freedoms in the name of national security, it is freedom lovers who are feeling alienated and ignored. Many are leaving, and more will follow.

09 Feb, 2021
Pedestrians walk past graffiti on a pedestrian crossing reading “Free HK” and “Fight For Freedom” in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, on October 2, 2019. Photo: Bloomberg
[6]

Opinion | How ‘poisonous shrimp’ Singapore became the US’ undeclared ally in Asia

The city state has deftly fortified strategic ties with the West while remaining a trusted interlocutor to and top investor in China. Although it was overlooked for the US’ upcoming democracy summit, Singapore remains America’s most reliable strategic partner in Southeast Asia.

06 Dec, 2021
Illustration: Craig Stephens
[7]

China Briefing | China shouldn’t cancel its Piano Prince over one night with a sex worker

The British actor was humiliated when he was caught in Los Angeles with a sex worker known as ‘Divine Brown’. Yet he still went on to make the romantic blockbuster Notting Hill.

30 Oct, 2021
Chinese pianist Li Yundi at a performance in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Getty Images
[8]

Opinion | Hong Kong needs to do more to stop people from leaving

Every Hongkonger who moves away is a loss for family and friends, and for the city. While fewer may leave under the BN(O) visa scheme than Britain predicts, we need to create a better city for new talent and existing residents alike.

12 Feb, 2021
People wait to cross the road in Hong Kong on December 20. We need to redouble our efforts to create a more liveable and affordable city with a higher quality of life for all. Photo: Zuma wire/dpa
[10]

Cheap, exotic mass travel? Post-Covid tourism will be very different

Travel will be more local, mindful and hopefully sustainable. The air miles industry might not survive, with package tours and cruises unlikely to regain popularity.

30 May, 2021
A man walks along an unusually quiet Karon beach in Phuket on September 30, 2020. Photo: AFP
[11]

Opinion | Hongkongers suffering the pain of 21-day Covid-19 quarantine need help

The city’s demanding restrictions on returning residents have disrupted plans and imposed a mental and financial strains on many. More should be done to make Hongkongers comfortable and healthy in quarantine, and ensure hotels are affordable.

15 Jan, 2021
A staff member in protective gear waits for arriving guests at the Ramada Hong Kong Grand in North Point, a designated quarantine hotel, on December 21. The Hong Kong government has since tightened its quarantine requirements for arrivals. Photo: Felix Wong
[12]

Opinion | Why China’s declining population growth may be good news

Half a century of evidence suggests that in all prosperous countries where women are well educated and free to choose whether to have children, fertility rates fall significantly. When populations no longer grow, there are fewer workers per retiree, but also a reduced need for infrastructure and housing investment.

12 Jun, 2021
 A couple push children in a stroller in Shanghai on June 1. Chinese mothers gave birth to 12 million babies last year, down from 14.65 million in 2019, marking an 18 per cent decline year on year. Photo: EPA-EFE