Six months after Hong Kong reopened to the world, the city still faces a steep climb to reclaim its place as Asia¡¯s premier finance and tourism hub.
Led by former policeman and now Chief Executive John Lee, Hong Kong has been pushing hard to revive the city¡¯s reputation with high-level events, a new visas programs to lure top talent, tax concessions for the wealthy and free airline tickets for visitors.
But the Hong Kong of old ¡ª self-proclaimed as Asia¡¯s World City ¡ª will be hard to resurrect. Tens of thousands of high-skilled workers left to escape the city¡¯s COVID-19 regime and a crackdown on freedoms after Beijing imposed a national security law in 2020. The city suffered its biggest workforce decline on record last year, causing major labor shortages.
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