We know Beijing won’t allow representative government in Hong Kong, and it will continue to tighten its control of schools, the media, courts and civil society in order to eradicate opposition and criticism. But what then?
An HKFP op-ed on how the CCP will select and manage the large number of new shoe-shiners and loyalists coming into the establishment. While many of these people will occupy ceremonial rubber-stamp posts, some will gradually replace senior civil servants and others in decision-making positions. And behind the scenes of course…
…real power in Hong Kong resides less with the chief convener or the chief executive, than with our party secretary, Luo Huining, and party central in Beijing.
‘Chief convener’ is a mystery job that I would call ‘chief conveyor’, as it will obviously be a channel for CCP edicts.
(Author Prof Burns has studied this for ages – see a 1987 article on China’s nomenklatura.)
And what will the new style of administration do in terms of policy? A (Chinese) article in Stand News describes an internal discussion paper by the newish pro-Beijing/Beijing-backed Bauhinia Party on Hong Kong housing. It might have been drafted and leaked deliberately, maybe in order to soften up vested interests. It certainly has something to upset different segments of the city’s traditional establishment.
It refers to the housing situation in terms of a threat to ‘One Country’ (implying that it encourages secessionist sentiment). The paper suggests an expansion of affordable housing that could only be achieved by using land held by private interests, notably developers – and while it doesn’t mention expropriation, it does maintain that the central government has a right to play a role in deciding land use in Hong Kong. (This would be in flagrant violation of Basic Law protection of private property, so all-too believable,) The paper also – intriguingly – blames bureaucrats for putting high land-prices first in order to protect their lavish pay and pensions. Almost starting to like these guys.
Still, it’s hardly worth sticking around for. The UK is not famed for encouraging immigration, but is now funding assistance for Hongkongers settling in the country, and almost bending over backwards to get them to come. This is probably cynical, though you could see a noble gesture by the kids of East African Asian refugees who make up much of the Conservative government cabinet. (OK, it’s cynical.) Worth every penny just for the inevitable outraged ranting from Beijing officials.
Mouth-frothing about Britain laying out the welcome mat is also forthcoming from retired HK Police, like the one who wrote a nasty email to the Hongkongers in Britain organization. He (an expat, it seems) accused the exiles of not working and/or taking other people’s jobs, and particularly mentioned – slandered – Simon Cheng, the UK consulate staffer arrested by Mainland security. We are assuming this former Superintendent is real: the ‘‘Flying Kukris Rugby Football Club Girls Section committee member’ sounds like a parody.
Alan Crowther is indeed retired HKP. There are several more like him (mostly former but also a few currently serving expat cops) who are very vocal online. Most of them just fawn over little Nury’s fb posts but others can be found working themselves into a frenzy on the HK Free Press, HK Watch and other fb pages.
I’ve never heard of this Alan Crowther bloke before and the HK Football/Rugby whatever club is far, far, far down my bucket list as a place to visit . However, the English in that email has a suspiciously mainland “troll tone” to it, don’t you think?
Or maybe he is, indeed, a first-class knob end.
reductio – he’s totally genuine. Had a few online run-ins with him before. Massive twunt but there are a few who are even worse.
There is indeed an Alan Crowther on the committee of the Flying Kukris: https://www.flyingkukris.com/index.php/about-the-club/flying-kukris-committee
I’m just wondering why he gets so angry over an organisation he claims is “insignificant”…
“… accused the exiles of not working and/or taking other people’s jobs” Damned if you do, damned if you don’t, eh? In reality, given the work ethic of Hongkongers and the fact that many are likely to bring substanbtial assets with them, they are likely to give a welcome boost to the British economy.
Met the ranting, retired Super once; nice fella off topic. Scotch by way of favoured tipple, which may have been imbibed in generous dosage when he took up the cudgels in that email in the early hours. Maybe I’m too kind, but difficult to fathom why he’d be so daft to believe the former consulate worker was not stitched up.
Guess it’s good to know those on the square do more than prance around in cuffs and organise an annual Burns night.
“Child protection safeguarding officer”???? Maybe that’s a regular position in those UK/Commonwealth based organization cultures but the title, coupled with his shirt & tie getup (not wearing kit like the rest of them) and pornstache screams CREEPY PEDO!
I was a member of the Flying Kukris, though luckily I have never met this opinionated Scot. To use ad hominem attacks is very low and his English is atrocious – as HKJC Irregular says he may have been drunk.
Proof that cops are dumb and don’t have much in critical thinking skills regardless of what country they from
Oh yes, they’ll cut the tycoon bootlickers out of the picture and hand the government land banks right over to the SOEs. That’s socialism with Chinese characteristics.
One of the posters here clearly suffers from titchy-man syndrome. Can you guess who it is? He’s forever implying a threat, but you know damn well that it’s all puff pastry.
@Chinese Netizen
Calm down. The Flying Kukris is a Rugby Club with a large mini rugby program for CHILDREN. Crowther’s views and comments are (sadly) in line with the few retired expat Policemen I’m acquainted with. They too will be swallowed up and spat out by the CCP when their (little) use is fulfilled.
Alan Crowther’s remarks are unfortunate as his his apparent attitude to the oppression of a free people by a totalitarian communist dictatorship. However, I imagine some of these poor chaps are going through trauma and inner turmoil watching the organisation they dedicated their life to and which has shaped them as individuals, rapidly become nothing more than a repressive extension of the Chinese Communist Party. Self-justification of past and current service must require some serious cognitive dissonance as they grind towards pension day whilst knowing in their heart of hearts that they cannot claim to be just following orders.
Many retired police manage security companies, as does the above. Its all about revenue streams and ensuring your licences are renewed.
Not all expat ex-HKPF types spew the same prattle about crazed rioters and absolute right of the authorities to impose themselves on the hoi polloi.
I know one, in Sai Kung, who openly hews yellow – here since the 1970s and former colleague of most of these chaps, actively hosting many of them on his FB page.
OK, he’s the only one I know.
Love it when the uniformed cognoscenti run their Monday Morning quarterbacking armchair warrior analysis. Sound and fury signifying nothing at all. Carry on Comrades. Your pusillanimity is exceeded only by your arrant ignorance.
Black or blue or yellow of hue we all bleed red.