Hong Kong Society in the Post-Apple Era

In 1990, Li Zhiying sold his equity in Giordano and founded Next Media Group and Next Magazine. Five years later, he took advantage of the momentum and founded Apple Daily.

Over the years, the "Apple Daily" has undoubtedly been closely related to the social and political changes in Hong Kong. It has even been seen on the streets of July 1st for many years that citizens raised the front page of this newspaper high.

Li Zhiying once said that the June 4th incident in 1989 had a profound impact on his personal and career. Without June 4th, there would be no Next Magazine and Apple Daily.

With the worries before the return, the democratic process after the return, and the July National Congress of 2003, the "Apple Daily" also knows how to grasp the psychological needs of readers, which is a product of "success."

However, Hong Kong’s politics has undergone rapid populism and radicalization in recent years. Some political groups are even more immersed in the imagination of being the vanguard of Western civilization, pitting themselves against the mainland of China, and even thinking of themselves as the frontline force to eliminate authoritarian forces.

In the anti-revision movement, democrats and demonstrators cannot see the central government behind the establishment, let alone see their social and political foundations. In reality, they are just mirages.

Some people even think that they can rely on the US government without realizing that this Cold War mentality will only turn Hong Kong into a fierce game of power.

Farewell to populist reset issues

Although the "Apple Daily" has closed down, no one should carelessly think that Hong Kong no longer has democracy and freedom.

Instead, society should take this to re-examine the methods of promoting the democratic process and pragmatically get rid of past populization tendencies.

From a positive perspective, Hong Kong must avoid populism and radicalization in the process of political development. The government must have a modern system and capability for social governance to prevent the difference between the two systems from being distorted into a motive force for political conflict in Hong Kong.

Civil society must also recognize the overall pattern of the game between Chinese and Western political forces, and deconstruct these challenges through the improvement and development of "one country, two systems." The most important thing is to reset the issue.

In the past, some populist political groups and newspapers dominated the issues of Hong Kong society. Now, can we get out of redundant ideological disputes and focus on building a fair and just society?

Those who are truly responsible for the future and destiny of Hong Kong should re-allocate resources to promote economic and industrial reforms, untie the interest structure, release its energy, and let all Hong Kong citizens share the fruits of development.

This is not only to integrate into the cycle of national development, but also to let the world see that the "one country, two systems" Hong Kong can have the best of each family and become a truly world-class city.

The "Apple Daily" incident reflects Beijing’s strictness in governing Hong Kong before lenient and objective evaluation of Li Zhiying and "Apple Daily" | Yu Pinhai’s sensitive case tests the wisdom of the authorities