Emigration and stability in Hong Kong

Abstract

This large-scale emigration of the elites has caused alarm in Hong Kong. There are fears that such an outflow will undermine social stability for three main reasons. First, it is said that the brain drain will lead to a depletion of the "functional core' of the economy. Second, it is felt that the widespread desire to leave will engender a doomsday syndrome and result in a state of anomie. Third, it is alleged that desertion by the elites will create a crisis of legitimacy and an erosion of the moral basis of authority. Such worries are widely held and deserve careful analysis. By scrutinizing each of them in turn, I shall argue that some of these concerns have been exaggerated and others have missed the crux of the matter. However, before we examine separately the issues of drain drain, anomie, and crisis of legitimacy, it would be instructive to review the nature and consequences of previous waves of emigration. -Author