Hong Kong Dilemma

Hong Kong has attracted lots of attention and concern around the world since June on its violent protest against the extradition bill. Is it that straight forward? Many journalists and analysts have published different views and explanations on the cause of the debacle and rioter’s behaviour. I like to put forward my findings and views about the whole fiasco.

1.     Distant from the central government (imperial palace)

Hong Kong locates at the southern tip of Guangzhou province and thousands of kilometres away from the imperial palace in the north. A popular Cantonese saying that “the emperor is far away behind the high mountains” is a good illustration that the southern Chinese likes to do things their way without worrying the repercussion from the imperial palace. Throughout history, Guangzhou is under the hands of the provincial governors (it was under a king more than two thousand years ago) and was almost free from scrutiny by the emperors.

The Guangzhou natives (usually called Cantonese) have also developed their adventurous and rebellious behaviours. Because of numerous famines and battles in the south, many Cantonese had learnt to eat all kinds of living things and plants to survive hunger. To placate the appetite, the Cantonese had developed superb culinary skills. They have hundreds of ways to cook a chicken; only the feathers and heads are spared from being eaten! Chinese food lovers have placed Cantonese food as the best Chinese food. The subtle characters of the Cantonese are so profound that you can still distinguish them from the northern Chinese other than their speaking.

The Hong Kongers do not have close ties with the northern fellow countrymen because of the different custom, behaviour and dialect. They are mainly decedents from Guangzhou but with a strong supremacy attitude towards all other mainland Chinese.

The island was a mere farming and fishing village when the Qing Dynasty ceded it to British colonial rule in 1842. It became the sanctuary for the fugitives, peasants and economic refugees escaping from the laws and hardships in the mainland. The Cantonese people formed the bulk of the population. The British soldiers did not allow the Qing army to land in Hong Kong fearing the Qing army might take over Hong Kong during the pursuit. Anyway, the British were happy with the newcomers as the exodus quickly became the labour force which was desperately needed on the island.

Soon, the island had turned into a cowboy town with hardly any law and order. The police force, which was administered by the British, were corrupted and colluded with the triads to pillage and oppress the commoners.

The situation was only under control when the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICACC) was formed by the order from the British government in London in 1974.

2.    Political Sanctuary

Relying on the British protection, Dr Sun Yet Sen had used Hong Kong as one of his bases in his revolutionary struggle to overthrow the Qing Dynasty. The Qing army could not arrest him on the island which he had used to recruit young anti-Qing revolutionaries. 

And during WWII, Hong Kong was one of the intelligence centres and training ground for the anti-Japanese forces and agents until the arrival of the Japanese Army in 1941.

After the war, it was the communists turn to use Hong Kong for some of its members to escape the pursuit by the Nationalist army and its intelligence force. It was a small scale as the British authority did not condone any open communist activity.

Ill-Fated Hong Kong was once again the breeding ground for espionage and anti-communist flare when Chiang Kai-shek retreated to Taiwan with his army after the defeat in 1949. He openly finances and garners support from the Hong Kong associations, newspapers and anti-communist groups in the hope to re-capture China. Many entrepreneurs and intellectuals who had fled China were glad to be part of the movements to combat communist China. Newspapers and journals sprung up, depicting communism as evil, autocratic and corrupt. Today, one of the most vocal anti-China newspapers is owned by the so-called mastermind of the anti-China movements that is crippling Hong Kong right now. China does not curtail the mass media for malicious reporting China negatively due to its adherence to “One Country, One System” rule.

The current Taiwan government has not stopped financing the anti-China movements and supporters as it wants to show to the Taiwanese that “One Country, Two Systems” is failing and quell their hopes of reunification with China; only then it can win their votes in the elections. It is also sending safety helmets, masks, armour vests and other essentials to the rioters. Hong Kong port authority had uncovered one such shipment.

Britain has never left Hong Kong even after the 1997 hangover. It had trained and cultivated many loyal civil servants who admire the British administration system and still diligently following it in most of the directives and procedures in the government departments. It will create a huge problem if they insist carrying on this way till 2049 when Hong Kong fully revert to China rule.

School textbooks mention only the positive sides of British governance, and that was the reason why so many teenagers yearn to return to British rules. Many teachers are also at fault of fanning anti-China sentiment and admiration of the British rule. Some teachers and principals also came out to join the rallies against the HK government with the students. The students refuse to read or understand the Opium Wars between China and Britain.

During the Vietnamese Chinese exodus out of Vietnam as the Boat People in the late 1970s, the British government had allowed thousands of these Vietnamese to reside in Hong Kong. They were given the HK residency. Some of the current protesters are the offsprings of these Vietnamese. Thus, they are not wrong in denying China citizen during the rally. In that case, should they be expelled out of Hong Kong?

All these years, British political leaders never fail to criticise China of mismanaging Hong Kong without checking the facts right. Apparently, that was the intent and thus using fake news and fabrications are the good ways to do so. It gives the wrong signal to the youth that Britain still care for them.

Majority of Hong Kongers comfort themselves that living would have been better under British rule, especially among the young ones who have never lived through the colonial days in Hong Kong. They deliberately discard the historical facts that the British government had never bestowed any democracy and freedom of speech during its 155 years ruling of Hong Kong. Any street protests were violently quashed by the police headed by the senior British police officers. It only allowed limited democracy after it had failed to convince China, allowing it to continue to rule Hong Kong after 1997. Thus, anti-China slogans and smearing get concurrence from many Hong Kongers.

Ironically, the taxes collected had to be submitted to the British government in London during the colonial days; while the Chinese government waives the taxes collected in Hong Kong. If the HK government has to submit the taxes to Beijing, then it will not have the excess money to appease the Hong Kongers. Hong Kong ignores the saying that “you don’t bite the hands that feed you”.

3.    US Interference and Sabotage

The US interfering and sabotaging China dated back to the early days when Communist Party was formed in China as it does not allow the proliferation of communism. It had supported Chiang Kai-shek in his national war against the red army led by Mao Tze Dong by providing fund, intelligence, training and weapons. When Mao had liberated China in 1949, US increased its activities to contain China by grooming and supporting anti-China elements in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The US is now the major foreign power in Hong Kong interfering the political affairs for the following objectives:

1.                  The rivalry between capitalism and communism (and socialism) renders itself the responsibility to destroy the socialist Chinese government

2.                  Bargaining chip for trade war negotiation with China

3.                  Disrupting Hong Kong as the Asia leading financial centre to deprive China of access to the huge global fund and investment

4.                  Pulling out investment and fund and then transferring the money back to US which needs the cash urgently for its fiscal spending

5.                  Turning Hong Kong and eventually China into a pro-western nation that it can control easily

 The US not only providing huge funds to the anti-China groups but also grooming the residents with strong acrimony against China. US and UK have more than 1,100 and 800 staffs in their respective consulate in Hong Kong. They do not have that many staffs in their Shanghai consulate where they serve more than three times the population. Some of the US staffs were caught providing directions to the rioters during the violent mob on the street, in subways and airport. US has assured some of the main student leaders, the political asylum and placement in some of the top US universities. Rioters are carrying the US and UK flags in their mobs.

All these prolonged anti-China propagandas and exploitations had turned Hong Kong into a renegade place against the central government. Furthermore, Hong Kongers are mixed with pro-China, anti-China, anti-communist and pro-western supporters. There is no poll done to determine the ratio of the groups. Foreigners are easily confused with the political stand of the demonstrations and rallies.

4.    Pathetic Property Market

During the colonial rule, the British deliberately control the land supply to jack up the property prices. This strategy fell in well with the property tycoons, and both parties made good money. When Chief Executive Tung took the helm in 1997, he wanted to curb the property prices so that more people could afford housing. He planned to build 850,000 low-cost homes for the people below-average income. This would immediately cause the property price tumbled. His plan was met with strong opposition from the tycoons who financed a large demonstration to call for his resignation. He did not resign but chose not to stand for re-election after his first term of office.

After this incidence, no Chief Executive wanted to exercise the plan, leaving the tycoons to monopolise the property market and prices. Soon, they also gained monopoly on utility supplies, telecommunications, malls, franchisee stores, etc. Some of them had their wealth double or more in less than a decade.

Hong Kong property prices are the highest in the world while two-third of usable land is left undeveloped so that the supply is always lagging. Many young adults have lost their hopes and in despair that they cannot afford to own a house in their lifetime. Instead of bringing the real cause to the government to address the issue with the tycoons, they pour out their frustration to the Chinese government. This exasperation is the foundation of anger towards HK and China governments; and propel the teenagers to the street shouting for the return of British rule.

5.    Public Reaction

Many Hong Kongers had left Mainland China when the communist took power in 1949. And many more had left through other means such as swimming across the strait from the 1960s to late 1970s. They had strong dislike and distrust toward communist China as many of them had suffered the harsh life in addition to the abusive and authoritative communist party officials in the mainland during the early years of liberation. Their strong aversion still carries on till today and also affecting their offspring.

I read an article on a local newspaper in 2002 about an electrician who had returned to his hometown in Guangzhou to attend a relative wedding dinner. He had swarm across the strait in the 1970s and lived in Hong Kong since then. He worked as an electrician and lived in a small apartment with his family. During the dinner, his relatives teased him of not achieving any success in Hong Kong while the relatives were driving cars, living in big houses and doing good business in the hometown. He could not tolerate the humiliation and committed suicide after returning home.

During a family tour of Hong Kong in 2010, an assistant tour guide (probably at the age of early 40s), bragged about how life was wonderful in HK now and she was glad that she had left China and came to HK to live. She criticised China severely and was grateful to Queen Elizabeth for making Hong Kong the greatest place to live. She wanted to go to London to thank the Queen. None of us uttered a word.

While managing my sales office in Hong Kong in 2000, my female staffs had refused to travel to Shenzhen citing unsafe over there.

Before 2008, Hong Kongers prided themselves as the privileged ones with higher income and living in a freer and democratic place while despising the mainland Chinese that they were poor, gullible, bad behaviours, greedy and corrupted. The situation has changed drastically in the past ten years. The mainland Chinese are now rich, self-assured, higher education, doing well in business and careers. Many Hong Kongers could not face or accept the truth.  Many Hong Kongers could not face or accept the truth. They have directly or indirectly imposed their frustration onto their children resulting many of the young ones alienating themselves with mainland China.  The pragmatic Hong Kongers seize the opportunities and establish business and career in the mainland.

Many HK civil servants have similar dislike about the mainlanders and ignoring revitalised China. Henceforth, they are lacklustre to implement any legislation that enhances the relationship between Hong Kong and the mainland.

Because of this strong sentiment of some Hong Kongers against China, the foreign powers can mobilise them to suppress China, and hopefully, they can repeat the colour revolution that had successfully toppled the governments in Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Libya, Egypt, Syria, etc.

This subconscious mind about capitalistic Hong Kongers versus the socialist mainland Chinese is tearing Hong Kong apart. I believe the Hong Kongers want to keep the current status quo forever and not mentally prepared to convert to full China rule in 2049. Henceforth, any legislation or plan to work with China to develop an industrial park, simplified custom clearance at the high-speed train station, reverting the school textbook curriculum, etc. met with strong resistance from the anti-China groups.  The silent majority is not anti-China but wants to ensure it continues to enjoy the current freedom and preferential treatment from China. They don’t want their government to pass over the state tax to Beijing and want to enjoy the fruits of both sides. Henceforth, many of them have voted the opposition into the legal counsel and participate in the rally such as the recent Extradition Bill. They want China to back off and leave them alone. But they are taken aback by the violence and extreme rebellious attempt to cut off from China. This majority wants to be part of China as they are fully aware they cannot survive alone without China. The different ideologies are also splitting the family apart as family members refuse to acknowledge each other. It is the predicament the Hong Kongers are facing.

Most of the Hong Kongers were misled by the oppositions and the foreign leaders condemning HK government plan to introduce the extradition bill. They were led to believe the bill will extradite people, who speak against China, to the mainland for imprisonment. The HK government did a terrible job of not explaining the bill clearly to the people. Or was it done deliberately by the civil servants who are anti-China themselves? No one brought out that the extradition bill can extradite foreign spies or personnel doing great damage to national security to HK or China. That is the real reason why the oppositions and foreign power are anxious and want to make sure HK does not implement the bill. They have thousands of such vicious agents in Hong Kong.

The rallies attracted more than 2 millions demonstrators in June but soon dwindled to no more than half million in the recent rallies in August. The anti-China group was overwhelmed with the huge turnout in June and took that as the mandate from the majority to start the revolution to free HK from China.

The oppositions had ominous hidden agendas when organising the rallies which could easily attract the masses. After the first few success, they would continue to organise rallies (mobs) to discredit the HK and Chinese governments with the ulterior motives to win more seats in the legal counsel election before the end of this year. They agitated the Chinese government and mainland Chinese by defacing the China national emblem and throwing the national flag into the sea. The young rioters are paid by the masterminds on the level of harm they had incurred onto the police and Chinese property. If they were hurt or killed by the police, the payout is huge. They got more violent and fought with the police using petrol bombs, slingshots, arrows, poles, air guns, laser lights, steel balls, daggers, etc. If they carry such weapons during the rallies in the US or Europe, they would be shot at by the police and no public would sympathise them. Instead, the HK police have demonstrated outstanding tolerance and restraints in dealing the violent rioters. The western TV crew deliberating snip off video shots of the rioters’ wrongdoings and showing only the “peaceful demonstrators” and police beating up them. Foreign politicians and journalists are quick to condemn the HK government and police.

Watching the actual incidence, the HK moderates and commoners have now realised the rallies are getting out of hand and with motives which they do not endorse. Business and jobs are greatly affected, which will surely diminish the GDP growth they had work so hard for the past few years. They are horrified and begin to step out to voice the pro-police and pro-HK government to reverse the debacle. Hong Kongers are pragmatic and will accept China rule if their livelihood is affected.

6.    How will China retaliate?

The masterminds and foreign powers have tried very hard to lure the Chinese government to send in its troops to quell the unrest. They have instructed the young rioters to cause more damage, especially on public property, stalling the airport operation, public transport and subway services. Beijing had so far sent in the army to be stationed in Shenzhen and releasing videos on the training of quelling rioters. I do not think China will send the troops into Hong Kong, other than the Garrison Force there. It had learnt its lesson well in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Incident. Once the Chinese army steps into Hong Kong and deal with the unrest, the world will condemn China and US will take the opportunity to garner global support to sanction China. It will send in only at the last resort such as the landing of foreign forces onto Hong Kong or the call by the HK government when it has given up hope to address the riots.

China has many cards to tackle the problems. Firstly, it is not making any moves and allow the masterminds and foreign powers to inadvertently disclosing their resources and strategies. We call this “luring the snakes out of the pit”. They now know how the money is channelled to the masterminds, how rioters are paid and the amount, deliveries of the supplies and weapons, where are the supplies from, who are the US agents directing the rioters, the movement of the foreign agents, masterminds, student leaders and opposition leaders who are in the forefront of the rallies. They have also detected the anti-China supporters in the police force, government departments, schools, universities. They have also discovered the inappropriate activities of some court judges. When the D-Day arrive, the police will move in quick actions arresting all these insurgents, spies, criminals (corruption) and traitors. Each category will be dealt with accordingly.

HK police have provided the black name list to all the ports of entry and exit to stop the troublemakers from leaving Hong Kong. The D-Day is near.

China is holding the lifeline to prevent Hong Kong from going astray again. Shenzhen is fast being developed into supercity with all the advanced amenities, high technology development, superb and large supply chain and manufacturing base, ample job opportunities and modern living environment. If Hong Kong continues with its renegade behaviour, China may downgrade Hong Kong status to a second-tier city reporting to Shenzhen; or it will let Hong Kong decomposing itself to a fishing town it once was. It will diminish the supremacy the Hong Kongers have over their mainland comrades.

All the Chinese companies listed on the HK Stock Exchange will be moved either to Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchange. All other listed companies are also given incentives to move to China too. Shenzhen and Shanghai will be the major sister stock exchange in Asia. It will strip the HK prestige of being the financial centre if the island is all out to oppose China. And all these can be done without sending the army into Hong Kong. The garrison force there will ensure the safety of the Hong Kongers.

These cards are made known to senior HK government officials and the major local businessmen to ensure the compliance of proper law and order. The vicious attempt is exposed and does not have the endorsement from the mainstream in Hong Kong. After the HK government has gained control over the city, it has to implement measures preventing the incidents repeated.

China has benefited greatly from this fiasco:

1.    The intent of US and UK are clearly exposed, and China will have long term strategy and countermeasures against these threats

2.    The HK moderates and commoners are now well understood how traitors and foreign powers have almost crippled Hong Kong. They will become more pro-China

3.    The mainland Chinese, especially the young adults, have seen how the adversaries are planning to topple their nation. It has made them more patriotic and united.

4.    The successful clamp down on the insurgents will cause the admiration from most Taiwanese who will, in turn, yearn for reunification with China.

5.    China gains recognition and admiration from many other countries of handling well with the onslaught from western powers.

If China and Hong Kong handle the situation appropriately and smartly, they will revitalise the place to be a jewel it once was.