"The way ahead for Hong Kong", The CA Magazine (March 2015)

To discuss the impact of the political debate and the way forward for Hong Kong, The CA brought together a panel of businesspeople, all with a considerable knowledge of an stake in Hong Kong.

Ken Morrison CA, a director with Mazars in Hong Kong and chairman of Mazars Greater China (and of the ICAS Hong Kong community) is also former chair of the Vision 2047 Foundation, set up to strengthen understanding of Hong Kong in the international community. Our panel included members of the Foundation, as well as Jann Brown, ICAS president; Anton Colella, ICAS chief executive; and T Brian Stevenson CA, an adviser with BT Asia Pacific and former chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Kenneth Morrison shared his insights on "The way ahead for Hong Kong" during the discussion.

His comments, extracted from the article, were:

[...]

First, the panel was asked how life in Hong Kong has changed since the handover from British rule.

Ken Morrison said: "Since 1997 we have had three chief executives, none of whom have had the support of the people, and there hasn't been the degree of leadership that any country needs"

According to Ken Morrison: "There is no question but that we have a terrific future ahead of us, if we believe in it. Things work in Hong Kong - we get things done.  But if we start believing that the future is not bright, we may start finding that we fulfil that scenario."

Morrison added that recent street demonstrations risked scaring off international investment: "Perceptions drive investment and if people that that Hong Kong is not quite the same as it was before, it doesn't matter whether it is true or not."

[...]  

What will it take to realise Hong Kong's potentially bright future?

[...] "The issue of trust is key," Ken Morrison stressed.  "There is still a sense of "them and us" between Hong Kong and the mainland.  We are on the same team and it's a case of listening to one another, and playing to each other's strengths.  If we can play to strengths of China and Hong Kong.  Hong Kong can indeed to be the world city it has the potential to be."   

To read the full article, please click here .

* ICAS is a professional body for more than 20,000 world class business men and women who work in the UK and in more than 100 countries around the world. 

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Credits: Article written by Robert Outram for CA Magazine