Simon Shen

Founder, GLOs; Political Commentator

Simon Shen graduated from the University of Oxford and Yale University. He has published over 70 academic articles, in journals such as the China Quarterly, China Review, and Journal of Contemporary China. He actively participates in Hong Kong public affairs and is seen as a representative scholar in the younger generation. He is also a lead writer of the Hong Kong Economic Journal. He is also an entrepreneur.

The Hong Kong Legislative Council Building, standing in the shadow of business towers in the CBD. (iStock)
Politics

Hong Kong: The perils of state corporatism

By Simon Shen 05 Dec 2019
Influential Hong Kong political commentator Simon Shen argues that Beijing is seeking to control the economic and political freedoms of the Hong Kong people by controlling the business community. He cautions against state corporatism of the sort employed in fascist states of the past and discusses how such state control can creep into our everyday lives.
Wearing their hearts on their sleeves ( Philip Fong / AFP)
Politics

Six reasons for Hong Kongers to persevere: Let's do the LONGgame

By Simon Shen 11 Nov 2019
Rather than an endgame, Simon Shen sees the current protests as part of a long game. Factors such as the milieu of the internet age and a growing Hong Kong identity will keep the die of Hong Kong’s future from being cast just yet.
I understand my mother far more than she understands me, despite the fact that we were never able to communicate properly, but what has scarred me for life is her conditioned reflex to the White Terror. (REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)
Politics

Never another White Terror: Thoughts of a Hong Kong son

By Simon Shen 17 Oct 2019
In this personal and reflective piece by political commentator Simon Shen, he articulates his relationship with his mother, the current situation in Hong Kong, and his family. What is his biggest wish for his daughters?