Hong Kong Immigration and Business: In the eighteen years since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the exchanges and integration between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland have become increasingly close, and the personal destinies of Hong Kong youth are now more tightly linked to the nation's development. Amidst the national trend of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation," how Hong Kong youth can seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carve out their own path in this "great era" of innovation and entrepreneurship is a matter of great concern to both the national and the Hong Kong SAR governments. Recently, a "Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Exchange Delegation" consisting of 1,800 Hong Kong youths visited Beijing to participate in activities and were received by national leaders at the Great Hall of the People, demonstrating the high importance the nation places on the development of Hong Kong youth.
Not long ago, Forbes released its list of the world's top 100 technology billionaires. Twenty billionaires from the mainland made the list, with Alibaba Board Chairman Jack Ma topping the list as the richest Chinese person, while only one person from Hong Kong, Zhou Qunfei, entered the top 100. Zhou is a "new Hong Konger" born in Hunan and who made her fortune in Shenzhen, not a native-born Hong Konger; this result has left many Hong Kong media outlets feeling embarrassed.
Hong Kong possesses the unique advantage of "One Country, Two Systems," with the backing of the motherland and a global outlook. As a premier financial and shipping center, it boasts a free economic system, a sound legal framework, a high level of education, and high internet penetration, making it a place of immense advantages. Even Jack Ma expressed envy for the entrepreneurial environment of Hong Kong youth, stating: "Today's young people in Hong Kong, your geographical location is quite good. In terms of economic structure, financial advantages, qualifications, and a global vision, Hong Kong is by no means inferior to any city on the mainland. I envy this very much." However, why is Hong Kong's development in technology unsatisfactory, and why has it failed to produce high-tech billionaires?
This can be analyzed from two aspects: the entrepreneurial environment and the mindset of the entrepreneurs themselves. Regarding the entrepreneurial environment, some Hong Kong media have analyzed that high rents in Hong Kong have created an insurmountable barrier to entry, deterring many young people with entrepreneurial aspirations. Industry insiders also believe that Hong Kong's traditional commercial society has already provided a sufficiently rich and convenient living experience for the geographically small city, which is why Hong Kong people are not interested in the internet.
In response to the difficulties of high entry barriers and insufficient capital for Hong Kong youth at the start of their entrepreneurial journey, the national and Hong Kong SAR governments have long devised a series of measures to assist them.
First is the strong financial support for local Hong Kong entrepreneurs. The continuous expansion from Cyberport to the Science Park has provided a growth platform for Hong Kong youth with low rents and a concentration of entrepreneurial partners. In addition, the SAR government has allocated HK$300 million to establish a Youth Development Fund, and coupled with the "Hong Kong Youth Entrepreneurship Fund" established by Jack Ma and others earlier this year, these are all aimed at solving the problem of insufficient capital for Hong Kong youth in the early stages of entrepreneurship.
If entrepreneurs do not wish to develop locally in Hong Kong and choose to head north to start their businesses, there are also good places waiting for them to showcase their talents. At the end of last year, the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub in Shenzhen officially opened. The hub will build a professional service platform integrating "nurseries, incubators, and accelerators," focusing on introducing more than a dozen domestic and international entrepreneurial service platform institutions to provide "one-stop" and "nanny-style" entrepreneurial services for young entrepreneurs from Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and abroad. Domestic and foreign banks, angel investors, private equity funds, financing guarantee companies, securities firms, and stock exchanges will gather at the hub's entrepreneurship and investment plaza to provide comprehensive financial support for young entrepreneurs.
Regarding the mindset of the entrepreneurs themselves, Hong Kong media pointed out that in current Hong Kong, a "get rich quick" mentality permeates the market. Many young people would rather invest their money in the stock market or the property market than choose entrepreneurial investment, the fundamental reason being a lack of innovative spirit.
Jack Ma believes that entrepreneurs must have a spirit of taking responsibility; without such drive, it is impossible to succeed in entrepreneurship. "Opportunities are always for you to grasp yourself." Many young people in Hong Kong are confused and feel there are no opportunities. However, young people in Europe, Taiwan, and the mainland are all confused; everyone has been confused before finding something they can do. "When is an opportunity? An opportunity is when others are complaining, and what everyone thinks is a good opportunity is often not very good."
In addition, many Hong Kong youth are confined to a corner and are unwilling to develop on the mainland. Some media believe that the reason for this is that some Hong Kong youth's understanding of the mainland still exists in television or stereotypes, and they do not understand China's development history or modern history, which is why they dare not take the step toward the motherland.
In this regard, Xu Rongmao, head of the exchange delegation and Chairman of Shimao Group, pointed out that bringing so many young people to the mainland this time is to let them see for themselves the weight Hong Kong occupies in the national plan. Xu Rongmao mentioned that the national "13th Five-Year Plan" has great room for development, and Hong Kong must find its own role within it. The "Hong Kong Chapter" in the "13th Five-Year Plan" further proves that Hong Kong is an important part of this plan. Xu Rongmao said that the proposal of the "Belt and Road" initiative is also particularly important to Hong Kong. As the nation's "super-connector," Hong Kong can play a significant role, which is a precious opportunity for many Hong Kong youth.
Jack Ma also suggested that Hong Kong youth should be more courageous in venturing to the mainland. He believes that the future market is interconnected, and whether it is Hong Kong or the Chinese mainland, it must be connected with the whole world. He encouraged Hong Kong youth to develop more on the mainland: "The opportunities on the mainland are still very large. Your knowledge structure and many things you have seen and heard are currently very lacking in China. So I suggest that everyone come to the mainland to develop more."
Today, the people of the whole country are working hard to realize the Chinese Dream, and the nation's development has provided momentum and opportunities for Hong Kong's development. Currently, Hong Kong is in a "great era" of national development; "there is no era better than the present." Hong Kong and the motherland have always been a community with a shared future. As a Special Administrative Region of China, Hong Kong possesses the unique advantage of being backed by the motherland, and there is no reason to let these opportunities slip away. If Hong Kong youth can place their future development goals within the entire grand national plan, the things they can do will be magnified countless times. Hong Kong youth already have better educational conditions, coupled with a vision that combines East and West. If they can think and explore the path of Hong Kong's development with a broader vision and concentrate their energy on starting and building their careers, why worry about not succeeding?