HKUST PPOL Newsletter Fall 2023

26 Public Policy Dialogue Series Hong Kong and the World: Still Connected and Valued Internationally? On February 11, 2023, the Policy Dialogues Series invited an esteemed panel of speakers Professor Anthony B. L. Cheung, GBS, JP, Chair Professor of Public Administration at EdUHK and former Secretary for Transport and Housing in the HKSAR Government; Professor Tai-lok Lui, JP, Chair Professor of Hong Kong Studies at the Department of Asian and Policy Studies and Director of the Academy of Hong Kong Studies at EdUHK; and Mr. Brian Wong, a Rhodes Scholar and DPhil candidate in Politics at Oxford University, who is also the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Political Review. The discussion was expertly moderated by Professor Kira Matus from the Division of Public Policy at HKUST to discuss the topic "Hong Kong and the World: Still Connected and Valued Internationally?" Prof. Cheung initiated this dialogue series by posing two thought-provoking questions: firstly, is Hong Kong returning to a world that is as friendly and appreciative as it once was? And secondly, do Hong Kong people possess unwavering confidence in the city's future and its impact on the global stage? Prof. Cheung then proceeded to delve into the historical narrative of Hong Kong, highlighting its post-WWII success and its unique role as a result of its historical and geopolitical positioning. He emphasized how Hong Kong served as a buffer zone between the US and China during the decline of the British Empire and the rise of Pan-Americana. Furthermore, he discussed Hong Kong's interconnectedness with both the Western camp and China during China's early reform in the 1980s and 1990s. The remarkable economic success of Hong Kong was evident as being one of the Four Asian Tigers in the 1980s and was hailed by Time Magazine in early 2008 as the "Ny-lon-kong." HK

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