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“Why local business vanish (II)” – “If” the pandemic is over, how can local businesses survive?

(03 May)Please share the latest new case.

Since the pandemic is slowing in Hong Kong recently, the government eases the rules of public gathering. Some industries, such as catering and retails, started to recover their essential operation. However, the economy is quiet, and the world is still in the shadow of the pandemic. Hong Kong’s economy is still stagnant. Many companies are cutting businesses cost by offering no paid leave, paid cut and layoff. Some companies closed down and the situation hasn’t been over yet. In this critical timing, we also need to think about how local business will be after the pandemic.

“The incident of New World First Ferry Services Limited: Alarm in the economy under epidemic.”

At the beginning of this month, Chu Kong Shipping Enterprise (Holding) Co. announced to take over more than 60% shareholding of New World First Ferry Services Limited which is under New World Development. After completion of the acquisition, New World First Ferry Services Limited will become an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Chu Kong Shipping Enterprise (Holding) Co. which belongs to Guangdong Province Navigation Group. The government of Guangdong Province directly manages Guangdong Province Navigation Group. In other words, the meaning of this acquisition is to sell the Hong Kong company to Communist Party of China (CCP) Chaebol. CCP has more control in local transportation, and it speeds up CCP capital invading in Hong Kong.

Managing New World First Ferry Services Limited is a “thankless” task because the fare of across the Harbour service is low, the margin is thin, and source of customers is limited. The room for improvement is little. In early 2000, Star Ferry was the primary operator of ferry services. Because of operation difficulties, Star Ferry sold its exclusive franchise to New World First Ferry Services Limited and gave up the market across the Harbour service. At the beginning of 90s, Star Ferry appeared operation difficulties. In the document of provisional Legislative Council Panel on Transport, Star Ferry was a severe loss since 1994. Only two routes in the exclusive franchise made money. Rest of them (13 routes) was loss. And even so, Hong Kong government still granted the four development licenses in the Central Reclamation over the terminal. Star Ferry improved the loss by making a profit in the real estate project. It was not a sustainable solution and was the hidden risk of ferry industry declining.

In the epidemic, people stayed at home and reduced activities. Fragile ferry industry across the Harbour service was suffered again. Anti-epidemic government subsidies were short term solutions by offering fuel subsidies to licensed ferry operators, regular maintenance fee and insurance subsidies. There is no solution to the root cause. New World First Ferry Services Limited has no hope, and they could stop loss by selling the company. “New World First Ferry Services Limited Incident” can be the alarm of the economy under epidemic. Carrier Lam internationally or otherwise to cooperate “mutual destruction”. Local businesses sit and await their fate. CCP chaebol takes advantage of taking over local companies in Hong Kong.

Full translation: https://telegra.ph/Why-local-business-vanish-II--If-the-pandemic-is-over-how-can-local-businesses-survive-05-24

Source: Chung-Tai Cheng
Part2 Part3

Further reading:
Europeans' lack of understanding of China

#ChungTaiCheng #HongKong #ChinaInfluence #China #Economy
China lost patience over Hong Kong

The central government is exploiting the right of Hong Kongers at an alarming rate, interferencing local legislation and “the high degree of autonomy”. Chinese officials have announced plans to impose controversial laws in Hong Kong, the implications of which activists say could be "deadly dangerous" and a "knockout blow" for Hong Kong's one country, two systems deal with China.

Hong Kong’s autonomy was guaranteed under the “one country, two systems” principle enshrined in the 1984 Sino-British joint declaration. Yet, 186 law and policy leaders from UK said the proposed laws are a “comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms” and “flagrant breach” of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Despite being blamed for the pandemic, China is using the coronavirus crisis as a distraction to push through its geopolitical aims. The international community should not trust Beijing to keep its word when it comes to Hong Kong, people will be reluctant to take its word on other matters. The only hope of Hong Kongers might be from international helps, especially, Britain's.
Chris Patten, the last governor of the former British colony, mentioned China has betrayed the people of Hong Kong, and the UK has a moral, economic and legal duty to stand up for them. He also suggested Hong Kong residents with British national (overseas) passports (BNO) should be allowed to settle in the UK. The number of applications of #BNO has increased sharply since 2019. Hong Kongers have no faith in the #tyranny government.

Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Friday that the prime minister and his government were monitoring the situation, and that as a party to the joint declaration the #UK was committed to the upholding Hong Kong’s #autonomy and respecting the one country, two systems model. And that could be the only hope for Hong Kongers to shirk the authoritarianism. Yet, even #immigration can help some of the Hong Kongers, the root cause has not been solved. As a Hong Konger, I wish that Britain could take a part in our situation as what Chris Patten mentioned and willing to give a hand to us.

#HongKong #Freedom #ChrisPatten #RuleOfLaw #OneCountryTwoSystem


#Leaks #Whistleblower
Hong Kong Election Office to Hire Police to Work During Election

A Hong Kong Government official leaked information from the Election Office, saying that the office will be open to civil servents, particularly police officers who will be working in the election process, something unheard-of since the handover and clearly lists different jobs for police officers of different ranks.

This threatens the transparency of the elections and completely disrupts the checks and balances of the different public service departments.

Source: Facebook #May22
#HongKongPolice #Election
#OpinionArticle #YingFuktsang
When Patrick Nip demands loyalty from civil servants

(16 May) To the almighty Secretary Patrick Nip, do you know what you're saying when you demand '"loyalty" from civil servants?

In [the 1985 essay,] A Second Kind of Loyalty, Liu Binyan divided "loyalty" into two types. In the first type of loyalty, you had to perfectly demonstrate that you were "hardworking, uncomplaining, honest and obedient, without any objections". But perhaps you didn't know - or didn't want to know - that there is a "second kind of loyalty" that is "not very popular" and "puts your invaluable freedom, happiness and even life at stake".

Liu joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in his youth, but he was not blindly loyal to it. In 1957, he was deemed a "rightist". He was accused once again of being "anti-party" during the Cultural Revolution. After the 1986 Chinese student demonstrations, Deng Xiaoping criticised him by name and expelled him from the Party. After the June Fourth Massacre, he went into exile and died in 2005 on American soil. In 2010, his ashes were finally allowed to return to China for burial. However, the epitaph that Liu wrote for himself while living was not inscribed on his grave: "Here lies a Chinese person who did some things that it was right for him to do, and said some things that were right that a person say."

The "second kind of loyalty" is to "do what is right for one to do and say what is right for one to say". Those who know only the "first kind of loyalty" are only voluntary slaves...

"Loyalty, like beauty, comes in different varieties. One kind of loyalty is hardworking, uncomplaining, honest and obedient, without any objections. One has to sacrifice more or less some personal benefit but is relatively safe and straightforward. This will generally not invite disaster. Because it [loyalty] is cute, one can easily move up in their career.

"The second kind of loyalty... is not very popular. It puts your invaluable freedom, happiness and even life at stake.

"For many years, the former kind of loyalty received special love and care. It was constantly irrigated and fertilized, and so it grew strong and lush. This was also what the era needed and there was nothing wrong with it.

"In contrast, the second kind of loyalty is weak and sparse in our political fields. It is almost a miracle that it has survived in dry, barren soil and not gone extinct."

Source: Stand News

#loyalty #civilservants #PatrickNip

Rumors of actor Alex Mak was ordered by TVB to stop working due to participation of Hong Kong pro-democracy movement

(14 May)Hong Kong police have been accused of abusing its power and conducting indiscriminate arrests during the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong in 2019, also known as the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement.

So far, nearly 8,000 people have been arrested. Of the arrested, one of them is 26-year-old up-and-coming TV actor Hoi Ching (Alex) Mak, according to Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily. He was reportedly arrested at the end of 2019 after participating in one of the protests.

Mak is employed by local pro-establishment TV station TVB. It is said that TVB has stopped all of Mak’s work following the arrest. Mak was not seen in the promotion of a recently aired TVB show, in which he is one of the actors. Mak decided to return to his hometown in France after being suppressed by the company due to his political views.

Mak was one of the favorite actors of TVB’s top management team, headed by Yee Ling (Virginia) Lok and Wing Shan (Sandy) Yue. Following his arrest, Mak’s dense working schedule was quickly cancelled by TVB.

Mak’s colleagues at TVB were surprised by his sudden departure.

There are reports that TVB has issued a gag order to forbid the few people who are familiar with the matter to say much.

Mak was actively posting promo videos and photos relating to the latest TVB show he participated in before his employer took him out of all promotional work. He disappeared from Instagram for around three months.

Recently, Alex posted a selfie on his social media platform. In the photo, he wore sunglasses without expression. The caption was: "Take a break. Take a look."

Online comments from his fans included: "You left TVB?", " Why you been gone so long?"

Source: Apple Daily News

#AlexMak #TVB #WhiteTerror #Censorship #SharpPower #HumanRights #Freedom #AntiELAB

Japanese Director "Mobile Suit Gundam 00", Seiji Mizushima, supports Hong Kong in Twitter; Netizens in China requested banning all his movies in China

(18 May) Seiji Mizushima, a famous Japanese Anime director of "Mobile Suit Gundam 00", sent out a tweet to support Hongkongers yesterday in his official personal account. After that, many Chinese netizens criticized his tweet and requested Chinese authorities to ban all his movies in China.

Seiji posted on Twitter yesterday and mentioned, "Hong Kong is a wonderful place. I love it. I support democracy and the passing of the five demands in Hong Kong so that my Hong Kong friends and Chinese friends can live without any further pain in their hearts."

Another well-known Japanese Anime director, Tsutomu Mizushima, had a related post to support democracy in Hong Kong yesterday. He said outright, "we're not allowed to badmouth our sponsor China".

After Seiji shared his post shortly, a lot of Chinese netizens left messages on that tweet to criticize his speech and requested authority banning all Seiji's movies in China for discharging their discontent. Some netizens reprimanded Seiji was brainless, and his behaviour was foolhardy.

Source: Unwire HK

#SeijiMizushima #Japanese #China #GlobalSupport #Amine #Nationalism #SharpPower #TsutomuMizushima

Japanese famous anime director mock himself, saying that “want to use Chinese money to produce Winnie the Pooh”, Chinese netizen threatens to boycott his work.

(18 May)Anime director Tsutomu Mizushima, is in the minority of expressing his political stance and issue bold statements in public in Japan.

He said to have more Hongkongers followers lately and professed his support for democracy in Hong Kong in reference to protests and other activities of Anti-ELAB movement.

His message provoked sensitive Chinese netizens who threw down the gauntlet. Tsutomu posted a message to appreciate comments from other people and hope people could respect the different opinions and freedom of speech. Seiji Mizushima, Tsutomu's best friend, also shared a post next day to show his support on the five demands requested in the Anti-ELAB movement and democracy.

When Tsutomu tweeted about the revision to the public prosecutor's office law, many people left comments, and some of them even showed that they are communists. He responded directly, "a lot of Chinese money is currently flowing into the anime industry, so even if we're able to protest about things in our own country, people are curious to know whether we're allowed to badmouth China. it's true enough that China's got a lot of capital." He then cheekily tweeted: "I want to make a Winnie the Pooh with Chinese Yuen."

Tsutomu's tweet supporting Hong Kong has been re-tweeted more than 6 thousand times and liked by 150 thousand people. However, quarrel messages in that tweet continue. Some Chinese netizens even uploaded a photo of a torn ticket for the SHIROBAKO movie and scolded him to "ruining" many good animation movies.

Animation movies related to Tsutomu in "bilibili", a Chinese video sharing and streaming platform, have been hit requests to be removed. Interestingly, a lot of people asked little pinkies to leave and do not blame it on the movie. The current situation highly resembles the dispute found on Steam earlier this year as some Chinese Netizens are worried that more entertainment may be banned.

Animation movies of Tsutomu Mizushima and Seiji Mizushima include "Mobile Suit Gundam 00" and "Fullmetal Alchemist". While Tsutomu Mizushima has produced "Crayon Shin-chan", "Girls und Panzer der Film" and "Shirobako" which is getting more popular lately.

Source: Udn Game

#China #Japan #FreedomOfSpeech
#GlobalSupport #AntiElab #Xi #XinnieThePooh
Propsed ban on sitting in Taiwan train station lobby indefinitely; 400 hundred people showed support for “Sit and Filled Taipei station” event; Flash mob to sing “Glory to Hong Kong”

Source: Stand News


(23 May) Visitors like to sit on the sprawling checked black and white color floor at the Taipei Main Station for the past many years. Due to the epidemic of Wuhan pneumonia, Taiwan Railways Adminstration announced on May 18 it's intention to permanently ban visitors from sitting on the floor. However, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Lin Chia-lung, is against the idea and mentioned on 20 May that the lobby should be partially opened to residents after the pandemic abated. Opponents of the propsal launched a Facebook campaign to "Take over the Taipei Main Station lobby floor” and urged people to participate sit-in protest at noontime on May 23. News media reported that 400 people joined and had various activities, such as singing, play board games, etc. It is noteworthy that some Hongkongers joined including well-known author Chan Wai Yee. Around 10 people wore yellow hamlet and held yellow umbrella and slogan. Someone held the flag of “ Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times”. Yi Hsiang Shih, secretary-general of Taiwan Association for Human Rights, initiated to sing “Glory to Hong Kong”.

Source: Stand News

#Taiwan #GloryToHongKong #SitandFilledTaipeistation

“Another Hong Kong" directed by the Chinese government to blacken the anti-ELAB movement in Hong Kong and spread fake news to defame protestors

(17 May)China media, under the supervision of the Chinese government, released a documentary called "Another Hong Kong" lately to smear anti-ELAB movement in Hong Kong.

The documentary has two episodes, "Chaos of Hong Kong" and "Where the wind is". The pro-government camp people, senior offices of Hong Kong government and Chinese patriots acted as interviewees to represent scholars, citizens and people from different areas and frame protestors up in the documentary.

The video defamed protestors as well-organized ad pronounced division of labour and created rumours that the protestors actually cooperated with foreigners without any supporting shreds of evidence.

The video does not only smeared all Hong Kong media reporting fake news without any justification, but it also blamed on Hong Kong education system and criticized the teaching staff. The Chinese government holds no need to introspect and review their problems.

Moreover, Charles Ho, the standing committee of the CPPCC national committee, mentioned in a TV program that it was a plan to propose the implementation of Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, within the fifth term of the Chief Executive of HKSAR, in the two meetings of Chinese People's Political and National People's Congress.

Source: TVE

#China #HongKongProtestor #ChinesePropaganda #ChinaInfluence #Defaming #CCP
#Netizensvoice #Rumour

Xinjiang Today, Hong Kong Tomorrow

(22 May) A netizen from Guangdong shared his experience staying in Xinjiang with his female supervisor for 2 months in a factory inside an industrial complex near the airport. That factory provided supplies for local schools such as catering stationeries and uniforms, all for internal consumption. That industrial complex for Guangdong province has its hotel and restaurant which resembles a fish tank and supplies game. Below is a summary which includes the key information shared by that netizen.

Factory resembles detention camp
- Different regions and provinces of China have their own industrial complex in Xinjiang. Each complex has its own police and armoured cars and prohibits people from other regions or provinces people from entering.
- Investors don’t need to have experiences in operating factories. They only need to provide capital. The government offers unlimited workforce (meager salary, almost free), infrastructure and surveillance facilities.
- All factories are in the name of Charity; however, the government and investor share profits.
- The government trains investors on how to run their factory and controls all the infrastructure, middle management and trainer for Uyghurs in all factories.
- If factory is short of workforce, the government will catch any Uyghurs on the street and put them into factories. If the Uyghurs don’t obey, their WeChat and social credit system will be locked.
- Each industry complex has a torture room and darkroom.
- All workers are Uyghurs.

Uyghurs’ lives in factories
⁃ Uyghurs have to obey all rules set by supervisor. If they don’t come to work or get any complaints, they and their family will be sent to jail.
⁃ Uyghurs have to have lunch in group of 5-6 people with their supervisor under surveillance. Camera filming every Uyghur eating pork operates daily.
⁃ During non-office hours, trainers assigned by the government monitor and train the Uyghurs.
⁃ The Uyghurs have regular body checkups. The medical report contains all extensive details, including medical history, blood type. Their reason for this is to provide different supplements; however, the true reason could be sterilization.

Uyghurs’ life in Xinjiang
- All the Uyghurs live in rural areas as they are not allowed to live in urban areas. They usually live in house built by clay. The government may knock down their home and provide a cement home. However, such cement buildings are often unfinished and the government compels the Uyghurs to pay the loan to finish the construction.
- Han supervisors are assigned to every Uyghur family. Each family has to reserve a bedroom for its supervisor and report every week every what they do.
- If a Uyghur family has a pretty teen girl and its supervisor likes her, the supervisor will come often to sleep with the teen girl.
- The Uyghurs don’t have permission to go out, without a Han’s company in the street, Uyghurs can’t gather together in groups of more than 3 people. If a Han is around, Uyghurs are prohibited from speaking their language. If they do so carelessly, they will be caught and may “disappeared”.
- The government knocked down all Uyghurs’ graves. All worship of ancestors is forbidden.
- Uyghurs need to beat other Uyghurs to show their loyalty to the government
- There is no mobility for Uyghurs since they can’t buy a ticket or use the highways.

Han People invading Xinjiang
- The Han people came from Sichuan, and they become the master of the Uyghurs
- Only Han people have permission to do business in Xinjiang. They buy agriculture products like dates from the Uyghurs at low prices.

Source: memehongkong

#Xinjiang #Uyghur #Factory #HanPeople

Proposal to remove milk powder from the list of China Cross border e-Commerce triggered controversies, Yili: Foreign milk powder lacks regulations becoming potential risks in market

(23 May) Li Cuizhi, a Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) members as well as the director of Yili Group’s (China's market-leading diary products) testing and quality control centre, proposed to remove baby formula from the list of China Cross border e-Commerce. Her proposal triggered controversies, as there is a clash of interest. Yili Group responded that Cross border e-Commerce is not subjected to strict registration and customs inspection, so there are potential quality risks and harmful to the milk formula market in China. Yili Group believed that the unregulated milk formulas can enter China through Cross border e-Commerce, posting potential safety concerns.

However, analysts pointed out that to a certain extent, cross-border e-commerce can handle the quality problems by cooperating with flagship shops. Buying milk formula through cross-border e-commerce can satisfy consumers and trade balance. Besides, to revitalise “Made in China” milk formulas, restoring consumers’ confidence is a better way than relying on policies.

Source: 881903.com

#MilkPowder #crossborderecommerce #Quality #China

How bad are China's economic woes?

//While economists say China's economic data can't always be trusted, they now have a new dilemma - there is no data.
On Friday, China said it wouldn't be setting a target for economic growth for this year.

//Abandoning the growth target is an acknowledgement of just how difficult a recovery in China will be in a post pandemic era. And while recent figures have shown that China is on the way out of its slowdown: it's an uneven recovery.

//But it's not business as usual

//Recent retail sales figures show just how difficult it is going to be to get people into shops and buying things.

//Many Chinese people are still worried about a second wave of infection, and they're not spending as much as they used to.

//unemployment figures - which officially came in slightly higher in April than in March, at 6%, edging closer to historical highs.

//The "true level of unemployment is likely double this", given that around a fifth of migrant workers haven't returned to the cities

//The Communist Party has always stated a growth target to achieve as a way of signalling how well China is doing.

//This time, it's different and the private sector is also under pressure... "No one was talking about trade wars at that time. The great offshoring of manufacturing to China was underway.

//"Now, the rest of the world is an economic funk - so there's no consumer demand, and nothing in terms of foreign trade. All of the headwinds that China was facing before the pandemic have been compounded by the coronavirus."

//For the last 40 years, China's Communist Party has been able to promise a simple contract to its citizens: we'll keep your quality of life improving and you fall in line so that we can keep China on the right path. It is the social contract that China's leader Xi Jinping crystallised as the "Chinese dream" when he announced it in 2012.

//2020 was meant to be a pivotal part of that grand plan - the year China would eliminate absolute poverty, raising the quality and standard of life for millions of people. But the coronavirus could be putting that social contract at risk.


Full article: BBC news, (22-May)

#Coronavirus #Pandemic #Unemployment #China #Economy

China-led Globalization Is Coming To An End

People in politics predict that if a second wave of coronavirus infections occur in the winter, China will be in very big trouble with its Western trade partners.

With abundant labour force and a generally industry-friendly environment, China has established itself as the hub of manufacturing. Its days as the spearhead of global manufacturing, however, will be coming to an end as numerous countries consider reducing their reliance on China.

Countries that rely on trades with China are at risk of recession as China-led globalization is slowly replaced by localization in some countries. The U.S. is, for instance, using the pandemic as a way to force pharmaceutical companies to manufacture drugs locally.

It is still early to tell how things are going to play out, but the global picture is bound to change.

Full article: Forbes

Further reading:

#globalization #coronavirus #economy #China

Australia hails global support for independent coronavirus investigation


//Draft resolution to the World Health Assembly calling for impartial evaluation of responses to the pandemic does not mention China






Full Article: The Guardiance,(18-May)

Further reading:
"They Were Us": New York Times Frontpage Names Nearly 100,000 Deceased Patients of Coronavirus Outbreak

#Coronavirus #Australia #122countries #WHA #Tariff #Investigation #China #WHO
#DailyUpdate #May26 #COVID19

COVID-19 Updates (May 26)

At the time of writing, 5,518,905 cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed with 346,700 deaths.

Singapore confirmed 344 new coronavirus cases on Monday as Singapore has yet been able to contain within the foreign worker population.

Brazil reports more than 11,000 new coronavirus cases as the country reports 374,898 nationwide.

Peru reports 4,020 new cases of COVID-19 as the country now confirms 123,979 cases of COVID-19 nationwide.

France's President Macron pledges "massive" support for the country's hard-hit auto industry.

China - Wuhan performed 6.5 million coronavirus tests in 9 days, Chinese state media reports.

UK government minister resigns over lockdown controversy surrounding Boris Johnson's aide.

Almost 200 schools in the South Korean capital of Seoul and the country's North Gyeongsang province will postpone school reopening.

A South Korean court sentenced a man to 4 months in prison for refusing to adhere to quarantine rules.

Singapore cuts its economic forecast for the third time this year.

South Korea has identified almost 250 coronavirus cases linked to a cluster from the nightclub district.

US - The White House's travel ban for Brazil starts tomorrow.

Source: CNN, John Hopkins Univeristy
#NationalSecurityLaw #OneCountryOneSystem
One Day Before Beijing's Planned Imposition of National Security Law, HK Police Search Hotels for 'Potential Protesters'

In light of the anti-National Security Law and anti-National Anthem Law protest call on May 27, the Hong Kong Police Force seemed to have made deployments in advance to suppress any sign of protest.

Around 1am (May 27), according to sources from the Hong Kong Hotel Employees Union, the police had searched hotel rooms in Wanchai, Admiralty, Central and Sheung Wan to look for potential 'protesters'.

In the evening of May 26, police commissioner himself visited the area of the Legislative Council. According to Alibaba-backed South China Morning Post, the police would mobilize a 3000-strong force on May 27 to suppress protest activities.

May 27, 2020 is expected to be a critical day in the history of Hong Kong: Two highly controversial laws are likely to be passed despite the opposition of the population and the risk of violating the "One Country Two Systems" promise.

In Hong Kong, the second reading of the National Anthem Law will resume in the legislative council. With the domination of the pro-Beijing camp, the bill is likely to be legislated. According to pro-democracy lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai, at least 5 Beijing loyalists had reportedly returned to their office one day before to ensure their presence in the council.

On May 22, the Chinese Communist Party government has announced the unilateral insertion of the National Security Law in Hong Kong constitution during the "two sessions" in Beijing on May 27.

Source: Hong Kong Hotel Employees Union; Cheng Chung-Tai's Facebook; SCMP #May27