Author Archives: biglychee

Just a handful of links after a wearying week in Mainlandization. William Pesek puzzles over the Hong Kong government’s efforts to maximize inequality as the city struggles with pandemic and underlying political divisions. Everyone Thinks Budget Was Garbage Shock Horror. … Continue reading →

The Hong Kong government complains bitterly that the pandemic is forcing it to run a deficit, and this is unsustainable, and maybe taxes will have to go up – otherwise how can we afford civil servants’ mega-pensions and the Lantau … Continue reading →

This is all getting confusing. And I don’t just mean Carrie’s genius lateral-thinking breakthrough that Beijing must end ‘One Country, Two Systems’ in order to save it.  One day Beijing announces the banishment of non-patriots (ie pan-democrats and critics) from … Continue reading →

The CCP wishes to remind us that it is really serious about cleansing Hong Kong’s public space of critics, opponents and people who think for themselves. Even all those District Council members you elected will be methodically ostracized by the … Continue reading →

This has been a long time coming… The Hong Kong government announces plans to transform RTHK from a public service to a state mouthpiece (story here). It begins by identifying ‘problems’ (not listening to complaints, management being ‘weak’) and outlining … Continue reading →

As if by a miracle, after weeks and weeks of apparent dithering, Hong Kong’s long-awaited roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations suddenly falls into place: the experts give Sinovac their (kind of fudged, under no pressure) approval, and the government promptly announces … Continue reading →

The Hong Kong government is thinking of making it illegal to ‘insult public officials’. This prompts three questions. 1) What will we do all day? 2) If they are this angry at being called stupid, doesn’t it suggest they really … Continue reading →

Do I go to jail for ‘fake news’ now? I read somewhere vaccinations have already started in Lebanon. By way of restitution – some free PR advice for the Hong Kong government. We’ll be charitable and assume that the administration … Continue reading →

The Hong Kong Bar Association has slammed the government for planning changes to the immigration law that would enable it to bar individuals from leaving the city. (Reports here and here.) The government gets in an almighty righteous huff, claiming … Continue reading →

The Court of Final Appeal rules that Jimmy Lai cannot get bail while awaiting his NatSec trial (‘collusion with foreign forces’ – also known as meeting Americans and Tweeting). The court basically says its hands are tied by Beijing’s NatSec … Continue reading →