A Cantonese businessman has ambitions to build a new city of thousands of residents from Hong Kong in Ireland, the Guardian reports.
The proposed new city, named ‘Nextpolis’, is the planned project of Ivan Ko, chairman of the Victoria Harbour Group. Of the six potential locations for the city in Ireland, according to the Guardian the company’s favourite option is a 50 square km site near Dundalk in County Louth. As part of Ko’s plans, the city would be home to Hong Kong natives fleeing their home city due to China’s encroaching power.
The Guardian reports that a spokesman from the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the government had provided guidance to the Victoria Group about Ireland, but that no further action was taken afterwards.
Ko is quoted by the Guardian as saying he doesn’t desire a border or autonomy for Nextopolis, but envisions a city where Hong Kong people live together and make up the majority of the population. He says he has plans to send a delegation to inspect potential sites and meet locals once the pandemic subsides.
It seems highly unlikely that such an ambitious and unprecedented project would ever get off the ground in Ireland, and the Guardian reports that the company is also looking into other countries for the city.
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