It's hard to draw broad strokes about this. But I really really deeply like HK.
One thing about Hong Kong that's a lot to take in is how western-friendly the culture is. I think there was a western news channel playing while I was on the MTR last time.
I am guessing some may find the rallies annoying. They may view them as hooligans, but even the cynical still are happy with HK being HK.
And it's a weird thing: Because it's effectively a client state constitution. heh. They have their own judiciary, they have their own case law, but the people of HK cannot amend their constitution.
P.S. I haven't read the latest part of the extradition law they're trying to pass (anyone have it?)
> One thing about Hong Kong that's a lot to take in is how western-friendly the culture is.
They might be friendly, but often they don't understand it fully.
Democracy isn't a silver-bullet that would cure all of Hong Kong's ills. And they're apt to label every change to be an extension of Beijing's reach.
For example, the change in school curriculum. No doubt that some of the content in there is objectionable to me. However, the often thrown around accusation is that singing the national anthem amounts to brainwashing. After emigrating in '95, I sang O Canada during the weekly assembly at school. I'm sure the Star-Spangled Banner is sung at American schools. I don't think a lot of them are aware of that.
Another example would be the customs procedures for the high-speed train in HK, in which they have harangued over and over. Canadian airports suffer from the exactly the same problem - US CBP operates at any Canadian airport. I did raise my concerns with my MP, and she did have an interesting argument. If a Canadian was to be detained, at least it would be far easier to provide support than if they flew into US, and then get detained at the US airport.
Or the case where the HKSAR government moving VJ day to line up with the mainland's VJ day date. Accusations of Beijing trying to erase history immediately flew. Honestly, under the Colonial system, they never taught us anything about that, or about remembrance day (I was there up til Grade 6). In Canada, they have no problems teaching students about it at Grade 6. I didn't even realize the scope of Canadian involvement until I went to the Canadian War Museum.
There is far more background context than a single article could put forth. But it's not hard to see HKers cling to the colonial past, when Hong Kong was economically bigger then, and mainlanders would bend over backwards if a visiting Hong Konger waves around HKD. Now the mainland economy and power is much bigger than Hong Kong, and to be fair, their increase meddling is really amping up anxieties. But it's so easy to focus those anxieties, and forget that the Colonial government shares blame for lots of the current issues plaguing daily lives there.
One thing about Hong Kong that's a lot to take in is how western-friendly the culture is. I think there was a western news channel playing while I was on the MTR last time.
I am guessing some may find the rallies annoying. They may view them as hooligans, but even the cynical still are happy with HK being HK.
To understand more about HK system of government, check out the basic law: https://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/facts/index.html, https://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/index.html. This effectively serves as the constitution of HK.
And it's a weird thing: Because it's effectively a client state constitution. heh. They have their own judiciary, they have their own case law, but the people of HK cannot amend their constitution.
P.S. I haven't read the latest part of the extradition law they're trying to pass (anyone have it?)