To many movie goers, “Never enough” is the passionate theme song of the American musical, The Greatest Showman.

Here in Hong Kong, “never enough” has become the refrain for public sentiment as the government further relaxes the city’s tough anti-pandemic restrictions.

The most significant easing so far has been replacing the notorious seven days of compulsory hotel quarantine with a new “0+3” arrangement. People coming in from overseas will only have to comply with three days of medical surveillance while staying at venues of their own choice, including home.

Passengers arrive at Hong Kong International Airport.

After nearly three years of battling Covid-19, Hong Kong is the first city in China to take such a bold step on the journey back to normalcy. No one has sounded more eager than Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to declare that “Asia’s World City” is ready to open for business and welcome visitors again.

The timing is also significant. The announcement was followed by the October 1 National Day celebration to mark the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The public holiday weekend also saw the disbursement of HK$3,000 (US$380) each to millions of eligible citizens in the latest round of government consumption vouchers to boost spending.

Yet, even as the Lee administration had good news – a positive “Hong Kong story” - to tell both domestic and international audiences, it came under immediate “never enough” pressure from major stakeholders, including businesses and investors, urging him to lift all remaining restrictions and speed up talks for a full border reopening with mainland China.

Ever since taking up office on July 1, Lee has made it mission critical “to tell the Hong Kong story well” and counter the negative narrative shaped by the double whammy of the 2019 political turmoil combined with the economic and social consequences of anti-pandemic curbs.

Despite being sanctioned by the US over his role as security chief in cracking down on the 2019 anti-government protests, Lee has vowed to reach out to the international community as much as possible.

The city’s leader underscored Hong Kong’s “irreplaceable, distinct advantages” in his first National Day speech on Saturday.

To “tell the Hong Kong story well” does not mean cherry-picking a “good story”. Like it or not, this is a time when Hong Kong is being compared to Singapore and judged by the difference. It will take more than an official assurance to prove these “irreplaceable” qualities.

People gather next to the Merlion statue at Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore.

Hong Kong has to admit that it lacks Singapore’s greater flexibility in its fight against the pandemic, but it nevertheless has special competitive advantages with Beijing’s full backing to re-enhance its international status as a financial centre. While competition between the two cities is natural, smart investors will not count one out at the expense of the other.

To be honest, the rate at which Hong Kong is reopening can indeed be seen as “never enough” at this stage. But there is no denying the real story about how “one country, two systems” is alive and well, giving Hong Kong the unique, pioneering role to reconnect with the world while the rest of the country is still obliged to follow rigid anti-pandemic rules.

This is a multi-faceted Hong Kong story, fraught with pain, frustration and mistakes, but also filled with hope, resilience, and experience to draw upon.

There is no rosy fairy tale for Lee’s administration to tell in promoting the city; what it has instead is a genuine, full “Hong Kong story” that is more convincing in its entirety.