The Rebirth of Hong Kong

HENRY Law, executive director of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx), remembers clearly Western predictions of the "death of Hong Kong" and fears that the mainland had "bitten off more than it could chew" of a decade ago. Hong Kong has undoubtedly experienced a dramatic, yet triumphant, decade. When the Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China were listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2006, foreign investors bought more than 90 percent of their shares. "All capital flows into where there is profit. If Hong Kong is doomed, how is it that capital flows in?" Henry Law logically points out, concluding, "The development of Hong Kong over the past decade has changed Western and world mentality."     

The Hong Kong Issue

To understand the Hong Kong issue one need to know when and how the Chinese were forced to give up their rights over Hong Kong to the British. Before the fourth decade of the 19th Century, Britain was the most developed capitalist country in the world. Having strengthened its control over India, it immediately targeted China as its     

From Fortress Hong Kong to Hong Kong–Shenzhen Metropolis: the emergence of government-led strategy for regional integration in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong government was less active in regional integration before 2003. This study explores what conditions have contributed to the shifting of the Hong Kong government's stance on Hong Kong–Shenzhen integration from protectionism to cooperation since 2003. In addition to secondary data, a questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted in this study. Various external and internal economic, political and social factors that have contributed to the emergence of government-led strategy for regional integration in Hong Kong are analyzed. It is found that regional integration is facilitated by consensus building among the government, political parties, other interest groups and residents within Hong Kong.     

Hong Kong Ten Years After —— Days in the Lives of Hong Kong Inhabitants

The parting phrase, "Manzou," means walk slowly, in the sense of mind how you go. It is frequently heard on China's mainland, where locals indeed proceed in leisurely fashion on foot. But it is plainly inappropriate in Hong Kong. The region's rapid rhythm of life, emphasized by the marching air emitted at each intersection as pedestrians surge across, demands haste of its inhabitants. Oddly enough, the "number eleven bus" is a main mode of transport in this contemporary cosmopolis. The majority of MTR passengers, adults and children alike, are shod in smart sports shoes suitable for maintaining a brisk gait. It is believed possible to distinguish a native of Hong Kong from a visitor by their walking pace. As we observed Hong Kong's fleet-footed inhabitants making their way purposefully along the city's crowded thoroughfares, we wondered about their thoughts since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland, and about the impact it had made on their lives.     

Stories of Hong Kong

At midnight of June 30, 1997 the Union Jack and the Hong Kong colonial flag over the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Center were lowered; at zero hour of July 1, the Chinese national flag and HKSAR regional flag were hoisted. Chris Patten, last governor of Hong Kong, shed tears, saying that night "marked the end of a historical era." Many Hong Kong inhabitants also wept; it was the moment that Hong Kong had awaited for 156 years.Shigekazu Sato, the consul-general of Japan in Hong Kong, recalls how pessimistic the international community was about Hong Kong's future. Many thought that it would lose its dynamism in the process of returning to the motherland. Ten years later, the US Heritage Foundation awarded Hong Kong top spot in its 2007 freedom of trade, freedom of investment, freedom of finance and protection of property rights indexes, and named it number one in its economy freedom index for the 13th successive year.     

Protection of Minors in Hong Kong

Ⅰ. Laws and systems 1. Laws There is no unified law or regulation in Hong Kong devoted to the protection of minors. The provisions concerning the protection of minors are reflected in many ordinances. Chapter 226 of Hong Kong Laws: Juvenile Offenders Ordinance says: It shall be conclusively presumed that no child under the age of 10 years can be guilty of an offence. Chapter 200 provides that a man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for life. Section 125 of the Ordinance provides that a man who has unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman who is mentally incapacitated shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years.     

Jmpressions of Langham Hotel Hong Kong

Hong Kong has long been famous for its exquisite architecture and effective administration.Its hotels are no exception.Last week,we had a chance to experience the five-star Langham Hotel Hong Kong and learn about its design and management concepts,namely its unique characteristics and people-oriented services.     

Business as usual: The dynamics of government‐business relations in the Hong Kong special administrative region

This is an attempt to evaluate the implications of Hong Kong's political transition to post‐colonial rule for economic governance in the SAR beyond the ‘Beijing versus Hong Kong’ perspective. The article examines the changing government‐business dynamics in Hong Kong after the reversion by focusing on three inter‐related dimensions: economic ideology; institutional and policy framework; and the new political environment in post‐colonial Hong Kong. By challenging the assertion that Hong Kong is returning to the pre‐Patten colonial order under Chinese management, it argues that economic governance in Hong Kong has always been more complex than has been characterized in the literature. A conceptual framework incorporating the dynamic interplay of domestic and international factors is needed to comprehend the changing nature of government‐business relationships in the SAR.     

Two golden decades of Hong Kong movies

Hong Kong movies are among the miracles of the world film history. Hong Kong, tiny in geo-graphic terms, produced over 8,000 mov-ies between 1913 and 2004, giving it firstrank in per capita production in the world. Hong Kong movies bring back dif-ferent memories to each generation ofChinese cinema-goers: the elder genera-tion recollects films like Painted Skin,Wife, Qu Yuan; thirty-year-old fans re-member Shaolin Temple, A BetterTomorrow; while kids born in the 1980sare fond of A Chinese…     

Hong Kong:Bauhinias in Full Bloom

HERE comes another sea-son of bauhinias in fullbloom. On roadsides,slopes and lawns theseflowers resemble red clouds.     

Britain's ‘betrayal’ of Hong Kong: A second look

Claims of British bungling and betrayal were repeatedly raised during the prolonged run‐up to the 1997 Hong Kong handover. This paper seeks to evaluate such claims. It examines five controversial episodes of reputed British mishandling of the Hong Kong transition: (1) Governor Murray MacLehose's reputed double faux pas of March 1979, when the governor first putatively erred by prematurely (and unnecessarily) raising the ‘1997 question’ in a routine meeting with Deng Xiaoping and then compounded his error by misrepresenting Deng's less‐than‐reassuring response; (2) Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's 1982 miscalculation in requesting a 50‐year extension of the New Territories lease when it was already abundantly clear that Chinese leaders regarded the original lease as ‘unequal'—and therefore non‐binding; (3) Britain's 1987 decision to unilaterally postpone Hong Kong's first direct legislative elections, a decision defended on the disingenuous grounds that government surveys had revealed a majority of the Hong Kong public to be opposed to rapid democratization; (4) Britain's ostensible failure, in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen debacle, to secure the inclusion of adequate democratic safeguards in the final draft of the Hong Kong Basic Law, completed early in 1990; and (5) Governor Chris Patten's ill‐starred democratic reform initiatives of 1992–95, which sharply reversed Britain's previous ‘convergence’ policy and ultimately led to the derailing of Hong Kong's vaunted ‘through train’. Examining available evidence on these five episodes (and one or two other, related cases), this paper argues that despite occasional, palpable policy miscalculations and a notable lack of official candor, Britain did not do serious harm to the vital interests of Hong Kong. On the contrary, the paper argues, given the substantial advantage in resources and leverage enjoyed by the Chinese side throughout the transition period, a more favorable outcome could hardly have been achieved. The one residual allegation of British betrayal that cannot readily be countered, however, is the charge that racism within Britain's ruling Conservative Party—manifested in Parliamentary legislation severely restricting the flow of immigrants from British colonial territories—played a significant role in the British Government's choice of tactics in dealing with the ‘1997 question’.     

Democratization in turmoil? Elections in Hong Kong

The first SAR Chief Executive, Tung Chee‐hwa, in his speech at the SAR Establishment Ceremony, said: ‘Democracy is the hallmark of a new era for Hong Kong. The SAR Government will resolutely move forward to a more democratic form of government in accordance with the provisions in the Basic Law’. Butler, Penniman and Ranney, however, cautioned that ‘the critical difference between democratic and nondemocratic regimes is to be found in whether or not they hold elections, and if they do, what kind’. Indeed, electoral changes made to the 1998 LegCo elections are found to be anti‐democratic and retrogressive, as well as unnecessary. The authors conclude that electoral systems matter because they are one of the central mechanisms in modern democracies to give substance and content to democratic governance. If electoral systems are designed in such a manner that they obstruct the exercise of popular sovereignty, ride rough‐shod over the principle of political equality, undermine the extent of representation, complicate relationships of accountability as well as delimit opportunities for participation, then such systems should have little place in genuine democratic reform. To bring Hong Kong's democratization forward, a hard look at the electoral system, which should be more informed by the principles and practices of democracy will be mandatory.     

Hong Kong： Real Concern Only from the Motherland

正DURING the week-long 2014National Day holiday,tourism to and from the Chinese mainland saw a sudden rise,with the number of tourists to South K o r e a a n d T a i w a n s o a r i n g.M a i nland tourism to Singapore and other hotspots also increased to different degrees.However,in the same period tourist revenues of Hong Kong are reported to have shrunk.The news is worrying.     

“Song of Peace” Concerts Held in Hong Kong

I n celebrationof the 50th found- ing anniversary of the ChinesePeople’sAssociationforFriendshipwith Foreign Countries, the 89-memberChildrenand YoungWom-en’s Chorus of the China NationalSymphony Orchestra, headed byCPAFFC Vice President LiXiaolin, paid a goodwill visit toHong Kong from December 17to 21, 2004 at the invitation ofYip’s Children’s Choir, and heldthe “Song of Peace” Youth ChoirConcerts at the Jockey Club Au-ditorium of the Hong Kong Poly-technic University…     

Finding balance through extremes Polar travels lead Hong Kong Kong artist to deeper vision of our world

Artists seek the beauty of nature, while scientists explore its mystery. But faith can have fashions, and more and more people seek life beauty and mystery within the cement forests of urban society.Rebecca Lee still keeps her artistic faith which has sent her trekking to the world's Grand Trio, the Arctic, the Antarctic and Mount Qomolangma.The woman artist and explorer from     

Should Political Advisors Carry out the Work of Policemen?

China's Lunar New Year holiday (February 6-12 this year)is the time for grand celebrations,and for people to take a rest after slogging tirelessly for a year.But for Meng Hao,a member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC),the local political advisory body,it did not turn out to be the quiet holiday he'd hoped for.His nightmare began when he lost 6,000 yuan ($845)in Shenzhen,a prosperous business hub in Guangdong,on February 9.Meng was angry because he thought the money could only have been stolen at the city's rail- way station,where the security system has a reputation for being weak.However,what really riled Meng was that the police had     

The environmental psychology of the hospital: Is the cure worse than the illness?

Abstract

This paper presents a framework and summarizes evidence bearing on the role that the physical environment plays in the prevention and reduction of psychological and social problems encountered by patients in acute care and psychiatric institutions. Factors that are considered important to preventive strategies include issues such as the spatial layout and design of hospital environments, privacy problems, personal control and independence, information interventions, hospital social relationships, and levels of environmental stimulation. Two case studies are utilized to illustrate these issues within the context of both acute care and psychiatric facilities in a large municipal hospital. Greatest emphasis is placed on the use of the physical environment in the promotion of primary and secondary prevention within tertiary care settings.     

Mind the Gap The Communist Party of China Steps out to Promote Social Harmony

THE Communist Party of China (CPC) ended its five-yearly congress on October 21,2007,after amending its constitution to include the scientific outlook on de- velopment,and electing the new Central Committee.More than 2,200 delegates gathered in Beijing for this week-long meeting,and the Central Committee elected Hu Jintao for a second term as general secretary.