Hong-Kong Protests

[vincent]

Like I said, HK's economic importance is diminishing but as of today it is still significant in China's economic growth. Beijing is treading lightly and it needs to do so.

A typical HKer with a highly inflated sense of self-worth.

 

[SinoSoldier]

A typical HKer with a highly inflated sense of self-worth.

I'm a HKer because I don't hold an impartial view towards HK politics at this hour?
Ok buddy.

 

[vincent]

If the US could forcibly de-list Chinese IPOs from its stock exchanges why is it not a possibility that Singapore, a country firmly in the Western bloc, could do so later?

The US may not send its naval fleet at all, but China still prepares for this possibility. The analogy is the same here.

Has US delisted Chinese stocks yet despite all the anti-China rhetorics?

 

[KYli]

Singapore can deny access to its stock exchanges, couldn't it? Any why rely on foreign stock exchanges (Singapore isn't exactly a Beijing-friendly country either) when you can list on your own?

Shanghai just established the Star Market board to list technology innovation stocks. It wouldn't take long for most small and medium technology innovation companies to list in China instead of foreign stock exchanges.

 

[SinoSoldier]

Has US delisted Chinese stocks yet despite all the anti-China rhetorics?

IIRC Trump officials threatened to do exactly that on Oct 1, 2019, which ironically happens to be China's National Day.
Like I said, similarly, US naval forces have not blockaded China despite its frequent FONOPs but the PLA still prepares and equips itself for the possibility.

 

[vincent]

I'm a HKer because I don't hold an impartial view towards HK politics at this hour?
Ok buddy.

oh i met plenty of your types over many many years, who think they are a class above mainlanders

 

[SinoSoldier]

oh i met plenty of your types over many many years

I'm sure you have from the seat of your chair and computer desk.

 

[SinoSoldier]

Shanghai just established the Star Market board to list technology innovation stocks. It wouldn't take long for most small and medium technology innovation companies to list in China instead of foreign stock exchanges.

The Star Market is failing at the moment.
If you were launching an IPO for your startup, would you rather choose an exchange that is volatile and hinged upon the outcomes of an ongoing trade war or one that is immune to such conflicts and pegged to the USD?

 

[Jura The idiot]

Opinion 11:11, 25-Nov-2019
"One Country, Two Systems" is alive and well in Hong Kong

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made my day: 675 words and doesn't say the outcome

The integrity of a system is reflected in its ability to endure challenges and still function in accordance with the law. The District Council Ordinary Elections in Hong Kong just proved that its system is robust, and "One Country, Two Systems" is still alive and well.

Six months of protests and chaos in the city have led people to doubt whether this special governance structure would survive. The constant and undying violence instilled in some residents' minds fueled the notion that perhaps the system might be unable to deal with the grievances of the people and restore order to the city. And foreign powers like the U.S. have used residents' questions as a pretext to interfere in the city by claiming that they would stand up for and protect the system's integrity.

The escalating violence in the weeks preceding the election led many to speculate about its fate. People thought that it could be suspended by potential conflicts on election day. Some suggested that it might get postponed due to the targeted political attacks on candidates and their offices.

Only, none of the speculations turned out to be true. Hong Kong doesn't need foreigners' protection. And Hong Kong residents should rest at ease knowing that their voice and their rights are respected and protected by the system that they've lived under for more than two decades.

The Hong Kong authorities made it clear that the election would happen as scheduled. Chief Executive Carrie Lam promised that the HKSAR government would do its "utmost to organize a fair, open and honest election." With a total population of more than 7 million, an unprecedented 2.94 million Hong Kong residents voted in Sunday's election. The turnout rate was 71.2 percent. The authorities dispatched riot police to guard polling stations, the first time in the history of District Council Ordinary Elections, and kept a minimum presence at the scene as promised.

It is quite remarkable to think that, under such a polarized and violent situation, the most complaints received by the Electoral Affairs Commission were about voting arrangements, i.e. long queuing or the change of voting stations. And the authorities have made its utmost effort to accommodate the high turnout.

The importance of the election lies in the fact that it was not only held, but completed smoothly. Despite confrontations in the streets and violent protesters deliberately targeting government facilities, on Sunday, the Hong Kong authorities and Hong Kong residents together ensured the right to vote was exercised and the democratic system in Hong Kong functioned as designed. Months of unrest and conflict between the society and the government spurred voters to the voting booths, and the policy differences are translated through votes into the candidates elected. The winners will use their positions to express their constituents' preferences, form new policies to benefit the general public and move the city forward.

What more could you ask from a system that worked exactly as it was created, even when the conflict is intense and differences are wide? The electoral system in Hong Kong is designed to be able to channel the public's desire into new governance through elections, and it did just that. It wasn't eroded or diminished as many in the West speculated, and it wasn't broken under the weight of social tensions. The election proved that the system's integrity is intact, and that Hong Kong can be governed by a different system than the Chinese mainland. "One Country, Two Systems" is working as it is supposed to.

Although the opposition parties now seem to have secured a majority of seats, it is time for all Hong Kong residents and the authorities to work together to make sure that necessary changes are made and new policies are enacted after months of chaos and violence. Restoring Hong Kong to peace and prosperity requires cooperation from people of all walks of life and all sectors of society.

Only through peace and cooperation will the division be reconciled in the city, and the "One Country, Two Systems" continues to live and function.

 

[manqiangrexue]

Not exactly "easily" through Shanghai/Beijing/Shenzhen with the trade war going on, is it? HK is an attractive place for FDI (at least prior to the protests) because it is relatively immune to tariffs, US-China trade tensions, and general volatility within China's markets, due to the HKD being pegged to the USD.

I don't know what your definition of easy is, but companies do business with China directly all the time, and non-US companies are not affected by the trade war. HK might have been an attractive route before the riots, but it does not mean that this route is a necessity, especially if Beijing moves to make things easier. Ease is not a necessity in business; profit is. That means Hong Kong is not necessary; Mainland China is.

Oh please; Beijing knows fully well that winning the hearts & minds of HKers, especially of the younger generation, isn't realistic. Its paramount goal when it comes to HK politics is to ensure a balance between control and autonomy that allows the city to remain firmly under its auspices whilst simultaneously enjoying its free-trade status granted by Western democracies.

Frankly, that balancing act has been thrown off-kilter by the recent protests and the vote.

What's that, you don't like my answer so you answered your own question? I don't know that "fully well." Here's a little-known fact that I don't usually share; I was very pro-US and anti-China when I was 16 and younger. I went to (an American) college at age 17 and started to learn a lot, beginning my transition to how I feel today and how I feel absolutely betrayed by Western teachings that were poisonous lies. Young people can change and they can do a 180. Don't assume people can't learn just because it's difficult for you.

As I said, Beijing was ok with Hong Kong taking up that role before, but when it becomes apparent that Hong Kong is an ungrateful leech, Beijing can rip it off too. It all depends on what the calculus is: do we try to change educate Hong Kong and treat it like a beloved but problematic child, or is it better to let this kid learn about the importance of family by taking punches to the face on the street? Beijing can go either way; it can nourish Hong Kong or it can replace it and choke it off. But either way, there can be no independence, and come 2047 at the latest, the circus freak show ends.