Summary of Xia Baolong’s visit to Hong Kong, with commentary. The Security Secretary praises the 100% conviction rate in NatSec cases, and says we need more NatSec laws ‘to address national security concerns related to crowdfunding and cybersecurity’.
Time for NatSec/Handover 2.0 Bingo: Official use of ‘Xianggang’; renaming of ‘Victoria’ and other colonial-sounding places; Internet Great Firewall; secret trials; restoration of death penalty.
The Consumer Council today reported that the aggregate average price of the 80 grocery products it tracks in its online survey increased by 12 per cent in the first quarter of 2023 compared with 2019.
That’s 12% in four years. Not too bad, one would think.
However, if the CC were to abandon their desktops once in a while and visited the grocery stores, they would find that the price of fresh vegetables, and proteins like fish, chicken & beef, the kind of nutrition real people have to eat to survive, have risen by at least 30% during that period.
Re NatSec Bingo:
RTHK story a couple of days back –
https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1696235-20230414.htm.
The government has a “very open attitude” towards the development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology but has no plans at present to adopt the new ChatGPT chatbot, technology chief Sun Dong said on Friday.
I tasked ChatGPT with the following:
Write a government press release denouncing foreign interference with Hong Kong internal affairs. Write in the style of the Hong Kong government and Chinese Communist Party.
Here is the output:
“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China express our utmost condemnation of the recent foreign interference with Hong Kong’s internal affairs.
It is clear that these foreign forces have been actively trying to undermine the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, all while blatantly interfering in our internal affairs. Their actions are nothing but a blatant violation of the principles of non-interference and respect for sovereignty that underpin the basic norms of international relations.
It is important to note that Hong Kong is an integral part of China, and as such, its internal affairs are purely a matter of China’s internal affairs. Any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in the affairs of Hong Kong and China is a grave violation of international law and an affront to the basic principles of mutual respect and equality among nations.
We strongly urge these foreign forces to stop their meddling in Hong Kong’s internal affairs immediately. We also call on them to respect the One Country, Two Systems principle, which serves as the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s success and prosperity.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China reaffirm our unwavering commitment to protecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of China, as well as ensuring the continued stability and prosperity of Hong Kong.
We will not tolerate any attempt to interfere in our internal affairs, and we will take all necessary measures to safeguard the interests of Hong Kong and China. We call on the international community to respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from any action that may harm China’s interests.
We urge all countries to abide by the basic norms of international relations and to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. Only by upholding the principles of mutual respect and equality among nations can we ensure peace, stability, and prosperity for all.”
Seems to confirm that any sign of intelligence in the government communications machinery is clearly artificial.
It seems like the HK Government may have been right for once in postponing “Happy Hong Kong”. Not much cheer in yesterday’s little lecture. Even the old DAB slogan of “people’s livelihood” comes under suspicion now.
Consumer Council should pop into ‘Park’n’Rob’ from time to time.
It stocks ‘Meadows’ products as its ‘keep the grass roots fed’ line. Butter that was selling for around $24 a few months ago now sports a price tag of $48.
No wonder LKS is still HK’s richest tyke.
And lets not go into the plastic tray and cling wrap overkill since the bag charge was increased. This adds a few dollars to every purchase.
@Mary – Meadows is Wellcome’s own brand line, not ParkNShop’s – not that the latter is any better. As Frankie Howerd famously said: “infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me”.
Meadows products are widely available in Giant stores in Malaysia.
They are largely inedible.