Hong Kong Ten Years After
Hong Kong has long been one of my favorite cities. I worked there in the mid 1990’s and still have my Hong Kong ID card tucked away in my wallet.
While the card doesn’t show an expiration date I expect that its validity ended on midnight 30 June 1997. That was the date that Hong Kong was returned to the Chinese after more than 150 years of British rule.
You have to give the Brits credit there. They kept their word and forever gave up control over one hell of a city. Of course, after 150 years of orderly rule the British influence is still strong in Hong Kong to this day.
To me it is a wonderful experience to hear native educated Hong Hong citizens speak English. The British accents and full command of English with their Chinese faces generates a certain disconnect as their English is better than mine. But man, I love to hear them speak. I miss seeing my Hong Kong friends.
There was a lot of concern on the part of the Hong Kong citizens at the time of the transfer from British to Chinese rule. Hong Kong was and still is one of the most capitalistic cities in the world. How would Hong Kong function under Communist China rule?
While there have been some bumps in the road the “one nation, two systems” approach taken by the Chinese has served Hong Hong well. The Hong Kong economy is doing well and Hong Kong is still one of the easiest cities in the world to set up and operate a business in.Â
The ever practical Chinese have been wise in not pushing the citizens of the more liberal Hong Kong too hard in bending to Chinese rule. As a result Hong Kong has prospered and provided China with an impressive gateway to the world.
Taxes are low for individuals and businesses and the regulatory environment shouts full speed ahead. You have to be mighty fast to stay ahead of the Hong Kong Chinese.
If anything over the last ten years of Chinese rule China has become more like Hong Kong than Hong Kong has become like China. However, the good hard working people of Hong Kong have begun to be more comfortable at being under Chinese rule.
No doubt that the 21st century will see the emergence of China as a great world superpower. Hong Kong will remain as one of the most dynamic cities in the world. I expect that as the century progresses the people of Hong Kong will be increasingly proud of their Chinese heritage.
Happy tenth anniversary to Hong Kong on its return to China. I hope that I can visit the city again soon to once again take a ride on the Star Ferry. There is no better way to see the dazzling Hong Kong skyline.
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