Liang Hongfu

Welcome, pushy mainlanders

By Hong Liang (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-05-29 07:32

David Eldon, former chairman of the influential Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, published an article in the chamber newsletter urging the government to further simplify its immigration procedures for foreign employees of local businesses.

His view is a reflection of the strong demand for foreign talent by local businesses. It is part of coping with economic restructuring to meet rising competition from various mainland cities, particularly Shanghai.

Many business leaders in Hong Kong are beginning to realize that the biggest talent pool waiting to be tapped lies on the mainland.

This was not obvious in the past. Mainland business executives and professionals were seen by many Hong Kong business people as unsuitable for a fast changing and highly competitive business environment which rewards only those with initiative and daring.

But this bias against mainland managers is fast melting away. Rapid economic development and the opening of the mainland market have produced a new crop of mainland managers and professionals. They have shown that they can be as adaptable to a competitive environment as their Hong Kong counterparts.

This change is anything but subtle. In our office in Shanghai, I have the pleasure of watching the transformation of a few young and timid interns, fresh out of college, into hard-charging, inquisitive and thoughtful reporters full of self-confidence.

All they needed was a bit of guidance, encouragement and, more importantly, a keen sense of competitiveness not only with reporters on the rival papers but also with their colleagues in other bureaus.

My personal judgment was confirmed when I had dinner with a senior expatriate editor in Beijing the other evening. He asked me about a reporter in the Shanghai bureau whom he thought was particularly outstanding on her beat.

He was hugely surprised when I told him that this reporter joined us about six months ago and had never worked at any foreign media as he had assumed. She is simply more combative than others.

To survive in a work environment where rewards are closely tied to individual performance, most young Hong Kong executives learn the lesson of competitiveness early on. Such a lesson has taught them to be efficient, adaptive and innovative, the common traits widely attributed to Hong Kong people.

There is, of course, a less flattering side to the stereotype. Hong Kongers, who are also characterized as needlessly aggressive, inconsiderate to the point of rudeness, uncaring and impatient. But on balance, most Hong Kong people feel pretty comfortable about how they are seen by outsiders.

Based on my experience in working with young reporters on the mainland, I believe that most young mainland executives will have no problem picking up the lesson on competitiveness very quickly if they have a chance to work in Hong Kong. This would be an excellent opportunity for them to gain the exposure to a free international marketplace that is so close to home.

It appears that a growing number of Hong Kong business owners are keen on recruiting talent from the mainland. To satisfy their needs, it may make sense for the Chamber of Commerce, one of Hong Kong's more powerful business groups, to take the initiative of setting up recruitment offices in Beijing, Shanghai and some other major cities to publicize employment opportunities in Hong Kong and to build a data base of qualified talent willing to work in Hong Kong.

E-mail: jamesleung@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/29/2007 page10)