From Reuters:
“As Hong
Kong marks 25 years since handover, people discuss highs and lows”
Hong Kong has
weathered financial crises, mass demonstrations and COVID-19. As the city
prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of its handover to Chinese rule, Reuters
spoke to five people who described the highs and lows since 1997.
CHARLES LI,
FORMER CEO OF HKEX:
"That
period (1997) is really a period full of anticipation and much hope that this
is the beginning of a very long ride and the best is yet to come." "Looking
back, it largely has turned out to be the way that we have anticipated." "I
think the best moment is sometime in April 2014 at Boao [Forum]. There were
about two years of hard work prior to that, preparing, negotiating, and
everything else for Shanghai-Hong Kong Connect because that's a transformative
milestone for our markets. And for the first time, we were able to connect the
two markets together." read more "The lowest moment for me, at least
emotionally, probably was the past February and March, when the fifth wave of
the pandemic hit ... This last one made a lot of people feel that this is
almost like the last straw on the camel's back."
KIWI CHOW,
DIRECTOR OF A DOCUMENTARY, "REVOLUTION OF OUR TIMES", ON THE 2019
PROTESTS:
"I feel
the best scenes post-1997 was the Hong Kong in 2019. It did bring tremendous
trauma, but I stress again, there were a lot of beautiful scenes in 2019, there
was a lot of brilliance of human nature." "The lowest time was also
2019. So it was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. Seeing so
many suffer in pain. The images shown in the news and my documentary were only
the surface." "I hope the Hong Kong in 2047 will be a beautiful Hong
Kong, a Hong Kong with freedom, a Hong Kong with a democratic society and the
rule of law. This is the dream that has kept me positive and moving
forward."
FRED HU,
FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF PRIMAVERA CAPITAL GROUP: "I still think on the
whole it has been a successful journey in terms of the handover, in terms of
the 'one country two systems'," Hu said, referring to the system that
governs Hong Kong since its return to Beijing. "The best moment was
summer 2008 when Beijing hosted the summer Olympics. The games were just
spectacular ... I also felt a genuine, spontaneous, bottom-up outpouring of
emotions for the Chinese nation among Hong Kong’s population, rank and file. In
terms of public mood and how Hong Kong felt being part of China, that's the
best moment." "No doubt the lowest was the second half of 2019
when the initially peaceful protest degenerated into ugly violence; (and) when
a normally super-calm stable city was thrown into turmoil and unrest ... I was
absolutely appalled by the violence and I was absolutely disappointed by the
lack of constructive dialogue and compromises required to restore all the
stability sooner than later."
DAVID CHIN,
UBS's HEAD OF INVESTMENT BANKING FOR ASIA-PACIFIC: "Starting right
after the handover, (it was) the Asian financial crisis," Chin said,
referring to one of the low points for Hong Kong. "I still remember ...
the stock market dropped by more than 1,000 points a day and then the Hong Kong
government had to intervene to protect the peg and the stock market. And then
people (would) say 'that's the end of Hong Kong as a capitalist market
economy'. That was bad." "I'm still optimistic, but that is
guided by my past 25 years."
SUM
WAN-WAH, FORMER JOURNALIST AND BOOKSHOP CO-FOUNDER:
"During 1997, many said Hong Kong will die but in the end it didn’t. Hong Kong had a rather good development." "In the first few years ... it was like there was a real 'one country, two systems'. Hong Kong could keep its original lifestyle and status. To me, those were the best moments." "The worst moment of course was after the national security law was implemented. There were many things we could do in the past that we no longer can. Apart from the news, there are many things that will violate the law. The values we believed in are now at risk."
^ I wonder how
many Hong Kongers actually feel that their Handover from the British to the
Chinese was better for them 25 years later. We may never know because anyone
who speaks their mind gets beaten-down by the Communist Officials from Beijing.
^
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