The Hong Kong Handover

Nubclear · April 8, 2003, 23:36

Can anybody find a video of the Hong Kong flag raising ceremony for me?

I've looked everywhere, but can't find one.

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 01:04

The one when it's pouring outside, and Charlie looked a bit sad to see the Union Jack lowered?

Nubclear · April 9, 2003, 01:16

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
The one when it's pouring outside, and Charlie looked a bit sad to see the Union Jack lowered?

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 01:23

Check this PBS page to see if it has what you want.

EDIT: CNN link added

Saras · April 9, 2003, 02:28

I have a t-shirt my mum brought me from the handover, with the PRC flag on the front saying "Welcome back" and the UK flag (btw, it's only called the Union jack when flown on a ship) on the back, with a caption, bye bye UK.

I got all sorts of cool T-shirts

Alinestra Covelia · April 9, 2003, 02:36

I have a copy of Fortune magazine just before the handover with an article about how Hong Kong was going to be a Communist wasteland within 5 years.

Sadly the "Evil Empire" ascendant scenario never played out. The Chinese Communist party got an economist leader and donned a coat and tie instead of a Mao suit.

Frankychan · April 9, 2003, 03:17

My peace-studies professor would argue that China is no longer a Communist state, but a different entity altogether.

I engaged him in a little conversation and he argued that Maoism and Communism has been replaced by a system that is more like it was when China was the "Middle Kingdom". I agreed, but brought the point up that China seems to be Neo-Communistic....but I had to go to my next class.

Nubclear · April 9, 2003, 04:10

Celebrate the handing over of Hong Kong to the Peoples Republic of China

*Cue Chinese Anthem*

TheStinger · April 9, 2003, 05:26

Its a shame the people of Honk Kong never got a vote on what happened to them

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 05:37

We never got a vote in anything when the place was a Brit colony.

TheStinger · April 9, 2003, 05:39

so 2 wrongs make a right do they

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 05:45

Why would we be suddenly given a vote when none had taken place? What seems to be the purpose? We had neither sufficient politcal awareness nor social tradition for it. Democracy doesn't exist in a vacuum, and it is not a cure-all for all ills.

TheStinger · April 9, 2003, 05:47

there was a democratic movement in Hong Kong and there were proposals to set up a full blown assembly. As the Chinese said they would dismantle it there seemed little point in setting it up.

Why not ask the people

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 05:56

The democratic movement was a joke, the majority was never involved. The full blown assembly was also a joke, because the majority was never involved.

If Whitehall wanted a democracy here, they could have started in 1987, or even 1977.

TheStinger · April 9, 2003, 06:09

well you'll never get one now

The Mad Monk · April 9, 2003, 06:13

I keep reading the title as, "The Hong Kong Hangover"

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 06:33

Quote:

Originally posted by TheStinger
well you'll never get one now

Not necessarily. The Basic Law stipulates that the Chief Excutive will be directly elected in 2007, and there will also be more directly elected seats in the legislature.

Tingkai · April 9, 2003, 07:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
I have a copy of Fortune magazine just before the handover with an article about how Hong Kong was going to be a Communist wasteland within 5 years.

The Hong Kong government is very efficient. It only took them four years to turn Hong Kong into a capitalist wasteland.

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 07:58

Tung keeps changing his mind about what to do with the economy. Looking out for the interests of Big Businesses doesn't help, either.

Tingkai · April 9, 2003, 08:02

Yeah, and it doesn't help when he's making idiotic comments about the pneumonia that just adds to the panic.

Tingkai · April 9, 2003, 08:08

Here are some choice comments from Tung:

"It is a highly contagious disease."

No, the idiot doesn't know what he is talking about. The virus is contagious, but it is not affecting a lot of people yet. This is the type of comment that spreads panic.

Referring to healthcare staff getting sick, Tung said "Their health is obviously our prime concern."

No, controlling the virus should be his prime concern.

"We all know that this SARS has now a profound long-term impact on our economy."

I didn't know that. Lots of people don't know that. Most of us would assume that it would have a short-term or medium-term impact. He's destroying people's faith in the economy, not that there was much in the first place.

Hong Kong will never achieve its potential as long as that idiot Tung is in charge.

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 10:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
Hong Kong will never achieve its potential as long as that idiot Tung is in charge.

We should get Zhu Rongji in. Those three bums at the top have no clue what to do.

Alinestra Covelia · April 9, 2003, 10:59

Zhu Rongji is definitely the way to go. Not only does he speak excellent English, but the investors scared off by the SARS outbreak will be lured back by the irresistible tilt of his formidable eyebrows.

Urban Ranger · April 9, 2003, 11:04

What we need is somebody who can stick firmly to one financial policy instead of being wishy-washy. That was what the Japanese did and it hurted them.

Alinestra Covelia · April 10, 2003, 10:36

Does anybody have any pictures of Zhu Rongji's translator? I remember during APEC 2001, she made a slight mistake in her translation of his speech, and he backed up and translated it into English himself.

I saw her once on TV and thought she was some sort of anchorwoman because she was so dolled up. It's possible that her photogenic looks were a bigger reason for her employment than her English skills.

badams52 · April 10, 2003, 15:28

Quote:

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
I saw her once on TV and thought she was some sort of anchorwoman because she was so dolled up. It's possible that her photogenic looks were a bigger reason for her employment than her English skills.

When is this not the case in high photogenic, er, profile jobs?

I would say looks have a lot more to do with people getting jobs than some might think.

Urban Ranger · April 10, 2003, 22:54

Yep, true that.

Alinestra Covelia · April 11, 2003, 00:09

So... how do you account for Jiang Zemin?

Nubclear · April 11, 2003, 00:13

Oh. Um, question answered, case closed.

badams52 · April 11, 2003, 19:41

Jiang Zemin's male