50 Cent Party

50 Cent Party

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50 Cent PartyTraditional Chinese五毛黨Simplified Chinese五毛党TranscriptionsMandarinHanyu Pinyinwǔmáo dǎngInternet commentator(s)Traditional Chinese網絡評論員Simplified Chinese网络评论员TranscriptionsMandarinHanyu Pinyinwǎngluò pínglùn yuán

The 50 Cent Party (Chinese: 五毛党 wǔmáo dǎng) are Internet commentators (Chinese: 网络评论员 wǎngluò pínglùn yuán) hired by thegovernment of the People's Republic of China(both local and central) or the Communist Party to post comments favorable towards party policies in an attempt to shape and sway public opinion on various Internet message boards.^[1][2] The commentators are said to be paid fifty cents of Renminbi for every post that either steers a discussion away from anti-party or sensitive content on domestic websites, bulletin board systems, and chatrooms,^[3] or that advances the Communist party line.^[4][5]

HistoryEdit

In October 2004, the Publicity Department ofChangsha started hiring Internet commentators, in one of the earliest known uses of professional Internet commentators.^[6][7]

In March 2005, the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China enacted a systematic censorship of Chinese college bulletin board systems. The popular "Little Lily" BBS, ran by Nanjing University, was forced to close. As a new system was prepared to be launched, school officials hired students as part-time web commentators, paid from the university's work-study funds, to search the forum for undesirable information and actively counter it with Party-friendly viewpoints. In the following months, party leaders from Jiangsuprovince began hiring their own teams.^[8] By mid-2007, web commentator teams recruited by schools, and party organizations were common across China. Shanghai Normal University employed undergraduates to monitor for signs of dissent and post on university forums.^[9] These commentators not only operate within political discussions, but also in general discussions.^[8][9] Afterwards, some schools and local governments also started to build similar teams.^[10][11][12]

On 23 January 2007, Chinese leader Hu Jintao demanded a "reinforcement of ideological and public opinion front construction and positive publicity" at the 38th collective learning of Politburo.^[13] Large Chinese websites and local governments have been requested to publish the sayings of Hu, and select "comrades with good political quality" to form "teams of Internet commentators" by the CPC Central Committee (中共中央办公厅) and General Office of the State Council (国务院办公厅).^[8][14]

Negative reporting of local authorities has increased on the internet since then.^[15] In one instance described on the China Digital Times, the Jiaozuo (Henan) City Public Security Bureau established a mechanism to analyse public opinion after criticism of the police handling of a traffic incident appeared on the internet. The Bureau responded with 120 staff calling for the truth to be revealed in line with the public opinion, which gradually shifted and eventually supported the police position, denouncing the original poster.^[15][16]In the aftermath of the 2008 Guizhou riot, internet forums were filled with posts critical of the local authorities; the China News Weekly later reported that "the major task of the propaganda group was to organize commentators to past [sic] posts on websites to guide online public opinions."^[16]

In 2010, the Shanghai Communist Youth League's official website published a summary, saying that there were more than 200 topics by Shanghai Municipal Authorities' Internet commentators posted at People's Daily site, Xinhua site, Eastday (东方网), Sinaand Tianya after many incidents in 2009, including Lotus Riverside incident, Green Dam software forced installation, PutuoUrban Administrative incident, H1N1's control, Shanghai entrapment incident (钓鱼执法), Pan Rong (潘蓉)'s self-immolation, etc. It was praised by Shanghai Internet Publicity Office.^[17]

Range of operationEdit

The Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China now holds regular training sessions, whose participants are required to pass an exam after which they are issued a job certification.^[8] Some estimates^[1] claim thousands of such commentators while other estimates put their numbers as high as 280,000–300,000.^[8][18]

According to the Chinese Communists' opinions of the recruitment of university Work Committee (tentative), the university Internet commentators are mainly selected fromcadres or student cadres at Communist Party Publicity Department of universities, Youth League, Office of Academic Affairs, Network Center, Admissions Employment Department, Political Theory Department, Teaching Department and other units.^[19]

The court of Qinghe District, Huai'anorganized a team of 12 commentators.^[20]Gansu Province hired 650 commentators, sorted by their writing abilities.^[21] Suqian Municipal Publicity Department's first 26 commentators' team were reported byYangtse Evening Post in April 2005.^[22]According to high-profile independentChinese blogger Li Ming, the pro-Chinese government web commentators must number "at least in the tens of thousands".^[23]

Wen Yunchao (温云超), a formal Internet commentator said that there were about 20 full-time commentators for the local news websites in Guangdong. A county-level discipline inspection commission's Internet commentator estimated more than 100 spare-time Internet commentators in his county, whose population was about 1 million. Hu Yong, an Internet expert fromPeking University, said that "the public opinion molders have already penetrated different layers of Chinese society", he found public opinion watchmen that deal with negative information on the forums in tourist city's airport and county-level middle school.^[6]

Amnesty International secretary-general Salil Shetty in March 2011 warned that countries, like China and Iran, were investing "considerable resources into pro-government blogs" in an effort to cement state power.^[23]

Every large Chinese website is instructed by the Information Office to create a trained team of Internet commentators.^[8]

In a leaked propaganda directive to 50 Cent Party internet commentators, their objective was stated as:^[24][25]

In order to circumscribe the influence of Taiwanesedemocracy, in order to progress further in the work of guiding public opinion, and in accordance with the requirements established by higher authorities to “be strategic, be skilled,” we hope that internet commentators conscientiously study the mindset of netizens, grasp international developments, and better perform the work of being an internet commentator. For this purpose, this notice is promulgated as set forth below:

(1) To the extent possible make America the target ofcriticism. Play down the existence of Taiwan.(2) Do not directly confront [the idea of] democracy; rather, frame the argument in terms of “what kind of system can truly implement democracy.”(3) To the extent possible, choose various examples inWestern countries of violence and unreasonable circumstances to explain how democracy is not well-suited to capitalism.(4) Use America’s and other countries’ interference ininternational affairs to explain how Western democracy is actually an invasion of other countries and [how the West] is forcibly pushing [on other countries] Western values.(5) Use the bloody and tear-stained history of a [once] weak people [i.e., China] to stir up pro-Party and patriotic emotions.(6) Increase the exposure that positive developments inside China receive; further accommodate the work of maintaining [social] stability.^[24][25]

SalaryEdit

The English version of China-based Global Times reported that Changsha Publicity Department's Internet commentators were paid 0.5 yuan per post, which is considered as the origin of the term "50 Cent Party". However, according to the local party-building website, the basic salary of such commentators was 600 yuan in 2006.^[6][7]

In 2010, the Internet commentators fromHengyang Municipal Committee Party School were paid 0.1 yuan per post and less than 100 yuan monthly bonus.^[26][27]

A county-level discipline inspection commission's Internet commentator from Hunan Province told Global Times that a 500 word article is worth 40 yuan on local websites and 200 yuan on national sites.^[6]

TermsEdit

There is an alternate official term for the Internet Commentator, as well as several unofficial terms coined by netizens for them:

Chinese (Simp/Trad)PinyinLiterally in EnglishCommonly in EnglishNoteOfficial name (Primary)网络评论员/網絡評論員wǎngluò pínglùn yuánInternet commentatorInternet commentatorAbbreviation in Chinese: 网评员/網評員 (wǎng píng yuán)Official name (Secondary)网络阅评员/網絡閱評員wǎngluò yuè píng yuánInternet examiner and commentatorN/AUnofficial term五毛党/五毛黨 or simply 五毛wǔmáo dǎng or wǔmáo5 mao^{[Note 1]}Party or 5 mao, 5 pence50 Cent PartyThe most common name, pejorative. Other English translation: 50 Cent ArmyUnofficial term网评猿/網評猿wǎng píng yuánApe who comments on InternetN/APronounced identically with the above Chinesewǎng píng yuán 网评员 abbreviation, punningyuán (猿"ape; monkey") foryuán (员"personnel, staff member"), pejorativeOther English terms红马甲/紅馬甲, 红卫兵/紅衛兵hóng mǎjiǎ, hóng wèibīngRed vest;Red guardRed vest, Red vanguard^[16][28]The Chinese translation for these English terms are rarely used

Among those names, "50 Cent Party" (五毛党) is the most common and pejorative unofficial term.^[29] It was created by Chinese netizensas a satire. Many trace the origin of the "50 cent" name to the salaries at the Publicity Department of Changsha, which according to the English version of Global Times, supplemented Internet Commentators' basic income with 50 cent ("5 mao") ^{[Note 1]} per post since October 2004.^[6]

The term is derogatorily applied by cynical Chinese netizens to any person who blatantly expresses pro-Communist Party thoughts online.^[4] However, there's another word "5 US cent (五美分)" used by some pro-party netizens to denigrate anti-party, pro-democracy comments, with the implication that those commentators are hired by the governments of the United States, Taiwan or other "western" countries. Zhang Shengjun, a professor of international politics at Beijing Normal University published an article Who would be afraid of the cap of "50 Cent Party"?on the Chinese version of Global Times, claiming that spread by western media outfits, "it has become a baton waved towards all Chinese patriots" to make the Chinese government a constant target of criticism.^[6][30]

The Hong Kong-based Apple Daily reported that although a search for "五毛党" ("50 Cent Party" in Chinese) on a search engine produces results, most were inaccessible and had been deleted.^[31]

Effects and opinionsEdit

The Internet commentator/50 Cent Party's activities were described by CPC General Secretary, Chinese President Hu Jintao as "a new pattern of public-opinion guidance";^[32][33] they represent a shift from erasing dissenting opinions to guiding dialogue since otherwise the "truth may hurt social stability".^[6] In 2010, a contributor toThe Huffington Post stated that some comments she received on one of her posts were from the 50 Cent Party;^[34] she also stated that the 50 Cent Party monitors popular US websites, news sites and blogs and posts comments that advance Chinese governmental interests.^[34]

See alsoEdit

China portalInternet portal

Internet Water Army, private astroturfing from paid Chinese writers paralleling the 50 Cent PartyGreat Firewall of China, a Chinese "national firewall" Internet censorship systemInternet censorship in the People's Republic of ChinaJewish Internet Defense ForceWeb brigades, Russian Internet commentators with a similar roleNtrepid, an American company that produces software to astroturf against terrorismAstroturfing, a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movementHasbaraState-sponsored internet sockpuppetry, a list of other similar programs internationally

NotesEdit

"毛" (máo), formally known as "jiao", is a colloquial unit of current Chinese currencyRenminbi which equals to 0.1 basic unit yuan.

ReferencesEdit

Bristow, Michael (16 December 2008)."China's internet 'spin doctors'". BBC News Online."Internet Spin for Stability Enforcers", Sophie Beach, China Digital Times, 25 May 2010China employs army of piece-rate ‘netizens’ for online thought control. Tibetan Review. 2 January 2009Vembu, Venkatesan (2 January 2009). "Big Brother 2.0 is here". Daily News and Analysis (India). Retrieved 11 January 2009.Cook, Sarah; Shum, Maggie (11 October 2011). "China’s growing army of paid internet commentators". Freedom House.Zhang Lei (5 February 2010). "Invisible footprints of online commentators". Global Times English version. Archived from the original on 8 February 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.Publicity Department of Hefei (24 May 2006). "关于南昌、长沙、郑州宣传文化工作的考察报告 (An Investigative Report Regarding Cultural Propaganda Work in Nanchang, Changsha, and Zhengzhou)" (in Simplified Chinese).^{[dead link]} ScreenshotBandurski, David (July 2008). "China's Guerrilla War for the Web". Far Eastern Economic Review. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2009.As Chinese Students Go Online, Little Sister Is Watching. The New York Times. 9 May 2006"宿迁26名网评员今上岗" (in Simplified Chinese). sohu. Retrieved 10 September 2010."关于进一步加强互联网管理工作的实施意见" (in Simplified Chinese). Government of Golog, Qinghai. Retrieved 10 September 2010.(Chinese)"巴中市人事局采取四大措施加强网络舆情监控" (in Simplified Chinese). Sichuan Provincial People's Government. Retrieved 10 September 2010."胡锦涛：以创新的精神加强网络文化建设和管理" (in Simplified Chinese). xinhua.Archived from the original on 30 August 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2010."特稿：党布阵网络人民战争" (in Simplified Chinese). dwnews. Retrieved 10 September 2010.Nan, Wu. Chinese Bloggers on the History and Influence of the “Fifty Cent Party”. China Digital Times. 15 May 2008Zhong, Wu. China's Internet awash with state spies. Asia Times Online. 14 August 2008"市级机关团工委2009年度工作总结 (2009 summary of works of the Municipal Authorities Youth League Working Committee)" (in Simplified Chinese). Shanghai Communist Youth League official site. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010. "2009年，市级机关网评员在市网宣办的业务指导下，先后参与了莲花河畔景苑倒楼事件、强制安装“绿坝”网络屏蔽软件、普陀区城管打人事件、甲型 H1N1 流感防控、“倒钩”执法事件、闵行区潘蓉自焚事件、地铁事故频发等以涉沪舆情为重点的网上舆论引导工作，在人民网、新华网、东方网及新浪、天涯社区等国内重点网站、主要商业网站、大型网络社区。发帖、跟帖、转帖200余篇，东方网评论频道录用各类网评文章20余篇，工作得到市网宣办的肯定。"^{[dead link]}Fareed, Malik. China joins a turf war.The Guardian. 22 September 2008“为认真贯彻落实《中共中央、国务院关于进一步加强和改进大学生思想政治教育的意见》（中发〔2004〕16号）和《教育部、共青团中央关于进一步加强高等学校校园网络管理工作的意见》(教社政〔2004〕17号)精神，牢牢把握网上舆论主导权，为我省高等教育改革发展稳定提供良好的舆论环境，努力构建社会主义和谐校园，现就加强高校网络评论员队伍建设提出以下意见。”"清河法院组建互联网网评工作队" (in Simplified Chinese). Huai'an Intermediate People's Court. Archived from the originalon 14 April 2010."甘肅將建650人網絡評論員隊伍引導輿論". Sina. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2011."宿迁26名网评员今上岗". Sohu. 29 April 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2011."China's web spin doctors spread Beijing's message". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.Qiang, Xiao. "Leaked Propaganda Directives and Banned "Future" | China Digital Times (CDT)". China Digital Times. Retrieved 28 November 2011.http://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/2011/06/网评员《上级通知》/ (Chinese)"《党校阵地》网评员管理办法" [Party school front Internet commentators Regulations] (in Simplified Chinese). 中国衡阳党建网 (China Hengyang Party-building website). 8 January 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.^{[dead link]} Screenshot"中共衡阳市委党校《党校阵地》网评员管理办法" (in Simplified Chinese). Cenews. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2011.Elgan, Mike (8 January 2009). "How China's '50 Cent Army' Could Wreck Web 2.0". Datamation (JupiterOnlineMedia).Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2009.Garnaut, John (14 July 2010). "China's plan to use internet for propaganda". The Age (Australia). Retrieved 17 October 2010.""五毛党"帽子能吓住谁？" [Who would be afraid of the cap of "50 Cent Party"?] (in Simplified Chinese). Global Times. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2011."China hires, trains 'online commentators' to influence public opinion – daily". Apple Daily. 5 October 2007Podger, Corrinne (21 August 2008)."China marshalls army of bloggers". Radio Australia. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2009."Propaganda leaders scurry off to carry out the "spirit" of Hu Jintao’s "important" media speech". China Media Project. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2009.Usha, Haley (4 October 2010). "China's Fifty Cent Party for Internet Propaganda".Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 February 2011.

External linksEdit

50 Cent Party related news and translations on China Digital Times

Read in another language

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

HK protests far from APEC spotlight

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES7 NOV, 12:56 AMPOLITICS INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The political crisis that has gripped this city for weeks is unlikely to gain much attention in Beijing over the next week, even as Hong Kong's embattled chief executive joins world leaders at a global summit in the Chinese capital and pro-democracy protesters threaten to crash the party. 

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying will arrive in Beijing on Saturday for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the city's information services department said Thursday. The APEC meetings began this week; a two-day leaders' summit expected to be attended by US President Barack Obama and other heads of state starts on Monday. 

Mr Leung's problems in Hong Kong could follow him to Beijing. The Hong Kong Federation of Students, a group of university students leading a six-week-long protest that has paralyzed major roads in the city, have said they are planning to go to Beijing during the APEC meetings. The group has yet to specify the dates they would target and whom they would send, cautioning this week that they may choose to go to Beijing after the meeting concludes. 

But any student effort to enter Beijing and target the summit faces long odds. Mainland officials have the right to deny the entry of Hong Kong citizens to mainland China and are unlikely to tolerate any sources of potential unrest during the APEC meetings. The summit is an important global forum for China, marking the first time the country has hosted the meeting in 13 years, and is the first major international conference held in Beijing since Chinese President Xi Jinping took power as Communist Party chief. 

Even if students were allowed into Beijing during APEC, their presence would likely have little bearing on the summit's agenda. World leaders are expected to work solely on trade and economic issues. 

"Traditionally, [APEC meetings] have been heavily focused on economics with almost no comments on anything else," said Michael DeGolyer, a professor of government at Hong Kong Baptist University. More likely to be under discussion are topics "naturally related" to the APEC forum, Mr DeGolyer said, such as China's push for a free-trade zone spanning the Pacific. 

A person familiar with the thinking of the Chinese government this week said it was "not appropriate" to discuss the protests during the forum, even in an unofficial capacity. Hong Kong political reform is strictly a matter of Chinese internal affairs, the person said. 

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday deflected questions about the students' threat. "The central government firmly supports the Hong Kong government to push ahead the city's democratic development," said spokesman Hong Lei. "We hope different parties in Hong Kong could discuss the matter reasonably, build consensus and implement the election based on the laws." 

The APEC forum is the second major political event in China over the past month after a four-day Communist Party summit concluded in late October. That has left protesters wondering if Hong Kong and China will take a harder stance on the protests once APEC concludes and finally force protesters off roads they are occupying. 

So far, the government strategy has been to let the protests run their course, hoping fading public support will undo the demonstration without the need for physical force. Mr Xi is next expected to make a trip to the region in December, when he visits Macau in honor of the 15th anniversary of the territory's handover to mainland China. 

Mr Leung's decision to attend the APEC meetings is a departure from earlier in his term, when he cancelled his trip to the 2012 summit held that year in Russia amid a growing political firestorm around the city's plan to roll out Chinese patriotism classes in public schools. The city's financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah attended in his place. 

David Zweig, director of the Center on China's Transnational Relations at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said it is unlikely that other world leaders will discuss the protests with Mr Leung at the APEC summit. 

"Maybe he will get shunned a little, which really does not help Hong Kong's international status," Mr Zweig said. 

http://www.businessspectator.com.au/news/2014/11/7/international-news/hk-protests-far-apec-spotlight

Funny Thursday: Meet China Uncensored at Lennon Wall tonight!

Funny Thursday: Meet China Uncensored at Lennon Wall tonight!

By Coconuts Hong Kong November 6, 2014 / 16:29 HKT

If you’re a fan of hilarious YouTube channel China Uncensored, you may or may not have noticed THEY’RE IN HONG KONG! What’s more, everyone’s favourite anchorman wants to meet you

Chris Chappell will be hosting a meetup at Lennon Wall between 7pm and 8pm tonight. Be sure to pop down and give him your best anti-Beijing quips. He must be running low by now.

Since arriving in Hong Kong on a spooky Halloween night, Chappell and his team have be putting the funny frighteners on both the Hong Kong and central governments, with no less than six well-received videos so far.

First we see a montage of Chappell getting Hong Kong fit as he struggles with chopsticks, warps out over an umbrella and practices Kung Fu against a green-screen beach...

Later we see him strolling the Admiralty protest site looking for signs of violence and weapons…

… and discovering why Mong Kok is covered in pictures of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Finally, we see him kitted out in makeshift protest armour, as he humbly admits: “Actually standing here where so much has happened, wearing this equipment, I really realise how brave you guys have been because I don’t know if i could get out there myself.”
 

 

Of course you could, Chris! We’ve got a feeling you’re frontline material.

Who are the Umbrella Movement protesters remaining on the streets of Hong Kong?

‘Indefinite Resurrection’

Who are the Umbrella Movement protesters remaining on the streets of Hong Kong? 

BY ELLIE NGNOVEMBER 5, 2014

   

"I'm ready to stay for as long as the protests last," said the 20-year-old pro-democracy protester Dicky Chu, expressing a commitment common among the hundreds of resolute protesters who are driving Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement well into its second month.

READ MORE FROM FP ON HONG KONG

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Chu volunteers with the Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the key groups spearheading the six-week-old massive sit-ins in the city, and he is one of the few hundreds of long-term occupiers who sleep on the streets and take care of daily operations on the ground. "I don't know what to expect from occupying long-term," Chu said, "but we can't just leave before the government responds to our demands for democracy."

"I have turned down five production project offers in order to be here," said 34-year-old assistant film director Nikki Lau. "I decided to spend a year on the streets right at the beginning of the protests. I'm not going anywhere until the government convinces me that it is sincere about resolving the political crisis."

Since sovereignty of the former British colony transferred back to mainland China in 1997, many Hong Kong residents fear what they see as Beijing's gradual encroachment upon their relative political freedom. After Beijing issued an edict in late August stipulating that candidates for Hong Kong's chief executive position must first be vetted by a nominating committee stacked with pro-Beijing interests, pro-democracy groups staged a mass protest that continues to cripple key districts in the Asian financial center.

After the Oct. 21 talks between Hong Kong authorities and protest representativesfailed to reach any consensus, police have not attempted to clear sites or escalate the conflicts. Authorities are likely trying to avoid a repeat of Sept. 28, when Hong Kong police deployed tear gas against protesters, triggering an outpouring of support and international media coverage.

This switch from aggressive clearance to defensive maintenance might also be partly due to the resilience demonstrated by protesters

This switch from aggressive clearance to defensive maintenance might also be partly due to the resilience demonstrated by protesters -- described by locals as "indefinite resurrection" -- when police or thugs with alleged ties to pro-Beijing groups tried to remove them. On several occasions when the police cleared the streets in Mong Kok, one of the three protest zones,nonviolent demonstrators reclaimed the streets almost immediately. Previous frontline clashes also exposed police abuse and mishandling, which intensified public anger and boosted the bargaining power of the protesters.

The government's lack of response since Oct. 21 fuels the protesters' anxiety. They are acutely aware of the delay tactic deployed by the authorities to weaken public support but are determined to hold their ground. "Hong Kong people have tried all possible ways to fight for democracy over the last few decades, and we are resorting to civil disobedience now because none of these have worked." said Alvin Wong, a high school student who started a political reform concern chapter at his school as part of the citywide students' strike in mid-September. "If we leave now, it would have a demoralizing effect on the entire movement because essentially it is saying that nonviolent resistance doesn't work."

Most protesters seem to share Wong's view, saying that they would only leave if the government gives what some have called a  "reasonable response" to their demand for an unrestricted electoral system.

An informal survey conducted by Reuters in late October found that nearly 9 out of 10 protesters are prepared to stay on the streets for more than a year.

An informal survey conducted by Reuters in late October found that nearly 9 out of 10 protesters are prepared to stay on the streets for more than a year. The preliminary data of a survey conducted at the protest sites by Alex Tang, a doctoral candidate in journalism at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, found that 79.5 percent of 755 protesters would only leave if the new electoral system includes civil nomination -- meaning that candidates can be nominated by any citizen rather than only by than Beijing's stipulated method, the 1200-member nomination committee -- while 48.4 percent insisted that the Hong Kong government resubmit the current political reform plan to Beijing. Only 6.2 percent of respondents agreed that they would end the protests unconditionally.

But even many of those who insist on staying doubt that the Hong Kong and Beijing governments will allow more public participation in the chief executive nomination process. "I don't think Beijing will change its mind over the political reform plan even if we continue occupying," said Alex Kwok, a 48-year-old lifeguard union leader well known among protesters for his active involvement as a crowd control volunteer. "But I'm staying, because there's no alternative plan."

Some have quit their job in order to participate long term, while many of those with regular jobs visit the protest sites after work and during the weekend. Though Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man, co-organizers of Occupy Central with Love and Peace, resumed their teaching work at their respective universities on Oct. 31, Tai hasasked protesters to adjust their lifestyle accordingly in order to sustain long-term occupation. The two organizers have statedthat they will turn themselves into the police "at an appropriate time," as a gesture to emphasize their support for rule of law in Hong Kong.

Though prepared for long-term occupation, many protesters worry about waning public support if the deadlock and anti-occupy smearing continue.

Hoping to move on to the next stage of the movement, protest leaders are carefully weighing different options to reach a breakthrough.

Hoping to move on to the next stage of the movement, protest leaders are carefully weighing different options to reach a breakthrough. Pro-democracy lawmakers are considering promoting by-elections and a de-facto referendum to gather public opinion on political reform. Student leaders have announced a plan to protest at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held in Beijing from Nov. 5-11, to convey the protesters' demands directly to top officials. World leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, are attending the summit.

But Ming Sing, political science professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said that the students would most likely be denied entry to the mainland. Hong Kong citizens need to apply for a special travel permit issued by mainland authorities in order to travel into China, and Beijing can revoke the permit at any time. "Putting Beijing in an embarrassing position will not help the movement," said Sing. "However, perhaps the student leaders want to use Beijing's rejection to justify a switch of tactics from ‘occupying main roads' to ‘occupying the community' -- that is, public outreach to galvanize more support for democracy. " Sing, like many local opinion leaders, believes educating locals about the importance of democratic rights will be more effective than staying on the streets indefinitely.

The specter of imminent crackdown is never far from the protesters' thoughts. "It is unlikely Beijing would react during the APEC summit," said international relations scholar Simon Shen Xu-hui. "But the protests cannot continue indefinitely either. If the authorities were to clamp down on the protesters, they might do it after APEC."

Eugene Lai, a 28-year-old psychiatric nurse who returned from the United States to Hong Kong in late September for the protests, shares similar concerns. "I think a violent crackdown is possible after APEC because occupiers are undecided on the next step," Lai said. "Public opinion might eventually turn against them and police would be less concerned about losing the public relations war." Lai, who goes to the protest sites almost every day, added that the recent large-scale police rehearsal of site clearance and introduction of pepper fog machines might indicate that authorities are prepared to forcibly remove protesters within the next few weeks.

For now, occupiers are enjoying a moment of peace. The "occupy villages" continue to draw thousands of protesters every day, inspire artists, and spark discussions over the political future of Hong Kong. Protesters exchange ideas and share their democratic aspirations with one another. Occasionally, encouraging stories emerge of protesters winning the understanding of disapproving onlookers.

Uncertainty is inevitable, but a faint hope, perhaps paradoxically, prevails in this battle of the mind.

Uncertainty is inevitable, but a faint hope, perhaps paradoxically, prevails in this battle of the mind.

Despite the pessimism over the government's next move, protesters are far from losing hope. Their continued resistance takes a variety of forms: in their slogans such as "reclaim our future" and "stand up against injustice;" in the large volume of artwork produced throughout the protests; in vibrant online discussions over local politics; and in the strong sense of community developed at the occupy sitesthat symbolizes their vision of an empowered civil society. A common local expression sums up their attitude: "It is not because we believe there is hope that we persist, but because we persist that there is hope."

PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/11/05/indefinite_resurrection_hongkong_protester_remain_streets_hope

Last Hong Kong Governor Urges Concessions to Protesters

By Robert Hutton 

November 05, 2014 2:43 AM EST  41 Comments

Photographer: Vincent Yu via AP Photo

Protesters raise Hong Kong colonial flags march in a downtown street during an annual pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong Monday.

The last British governor of Hong Kong called on the city’s government to offer concessions to pro-democracy protesters, saying there’s “an extraordinary lack of leadership” from officials.

Chris Patten, who ran the territory before it was handed back to China in 1997, told a panel of British lawmakers yesterday that he believes China is “in breach of” Hong Kong’s Basic Law, its de-facto constitution, in its attempts to restrict democracy.

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Former H.K. Chief Secretary Chan Speaks on Protests 13 days ago

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“There are things that the chief executive and government could do in a statesmanlike way to persuade the protesters to get into a state of negotiations,” Patten said in testimony to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in London. “In order to get the protesters to climb down, the government should be offering them more than they are.”

Demonstrators took to the streets of Hong Kong Sept. 26 following a Chinese government decision in August that candidates to become the city’s chief executive in 2017 must be vetted by a nominating committee. The movement’s leaders have suggested Hong Kong’s pro-democracy lawmakers resign en masse, triggering by-elections and a de-facto referendum on electoral reform. Hong Kong’s Basic Law doesn’t make any provision for public referendums.

Article 45

“I think there’s certainly more than a colorable case that they’re in breach of Article 45 of the Basic Law in the proposals they’ve put forward for the election of a chief executive,” Patten told the committee. Article 45 specifies how the chief executive should be selected, with a goal that it should be by “universal suffrage upon nomination by a broadly representative nominating committee.”

“One thing you can’t say is that election committee is broadly representative,” Patten said, citing the fact that Hong Kong’s election committee has only ever had 7.5 percent representation by pro-democrats, which doesn’t reflect their popular support. In seats of the governing legislature chosen through direct election in 2012, pro-democracy parties received about 56 percent of the vote to 44 percent for pro-China parties.

Patten said that as time passed, it was getting harder for the demonstrators to back down. “What’s happening in Hong Kong is an extraordinary lack of leadership,” he said.

APEC MEETING

China’s Foreign Ministry urged Patten not to intervene in the country’s internal affairs.

“Patten, as the last governor of Hong Kong during British reign, should understand that times have changed and stop any action and speech that incite Occupy Central protests,” spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular briefing in Beijing.

Patten said he was relieved that Hong Kong’s police had stopped using tear gas and pepper spray on demonstrators and that he hoped that this would continue after the summit in Beijing next week of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.

“This is going be be decided by politics,” he said, speculating that China’s government had ordered the violence that marked the early stages of the protests to stop. “I hope the no violence, no blood-on-the streets continues after the APEC meeting.”

He also rejected the idea that China had shown itself more open to democracy in Hong Kong than Britain had done when it was in charge. “China’s leaders made it absolutely clear that the last thing they wanted was for us to introduce democracy to Hong Kong,” he said.

Patten swept aside Chinese suggestions that Hong Kong’s affairs were no longer British business. He said that under the 1984 Joint Declaration on the future of the former colony, “the obligations are now from China towards the U.K.”

Chinese Ambassador

China’s ambassador to London, Liu Xiaoming, wrote to the committee earlier this year telling them that issues in Hong Kong were “purely China’s internal affairs” and warning that to hold hearings on the subject would “ultimately harm the interests of Britain.” He said he would “strongly advise” the committee against a planned visit to Hong Kong.

“I’m not saying they should welcome your interest, but they certainly shouldn’t deny that you have an interest in this,” Patten told the committee. “What surprises me is that the Foreign Office haven’t hauled in the Chinese ambassador and told him that this was the Joint Declaration, not the Chinese Declaration.”

He also criticized Britain’s policy of public silence on Chinese human rights issues, saying that it would do nothing to increase trade. Germany sold more than the U.K. to China, he said, because it made more things the Chinese wanted to buy.

To contact the reporter on this story: Robert Hutton in London atrhutton1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alan Crawford atacrawford6@bloomberg.net Eddie Buckle

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-04/last-hong-kong-governor-urges-concessions-to-protesters.html

Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor

Dictionaries usually define ‘deus ex machina’ as a literary device where a sudden and contrived last-minute twist in the plot brings a story to a neat resolution. They tend to downplay the fact that in most cases it is unconvincing and therefore lame and disappointing. To remind us, we have a letterin today’s South China Morning Post from someone agonizing about how to end the Greatest Impasse of All Time, also known as ‘kids sitting in Hong Kong streets’. After pondering a couple of fairly unlikely options, the writer grandly presents the solution to all our problems: Regina Ip. Or – as if the reader is not sufficiently underwhelmed – Antony Leung.

Now, if the aim were to getmore protestors into the tent cities of Admiralty and Mongkok, having either the former Security or Financial Secretary descend onto the stage would make sense. Otherwise, a Broomhead/Lexus solution is a non-starter – turning the clock back to the last time Hong Kong was becoming seriously ungovernable.

Another letter responds to former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa’s dismal-sounding new ‘think tank’, the Our Hong Kong Foundation. When the groupuses the word ‘our’, it means ‘not yours’. Members include the aforementioned Antony Leung, ex-monetary chief Joseph Yam, landlord Allen Zeman and property/casino heiress Pansy Ho – a little Who’s Who of the depressing and stale. The letter-writer takes Zeman to task for wanting us to “get back to the way Hong Kong was” and points out that this is exactly what we don’t need, even if it were possible.

The first letter-writer has a nostalgic yearning for failed politicians of the past, perhaps because, if nothing else, they seemed less disastrous than today’s. Operative words here are ‘if nothing else’. The second writer sees change as inevitable, but can’t name the ‘new blood’ that will lead us to it. The Greatest Impasse of All Time exists largely because the Chinese government is adamant that it will yield nothing to opposition forces in Hong Kong. But even if a fit of pragmatism and conciliation overtook the Communist regime, there would still be a void to be filled. (Star/heart-throb/student-leader Joshua Wong, by the way, will not reach the age of eligibility for Chief Executive until 2036.) This is the sort of impossible situation deus ex machina was designed to fix.

Something else that’s missing: the shrieks and howls of outrage from Beijing’s spokespeople and propaganda organs as Sinner of a Thousand Years ex-Governor Chris ‘Fatty Pang’ Patten wantonly interferes in the internal affairs of the motherland. He gave evidence to the parliamentary committee last night, Celestial Kingdom time. The longer the silence, the more explosive the tantrum and the more deafening the outburst will be.

http://biglychee.com/?p=12870

Stop the Presses: The Hong Kong International Literary Festival is here

By Scott Murphy November 3, 2014 / 12:46 HKT

You can forgive Jessie Cammack for being a little breathless when she begins to talk about the 14th annualHong Kong International Literary Festival, which opened on Friday and continues through to Nov. 9 (followed by the Young Reader’s Festival from Nov. 9 – 20).

It’s been a whirlwind of activity for the former New York and Los Angeles resident, who moved to HK a year ago. Back then, the literary agency exec was just a volunteer for the festival. This April, however, she found herself tasked with managing it.

“I wanted to invite people that we were excited about and that festival goers are excited about,” she says. “I’m pleased with how it’s turned out.”
 

Kate Adie (Photo by Ken Lennox)

And with good reason. The festival features a formidable selection of international authors, including BBC conflict journalist Kate Adie (whose talk “An Evening With Kate Adie” is already sold out), Pulitzer Prize winning author Junot Diaz (responsible for “Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” and “This Is How You Lose Her”). It will also showcase mainland authors Chan Koon-chung and Chang Rae Lee and local writers like Dorothy Tse and Xu Xi.
 

Junot Diaz (Photo by Nina Shubin)

But it is the upcoming talks by graphic comic duo Marjorie Liu and Sonny Liew that mark a new frontier for the Festival in Cammack’s eyes. “Comic books are a major thread of this year’s festival,” she gushes. “Marjorie Liu wrote some of the ‘Amazing X-Men’ series and was nominated for a GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) award. Liu illustrates comic books (including ‘Iron Man’) and his most recent book was the ‘Shadow Hero’, which is about a mid-century superhero who is considered to be the first Asian-American superhero.”
 

Dorothy Tse

If comic books are one of this festival’s main themes, 'Sex and Feminism' and the 'First World War' are others. Kate Adie, appearing in two events, is the driver behind both these loosely structured strands. Her talk about “Fighting On The Home Front” — based on her book about how the status of women changed during WWI — already has a full house.
 

Marjorie Liu

“Kate Addy and Mark O’Neil are just two of the events we have on the First World War,” says Cammack. “O’Neil’s books are about Chinese labour working on the western front and in Russia. A lot of them ended up doing things they didn’t sign up for. It’s the centenary of the start of the war and we wanted to focus on a different side.”

Aside from some of the marquee names and events at this year’s event, there are several other breakout authors who are rising in the ranks. These include British author Joe Dunthorne, who will detail what happened when his 2008 debut “Submarine” made the big leap from page to screen. 

Another author who is about to find out what that feels like is US-based Chris Pavone, whose debut “The Expats”, has just been optioned for a TV mini-series. He appeared as part of the “Intrigue and Espionage” session on Nov. 1.

“I’m really excited about Chris,” says Cammack. “I read his book when I first moved to Hong Kong and he’s so talented. I couldn’t put the book down.”

Chris Pavone

Cammack claims that response to this year’s festival is good so far. She attributes this to a strong literary culture in the city and considers this to be a “great era for writing in Hong Kong”. As a result, the Festival benefits from a wide array of sponsors and has been registered as a charity over the past year.

2014 marks a series of "firsts" for the festival, including the first time sales have been held online, an increased amount of talks about Hong Kong writing, and more of an effort to “centralise” events, with the majority held at the Fringe Club, the Kee Club and the Hong Kong Cultural Center (other venues include City U and Hong Kong University).

“I love this Festival”, says Cammack, with a distinct mixture of enthusiasm and most likely, exhaustion. “Everyone we invite is someone we really want and I’m really grateful for everyone who decides to come.”

The Hong Kong International Literary Festival will be taking place until Nov. 9 at several locations. Tickets are HKD80 – HKD800. For more details visitwww.festival.org.hk.

Header image: Abhi Sharma via Flickr

http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2014/11/03/stop-presses-hong-kong-international-literary-festival-here

Hong Kong has a tycoon problem

Hong Kong has a tycoon problem

November 02

 

HONG KONG

Hong Kong's glistening skyline is home to many booming industries, earning the city a reputation as a hub of free trade and opportunity. But in reality, the city of 7.2 million is dominated by a handful of tycoons that control everything from supermarkets to real estate.

Take Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, 86, with an estimated net worth of $33 billion. Li controls vast tracts of property, and owns some of the city's biggest supermarket chains, telecoms, major ports and shipping firms, and even energy and utilities companies.

Other tycoons such as Lui Che-woo, 85, and Cheng Yu-tung, 89, also dominate a variety of industries -- construction, casinos, luxury retail, infrastructure, and local transport, from buses to ferries.

Nearly every expense in a Hong Konger's daily life -- picking up groceries, turning on the lights or riding a bus -- ends up lining the pockets of these tycoons.

While they were once revered for their rags to riches success stories, the political and economic influence wielded by the tycoons is now a flashpoint in the ongoing pro-democracy protests that have swept Hong Kong. On the streets, there is little love for the 1%, who many blame for sky-high home prices and the widening wealth gap.

Related: Why I'm protesting in Hong Kong

"Hong Kong is one of the most unequal societies in the world," said Willy Lam, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "Apart from the political motivation -- pursuit of real Western-style elections -- the students are also venting their frustration at the income inequality ... and less opportunities for upward mobility for a college graduate."

Tycoons are seen as making these issues worse with their grip on industry.

"The dozen or so tycoons at the top are seen as having monopolistic power in the market," Lam said. "Competition is really not free in Hong Kong -- there is a lack of a [level] playing field."

Without any antitrust laws in Hong Kong, many of these multi-billionaire tycoons are believed to game the system in their favor.

The lack of competition is perhaps most evident in the city's real estate sector, where three companies account for 72% of the residential property market, according to CLSA. Home prices have doubled over the last decade, while wage growth has largely remained stagnant.

Related: This is why Hong Kong matters

Adding to frustration is a seeming lack of interest in reform by city leaders, many of whom are influenced by pro-business interests.

As it stands, the business sector controls roughly 700 votes of a 1,200-member electoral committee in charge of selecting Hong Kong's city leader, called the chief executive, said Ma Ngok, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Mainland China prefers to keep it this way -- the central government can exert influence on Hong Kong through the tycoons, because they all have multi-billion dollar investments in China to protect, Ma said.

The clock is ticking on how things are run in Hong Kong -- many of the richest tycoons are now in their 80s, and how their successors operate could change circumstances.

But for now, they will remain "part of the fabric of Hong Kong culture," said Ben Cavender of China Market Research. "You can't ignore them, because they're always there -- in the news, or you're dealing with one of their brands."

http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/02/news/economy/hong-kong-tycoons/index.html?iid=Lead

‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ Lead Says Hong Kong Students, Gov’t Need Frank Talk

By Larry Ong, Epoch Times | October 31, 2014

Last Updated: October 31, 2014 10:10 pm

Chinese actor Chow Yun-fat poses for photographs during a photocall in London, on June 17, 2008. (Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty Images)

Hong Kong film superstar Chow Yun-fat has once again voiced his opinion about the Umbrella Movement.

Chow, who is best known in the West for his role as Li Mu Bai in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), is a vocal supporter of themainly student-led pro-democracy Occupy Central movement, and the Chinese communist regime has recently taken the trouble to blacklist Chow for his stance.

By censoring Chow, Beijing is undoubtedly seeking to silence Chow by cutting into his income, but the 59-year-old movie star has taken it in his stride, telling Hong Kong’s Next Magazine that he will “just make less then.”

Beijing also cannot completely shut up Chow because he is easily accessible and very obliging to Hong Kong journalists, who frequently bump into him on the streets because Chow is one of those celebrities who do not own cars and instead take public transportation.

On Thursday, Oct. 30, a journalist from Hong Kong publication Ming Bao ran into Chow and asked the affable actor to share some thoughts about the current state of the pro-democracy occupation.

Actor Chow Yun-Fat attends the premiere of Walt Disney’s “Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End” held at Disneyland on May 19, 2007 in Anaheim, California. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

In the brief interview, the L.A. Times “Coolest Actor in the World” in 1995 hoped that the government and students can seat down, properly negotiate differences and demands through constructive discussion, and come up with the most satisfactory resolution for all sides.

Chow added that the students should carefully rethink their next step, and might even have to end the demonstrations to realize their eventual goal.

Presently, the student and citizen activists and the Hong Kong government are in a stalemate on the issue of introducing universal suffrage for the 2017 Hong Kong Chief Executive election.

MORE: Hong Kong Umbrella Movement FAQ: What is Occupy Central and Why it Matters

The students are demanding genuine universal suffrage, and are fully prepared to hold out in the streets ofMong Kok, Causeway Bay, and Admiralty for more than a year if the Hong Kong government and the Chinese regime aren’t prepared to introduce democratic reform.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters gather of a rally marking one month since authorities used tear gas to drive protesters away in the Central District of Hong Kong. (Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times)

Recently, student leaders from the Hong Kong Federation of Students suggested that they might have to bypass their government and discuss their concerns directly with China premier Li Keqiang.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government headed by hugely unpopular Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying is backing Beijing’s Aug. 31 decision to retain the status quo of nominating and electing the region’s top leader in 2017. Basically, two or three candidates are put forth by the Chinese regime for a small group of pro-Beijing lawmakers to vote in.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying gestures during a press conference after his 2014 policy address in Hong Kong on Jan. 15. Leung has reportedly pocketed millions from a business deal with Australian engineering firm UGL, raising charges of a conflict of interest. (Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images)

The Hong Kong government came under international scrutiny for its handling of Occupy Central right from it onset on Sept. 28. Police fired 87 canisters of tear gas into the peaceful, nonviolent crowd at Admiralty that day, and have since been condemned.

Because the protesters used umbrellas to ward off the tear gas, the pro-democracy demonstration was dubbed the Umbrella Movement from that day.

A pro-democracy demonstrator gestures after police fired tear gas towards protesters near the Hong Kong government headquarters on September 28, 2014. (Xaume Olleros/AFP/Getty Images)

A number of big-name Hong Kong starscriticized the Hong Kong government for resorting to an extreme crowd-dispersion tactic, and Chow Yun-fat was one of them.

“When the government uses violent measures on students, it’s a turn-off for the people of Hong Kong,” he said.

“I don’t wish to see anyone getting hurt… it was a peaceful demonstration, and there was no need for any violence or tear gas.

“I’ve met the residents, the students — they are very brave and it’s touching to see that they’re fighting for what they want.

“The students are reasonable.

“If the government can come up with a solution that the citizens or students are satisfied with, I believe the crisis will end,” Chow concluded.

http://m.theepochtimes.com/n3/1054706-new-plan-needed-crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-star-tells-hong-kong-students/

Having CY as Patron…

Posted on 31 October, 2014 by simon

2

An Apple Daily reporter enquired about bc’s non-coverage of the Hong Kong String Orchestra concert because CY Leung was their patron – here’s his questions and my not so eloquent answers.

1. Did HKSO respond to bc’s open letter? If they did, what did they say in their response?
No, the Hong Kong String Orchestra (HKSO) has not responded. But just to be clear, I think the HKSO is a wonderful orchestra – our choosing not to report abut them is solely related to the HKSO’s Honorary Patrons comments.

One person emailed us 2 days ago to voice her criticism of our stance. I asked her to post her objections about bc’s position to our website or on facebook. She’s has yet to do so.

2. It was stated in the letter that bc cannot write about HKSO while CY Leung remains as patron of HKSO. CY Leung however is patron for almost 100 different groups and organizations. Will bc extend the boycott to other organizations in which CY is patron or chairperson?
Just as bc magazine has not written about restaurants who sell sharks fin for the last 15 years, bc magazine will not be covering, promoting, writing about or accepting advertising from companies or organizations that CY Leung is a patron of.

Some people may think this unfairly punishes the organisations – but they chose to have CY as their patron for the money and prestige it would bring them. And many have done very well financially from their association with him.

They won’t complain – but should – when he opens his mouth and insults and demeans hard working Hongkongers – who are probably their own customers and employees.

3. Does bc worry that this public statement that criticize the CE would undermine bc’s advertising revenue or bring about political pressure?
Not everyone can get paid $50million for doing nothing. The Chief Executive’s comments were insulting and demeaning to all those Hongkongers who work hard long hours – yet earn less than $14,000/month. The ‘poor’ and working class that CY wants to disenfranchise are the heart of Hong Kong – their work powers the city, their spending goes mostly into local business, they are Hong Kong.

There are also a few questions for you personally:

4. How long have you been in Hong Kong and what brought you here?
22 years

5. bc has followed the Umbrella Movement quite closely. What are your views on the movement?
bc magazine covers the Umbrella Movement by reporting what we see happening – interviewing those involved and reporting what say.

From a personal point of view, I think those who ‘govern’ us have not done the best job in recent years. There’s many reasons for that, mostly self-interest and incompetence, and it runs across all levels and political parties. But greed, stupidity and looking after no1 are hardly unique to HK politicians.

I don’t know if the Umbrella Movement will achieve all its aims – but it’s achievements so far will have a profound impact on Hong Kong. The calls for universal suffrage are placing the dissatisfaction of so many front and centre and demanding that Legco and the CE look out for the interests of all Hongkongers not just the rich. This after all is why they were elected and took an obligation to do and all of them have failed. The failure is theirs, and holding them to account for their failures and personal greed is our responsibility.

6. CY Leung has misspoken in more than one occasion recently, and his integrity has been questioned ever since he was selected. Do you think he is fit for the position of CE?
By his words and actions, my confidence in CY as CE is non-existent. But who would be an improvement? We are stuck with him, until Beijing decides otherwise – until that day arrives we can only hope he learns and improves.

7. You founded bc in 1994 and have witnessed the change of Hong Kong since then. Do you think Hong Kong has become a better or a worse place in the past 20 years?
Hong Kong has changed a lot, but it’s still the world’s greatest city and there’s still no better place to live. No other city / country could have hundreds of thousands of people holding a peaceful protest, with not a window broken. A protest where people look out for others ahead of themselves, pick up the rubbish and recycle unasked. Where seeing someone in need they offer to help not ignore… Beneath the concrete, it’s her people who make HK unique and a wonderful place to call home.

No idea if or when it will be published.

If you think CY Leung’s comments disenfranchising large numbers of Hongkongers purely on their salary is (looking for a polite word here) insulting. Then vote with your wallet, and avoid those businesses / organisations where CY is a patron.

http://www.bcmagazine.net/bc/