Hong Kong Lampposts Adorned with Messaging on China's 15th Five-Year Plan

The visual landscape of Hong Kong is undergoing a subtle transformation, marked by an increase in public decorations, particularly on lampposts. This shift, noted by observers since the advent of a new, more politically aligned District Council, brings a certain festive air, though its effectiveness as a communication tool is debatable.

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My research assistant deployed her mobile phone, took a picture with the telephoto feature working flat out and announced that we were celebrating China’s 15th five-year plan.

The latest campaign focuses on promoting China's 15th five-year plan. Banners adorning lampposts and prominent public spaces urge residents to "Pro-actively align" and "Follow a holistic approach to development and security." While the intention may be to foster a sense of national unity and participation, the messaging itself is abstract and potentially alienating to the average citizen.

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It seems we are urged to “Pro-actively align with the 15th five-year plan” and “Follow a holistic approach to development and security”.

As the author points out, the language used—"pro-actively align," "holistic approach"—lacks concrete meaning for the man on the street. This disconnect is amplified by a historical skepticism towards five-year plans, particularly in Western contexts, where rigid adherence to such plans has, in the past, led to catastrophic famines. The philosophical objections to centralized economic planning, rooted in principles of free markets and individual liberty, also cast a shadow over such initiatives.

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I hesitate to criticise the work of other writers but I cannot resist the thought that the author of this offering needs to give some thought to finding the sort of language which means something concrete and sensible to the man in the street, who is rarely told to pro-actively align with anything, or indeed to follow a holistic approach to it.

Furthermore, the scale of the public campaign raises questions about the necessity and efficacy of urging "mass public participation" in economic planning. While the intent might be to foster civic engagement, the abstract nature of the directives and the historical baggage associated with five-year plans suggest that these decorations may be more symbolic than substantive in their impact on public understanding or behavior. The effectiveness of such top-down communication in a diverse and dynamic city like Hong Kong remains a pertinent question.

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Most English people of my generation are not bowled over by the idea of five-year plans. This is partly because rigid adherence to erroneous five-year plans caused two of the 20th century’s most catastrophic famines: in Ukraine 1932-3 and in China 1958-62.