Hong Kong has very special circumstances which makes it quite different from other cities in this respect, including other asian cities. IIRC its building codes

Hong Kong has very special circumstances which makes it quite different from other cities in this respect, including other asian cities. IIRC its building codes require skyscrapers to be about twice as dense and reinforced as other cities in order to easily withstand cyclones (hurricanes). Cyclones often tear through the Philippines, killing many, and then ram into HK, which barely notices. Furthermore, much of Hong Kong is mountainous, and so its skyscrapers are often built on unusual and very, very steep grades -- sometimes steeper than the steepest stuff in SF. OR they are built on reclaimed land with its own special issues. Last, Hong Kong proper is by many measures the densest city in the world, and that includes Manhattan. Building a skyscraper often involves destroying another one.