Realist Observations

Hong Kong: A city under Chinese rule

A recent letter to the editor to a local newspaper has hit the nail on the head in terms of what is going on in Hong Kong.

Written by an expat it reads:

It would be nice if being a Hong Kong person meant being Chinese, and that the two identities were really indistinguishable. It would be even nicer if our government in Beijing could be our government, and would promote such an ideal.

The reality is to be Chinese comes with a racial qualification many Hong Kong people would fail. Where does this leave them?

How can Hong Kong people truly feel Beijing represents them when they cannot conceivably hold power in the capital?

The lack of unity runs both ways. Yes, many people here feel separate from China, or more precisely, the culture, values and historic narrative of the Chinese Communist Party, but let us not forget that this China has hardly been accepting of Hong Kong either. Rather than accepted for who we are, we are told who we should be.

It is ironic that Hong Kong's relationship with China is not that of a city within a nation, but in many ways that of a colony.

We have a selected governor, limited powers of local administration, and are told to get on with making money. We are not invited to take part in the politics of the nation. Our place is to listen.

Very succinctly put. What more is there to say?