Calm key to prosperous New Year for HK

For more than six months, Hong Kong has been mired in political crisis as riotous protesters have repeatedly wreaked havoc in the city with their violent antics, which have dealt heavy blows to the special administrative region's economy and people's livelihoods. With the New Year just around the corner, whether Hong Kong will restore peace and order and set itself on the road to recovery is a question that many people are asking.

Remarks from Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, chief secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, over the weekend offer a sober perspective, and some hope.

While warning of tough tests and challenges in 2020 in a blog post, Cheung also wrote that "Hong Kong has a deep foundation and competitive system. If it can grasp opportunities, stop the violence and restore social order as soon as possible, it can surely be back on the right track for rebirth."

Official forecasts show Hong Kong's GDP was down 2.9 percent year-on-year, the biggest contraction in a decade. But as Cheung has rightly pointed out, Hong Kong still has a lot of unique advantages. Not to mention that the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area also presents new opportunities for Hong Kong to take advantage of.

The increasing support being extended to the SAR government and the police by Hong Kong residents may help to bring an end to the social disruptions and promote the restoring of order as Hong Kong society is showing a strong desire to emerge from the chaos.

Yet, judging from protesters' violence before and even after Christmas in various shopping districts and the fact that more protests planned for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in an attempt to disrupt festivities and shopping in the Asian financial hub, there is still a lot of work to be done to bring calm back to the city.

Vigorous law enforcement is the key for Hong Kong to bring an end to the rioting. Both the SAR government and the police need to firmly demonstrate their resolve to end the violence by bringing all rioters to justice.

The future of Hong Kong lies in the hands of Hong Kong people. We believe the majority of Hong Kong people want an end to violence and a return to order and stability.

It is hoped the goodwill of this majority will prevail in Hong Kong in 2020 so that the city can enjoy its much-needed rebirth at an early date.