A letter in the FT several days ago, and one of the replies…
On Peng Shuai: Beijing demands that foreign forces stop ‘deliberately and maliciously hyping up’ the affair. China Media Project didn’t get the memo. Nor did ‘mixes creepiness and cutesy’ Quartz. Human Rights Watch joins in with criticism of the Olympics mob. RTHK, on the other hand, deletes its coverage.
Another of the replies:
Nicholas Loup questions “the FT’s persistently negative picture of Hong Kong” (Letters, November 18) and states that “Hong Kong is thriving and has a bright future”.
The FT is a stalwart of free speech and freedom of the press, yet it often publishes articles and letters by Chinese officials and diplomats that are obviously propaganda and newspeak.
I am an American who enjoys the first amendment and can answer Loup’s question. As long as the Hong Kong National Security Law exists, Hong Kong does not have a “bright future”. The law is anathema to all freedom-loving people.
Had Loup’s letter criticised the Chinese government, he would have quietly disappeared.
John Paris
Atlanta, GA, US
How Mr Loup makes his money…
https://www.chelsfield.com/en/asia/ (scroll down)
An oikophobic Wolf perhaps?
Does Mr Loup understand that in colonial days the main function of “the security arm of the police” (Special Branch) was to keep tabs on the Chinese Communist Party’s agents in Hong Kong and prevent them from interfering in Hong Kong affairs? Despite his and Nury’s fantasies, it was no more likely to survive the handover than the Kempeitai was to survive the defeat of Japan in WW2.
A list of the foreign agents needs to be kept.
1. Quentin Parker
2. Nicholas Loup
As Mr. Loup must surely know, not only was the security arm of the British colonial police (Special Branch) dismantled at the insistence of the Chinese government, but its principal officials were told in no uncertain terms that they would not be allowed to stay in Hong Kong after the Handover.
It seems Patten Derangement Syndrome is a lingering illness.
@assburger – at first I wondered if Mr Loup’s name was an anagram of Nury Vittachi’s…
Burt’s book has no references at the end of the book no citations at all.
Does Loopy Loup know that Victor Mallet was expelled from Hong Kong for reporting the facts?
@assburger: Another useful idiot naturally trying to ingratiate himself with the right people.
“Former Vice Chairman of the Council of China’s Foreign Trade and Commerce”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Council_for_the_Promotion_of_International_Trade
How surprising.
You can read his illiterate bio here: https://www.britcham.com/Public/Committees/Business-Policy-Unit/Public/Committees/Business-Policy-Unit.aspx?hkey=47dcb124-5d8d-4b3e-9dc8-f17da4c2fc1d
British business interests are in safe hands. Not.
@Goatboy
“Nicholas Loup:
Member”
Short, harsh, but to the point.
@Goatboy – note the last sentence of his bio: “Prior to arriving in Asia, Nick was a director of Trafalgar House Developments, with responsibility for developments in London’s West End”, then read what happened to Trafalgar House. Wikipedia says: ” It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but eventually foundered in the mid-1990s”. FILTH? However Trafalgar’s association with the Keswick Family and Jardine Matheson must have brought him some useful contacts here.
@assburger
Good link. Mr Loup’s organization sounds like a real classy outfit. I like this bit:
“Leverage its extensive network of local relationships to access privately negotiated, proprietary and off market transactions.”
Translation: Pay off corrupt local politicians, gangsters and police to put the squeeze on recalcitrant tenants who won’t sell. Refurbish under a local’s name to avoid taxes then sell ’em/ rent ’em high to foreigners.
@goatboy
That Britcham committee looks like a bunch of dullards with a singular objective of getting their photos on websites. I can’t imagine another group of people with whom I’d least like to spend time. Unless it included Nury Vittachi.
@ assburger
Loup’s outfit is fittingly based at:
50 Hans Crescent
OT:
Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip today commended 101 civil servants for their outstanding work performance.
Dalmations perhaps?
@Henry: These are the movers and shakers of UK industry in HK!! A little respect, please!
@Goatboy
The British Policy Unit in HK seem to have members with surnames that you might use in a Scrabble game. To wit:
-Richard WINTER
-Katheryn WEAVER
-Jonathan BEARD
-Gary POWER
-Anthony HOPE
-Andrew WORK
-Alan CHILD
A part of me thinks that people with names like this get to positions of influence in no small part due to their ridiculous surnames…
Andrew Work is not a POM.
Re: Alleged coverage of Peng Shuai by RTHK
To be fair to RTHK, deleting absolutely all mention of Peng Shuai from its website is now the only way RTHK can get away with officially reporting that she’s definitely been disappeared by the CCP.