Hong Kong and the knowledgebased economy: developments and prospects

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine Hong Kong's future economic diversification prospects to become a high value-added knowledge-based economy. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is a view of the knowledge-based economic development of Hong Kong and its potential future prospects since its re-unification with China. It is important to have a good understanding of the past before trying to predict the future. Findings - The key message is that Hong Kong now needs a "horizontal" support structure, a good understanding of how things work in a globalized knowledge economy, continuation of the "free market" structure and a lightweight facilitation system that supports all high-value added economic activities in Hong Kong. Originality/value - The papers provides an original viewpoint on the potential for Hong Kong's knowledge-based economic development, in line with the rise of China as a global economic power.