It is still Hong Kong, or is it?

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It's been almost two months that the Blog was not updated. Partly because I was busy on personal affair but mostly due to the concern over personal security that a prudent examination on the enactment of the Hong Kong version of National Security Law(NSL) here in Hong Kong is necessary. 

A drastic change on Bejing's attitude towards the pandemocratic camp figures since the beginning of this year was seen. A massive arrest on those figures whom have taken part into the 2020 pro-democracy primaries which aimed to narrow down the candidates list for the Legco general election which was supposed to be held in last September but was proponed by a year under the excuse of the epidemic. The accusation is that the Primiries is the action of subversion of the Adiministration in HK and the Regime therefore an violation of the NSL.

Naturally the accusation is controversial depending one's stance. Anyway, the beauty of being in power is that law is interpreted as the regime's will, let alone an autocratic one. On the other hand, this is the bonus of the effective containment of the epidemic in China who gained much confidence over the polarity on the economic development between her and her western counterparts so she can do whatever she wants at will blatantly with little worry about the reaction of the latter.

On the other hand, Beijing reiterates Hong Kong's affair is domestic issue so she has absolute discretion over the running on Hong Kong. As a matter of fact this statement is damn right that Hong Kong is part of China so arresting those whom are accused with involvement of subversion on the regime is completely lawful. The definition of the actions relating to subversion under the Law is controversial though.

Alongside with the massive arrest, during the China National People Congress meeting which is being held in Beijing now that motion has been raised to reform the Legco Election Committee in a large extent. The reform is meant to exclude any dissident the chance of being a lawmaker, or not even a candidate, for the coming Legco general election in this year. All in all heavy-handed measures were or going to be implemented just for the sake to eradicate the root of opposition out of Hong Kong, in name of administering Hong Kong by patriots. 

This is by far the most massive crackdown on the opposition after Hong Kong's reunion to China yet the main street is calm, or indifferent, leaving Beijing's mouthpieces doing their propaganda alone.  Apparently the NSL has achieved the intended chilling effect as the public has learned the way for self-protection under power.

Propaganda says Hong Kong returned to orderly from chaos due to the NSL. Yet the peace appears at the surface is indeed with an unrest undercurrent beneath it. The silence is the just result of authority which can suppress the expression of will but fails to stop the minds from forming. Most of the HongKongers are not keen in politics but many of them do not buy the political system in the North as well. However, many traces gave away telltales that Hong Kong is really integrating with China, livelihood as well as political system. 

The general public especially the grass-root is silence because they know they are bounded to stay and this is the only preservation to stay afloat under the authority. However, for those who are above average they have more alternatives. It is evidenced that quite a number of nations not only have extended their friendly attitude but some substantial measures to cater to the worry of the Hong Kong people. Naturally critiques or conspiracy comments are nothing short of from the propaganda again. To be honest, most of these potential citizens are top of the cream so welcome doors opened to them is nothing but just normal in the sense of mutual benefit.

Immigration is not cheap so those who are qualified are usually those sought after talents wanted by whatever countries no matter the east or west. America is the best showcase to examplify how the inflow of talents and capital can boost a country. Sadly these talents will just turn their back to their motherland but just fled to assist the counterpart due to politics.

Apart from the case of America, Hong Kong is renowned with its past achievement of economic success out from a formerly fishing village due to the influx of migrants and capital in exile before the red China was founded. It was talents that make this miracle happened. Perhaps China does not worry about the brain-drain because there are plenty supply from the north. In fact, there has been scheme introducing expertises from China in place all along. As a matter of fact those mostly western values-contaminated talents are anti-communism which is dyed in the wool.  It is not a bad idea to rinse Hong Kong with heavy-handed measures.

After all, One Country Two Systems is just a slogan and no matter the previously advocated Administering Hong Kong by HongKongers or the lastest version Administering Hong Kong by patriots are merely propaganda. What China needs Hong Kong to be is just a name claimed to be different from the autocratic regime so it can help facilitating between the regime and the western world for the sake of capital and technologies. It does not really matter who are living there and who are running it. As long as it is still called Hong Kong.

Or is it?

Alien and its egg

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I am not sure whether the sci-fi movie The Fly produced in 1986 was the ever first movie of its kind about genetic engineering(GE). Be it true or not, the plot of this movie was an very advanced concept at the time. The story was about a human who was accidentally "fused" with a fly during an experiment so a creature with genes of both species emerged. It was an horror movie because the hybrid became a monster finally and was terminated by its human counterpart. The production seems to be against creating hybrid via the technology of GE juding from the story. I am not a scientist so only have limited knowledge about GE. Just like most of the technologies, there are pros and cons depending on its application and most of all, the people's mind behind who are developing and making use of these technologies as well as their objectives. Basically I am alright on GE as long as the technology does not change the nature of a species fundamentally but just fine-tuning its characteristic towards an improvement or eliminating some inherited flaws.

The Fly was produced in 1986 and coincidentally a political hybrid alien was also created around that time. It was the Sino-British Joint Declaration signed 1984. The Declaration was meant to resolve the reunion of Hong Kong with China after 1997 when the lease of New Territory, a part of Hong Kong,  would be expired. Apart from many technical issues, the reunion was based on the idea of so-called One Country, Two Systems which was in hope to keep Hong Kong's status quo as well as way of living unchanged after the reunion by marrying the China's socialism and the western world's capitalism as much possible as it can be resting the hope (wish?) in 50 years time the Two Systems will eventually integrated into one as seamless as possible.

The One Country, Two Systems (Idea) was once commented as an ever creative and bold master piece designed by the CCP's greatest reform pioneer Deng XiaoPing. It was true that based on the comparatively rigid and stubborn era in the CCP's history, the Idea was really creative because capitalism was viewed something toxic and even a target of striking by some veteran comrades. Allowing its existence in its own soil is really a bold idea. Deng was commented as a pragmatic person well-known with his slogan "Be it white or black, it is a good cat as long as it catches rats" so Deng's Idea was a compromise between the idealism and reality that China was very much behind of the western world including Hong Kong in all aspects so making use of this advance island to modernize the Mainland was something the lesser "evil" by allowing this once stepped son remained as much possible unchanged as the CCP could tolerate.

Despite the Idea allows the lap of 50 years to gradually bringing the once stepped son back on board with the big family but things, especially in the recent years, do not go well. Indeed it is a disaster that Hong Kong is not only not getting closer than it was to its motherland but vice versa. After all, the Idea is meant to convert Hong Kong, in baby steps by buying time, into socialism. Keeping the capitalism nature in Hong Kong was something a compromise but when China is getting more and more fully-fledged and the reliance on the island for its modernization becomes less indispensable, the Idea became less and less unshakable especially when China is imposing more and more "guidance, direction, monitoring" over Hong Kong's internal affairs.

Some people seem to be awakened and is aware of just in recent years about China's changes on the relationship with Hong Kong. They might be puzzled about the changes and some attribute it to the social movement in the past few years. They are partly right because Beijing is getting more and more annoyed with those social movement but frankly speaking the relationship is bounded to be changed even if without these social movement. People should not forget that allowing the capitalism element was only a temporary compromise based on a pragmatic need at that time. Exercising socialism in Hong Kong is CCP's ultimate goal when the island's role on assisting China's modernization is eventually finished but this step will not happen overnight in June 30 in 2047. Marrying the two systems and finally converting them into one takes time and the only way is while increasing the socialism element at one hand then decreasing that of the capitalism at the same time. we are just almost in the mid way of this process. It is like genetically engineering the capitalism gene with the socialism gene into one creature, or an alien if you like, into Hong Kong in this moment.

While the alien is getting into its shape now it also laid an egg as well. It is the Hong Kong version of National Security Law(NSL). The Law is termed as the alien's egg because it further hybrids the two incompatible law practices, ie., the Common Law and the Continental Law, into this Law. The NSL is at large based on the concept of Continental Law but it is meant to be implemented in Hong Kong where Common Law is exercised. Most of the legal practitioners in Hong Kong, especially barristers are confused how they can defend their clients in the courts or how to advise their clients to avoid violation on the NSL which mainly laid out the principles but not the specific actions of crime as put in the Common Law. The NSL egg is exact the example of the artificial genetic engineering of the hybridization the Two Systems.

God bless Hong Kong!

Declaration

In light of the enactment of the Hong Kong version of China National Security Law since yesterday and the content was disclosed since then, the below declaration is essential particularly in response to the Article 29 (5) of the Law.

DECLARATION

1. As stated in my first post, this blog is solely a record of my thoughts. While the Blogger cannot stop visitors, no invitation of viewing has ever been made to whosoever.

2. The Blogger has no knowledge of psychology so cannot anticipate any viewer's emotional development including but not limited to hatred after reading this blog.

3. This blog's content may or may not contain comments on HKSAR government and/or China government, any person, residing in the HKSAR, who might develop emotional development including but not limited to hatred towards these two Governments should STOP reading NOW and never visit this blog again.

4. While every effort has been made to avoid emotional development including but not limited to hatred towards the HKSAR government and/or China government, the Blogger assumes no responsibility should any viewer residing in the HKSAR keeps reading this blog thus leading to their emotional development, including but not limited to hatred, and their subsequent actions.

An historical day

Today is the last day of this June and this is also the end of the first half of 2020 which is an extraordinary year in the sense of globally as well as locally here in Hong Kong. The novel coronavirus pandemic is truly remarkable globally. A tiny creature has turned the human world upside down yet it is still ongoing and its impact is yet fully emerged.

Locally the Hong Kong version of China National Security Law(NSL) is finally passed in today's the People Congress meeting despite of the strong opposing opinion from the West and it is expected to be enacted in tomorrow, July 1, the day of reunion of Hong Kong to China 23 years ago. This should be an important event in Hong Kong but surprisingly it seems not receiving the relevant level of concern from the majority of the people here in Hong Kong except those figure heads of the pro-establishment and opposition political camps. It is surprisingly but indeed not surprisingly because the public know that the NSL is going to be passed and be enacted for sure no matter what criticism or sanction from the West, mainly the U.S., has put forward. There is an interesting analogy here saying that one just cannot help when the rain is going to fall as well as mama is going to marry someone else meaning when the CCP is determined and committed on the NSL, there is literally nothing the islanders can do on it. The power between the two are just so unproportional that people here in Hong Kong can do nothing other than being indifferent on such an important law that is going to affect their life significantly.

The HK version of NSL is so important to Hong Kong that some commentators even called this Law turns Hong Kong into the chapter of re-reunion with China meaning the enactment signifies the Central Government is going to modify its governance over Hong Kong in light of the failure of the implementation of the so-called One Country, Two Systems here in Hong Kong in the past 23 years. It is widely believed that the Law is going to be effective in clamping all sorts of opposing voices and actions which were considered as legitimate in the past. The grapevine says the penalty is ranging from 3 years of imprisonment to life sentence so it should be effective to mute Hong Kong. It is going to be an quite different Hong Kong starting from tomorrow.

The NSL is not only a local issue but it also receives much attention internationally. Almost the whole western democratic camp opposes it yet China stands firm on the legislation. Apparently China is more and more confident on her advocacy as and when she is becoming more and more fully fledged. Despite knowing the whole western world is opposing yet she is bold enough to insist on the legislation, the action is more meaningful than the Law per se. It is announcing to the world that China can say no.

When in today China is publicly announcing she can say no to the world, she also publicly posts her stance that she dares to challenge the world order that has been established by the U.S. since the WWII. Simply being the second largest economy just cannot fulfill China's appetite. When she sees the whole world is struggling with the pandemic on lockdown or reopen, mask or no mask but she can manage to contain it within a province. China just can't help but thinks she can lead the world better. Ambition rises along with self content.

The rise of a big nation!

Probably a silver lining?

A political nuclear bomb exploded here in Hong Kong in last Friday when the news set in that China is going to establish a HK version of China National Security Law to be added into the HKSAR Basic Law in the form of an annex. This is commonly understood as a bypass of the Hong Kong Legco's failure to proceed on the law-making as per the Article 23 of the Basic Law after 22 years since the reunion with China. Apparently China is mad about the incompetence of the HKSAR government so lost her temper compounded with the more and more explicit squeezing from the U.S. during the last couple of years.

The article 23 of the Basic Law has been a taboo in Hong Kong because there is a fear among the general public that the infringement on human rights issues that happened across the border will happen in the island after the establishment of the Article. The worry on the further tightening amid the already ever increasing self-censorship on the freedom of speech, freedom of press and the independent jurisdiction surges when the news sets in. The opposite camp described the move signals the death of the "One Country, Two Systems" is certified.

The fact that the Article has such a low reception among the general public here in Hong Kong does not come without ground. China is notorious with her record of infringement on human rights on her citizens. The national security law is a swiss knife on clamping the opposition against the CCP's ruling. Despite of the title of national security but the law per se is mainly for the sake of the fortification of the CCP's governance. The extension of the China's National Security Law(NSL), be it through the establishment of the Article 23 or the introduction of the HK version of NSL, brings only the same outcome that the level of the Hongkongers' human rights will significantly be clamped.

While the public was shocked when the news was aired during the morning news report, the Hong Kong bourse responded with a more than 1300 points all way down blunt plummet throughout the last trading day of the week. The market expressed its most explicit view and the preliminary general view from the stock market commentators were conservative. Most of them hold the view that there will likely be a testing of further south. They are most likely correct because the HSI has leveled off in the past one and a half month while the Bollinger Bands width has reduced to the 1000 points range in the last two weeks, a typical signal that breakthrough is around the corner.

While the stock market is more about the money game rather than the business field, there are also views that the NSL will drive away the foreign investments in Hong Kong as a result of the worry of the deterioration of the One Country, Two Systems which in the worst scenario will render the island becomes just among one of China's thousand common cities. While the impact of the NSL on the future living of the majority of the islanders is out of question, the business world, especially international players, might hold a different view though. For businesses, especially foreign investors, the key concern has always been whether there is business opportunity to make money when deciding where to invest. The well-being of the local people is the least consideration, deep inside their mind.

When the HK version of NSL is in force, the protestors vs police confrontation will become history. All sorts of the opposing voice, view, action against China and the puppet HKSAR government will be harmonized under force. Offenders will be arrested and prosecuted under the NSL immediately to keep all these unwanted phenomenons at bay. Not a nice place to live but it is definitely a more stable environment for conducting businesses as long as the judiciary especially regarding the commercial part remains relatively independent. After all, given that the present situation on human rights in China is much worse than that in Hong Kong now but there are already many foreign investments in China so even if one day the human rights in Hong Kong becomes the same as that in China, it does not really bother foreign investors as long as the capitalism part of the One Country, Two System still survives.

Despite of the high profile comments from the western countries, it is most likely that China is set in stone to proceed the HK version NSL anyway. In fact, the opposing comments from the West in most cases just turned out to be a disservice of their original intent as the CCP has a tradition to defend their ego just to do against what they are criticized by their western counterpart. The more the West criticizes on the HK version NSL the stronger China's determination and sooner the implementation will be. Waiting ahead for the Hong Kong people is a monotone, be harmonized, steady society. People no longer have to worry about the police's tear gas nor the protestors' road blockages. Businesses can go as usual again.

Is that a silver lining of the HK version NSL?