Hong Kong's Need for Clear, Confident Messaging Amid Rising Tensions

The Challenge of Public Relations in Hong Kong

The government’s decision to conduct an open recruitment for the post of director of information services highlights a long-standing issue: the difficulty in strengthening its public relations and publicity machinery. Over the past 28 years, no fewer than 11 officers—none from the information officer grade—have been appointed to head the Information Services Department. This makes the department one of those with the highest turnover at the directorate level, suggesting a chronic shortage of suitably qualified candidates willing or able to take on the role.

This problem is not confined to the Information Services Department. Decades ago, then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa appointed a senior official as information coordinator to serve as the government’s chief “spin doctor.” Weekly media stand-ups to explain and defend controversial policies proved too demanding for career bureaucrats. To my knowledge, the post was subsequently downgraded and left vacant for extended periods.

Today, the Information Services Department operates in an even more challenging environment as Hong Kong’s constitutional and institutional framework becomes more closely aligned with national requirements. National security legislation enacted at both the national and local levels has been labelled “draconian” by sections of the Western media, despite the fact that the offences, penalties, enforcement powers and procedures are comparable to—and in some cases less severe than—those found in many Western jurisdictions.

Offering financial rewards for information assisting criminal investigations and the apprehension of fugitives is a standard law enforcement practice worldwide. Yet actions accepted as routine elsewhere—including multimillion US dollar rewards for suspects in serious crimes—are portrayed as outrageous when Hong Kong adopts similar but far more modest measures in national security cases.

When virtually everything is viewed through a political lens, the next director of information services must do far more than issue rebuttals, place advertisements, or organize overseas exhibitions. The role calls for broad engagement, clear and confident messaging, and the ability to rebut unfair accusations with authority and credibility.

Recent improvements in the clarity and succinctness of official press releases are welcome. This effort, however, must be shared by all senior officials, who should engage more proactively with foreign media and the international community to reinforce Hong Kong’s standing as an open, transparent, and progressive “Asia’s World City.”

A Tribute to Steve Durst: A Champion of Space Collaboration

I feel compelled to note the passing of Steve Durst, director of the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) in Hawaii. He was a determined visionary and a bridge-building force between nations in space missions.

For the University of Hong Kong’s Laboratory for Space Research and for our Chinese partners, his legacy is not abstract. It is cast in a small astronomy payload on China’s Chang’e-7 lunar lander due for touchdown in the lunar South Pole region in November. This will stand as his legacy of international lunar collaboration.

Steve was a patriot who believed in America’s pioneering spirit and who for decades invested time, energy, and political and actual capital in building collaborations with China’s space community.

He had a vision: small, capable lunar observatories contributing to global scientific enterprise not as an American or Chinese project, but as something truly international.

He spent years building trust with colleagues in China. He spoke with engineers, policymakers, and academics, understanding that for international cooperation to be meaningful, it had to respect China’s priorities and strategic objectives.

The ILO-C wide-field astronomy camera, in which ILOA and the LSR are partners, encapsulates this approach perfectly. We aim to capture the rise of the Galactic plane above the rim of the Shackleton lunar crater in a modern corollary to the iconic “Earth-rise” image from the Apollo missions. This was one of ILOA’s priorities and it resonates with the LSR, based as we are in a city which thrives as a meeting point of cultures, systems, and opinions.

Steve’s involvement in the Chinese space programme was more than symbolic. When a respected American space advocate and institution director champions Chinese lunar missions, seeks payload opportunities on them, and commits resources and reputation to making them succeed, it sends a signal.

It shows confidence in the reliability of Chinese missions and encourages a more outward-looking mindset: if an international observatory can ride on a Chinese lunar lander, why not others? It undercuts the notion that space exploration must be a zero-sum competition between national blocs. Hong Kong’s unique status and its deeply international outlook make it an ideal bridge between global space ambitions and the advancing capabilities of the Chinese space programme.

As Steve used to say in his emails to me, “Aloha Galactically.” Sir, you are sorely missed.