Hong Kong (Threads Merged)

[roobob]

Interesting what is happening there.

As an Aussie I know a few expats who work and have retired there and from talking with them lately most are very worried with what is going on. Most of them have lived/worked in other Asian countries and said this is the worse crisis they have come across and are watching it very keenly.

Maybe Thailand is not that bad as a work/retirement place after all.

cheers 

 

[Sir_Fondles]

Whats happening there ?

[Shaksey]

It is proper going off. I did not foresee or even consider that they would storm the parliament building, that's way too much of a provocation. 

Can see this ending badly, very badly, like 20 years ago.

[Thai Spice]

Bejing has been tightening its grip on HKG since years, and is increasing its this movement. They have no intention to wait 2047 for total integration.

Reduction of freedom of press (remember the BBC journo banned for holding a.debate at the FCC)

Slow invasion by mainlanders, 150 per day being granted permanent resident status. This a subtle reverse ethnic cleaning by diluting the number the Honkies versus mainlanders.

Opposition party is muzzled, opposition.leaders sued end thrown in jail. 3 young Democrats banned from Legco 3 y ago, under some BS reason.

The Chief Executive (like PM) is selected by Bejing. 

The idea is to slowly swallow HKG and make it just another Chinese province. 20 or so years ago HKG represented 30% of China GDP, now it is less than 3%.

HKG was the most important port of the region, now China has build a bigger one just on its doorstep.

I fully support the demonstrators, one is ALWAYS right when fighting for freedom !  But, they have to be careful not to give Beijing a reason to directly intervene, as they are just waiting for that.

Their battle is a lost one sadly, its too late . They have been betrayed by their parents generation, who didn't have the balls to fight for independance in 97. 

 

 

 

[Thai Spice]

From SCMP readers comment :

 

Short resume. But true.

 

[Thai Spice]

And for the financial wizards, an interesting view on the future of the HKD as a money.

This guy is right IMO, its not gonna happen within the coming years but sure when HKG will be fully integrated in China the HKD will have no more reason to exist.

RMB will reign......

And yes, I have a little bit money over there but mainly in USD. Nevertheless this interview made me thinking.

 

[tommy dee]

thats quite an eye opener.  china owns 60% of the worlds largest ports..wow

[Thai Spice]

2 minutes ago, tommy dee said:

thats quite an eye opener.  china owns 60% of the worlds largest ports..wow

China, Xi Ping has a long term plan. First of all he made sure to be "leader for life", that enabled him to establish a real long term plan on 20 to 30 y. No elections, limitations etc... Contrary to most western democracies where plans are always short or medium term, and keeping in mind political survival at the next elections.

Next the Belt and Road program. Ever looked in it ? It is part of a global plan of course. China will very soon be the biggest economy in the world,  a real military world power, and having a top position in technology (think 5G, facial recognition, artificial intelligence, robotics, E.V., just to name a few)

They also slowly work at having their currency be convertible and accepted in International trade. Guess what would happen to the USD ?

They did it rather discreetly, contrary to USA who always brags, and hoped that the world would not notice before they had the lead. The actual economic war that Trump started has thrown a wrench in the gears for the moment. But they have time, plenty of it.

The war started by the US is not really about trade deficit, but mainly to slow down the technological and economic development of China, the US hoping (dreaming..) to stay ahead forever.

Alain Peyrrefitte, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alain_Peyrefitte, wrote a book in1973 "When China will wake up, the world will tremble"

We are there now.

 

 

[Steelers4Life]

1 hour ago, Thai Spice said:

But they have time, plenty of it.

 

[Glasseye]

Great city. Sadly it's losing it's charm. Ch...s will ruin it.

 

 

 

[Thai Spice]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/05/rights-under-threat-how-china-is-bringing-hong-kong-to-heel

 

[dcfc2007]

Surprised the Chinese haven't launched a more brutal crackdown.

[Freee!!]

1 hour ago, dcfc2007 said:

Surprised the Chinese haven't launched a more brutal crackdown.

Just wait for it, now it still is too soon (too much in the eye of the world still).

[Thai Spice]

3 hours ago, dcfc2007 said:

Surprised the Chinese haven't launched a more brutal crackdown.

Thats  why the demonstrators should not become too violent, China would have a valid reason to "assist" the police.

Plenty PLA troops stationned in HK !

Edit : I have lived good fun years there, seems I moved on at the right time.  More and more expats leaving due to less major projects, hence more fun places closing according to some mates.

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by Thai Spice

[Mrmango]

4 hours ago, Thai Spice said:

Thats  why the demonstrators should not become too violent, China would have a valid reason to "assist" the police.

Plenty PLA troops stationned in HK !

Edit : I have lived good fun years there, seems I moved on at the right time.  More and more expats leaving due to less major projects, hence more fun places closing according to some mates.

 

I used to live there but even then, the costs of living there were huge, and they have increased largely.

[Thai Spice]

13 minutes ago, Mrmango said:

I used to live there but even then, the costs of living there were huge, and they have increased largely.

Main cost : lodging. It is the most expensive place in the world.

For the rest (food, entertainment, it ok if you make decent money. Transportation is rather reasonnable)

But lodging is the killer.

[Sir_Fondles]

32 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

Main cost : lodging. It is the most expensive place in the world.

.

And according to recent survey's share that #1 spot with Paris and Singapore..

[Thai Spice]

34 minutes ago, Sir_Fondles said:

And according to recent survey's share that #1 spot with Paris and Singapore..

SGP lodging is very expensive also. Car ownership even worse.

Paris, intra muros yes, but if you move a little bit out you're rather fine.

 

[STARGAZER]

On 7/4/2019 at 5:11 AM, Thai Spice said:

Bejing has been tightening its grip on HKG since years, and is increasing its this movement. They have no intention to wait 2047 for total integration.

Reduction of freedom of press (remember the BBC journo banned for holding a.debate at the FCC)

Slow invasion by mainlanders, 150 per day being granted permanent resident status. This a subtle reverse ethnic cleaning by diluting the number the Honkies versus mainlanders.

Opposition party is muzzled, opposition.leaders sued end thrown in jail. 3 young Democrats banned from Legco 3 y ago, under some BS reason.

The Chief Executive (like PM) is selected by Bejing. 

The idea is to slowly swallow HKG and make it just another Chinese province. 20 or so years ago HKG represented 30% of China GDP, now it is less than 3%.

HKG was the most important port of the region, now China has build a bigger one just on its doorstep.

I fully support the demonstrators, one is ALWAYS right when fighting for freedom !  But, they have to be careful not to give Beijing a reason to directly intervene, as they are just waiting for that.

Their battle is a lost one sadly, its too late . They have been betrayed by their parents generation, who didn't have the balls to fight for independance in 97. 

 

 

 

Whilst the main pillar of the 1984 SINO BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION has always been the transfer of SOVEREINGTY back to China, and during the first 50 years a two system practice, not sure your last sentence shows a firm grasp of the history of HK?  

HK was officially a Crown Colony of Britain for 154 years. Never once did the Brits even consider allowing a local election under democratic principles for 148 years. In 1985, a year after the Joint Declaration was signed, indirect elections were held for a very small portion, 18 seats, in LEGO. In 1991 further reforms were implemented where a minority of LEGO was done by the popular vote based on geographical districts and it was not until 1994 that LEGO was a true broadly representative body.

It is not 100% universal suffrage for the Chief Executive position which was supposed to be by 2017, and hence that is what the 2014 Umbrella Movement origins were about. 

The local Cantonese have always stood up and demanded a say even though the Brits never gave them a voice in government. Hence history shows major events in 1925-26 with the HK-Canto Strikes, the Riots of 1966, the Maoist Riots of 1967...

You claim the young Hong Kongers today were betrayed by their parents generation. You could not be farther than the truth on that one my friend. Spicy it was the Hung Hom protest in 1986 and finally the balls of the parents generation to hold a hunger strike in front of Xinhau's HK Office (Chinese State Media) that forced for the first time ever in HK history, a popularly elected LEGO represantation. The parents generation of current HK are the biggest hero's since they were colonized in 1853!

The parents generation is exactly why their are now lawmakers participating in the protests of 2014 and 2019. 

Hard bitter truth is the HK people have more say in their governance today than they have ever had. By a LONG SHOT. Why, because the parents generation FORCED it!

Like any society, the more say the people have, the larger the discourse will be. The world is changing from A-Z. Hong Kong has changed, but again bitter truth is China today is much more like HK of 1996, than HK is like China of 1996. For sure some bumpy road ahead, but one thing I am certain of,...Hong Kong continuing its ascent to a free democratic society is not a lost cause as you claim....Li and his circle will fall before HK gets as you call it "gobbled up"

And let's not confuse corpocracy with democracy. HK right now faces the same challenges has most of the modern world. DEMOCRACY IS GETTING gobbled up by CORPOCRACY. 

[Sir_Fondles]

23 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

SGP lodging is very expensive also. Car ownership even worse.

Paris, intra muros yes, but if you move a little bit out you're rather fine.

 

I'll take your word on the Paris thing... defo not a place I have any desire to visit again.

Whats car ownership cost in Hong Kong ?

[Thai Spice]

@STARGAZER,

Understood that under British rule the HKG Chinese had no chance  of "insurrection". Same as now. The only gap was in the few  years before handover. 

After the handover, there is zero chance. PLA troops moved in the night of the handover, no way they will leave now.

All the rest doesn't matter. 

How many times when I approached the subject with locals 40 / 50 y old they answered " but its normal we are rattached to HKG, we ARE Chinese"

Ok, good luck !

 

 

[Thai Spice]

7 minutes ago, Sir_Fondles said:

I'll take your word on the Paris thing... defo not a place I have any desire to visit again.

Whats car ownership cost in Hong Kong ?

Paris is great to visit.

For difference between car ownership in HKG and SGP , please Google.

https://blog.seedly.sg/factors-cost-car-price-singapore/amp/

 

[Sir_Fondles]

2 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

Paris is great to visit.

For difference between car ownership in HKG and SGP , please Google.

https://blog.seedly.sg/factors-cost-car-price-singapore/amp/

 

 

No link or knowledge on HongKong ?

[Thai Spice]

21 minutes ago, Sir_Fondles said:

 

No link or knowledge on HongKong ?

No, i never owner a car there. No need to, except to show off.

Public transportation is top notch (except for the crowds at peak hours), taxis are very reasonably priced (even if the drivers are mostly dogs).

I could easy have  bought for 300  HKD a very nice second hand car, even 200k . But for what ? Driving to work, MTR is easier. Going to the pub ? Forget, DUI rules are very strict AND enforced. Parking fees are very expensive. 

At my serviced appartment place, the rent was 24k HKD (94 k Thb) for 660 sq ft (with seaview). A parking space was extra (long waiting list) around  5k to 7 k HKD (20 to 27 k THB)

BTW, do you have Google ?

Edit : Car ownership in HKG is the last of your priorities , lodging is.  Consider minimum 15k HKD in a 100% Chinese building, 25 to 30 k in a more international place but on the mainland side (Kowloon), 50 k HKD in a modest flat in LKF on the island. And unlimited in tier 1 areas.....

 

 

Edited July 6, 2019 by Thai Spice

[Sir_Fondles]

23 minutes ago, Thai Spice said:

No, i never owner a car there. No need to, except to show off.

Public transportation is top notch (except for the crowds at peak hours), taxis are very reasonably priced (even if the drivers are mostly dogs).

I could easy have  bought for 300  HKD a very nice second hand car, even 200k . But for what ? Driving to work, MTR is easier. Going to the pub ? Forget, DUI rules are very strict AND enforced. Parking fees are very expensive. 

At my serviced appartment place, the rent was 24k HKD (94 k Thb) for 660 sq ft (with seaview). A parking space was extra (long waiting list) around  5k to 7 k HKD (20 to 27 k THB)

BTW, do you have Google ?

Edit : Car ownership in HKG is the last of your priorities , lodging is.  Consider minimum 15k HKD in a 100% Chinese building, 25 to 30 k in a more international place but on the mainland side (Kowloon), 50 k HKD in a modest flat in LKF on the island. And unlimited in tier 1 areas.....

 

 

Thanks for the info Bro, greatly appreciated.