In answer to Xi Van Fleet’s post on 1 July “Don’t forget Hong Kong”:
I live in Hong Kong. Have done since 1976, permanently since 1990. Also lived and worked in Beijing, Shanghai…. AND I’m no fan of CCP.
But I’d say that Hong Kong has worked out better than many feared, even if worse than many hoped.
I feel free. I maintain a blog that’s often critical of CCP and of Xi Jinping, and of local government. We don’t have hate speech laws. The judiciary still follows common law system. The civil service is largely clean and uncorrupted. We have our own hard currency, free trade, free movement of capital. Compared to any other post-colonial place, and compared to many cities in the west (eg, thinking LA, SF, Birmingham, even Paris or London) we are fine, clean, safe and not all a police state.
I wish we hadn’t had the 2020 National Security Law, but I’d argue it was precipitated by the riots (yes, violent daily *riots*) of 2019, demanding “independence” for Hong Kong, a foolish thing to do.
The US should treat us Homgkongers as the different entity we are.
My earlier post.
