This was a problem before China. The British fucked it up a LONG time ago.Yes, we have space, but it means nothing if no one can afford to buy it. Our problem comes in many directions. The main culprit is always the "HIgh land price" policy from the government. And laundry money coming from China does not help either.
The xenophobic against mainland Chinese isn't new. If you watch tv shows in the 80s and 90s the attitude has always been very negative
You know, once the HK government show any sign that it's serious about making housing affordable we can discuss about whether or not they can overcome the influx of money from the mainland.Yes, we have space, but it means nothing if no one can afford to buy it. Our problem comes in many directions. The main culprit is always the "HIgh land price" policy from the government. And laundry money coming from China does not help either.
Yes, we have space, but it means nothing if no one can afford to buy it. Our problem comes in many directions. The main culprit is always the "HIgh land price" policy from the government. And laundry money coming from China does not help either.
I am sorry. We experience this shit first hand. I have empathy for other people seeking better life in Hong Kong, We are actually housing many refugees seeking asylum to other western countries due to the convention we signed. Despite many netizen in HK claim they are XXXX (whatever shit Trump like to use to describe Maxican & Muslims), I never says such words towards them. I knew they come from country of despair they deserves better.
Don't fall for their faux outrage trap. The use of the word xenophobia as I pointed out was strategic to tie the movement to negative things. Its interesting to see the same accounts signal.boosting that read of HK grievances as wellI am sorry. We experience this shit first hand. I have empathy for other people seeking better life in Hong Kong, We are actually housing many refugees seeking asylum to other western countries due to the convention we signed. Despite many netizen in HK claim they are XXXX (whatever shit Trump like to use to describe Maxican & Muslims), I never says such words towards them. I knew they come from country of despair they deserves better.
But I could not says the same thing for people come from China.
Don't fall for their faux outrage trap. The use of the word xenophobia as I pointed out was strategic to tie the movement to negative things. Its interesting to see the same accounts signal.boosting that read of HK grievances as well
The next step is to paint the protests as far-right , western and they can handwave all issues away as not legitimate.
This is horrible language, seriously. Like, you're saying if Mexicans immigrants were getting involved in US politics it would be a bad thing?We are dead serious. I have explained in my previous post. They literally flooding their people on us, without our control.
Contrast to Mexicans & Muslim immigrants in US, our Chinese immigrants actually active involved in the politics, co-operating with PRC government to get pro-Beijing candidates elected (though I also partially blame HKers like to distant themselves from politics, allowing pro-Beijing parties running rampage)
Do you know what is amount of house we produce each year and what are their price? around 20,000 private built apartment were provided each year, and the price still doubled in ten years. Do you honestly think HK has 20,000 new family each year? No, because they kept brought out by already-rich people for capital investment (make sense since housing price keep beating our stock-market performance).If you build more apartments than the people who are in the market, the price will fall. Do you understand supply and demand?
You guys have 3 major protests this decade and nobody has surround the legco for "reasonable land price"? what a joke.
Why do the "laundry money" buys nothing but apartments? because HK doesn't offer anything else.
Did you grow up around people from HK? EVERYONE thought people from Eastern China were ghetto as fuck. The only people worse than those from Beijing were the Fujianese. Cantonese were ok because they spoke the same dialect. This isnt some new phenomenon.Don't fall for their faux outrage trap. The use of the word xenophobia as I pointed out was strategic to tie the movement to negative things. Its interesting to see the same accounts signal.boosting that read of HK grievances as well
The next step is to paint the protests as far-right , western and they can handwave all issues away as not legitimate.
You're missing the fact that your democracy is directly related to the financial issue.And I am talking about it in response to the shit people are spouting about the relation between this protest and our "financial" problem. I never said it myself. This protest is always about freedom and democracy.
This is horrible language, seriously. Like, you're saying if Mexicans immigrants were getting involved in US politics it would be a bad thing?
Also, I don't know who "we" are, but the Hong Kong government has a pretty damn strict control about who can come to Hong Kong.
p.s.
FlOoDiNg ThE cOuNtRy
They immigration quota hasn't even been reached in quite a few years.
Can you find me any other immigrant population anywhere where this is something that will be acceptable to say about them?I am implying the difference between the white nationalist claiming the Muslims immigrants will turn US into a Sharia law country, which is not true and never will be. But Chinese immigrants are known to have tied to PRC government and obeyed their instruction to vote as Beijing wished.
HK controls the quota and controls the naturalization process. You can shut it down if you want, I suspect that you don't because you don't fuck enough and want to avoid having a negative population growth.This is strict ignorance. HK immigration department do not and can not control who can come from China. Citizens from other country need to applied to HK Government for working visa or student visa. Then they will become HK citizen after living for 7 straight years. However, Chinese citizens only needs to apply the one-way permit from their local government. Hong Kong government grants a maximum of 150 such quotas per day, but we cannot block their entrance once it is approved. By you figure, we had had over 300k people coming over 10 years span. Do you know our total population? Around 6 millions, 0.5% of our population coming from China per year is HUGH.
The problem of this immigration is we have absolutely zero control over it. Our government is a PRC puppets and are not going to regain the control. Imagine Mexicans can legally entered your country anyway they want, as many people as they want. They are going to impact your life weather they are GOOD PEOPLE OR NOT. (again, not bedeviling Mexicans here, just a metaphor). And we are in a much worse condition because here Mexican is about the size of US but US is only a size of New York.Signal boosting my ass, did you even read what he wrote? Immigration is ok as long as it's not Chinese? Supporting the protesters doesn't mean I have to accept the little Ben Shapiro fans among them.
Can you find me any other immigrant population anywhere where this is something that will be acceptable to say about them?
FFS, it's just people coming there for work, live or to reunite with their family, they're not all robotic agents of the CPC.
Is your image of Hong Kong is really of a place that blocks all immigration from the mainland?
I am sorry, Hong Kong has a very open naturalization process. Once you lived here for 7 straight years without committing crimes. You automatically become a permanent resident and have a choice to obtain HK citizenship. And one-way premit bypass the typical restriction most visa have (you either need to have a job or studying here). So technically if you can live here without a job for 7 years, you can become a HK citizen naturally.HK controls the quota and controls the naturalization process. You can shut it down if you want, I suspect that you don't because you don't fuck enough and want to avoid having a negative population growth.
You issues are with your government, not with immigrants.
Because New York is a city, not a city-state? And they don't have a border like HK? US/UK itself has immigration control, just like HK.How come the major of New York don't restrict the number of non-native who can come to the city? How come london?
Because New York is a city, not a city-state? And they don't have a border like HK? US/UK itself has immigration control, just like HK.
Hong Kong set the quota.Not total block, all we ask for is CONTROL. Right now this is all the problem coming from.
What your argument here?I am sorry, Hong Kong has a very open naturalization process. Once you lived here for 7 straight years without committing crimes. You automatically become a permanent resident and have a choice to obtain HK citizenship. And one-way premit bypass the typical restriction most visa have (you either need to have a job or studying here). So technically if you can live here without a job for 7 years, you can become a HK citizen naturally.
Hong Kong set the quota.
It's possible that Beijing will be pissed if they try to reduce it, but they haven't.
Also, I'm not sure what your argument here, you think the issue is that China is "sending you the wrong people"?
Do you honestly can't hear how bad all of that shit sounds?
What your argument here?
That people should not be granted citizenship even after living in HK for 7 years?
I really really don't think HK problem is immigrants, I think immigrants are rarely the problem, and they aren't in this case.
You had a government that wanted to reduce the quota?Do you know we did ask for it in the past? But our governement, being appointed by PRC government to act as a puppet regime, will never approve it.
I think the issue here is that your government is fucking you over and you blame immigrants. Again, take a step back and look at how some of your posts in this thread reads, I know emotions are high, but this is not something you would say about any other immigrant population anywhere.All I am saying, our immigration policy do not do the selection in the naturalization process but when people are applying visa, which is a good thing as it encourage people stay in HK. But the problem comes from we also lose control when the one-way pass permit bypass our selection process.
I think this immigration thing contributes nothing to our current event. So I will stop here to avoid looping the same thing over and over.
Not trying to defend HK's immigration policies, but just trying to point out that xenophobia and being shitty to immigrants is a pretty common theme on the mainland as well even among their own people. For example there is the "hukou" system in China which is a way to prevent poor farmers moving into a city from getting public benefits like schools, etc.
Can you explain this specifc issue like I'm 5 because I'm not sure I understand it.the thing that struck me was listening to the BBC interview one of the protest speakers.
and the interviewer says " It feels like this law is no longer a threat and that protesters have gone beyond fighting the legal issues, what are you fighting for now?"
and it's fundamentally wrong. On every level the framing is wrong, you don't FEEL facts, and how can you FEEL that a law is no longer being considered? It's just so Orwellian that it struck me.
you want to talk about politics when I'm commenting on the unintentionally Newspeakish ways people communicate today, especially in media. in answer to your question they are probably right to expect the boom or the other shoe or the gripping hand or the unseen angle when dealing with large government forces, and I can sympathize with them wanting the anxiety to go away and to feel like they can trust their controlling powers. The truth is, they can't, so they need some concrete assurance other than refiling dockets before they'll relent.Can you explain this specifc issue like I'm 5 because I'm not sure I understand it.
What assurances do people want?
At the end of the day the pro Beijing coalition have a majority in the HK legislature and they can always pass the law again if they want to.
I totally get and support kicking Lam out of office, be I'm not sure I understand the specifc procedural concern about where this law currently stand.
You either trust the government to not try to pass it or you don't, short of amending the basic law I'm not sure how you can bind their future actions otherwise, but maybe I'm missing something.
That's no excuse for what he was saying though. If he was talking about any other racial group like that, he would have been banned 10 posts ago. Threads about China on ERA always have a racial undertone and the mods rarely do a thing about it.
You want to see a place that has built housing fast enough to house the influx of immigrants, look at Singapore. Oh hell just look at Shenzhen.
Ah yes more posts praising authoritarianismTwo places that have dominant party systems with enough power to get things done.
I can bet my life that universal suffrage will not solve the housing issue in HK.
Mainlanders are making fun of HKers? Where?As long as mods allow mainlanders make fun of Hong Kongers, I would call it a fair game. That's not racism though. What is it call regional discrimination?
As long as mods allow mainlanders make fun of Hong Kongers, I would call it a fair game. That's not racism though. What is it call regional discrimination?
You can't blame the UK when it was in a 99 years lease contract. It's not like UK give Hong Kong back to China out of nowhere.
It might have been in some Hongkong people mind for long time regarding to how they don't want to be part of China. But I mean what can they do, in merely 30 years Chinese government will have legal control power over the land, and HongKong people can do nothing about it. All the rich or higher middle class already moved elsewhere ( UK , Canada, Australia ), only leave the middle-lower class there who has no choice but get abuse by Capitalism. Funny thing is they blame Chinese government for everything, yet their situation rightnow is the consequence of capitalism that take over the city for century.
Not that I don't understand how they feel, but man, China will have legal right over the land eventually. What are you going to do about it. It's not like they invade by force or anything. Any this protesting only make thing worse, and might exacgerrate the situation to the point where the Chinese government can just make excuse to move in earlier.
Just now, China and US have handshake and stop 10% tariff. For US , their own benefit come first, and as long as they get a good deal they don't care. Only Hong kong people who is left in shit after all this. I don't really think US will even do anything.
He was talking about people being leeches and China sending the wrong people. How explicitly Trumpian do you want it be? I'm not aware this kind of language is fair game on ERA because I've definitely seen people getting banned for less offensive language.
Characterizing British colonialism as a simple lease between two governments is certainly a take and a terrible one at that. You should educate yourself on the Opium Wars because it shaped how the West dealt with and continues to deal with China.You don't just get to pass 10 million people around because of a lease from 100 years ago between governments that are long gone.
It's unfair to the people of Hong Kong to tell them they're now a part of China. That should be up to them to decide
Let me describe what had happened about this whole return thing. Around '80s, the 99 year lease is about to be due (for the northern part of HK). So British government & PRC government start talking about it. At the time, HKers & Chinese & British all thinks HK is supposed to be part of China (which China is debatable as Taiwan is also technically another Chinese government, and ROC is viewed more as legit successor of Qing Dynasty) so no body is making a fuss about it.Characterizing British colonialism as a simple lease between two governments is certainly a take and a terrible one at that. You should educate yourself on the Opium Wars because it shaped how the West dealt with and continues to deal with China.
Hong Kong going back to China is closer to reunification than a lease.
This is an excellent summary of the years leading upto the handover and something I'm familiar with.Let me describe what had happened about this whole return thing. Around '80s, the 99 year lease is about to be due (for the northern part of HK). So British government & PRC government start talking about it. At the time, HKers & Chinese & British all thinks HK is supposed to be part of China (which China is debatable as Taiwan is also technically another Chinese government, and ROC is viewed more as legit successor of Qing Dynasty) so no body is making a fuss about it.
Then came the Tiananman Square, everybody in HK is in panic. So Dang invented one country & two systems. At the time, Communists promised stability and HK remains a western political system & jurisdiction systems for at least 50 years. HK polticians (mostly pro-demo because pro-beijing party was pretty much goes underground) agrees to it. Basic Law (a mini-constitution) was drawn and in Annex 2, Universal Suffrage were promised as ultimate goal in our political system. So it was called "democratic reunification" around the '90s. Self-autonomy were never presented as a option to HKers, as these whole things were lead by British, PRC, and few patriotic pro-Dem politicians (but to be honest, I doubt it will go thru because patriotism is still strong & communist China still hasn't show its ugly head to HKers.)
After '97, everything is history. PRC has been meddling everything in HK. Universal suffrage is no where to be seen. Seeking HK independent although not becoming main stream, but gaining foothold in our city. This anti-extradition movement is pretty much the extension of our fear to the PRC government.
"One country two systems" is designed before 1989 though, as it was included in the sino-british joint declaration in 1985. Deng was more pragmatic than Xi and thinks that it's more beneficial to China to keep the status quo.Let me describe what had happened about this whole return thing. Around '80s, the 99 year lease is about to be due (for the northern part of HK). So British government & PRC government start talking about it. At the time, HKers & Chinese & British all thinks HK is supposed to be part of China (which China is debatable as Taiwan is also technically another Chinese government, and ROC is viewed more as legit successor of Qing Dynasty) so no body is making a fuss about it.
Then came the Tiananman Square, everybody in HK is in panic. So Dang invented one country & two systems. At the time, Communists promised stability and HK remains a western political system & jurisdiction systems for at least 50 years. HK polticians (mostly pro-demo because pro-beijing party was pretty much goes underground) agrees to it. Basic Law (a mini-constitution) was drawn and in Annex 2, Universal Suffrage were promised as ultimate goal in our political system. So it was called "democratic reunification" around the '90s. Self-autonomy were never presented as a option to HKers, as these whole things were lead by British, PRC, and few patriotic pro-Dem politicians (but to be honest, I doubt it will go thru because patriotism is still strong & communist China still hasn't show its ugly head to HKers.)
After '97, everything is history. PRC has been meddling everything in HK. Universal suffrage is no where to be seen. Seeking HK independent although not becoming main stream, but gaining foothold in our city. This anti-extradition movement is pretty much the extension of our fear to the PRC government.
Yeah. I don't think china has a legitimate claim to Hong Kong anymoreYou don't just get to pass 10 million people around because of a lease from 100 years ago between governments that are long gone.
It's unfair to the people of Hong Kong to tell them they're now a part of China. That should be up to them to decide
This is an excellent summary of the years leading upto the handover and something I'm familiar with.
The thing is that the British never really gave a fuck about HK outside of what they could get out if it. The same inequality that existed under their occupation exists today under China. In a sick way, it's more in line with the spirit of pre-handover than not as capital flows from Chinese hands instead of Western ones. At the end of the day, the material conditions of HK citizens need to improve and I don't see anything that addresses that issue. That doesn't mean that I'm against the protests, but I think pushing for more structural reforms as opposed to the status quo is a better goal. And if we're being honest with ourselves, the material conditions of HK citizens is better than it was 30 years ago. Using western symbolism is a bad look too.
I am so glad to see reasonable voice like yours in this thread. Hong Kong needs structural change to address grievance of wealth inequality, lack of social safety net and insane housing price. All these things are "legacy" created by the colonial government.
Hong Kong was setup for a predictable and unsustainable society like it is today way back by Britain. Many Hong Kong people seem to forget/not understand that Hong Kong was basically a TAX HAVEN FOR BRITISH COMPANIES where British companies and banks park their profit and pay much lower tax than they would in BRITAIN. If Britain was thinking for Hong Kong society's long term health and stability, it would run it more like UK with much better healthcare, free college and social welfare program.
The protesters should focus on policy that address lack of social welfare programs due to low tax policy and lack of public housing like the successful one Singaporean enjoy instead of naively yelling for freedom and democracy which is a no starter with any Chinese control administration.
Yeah. I don't think china has a legitimate claim to Hong Kong anymore
the same was said of Crimea but nobody did anything about it. Chinas eventually going to take over.
Sorry I was fussy about my memory. Actually after Tiannaman, we have had a wave of immigration, attempting leaving HK behind to find a new home. Our last British Governor, Chris Patten, had attempted a political reform and make the last LEGO election very close to universal suffrage without changing the existing structure at that time (to simply explain, our legislation body consists of two group, direct election group & functional group). Direct election group are democratic elected while functional group are elected by people of specific professions, Patten bypass it by introducing nine seats that virtually make everyone eligible to vote)."One country two systems" is designed before 1989 though, as it was included in the sino-british joint declaration in 1985. Deng was more pragmatic than Xi and thinks that it's more beneficial to China to keep the status quo.
Yeah. I don't think china has a legitimate claim to Hong Kong anymore
That was a long time ago, things change.
China saw the original deal as unfair and forced on them because they were the much weaker country. Eventually UK became the weaker country and could barely keep governing it themselves, China said they're gonna take it back no matter what. So the UK gave it to China to avoid conflict.
I wonder how things are going in an alternate universe where the UK trolled China by giving Hong Kong to Taiwan as the true successor of the Qing Empire.