China denounces 'Hong Konger' trend

[rock127]

China denounces "Hong Konger" trend
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HONG KONG — Fifteen years after taking back Hong Kong amid a blaze of fireworks and patriotic fervor, China is battling what it sees as a subversive challenge: an academic survey showing that many in this former British colony identify little with China.The survey, conducted last month by the University of Hong Kong, found that the number of respondents who view themselves as Hong Kongers is more than double the number who see themselves as Chinese and that bonds of shared identity with the mainland have grown weaker since Britain relinquished control in 1997.Infuriated by the results, Chinese officials have orchestrated a campaign of denunciation — the latest blast in a barrage of verbal and written broadsides against alleged disloyalty in Hong Kong.
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As a "special administrative region" within China, Hong Kong largely runs its own affairs under the "one country, two systems" formula enunciated by Deng Xiaoping, China's late paramount leader. It has its own legal system and currency, issues its own travel documents and allows free speech and other liberties unknown in the rest of China. In recent months, however, Chinese officials and pro-Beijing media in the former colony have gone on the offensive against a host of public figures whose views they dislike, including pro-democracy politicians, an elderly Catholic priest, an anti-communist media tycoon and the U.S. consul general. Now, they have turned their fire on Robert Chung, the director of Hong Kong University's Public Opinion Program.
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Chung has been surveying Hong Kong identity since the territory's return to China, and the results of his latest poll merely confirmed anecdotal evidence of a significant trend among residents: growing resentment toward — and a sense of separateness from — mainland Chinese.
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On Sunday, hundreds of Hong Kongers protested outside luxury retailer Dolce & Gabbana after complaints that the store discriminated against locals in favor of mainlanders. An influx of shoppers from across the border has delighted Hong Kong retailers but stirred disquiet among ordinary people fearful that their city is being swamped by often-brash newcomers. Hong Kong has a population of about 7 million; the rest of China has more than 1.3 billion people.

A music video made in Hong Kong and posted last year on the Internet sneered at mainlanders as "locusts" who "shout in restaurants, hotels and stores" and show scant regard for the city's more orderly ways.Hong Kong news media, meanwhile, have been filled in recent weeks with reports of pregnant mainland women crossing the border to take advantage of Hong Kong's superior medical system and a rule that babies born in the city have the right of abode here. Politicians of all stripes have demanded action to halt the flow amid warnings that Hong Kong's health-care system can't take the strain. The number of mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong emergency wards nearly tripled last year.

 

[Ray]

I think that China finds HK a trifle wayward.

Maybe our Chinese posters can tell us why.

 

[niharjhatn]

Apparently as it is the year of the dragon, heaps of chinese mainlanders are trying to get into HK to have more kids

Apparently something like an 8% increase is expected because of the dragon year.

 

[mylegend]

HongKonger identification is not much of difference when many of people from Shanghai define themselve as Shanghaier... However, it carry more significant meaning than people identify themselves from a city. People from HK are proud of the fact that they are from HK. So they identify themselves on where they from. However, they still identify themselves as Chinese too. Another fact is almost no one identify themselves as British. All the pro-democracy HK resident are searching for more freedom, but they do remember there was no democracy under the British rule.

 

[sukhish]

if this is the way Hongkongers are defining themselves, just imagine how tibeteins might be defining themselves.

 

[mylegend]

if this is the way Hongkongers are defining themselves, just imagine how tibeteins might be defining themselves.

Your response just shown your ignorance about the issue. Please educated yourself before making this reply. Hongkonger also indentify themselve as Chinese. So does many Tibetan, separatist are the minority in Tibet. Separatist are non-existence in Hong Kong.

 

[mki]

HongKonger identification is not much of difference when many of people from Shanghai define themselve as Shanghaier... However, it carry more significant meaning than people identify themselves from a city. People from HK are proud of the fact that they are from HK. So they identify themselves on where they from. However, they still identify themselves as Chinese too. Another fact is almost no one identify themselves as British. All the pro-democracy HK resident are searching for more freedom, but they do remember there was no democracy under the British rule.

You are wrong my friend. I am in New Zealand, I have many friends here who are from HK and some are from china, I can see they have always argument best on identity. many times chines people identify them selves as HK, but i havent seen any HKer identify as Chines. Addition of that, If you asked HKer person that are you from china? they really get red headed and says you, "no i am from HK."

Same thing as Pakistanis, many times they identify them selves as Indians.

 

[amoy]

Actually ALL of HK'ers were migrants from Mainland, incl tycoons like Li Kai-Shing, Shaw... from Shanghai, Teochow, or Hakka owning %% of HK businesses

There has been a change of wind. In old days HK'ers laughed at Mainlanders with lots of nicknames such as "uncle", or "dai huen zai" as most Mainlanders then were regarded as poor, uneducated, swarming HK for jobs, or even gangsters (as presented in many HK movies) . But nowadays Mainlanders are seen as rude, arrogant, nouveau riche. In a shop if u speak Putonghua (Mandarin) sales girls would give u more smiles as ML tourists are the ones who will BUY.

Actually I can understand HK'er identity "crisis". HK used to be a bridgehead to China for most foreign capital, expertise, and even democracy. But nowadays China herself has been 'opened' and many other hubs emerge even in competition with HK like Shanghai and Shenzhen or even Guangzhou. Thus her status is more or less 'downgraded', very fragile in face of global recessions. Some may be reminiscent of days as an UK colony. But was there 'democracy' in the nostalgia? The governor was dispatched from UK (Chris Patten, remembered?) and most legislators were appointed by Governor. Key positions held by Britons.

Their dilemma can be felt even on their TV talk shows. On one hand it's appealed for Beijing to quickly make HK the offshore financial centre for RMB. On the other hand heated debates on limiting ML women to give birth in HK hospitals vying for their healthcare resources.

That complex of 'superiority' is not unique as evidenced in MKI's NZ cases. I recall once I overheard a conversation btwn 2 ladies in Shanghai dialect, which I happened to understand a bit - One asked the other " Are u a non-local?" The other was annoyed "What Makes u feel I'm not a local (Shanghai'er)?

 

[niharjhatn]

^^^

You make an excellent point that despite the relative homogeneity in 'greater' China, it is human nature to try and discriminate and create a class based society...

many indians look at the diversity in India and blame that for the cause of of a lack of national identity, but this is going to happen regardless and the only way to work around this problem is initially accepting its going to happen regardless rather than blindly denying it.

 

[Ray]

But they say that HK people think they are different since they are more akin to the Vietnamese.

 

[Ray]

Many locals however simply refer themselves as Hong Kong people (Hèung Góng Yàhn).

3000 B. C. - First recorded settlements emerge on the island. These people are known as "Tonkas," many assimilated with the aboriginal inhabitants. It is believed that the "Tonka," were from what is now known as Vietnam.

Many took residence in what is now called "The New Territories." Later, the Cantonese settlers label themselves "Poon Tei." 2000 B. C. - A written, "universal" pictography develops in China 1122 B. C. - China develops feudalistic system 221 B. C. - The Silk Road opens up trade throughout the East, peaking around 207 B. C. 960 A. D. - Song Dynasty. Mongols, lead by Ti Mou Chin (Genghis Kahn) invade China. Settlement into Hong Kong grows as refugees are driven south. According to the Encyclopedia, the oldest settlements on Hong Kong Island are Cheuk Pai Wan - known as "Aberdeen," and Cheung Sha Wan. 1300 A. C. - Official Chinese Settlement into Hong Kong begins.

Hong Kong: A Brief History

 

[Ray]

Weitou dialect spoken in Hong Kong is a dialect of Yue Chinese.

Weitou Hua can refer to any Chinese language/dialect spoken in the villages of Shenzhen and Hong Kong in southern China, including Hakka and rural Yue dialects, in contrast to Cantonese (Guangfu) spoken by the majority of Hong Kong and Shenzhen residents.

Aren't the Yue also North Vietnamese?

There are a group of Vietnamese known as Nguoi Hoa . They speak Cantonese/Teochew.

Han Chinese are originated from South of Yellow river.

Cantonese are originated from South of Yangtze river, two started off from very different people. Just because of there are more Han mixed Chinese in Canton regions, that doesn't mean Cantonese are not related to Vietnamese. because Viets are originated from same regions where Cantonese are now living.

Han Chinese wasn't originated from Guangdong/Guangxi area of China, they originated from Yellow river, which means central China.Just as Yue wasn't Han Chinese, they were forced to join Han Chinese, and slowly assimilated into Han population. Mandarin was invented by Han Chinese under Manchu order, that's why they sound different from Cantonese.

look at the map again, Cantonese are mixed between Austronesian, Hmong, Han Chinese and Tai, so the bottom line is Cantonese aren't exactly just Han-Chinese.

 

[RedDragon]

But they say that HK people think they are different since they are more akin to the Vietnamese.

 

[Ray]

Have you something educate instead of laughing and then running scared?

What is there to run scared about?

The fact that you cannot refute it?

I have posted with links.

You post your views with links!

Are you a Jenny?

 

[Compersion]

One Country Two Systems: Framework

The two SARs of Hong Kong and Macau are responsible for their domestic affairs including, but not limited to, the judiciary and courts of last resort, immigration and customs, public finance, currencies and extradition. Important cultural effects are exemption of the SARs from mainland laws mandating the use of simplified characters in publishing and Mandarin in public education and most broadcasting. The diplomatic relations and national defense of the two SARs however, is the responsibility of the Central People's Government in Beijing.

Hong Kong Warns of Sanctions on Philippines Over Hostage Tragedy

Hong Kong threatened to impose unspecified economic sanctions on the Philippines on Tuesday if substantial progress was not made within a month regarding talks demanding Manila's apology and compensation for a hostage tragedy three years ago.

"I declare that unless we obtain steady progress within a month, the [Hong Kong] government will take necessary sanctions action," said Leung.

Another possibility could be a freeze on domestic helpers, similar to a move made by Taiwan this year following the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine coastguard.

The Taiwan sanctions were dropped in August, however, after Manila gave a formal apology for the fisherman's death.

Hong Kong Warns of Sanctions on Philippines Over Hostage Tragedy

Hong Kong Calls for Philippines Travel Ban

A diplomatic controversy between the Philippines and Hong Kong is growing, after Hong Kong lawmakers approved a measure late Thursday night that would place visa restrictions on Philippine citizens. Hong Kong wants an official apology from Manila over a botched hostage rescue attempt three years ago that left eight Hong Kong nationals dead and wounded seven others.

To press Manila for concessions, the Hong Kong Legislative Council passed a measure that would revoke the ability of Philippine passport holders to go in and out of Hong Kong without a visa.

http://www.voanews.com/content/hong-kong-calls-for-travel-ban-on-philipines/1786299.html

- The diplomatic relations of Hong Kong is the responsibility of the Central People's Government in Beijing.
- The Hong Kong legislative body discussed and debated the above and passed a measure that interjected itself into the diplomatic arena.
- Was Hong Kong trying to do what Taiwan did.

Where is PRC in this whole matter. The Hong Kong leader is threatening Philippines akin to Taiwan leader threatening Philippines. One country two systems is between which China and Hong Kong.

Fascinating news and brings about a lot of good intellectual questions for discussion. Hong Konger behavior what is it for now and future.