My Hong Kong | Why build ‘Hong Kong 2.0’ in Britain? Hongkongers can create another miracle here, now and beyond
- Nothing is impossible for Hong Kong’s people as they have the skills, assets and capital
- The city’s success is not something that can be engineered in a prefabricated setting
When I first heard the idea of building a “Hong Kong 2.0” in the British county Lincolnshire, my initial thought was that it bordered on absurdity. Plus, it is rather random: why Lincolnshire of all the counties in Britain?
According to BBC Radio 2 host Jeremy Vine, who recently floated the concept, Lincolnshire would be ideal because it is one of the most sparsely populated counties in Britain. So for three million displaced Hongkongers, it seems like the perfect place to start anew.
The idea of a “Hong Kong 2.0” in the East Midlands came after the British government announced plans to allow up to 3 million Hong Kong residents, who are eligible for British National (Overseas) passports, to live and eventually settle in the country if they are uncertain about the future of the city.
But come to think of it, such an idea is not exactly new. Every now and then when we travel abroad, we do come across streets or places that seem to have been replicated from bits and pieces of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is an anomalous success story that’s envied by many the world over. But could an exact replica be created nearly 10,000 kilometres away? Even if Britain could “clone” Hong Kong and create one that looks and functions in almost the same way, would the new version be able to embody the soul and spirit of the original?
