HK Journalists Recognised in Japan

Chan accepting the Japanese award on behalf of HK journalists

A day after the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong suspended its Human rights Press Awards citing the national security law, its sister club in Japan have named Hong Kong journalists as winners of its Freedom of the Press Asia Award.

Freelance journalist Ilgin Yorulmaz, co-chair of The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan's press freedom committee, said the award recognised journalists and media organisations who fight for free speech, for the free exchange of information, and against censorship.

The award was accepted by Hong Kong Journalists Association chair Ronson Chan Ron-sing.

He said it was an honour to receive the prize. 

FCC suspended the Human Rights Press Awards

"Hong Kong journalists are kind, passionate and tenacious... although the environment changed, most of us have remained in our position and try our best to find the truth for the Hong Kong community."

Meanwhile another person has abruptly left Hong Kong, a political cartoonist known as Ah To. 

In a social media post, he explained he would face "great mental stress" if he were to continue to produce political cartoons in the city.

On Tuesday he shared a picture of one of his characters in what looked like a backdrop of London and said he left because he "wanted to continue creating for Hong Kong".

Ah To said he thought about changing the theme of his work last year, but felt Hong Kong "needed political cartoons", and said he wanted to "persist" by remotely creating cartoons for his home city.

"I was worried that my future work would not be down to earth... but staying in Hong Kong to produce political cartoon [causes] great mental stress. [I] have no alternative but to leave," he wrote on Facebook, without stating his destination.

Ah To's character in what looks like London

He is known for being critical of Beijing and the Hong Kong government, and has produced work on controversial issues like the national security law, the election overhaul, and the 2019 protests.

Last July pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao criticised Ah To for sharing cartoons that "vilified the SAR government" and "incited hatred against the police".

His work was published in Ming Pao Weekly and Yahoo News, but both columns were cancelled in June 2020 just before the implementation of the national security law on June 30 that year.

In Tuesday's post, Ah To said he had made the decision to leave Hong Kong in a hurry and would not have time to bid farewell to his friends. He felt "guilty" about his departure, adding he would "speak up for the voiceless" and hoped Hong Kong's history would not be left with "silence" in the future.

Ah To's take on Carrie Lam

"Thinking about my family members in Hong Kong who I may not see again, my comrades who are in jail or pending trial, the readers who have been supporting me and my wife who was forced to flee with me... I feel very guilty," Ah To said.

"May good-natured people take care and preserve kindness in different ways," he added.

Ah To is not the only artist to leave recently. Manga artist Tony Lu and performance artist Kacey Wong Kwok-choi both left for Taiwan last year, citing the national security law for the reason behind their move.

PS: Here is the link to my new blog: https://goodbyehkhelloyvr.blogspot.com/

Picture of the Day: Hong Kong Sakura

People were excitedly photographing the blossoms on the tree

 

Today my friend and I did a marathon walk from Sha Tin, well actually Shek Mun to Sai Kung, which was over 18 kilometres and took us three hours and 20 minutes.

It was a beautiful day for a walk, not too hot. I really enjoyed walking along the Shing Mun River in Sha Tin with the water very calm.

However at one point we saw a bunch of people standing around a young tree with pink blossoms and taking pictures of it!

With people unable to travel for the most part of this year, they were missing the chance to go to Japan to see the sakura, and so when they spotted the cherry blossoms on a tree locally, they took the opportunity to snap pictures of the transient blossoms.

Personally I found it amusing -- when they can travel they should visit Vancouver where there are entire streets lined with cherry blossom trees and in the spring they are all covered in pink.

Author Douglas Young called it "pinked out" many years ago.

In any event we finally made it to Sai Kung and were shocked to see the weekend tourists crawling all over the pier area. Restaurants, cha chaan tengs and cafes were doing a brisk business with lots of people willing to line up to get a seat.

We eventually settled on a western restaurant and I had a delicious lamb burger with a yogurt cucumber and red onion garnish. 

Then we boarded a bus back to where we came from -- and it took about 20 minutes.

China Tries to Stop Hong Kong Exodus

China says it will not recognize BN(O) passport from Sunday

 

The tit-for-tat between the UK and China went up a notch today when Beijing announced it would not recognize the British National (Overseas) passport as a travel and identification document from Sunday. It comes after the UK will start accepting applications for a pathway to citizenship from 5pm on the same day.

While some say this latest announcement by Beijing is largely symbolic, it could be the start of more restrictions to come, making it harder for Hongkongers to leave the city.

Lo says it could be harder to leave Hong Kong

Lo Kin-hei, chairman of the Democratic Party said in a YouTube video that while one can technically leave Hong Kong using their Hong Kong ID card and BN(O), but the government, and by extension Beijing could pressure the airlines to inspect every passenger for proper travel documents, the BN(O) not being one of them from Sunday.

The BN(O) is recognized by some countries like Japan, Singapore and South Korea, as well as Commonwealth countries, and many European ones. And for people immigrating to the UK, the BN(O) gives them the right of abode in the UK, and now the document will help them process their application to become British citizens in five years.

There is the possibility that 5.4 million Hongkongers could leave for the UK, and that angers Beijing.

"China will no longer recognize the BN(O) passport as a valid travel document or for identification, and we reserve the right to take further actions," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said today.

Zhao says HKers could be "second-class citizens"

"In disregard for China's solemn position and the fact that it has been 24 years since Hong Kong returned to the motherland, the British side blatantly violated its commitment, formulated the so-called 'bespoke' policy of abode and citizenship in the UK for BN(O)s, and continued to expand its scope of application.

"The UK's move grossly violates China's sovereignty, interferes in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs, and runs counter to international law and basic norms governing international relations."

Zhao warned that Hongkongers would become "second-class citizens' in Britain, and noted that the BN(O) scheme was no longer the one that had been agreed upon by both sides.

He is correct on the latter point: According to the Sino-British Joint Declaration that was signed in 1984, the BN(O) passport was to be a travel document only, and did not entail citizenship.

However, that was back then, and this is now. The UK feels a moral obligation to help Hongkongers and has modified its immigration rules.

One needs a HK passport to leave the city

It's amusing Zhao says Hongkongers will be treated like "second-class citizens" in Britain, as if this will deter them from leaving. Many are willing to make that sacrifice, young and old.

However, China could pressure countries that currently accept BN(O) passports to change their policies. It will be interesting to see how countries like Japan, South Korea and the Philippines handle that pressure.

Nevertheless this week there have been articles about Hongkongers who are already in the UK, many haven't found jobs yet, but do not regret leaving, though they miss the city. Others are planning to leave in the next few months and are having tearful farewells with families and friends. And then there are those who want to leave, but feel moral obligations to look after ageing parents, or they don't have the financial means or language skills to survive in the UK.

One thing's for sure, the exodus will continue, and will grow in the months to come.

HSBC's Lions Back on Display

Peter Wong (left) unveiled the return of Stephen and Stitt

The big news in Hong Kong today?

The HSBC lions are back on display!

Stephen and Stitt, named after two bank managers, were unveiled at HSBC headquarters in Central today, nine months after extensive cleaning when they were painted read and torched during last year's protests. 

Last year the lions were damaged by fire and paint

Protesters were angry the London-based bank had shut down the bank account for SparkAlliance, which was accused of funding the legal and medical costs for the protest movement. Hong Kong police shut down the account which had HK$70 million, and arrested four people on money laundering charges.

"Stephen and Stitt have watched over HSBC's main building for 85 years. Through good times and bad, they have been an enduring part of Hong Kong's story," said Peter Wong Tung-shun, deputy chairman and chief executive of HSBC Asia-Pacific.

"Many customers, employees and the general public told us how much they missed the lions, so we decided to put them back on display following the first phase of restoration. When the work is complete, they will look as impressive as ever.

The two lions have a long history with the bank that dates back to 1923. Stephen, the one growling, was named after Alexander Stephen the chief manager, and Stitt for Gordon Stitt, the Shanghai manager at the time.

The lions were designed by Henry Poole in England in 1921 and cast in bronze. Another pair of lions were designed for the Hong Kong headquarters which was opened in 1935. 

Stephen back to his old self growling again

Since then Stephen and Stitt have only left their posts twice: in World War II when they were consigned to Japan for scrap metal. But luckily an American sailor spotted them in a Japanese shipyard and were returned to Hong Kong in 1946.

Then in 1981 the lions were moved again this time to Statue Square while the new HSBC headquarters was being built. Four years later they were put back in place according to feng shui. 

 

Welcome to Our World

Shelves completely stripped bare in a supermarket in the UK

It is shocking amazing that US President Donald Trump did not test positive for the coronavirus after he was exposed to at least two people in the last few days who had tested positive.

He must be gloating...

In the meantime the rest of the world (outside of China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan) is now experiencing what we did back in late January: events being cancelled, panic-buying in supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and shops empty, and everyone generally paranoid and terrified.

This man has hoarded a lot of cleaning products for sale

Welcome to our world, folks.

What they thought was only happening in Asia has now spread all over the world.

My mom told me of people (mostly men) rushing to the supermarket and buying up everything, and especially rice, pasta, toilet paper... there is no hand sanitizer left.

I read two articles about people who bought up all kinds of cleaning products to sell for several times the price on Amazon in order to make money out of people's desperation. These hoarders didn't think they were doing anything morally wrong -- for them it is a livelihood and a way to make quick money. Needless to say Amazon has shut down their accounts and many others doing similar things. Now they're stuck with tons of bottles of hand sanitizers and masks when frontline medical staff really need them...

In 2011 Japanese snapped up salt to protect from radiation

My cousin in Canada is trying to make sense of the toilet paper panic-buying. I explain to him that in Hong Kong, there were rumours on social media that the border between the city and China would shut and there would be no more toilet paper left, and that with the coronavirus, the factories wouldn't be starting up after Chinese New Year so it was hinted they should stock up now.

He reminded me of when the Japanese bought out all the salt following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami. They thought the salt would protect them against radiation exposure...

Humans can be very irrational at times.

While over 90 percent of people in Hong Kong are wearing masks, it is worrying to see pictures of expats congregating in a small area on a Friday night. There's a picture going around that a journalist took on Peel Street in Soho, crammed with expats having drinks.

A WSJ reporter's pic of Peel Street on Friday night

A lot of non-Chinese in Hong Kong seem to think the coronavirus has nothing to do with them, or that they have listened to the advice of non-Hong Kong health experts who say if you're not sick you shouldn't wear a mask. But the coronavirus is different -- you can be asymptomatic and pass on the virus to others.

Isn't it better to take further precautions and protect everyone from getting the coronavirus including yourself?

Hong Kong has now issued a red travel alert to the United States, Britain and Ireland, with those people arriving from those countries needing to self quarantine for 14 days.

It's best just to stay where you are now...

Stuck in Hong Kong, Nowhere to Go

A tourist takes a picture inside the empty Duomo cathedral in Milan

With the coronavirus spreading to more than 77 countries, there are fewer and fewer places us here in Hong Kong can travel to without having to under go 14 days of quarantine.

Since Friday, Hong Kong has 106 cases, Singapore 130, and Macau has 10 -- and no new cases for the past month which is impressive. But the ferries that go to Macau at Shun Tak Centre in Sheung Wan are still docked and idle.

Hong Kong Airport is eerily empty most of the time

From Monday, Hongkongers' favourite destination, Japan will impose a two-week quarantine on travelers from China and South Korea, while Hongkongers will not be able to get visas. Those who can still travel to Japan can only arrive at either Narita or Kansai airports.

There is also a concern that passenger flights between Hong Kong and Japan could soon be cancelled, which means people's cravings for Japanese food products -- from milk to radish to sashimi -- could be disrupted, as many food products are flown in daily thanks to passenger flights.

Looks like not only Japanese restaurants, but also others that use Japanese ingredients will be affected... there could possibly be no more Hokkaido scallops or sea urchin, or the famed tuna to fermented beans called natto that my colleagues enjoy eating...

From Monday Japan imposes more travel restrictions

Meanwhile if you are traveling to Thailand, then you have to check in with the authorities daily about your health authorities. The same goes for South Korea... but why would you go there now with over 6,000 cases?

The Philippines, Israel, Taiwan, and Bahrain have either banned travelers from Hong Kong or imposed a 14-day quarantine. No point in going to these places either.

You could go to Europe, but Italy would not be a wise choice (3,858 cases), nor Germany (534 cases) and France is about to call it a serious health crisis (423 cases).

And then if you were going somewhere, aren't you worried about possibly catching something on the flight?

Homemade dumplings seasoned with balsamic vinegar!

Best just to stay put for now... and continue to flex those culinary skills in the kitchen!

A colleague I haven't seen in a month came back this week and she practically stayed home the whole time, cooking three meals a day. "I have to say my cooking improved!" she observed, nor did she mind working from home.

One good thing from this is people eating healthier now that many are cooking at home. Wonder if they will continue to do so after the coronavirus eventually goes away...

 

Hong Kong Sets Bizarre Toilet Paper Trend

A relief to know Pope Francis tested negative for the coronavirus

We are relieved to hear Pope Francis does not have the coronavirus, but a cold. Thank God for that but we hope he recovers soon and not kiss babies for a while.

But we are disturbed by how Hong Kong has started this awful trend of panic buying of things like toilet paper, hand sanitizers and cleaning products. It spread to Singapore, Japan, Australia, New York and now Vancouver.

A friend sent me a video yesterday that is 1:43 that shows an endless line of almost all Chinese people waiting to pay for stuff at Walmart in Richmond, BC.

It was just staggering to see how long that line was. It must have taken at least 2 hours to get to the cashier.

What is going on?

Is Kleenex too costly a toilet paper to panic buy in Australia?

This herd mentality only further stokes fear. Relax folks, there's enough toilet paper for everyone... eventually...

After about a month, some of my colleagues drifted into work today. They were surprised to see the office still relatively quiet, as others didn't seem to get the memo that they should report back.

Those who hadn't appeared much or at all actually enjoyed working from home, even if they had kids to look after. Some with young children had to get them disciplined into a new way of schooling at home, and eventually got the hang of logging into class on their laptops at certain times during the day.

Their dining table doubled as the office, so at lunchtime the table had to be cleared, gobbled down their meals and then turned it back into a work space.

Families are spending an inordinate amount of time together

A Wall Street Journal story talked about expat families who were crammed in their 1,100 square-foot apartment during their home quarantine. It was meant to sound like a hardship, but how do you compare that to a local teacher who has to teach lessons online from her bunk bed she shares with her sibling?

The things you are forced to do when a coronavirus hits your city...

Picture of the Day: Oversupply of Toilet Paper

Is that enough toilet paper for you? If not there's more behind this stack

A few weeks ago everyone was laughing at Hongkongers for blindly believing in a rumour on social media there would be no more toilet paper left and scrambled to buy every last bog roll in the city.

Then it was Singapore's turn to go panic buying, and now Japan, and Italy.

Shelves of toilet paper were cleared out in Japan

Here's a picture of the shelves in a Japanese supermarket yesterday.

Thankfully things are pretty much back to normal now in Hong Kong. Tonight I wandered into a large supermarket in my neighbourhood and was pretty overwhelming to see the stacks of toilet paper. There was even more in another aisle.

Guess Hong Kong is the trendsetter when it comes to panic buying?

Life Behind a Mask

Putting on a mask is a daily ritual just before going outside

Everyday just before stepping out the door, there is one more extra step to do -- don a mask.

Take out a fresh mask, fold the top part in half, press firmly on the bridge of the nose and then loop it around the ears, then pull the mask down to cover the chin.

It's been almost a month now since health experts warned of the coronavirus spreading to Hong Kong and imploring the public to wear surgical masks when out in public.

Almost everyone wears a mask in Hong Kong these days

What's it like? It's stifling in a mask, hard to breathe. I have to remind myself to take deep breaths otherwise you can work your body into a stressed state.

Practically everyone else is wearing a mask too, all of us concerned about the situation and hoping not to be swept up in the epidemic. There are now 70 cases in Hong Kong, over 77,000 worldwide.

Everyone is washing their hands more often these days. Washrooms in our office have illustrated signs at the sinks showing you how to wash your hands thoroughly. People stand there lathering up their hands longer and longer like a competition to see whose hands are cleaner.

Sadly, the coronavirus is now an excuse to overuse paper towels and tissues in the name of hygiene. The environment has had to take a backseat now and for how much longer?

A lot of people are buying more groceries and cooking at home, not wanting to risk going to a restaurant these days. Many don't even go to wet markets even for a minute, thinking they aren't as clean as supermarkets. Yes they can be crowded places, but so can supermarkets when everyone is fighting over toilet paper...!

There are signs explaining how to wash your hands properly

Speaking of which, some toilet paper is back on the shelves and tissue paper, but in my neighbourhood there's no paper towels. There are wet wipes, and pharmacies are selling small bottles of hand sanitizers at HK$45 (US$5.78) which is on the expensive side. Not many takers.

Many people who use the gym facilities in their apartment buildings aren't allowed to in the name of hygiene, while some people who belong to private gyms have suspended their memberships in the name of hygiene. But exercise is the best way to maintain good health especially during this time, which is why some people are running or walking outdoors -- with masks on in most cases.

It is believed the next few weeks are going to be critical to see if the coronavirus can be contained or not, but seeing how it has spread in Japan and South Korea, and strangely in Iran too, it doesn't look like this epidemic will be tamed anytime soon.

Supermarkets are busy with people buying lots of groceries

It's interesting that Chinese state media have warned Japan to clean up its coronavirus situation (over 100 cases, plus 600 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship) as President Xi Jinping will visit the country soon. And where did this epidemic originate from?

Meanwhile postmen from Hong Kong Post are getting kudos from residents who are finally receiving their packages of masks they had ordered from overseas. One was surprised to get a knock on the door on a Sunday to get their package, while others were so overjoyed on receiving their package of masks that they wept, and one even gave some masks to the postman.

Who knew masks would be so... special?

Coronavirus Numbers Keep Rising

The roads pretty much everywhere in Beijing are empty these days

The Chinese government is desperately trying to put a positive spin on how it is handling the epidemic. It has sent out confident messages that the country is at war to beat the coronavirus and that the battle will be won.

But the story on the ground couldn't be further from the truth. For example, most of the Chinese capital is deserted with everyone at home. My Beijing friends report staying at home with their families for the past 22 days, only going outside to fetch food delivered to them.

Some people only go outside to collect food deliveries

Many people are terrified because they don't have much knowledge or information about the coronavirus, and some don't have enough protective gear like masks. A Beijing friend told me about an elderly couple who went out to buy fruits and then came back home infected. 

Another talked about how sons or daughters take care of their sick parents to the hospital and then came home, didn't wash their clothes right away and then they were infected or they spread the virus to other people in the family.

Wonder if these stories were counted in the official statistics?

China is anxious to show its number of cases are declining, especially in Wuhan, but that hope is now thrown out the window with news that over 500 people are infected with the coronavirus in five prisons in three provinces which has bumped up the total of confirmed cases to over 80,000.

The numbers of prisoners infected in China are worrying

"With a heavy heart and sense of responsibility, I am reporting to you that as of February 20, five prisons in Hubei, Shandong and Zhejiang have reported infections among their populations," He Ping, head of the ministry's Bureau of Prison Administration, said in Beijing.

More than half the cases were in Hubei province, the epicenter of the epidemic, 207 cases in Shandong, and 34 in Zhejiang.

Either the prisoners were initially infected by a new prisoner who already had the virus, or from possible visits from family? Even if someone was supposedly healthy when they were initially imprisoned, they may have developed symptoms later. And then Chinese prisons are known for being overcrowded, which make them a hotbed for transmitting all kinds of things...

So now prisons have been told to be more vigilant about monitoring prisoners' health for the coronavirus.

Already heads have rolled for the outbreak of infections. In Shandong province, Xie Weijun, Communist Party secretary of the province's Department of Justice, and seven prison officials were sacked for mismanagement of the infections. And in Zhejiang province, the provincial government said two prison officials were fired as well.

There were already unconfirmed reports of infections in prisons last weekend, and again people were punished for posting these stories online.

Passengers are slowly disembarking from Diamond Princess

Another friend I had lunch with today in Hong Kong has a lot of mainland clients and has an office in Shenzhen. He says he hasn't heard from his clients at all, while his staff are also stuck at home, though they are expected to be back at work next week.

So for now he hasn't had much to do and his superior who used to be so busy is now asking a lot of questions now that she has time on her hands...

Meanwhile in South Korea the numbers of confirmed cases have doubled to 208 today, as well as one casualty. Many of the cases are linked to Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, which is really a doomsday cult that has 200,000 followers in the country.

Did their leader know this infection might be the end of them?

Japan is getting flack for how it has dealt with the Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers. Was cooping them up on the ship the best thing to do? Or did it quickly result in hundreds of cases? It seems some among the crew could be infected.

Back in Hong Kong, my neighbourhood supermarkets and shops are having stocks of tissue paper again and wet wipes, but no toilet paper... I was tempted to buy a giant package of wet wipes when I stopped to think -- wait a second do I really need that much?

At lunchtime across from my office in Causeway Bay there was a massive line in front of a cosmetics shop called Colour Mix where they were all waiting for masks to be sold (See the above video). It seems people refuse to pay high prices and are willing to wait in line... or maybe because they have nothing else to do?

Toilet Paper, Masks and Rice are Prized Commodities

Two women clutching their prized toilet paper packs in Hong Kong

Last night the shelves that were supposed to stock toilet paper were bare in a large supermarket in my neighbourhood. It was completely cleared out, and after seeing this in several stores over several days, it's worrying.

It's a sad indictment of the Hong Kong government when people are desperately searching for toilet paper even though supermarkets and distributors have tried to reassure the public there is more than enough bog roll to go around.

The largest supermarket in the district is empty of toilet paper

This morning I was in Central on my way to the gym when I spied someone carrying a pack of toilet paper, and she was coming from a supermarket nearby. I decided to check it out as I had never been to Food Le Parc, a bizarre name for a supermarket owned by tycoon Li Ka-shing.

And bingo! There were several shoppers there each with two packs of toilet paper in each of their carts. The price was more expensive than usual, but heck -- you need it, right?

I also got a roll of paper towels, as I was truly running out.

Afterwards, I clutched my toilet paper pack close to my chest and carried it to the gym where I stored it in my locker. Luckily I didn't get any strange looks.

Anthony Lam says there is more than enough rice for a month

However when I came back to Kennedy Town and went up the escalator to the wet market, one woman going down spied my prized possession and asked if I had gotten it from the pharmacy. "I got it in Central," I replied, much to her surprise.

Meanwhile it seems rice is still also a precious commodity, and Anthony Lam Sai-ho, a rice importer and member of the Trade and Industry Department's Customer Liaison Group for Rice, tried to tell the public there were no need to panic when it came to enough rice in the city.

He said the government's rice reserve as well as the industry's own stockpile would be enough to meet the city's demand for more than a month. But even if Hong Kong needed more rice, it could be imported within 10 days or less, as most of it is sourced from Thailand and Vietnam.

Most of Hong Kong's rice comes from Thailand and Vietnam

Lam said the city's 229 importers were required to set aside 17 percent of their monthly import for reserve, which at the end of January was at 13,000 tonnes, enough for about 15 days. And then there is another stockpile by importers that was about 14,000 tonnes, again enough for more than two weeks' consumption.

However, people are still stockpiling on rice, emptying shelves of the staple faster than shop staff can restock them.





My relatives who came back from northern Japan managed to secure enough masks for their family of three for three months. They scoured every pharmacy, supermarket and convenience shop for them. In some places they could only buy packs of three, in other places they managed to buy boxes of 60.

A lot of people are shopping for masks in Japan

On their flight back to Hong Kong this morning, they noticed elderly passengers had lots of luggage and assumed they too were hunting for masks, a more important concern than seeing the sights. They also saw many young families from Hong Kong who were also on holiday since school is still out until mid March.

One more thing about toilet paper -- the Consumer Council has also advised people not to hoard toilet paper, and that they should not store their numerous packs of toilet paper in the bathroom where it is more humid and germs often thrive. Better to stick them in a dry ventilated space.

People won't be needing to buy toilet paper for a while... right?



 

Wuhan Pneumonia Cases Jump

It is believed the Wuhan coronavirus started in this market in Wuhan

The Wuhan coronavirus just jumped exponentially today with the announcement of three people who have died from the pneumonia-like virus, and reports over 130 new cases this past weekend bringing the total to 198 in the Chinese city in Hubei province.

Xi calls on officials to stop the spread of the virus

It is believed the source is from a seafood and animal meat market in Wuhan.  So far the entire country has reported 218 cases.

Today President Xi Jinping has ordered officials to "resolutely contain" the spread of Wuhan pneumonia, and that "the safety of people's lives and health should be given top priority".

 Errr... how come it took Xi this long to say that when the mystery virus was first reported on December 30, and now hundreds of millions of people are traveling on public transport to their hometowns for Spring Festival?

In addition, many Chinese people's knowledge about personal hygiene let alone food hygiene is not up to par with international standards, making it very difficult to try to stop and isolate the cases as quickly as possible since it is now believed many cases were from human-to-human transmission.

Health workers in hazmat suits treating a patient in Wuhan

The virus has also apparently spread to other countries with cases reported in South Korea, Thailand and Japan. Meanwhile Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Nepal and Taiwan are monitoring suspected cases.

According to the Secretary for Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said today there are 106 people in isolation in Hong Kong with suspected symptoms.

And how is the city trying to stop and isolate the number of cases of possible Wuhan pneumonia?

The Department of Health has announced it will require mainland Chinese travelers from Wuhan to make a health declaration starting from midnight tonight. But strangely, Chan says mainland train passengers will not be asked to make health declarations at the West Kowloon train terminus.

Why does Chan (middle) not implement stronger measures?

Why the discrepancy? Shouldn't all travelers from China be screened? A person from Wuhan may not even know or think they have symptoms of the Wuhan virus. Or even if they do, would they declare it?

This is really pathetic handling by the Hong Kong government on this fast-emerging health issue. Did the authorities not learn from SARS in 2003? This is a matter of life and death, not about appeasing senior Chinese officials by being less lenient on mainlanders coming to the city...

Lovely Liberty

The entrance to Liberty just behind Regent Street

When in London there are certain iconic places you need to shop.

There's Harrod's, Fortnum and Mason... and Liberty.

Traditional William Morris designs used on a bag collection

Liberty was started in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty, who had a vision of creating a home for cutting-edge artistry and self-expression. It's basically a department store with fashion luxury labels, but also has very unique products that can only be found at Liberty.

Also what makes the shop interesting is its building near Regent Street, housed in Tudor revival building since the 1920s using timber from two ships: HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan.

With a 2,000 pound loan from his future father-in-law, Liberty started with a tiny shop on Regent Street and three staff, selling ornaments, fabric and objets d'art from Japan.

Within 18 months he had repaid the loan and expanded the shop, which grew bigger.

The shop has done many collaborations over the decades and centuries, most notably William Morris, the British textile designer who revived traditional British textile art.

Bolts of fabric are available on the third floor

There are some handbags and wallets inspired by Morris' designs, but with edgy colour combinations; we found them very interesting, though also very expensive at over 300 pounds for a tote bag!

Upstairs on the third floor there are shirts, some of which use William Morris designs, others more contemporary. I tried several of them on, various designs and cutting, and in the end settled for a contemporary coloured shirt to brighten up my wardrobe.

The Tudor-style building since the 1920s

The same floor has a haberdashery, where there are bolts of cloth people can buy fabric to make their own clothes or crafts, and there are even clothing patterns to inspire people. However the fabric alone would have been expensive! Even a pre-packaged bunch of different remnants cost 40 pounds!

But what a fantastic store to wander around in, full of history and yet also very fashion forward and edgy.

The Same Mind-Numbing Refrain

Perhaps China can't explain why 2 million people came out to protest?

The G20 Summit will be held in Osaka, Japan later this week on June 28-29 and already the Chinese government has warned that the subject of Hong Kong is off-limits.

"I can tell you for sure that the G20 will not discuss the affairs of Hong Kong. We will not allow the G20 to talk about Hong Kong matters," said China's assistant minister of foreign affairs Zhang Jun today (Monday).

Zhang Jun warns not to talk about Hong Kong at the G20

"Hong Kong is China's special administrative region. Hong Kong matters are purely an internal affair to China. No foreign country has the right to interfere," Zhang said.

Why does China get to decide what can and cannot be talked about at the G20?

The proposed extradition law affects EVERYONE who passes through or lives or does business in Hong Kong. This is not an internal affair. It's EVERYONE'S affair.

This is why almost 2 million people marched on the streets and are prepared to clash with police because it is a serious issue that affects everyone's livelihoods.

But perhaps China is trying to prevent others from talking about it because if criticized about it, the government doesn't have any good reasons to explain why the extradition bill should be passed. But why should it worry anyway? It was initiated by the Hong Kong government anyway... right?

Protesters are prepared to clash wit police if necessary

For sure this will entice reporters covering the G20 Summit to be more daring and ask not only China but other countries about Hong Kong after Jun warned: "No matter at what venue, using any method, we will not permit any country or person to interfere in China's internal affairs."

How can China stop free speech in Japan at an international event? Everyone has a right to say whatever they want. They are not on Chinese soil.

We shall see which countries' leaders are courageous enough to speak out as well. How many will be squirming? We will be counting.

Local Veggie Dishes

A salad from Haku featuring local greens and flowers handpicked by the chef

Here are pictures of two vegetable dishes from two different restaurants in Hong Kong.

What do they have in common? Everyone on the plate was sourced locally.

Restaurants are keen on lowering their carbon footprint if possible. It's not necessarily about cutting costs as some local veg is priced more expensive than the overseas variety, but chefs say they like the freshness of the ones here that are harvested in the morning and on their doorstep a few hours later.

Local green peans with granite of pea juice at Beet Restaurant

I have heard the strawberries grown here are just as costly as the ones imported from Japan, but the former are praised for tasting absolutely delicious. I have yet to try them.

Nevertheless it's heartening to see more restaurants here keen on going local and it also surprises and impresses guests to hear that what is on their plate was grown a few hundred kilometres away.

It's a far cry from several years ago when I saw some small organic farms in the New Territories that were haphazardly growing whatever they could wherever they had land. Supply was small and of course quality was hardly consistent.

We're glad to see more local vegetables on menus and hope the trend continues because they taste delicious!