HK Govt Lacks Sense Of Crisis, Says Lau Siu-kai

A vice-president of Beijing's top think tank on Hong Kong has criticised SAR officials for not having "a sense of crisis", after the central government named Shenzhen as the "engine" for the development of the Greater Bay Area.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam recently said she doesn’t mind that Shenzhen’s GDP has surpassed that of Hong Kong, and she doesn’t see the mainland city as a competitor to the SAR.

But think tank chief Lau Siu-kai told RTHK that the government should be worried about the territory losing its competitive edge.

"It signals that Shenzhen is developing very fast … It’s a signal of crisis for Hong Kong," Lau said.

"From my own experience in the government, I think many government officials still do not have a serious sense of crisis," he said, adding that requests from the Shenzhen government to increase cooperation in the past did not receive much attention.

However, the Beijing loyalist said he doesn't think Hong Kong is being sidelined or marginalised, as mainland leaders expect the SAR and Shenzhen to work together by exploiting the advantages of their different systems.

"The problem lies within Hong Kong itself, whether we have a enough sense of crisis to respond to the expectations of President Xi Jinping."

Lau also said young people in Hong Kong should heed Xi's call for them to seek work across the border, as this could further their careers as the SAR struggles to diversify its economy.

More young people moving to the mainland would also reduce public discontent with the SAR government and promote stability in the SAR, Lau told RTHK's Timmy Sung.

“It will make it more likely these young people will not subscribe to the views of Hong Kong independence advocates and separatists.”

Meanwhile, on an RTHK programme a local deputy to the National People's Congress, Wong Kwan-yu, agreed that Xi's call for more to be done to attract Hong Kong youth to spread their wings was aimed at a "separatist sentiment" which he said had emerged during last year's social unrest.

Wong, who is also the president of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers, said that negative media reports are to blame for young people "having a misunderstanding" of the mainland.