Bloomberg report on HK's aging population

• Gohhock

  31 May 12, 13:03

  Strangely, HK has never got to do much about its country for a century because of being the China gateway.  With China slow down, HK govt also begin to feel the heat to do something for its country.  Please see its approach to the problem is similar to our govt:

  Hong Kong Workers May Need to Retire Later on Population

  By Mark Lee - May 31, 2012 1:23 AM GMT+0800

  Hong Kong workers may need to retire later and universities should admit more overseas students as the city’s workforce contracts after 2020, the government said in a report.

  The government should review whether facilities for expatriate workers such as international school places are sufficient, according to the report released by the Steering Committee on Population Policy yesterday. Local women should be encouraged to give birth, the task force said.

  A failure to reverse the potential decline in the size of the workforce will limit future economic growth, according to the report. Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China that runs its own domestic policy, faces competition from Asian cities including Tokyo and Singapore in attracting skilled workers and executives.

  The possible decline in the working population may “reduce the standard of living, weaken competitiveness and undermine the economic vitality of Hong Kong society,” the working group said in the report.

  Hong Kong’s workforce will shrink to 3.49 million in 2029 from a projected 3.58 million in 2020, according to the report. The aging population will exert an increasing burden on workers, the committee said.

  In a survey of American Chamber of Commerce members in May 2011, 63 percent said some executives are driven away by the lack of student places.

  To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Lee in Hong Kong at [email protected]

  To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at [email protected];

   

• dragg

  31 May 12, 13:07

  why do we need such a big population? hong kong's projection is only 3 million odd.
• Gohhock

  31 May 12, 14:34

  That is working popn.  It does not include those not seeking employment eg retirees or small to big business owners

• βέτά

  31 May 12, 14:36

   

  Import afew million immigrants from China, it should solve the problem.

   

   

• Gohhock

  1 Jun 12, 13:05

  I thought this report will show that what people allege about the govt concerning immigration and foreign students are wrong.  Bloomberg is known not to be pro-pap and so the report cannot be biased towards our govt.  Yet HK think they want to import immigrants and some thru students which are what our govt does.  So it is not about trying to treating foreigners better.

• charlize

  1 Jun 12, 13:32

  Cannot compare with HK lah.

   

  HK is part of China.

   

  People can come and go as Chinese citizens as they are all in the same country.

   

  You compare this to Sg, that's like saying if Bedok residents population dropping, then you go "import" some residents from Pasir Ris to support the Bedok population.

   

  In Sg's case, they are importing new citizens from another country - different social, economic and political implications.

• Nelstar

  1 Jun 12, 14:05

  Originally posted by charlize:

  Cannot compare with HK lah.

   

  HK is part of China.

   

  People can come and go as Chinese citizens as they are all in the same country.

   

  You compare this to Sg, that's like saying if Bedok residents population dropping, then you go "import" some residents from Pasir Ris to support the Bedok population.

   

  In Sg's case, they are importing new citizens from another country - different social, economic and political implications.

  This method wrong leh. The China government never shipped Chinese on purpose to HK. Neither did our government ship Pasir Ris residents to support Bedok population.

  They only re-draw the boundaries.

  

• Gohhock

  1 Jun 12, 17:05

  Oppo are businesspersons plenty and this is small thing lah.  Intially no re-drawing the boundaries.  Pap learned that oppo and oppo supporters move houses to concentrate votes to win the constituents.  So the electorial committee has to be fair to only re-zone close to election.(my observation).  I have proof because I eavesdropped one time at car workshop that one sme(workshop owner) bought a resale HDB flat to support CST at potong pasir and got cheese off because he moved to GRC.

• Nelstar

  2 Jun 12, 00:36

  Originally posted by Gohhock:

  Oppo are businesspersons plenty and this is small thing lah.  Intially no re-drawing the boundaries.  Pap learned that oppo and oppo supporters move houses to concentrate votes to win the constituents.  So the electorial committee has to be fair to only re-zone close to election.(my observation).  I have proof because I eavesdropped one time at car workshop that one sme(workshop owner) bought a resale HDB flat to support CST at potong pasir and got cheese off because he moved to GRC.

  PAP supporters don't buy HDB anymore. That's why very hard to relocate to support PAP.

  

• sgdiehard

  2 Jun 12, 10:11

  Originally posted by charlize:

  Cannot compare with HK lah.

   

  HK is part of China.

   

  People can come and go as Chinese citizens as they are all in the same country.

   

  You compare this to Sg, that's like saying if Bedok residents population dropping, then you go "import" some residents from Pasir Ris to support the Bedok population.

   

  In Sg's case, they are importing new citizens from another country - different social, economic and political implications.

  It is not true that "People can come and go as Chinese citizens as they are all in the same country."!!! Chinese citizens need to apply to go to HK even as tourists.

  The number of pragnant mainland Chinese women who can give birth in HK is now limited to 35,000 per year, and only if you are å�•é�ž, if you are  å�Œé�ž, no chance.

  HK chinese go in and out of China using the document 回乡�， mainland Chinese entering HK queque with Singaporean and American in the same line as foreigners!!!

  一国两制......

   

• charlize

  2 Jun 12, 11:08

  Originally posted by sgdiehard:

  It is not true that "People can come and go as Chinese citizens as they are all in the same country."!!! Chinese citizens need to apply to go to HK even as tourists.

  The number of pragnant mainland Chinese women who can give birth in HK is now limited to 35,000 per year, and only if you are å�•é�ž, if you are  å�Œé�ž, no chance.

  HK chinese go in and out of China using the document 回乡�， mainland Chinese entering HK queque with Singaporean and American in the same line as foreigners!!!

  一国两制......

   

  I mean it in the general sense lah.

   

  Ultimately, HK is part of China.

   

  But Sg is not part of China.

   

  Or are we?

• Gohhock

  2 Jun 12, 17:55

  Pap supporters do not have that kind of thinking because partly pap do not stir up such emotions.  Of course when they become the oppo I do not know whether they will do the same..  To be able to try to shift homes to support their parties require very strong loyalty over personal and family interests.

• Nelstar

  3 Jun 12, 19:41

  Originally posted by Gohhock:

  Pap supporters do not have that kind of thinking because partly pap do not stir up such emotions.  Of course when they become the oppo I do not know whether they will do the same..  To be able to try to shift homes to support their parties require very strong loyalty over personal and family interests.

  PAP do not stir up emotions.

  All they do is ask us to repent.

  

• dangerboi

  12 Jun 12, 21:51

  Originally posted by charlize:

  Cannot compare with HK lah.

   

  HK is part of China.

   

  People can come and go as Chinese citizens as they are all in the same country.

   

  You compare this to Sg, that's like saying if Bedok residents population dropping, then you go "import" some residents from Pasir Ris to support the Bedok population.

   

  In Sg's case, they are importing new citizens from another country - different social, economic and political implications.

  Agreed.

   

  Don't have to worry for Hong Kong for PRC will help her.

• dangerboi

  12 Jun 12, 22:03

  Originally posted by sgdiehard:

  It is not true that "People can come and go as Chinese citizens as they are all in the same country."!!! Chinese citizens need to apply to go to HK even as tourists.

  The number of pragnant mainland Chinese women who can give birth in HK is now limited to 35,000 per year, and only if you are å�•é�ž, if you are  å�Œé�ž, no chance.

  HK chinese go in and out of China using the document 回乡�， mainland Chinese entering HK queque with Singaporean and American in the same line as foreigners!!!

  一国两制......

   

   

  Applications for cross-border permits/documents are to control the flow of people into Hong Kong and into Mainland. This is due to the massive number of people in PRC (including Hong Kong). Look at the Hong Kong passport:

   

  

   

  It clearly shows that it is under PRC.

   

  Look at the recent Hong Kong's chief-executive “election” in which pro-Beijing Leung won.
  

• dangerboi

  12 Jun 12, 22:09

   

  Hong Kong people can't deny the fact that Hong Kong isn't a country. It is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Its sovereignty was transferred from United Kingdom to the PRC in 1997.

  

  It's merely a movement of people within PRC (mainland to hong kong and hong kong to mainland) and the nett change in population of PRC (hong kong + mainland) due to this movement is zero.

   

  In Singapore, the influx and outflux of people have resulted in a nett change of population which isn't 0.

• dangerboi

  12 Jun 12, 22:11

  I really do not know why people like to compare Singapore with Hong Kong. You're comparing a city, Singapore ( which is a country) with a city, Hong Kong (which isn't a country; when it was under UK, it was a colony, and currently it is a special administrative region of China).

• dangerboi

  12 Jun 12, 22:14

  Originally posted by Gohhock:

   

  Hong Kong Workers May Need to Retire Later on Population

  Hong Kong’s workforce will shrink to 3.49 million in 2029 from a projected 3.58 million in 2020, according to the report. The aging population will exert an increasing burden on workers, the committee said.

   

  Retiring later might happen since Hong Kong is a very competitive city.

  It might not happen (most probably it wouldn't) since the workforce will not shrink if more mainland chinese people enter Hong Kong to work.

   

  

• dangerboi

  12 Jun 12, 22:18

  Has anyone compared Luxembourg with Singapore? 

   

  Luxembourg has a population of ~509, 000 but it has the world's highest GDP (nominal) per capita, according to IMF.
  

• sgdiehard

  13 Jun 12, 09:52

  Originally posted by dangerboi:

   

  Applications for cross-border permits/documents are to control the flow of people into Hong Kong and into Mainland. This is due to the massive number of people in PRC (including Hong Kong). Look at the Hong Kong passport:

   

  

   

  It clearly shows that it is under PRC.

   

  Look at the recent Hong Kong's chief-executive “election” in which pro-Beijing Leung won.
  

  No disagreement with you about the passport issue. However, while HK is part of China, the fact remains that mainland Chinese cannot suka suka go to HK, the beijing government controls the number of people going to china and the HK government controls the number of pragnant women who can come to HK. There is no free flow as in any country.

  While acknowledging that HK is part of China and Singapore is a sovereign country, HK and Singapore have similiar legal and civil service system (different from China), similar in size, both were the Asian Tigers, both are cities, with urban population. Both economies are heavily depended on service and financial industries, both depends heavily on cheap labour from around the region...... There are so much more that are common between Singapore and HK that there must be something we can learn from each other.

  To ignore HK's experience simply because they are part of China is just political.

• sgdiehard

  13 Jun 12, 10:00

  Originally posted by dangerboi:

   

  Hong Kong people can't deny the fact that Hong Kong isn't a country. It is a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Its sovereignty was transferred from United Kingdom to the PRC in 1997.

  

  It's merely a movement of people within PRC (mainland to hong kong and hong kong to mainland) and the nett change in population of PRC (hong kong + mainland) due to this movement is zero.

   

  In Singapore, the influx and outflux of people have resulted in a nett change of population which isn't 0.

  what is the impact of the HK 7 million population to the 1.3 billion in China, nett change means nothing. but what impact does 35000 pragnant women from mainland China has on the HK population? what has the influx of tourists from mainland China has on HK? ever heard of the locust? 

  Statistics mean little....the fact is that their workforce is shrinking, ours is not?

  

• charlize

  23 Jun 12, 22:16

  Originally posted by sgdiehard:

  what is the impact of the HK 7 million population to the 1.3 billion in China, nett change means nothing. but what impact does 35000 pragnant women from mainland China has on the HK population? what has the influx of tourists from mainland China has on HK? ever heard of the locust? 

  Statistics mean little....the fact is that their workforce is shrinking, ours is not?

  

  Our workforce is the best in the world.

   

  Cheaperest betterest and fasterest.