After the 2019 anti-China campaign, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has launched the “Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Programme” in her 2020 policy address, with the Hong Kong government providing salary subsidies in the hope of encouraging Hong Kong young people to work in the Greater Bay Area. A new public opinion survey shows that about 60% of the respondents are not willing to settle or work in the Greater Bay Area.
Some scholars analyze that the Greater Bay Area is a national policy of China in recent years, behind the purpose of promoting the integration of China and Hong Kong, and the younger and more highly educated respondents are not willing to work or settle in the Greater Bay Area, and even non-democratic supporters are only about 30% said that they are willing to work or settle in the Greater Bay Area, scholars believe that it is related to the differences between the systems and cultures of China and Hong Kong.
First proposed in 2015 in a document from the Development and Reform Commission under the Chinese State Council, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Greater Bay Area) is a cluster of cities surrounding the Lingding Ocean in China’s Pearl River Delta region, including nine neighboring cities in Guangdong Province: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Huizhou, Zhaoqing, and the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, covering an area of 56,000 square kilometers, and as of 2018 with a population of 70 million, it has one of the highest GDP per capita and strongest economies in China.
Hong Kong government encourages Hong Kong youth to work in the Greater Bay Area with salary allowances
After the 2019 anti-China campaign, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam introduced the “Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Programme” in her 2020 policy address, hoping to encourage Hong Kong young people to work in the Greater Bay Area and enhance their understanding of China.
The scheme stipulates that any company with operations in Hong Kong and Mainland China cities in the Greater Bay Area can apply for participation and offer job vacancies. Participating companies are required to hire qualified local Hong Kong college and university graduates in Hong Kong in accordance with Hong Kong law and place them in the Greater Bay Area cities in Mainland China to work and receive on-the-job training.
Hong Kong Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said in the Legislative Council in early January this year, the plan will provide 2,000 jobs, of which about 700 belong to the category of innovation, the Hong Kong Government to provide a salary allowance of 10,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 1,300 U.S. dollars), the minimum monthly salary of each position is 18,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 2,300 U.S. dollars), he believes that the salary is reasonable and attractive, Hong Kong youth can be the earliest in April this year to start working for a maximum period of 18 months.
61% of respondents are not willing to settle in the Greater Bay Area
In response to whether Hong Kong people are willing to work and live in the Greater Bay Area, the Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion interviewed 6,270 Hong Kong citizens aged 12 or above by online questionnaire from April 16 to 21, and held a press conference last Friday (April 23) to announce the findings.
Results showed that 61% of the respondents were not willing to settle in the Greater Bay Area outside Hong Kong and Macau, while 18% said yes and another 19% said half-half.
In terms of political alignment, only 4% of the 5,369 respondents who identified themselves as pro-democracy supporters said they were willing to settle in the Greater Bay Area, while 90% said they were unwilling to do so, and 6% said they were half-half. Among the 605 self-proclaimed non-democracy supporters, 41% said they were not willing to settle in the Greater Bay Area, while 28% said they were willing and half-half.
58% of the respondents were unwilling to work in the Greater Bay Area
The survey asked respondents whether they would like to work in the Greater Bay Area. 58% of the respondents were unwilling to work in the Greater Bay Area outside Hong Kong and Macau, 21% were willing, while 14% said half-half.
In terms of political alignment, only 4% of the 5,369 respondents who identified themselves as pro-democracy supporters said they were willing to work in the Greater Bay Area, 84% said they were not, another 7% said half and half, and 6% were not part of the labor force; while 40% of the 603 self-proclaimed non-pro-democracy supporters said they were not willing to work in the Greater Bay Area, 32% said they were willing, another 18% said half and half, and 8% were not part of the labor force. belong to the working population.
Scholars say system and cultural differences cause Hong Kong youth reluctance to go to the Greater Bay Area
The Chinese University of Hong Kong School of Social Sciences guest lecturer Yip Kwok Ho said at a press conference that the Greater Bay Area is a national policy of China in recent years, even though the Hong Kong government has actively promoted the Greater Bay Area in recent years, but academic understanding of the Greater Bay Area is still very limited, and this survey reflects that Hong Kong people are not interested in settling and working in the Greater Bay Area, similar to the results of similar surveys in the past, reflecting that the Hong Kong government continues to encourage Hong Kong people to settle or work in the Greater Bay Area. The results are still not very effective.
Ip said the survey found that the younger and more educated respondents are not willing to work or settle in the Greater Bay Area, and even non-democratic supporters are only about 30% said they are willing to work or settle in the Greater Bay Area, which is a minority, which he believes is related to the differences between the systems and cultures of Hong Kong and China.
Yip Kwok Ho said: “Shanghai Free Trade Zone is no way to replace the role of Hong Kong, young people will worry about returning to the (China) Mainland can not use IG (Instagram), can not use their more accustomed to the use of some networks, he (Hong Kong youth) do not know ‘over the wall’. In fact, the past discussions are (China) the mainland officials, or the relevant FTA inside the officials, will tell you in fact you buy another SIM card (phone card) on your own, he will not tell you to ‘go over the wall’, because you can not encourage you to do these illegal things. In fact illegal, is illegal, in short, he told you to buy another SIM card, or your phone can (put) two SIM cards, one can (China) mainland (use), one can roam, you roam that one may be able to use (IG), that is, some political issues (issues), we are very vague, now in short, the way to respond is ‘you get it done yourself’ this way.”
The Hong Kong government’s political intentions are not necessarily effective
Ip said that the Hong Kong government encourages young people to work and settle in the Greater Bay Area, behind the political intentions to promote the integration of Hong Kong and China, however, he believes that according to past experience, these political intentions are not necessarily effective.
Ip Kwok Ho said: “should not be trapped in Hong Kong, in fact, I believe that there is a Hidden Agenda (hidden issues), this is a political intention, but we will not talk about these things on the publicity, you can say that this is a policy under the incidental impact, I believe that can not be said to be completely absent, there must be, but of course this But of course, this kind of political intent, in fact, is not necessarily academic, that is, regardless of past research in Taiwan, or local research in Hong Kong, will tell us that in fact, return to the mainland (China) to participate in some exchange groups, or participate in some short-term some Internship (internship program), national exchange group, indeed, can help you better understand the development of contemporary China, will, but will not Because of this change you (Hong Kong youth) to (China) the mainland’s identity, or political judgment above it?
Subsidy policy is not sustainable
Responding to a question from the Voice of America, Yip said that the Hong Kong government uses salary subsidies to promote Hong Kong young people to work in the Greater Bay Area, but he believes that these subsidy policies are not sustainable, and will cause policy inequity, and will not help Hong Kong young people to develop in the Greater Bay Area in the long run.
Ip Kwok Ho said: “I just said, ‘Hong Kong people Hong Kong tax’ or allowance he (Hong Kong youth) to (Hong Kong dollars) 18,000 to (China) work in the Mainland, in fact, are using the money of Hong Kong taxpayers, I can understand why it (Hong Kong Government) to do so, I can understand but does not mean that I personally I think we pay taxes very hard, I believe that many people here are paying taxes very hard, so it should be difficult to last, and I want to remind the audience, friends, (China) the mainland you say to buy property (house) or, or its consumption, are rising very fast, are also rising a lot, and (China) the mainland prices are also more and more expensive, so these artificial The way, the administrative means to intervene, specifically to practice this policy, in fact, I myself feel that it is difficult to last.”
Scholars criticize the Hong Kong government’s Greater Bay Area policy as a gesture of political allegiance
Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion Research “We Hong Kong People” project honorary director, current affairs commentator Huang Weiguo said that the Hong Kong government encourages young people to work in the Greater Bay Area, but the relevant policy has no benefit to the local economy of Hong Kong, will not be like Indian maids, Filipino maids to work overseas, will remit money home to promote the economy of their own country, he questioned the Hong Kong government to encourage young people to work in the Greater Bay Area is only a gesture of political allegiance. He questioned the Hong Kong government to encourage young people to work in the Greater Bay Area is only a gesture of political allegiance.
Huang Weiguo said: “The government wants a policy, of course, is not comprehensive, whether it is the legal system, human resources in all aspects, this is not an easy subject, I also do not want this Hong Kong people migrate or work in the Greater Bay Area, is a political gesture as a political allegiance to the SAR government, and in the end is the sacrifice of Hong Kong people some of their basic life, or the need for that consideration.”
Mainland China has a negative impression of Hong Kong youth after anti-sending China
Huang Weiguo said that because of the different legal systems in China and Hong Kong, coupled with cultural differences, Hong Kong young people to work or settle in the Greater Bay Area are not easy to adapt, he added that after the anti-sending campaign in 2019, in fact, the Chinese mainland has a rather negative impression of Hong Kong young people, many Hong Kong young people feel that the development of the Greater Bay Area is not as easy as the government propaganda film, I believe that you need a certain social background to easier to succeed.
Unless he (Hong Kong youth) himself has a certain social background, or even ‘backstage’, I’m saying, otherwise, in some social media platforms in China, they will describe Hong Kong youth as ‘terrorists Otherwise, in some social media platforms in China, they would describe Hong Kong young people as ‘terrorists’, ‘thugs’, ‘messing up’, or even ‘cockroaches’, which are commonly used by people in power in Hong Kong. So if you young people in Hong Kong want to return to work in the Greater Bay Area, it seems that how he can change to that is, the Greater Bay Area, in the (China) domestic people how the perception of young people in Hong Kong it may be a big challenge, or a problem to consider. “
CUHK survey only 6.5% of Hong Kong young people are willing to work in the Greater Bay Area
The survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Public Opinion Research also shows that 71% of the respondents in the age group of 12 to 29 years old are not willing to work in the Greater Bay Area, reflecting that the younger they are, the less they are willing to develop in the Greater Bay Area.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong School of Social Sciences Guest Lecturer Yip Kwok Ho said that in recent years, although the Hong Kong Government vigorously promote the development of young people to the Greater Bay Area, but only limited to the MTR “sell advertising” publicity, or to the Greater Bay Area employment subsidies and other economic incentives to attract young people, the effect is not lasting, but also no results. He suggested that the Hong Kong government should do more detailed research to provide Hong Kong people with professional neutral and scientific data, in order to understand more information to work and settle in the Greater Bay Area.
Lions Clubs International China Hong Kong and Macau District 303 earlier commissioned the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to conduct a public opinion survey for young people in Hong Kong. 803 Hong Kong youths aged 15 to 30 were interviewed between March 10 and April 8, and the results showed that the respondents’ optimism rating for the future of Hong Kong society was only 2.95 out of 10, a drop of more than 30% compared to 4.37 in 2018. More than 30%; nearly 60% of the young people interviewed said they wished to emigrate, but not to China, a sharp increase of 10.7 percentage points compared to 2018, and only 6.5% of the Hong Kong youth interviewed were willing to work in the Greater Bay Area.
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