Hong Kong's governance structure is very post-modern and unique.
One of the most typical examples is that after the current reorganization of the Hong Kong government, a governance logic problem has emerged: the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) is responsible for overseas marketing and promotion, and manages 14 overseas economic and trade offices in Hong Kong; Interestingly, the Government Information Service under the Home Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau is responsible for overseas publicity.
Why is the Information Services Department under the jurisdiction of the Home Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau?
It's also a mystery.
The government restructuring reform document does not explain the logic of the reform at all.
Why did Director Mak Mei-juan, who was originally in charge of civil affairs, be in charge of the Government Information Service, while the Commercial and Economic Bureau has RTHK and the media?
External publicity should be done by a unified system.
It is very clear in the mainland that the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (the Central Propaganda Department) is in charge of the country's ideology, and the media culture is under the jurisdiction of the Central Propaganda Department; different provinces and cities have Propaganda Departments, Culture and Tourism Departments, and there is a clear division of labor.
How does Hong Kong handle its external relations?
There is no Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, and the Commerce and Economic Bureau basically plays the role of handling Hong Kong's external relations.
That being the case, the public relations work for external publicity should be under the command of the Commerce and Economic Bureau, and should not be handed over to the Secretary for Home Affairs and Youth Affairs, Mak Mei-juan.
The Home Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau should be responsible for district administration and district management, but the "Policy Address" did not mention much about this. It only set up care teams for the 18 districts, and did not reform district administration.
What are the consequences?
Regional administration itself is the most important foundation for a city's development, but it seems that it has not been paid attention to by the government.
Secretary Mak Mei-juan is in charge of external relations, so the work and activities of overseas journalists in Hong Kong, such as the Foreign Correspondents' Club (The Foreign Correspondents' Club), are also in charge of the Home Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau. Is this reasonable?
Why is Hong Kong's most important external relations affairs handed over to a department dealing with internal affairs?
What kind of governance logic is this?
How should the Director of the Government Information Services Department make appropriate responses to the development of the new international situation in the future?
Is the real task of the Home Affairs and Youth Affairs Bureau to do regional work, or to improve foreign relations?
I believe that members of the Legislative Council and the upper echelons of the government need to understand and explain clearly.
If you look at the "publicity and promotion" on the website of the Information Services Department, it is nothing more than organizing activities, so what is the strategic deployment?
Is it true that Hong Kong can really return to the international stage when Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao announced at the financial summit that Hong Kong will return to the international stage?
The next five years are especially important for Hong Kong. Apart from overseas activities, what other deeper and more strategic plans does Li Jiachao have for his foreign relations strategy?
The government really needs to explain and study, because Hong Kong will face a new international situation in the future, and the government must figure out how to make good use of the resources at hand.
One point worth mentioning is the "dragon logo" of the Hong Kong brand.
Hong Kong has returned to the motherland for 25 years. It should be transformed and renewed to welcome good governance and good governance, and rebrand (rebrand) for Hong Kong.
So who should be responsible for this job?
By the Bureau of Commerce and Economics?
Or is the Government Information Service in charge?
This should be carefully considered.
The author Hu Enwei is a member of the National Hong Kong and Macao Studies Association, a member of the Jiangsu Provincial CPPCC, and Zuni.
Joint Art Director and CEO of Icosahedron.
The article is only the opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Hong Kong 01.
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