My Take | ‘Good HK stories’ are better heard after dialling down the rhetoric
- Official use of blunt propaganda and well-worn phrases does nothing for city’s cause, but return to reasoned argument may be on the way
The call to “tell good stories about Hong Kong” has been the rallying cry for the city’s efforts to rebuild its international image after the pandemic and political transformation of recent years.
For the campaign to work, the stories must not only be true but told well. They need to be compelling, credible and convincing in order to sway opinions overseas.
But the presentation of the case for Hong Kong has been undermined by the repeated official use of red-hot rhetoric and blunt propaganda. Last week, thankfully, signs emerged the government might be softening this strategy. The move is long overdue.
The “wolf warrior” brand of diplomacy might play well with nationalistic netizens, but in terms of promoting the city, it is self-defeating. The full-blooded attacks on critics tend to confirm notions in the West that Hong Kong is now little different to the mainland.
The rhetoric reached a peak during the passing of new domestic national security laws last month, with numerous official rebuttals of criticisms and perceived misconceptions concerning the legislation.
A recent government statement responding to a critical US report used words such as absurd, bullying, ugly and despicable. That is just one of many examples. The same well-worn phrases have been used over and over again. They have lost their power and meaning, overshadowing more sophisticated attempts to present Hong Kong’s point of view.
