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China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

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Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#41

Post by mprev »

arcticbull wrote: post #25
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #4

Scary from an investment perspective. Imagine having property rights under Hong Kong law transitioned to the lawlessness of Beijing.

This has been true going all the way back to before the handover was announced. Imagine having property rights under the United Kingdom and no clear transition plan in the mid 90s? This has been the reality in Hong Kong for a generation. I'm very curious to see how this evolves as we move forward.

So, we in the UK have a history of not having clear transition plans.

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#42

Post by gammateam »

chottocharaii wrote: post #13

I heard from a Chinese legal academic that when China is diplomatically isolated, the two provinces tend to be left alone to enjoy the benefits of their independent foreign ties. When China is more politically feeling comfortable, that is when the pressure for conformity tends to come from Beijing.

Well the Hong Kong autonomy expires in 2047

It would be negligent not to continually manage and revise the plans as the economies change.

It would be stranger to know that you are legally obligated to annex and support a neighboring economic powerhouse with a totally parallel incompatible culture that was ignored or isolated for 50 years. Instead, Mainland China has become less and less aligned with Marx’s teachings, and Hong Kong has become more and more aligned with the rest of the bay area economic regions.

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#43

Post by entity345 »

NeedMoreTea wrote: post #37
entity345 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Send the gunboats loaded with opium, then. The bad faith and thin-veiled racism is really shocking on every topic involving China.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration declared Hong Kong's way of life would be left alone until 2047. Signed by both leaders on behalf of their governments, and lodged with the UN. China treating it as void does not change that. Nothing racist about making that observation.

China will do what they want, as they should.

It is absolutely thin-veiled racism.

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#44

Post by jacobush »

NeedMoreTea wrote: post #40
arcticbull wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe there's some misunderstanding. The top-level comment was about the introduction of uncertainty transitioning (early) from the SAR model to a provincial model. I took your reply as saying "nothing's going to change for investors because Beijing isn't stupid" -- I agree, Beijing is far from stupid. I'm actually agreeing with you in another comment where I point out 'uncertainty around the handover' has been somet…

Sounds like an accurate summary to me. Whatever China chooses to do with Hong Kong, the UK and others have little influence. As you say the Foreign Office can send a memo. Chris Patten may have been deeply disappointed at London hadn't objected more, but that would have realistically changed nothing. So practically speaking it effectively is internal. Whatever that document might say. The clearest mistake, to my mind…

Yes, granting passport would have changed a LOT of things not only between the UK, China and HK, but in the world I think.

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#45

Post by oblio »

azurezyq wrote: post #17
geowwy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The opposite seems to be true right now. China's relations with the West are a bit strained at the moment.

That's unavoidable actually. Basically US just begins to treat China as an eligible opponent. There were never "friendly" relationships between two superpowers in history if I remember correctly.

There were, up to a point. France and the UK carved up several continents without much tension, after 1850 or so.

Provided that China becomes less authoritarian and the US doesn't do something stupid, it's not impossible for both to coexist, while still competing.

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#46

Post by andy_ppp »

mprev wrote: post #41
arcticbull wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been true going all the way back to before the handover was announced. Imagine having property rights under the United Kingdom and no clear transition plan in the mid 90s? This has been the reality in Hong Kong for a generation. I'm very curious to see how this evolves as we move forward.

So, we in the UK have a history of not having clear transition plans.

And a future too apparently...

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#47

Post by sbacic »

daliusd wrote: post #36
emptyfile wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The PRD megalopolis is an urban area of gargantuan proportions with few like it in existance. >It's home to 65 million people, a population similar to that of the United Kingdom. >It covers an area around 55,000 km^2, about the size of the country of Croatia. >The GDP of the PRD megalopolis clocks in at over $1.2 trillion, about the same as Mexico. Well damn, I live in Croatia, can't even make a mental image of that…

And Croatia's town (like Split) leaves impression like a really crowded place. At least for me as person from North Europe country.

That's because of atrocious urban planning. Traditional Mediterranean streets were never meant for cars. Municipal governments, instead of having a clear strategy where historic city centers are preserved and everything else is bulldozed to make room for proper, modern urban design have instead opted to have no plan whatsoever. As a consequence, there is now nowhere to park, the streets are hard to navigate (even for locals) and things like sidewalks and bike lanes are pure fantasy in many of Croatia's coastal cities.

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#49

Post by Proven »

> “The difficulties in agreeing reforms that both advance the cause of regional integration and are palatable to officials in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and the central government will be the key challenge.”

It is obvious that the central government is the main problem and hindrance to development and freedom. Without it in the picture, those regions would have already connected.

But what is more likely to happen is the centralizers will do what they deem to be necessary to create a larger, and still centralized version of Guangdong.

Under the disguise of economic development Hong Kong's freedoms are bound to shrink. "If you're against political centralization, you're against prosperity"

Re: China Unveils Plan to Tie Hong Kong, Macau Closer to Mainland

#50

Post by CathayRe »

bobthepanda wrote: post #20
ksec wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would they want to do that? I would bet lots of people will revolt, forcing them to drive on the wrong side of the road.

Driving rates are pretty low in HK and Macau because the cost of car ownership is so high (namely, the cost of a parking space) and public transit/taxis are so good. So I don’t think you’d get much pushback from actual drivers.

>So I don’t think you’d get much pushback from actual drivers.

At this rate, they might as well force all the people in HK to Speak Mandarin, Write in Simplified Chinese. Or get rid of them all together if they don't comply. Oh there is a word for it, Genocide.

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