Prospects for Hong Kong are looking up, 29 years after the handover

The early post-handover years tested our institutional strengths. The Asian financial crisis, the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and later the global financial crisis exposed vulnerabilities. Yet the city showed a strong capacity to recover each time, as reflected after the Covid-19 pandemic and 2019 social unrest. This year’s anniversary carried additional symbolic weight as it coincided with official commemorations of the 105th anniversary of the Communist Party of China’s founding, which was marked by events both in Beijing and Hong Kong for the first time. The parallel observances underscore the constitutional context within which Hong Kong continues…