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Brian Y. S. Wong
Brian Wong is an assistant professor in philosophy at the University of Hong Kong, and a Rhodes Scholar and adviser on strategy for the Oxford Global Society.
Brian Wong is an assistant professor in philosophy at the University of Hong Kong, and a Rhodes Scholar and adviser on strategy for the Oxford Global Society.
Languages Spoken:
English
With unilateralism on the rise, the world is moving towards a situation where no power is willing to take on the mantle of global leadership.
It would be a mistake to neglect the agency of states, multinational organisations and powerful firms not fully aligned with either side.
Cross-cultural education can play a key role in Hong Kong’s global talent hub plans if leaders build bridges and pursue the right policies.
Leaders need to offer carrots and sticks for Russia while boosting defence and being creative to get others, including China and India, to buy in.
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While hawks on both sides say cooperation will hurt national security, Chinese and US scientists have so much to gain from sharing research.
What Indonesia has gained is strategic autonomy, clout with the US and within Asean, and a bigger voice on the global stage.
The Chinese and European economies can both benefit from increased engagement, especially if Beijing can assuage investors’ concerns.
Regardless of Trump’s approach, Beijing should avoid withdrawing from the world and instead seize the opportunity to attract global talent.
Being part of ‘one country’ bestows market access and strategic heft but it is the distinctions between the ‘two systems’ that make us competitive.
We should not be complacent about Southeast Asia, and must cultivate stronger arts and cultural connections on the ground.
Spain has tried to assuage China’s concerns and worked to repeal European tariffs, but it faces a tall task and deep scepticism.
As a showcase of Hong Kong stories and a launching pad for Chinese soft power, the West Kowloon Cultural District is a public good deserving of public funds.
As a research hub, buffer zone and link between mainland China and the world, Hong Kong’s strengths can help it avoid being “kicked around”.
China faces a much different world to when its process of opening up began, but its fundamental recipe for success has not changed.
China faces a much different world compared with when its process of opening up began, but there are similarities, and the country needs to show that it can work constructively with others toward a productive future.
Common ground can be found on mitigating AI’s impact on jobs and societies, holding back military AI and avoiding unintended perverse consequences.
Amid threats such as climate change, more exchanges and dialogues between young people in the US and China can help forge trust. Hong Kong also has a crucial role to play when it comes to connecting youth across the Pacific, owing to its unique concentration of intellectual capital.
Hong Kong can best serve China by providing Beijing with a more accurate picture of its global image and a site for forward-thinking experimentation. Doing so will require becoming a talent hub for the Greater Bay Area, building academic ties with rest of the world and serving as a venue for needed dialogue.
The spectre of ultranationalism is haunting Chinese social media and getting in the way of countering increasingly negative views of China around the world. Those who welcome a more vocal turn in Chinese online discourse should remember that nationalistic outbursts do not signal strength.
To counteract Trump’s caustic policies, China must expand its multichannel diplomacy with the US, engage with the rest of the West in a more nuanced way, and regain its economic mojo.
Amid US-China tensions, Asean has carved its own path with shrewd balancing, hedging and consolidation, showing how small and medium-sized powers can navigate the increasingly turbulent dynamics between the two countries.
Beijing should work to restore the confidence of domestic and global investors to ensure continued economic growth benefits everyone. Focusing less on security, increasing data transparency and minimising uncertainty around government actions would be a good start.
Hong Kong’s openness, unique culture and strong rule of law mean it can play an important role in fostering exchanges between the US and China. That requires promoting collaboration in apolitical areas, scaling up artistic and cultural exchanges, and hosting more backchannel discussions.
Risks from China must be put in perspective against tensions in northeast Asia, from Taiwan to the Korean peninsula, and an increasingly isolationist and protectionist US.
Both countries must look beyond trade and investment as their bridges, diversifying their areas of close cooperation. Technology, sustainability and culture are vital avenues.
Given Asean engagement is vital to Hong Kong’s relevance and competitiveness, the city must play up its usefulness, lower entry barriers, boost Asean-China collaboration and offer more scholarships.
Offering young people open platforms for creative expression is a powerful means for the city to re-engage its future talent, and is also simply the best way to revitalise urban aesthetics.
For a start, the Thai military should focus on regional peacekeeping with China, especially in Myanmar, and Thailand must remain a safe haven for investment, particular Chinese.
Seen as a bellwether of Beijing’s policy direction, Hong Kong’s authorities must present the right optics, meaning no decisions that hurt international confidence.
