“The change in the government’s official language requires an explanation. I speculate that the central authorities now require it of official Hong Kong communication on some topics in some situations,” writes John Burns.
“The two [departments] which are particularly beset by a large number of unfilled vacancies are RTHK and the Police Force,” writes Tim Hamlett. “RTHK had the highest vacancy rate of any government department, at 24 per cent. No wonder they have robots reading the weather bulletin.”
“The success of government technology is not dependent solely on bits and cables – infrastructure, internet speed, and ubiquitous connectivity. No vision of smartness or technological advancement is possible without public trust and political legitimacy,” writes Kris Hartley.
Two recently published books – one on the Covid disaster and the other on lobbying for a high-speed rail service – offer contrasting lessons on relations between local and central authorities in China, writes John Burns.
“The uniqueness of Hong Kong has been ignored in drawing up the legislation, risking more damage to the city’s international image and civil liberties – in particular, freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” writes Chris Yeung.
“In essence, Article 23 is not an infringement on our liberties; rather, it serves as a safeguard against potential hazards to our way of life,” writes Adrian Ho.
“Whether or not the [monthly fireworks displays prove] successful in terms of visitor satisfaction, we can be sure of one thing: its negative impact on local wildlife,” write Michael Boyle and Victoria Amaral.
“The flip side of the director of audit developing a new national security hobby is that it will reduce the resources devoted to his proper function, which is ensuring that government spending is honest and effective,” writes Tim Hamlett.
“In the Article 23 consultation document authorities offer their interpretation of 2019 without considering the government’s role in triggering the protests, the underlying causes of discontent in Hong Kong, the role of civil society, and the role of ‘external forces,’ ” writes John Burns.