A Hong Kong real estate magnate wants to build a city in Ireland to house 50,000 emigrants from the semi-autonomous region in a plan he compares to the Puritans arriving in America.
Ivan Ko, founder of Victoria Harbor Group (VHG), an international charter city investment company, hopes to find a 50 square kilometer site between Dublin and Belfast to create a new city, called Nextpolis, from scratch.
Ko has presented the plan, which would include schools that teach in Cantonese, to Irish officials, arguing that it would fit with the government’s stated desire to develop regions outside the capital.
Of the six locations considered, the favorite was a site between Drogheda and Dundalk, near the border with Northern Ireland and a short distance from Dublin airport, Ko told the Times, which first reported the story.
“Hong Kong people are used to urban life. We want to go out at night, that kind of thing. So we originally thought that the corridor between Dublin and Belfast might be adequate due to the infrastructure.
“It is also close to Dublin airport. Hong Kong people are very used to flying to other countries to do business. But we are also open to other places where you may have a lot of tech companies or solid manufacturing, where land can be even cheaper. “
A spokesman for the department of foreign affairs in Ireland confirmed that there had been talks with Ko, but it seemed to pour cold water on the idea. Following an initial approach in December 2019, the department had limited contact with the people involved to provide useful and realistic guidance on Ireland. Since we provided this guide, the department has taken no further action on this matter, ”they said.
Ko did not immediately respond to a Guardian interview request on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, he told the Times that he had drastically reduced his original countryside, an autonomous city for 500,000 Hong Kong residents by more than 500 square kilometers, in response to Irish comments.
“We have changed our strategy. Now we are more flexible because we understand that each country has a different situation in terms of size and the ability to acquire land. “
The planned city would be integrated into the host country, not autonomous, he said. “Now we are not thinking of anything like a separate border, different official languages and a different political system.”
The attractions include Ireland’s low population density and Brexit creating opportunities for its financial services sector, Ko said. He added that he was considering three or four other countries, which he declined to name.
Paddy Malone, a spokesman for the Dundalk chamber of commerce, said the M1 corridor region could host Dundalk. “We would be in an ideal location to facilitate this as we have the infrastructure to deal with expansion.”
Settlers in Hong Kong would enjoy fast broadband, access to three airports and seven universities and could travel from Northern Ireland if they prefer to live in the United Kingdom, he said. “If you are going to settle in Ireland, we are the best location.”
China’s recent imposition of national security laws on the island has prompted many Hong Kong people to consider leaving. The British government has promised to provide assistance and relocation.
In a Charter Cities Institute podcast, Ko compared any such migration to those who sailed the Mayflower to the United States in 1602. “We are in search of freedom and democracy, which is somewhat similar to the Pilgrims and Puritans who left Europe looking for them. ” of religious freedom. “
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