Future is bigger than you think

The 2017 Boao Youth Forum for Asia opened at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday. Wang Zhimin, director of the Central People's Government's Liaison Office in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, delivered the keynote speech. Wang offered an in-depth look at the report Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, delivered to the 19th CPC National Congress in Beijing last month.

He urged young people in the Asia-Pacific region, including those in Hong Kong, to seize opportunities created by the Chinese mainland's development in the next 33 years. This comes at a time when the nation strives to reach its major development goals from now to the middle of the century in three stages (2020, 2035 and 2050).

Wang made it clear that the younger generation will be the main force keeping the wheels of development rolling forward. Young people will truly be able to realize the magnificent future Xi envisions; Hong Kong's young people are definitely welcome to join the grand modernization drive as much as their counterparts from the rest of the country. The question is: Are the SAR's young people prepared to seize the opportunities emerging around them as we speak? The answer might not be as obvious as one assumes.

Youth development is one of the areas Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is focusing on. The SAR government will do whatever it can to facilitate the quest by local youth for career opportunities, not just in Hong Kong but surrounding regions as well. Speaking of these, the first that comes to mind is the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Pan-Pearl River Delta area. Then there is the even more expansive Belt and Road Initiative - probably the greatest of its kind mankind has seen so far. As far as Hong Kong is concerned there is no better time to start reinventing itself than now. And who will do it in the next 30 to 40 years, one may ask? The answer is the younger generation, of course.

It should be noted that some young people may lose confidence when they run into difficulties finding a rewarding job or keeping one long enough to be considered successful. Perhaps it's because they have not looked far enough for career opportunities. Hong Kong is a relatively small place; it may not offer everyone a favorable platform to realize their dreams. But there is a much bigger place called the Greater Bay Area and an even bigger place called the mainland, not to mention the whole wide world! Looking beyond Hong Kong is the first step toward discovering the mainland, Asia and the world. As a Chinese citizen residing in the HKSAR it is much easier to learn more about the mainland, if you want to.

Keep your mind and eyes open or you won't be able to seize any opportunity even when it is handed to you. If you don't see the future is bigger than Hong Kong then you are likely to let opportunities slip and pass you by. Then you may risk not gaining a brighter future.

(HK Edition 11/03/2017 page12)