Secretary for Welfare and Labour Chris Sun on Sunday said it is vital for Hong Kong to attract well-qualified talents from outside its borders, in view of a shortage of local graduates.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, the minister noted there are currently about 50,000 local graduates each year, much lower than when he graduated decades ago.

Sun said that the combination of lower graduate numbers and there being many more career paths than before has left Hong Kong short on talent.

He noted that the Top Talent Pass Scheme – where applicants are not required to have a job offer before applying for a visa – shows that the government is being more flexible in importing skilled workers.

“Over the years, Hong Kong has been attractive to talent, but the actual number of people coming here is quite low because our vetting process has been pretty strict. However, as the economy tries to return to normal after the pandemic and with fewer young people around, we really need more highly qualified talent. So, what can we do? That’s when I thought of asking for specific qualification requirements, leading to the Top Talent Pass Scheme,” he said.

Currently, there’s no annual quota, with tens of thousands of people arriving in the city through the scheme.

The minister added he is not concerned that bringing in too many people might potentially harm the city.

“I believe Hong Kong is an expensive place to live, and it’s tough to make a living. If someone can thrive here, they’re definitely talented. If they can’t make it, they’ll simply leave. It’s a natural process of elimination. While talent chooses Hong Kong, we also choose them,” Sun said.