To flourish, Hong Kong needs higher priorities than wealth accumulation
letters@scmp.com or filling in
this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification
Are Hong Kong residents really flourishing?
Flourishing is 'a state of affairs in which all aspects of your life are relatively good', according to the scientists behind the recent Global Flourishing Study ('Indonesia is the world's 'most-flourishing' country. What does that mean?',
May 10 ). This five-year study of 207,000 people in 23 countries and territories found Hong Kong doing well on financial stability but ranking lower overall, which presents the question: has the city paid a human price for economic progress?
The results of the study challenge the simplistic equating of gross domestic product with flourishing and highlight the significance of the less tangible dimensions of life: happiness, mental health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, as well as close social bonds.
Two Asian neighbours, Indonesia and the Philippines, provide a contrast to Hong Kong. These economies are less advanced, but have higher levels of human flourishing, rooted in their strong communal values and ties to their heritage. Behaviours like Indonesia's gotong royong (mutual assistance) and the Philippines' bayanihan (communal unity) are noteworthy.
India, with far lower per capita income, also has a higher overall flourishing score than Hong Kong.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump tariff threats loom over China's Russian oil purchases, following his move on India
Even in the face of threats by US President Donald Trump to levy tariffs on countries that import Russian goods, analysts expect that China 'will not stop' buying oil from its northern neighbour, given their mutually beneficial relationship of energy cooperation. Oil from Russia will continue to flow south over the long run because 'China's strategic goals require a stable and secure supply of critical resources such as oil', said Matt Gertken, chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research in Canada. His comments came with Trump sharpening his threat of sanctions on Russia if it fails to engage in a ceasefire in Ukraine, where Moscow has waged war for the last three and a half years. Previously, both the United States and the European Union announced blanket sanctions on Russia, and they also tried to cut off its lifelines by threatening secondary sanctions on those helping it. 'The US said at the time that it would implement those [tariff] threats by August 7-9 if trade with Russia was not curtailed by then, and affirmed that China would be a target,' Gertken added. 'The US has already taken action on India, so China is next in line.' Russia is China's top source of crude imports, supplying a record high 108.5 million tonnes, or 19.6 per cent of its total imports, last year. Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference last week that 'China will take energy supply measures … based on national interests', while 'tariff wars have no winners'.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
‘China is next in line': after India, Trump tariff threats loom over Russian oil purchases
Even in the face of threats by US President Donald Trump to levy tariffs on countries that import Russian goods, analysts expect that China 'will not stop' buying oil from its northern neighbour, given their mutually beneficial relationship of energy cooperation. Advertisement Oil from Russia will continue to flow south over the long run because 'China's strategic goals require a stable and secure supply of critical resources such as oil', said Matt Gertken, chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research in Canada. His comments came with Trump sharpening his threat of sanctions on Russia if it fails to engage in a ceasefire in Ukraine, where Moscow has waged war for the last three and a half years. Previously, both the United States and the European Union announced blanket sanctions on Russia, and they also tried to cut off its lifelines by threatening secondary sanctions on those helping it. 'The US said at the time that it would implement those [tariff] threats by August 7-9 if trade with Russia was not curtailed by then, and affirmed that China would be a target,' Gertken added. 'The US has already taken action on India, so China is next in line.' Advertisement Russia is China's top source of crude imports, supplying a record high 108.5 million tonnes, or 19.6 per cent of its total imports, last year. Guo Jiakun, spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference last week that 'China will take energy supply measures … based on national interests', while 'tariff wars have no winners'.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump says US-China deal ‘very close', links agreement to Xi Jinping meeting
US President Donald Trump said he was 'getting very close to a deal' with China to extend the trade truce that saw the two countries agree to reduce tit-for-tat tariff hikes and ease export restrictions on rare earth magnets and certain technologies. 'It's not imperative, but I think we're going to make a good deal,' Trump said in an interview with CNBC, adding that the US was 'getting along with China very well'. Still, Trump downplayed the notion that he was eager for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he would only want to see his Chinese counterpart as part of an effort to conclude trade negotiations. 'I'll end up having a meeting before the end of the year, most likely, if we make a deal,' Trump said. 'If we don't make a deal, I'm not going to have a meeting.' 'It's a 19-hour flight – it's a long flight, but at some point in the not too distant future, I will,' Trump added. A preliminary deal between the US and China is set to expire on August 12. That initial truce eased worries of a tariff war that threatened to choke off bilateral trade between the world's two largest economies and also gave the countries more time to discuss other unresolved issues such as duties tied to fentanyl trafficking. Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in Stockholm – the third round of trade talks between the US and Beijing in less than three months.
