South China Morning Post
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The departures hall at Hong Kong International Airport. Hong Kong has seen a net loss of young people between ages 15 and 24 at a time when it needs young, local talent more than ever amid an increasingly aged society. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Opinion
Paul Yip
Paul Yip

Hong Kong must heed the voices of its restless youth to secure its future

  • The government’s approach of slowly bringing friendly, hand-picked youth into the policymaking process must be overhauled if it hopes for meaningful change
  • Hong Kong needs an inclusive approach that reflects young people’s actual needs and gives them a reason to stay instead of seeking a better life elsewhere
Paul Yip
Paul Yip
Why you can trust SCMP
The government has pledged to engage Hong Kong’s youth. The youth policy released by Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen listed more than 160 measures to be implemented. It is important to have an accurate understanding of young people to set the right type of policies.
It is a humbling experience to try to find out what went wrong in the past and why engaging with the government has little to no appeal to the younger generation. Our young people are very diverse, and it is impossible for a single approach to engage all of them. The government’s current mindset and approach must be overhauled to bring young people on board and improve governance.

Among the measures was a “member self-recommendation scheme for youth”, opening the floor for young people to participate in policy discussions so their ideas can feed into the policy formulation process. The scheme invited candidates to submit a video or essay to apply to become a committee member.

Upon vetting, successful candidates will be invited to join the relevant committees. Applications closed on March 15 last year, and the results will be announced in the first quarter of 2023 – nearly a whole year later. Young people are unlikely to want to wait a year to express their views to the government.

The question of quality and inclusive government lies at the heart of the recruitment approach. But instead of asking young people to submit an application, a smart government would more actively reach out to young people through different ways, especially youth who are less willing to get involved. The coverage needs to be inclusive. Better to approach them rather than wait to be approached.

There is a disconnect in government policies for young people. How many of these policies are raised by young people rather than the government’s own wishes? The 2019 social unrest was a manifestation of the discontent some young people felt, prompting them to go on the streets and express their views.

It seems the government’s current attitude only grants those considered “good students” the right to have a say. A seat in the consultation committee should not be viewed as a gift but a fundamental pillar in policymaking as we try to empower our young generation to be better prepared for the future.

The voices of the youth need to be heard for effective governance. However, the current mechanisms filters out certain voices, allowing those favoured by the government to have a seat at the table.
Look at it another way – Hong Kong’s population is ageing. Twenty per cent of Hongkongers are aged 65 or older. We need our young people. We must give them all our support, be it education or training, to help them become more productive than we are now.
Even if today’s youth are as productive as the current workforce, they still cannot offset the ageing problem.

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Older people always like to offer suggestions to young people about how they struggled and eventually succeeded. While it is good to share, old-school methods might not be applicable in modern times, and the opportunities older generations took might not exist any more. It is important for our youth to find their own way with the necessary support.

There is a net outflow of young people from Hong Kong. The 2021 census showed 264,900 people aged 15-19, down from 340,907 in 2016, while the cohort aged 20-24 fell to 326,214 from 445,074 in 2016. This is worrying as the city’s population had previously been replenished by one-way permit holders arriving.

Losing them young: Hongkongers in early 20s are biggest emigrating group

The tides have changed. Despite the government’s efforts to attract foreign talent, the number being brought in might not be sufficient to offset those leaving.

If we can’t improve young people’s quality of life, education and work opportunities, it will make us a less appealing place to be. For Hong Kong to thrive, we need to work hard to improve the chances of our young people, understand them better, win their trust and provide opportunities to grow.

As the young people are our future, my hope is that the government can better connect with our young people for the sake of Hong Kong’s sustainable development.

Paul Yip is chair professor (population health) in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong

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