Follow Hong Kong Immigration and Hong Kong Entrepreneurship: To promote an entrepreneurial spirit in Hong Kong, it is essential to start with the youth and encourage them to engage in the entrepreneurial circle. However, Jia Peinian laments that the social atmosphere in Hong Kong does not encourage entrepreneurship. After graduation, most young people, under the pressure from their parents, aim to work for large corporations as their life goal. This indirectly stifles the entrepreneurial circle in Hong Kong and, in the long run, limits Hong Kong's innovative capacity and economic diversity. He believes that Hong Kong should take London, Berlin, and New York as reference points for encouraging more entrepreneurial examples.
Parental expectations stifle entrepreneurial desire
In fact, many entrepreneurs in Hong Kong have become wealthy through entrepreneurship over the past half-century. As Hong Kong's economy gradually matures, the entrepreneurial spirit that has contributed to its success is increasingly forgotten in the current climate of "realism." Jia Peinian states that today's Hong Kong parents expect their children to work for large companies or become professionals after graduation, primarily because this provides a more stable life for their children. This not only diminishes the willingness of young people in Hong Kong to engage in the entrepreneurial circle but also stifles the growth of that circle.
In contrast, the entrepreneurial atmosphere in Western countries is much more vibrant. Jia Peinian says: "Take Silicon Valley in the United States and Israel as examples; local young people view successful entrepreneurs as role models. From the time they enter university, they regard entrepreneurship as one of their important life goals. Therefore, the 'first job' for young people in these regions after graduation is often in the local entrepreneurial circle, embarking on the path of entrepreneurship."
The entrepreneurial spirit in Silicon Valley and Israel is so prevalent for two reasons: first, there is a strong entrepreneurial culture in these areas; second, these regions are home to many technology and telecommunications companies. Israel, in particular, needs a significant amount of military technology due to its long-standing conflict with Palestine, which directly contributes to the prevalence of the entrepreneurial circle in the area.
Hong Kong should emulate New York, London, and Berlin
So, should Hong Kong emulate the successful cases of the aforementioned regions to encourage its entrepreneurial spirit? Jia Peinian believes the answer is "no"; instead, he thinks Hong Kong should take London, New York, and Berlin as models. He states: "These three regions share many commonalities with Hong Kong. Firstly, all three are international financial centers; secondly, they are known for gathering new ideas; and thirdly, their level of internationalization is comparable to that of Hong Kong. With these factors combined, Hong Kong, as an international financial center, can look to these regions as models."
