Netizens react to Hong Kong's widening lead against Singapore as Asia's most international city

ASIA: Hong Kong’s widening lead over Singapore as Asia’s most international city in the latest Asian Cities Internationality Index (ACII) sparked mixed reactions online.

Last year, Singapore trailed Hong Kong by only 0.2 points, scoring 73.5 out of 100 against Hong Kong’s 73.7. However, this year, the gap widened to two points as Hong Kong scored 74.6 while Singapore scored 72.6.

The index, commissioned by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) and conducted by independent research firm Ipsos, ranked the internationality of 11 Asian cities — Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo — in terms of competitiveness in business and economy (17.5%), quality of life (15%), infrastructure and connectivity (15%), innovation and ideas (15%), human capital diversity (12.5%), cultural interaction (12.5%), and government and legal system for businesses (12.5%).

Hong Kong also retained first place in business and economy, where its financial market score reached 82 points, outperforming Singapore by 21 points—thanks to Hong Kong’s “robust initial public offering (IPO) activity in 2025, and a perennially open business environment,” according to the report.

Singapore, meanwhile, mostly maintained consistency across the business and economy sub-dimensions, including international business entities and establishment, international trade, investment flows, and business opportunities. The latter’s modest decline was “primarily attributable to a reduction in respondents’ confidence in overseas market expansion prospects,” it noted.

Singapore also slipped to fourth place in innovation and ideas amid the city-state’s rising living costs and international talent expenses, partly driven by policies prioritising local employment.

The report noted this has placed growing pressure on the city-state’s ability to attract and retain global talent, which is expected to become more challenging for Singapore ahead of higher minimum qualifying salaries for both Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass holders taking effect next year.

Comparison between the two cities started when the results were highlighted in a Facebook post by Daily Tribune, which said Hong Kong had “looked SG in the eye and said, still me” after retaining its top spot in the ranking.

Some also questioned the ranking itself as they defended their preferred top city.

Still, some chose to look at the strengths of both cities.

One commenter said, “I believe most Singaporeans do not care to compare ourselves with Hong Kong. Because we are unique in our own way and serve different markets in many industries. Together, we complement the needs of our region.”

Another commenter added, “As someone from both sides, I would say both cities have their uniqueness. HK focuses more on the financial industry, whereas SG diversified their industries. HK lifestyle is more lively, SG lifestyle is more peaceful and comfortable.” /TISG

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