I visited Hong Kong twice as a child when the family went there for R&R from Saigon.
It was an awesome place. I still remember the sights, sounds and yes, smells 58 years later.
Landing at Kai Tac, the floating restaurant, the Golden Gate hotel....guess I’ll never get back.
A shame for its citizens. God bless them.

Its been 20 years but I remember talking to folks from Hong Kong who moved to Vancouver BC right after British rule ended. They said then it was only a matter of time, and that China was patient, would wait, and then come down like a ton of bricks.

I loved Hong Kong. Been there twice and it was always a pleasure.

Had plans to visit this year in the Fall, obviously all has changed. Rather odd seeing a number of Caucasian policeman, they're all British background fluent in Cantonese but, stayed after the handover.

While some will remain, I can see a large exodus to the UK, Australia, Canada and the US, as each has sizable ex-pat populations from HK. Singapore, Taiwan and Philippines will also see a swell in numbers.

Next question is how much of a persons bank account does the CCP withhold before allowing them to leave? You can leave only after you've turned over X-amount to us.

quote:

Originally posted by Rinehart:
I worry about Taiwan as well. It is likely just a matter of time. If pretty much anyone other than Trump is prez after Jan 2021 China can do whatever they like and nothing will be said.

Yeah I was in Taipei about a month ago and as I took off and looked back I felt a wave of sadness...I really do not want Taiwan to fall to the ChiComs but I think it is coming.

Love Hong Kong! Spent a lot of time there but sadly as it stands, I will never go back.
Fuck the CCP!

PRC has stated plans to "re-unify" China by 2050 or so.

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Originally posted by furlough:

quote:

Originally posted by Rinehart:
I worry about Taiwan as well. It is likely just a matter of time. If pretty much anyone other than Trump is prez after Jan 2021 China can do whatever they like and nothing will be said.

Yeah I was in Taipei about a month ago and as I took off and looked back I felt a wave of sadness...I really do not want Taiwan to fall to the ChiComs but I think it is coming.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo Jones:
PRC has stated plans to "re-unify" China by 2050 or so.

It's part of the CCP's declared grand plan of The Two Centenaries. 2021 is the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party. 2049 is the anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Communists of any stripe love anniversaries and symbolism.

The goal is to have Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan under their control by 2049; two of the three are well on their way. Ultimately, the CCP views any person of Chinese descent, regardless of their location of birth and citizenship, as being under their influence and subservient to their demands. There's a large number of party members who think they're benevolent in their intentions...they've clearly never traveled beyond their own borders, as introspection and self-awareness isn't a known trait.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo Jones:
PRC has stated plans to "re-unify" China by 2050 or so.

Now they just need to move their Panzers into the Sudetenland and annex Austria and that'll be a wrap.

Hong Kong and the New Territories were part of China until the British forced a 'lease' upon China - via the Royal Navy and Red Coated Troops in the 1840's.

So, I cannot blame China in this instance.

Countries do not like their territories taken away and will do what it takes to get them back, remain unhappy about the issue at some level, regardless of the outside all smiley face presentation.

Columbia lost the isthmus of Panama (yes, the were compensated, but what choice did Columbia have?). Poland would love to get the Russian part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact back, and keep the German gained land given to them as compensation). Ireland still would like those 9 counties back too. Spain would like Gibraltar back. Greece and Turkey still have disputes. Japan still has some northern islands it wants back and on and on and on. Never mind the Sudetenland which was German /Austrian until the great Land grab of 1919 in Paris.

Yup, sort of sucks for those in Hong Kong, but considering god only knows how many Germans moved west from 1945 - 1961, the Hong Kong folks can try and leave if they do not like it. Anyone who believed the One China, 2-systems propaganda was a fool. Taiwan is next, and unless we are ready for nuclear war or worse, China will occupy Taiwan. Naval blockade is a piece of cake, if China has the balls to pull the trigger. Big if for now.

China is addressing its Century of Shame, and I can understand its recent actions very well. Form of government in this instance does not influence me.

I'm surprised China has waited this long.

AFAIK, HK's special status is supposed to last for 50 yrs. after the handover. So it ends in 2047. If the PRC is violating the terms of that deal now, then it's a matter who's willing to enforce that agreement and how far they're willing to go. I'm guessing absolutely no one is willing to do anything more than pay lip service. So the PRC can do whatever they want and no one will stop them. The PRC is rich enough now that they're not going to lose a lot of sleep over HK no longer being a golden goose. Gonna take a LOT of boycotting Chinese-made stuff to get their attention.

There are only six counties in Northern Ireland and they remained in the UK because of a 2:1 Protestant majority.

quote:

Originally posted by Blackmore:
There are only six counties in Northern Ireland and they remained in the UK because of a 2:1 Protestant majority.

Northern Ireland remained in the UK because of a landslide vote. What does this have to do with Hong Kong? Apples and oranges. The people of HK had zero voice in their territory being handed over to the PRC, and have zero voice now. That's the point of the "civil unrest."

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:
I cannot blame China in this instance.

Basing national policy or anything on what happened 180 years ago is fucked. That mindset would make Reparations a reasonable consideration.

Why limit the grudge \ animosity to 200 years why not 1000 like some cultures?

If china's justified doing anything because of what happened 180 years ago then there's probably 100's other nations \ ethnic people with grievances that would need to be addressed.

quote:

Originally posted by DennisM:

quote:

Originally posted by Blackmore:
There are only six counties in Northern Ireland and they remained in the UK because of a 2:1 Protestant majority.

Northern Ireland remained in the UK because of a landslide vote. What does this have to do with Hong Kong? Apples and oranges. The people of HK had zero voice in their territory being handed over to the PRC, and have zero voice now. That's the point of the "civil unrest."

Really? Ask yourself how many immigrants from Red China vote in Hong Kong, Thibet and Xianjiang...and how many Protestants vote in the six counties where the Brits created and maintain an artificial voting majority by military force. When you start seeing Ireland the way you see Ukraine, Georgia and the Trans-Caucasus, then you'll be on track.

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:
Hong Kong and the New Territories were part of China until the British forced a 'lease' upon China - via the Royal Navy and Red Coated Troops in the 1840's.

So, I cannot blame China in this instance.

No, I blame the Brits, then I blame China. The UK never should've relinquished control of Hong Kong back to China, the lease be damned. Screw 'em, should've been the Brit motto.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
Really? Ask yourself how many immigrants from Red China vote in Hong Kong(...)

Few. "Internal" immigration to Hong Kong from the mainland is highly restricted, and only permanent residents of HK have the franchise in HK elections. The vast majority of current voters were resident in the territory at the handover in 1997.

quote:

Thibet and Xianjiang

No idea, but I do know that neither Tibet nor Xianjiang are Hong Kong, which is the topic of this thread.

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and how many Protestants vote in the six counties where the Brits created and maintain an artificial voting majority by military force.

100% of UK Citizens resident in Northern Ireland-- Catholic, Protestant, or Other-- have the vote. There's nothing more "artificial" about a Protestant majority in NI than there is about you or I, or people like us, voting in U.S. elections against the contrary wishes and policy goals of certain Native American groups (since after all, we're an "artificial voting majority" created "by military force," and actually a majority that was mostly instituted later in history than the British occupation of Ireland.)

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When you start seeing Ireland the way you see Ukraine, Georgia and the Trans-Caucasus, then you'll be on track.

We'll have to disagree. I've spent time in Northern Ireland, and I've spent a good deal of time in Hong Kong. It's not the same. It's not even close in terms of actual, meaningful capacity to participate in political decisions.

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:. . . I'm surprised China has waited this long.

I understand Hong Kong's somewhat capitalist economics were quite lucrative for Beijing, which might explain the delay.

In the early 2000s a military conflict between the UK and PRC, in the PRC's back yard would likely not have gone well for the Brits. They really had no ability to keep the territory.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:
Hong Kong and the New Territories were part of China until the British forced a 'lease' upon China - via the Royal Navy and Red Coated Troops in the 1840's.

So, I cannot blame China in this instance.

No, I blame the Brits, then I blame China. The UK never should've relinquished control of Hong Kong back to China, the lease be damned. Screw 'em, should've been the Brit motto.

At this point, any company doing business out of HK should be embargoed by the west. And any western companies should be barred from doing business in NK, and eventually all of China.

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:

quote:

Originally posted by icom706:. . . I'm surprised China has waited this long.

I understand Hong Kong's somewhat capitalist economics were quite lucrative for Beijing, which might explain the delay.