Tom Paine 1949
Diamond Member
- Mar 15, 2020
- 5,407
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Mac-7 —
This is at present a matter of law. Great Britain ceded sovereignty to China. This is a fact internationally recognized, even by the United States government. The only way Hong Kong could ever be “independent” would be if China granted it independence. Not going to happen. Only if China falls apart completely is such a thing even imaginable.
As the mainland woman answered in Chinese when a demonstrator said “We will transform our economy!”: “What economy? Are you crazy? Even the fresh water you drink is provided by Shenzhen!” Economic reality works against “independence.” Like even tinier Macau, Chinese tourism and investment is now key to Hong Kong’s future. Of course everything is presently disrupted by Covid-19. As more Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong students of this generation emigrate away, the movement will probably weaken. I think even most protesting students reject talk of independence. There are still 26 years left for its “One Country, Two Systems” status. A lot can happen in this period. If there is an explosion in China, if a real movement for democracy breaks out there sometime in the future, then many Hong Kong people may again become “Chinese patriots” and want to play a role in that movement.
I was wondering, do you know exactly where in Cologne this took place? It looks like it is right on a street corner. In a busy shopping district perhaps? At a consul or special event maybe?
This is at present a matter of law. Great Britain ceded sovereignty to China. This is a fact internationally recognized, even by the United States government. The only way Hong Kong could ever be “independent” would be if China granted it independence. Not going to happen. Only if China falls apart completely is such a thing even imaginable.
As the mainland woman answered in Chinese when a demonstrator said “We will transform our economy!”: “What economy? Are you crazy? Even the fresh water you drink is provided by Shenzhen!” Economic reality works against “independence.” Like even tinier Macau, Chinese tourism and investment is now key to Hong Kong’s future. Of course everything is presently disrupted by Covid-19. As more Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong students of this generation emigrate away, the movement will probably weaken. I think even most protesting students reject talk of independence. There are still 26 years left for its “One Country, Two Systems” status. A lot can happen in this period. If there is an explosion in China, if a real movement for democracy breaks out there sometime in the future, then many Hong Kong people may again become “Chinese patriots” and want to play a role in that movement.
I was wondering, do you know exactly where in Cologne this took place? It looks like it is right on a street corner. In a busy shopping district perhaps? At a consul or special event maybe?
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