The mass departure of numerous professionals from Hong Kong due to restrictions on civil liberties has found a counterpoint in a new wave of arrivals: mainland Chinese individuals seeking to relocate to the former British colony.
The bustling financial hub of Asia has witnessed a substantial increase in visa applications from mainland Chinese citizens under the Top Talent Pass Scheme, an initiative launched in late 2022 to entice high-earning professionals and top graduates from global universities. Remarkably, nine out of ten successful applicants originate from China.
For mainland Chinese expatriates, Hong Kong’s distinct features, including greater freedom of speech and internet access, its cosmopolitan atmosphere, a less restrictive work culture, and a society where merit often prevails over connections, set it apart. This perspective emerges from interviews conducted by The Associated Press with 20 mainland Chinese visa holders.
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Some, like Wu, a finance professional in his twenties, regard relocating to Hong Kong as a means to attain more freedom and security. Wu, who prefers to be identified by his last name due to concerns of government reprisal, expressed a sense of anxiety when faced with unpredictable lockdowns in Beijing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained, “For now, it’s my lifeboat.”
While public dissent in China has gradually diminished under the leadership of Xi Jinping, Hong Kong still maintains Western-style civil liberties that reflect its history as a former colony. China’s communist leaders pledged to preserve these freedoms in the semi-autonomous region for 50 years after its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Wu shares with many Hong Kong residents a desire for freedom of expression. He appreciates the city’s lower prevalence of staunch nationalists, colloquially known as “little pinks,” compared to Beijing. He also enjoys the ability to freely transfer his funds to other countries and access the internet without the need for VPNs to bypass censorship prevalent in mainland China.
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Following the enactment of Hong Kong’s national security law, introduced to restore stability after extensive pro-democracy protests in 2019, several leading activists in the city faced prosecution. Numerous civil society organizations were disbanded, and outspoken media outlets like Apple Daily and Stand News were compelled to cease operations.
These political changes, along with comparatively lenient COVID-19 measures that were lifted in Hong Kong faster than on the mainland, contributed to a decline in Hong Kong’s population, from 7.5 million in mid-2019 to 7.3 million in mid-2022. International corporations and banks have also begun to relocate.
The precise number of permanent departures and their motivations due to the political climate remains unclear. Nevertheless, over 123,800 individuals have relocated to the UK, while thousands have obtained permanent residency in Canada under special policies for Hong Kong residents following the security law’s implementation.
The Top Talent Pass Scheme aims to mitigate this brain drain: As per the immigration department, approximately 37,000 applications from mainland Chinese have been approved. The number of arrivals in the city is uncertain, but by 2021, around 135,000 mainland Chinese citizens had resided in Hong Kong for less than seven years, before the program’s launch. Many others have gained permanent residency after living in the city for over seven years, with nearly one-third of the city’s inhabitants originating from other parts of China and Taiwan, although most made the move to Hong Kong years ago.
Zhang Guangwei, a recent graduate at 22, declined multiple job offers in mainland China to work as a software developer in Hong Kong, seeking to escape the infamous “996” working culture, where employees often work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week.
Zhang experienced a similar workaholic lifestyle during an internship and is content that his Hong Kong job only requires him to work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for five days a week. This allows him more spare time for activities like hiking and socializing with friends.
He stated, “If work gets too busy, then I feel it’s meaningless for me to earn money.”
The mid-career individuals interviewed mostly expressed a strong motivation for the wider educational opportunities available in Hong Kong for their children.
Monica Wang, a 39-year-old businesswoman holding a visa, was attracted by Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and its portrayal in movies and TV shows as a modern city embracing diverse lifestyles. She aspires to relocate from the nearby city of Zhuhai in pursuit of new career prospects.
“I want to see more of the world, and I hope my children can too,” she remarked.
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The individuals interviewed generally displayed resilience in the face of diminishing room for dissent and free speech in Hong Kong. They viewed the security law as a measure to enhance the city’s safety.
While the newcomers may mitigate the brain drain, particularly in the financial sector, they may not fully compensate for the talent loss across various industries, as noted by Simon Lee, an honorary fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Asia-Pacific Institute of Business. He pointed out that the medical sector had lost some highly experienced professionals, challenging their easy replacement by doctors not trained locally.
Experts remain uncertain about how the influx of mainland Chinese individuals will shape the city’s future, given the dynamic interactions between newcomers and Hong Kong natives. Not all newcomers can speak Cantonese, the native language of many Hong Kong residents, but some can swiftly secure employment as Mandarin has become increasingly prevalent in the city since the 1997 handover.
Throughout its history, Hong Kong has continually absorbed migrants from mainland China, who arrived seeking better opportunities. This historical context shapes the lives of new arrivals like Wu, the finance professional.
Wu noted that since his arrival, his local friends and Hong Kong media outlets have become more cautious. If government controls tighten and the political climate becomes stifling, he intends to stay for the seven years required to obtain permanent residency. Beyond that, he expressed a high likelihood of leaving.