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Well, of course as the mainland develops Hongkong loses its relative weight. This was expected and unavoidable. Let's not forget that Hongkong was boosted in th
by entity345 8y ago
Well, of course as the mainland develops Hongkong loses its relative weight. This was expected and unavoidable.
Let's not forget that Hongkong was boosted in the first place by people and companies fleeing the communists, but the historical hub was Shanghai.
This does not change anything to my previous comment, though.
> It's not like the UK...
I think the West must understand that colonial times are over. This is a Chinese internal issue.
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoSo reneging on an international treaty is OK now? Doesn't inspire confidence that a transition won't make a difference. It will be a Chinese internal issue after the expiry of the agreed period in 2047.
- entity345 8y agoSend the gunboats loaded with opium, then. The bad faith and thin-veiled racism is really shocking on every topic involving China.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoThe Sino-British Joint Declaration declared Hong Kong's way of life would be left alone until 2047. Signed by both leaders on behalf of their governments, and lodged with the UN. China treating it as void does not change that. Nothing racist about making that observation.
- arcticbull 8y agoMaybe there's some misunderstanding. The top-level comment was about the introduction of uncertainty transitioning (early) from the SAR model to a provincial model. I took your reply as saying "nothing's going to change for investors because Beijing isn't stupid" -- I agree, Beijing is far from stupid. I'm actually agreeing with you in another comment where I point out 'uncertainty around the handover' has been something investors have lived with for a generation, and this won't change any time soon. I would also say in spite of the fact there's an international referee looking over this, they're totally unable to do anything, so for better or worse, it is effectively an internal matter now. IMO, however, a better model of Hong Kong is that it remains a colony as it has (almost) always been, what changed in 1997 is whose colony. My devils advocate comment was to say that as the UK is totally powerless (and much of the rest of the international community with it) and Beijing's more forceful stance on the SARs of late, that they may just cut off the SAR model entirely. Who's going to stop them? As you say, it's an internal matter.
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoSounds like an accurate summary to me. Whatever China chooses to do with Hong Kong, the UK and others have little influence. As you say the Foreign Office can send a memo. Chris Patten may have been deeply disappointed at London hadn't objected more, but that would have realistically changed nothing. So practically speaking it effectively is internal. Whatever that document might say. The clearest mistake, to my mind, of the whole handover was Thatcher being unwilling to grant passports for all.
- jacobush 8y agoYes, granting passport would have changed a LOT of things not only between the UK, China and HK, but in the world I think.
- thaumasiotes 8y agoWasn't the historical hub Guangzhou? (Canton) That's where foreign powers had to go to conduct trade.