I am revisiting Hong Kong after ten years. Having reported from the then British colony in 1996, a year before its handover to China in 1997, and in 2003, I look around for signs of change. Have people’s attitudes changed to mainland China in 16 years since Hong Kong has become its Special Administrative Region for 100 years, the condition on which the handover took place?
Colonial nostalgia
The first perceptible difference you see, when it comes to integrating with China, is during the open air bus tour of the beautiful city with high rise buildings and a stunning waterfront at the Victoria Harbour. The commentary keeps referring to “colonial style,” “colonial times,” and the like.
I engage a group of youngsters on their feelings and attitude towards China; while some categorically say “we are an integral part of China,” others are happy that Hong Kong has “managed to retain its independent way of thinking and freedom of speech” that was its hallmark during British reign. “Unlike China, where you have to be very careful about what you say or do,” says David Chan, a young IT professional. Significantly, he too wanted his name changed, which has been done! We, a group of Indian journalists hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, are taken to the Avenue of Stars on the city’s waterfront to see Bruce Lee’s statue, on the Hong Kong icon’s 40{+t}{+h} death anniversary.
Along with hordes of tourists, there are also present large groups of people dressed in vibrant-coloured uniforms of yellow, orange and blue.
It appears as though they are protesting against something. A closer scrutiny and I find a big group of Falun Dafa, a Buddha school of self cultivation, that is banned in China. Often, groups from this sect from all over the world come to Hong Kong to protest against their repression in China. But of late, they are being clamped down upon in Hong Kong, too. In May 2013, a woman was held for displaying banners by the Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department!
Returning to Chan, to the question on how close he feels to China, he says: “I’m a Chinese man from Hong Kong.” A telling comment.
Helen Lee (name changed), who works in the fashion industry, is much more forthright about how Hong Kong people look at China. While the older people are not too happy about being a part of China, youngsters like her have no such hangups. But, of course, she adds: “this is a tough time to be a young educated person in Hong Kong. For decades our unemployment rate was under 2.5 per cent, but the most recent number is 3.3 per cent and that is very high for Hong Kong.”
Job scene
Chan adds that it’s a very difficult time for a young educated professional to get a good job in Hong Kong. “While educated people find it difficult, there is a great demand for the position of a waitress or a dishwasher in Hong Kong’s restaurants, because people don’t want those jobs.”
But both Chan and Helen are grateful that they are linked to a country whose economy is still doing well. “China is pumping in a lot of money to develop our infrastructure and other systems and we are grateful for that,” says Helen. She adds that in all the upmarket malls in Hong Kong, such as Harbour City, a massive mall with over 400 shops, the rich Chinese from the mainland are gobbling up all the top designer labels. Name a top designer label and its here- from Prada to Louis Vuitton to Cartier.
There is a huge influx of shoppers from China who buy luxury goods in huge quantities here because many of the taxes that operate in most countries are not levied in this city. For instance there is no sales tax, VAT, capital gains or inheritance tax in Hong Kong.
(to be continued)