“Only reclamation can give Hong Kong the space it needs” | SCMP | Allan Zeman

"We are at a crossroads", says Allan Zeman today (Only reclamation can give Hong Kong the space it needs).
Which brings to mind a Groucho Marx quip: "when you come to a crossroads, take it."  Groucho also made the inimitable observation that "time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."  

Ahem...

Allan is a Canadian of about my age who's also been in Hong Kong for yonks, like me. But while I was representing the Australian people via our embassies and consulates in the region (Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong), Allan was busily buying up properties in a Hong Kong backwater that was to become the trendy nightspot of Lan Kwai Fung. Later chaired the Ocean Park amusement park (it's fun and free for us over 65's!). Result: his wealth now starts with a "b". 

One of the comments to this article says that he's on the Board of Sino Land and in thick with the land developing Li family. So he might not be the most disinterested of observers.

Here in this article he supports our Chief Executive Carrie Lam and her push for reclamation to the east of Lantau Island (the one we live on, here in Discovery Bay). 

Several islands and a whole city of up to one million people to be reclaimed just to the east of us, in spitting distance. We could see them from our balcony. 

All at a cost of $HK 500 billion which will inevitably rise to, oh let's say, a round $US 100 billion. 

Pretty weird. That a whole new city is planned for right in our front door. 

Safe to say it's also pretty controversial. 

The comments to Allan's article are breaking against him, I'd estimate. 

Anyway, interesting times, as the Chinese curse does not go...