HK upcoming policy address to unveil special office for talent attraction

Hong Kong leader John Lee is said to be unveiling a special office especially for creating incentives to attract top talents to Hong Kong upon delivering his first policy address on 19 October 2022. According to HKEJ, the upcoming policy address will propose the establishment of a “talent snatching” office by coordinating multiple bureaux, including the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, to study the incentives for innovation and technology, and overseas talents to study in Hong Kong.

The move comes as part of a worldwide recruitment incentive expected to be revealed by Lee in the speech, with other measures created to lure more overseas talent to Hong Kong. The policy address will also use the colour green as its brand colour to symbolise “hope, vitality, harmony and stability”, Lee said in a video on his Facebook.

This comes as John Lee promised to attract global talents by strengthening the city’s abilities in innovation and technology back in August. He said he will reveal his thoughts and proposals in the coming Policy Address in October. 

During the Global Innovation and Technology Summit held on 11 August, the Hong Kong chief said participants from recent virtual consultation sessions had called upon the government to help in developing the city’s innovation and technology undertakings, as well as attracting the world’s top talents.

“Bringing together Hong Kong, we need to ‘snatch’ talents. I agree with these views very much, and I will also put forward my ideas and measures in the coming Policy Address in October. I also hope that the academicians and scientific research talents of the two academies participating in today's summit will actively share their insights and help us build a better and more dynamic society for the next generation, and tell the story of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area with us,” Lee said.

Lee also cited the speech of Chinese president Xi Jinping on 1 July, that the innovation and technology industry in Hong Kong is rapidly emerging. “The HKSAR government will definitely live up to its trust, promote in-depth cooperation between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and open a new chapter for the development of innovation and technology in the Greater Bay Area,” Lee added.

Similarly, New People's Party lawmaker Lai Tung Kwok wrote an article earlier, pointing out that the Hong Kong government must abandon the past practice of using the Immigration Department as the leading department for attracting talents, and he proposed to set up a high-level "talent snatching office" led by chief secretaries or deputy secretaries. Then government officials should set goals, formulate strategies, coordinate all policy bureaus and even agencies, enterprises, and organisations, the article suggested. 

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