HK Youth Should Move To Hainan, For The Chicken: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Wednesday offered an alternative suggestion for any young Hongkongers who have failed to be convinced about the attractions of the Greater Bay Area, suggesting they pack up and move to Hainan instead.

She said not only could people "enjoy the shadow of coconut trees", but they could also feast on Hainanese chicken rice – a dish widely associated with Singapore.

Lam, who's been on Hainan for the Boao Forum, said the island's leaders have noted Beijing's plans to lure Hong Kong youth to other parts of the Greater Bay Area, and they are taking the initiative to also provide opportunities for SAR residents.

"My colleagues and I were very moved", Lam wrote in a post on Facebook.

She said she would like to see young people in Hong Kong moving to the island for work or internships.

In a further bid to persuade young people to consider leaving their home city for Hainan, Lam noted that as well as the trees and Singaporean food, the island also has a friendly local population and is rich in agricultural products.

Lam’s Facebook post attracted hundreds of comments.

While the CE’s fans cheered her suggestion, saying Hainan is a beautiful place and Hong Kong youngsters would love it there, others posted sarcastic remarks accusing her of failing to “fact check” with her promotion of Singaporean cuisine.

“Just because the name of the dish has the word ‘Hainan’ in it doesn’t mean it is a Hainan speciality. It’s the same with pineapple buns having no pineapples in them, or Swiss Chicken Wings having nothing to do with Switzerland,” one netizen said.

Another, meanwhile, said Hong Kong is a food paradise and there is no need for Hongkongers to go anywhere else just to get something good to eat.

“As an international city, we’ve got all sorts of different cuisines and we can get any food we want here. Hongkongers should stay in Hong Kong,” the person wrote.