Covid Numbers Climb; Oscar-Nominated Ascension

Babies and toddlers seems more at risk of Covid-19 now

Hong Kong had another record day of cases -- 7,533 -- and sadly 16 deaths, one of which was an 11-month old baby girl. There is a big concern now about children becoming infected and how they are not getting vaccinated or are too young to be vaccinated in the case of this baby.

Meanwhile the government is still going ahead with the vaccine pass that starts on Thursday. In order to get a haircut or go to a religious service you must have at least one jab and have this vaccination certification uploaded on your LeaveHomeSafe app.

Uploaded vaccine passport is on left, none on right

If you are going to a shopping mall, supermarket, department store or wet market then you may need to show your vaccine pass if a security person stops you. So there may be some people who are not vaccinated and may take the risk of going into a supermarket without having to show anything. How is this helpful?

And perhaps even worse, no vaccination is needed at all to go into a hotel! Why is that when almost all hotel staff were pushed to get the jab? It boggles the mind.

Something completely unrelated to Covid -- I watched a documentary called Ascension that was nominated for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Awards.

I didn't know quite what to expect and was surprised at the end and how it all came together.

Oscar-nominated documentary Ascension

There is no one main character, no particular storyline, but it becomes more apparent the longer you watch it. It starts off with scenes of people looking for jobs and those trying to entice them with decent labour conditions, like free wifi, air conditioning in the dormitories, but the pay is very low at around 20 kuai (US$3.15) an hour. We are not sure what the jobs entail, but some say you get to sit while working, others say the job is in an office.

People get rounded up and taken in coaches to their new destiny.

Some make rugs for Ikea, components for spray bottles, bottles of water, others make microchips, Christmas trees, jeans, and shirts. 

Perhaps the most amusing scene is watching mostly women putting sex dolls together. They are made of silicone, with large pendulous breasts, and curvy bottoms. They have permanent surprised expressions on their faces. Each one is custom made -- "Her nipples need to be pink!" one worker says, another has her wig changed from blonde to brunette. Another flings the doll's legs apart to inspect her down there. Each one is photographed to make sure it is correctly done up.

Worker checks the sex doll's face with the order

An interesting tidbit is that director Jessica Kingdon said a subsequent talk that all the sex doll factories they went to were owned by women.

Then the film shifts to jobs that have been created in the last few years, such as cryptocurrency mining (mostly young guys playing video games and eating lots of junk food), men collecting rented bikes that are dumped in a pile, people talking into their smartphone streaming online to sell things, and what looks like a pyramid company, where everyone is aiming to make over 10 million yuan in three years.

There's also people who are training to be bodyguards, hitting each other until there are scratches and bruises on their chests, and to be professional-looking assistants where they should smile to show eight of their upper teeth, while others are training to be butlers, measuring the distance between glasses and plates. The instructor asks them if they have ever watched Downton Abbey and none of them have, leaving them with little understanding with what career they have chosen.

It's an interesting look at what Chinese wealthy people think what being rich should look like, and the butlers trying to fulfill that fantasy. They probably assume everyone in England lives like that, ringing a bell for the butler to appear. 

People waiting around to get work in factories

This is similar to the aspirations of China's middle class. They think they have made it when they buy luxury brands or they go to a water park and sharks swim around them in an outer pool. It's all quite overwhelming the sheer numbers of people all trying to enjoy themselves at the same time.

Kingdon herself has an interesting background. Her father is Jewish-American, her mother is Chinese. Her brother went to China for a few years, learned Mandarin and persuaded his sister to come look at the country.

Before Covid-19, Kingdon and her small crew filmed in 51 different locations around the country and she says in interviews she had the best Chinese food. Kingdon also managed to meet relatives on her mother's side, one of which is now a cousin who works in Silicon Valley in the US.

Nevertheless, the title of the film comes from her great grandfather who wrote poems. One of them is Ascension, where he writes that the higher one climbs, one is horrified by what they see down below.

Director Jessica Kingdon, her mother is Chinese

This encapsulates the film -- how people are struggling to get ahead in some way, whether it's factory work to escape the poverty in the countryside, or to become a butler in the hopes of getting away from a terrible work environment. And with all this production and capitalism leads to terrible environmental damage, climate change, and exploitation of labour.

But Ascension doesn't preach a particular message, nor is it judgemental -- it has a fly-on-the-wall approach to the film and lets the viewers see what is going on and decide for themselves what they see in the documentary.

Ascension

Directed by Jessica Kingdon

97 minutes

Word of the Day: Lying Flat

White collar workers to university students are "lying flat"

A new phenomenon has emerged among young people in China. It's called "lying flat" or 躺平 (tang ping). 

From white collar workers to university students, they are tired of the rat race of having to work long hours for little pay that will not get them any closer to owning a home, let alone a car or start a family. Hence they are "lying flat".

There are even T-shirts that read: "Do nothing lie flat youth" that are selling online.

Young Chinese people are tired of the rat race

 Elaine Tang works at a Guangzhou-based tech firm and says the term resonated with young Chinese who saw the odds stacked against them.

"In recent years, property prices have skyrocketed, and the gap between social classes has become wider and wider," said the 35-year-old, who has been married for seven years but has yet to have children.

"The rich and the authorities monopolize most of the resources, and more and more working class like us have to work from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, but still can't afford a down payment [on a flat] or even the cost of having a child."

Comments like this are making the Chinese authorities nervous because they don't want young people to stop being productive members of society. How else are they going to pay for pensions and taxes? And what about encouraging families to have three children per family now?

But the domestic economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic and trade tensions with the United States have made people more receptive to the "lying flat" idea.

Young people feel income inequality is too great

"Local officials and scholars are concerned about the phenomenon of lying flat [because] it reflects young people's resistance to the current social and economic model, as well as their confusion about the political order," said Peng Peng, executive chairman of the Guangdong Society of Reform, a think tank connected to the provincial government.

There's also another word called "involution" making the rounds. It was originally used in anthropology to describe agrarian societies that stagnate because, while their workload increases, a person's output does not or cannot.

This is what is happening now because of the pandemic and the trade war, where everyone has to work harder than before, but they are faced with stagnating incomes, unemployment concerns and soaring costs for housing and child care.

Tech workers were among the first to comment on the involution in their lives, because those at big firms often work at "996" culture, working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week. Others have joked about the new work ethic as "007" -- where one works from 00am to 00pm, seven days a week.

While the Chinese government is trying to suppress this movement online and using celebrities to denounce it, too many young people relate to this relentless work schedule for little pay and they will definitely find other ways to show they are "lying flat".

Quote of the Day: Police Chief Chris Tang

Schools all over Hong Kong marked national security day

 

Hong Kong marked National Security Day with lots of events, from flag-raising ceremonies in schools, lectures on national security, lots of speeches, children playing with replica weapons, riot gear-clad teddy bears for sale, to demonstrating how to quell a prison riot in a simulation.

Many used the opportunity to show off their patriotism, and in the case of Police Commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung, a chance to voice out an unproven accusation.

Some students re-enacted scenes in the MTR...

During a series of police events to mark National Security Day, Tang told the media the United States had agents in Hong Kong to undermine national security, and that's what they did in 2019 to incite the protests that year.

"I am not making allegations. I am talking about facts. The United States is one of the countries that tries to cause security threats in Hong Kong and China. I think this is not something secret," he said.

Tang explained foreign countries use various means to plant "anti-China" thinking in Hongkongers' minds.

Did they do that by spiking over 2 million people's drinks?

The protests in 2019 happened because people opposed Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor's proposal to pass the extradition bill. Then it escalated into anti-China sentiment as Beijing became more involved in quelling the protests with greater violence instead of reconciliation.

Tang claims foreign forces caused 2019 protests

However, Tang says foreign agents pounce on issues to stir up hatred against Beijing, putting out inaccurate media reports to get their messages out to the public.

Then, he added, these agents mobilize people onto the streets, incite young people to break the law, and use public opinion polls to "hype up issues".

He said the protests in 2019 were not sparked by people's unhappiness with the extradition law.

When the media asked Tang to elaborate on his claims regarding foreign forces, he replied details would be revealed in a forthcoming trial.

Really! Looking forward to following that trial very closely.

Tang's alternative narrative is exactly how Beijing would like to explain the anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

Except over 2 million people participated in the protests and it will be hard for them to forget what really happened...

Mini Protest Outside of Court

A sea of people clad in black wait outside West Kowloon Court

Hundreds of Hongkongers dressed in black came out in support of the 47 charged with subversion under the national security law. Some of the even lined up at 9pm the night before to be able to go into the court room. Even if they couldn't get in they stayed outside the West Kowloon Court as a sign that the pro-democratic movement has not wavered.

They shouted slogans, like "Five demands not one less!", "Hongkongers add oil!", and "Hongkongers revenge!" that haven't been heard for about a year. 

Some diplomats tried to get into the court today

"Hong Kong people are so angry. No other protests can happen, so we come here. The new law forbids everything else," said Wong Tin-yan, a district councillor, who was standing outside the court.

Consular officials from Canada, United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Australia tried to get into the courtroom, but were not able to.

Even at 10.30pm only six of the 47 had their lawyers complete their bail applications.  It's going to be a long night for everyone. 

Already the prosecutors have asked for an extra three months to complete their investigation, which means three more months of sitting in jail for the defendants. Paul Harris, one of the defense lawyers said if prosecutors move fast to charge someone, then they should also ensure a speedy trial.

But it seems Beijing has already decided the verdict even before the trials have begun.

Where is the rule of law here? Innocent before proven guilty?

Benny Tai being brought to court

Head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office Xia Baolong said in a speech that media publisher Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Joshua Wong Chi-fung, and Benny Tai Yiu-ting should be "severely punished" for "instigating riots with extremely notorious acts".

"The small minority of people who called for foreign forces to interfere with Hong Kong affairs... are destroyers of 'one country, two systems''; we must not allow them to gain any of Hong Kong's public power," Xia was quoted as saying in pro-Beijing Bauhinia Magazine.

"[They] should not be merely banned from infiltrating any public office in Hong Kong, but also strictly punished in accordance with the law for their illegal acts... The minority of people who oppose China and mess up Hong Kong will only cause disasters, including destruction, instability and terror."

Xia paints a very dire picture, but since the national security law was implemented, there has been hardly any protests or gatherings due to the fear of arrests. 

And this charge of subversion? These 47 defendants participated in a primary to choose the best candidate to run for the Legislative Council elections that didn't happen because of the pandemic.

Many shouted slogans from the 2019 protests

So how is that be a crime?

Prosecutors are framing this as a plot to subvert Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor -- a violation of the national security law -- and so those involved must be prosecuted.

While the outlook is bleak, the fact that hundreds came out in support of the almost four dozen defendants is impressive and shows people are still willing to fight -- albeit cautiously in an increasingly repressive environment.

 

CY Leung Hungry for a Power Grab

Leung wants to spar with Lam over chief executive elections

 

After Leung Chun-ying stepped down as chief executive in 2017 citing family reasons, and was rewarded with the title of vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference -- China's top political advisory body -- most of us assumed he would go off to Beijing and climb further up the ranks.

But the past week Leung, known as a "cunning wolf", has revealed his claws and is taking swipes at his successor and former chief secretary, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

Every CE has been elected by a committee

Does he really want to be CE again?

God help us.

On January 18, Leung suggested Hong Kong's next leader did not have to be voted on by an electoral committee, but rather through consultation.

He cited Article 45 of the Basic Law that said the chief executive "shall be selected by election or through consultations", and that if the next leader was chosen through the latter process, it would still be legal and the British government could not complain about it.

The following day Lam hit back, saying all previous chief executives had been chosen through an electoral process since 1997.

"I think whether it is from the perspective of historical development, or the social effects of an election, it's better for the chief executive to be elected," she said.

Over 600,000 took part in the July primaries

Currently Hong Kong's chief executive is chosen by an election committee of 1,200 people, not one person, one vote, which triggered the 2014 Occupy Movement.

Interestingly when Lam was chief secretary, she spearheaded an effort to have the chief executive elected by popular ballot by 2017. That did not happen after the 79-day protest.

Meanwhile Leung wrote on his Facebook that the opposition camp's close ties with the United States made him question the necessity of a chief executive election.

"What's the actual situation in Hong Kong in recent years? The major politicians from the opposition camp have refused to recognize their roots... or have even asked the American government to sanction Hong Kong," he wrote.

"If this actual situation causes a puppet of the American government to be elected as chief executive, do we still want an election?"

Leung has some twisted thinking the US would influence the Hong Kong chief executive election, but why would he worry about that when all the members of the Election Committee are pro-Beijing?

The NSL has led to arrest of ex-lawmakers

He continued his campaign again this week, claiming the opposition still had a chance of winning more seats in the Election Committee when the pan-democrats have been completely decimated in the Legislative Council, last September's elections were postponed because of the pandemic, and the national security law led to the arrest of many former lawmakers for taking part in last July's primaries.

In addition, Leung seemed to believe pro-democracy people were becoming more politically involved in the governing bodies of professional groups, such as the Bar Association and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

"Forgive me for saying this, but the [candidates] are all anti-establishment, not just pro-democracy," he said. "All professional bodies seem to be like this, and you can say that the silent majority just won't come out."

Asked to comment about Leung's latest argument, Lam did not want to argue with her predecessor in the media, and that his suggestion would require changes to the Basic Law.

Lu Ping insisted on "consultation" in Article 45

Meanwhile Martin Lee Chu-ming who helped draft the Basic Law before the handover, explained the word "consultation" was added in Article 45 to mirror the wording in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

"Lu Ping insisted we should stick to the exact wording of the joint declaration," Lee recalled, referring to the senior Chinese delegate involved in the negotiations with Britain over the transfer of the city's sovereignty.

"Back then, not a single one sitting on the Basic Law drafting committee called for picking the city leader through consultations. No one opposed the inclusion of 'consultations' [in Article 45], as we all were well aware that eventually elections would be held after the handover."

Lee said in the 1980s, Beijing was determined to hold chief executive elections after the handover to secure the confidence of foreign businesses and Hongkongers, to convince them to stay.

Lee suggests Leung wants to become CE again

However, Lee believes Leung's latest comments are a bid for him to try to make a comeback.

"He fears he may not win the election and so proposes doing it through consultations," he added.

Ouch.

Perhaps Leung is still sore from only securing 689 votes compared to his successor's 777?

Both choices were hardly stellar for Hong Kong... anyone else willing to take on Leung in 2022?

 

Hongkongers Skeptical of Vaccine Program

Professors reveal the acceptance of vaccines in HK is low

 

A lot of conversations in Hong Kong these days are about asking each other if they will get the vaccine. One would think Hongkongers who are so keen to travel would be up for it, but apparently not.

Chinese University's medical school did a survey gauging their receptiveness to the vaccine and only 37.2 percent were willing to get the jab.

Only 37 percent are willing to get the jab

"It's a very low figure, and we are a bit worried about it, as it is just around half of the recommended vaccination rate of 70 percent," said Professor Paul Chan Kay-sheung, chairman of the university's department of microbiology during a press conference today.

The survey of 1,200 residents was done between July 27 and August 27, well before the government announced its procurement plan.

He says the percentage is significantly lower than the acceptance rates of 60 to 90 percent in countries such as Australia, Germany, Britain and the United States.

In the breakdown of the age groups in Hong Kong, 40 percent of those aged 18 to 24 were willing to get the vaccine, while those 25 to 34 were the least receptive at 24.4 percent. The trend increased with the age of the respondents, with 47.6 percent of those 65 and older keen on getting vaccinated.

Many are concerned about side effects of the jab

Professor Martin Wong Chi-sang, from the university's public health noted young people may not be interested because it would be difficult to schedule a vaccination while working, or perhaps they felt they were healthy enough to avoid being infected.

Some of the respondents were concerned about the side effects of the vaccination, while those with chronic diseases were more interested in getting the jab.

However, the survey does not attribute the current political environment as a factor. The integrity of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has fallen so low that trust in the government has plummeted.

At first she claimed there would be no choice in which vaccine people would get, making residents concerned about possibly having to get the one from Sinovac from China, which was found to be only 78 percent effective in trials in Brazil compared to 95 percent for Pfizer-BioNTech and the jab from AstraZeneca-Oxford University at about 90 percent.

It's quite obvious most people want the non-Chinese vaccines for their effectiveness.

People would rather have Lam get vaccinated first

Many are calling for Lam to publicly be injected with the Sinovac vaccine first and then they will decide if they will follow suit.

This is where Hong Kong is at now -- highly skeptical and not supportive of the government's policies and decisions when it comes to fighting the pandemic. Perhaps that explains why the fourth wave still hasn't been tamed despite Lam's goal of getting the number of infections down to zero, which is quite an impossible task when she still hasn't shut down dance clubs that started this latest wave...

 

Quote of the Day: Chief Secretary on Oath-Taking

Cheung (left) says oath-taking is "nothing special" on RTHK

 

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung tried to play down civil servants having to take the oath of allegiance to the Basic Law and HKSAR.

In a radio show this morning he said taking the oath was only a basic responsibility.

"I think people should not suspect that taking the oath will put civil servants in a difficult position... People should not look at this from a biased point of view, it's nothing special," he said.

Lam (left) presides over civil servants' oath-taking

"It's like asking you to support your company in an employment contract. When you work for a company, mustn't you wholeheartedly want the company to develop?"

Most people would agree that if they were employed by a company they would want to do the best job they could to help their employer to succeed, as promotions and pay rises would be in their favour.

But no one has to take an oath to do that -- it's understood.

However, for Cheung to say the oath is "nothing special" is quite odd.

How can one erase that stark image of the bare large room with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-gnor standing there presiding over a group of people (socially distanced) and raising their right hand to pledge allegiance.

New American citizens taking the oath are proud

It's hardly like when people take the naturalization oath of allegiance to the United States, where they are excited, emotional and proud.

Instead the Hong Kong civil servants are expected to take this oath, and if they don't agree, then they are not going to be promoted, or worse, told to leave.

Canada Added to Hong Kong's High Risk List

HK-born public health officer Tam asks people to stay home

 

It was getting harder for Canada to effectively control the coronavirus pandemic despite urgent (and polite) pleas from health officials to minimize socializing these last few months.

On Thursday Canada reported over 7,000 new confirmed cases, with a total of 488,000 cases.

As a result the Hong Kong government has now put Canada on the list of high-risk coronavirus cases after observing the ever-increasing number of cases. 

Passengers take Covid tests on arrival at airport

Starting from Christmas Day, passengers returning to Hong Kong from Canada must take a Covid-19 test within 72 hours of boarding their flight. They must also have a hotel booking at a designated quarantine hotel for 14 days.

Passengers who fail to comply or provide inaccurate or misleading information can face up to six months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine.

Currently passengers from 19 countries are already subjected to these rules. They are: Bangladesh, Belgium, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

 

Picture of the Day: It's a Good Day

Tonight's sunset with the sun's rays peeking through the clouds

 

Late last night I got the news on Twitter that Joe Biden will be come the 46th President of the United States.

It was the good news we have been hoping for after four disastrous years of division, anger, violence and disinformation.

Now America has a new president who wants to unite the states and move forward together with his Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris, the first woman and Asian to be in such a high position in government. It's so exciting, fresh and new.

This morning Hong Kong time the news was celebrated in a Zoom video call with relatives in California who are so thrilled by Biden's victory. They wondered when they could wear red again, which was an interesting question to ponder.

And then at lunchtime we had a celebratory meal of Peking duck and hairy crab xiaolongbao to send off a friend who is leaving Hong Kong for good to move back to the US next week.

I walked the hearty meal off later in the afternoon, and watched the sky change colours as the sun went down.

What a day. A glorious day.

Hearing More of the Chinese Anthem

You'll be hearing more of the Chinese national anthem soon

The mainlandizing of Hong Kong continues as the city's three main radio stations will start to play the Chinese national anthem from November 16 to comply with the law that was enacted five months ago.

Hong Kong's licensed radio broadcasters are required to promote March of the Volunteers and anyone who insults the anthem can be punished by law.

Public broadcaster RTHK and privately-owned Commercial Radio will play the anthem before their 8am newscasts daily from November 16. Metro Radio owned by tycoon Li Ka-shing, will also air March of the Volunteers at the same time slot, but the starting date has yet to be decided.

RTHK will air the anthem before the 8am news

"It's a necessary move to fulfill the legal requirement," said Amen Ng Man-yee, a spokeswoman for RTHK. She added playing the national anthem was in line with the charter of the public broadcaster, which requires its programs to deepen Hong Kong people's understanding of "one country, two systems", and cultivate a sense of citizenship and national identity.

Ng added the practice of playing the anthem will be implemented across all six of RTHK's channels, after months of negotiations with Home Affairs Bureau officials.

Interestingly it has taken this long for radio stations to play the anthem -- since 2004 television stations including TVB and Cable TV have played the national anthem before evening newscasts. 

Anyone who publicly and intentionally insults the song faces up to three years in jail and a maximum fine of HK$50,000 (US$6,450).

US has no specific penalties for non compliance

This is in sharp contrast the United States Code, that says any person present during the playing or singing of the American anthem "should" stand at attention with their right hand over their heart. There are no penalties for non compliance. 

Has the airing of the national anthem on television in the past 15 years increased Hongkongers' sense of nationalism or patriotism?

This attempt at soft power is misguided. At the same time there are fewer and fewer people watching TV and listening to the radio. But the upside for radio producers is that it's one minute and 30 seconds less of programing to worry about everyday...

Ominous Warnings on Fourth Wave

More pandemic fatigue will set in with the fourth wave coming

University of Hong Kong infectious disease expert Yuen Kwok-yung is sending ominous warnings that social distancing measures may have to stay in place until September 2021, when mass vaccinations will be available.

"If we don't have targeted measures on the coronavirus, then we could see tens of thousands of people infected," he said during a radio program. "Deaths could easily exceed 1,000."

Yuen said loopholes needed to be plugged, and that bars and restaurants need to take infection-control measures more seriously.

Yuen warns there could be 1,000 deaths in HK

Seven new cases were reported today, including two men at the care home for the disabled, two women related to previous cases, and three imported from the Philippines, the Netherlands and Nepal.

Basing his predictions on overseas experiences, Yuen said places like Europe and the United States had large swathes of infections in the winter, as the virus transmits quickly in cooler temperatures.

He cited New York City as an example, that had more than 10,000 deaths and a 20 percent infection rate in its population at the start of the local epidemic .

"What happened in New York can happen in Hong Kong," he said.

Is this too much scare mongering? For starters practically everyone in Hong Kong is wearing a mask. How can this be compared?

Where are police to break up groups at Pier 10?

Today in parts of Hong Kong island there were several groups of police wandering around. However, at the Central ferry piers, they should have been at piers 9 and 10 where lots of partygoers (many of them non-Chinese) were getting on and off boats for the day. They were not social distancing nor were they all wearing masks.

Or is it because the police officers' English skills are so terrible that they can't tell them to mask up? Or fine them for not social distancing at four to a group?

While there are some bars and restaurants not strictly adhering to regulations of four per table, and spreading them 1.5 metres apart, and having separate staff for cleaning tables and serving guests. This is just not possible in many Hong Kong establishments, where they are too small to hire so many people, or they are trying to cut costs.

But Yuen says, "I think they need to understand that if the epidemic continues, all restaurants will lose customers and may have to close. So why don't they do a better job?"

Barriers at restaurants may not be enough

Ouch. Many restaurants are doing the best they can under the circumstances. They don't want to close, but some restrictions are too much.

As for mandatory testing, Yuen doesn't rule it out, and that it may have to come to that if the number of infections surge to the tens of thousands.

"Of course the most ideal situation is it doesn't have to be mandatory," Yuen said. "But if we need to do it, then it should be those who have shown symptoms."

He said government and private clinics found 46 to 84 patients with symptoms for every 10,000 people, while the universal testing scheme only found 42 cases out of 1.78 million.

In addition, Yuen also suggested people should take pictures of the license plates of vehicles they use, record who they socialized with, where and when to help with faster contact tracing.  

His predictions are going to make people even more fatigued about the coronavirus pandemic. 

This is not what any of us thought 2020 would be like at all!

HK Officials Lash Out at US Sanctions

The US sanctions punish HK and Chinese officials for NSL

 

Late last night Hong Kong time, Washington issued sanctions on Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and 10 other local and mainland officials as punishment for their roles in enforcing the national security law that was enacted on June 30.

The economic sanctions, issued by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, the US-based assets of individuals or entities will be blocked, and Americans and businesses are generally prohibited from dealing with them.

Personal details of the officials were published

That means for example, Lam, who has a Facebook account, would not be able to buy ads on the social media giant, and if she has a bank account in the US, it would have to shut it down. 

While Lam claims not to have any assets in the US; critics have noted one of her sons is currently studying in Harvard University, so how will this affect him?

What is remarkable is that the sanctions not only give the list of names, but also their personal information, which Lam says amounts to "state-sanctioned doxxing", though she adds the Barker Road address for her is incorrect. Oops -- should it say Government House on Upper Albert Road?

It is also interesting to see their reactions to being on this sanctions list. If you don't have any assets in the US, why should you care? Lashing out only makes you look even more insecure, but perhaps she was given instructions to sound angry by Beijing.

She described the sanctions are "shameless and despicable", and that "We will not be intimidated" in a statement on Saturday.

Luo mocked the sanctions as he has no US assets

Meanwhile her boss, Luo Huining mocked the list, saying: "Isn't such a 'sanction' in vain as I don't have any assets abroad? Of course I can send US$100 to Mr Trump for freezing."

The other local officials targeted included Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, Secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, Police Chief Chris Tang Ping-keung, and even retired police chief Stephen Lo Wai-chung.  

Aside from Luo, Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong, his deputy Zhang Xiaoming, and Beijing's national security chief in Hong Kong, Zheng Yanxiong.

The US Treasury Department singled out Lam for "implementing Beijing's policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes," citing her role last year in attempting to pass an extradition law and, more recently, her involvement in "developing, adopting or implementing" the national security law.

A picture of Lam in Washington on her FB page

Lam said she would cancel her US visa right away even though it was due to expire in 2026. 

"Since I personally do not look forward to visiting this country, it looks like I can take the initiative to cancel it," she said in her Facebook post, which was accompanied with a photo of her smiling near Capitol Hill.

While this sanctions list does ratchet-up tensions between China and the US, it will affect Hong Kong. But many in the city are celebrating that a foreign power is finally making officials be accountable for their actions. 

Will this put a halt to the things that are happening at break-neck speed in Hong Kong? Probably not, but definitely a bump in the road to democracy that protesters will take as a win for now...

The Yellow-Blue Divide Deepens Further

Hundreds of people marching in Central this evening

This evening hundreds of protesters filled the streets in Central chanting slogans like "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times! And "One nation, one Hong Kong".

The police were out in force all over the city around dinnertime. A friend reported seeing a water cannon near Victoria Park and police all over Wan Chai. The tactic was meant to deter people from coming out, and those who dared to (and in black clothes) had a high chance of being pepper sprayed or forcefully assaulted by the police.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zh" dir="ltr">【6.9再遊行】中環遮打花園人群沿金鐘道、皇后大道中步向中環方向。沿途高呼口號「光復香港 時代革命」、「one nation, one Hong kong」。 <a href="https://t.co/SgRxBOSn9o">pic.twitter.com/SgRxBOSn9o</a></p>&mdash; 眾新聞 Citizen News (@hkcnews_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/hkcnews_com/status/1270321255799853061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

While this is almost back to normal (sadly), it is unbelievable to see senior government officials continue to insist foreign forces were involved in the protests last year to deflect from their complete incompetence in dealing with the extradition bill saga.

Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu today said American and Taiwanese interference were involved in the protests, but gave no concrete evidence.

Lee believes the protests were well funded

"Large-scale protests need resources, money and planning," Lee said, noting he had observed protesters recycling equipment they had previously bought fresh, which made him think perhaps their funding was getting low.

He also believed the movement was highly organized, as he listed things like the division of labour, surveillance of police deployment, the way protesters attacked with the support of supply lines, the on-ground command network, and the use of hand signals for communication.

Lee's observation shows how condescending he is towards Hongkongers. He does not think they have the ingenuity, creativity and determination to do all these things and do them well.

Nor does he understand their mindset -- to them they are defending their hometown from further erosion of freedoms, and are prepared to die for their cause.

Is Lee willing to die for his belief that the US and Taiwan are involved in the protests?

Meanwhile his boss, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor held her weekly press conference this morning, saying the city cannot afford further "chaos".

Lam doesn't want anymore "chaos"

"All of us can see the difficulty we have been through in the past year, and due to such serious situations we have more problems to deal with.

"We need to learn from mistakes, I wish all lawmakers can learn from mistakes -- that Hong Kong cannot bear such chaos," she said.

Perhaps Lam should do her own self-reflection on what went wrong last year. She may have thought she and Lee were doing a good thing by putting forward the extradition bill, but to completely ignore 1 million people who came out on the streets to protest against it exactly a year ago, and then 2 million a week later?

It is beyond tone-deaf and arrogance.

Her actions have kicked off a series of events that have led Hong Kong to where it is today, waiting anxiously to find out how the national security law will affect us all. And she asks others to learn from their mistakes?

This government continues to live in a parallel universe, where they are willing to throw Hong Kong and its 7 million residents under the bus so that they can have secure retirements. They have absolutely no shame in what they are doing.

And they are surprised people are still coming out into the streets to protest.

But perhaps that's what happens when people sell their souls. They have lost their moral compass and continue parroting disinformaton because that's all they know.

Hedging Bets

Money changers have been busy in the last few days

After the National People's Congress endorsed a resolution to draft the national security law for Hong Kong, a lot of locals ran to money exchanges to buy US dollars.

There were fears that the Hong Kong dollar could be unpegged from the US dollar after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the city was no longer autonomous from mainland China in light of the new law that will prohibit secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference.

Hongkongers are buying up lots of US dollars

While Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Eddie Yue Wai-man said earlier this week the peg would remain the bedrock of the city's financial system, with foreign reserves of more than US$440 billion, there were long queues outside money changers.

One money changer surnamed Wong in Sham Shui Po had to turn away 600 customers who wanted to buy US dollars. They would have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday for more American cash to arrive at the shop.

Wong reported a 10-fold increase in demand for US currency this week, with customers looking to switch sums of hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at a time.

When US dollars ran out, customers changed their money into other currencies, like the pound, euro, or Australian dollar. "People will take anything you have," Wong said.

37 Shouson Hill Road is near Ocean Park

Meanwhile the US government is also unloading its Hong Kong assets too. It owns six multi-storey mansions at 37 Shouson Hill Road near Ocean Park resort and has put them up for sale. The six mansions has as many as 10 mansions, measuring 47,382 square feet in total and selling them for between HK$3.1 billion to HK$5 billion.

The asking price is less than the HK$5.93 billion for a neighbouring site that was sold to China Resources in June 2018 of a comparable size.

The US government bought the land back in 1948 for an unknown price and then construction on the site wasn't completed until 1983.

Nevertheless, given the current situation in Hong Kong with the pandemic, protests and now the national security law, it may take a while to sell these prime properties that overlook Deep Water Bay...

Hong Kong's National Security Law Green Lighted

President Xi Jinping votes on the national security law

The deal is done.

This afternoon the National People's Congress voted to authorize the Standing Committee to tailor make a national security law for Hong Kong.

Matthew Cheung was on CNN today

How did the vote go down? 2,878 for, one against -- wonder who that was -- and six abstentions.

So now the Standing Committee will draft the law, as early as June, that will prohibit acts of secession, subversion, terrorism or conspiring with foreign influences in Hong Kong. It will also allow mainland agencies, like the secret police to legally operate in the city.

What the law will look like is anyone's guess, but it has apparently included the phrase: any actsthat "seriously endanger national security", an umbrella term for... anything.

Meanwhile Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung was on CNN trying to reassure viewers that life will be the same in Hong Kong for 99.99 percent of the people, but could not provide any specifics or guarantees this would be the case.

Carrie Lam signed her name supporting the law

He kept saying the law was being drafted and that the concerns and aspirations of people would be passed on to the Standing Committee...

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor was also seen on the streets of North Point, saying how so many people supported the national security law.

Are they trying to convince themselves? Because they aren't doing a good job of convincing the rest of us.

But at the same time, China still needs Hong Kong as a legitimate financial hub.

According to stats from Refinitiv, since the handover Hong Kong has handled 356 Chinese companies' IPOs, which exceeds 281 in Shanghai, 59 in the New York Stock Exchange, 22 on the Nasdaq, and 4.8 in London.

Graph showing HK's importance for China IPOs

If Beijing wants Chinese companies to continue having legit IPOs then Hong Kong's freedoms need to remain. Once those freedoms are threatened, Beijing can kiss those IPOs good-bye.

Late last night word came down that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Hong Kong was not sufficiently autonomous from the mainland to warrant its special trade status, and that sanctions could be imposed.

China reacted with furious words, describing the US as having "gangster logic", saying it was "utterly imperious, unreasonable and shameless for some in the US to stigmatize and demonize China's just and legitimate measures to plug the loopholes in national security, and even threaten with sanctions based on their domestic law," adding that the US went "all out to reinforce their own national security legal system".

Mike Pompeo says Hong Kong not autonomous

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act was approved by the US Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump in November. It requires the State Department to certify at least once a year that the city retains enough autonomy to justify favourable trading terms. It also specifies that officials responsible for human rights violations in the city could be subject to sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes.

This seems like a stronger threat to Beijing, though the implications for American businesses in Hong Kong will be murky.

At least it was a stronger signal than the joint statement from Canada, the US, UK and Australia expressing concern, but not much else. Does Beijing care? Words sadly won't be enough to move Beijing to take the moral high ground. Instead it will consider these four countries as meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and will be determined to enact the law as soon as possible.