Sunset ----for the Union Jack

By SS Lau

Originally composed and sent as an e-mail to the Lighters on June 25,1997.

A few years ago, there was this TV program on PBS about the fast rate of Britain losing its colonies. The legend of " the sun never sets on the Union Jack" is getting to be a thing of the past. That was a British produced program with a very anti-British theme. I guess this is a good demonstration of freedom of speech. Every now and then, one can find some very anti-British TV programs produced by the British. They have at least this much going for them. According to the Time Magazine, Britain has lost some 68 colonies in the last century. I think all Britain has now is the Falkland Island near Argentina. The Union Jack finally faces sunset in 6 days.

If we look at the economic situation in Britain, statistics show that Hong Kong is enjoying a higher per capita income, a much more competitive economy and a much more dynamic society with lots of money to be made. I met a number of British nationals holding university teaching positions in Hong Kong, making 3 times as much salary in Hong Kong than in Britain. University jobs in Hong Kong pay reasonably well, but not as well as it is rumored, but that is another story.

If you look at the economic situation in China, Hong Kong is much better off by far almost in every respect. I also met a number of Chinese from mainland teaching in Hong Kong. These guys are western trained, and of course, they like it there in Hong Kong.

Now, the people in Hong Kong are essentially Chinese, and the political system is essentially British, and yet the economic situation and competitiveness are far more superior in Hong Kong than those in Britain and in China. Why ? It is not just the people, China has more Chinese than Hong Kong. It is not just the political system, Britain must have an even more British political system than that in Hong Kong. Why is Hong Kong more progressive ? In my opinion, it is the combination of both the people and the political system.

To be as progressive as Hong Kong in economic power and competitiveness, we need the Chinese to be there due to their working ethics, attitude, adaptability, survival instinct ( in other words, just work like a horse without stopping, but with a Chinese shrewdness and mentality). At the same time, we need a clean political system for the hard-working people to be rewarded for their effort. Nepotism, corruption, and party lines just don't cut the ice. By nature , Chinese can be easily corrupted , after all massive corruption in the society on a grand scale is almost a Chinese invention. Just look at the Chinese governmental and the political tradition in the last century.

If we replace all the people in Hong Kong by shipping 6.5 million British to Hong Kong Hong Kong is going to be just like Britain in a few years. If the Hong Kong political system is replaced by the Chinese political system, Hong Kong is going to be just like China in a few years.

Now, we have heard time and again that new highways, tall sky scrapers and whatnots are being built in China. Thing are getting much better, there is just going to a hell of a good time to be had in China.

(Of course, most of the new buildings in Shanghai are totally vacant at the moment. Building new sky scrapers is a way for the government officials and the contractors to make money, irrespective of the need of building any ---Oct 2,97)

Why, then, 150 Chinese want to immigrate from China to Hong Kong every single day legally and countless quantity illegally ? We do not seem to find many Hong Kong people wanting to immigrate to China every day, if ever.

Any comments and thoughts three months after the event ? October 2,1997.

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