Building the grassroots economic movement could be the key to breaking the establishment’s economic stranglehold.
Behind the clashes on the streets that have captured international attention, the anti-extradition bill protests last year have spurred a movement permeating different aspects of Hong Kongers’ lives.
Challenges
The first challenge will be the opposition of authorities to this grassroots economic resistance. The Hong Kong government selectively enforced social distancing policies on yellow shops to sabotage their businesses.
Opportunities and Vision
Even with an economy dominated by the pro-Beijing establishment, the pandemic-induced economic crisis has created opportunities for social transformation. Hong Kongers should continue to take advantage of their information technology expertise, boundless creativity, and global connections, as they have in the protests; this will develop the YEC in several stages.
The first step is expanding the community economy’s reach online. After the landslide victory by the democrats in the November District Council election, many district councilors are using their newfound power to build a community-based economy that does not rely on mainland Chinese tourists.
This article was written by Simon Shen
To read the full article, please click on the following link: https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/how-the-yellow-economic-circle-can-revolutionize-hong-kong/
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