Hong Kong 'talent drain' reports rebutted

Editor's note: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin refuted reports of a brain drain from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at a regular news conference in Beijing on Monday. The following are excerpts of his response to a question on these reports:

Some foreign media outlets have recently reported that global talent have become "reluctant" to work and live in Hong Kong, and that the SAR is experiencing a talent drain.

These reports and comments lack any factual basis. They do not respect the truth that the SAR remains a hub attracting global talent.

It is quite irresponsible for the media concerned to discredit Hong Kong in this way. The reality is that Hong Kong's strong appeal to global talent continues to grow and there is no so-called talent drain from Hong Kong.

According to the HKSAR government, from mid-2022 to mid-2023, the net inflow of Hong Kong residents amounted to 174,000. From January to November in 2023, the SAR government received more than 200,000 applications under various talent schemes. Among them, over 120,000 applications have been approved and 80,000 talent have arrived in Hong Kong, which far exceeds the annual target of admitting at least 35,000 talent.

Besides, the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, released the IMD World Talent Report 2023, which shows that Hong Kong ranks second in Asia in terms of talent competitiveness. These numbers and facts fully show that Hong Kong remains a popular destination for global talent.

Hong Kong has entered a new stage in which the region has restored order and is set to thrive. People there fully enjoy their lawful rights and freedom. This has created an unprecedented environment and golden opportunities for both Chinese and foreign talent to live and thrive in Hong Kong.

We believe that under the "one country, two systems" framework, Hong Kong's unique advantage of enjoying the backing of the motherland and being open to the world will be further strengthened. Hong Kong will further expand the progress it is making in economic and social endeavors. The region's appeal to global talent will only grow.

The central government of China will as always support the Hong Kong SAR in attracting global talent, building new advantages and welcoming world talent from all sectors to share in Hong Kong's development opportunities and open up a brighter future for Hong Kong.