Hong Kong and China

A city apart


See article

Readers' comments




People in mainland china may find Hong Kong's nostalgia for the British rule extremely uneasy amid the rise of China but for Hong kong people, it is more a comparison of least devils. 

Compare to the mighty China, British was only a little annoynance so easy to deal with. In the 150 year colonial time, the city experienced a lot of ill governance but at least since the 1970s, things changed. Should there be any outcry from the public, the British almost always responded to it swiftly and avoided escalating those conflicts. The main purpose of British occupation was to make hong kong a trading vessel, and making its employees happy didn't dampen its profitability. One may argue it was the British way to get more bargaining power when they negotiated the future of Hong Kong with China, but Hong Kong people felt better off at the time. That is the most important.

China on the contrary is proved to be too stubborn to make a move. Mass scale of protests don't seem to teach them a lesson. Those China leaders often ask Hong Kong not to be 'politicised' when the China rulers are actually the source of problems. The governance of Hong Kong is mixed up with such nonsenses as patriotism and nationalism. 

About the lack of democracy in Hong Kong, pro-china commentators should be noted with a vivid memory about how angry Chinese communists rejected the democracy plan in the 80s when Hong Kong was ready to go for democracy. The only obstacle has  been China and it lasts until today.


Please don't let the 3-hour demonstration, by a small but vocal population, masks the fact that Hong Kong government still has higher, if not much higher approval rating than many other governments of developed economies.

The demonstration is nil compared with the 89' demonstration in Beijing, 04' in Taipei, and the red-shirt protest in Bangkok.

But HK does face tough economic challenges. The economy is not growing lately, looks pretty bad in comparison with the mainland.

Hong Kong has been losing competitiveness. For example, trade and people flow between Taiwan and the mainland are no longer routed through Hong Kong.

Doubtful whatever made Hong Kong successful decades ago will meet the challenge posted by the new China dynamism. "五十年不变" may no longer a desired option for the Hong Kong masses.

Hong Kong should proactively reform and change for the benefit of its population, or it would just become another Japan + protests, and (hopefully) - public debt.

silent night in reply to dumazz

Why did British colonists knew the benefits of democracy and had a democracy plan only in the 80s?

As we know,for about 150 years' colonial domination, British colonial government had not a democracy plan for HongKong,at least,before the 80s.

dumazz in reply to silent night

It is true that corruption, racism, dictatorship and limited speech had plagued Hong Kong in most of colonial time, but Hong Kong have tasted a civilized society with a freedom of speech, minimal corruption and just court since the 1970s. The past bad governance doesn't lead people to think that we could go back to be corrupt again. Instead, it reinforces a demand for keep further away from those bad time.

There is a lot of conspiracy theory about why the British speeded up making Hong Kong become a better place after the 1970s. Those comments sounds silly when suggesting that a modern hong kong transformation was only a result of the British conspiracy and ignoring that a corruption-free society with democracy and a just court is really what people have longed for and truly deserved.

canabana in reply to jj72

So you want independence but you still want connections. Do you think the world actually spin around you?? You can dictate what you want and what you don't want?
The moment you get independence, China will ensure you don't get the "connections" you need.

Whether you agree or not, HongKong has been largely governed by the HongKong people. And what has been proved to be so "failed" that can not be corrected? Did you read the other post I addressed to you:




What do you think of the above comments?

guest-isonwnn in reply to ssyy

Oh ok let's go back to British dictatorship rule with no democracy at all.

HK might have corrupt democracy under Chinese rule, but at least it has the chance to obtain real democracy in the future because China has granted the fundamentals (constitution) for it.

Under British rule you would have no chance.

Exactly, these protester people should turn their protest to protest Japan's illegal occupation of Diao Yu Island and to remember the anniversary of "Seven-Seven" (July 7, 1938) of Japanese attack of Chinese people, if they are Hong Kong Chinese.

If they are not, they should shut up or get out of Hong Kong. As non-Hong Kong Chinese, they have no right to protest on such issues. Many mainland Chinese are sick and tired of such people. They used our tax money (Chinese government gave them so much at the expenses of us) and still not satisfied. Shame on them.

Charles Solomon

When the British ruled Hong Kong as a crown colony there was no democracy. Today Hong Kong is a lot better than during the British days. Also most Hong Kong people knows that without Hong Kong there is still China, without China there is no Hong Kong!


For those who didn't actually read the Bloomberg article, here is a part the Economist didn't included in here due to careless?

Bloomberg article: "No assets were traced to Xi, who turns 59 this month; his wife Peng Liyuan, 49, a famous People's Liberation Army singer; or their daughter, the documents show. There is no indication Xi intervened to advance his relatives' business transactions, or of any wrongdoing by Xi or his extended family."

Extended family actually means Xi's sister and her husband who invest and hold shares in rare earth production and real estates, including those in HongHong. Xi and his wife do not own any properties in HongKong.

As for the number of protesters on July 1st, the HK police estimated the number to be about 63000, the organizers claimed 400,000, but the University of HongKong scholars who actually had a team of estimators at the protest estimated the numbers to be between 70,000 to 90,000, a lot closer to the police reported, which TE didn't mention. Careless again?

Protesters were protesting all sort of issues, from mainland mothers giving birth in HK hospitals, full democracy, high housing prices, CY Leung didn't report his non-registared outdoor additions at his house, minimium wages, ruleless legislators in the L.C., lousy eduction system etc. Many protesters are from pro-China groups and a few naive youngsters long for nostalgia of the British rules.


After the Chinese communist rulers had assumed power in Hong Kong in 1997, in addition to the hundreds of cadres sent to rule behind the scene, they also sent over about 1.5 million of economic migrants to relocate to Hong Kong. Most of these new migrants speak little Cantonese, let alone English, and have no marketable skill for a modern, international financial centre like Hong Kong.

On top of the inept meddling in every facet of their daily lives by the communist mandarins, 20% (aka new migrants from mainland China) of the 7 million population in Hong Kong are permenantly relegated to the ghetto. Of course the level of discontent in Hong Kong is worsening daily.

canabana in reply to jj72

wow.... independence from China??

Sure I am all for it. Assuming the Mainland actually agree with the Independence, can you tell me how HongKong is going to survive economically first???? Do you have any idea??, nevermind the Dong-Kwong water we have to import from the Mainland at the moment.


Wow, such comments.

While the majority of Hong Kongnese welcomed the return of HK to China and were and are genuinely proud of being Chinese again, there were a small faction of those among the elites (not most of them of course) or the profited under the British rule who were so paranoid about the idea of leaving British baby sitting or slave driving so much so that they emigrated to UK, Canada and Australia just before the clock stuck 12 on HK’s reversion to China. Even the landmark Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank (now HBSC) moved its headquarter to UK.

Well, as history has it, and almost without exception, they were all born losers (in financial terms). And HSBC was among the first to bend its knee later to beg and make mend with China.

Those, the great majority who stayed by 1997, kept their cool, continued the prosperity of HK and wisely made profitable investment into the Mainland and then some. They are the backbone and heroes of today’s HK success story.

With solid backing from China, HK prevailed over Asian financial crisis, overcame SAR epidemic and world financial disaster in 2008 and is voted the freest place doing business on earth last year.

The one country-two system adopted in HK has worked successfully beyond the wildest imagination of many people.

Yet there are always those few like that turncoat Martin Lee earlier (and I don’t know who are their newer leaders now) who insisted returning China was a step down from HK’s colonial days. Such “Po La Hu, (the downtrodden who won’t let go of their perceived good old days)” mentality is pitifully reminder of persons without a country but contend to be a subject and devoid of self confidence, and just about the only common denominator among their people is that they are losers of HK society and that they all sport some Honglish (HK English) that most Hong Kong people don't.

That’s tough on them albeit they ought be left alone to do their "protest" and what not because it's their own business, except that as such in their dire condition, they are prone to be used by others as tools to destabilize Hong Kong (and therefore China).

Hong Kong will not be "destabilized" of course, and such public nuisance will remain just that, public nuisance in the great city of Hong Kong.


Brainwashing is on the way in Hong Kong:

HONG KONG - The Chinese political system is one of "progress, selflessness and solidarity." And the “Western" alternative of multiple political parties? Well, that's sure to bring “malignant party struggle, and it's the people who pay...”

Such keen analysis is standard fare from the corridors of China’s state apparatus in Beijing. But this “Chinese Model National Conditions Teaching Manual,” filled with these subtly penetrating nuggets, has just been sent for the first time by the National Education Center of Hong Kong to all the primary and secondary schools on the former British colony.

While schools on the mainland are used to such language, the manual has ignited a firestorm of protest in Hong Kong, according to Sing Tao daily, a Chinese-language paper on the island. Indeed, 15 years since the handover of Hong Kong to the mainland, protests have been growing about such attempts at “patriotic education.”


“The Chinese Communist Party is a progressive, selfless, and united ruling group” whereas “The western countries’ alternation of political parties results in a malignant political struggle”, the Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao reported.

The handbook also uses the term “Chinese model” particularly favored in recent years by certain academics in China who advocate the mantra that “one-party authoritarianism can help to ensure the Chinese authority’s continuity and social stability,” reports Sing Tao.

The National Education Center is funded with tens of millions of HK dollars by the Hong Kong Education Bureau. Its main goal is set out as helping us to “understand national conditions and national identity,” and has all the hallmarks of acting as a front for the Chinese government’s propaganda machine.

Two months ago, in spite of the strong opposition from numerous education groups as well as public opinion, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau decided to start introducing “patriotic education,” officially called “Moral and National education,” from this September in all primary schools and starting from next year in secondary schools.

In the past two years, several parades and sit-ins have been organized over this issue, including one last August and a recent one last May, dubbed the "anti-brainwashing" march. Following these protests and overwhelming criticism from Hong Kong’s education professionals, the introduction of this compulsory element of the curriculum has been postponed.


As a Hong Kong people i have no doubt British was the better side even under colonization, i guess 15 years has been passed now we realized than we have gone through another colonization with deteriorating way. Under British years, they gave us freedom, rule of law, and other features that a world class city posses, one of the reason is that they are under pressure from the democratic system in British mainland, while China's dictatorship has failed to give us promise they will offer same quality of that, even if they sincerely want, they are not able to do so as they are inferior to us in terms of modern social development.
As a result, i, but not the least, will demand an independence from China as soon as possible, we can not afford our time to wait for the China to finally wake up to become a democratic country.
This phenomenon will not stop and grow and grow until the time is come, we will overturn the communist ruled Hong Kong government, and build a real Hong Kong govt representing us.

Bismarck888 in reply to BobLee1974

The out going Chief Executive steped down facing corruption charges and rock bottom approval rating. The New Chief Executive is not even having a honey moon period. Which protest are you talking about in Taiwan. The 60000 protest again Chen or 1.2 Million Human Chain protest against the PRC?

If abolishing the Basic Law is so great, why don't they do it now. There is no need to wait. The PRC should go in there ban porn, abandon Common Law and replace it with Socialist Law, scrape the whole stupid electoral system and put CPC organs in Hong Kong, censor the press. The Singaporeans would be very happy if China was to go with your plan. Lee Kuan Yew begs Hu Jintao to do that.


....but why the photos showing them protesters carrying signs mostly fashioned in ENGLISH when their intended objects of Chinese officials who read mainly CHINESE?
or was this yet another "spring" thing mob scene that they wish to rekindle that they failed miserably to fire up before? fat chance I say and when will they (the instigators and the turncoat mobs) ever learn!

ewakorn in reply to BobLee1974

For reasons that everybody knows, I view the news report from official media in Mainland with a grain of salt.

For example, most Mainland media have reported at least days and weeks later than what the foreign and HK media had reported about Bo Xilai early this year. And unfortunately what the foreign and HK media have said about Bo have been mostly accurate.

Mr. Xi should be more worried about the "creative destruction" since he has US$55 million portfolio investment in HK real estate.

PL123 in reply to ewakorn


I agreed with you China did not do enough to defend its interest on Diaoyutao.

If you are a mayor of Dalian, I think you will even dance floor show to attract big investment. Frau Merkel will cook for PM Wen in Sanssouci in Brandenburg.


Latest blog posts - All times are GMT
Daily chart: Pot luck
Graphic detail July 10th, 13:44
Yemen: Hot heads
Pomegranate July 10th, 13:32


Products and events



