According to a survey, 21.2 percent of the 1,006 respondents said they are considering immigrating to another country. Photo: Bloomberg
One in five Hong Kong people thinking of living abroad
One in five Hong Kong people is considering leaving the city due to uncertainties and controversies attending Beijing’s political reform program for the territory.
According to a survey by the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, 77.2 percent of the 1,006 respondents said they are not considering immigrating to another country at present, while 21.2 percent said they are mulling over the option.
About 7,300 Hong Kong people migrated overseas last year, data from the Security Bureau showed. Of the number, 2,600 moved to the United States while 2,200 moved to Australia.
About 48.5 percent of the respondents said they do not trust the central government (giving a score ranging from 0 to 4) while 25 percent said they trust Beijing (score ranges from 6 to 10). The remaining 24.2 percent gave a neutral score of 5.
Of the respondents, 19.6 percent answered “no trust at all” (a score of zero) when asked about their view of the central government, while 6 percent said they had “total trust” (a score of 10).
According to the poll, which was conducted between Sept. 5 and 10, 53.7 percent of the respondents believe the Legislative Council should reject Beijing’s blueprint for the 2017 chief executive election, while 29.3 percent said the plan should be passed.
However, Hong Kong public opinions regarding Beijing’s decision on political reform for the 2017 chief executive election are greatly divided, according to another survey.
A public opinion poll, commissioned by the Concern Group for Public Opinion on Constitutional Development between Sept. 5 and 10, showed that 53.3 percent of the 1,036 people interviewed by phone wanted Legco to pass Beijing’s electoral reform plan, while only 38.2 percent said the proposal should be rejected.
Group member and Democrat Fred Li Wah-ming said although more than half of the respondents are in favor of Beijing’s plan, one should not ignore the fact that there are still many who are against it.
The results show that Hong Kong society is now seriously divided on the issue of political reform, the Concern Group said.
In both surveys, more than half of those who are neither pro-democracy nor pro-Beijing believe the plan should be rejected by Legco, and more than 40 percent of those without any political affiliation also believe legislators should not pass the proposal.
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