By Brian Cheng
West Kowloon Cultural District says this year’s International Cultural Summit will “demonstrate Hong Kong’s commitment to acting as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.“
The same phrase frequently crops up in campaigns by the Tourism Board and fellow government departments. It has become especially popular since it was mentioned in the state’s latest Five-year Plan, and subsequently in the city government’s policy address.
The chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council claimed in a press release that the city is “an international metropolis with its unique East-meets-West culture…” The Asia Society used the phrase in a discussion on design. City University staged an exhibition about traditional Guangzhou embroidery entitled “East-meets-West.”
The phrase sounds impressive, hinting as it does at a worldly cultural diversity. But a…