The Slow, Quiet Death of Hong Kong
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2024
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Writing by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation led by Max Moser
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
References
[1] www.reo.gov.hk...
[2] www.reo.gov.hk...
[3] www.legco.gov....
[4] at.china-embass...
[5] www.elections....
[6] www.reo.gov.hk... www.reo.gov.hk... www.reo.gov.hk...
[7] en.wikipedia.o...
[8] www.censtatd.g...
[9] www.state.gov/...
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A decade ago Hong Kong REGULARLY topped the charts of travel websites for "Top 10 Cities You Must Visit". Now it's almost gone.
i used to visit HK every year with my family but then i start to see something very cute. they love white people. they adored and you could say they worship them. I heard they star talking trash about my country, thailand. they said we are poor, i wish they look at themselve first. I wish i could turn back time and tell my parent pls don't go there where trash live. when i was in college, Hk students always trying to provoke chinese students but the chinese, this alone make me realize they think they are superior to other asians.
Singapore is #5 in most visited cities.
You need to ask yourself who created that shitty list and for whom? Filthy sexpats? Hong Kong is still among the most visited cities in the world. We still received hundreds of billions of FDI. What are you even talking about?
@@90taetaeyahe's talking about hongkong not singapore, no?
@@hybs9473 I mean, Singapore was mentioned in the video
Hong Kong used to be a hub for consumer tech and finance.
Now, Shenzhen took that tech market, and Singapore the finance hub throne
All Hong Kong had left is it's unique culture, and Beijing killed that.
Funny how Beijing hasn’t killed “unique culture”’in the rest of China.
Cry more British empire simp.
unique my ass, a mixed culture is never as fulfilling or long lasting as a non mixed culture
I mean, the fact that they saw fit to build ANOTHER theme park in Shanghai in direct competition with Hong Kong's should tell you everything you need to know. One can interpret that it is more of a vindictive move to kill us off.
@@Kinlui1022 China wins, HK and Taiwan loses
Go China!
unique culture of what? I can go to guangzhou and get authentic cantonese culture. What unique culture are you referring to?
The fact that Chinese medicine had more seats than finance in Hong Kong, whose economy is literally built on finance, tells you just how functional these constituencies are.
> The fact that Chinese medicine had more seats than finance in Hong Kong, whose economy is literally built on finance, tells you just how functional these constituencies are.
That's because they were split out of the 1985 (notice how the date predates 1997's handover, since the functional constituencies were a BRITISH IDEA) MEDICAL sector constituency.
@@flyerton99 Are you seriously greentexting on youtube?
@@FFFFFFF-FFFFFFFUUUUCCCC that style of quoting predates 4chan by at least 2 decades
@@FFFFFFF-FFFFFFFUUUUCCCC what's greentexting? I feel like I ought to know what it is but I don't 😂
@@illuminocalypse5210 It's how people would chat on forums. If you replied to someone you would usually include the message that your replying to in yours. It gets it's name from 4chan which had green text.
This actually hurts as a Hong Konger. We are effectively a city state like Singapore but with an expiry date with a government constantly trying to expedite the process.
There's no expiry date, China has already confirmed there will be no change in governance after 2047.
Dude thinks HK was an independent country with local leaders under the previous government. Singapore is rich with Chinese too.
@@tritium1998Singapore is its own country, the Chinese population in Singapore doesn't matter in this context.
Nah,Hong Kong rose because its proxmity to the mainland as the only gateway into china at the time, and the hardwork of the older generations.but some hong kong youth seems to think its "freedom" and"democracy" that made Hong Kong great, when you cant even elect your governor under the british rule. and its not that Hong Kong is dying but the greater bay area is rising and hong kong refuses to integrate with mainland and being put back to its place(still a nice place just doesnt standout as much).by the way , had central government not bailed hong kong out of the Asian financial crisis back in 97, hong kong woulnt even be here today. And lets be absolutely honest, if you put places like Hong Kong/Taiwan in the middle of the pacific ,better yet right next to the UnitedStates, it would be a place that no one cares and it wont develop, in the end its all about geopolitics.
@@andersonjeremy7086 The difference was that the assigned governor was a better ruler and more lenient + free than anyone assigned by the Chinese communist party.
You can't really expect freedom from a people such as China which ban Winnie the Pooh because the leader was "insulted".
All your drivel about "Current generation/last generation" is as dumb as Socrates crying about the generation succeeding him being "the end of the world".
Growing in Hong Kong, one of my teachers once said Hong Kong's downfall is just like a blooming flower withering eventually. It was very sad, but still it's kinda inevitable. I had never lived in the time when Hong Kong once shined, and now, I am the generation to witness the fall of my city. I love my hometown, and I will probably never leave it, but I think I am too weak to actually make a change...
Change begins with one thought; one person. You are stronger than you think. ❤️🔥
@@laylawhite1850 That is easy to say from a country that is not under authoritarian rule.
@@laylawhite1850top 1 phrase people say to be able to sleep at night to ignore they are useless
There are times and places where a single person or a small group of people can make an enormous difference. Those situations, however, are extraordinarily rare. In an authoritarian country, the best thing to do is often to keep your head down, but stay informed and ready to act someday when the time is right. There is no guarantee that will happen in your lifetime, if ever, but it might. I'm afraid that the opposition in Hong Kong chose the wrong time and gave the CCP both a reason and an excuse to move faster than they otherwise would have. With all the serious problems happening in the mainland, the repression that you feared might never have actually come to pass.
Taiwan is the last part of china now thats not under ccp rule
The government of HK even established a so called "Refute Team" to counter response whoever spreads negative information or news regards to HK. That really says a lot...
Not to discredit your comment, but this type of thing is unfortunately common across many countries and even the military in some monarchy and republics are designating soldiers as "social media fighters" to go around and stir up contention.
Well, apparently their Refute Team has a fuckton of bots in this comment section, so it really speaks for itself.
@@naervern2107GTFOH, this happens only in backward dictatorships like Russia , China, & NK
This is only a problem if the government’s information is wrong.
the government of the USA has established psy-op propaganda to spread negative and fake information, like they did with vaccine disinformation in the Philippines
This is one of the most accurate presentation on Hong Kong's situation in recent years. It deeply saddened me that it is dying visibly and the fact that you know it can hardly be revived.
Who wants him to make a video about Taiwan, china
@@PutXi_Whipped LMAO that profile picture, id say 80% your a bot but who knows.
@@justincheng12345 This but sarcastically.
Accurate how? By like many others ignoring the destruction and intimidation those rioters cause? It by ignoring how they burn people alive and even killed a old man, if you mean that yest is accurate that all western media focus on the fight for freedom while ignoring all the bad and specially ignoring all the people that didn't agree with the rioters. Not even freaking Canada let protesters get money from the US and that exact people that push the protests in Hong Kong funding those naive kids are the ones that are leaving while screwing the rest that have legitimately thing to complain.
Which part was so accurate? Was it that the direct service to Beijing from Hung Hom did not exist for decades? Or was it that all Hong Kong companies moved across the street to Singapore? This channel is all about narrative to get more click, the facts do not matter in the slightest.
As a HongKonger, l am glad to see a documentary tell to the world what's happening in our city. Sad but true😢
And there are foreigners who believe only in China propaganda.
An anti China documentary, what do you expect😂😂😂
Still want to stock chaos?? That's the evil of freedom
@@WorldSpaceRacebasically the whole world is anti China though
Yes and cry about freedom and democracy in USA where anti Asian hate is rampant in this part of the world😂
As someone living in Southern England, it's painfully obvious Hong Kongers have no faith in Hong Kong any longer, and a lot are taking up the UK offer to relocate. Least we can do for them in my opinion.
I thought they wanted freedom from Britain?
and how is that working for you?
@@megsley The world was much much different a hundred years ago
Amd funny that many of them r the same one that encourages/make HK economics structure stagnant during the 2000s to 2010s(many r from the middle class,older people who r richer and have BNO)
They immediately left when things r worse politically. Despite many r enablers of the regime for years😂
Younger generation (especially ppl without BNO or family member without one)r left to eat dirt over Beijing mess and the mess that some of these HKee help create. Young people if they can move out it is lucky. Don't stay in this hellhole
@@megsleyLmao what? When did we ever get a say in anything. Margaret Fletcher hand HK over without even a referendum 😂😂😂
And HK back in Qing was forcefully conceded after several defeats.
So people here never have a say.
Hong Kong was the "Pearl of the East", all I see now is now is a city depressed and pessimistic, a government that has given up, and a people who have lost their faith and hope. Whenever I talk with my friends and family it's all about other countries, like good travelling destinations in Japan, or studying abroad, or someone moving overseas to the UK/Canada. It's like we're all subconsciously trying to avoid the topic of our own home, because what's the point of discussing a lost cause. All of us are still proud to be a Hong Konger, but not to its current form, its to the culture and people, to the memories and lives it has given us, to our home
Thank you for making this video, I recognise almost every single street crook and cranny in the footage, because I've been there more times than I can count, because I've had lunch at that exact stall, because I've been eating egg tarts since I can remember, because I've been drinking milk tea even though I'm lactose intolerant, because I speak fluent English proudly as my second language (and because I miserably failed my Chinese in school), because I love this city, because I love my home, and I share this love with countless more
Who knows if we'll ever return to any form of relevancy, I'll just be nomming my egg tart while I wait.......
@@pacocheung1864 if you’re not going to do anything about it, then you accept the current state of affairs.
I once believed in the 2019 protests. They lost my support when they refused to disown their violent rioters and assailants.
If I still believed in them, I would still be protesting and petitioning the government for the cause. But I am happy that they are sidelined because I despise what they did to Hong Kong. Their behaviour has brought nothing but division and hate to Hong Kong.
2019 was my first time feeling embarrassed to be from HK. I was a proud HKer before and slowly building that pride back now.
@@pacocheung1864 if you only talk to pessimists then you will of course only feel pessimistic. I'm from the UK and have been in HK for over 10 years. Despite all the issues in Hong Kong, it is still far better than many other places in the world.
@@canto_v12 Sounds like a comment made by a bot.
Let's assume you're human. You no longer hold your belief in Hong Kong's autonomy due to being displeased by some protestors? Either your belief was non-existent from the start or your opinions change like the wind.
Formally the Pearl of the East, now it's just a mothball
@@Nabrolo these “protesters” do not have a monopoly on Hong Kong’s autonomy. They are in fact two separate topics. I happen to disagree with the 2019 unrest, as do millions of Hong Kongers who are no longer protesting today. Those who believed in that movement hard enough, have either changed their minds or left for other countries that fulfill their ideological agenda.
As someone who grew up in Hong Kong, I just really want to thank Hong Kong for everything it gave me. There will be a whole generation of people who grew up in Hong Kong, and we will not forget the sweet memories while in this beautiful city!
HK always had an expiration date, it was meant for 2047. Well, so much for that deal, now its dead 25 years before it was meant to die...
Hope TW pays attention to this
The hope was China could catch up and reform herself in 50 years, oh well...
@I_am_somebody_1234 The deal was only valid if HK abides by their mini-constitution. But HK failed to uphold their mini-constitution. That is why Beijing had to get involved.
@@yerri5567 yeah right, you believe the commies to your own perils
@@IT9GameLogI means sure that was the hope but if china success comes from it’s got of government reform would have thrown china into chaos losing its territories and autonomous regions in the process. Which no one in China wants.
A few years ago when a friend sold his flat (in Lisbon) to get a larger one the buyer was a guy from Hong Kong setting his backup plan.
That's quite the change. I'm sure Lisbon is a nice city to live in but it bears very little resemblance to Hong Kong.
That's quite a significant downgrade 😅 unless he's retiring
@@VEVOJavier lol you should switch places with the hk guy. go live in his place in hk.
@@VEVOJavierThere is no place ever like home.
@@theviniso Portugal is an easy place to acquire EU citizenship. Also living in a Schengen memberstate is a huge advantage.
I live here, and you described things perfectly. Nobody has any hope now. We all continue living our normal lives, but there's a lack of that spark Hong Kong used to carry, the things that made us unique. We speak in hushed whispers about politics, when it used to be spoken on the streets in public protests. We avoid talking about the past, about 2019, even about June 4th, because of a new culture of fear around the NSL- and because it is too painful, to mourn the quiet rebellion against autocratic control when we have been crushed. People escape, taking vacations to other countries, buying homes in Europe, moving away one by one.
Damn it, I happen to love my home. But the biggest act of love I can give Hong Kong is now to leave it, because it is dying.
The Gay Games, an international sport and cultural event, was hosted by Hong Kong from November 3 to November 11, 2023. Did you hear about it?
Wow, this has got to be the most cognitively dissonant take I have ever seen. Leaving something or someone that is dying is considered an act of love? 🤐
Yes, love can take another extreme form. We have had cases where elderly parents suffering from diseases or bedridden for a long time were killed when there is no hope of recovery. This is seen as a relief for the old person. This happens in Asian cultures, in countries like Japan, Korea, and even Hong Kong.
Please just speak for yourself and don't drag the whole Hong Kong population in your comment. It's you who have to make hushed comments about 2019 or June 4 (again drag us in just because you do it). It's your free choice to leave Hong Kong but you know what, there will be more who will return in a few years when they find out other places are worse than Hong Kong. By the way, I am someone born and raised in Hong Kong and emigrated to Canada in the late eighties but moved back after a few years and will I ever return to Canada? The answer is a big fat NO.
It’s okay, many kids leave their overbearing parents and find peace elsewhere. There’s no more June 4th vigil / commemoration since 2019. The organizing group arrested in 2021; 2022 gov closed park; 2023 & 2024 pro-Beijing group host carnival. Reported by scmp. The event was hosted for 30 years straight before that. Nowhere to go for the victims’ relatives now
Hong Kong wasn't lost...it was killed. Politically, the old HK is gone, but one needs to keep in mind that SG is by no means a liberal democracy either but it is doing just fine. So economically, 🇭🇰's fate is probably not sealed yet. Aside from China's interference, the HK government has long stopped working for the betterment of HK. One of the most ineffective governments I've seen. Blatant problems that are constantly ignored, blame shifting all the time and enormously ineffective policies/actions that only bandaid issues, not solve them. Yet they sit there talking about how they're bringing life back to HK.
Hong Kong and Singapore is like California and Texas.
You have this once economically powerful place of technology and finance being taken over by Chinese style socialism and loss of freedom, with people naturally moving to the more free, more western, more democratic rival.
California and Hong Kong are dying in the next 10 years, mostly considered failed.
Texas and Singapore will replace them.
Hmm I see
@@mevans4953HK is doing better off than Singapore dummy
@@mevans4953not really; that’s a total misunderstanding of Singaporean politics. You’re millions of times more free as a Californian than a Singaporean, especially as Singapore practices “freedom from” not “freedom to.” You can’t even leave toilets unflushed in Singapore without getting a fine (I’m sure Texans would whine about government overreach).
Singapore has more in common with China than the US economically with policies like the state nationalization of all land, while California has some of the strictest property/zoning laws that make infrastructure development impossible. Singaporeans and Chinese care about progress no matter what, Americans value individual rights at the cost of societal development. It’s why China has the best high speed network on the planet (other than Japan, which implements a unified zoning law nationally) while landowners hold back California HSR.
And unlike Texas, Singapore has a giant social safety net with policies like universal subsidized public housing and universal healthcare, while having lower income and corporate taxes than the US. They have a government composed of pragmatic, technocratic bureaucrats like China, not populist demagogues like America.
This isn’t a bad thing either; go to Singapore or Shanghai and you’ll realize how far behind the US is overall.
Just like mainland govt. Lazily hiding their ineptitude than transparently solving issues
I went to HOCC's concert in London back in 2019. During the concert, people stood up together and sang "Glory to Hong Kong". Many of them were singing with tears, and the guy next to me said that he finally knew how it feels to sing one's own anthem.
As a mainlander, I felt resonated with my southern neighbors. Shout out to all the free fighters, and MAY THE GLORY BACK TO HK.
不必摧毁大城市的建築物，不必殺害大城市的任何一個居民，甚至在表面上看來，這個大城市和以前一樣，但只要令城市原來的優點消失，就可以令它毁滅死亡。
倪匡
就泥门还有什么优点啊？g都不去泥门那里
I vividly remember reading that as a kid, I was too young to recognize he was talking about Hong Kong then. How surreal that that is exactly what is happening now.
@@daiwanrenzhudinsiguang不懂的就好好读书
@@daiwanrenzhudinsiguangL rasio
@@sojo4535 泥懂？
As a Hong Konger, witnessing the downfall of my beloved city for the past decade ... It just hurt my heart and soul.
Karma will bite those who are responsible for this utter shite.
Past century?
My father brought me to HK all the time. He speaks fluent HK Cantonese and I speak fluent English, but we talk to each other in Mandarin. I cannot forget the dirty looks I got when people heard us speaking Mandarin. There was even one time when a restaurant completely ignored our existence and refused to serve us until my father started speaking Cantonese. There is no point in denying this because everyone knows it's true.
I always hoped more integration would make things better, for everyone. But what eventually happened was utterly terrible, for everyone. I remember the day that law passed. I was in Beijing, it was a mundane summer day. But all of a sudden, the sky turned pitch dark, and rain started pouring down, followed by thunder and lightning. Despite all the crap I faced in Hong Kong, I still feel sorry for you.
I am from Hong Kong.
Besides the knwon governmental issues/CPC politics, HK decline is in a large part the own doing of their own people.Back early 2000s and until early 2010s, most older generation, wealthy People focus on finance industry, property speculation, low quality toruist (chinese one u know what i mean). They look down on people who want to move towards high tech/innovation industries. Not care about cultrual development.
Of course the government incompetent also play a large parts. After 2019 and pandemics, All these issues finally comes out.
And 2019 was in large part due to issues from the early 2000s due to uncontrolled speculation of property market, and lata influx of Chinese immigrants (that part government r responsible), lack of upward movement opportunities (the rich and "middle class" control most things)
Hong Konger has the tendency to only blame cpc intervention and incompetent government for the failure of HK (which is well deserved of the blame), but they never blame their own society and their own(especially the older generations mindsey, lack of long term vision and actions).
I remember how in 2000s and early to mid 2010s, if u say u want to do sth other than in the business sectors and services industry, "wiser older generation" would immediately mock u, say u r dreaming, u can't live by chasing ur dream etc
Also most the the elite who work for CPC and part of the elite/in all sort of associated are all influential people/who gain prominent during British time. Yet they r the one who drag HK down with their outdated mindset, corruption, nepotism which they have been doing for years.
Many in HK often think Donald is the best chief executive despite during his time (2000s to early 2010s), it is where most of the social and later structural/Economic issue started. He seems to be a believer of laissez-faire. So he solved none of the issues. And subsequent governments r too incompetent to fix it and the issues r embedded deep that fixing it isn't possible.
Politics wise, pan democrat (especially the long time figure) barely do anything to fight for their cause. In 2014 they barely to anything, which causes localist to rise up and displace them. & onky By 2019 more started to do more for their cause. Aside from some younger figures, most r still trying to sit back. And the distaste against these traditional pan democrats can be seen in 2019 protest. Most protestors don't really want them to get involved,. preferring to fight against the government with their own mean and new organisations.
Most of pro establishment r rubber stomper and good for nothing.
Also If u work in Most more establishing HK companies/work with companies established by HKer, u know they r a pain in the ass to deal with/work in too. Chinese companies is 50/50, dealing with westerners already better. But 1 thing that's sure is that dealing with most HK firm is a pain in the ass.
After seeing all these issues, and with governments, elites, and many of the people (especially wealthier, older generations) refuse to do anything to stop it, and even benefit from it at the expense of younger generation, I already know HK time is up. The pandemics and 2019/post 2019 "reform" only accelerated its downfall.
It’s weird how hong kongers fake the British accent even down to the text level
@@Doggiedogedog??? How do you expect them to type lol like Americans? They learned British English for over a century, of course they use British English
Thanks for the video. It’s funny because I’m a Singapore citizen and my aunt has lived in Hong Kong for many years, and even got citizenship there. I travelled to Hong Kong almost every year since I was born to see her. That was always my favourite time of year and Hong Kong had earned a special place in my soul. My aunt also shared the consensus of the Hong Kong she knew for so long vanish around her. I never understood that fully and how it could push hundreds of thousands of citizens to leave their home country. This video gave me the biggest form of clarity I’ve had since the situation escalated and I can’t help but feel sorry for them. To be effectively cut off from any influence in your country’s future direction sounds terrible and the economy taking a hit due to increase Chinese influence can’t help matters. I
understand better now the plight facing Hong Kong’s people and I can only hope that they continue to fly their flag any way they can. I’m finally returning for the first time since the pandemic and the end of this year and I’m interested to see what it looks like now. See if I as a tourist who only goes there 1 or 2 weeks a year can notice anything different.
The attitude of Hong Kongers has changed since 2019. They are no longer influenced by western media because the National Security Law makes it a crime to report fake news. Now, the HKgers are moving to Shenzhen/Greater Bay Area to buy second homes and live and work because it is cheaper and a lot more opportunities. Even seniors are going back to the mainland to retire.
I was there last year and it's very noticeable, barely hanging on. I have fond memories of the before times, but the vibes, the places that made them didn't evolve, it got swept away.
Alright alright... Let's say the 2019 protests took place in Singapore: These so-called pro-democracy protesters sabotaging the local parliament, setting fire to the metro station, setting up bombs inside a university campus, setting roadblocks to the city's main transport lanes, stabbing policemen with a knife, beating up pedestrian with umbrellas and sticks, killing an innocent worker with bricks and rocks, and the list goes on..
You honestly think the Singaporean government will sit back and watch these brats destroy Lee Kuan-yew's legacy?? Nah.....Hong Kong's national security law today is still not as strict Singapore's national security laws to begin with. It's a joke to claim Hong Kong is dead as a result of 'security risks'😅😅
Exactly. From the Singapore local's perspective, there is no shortage of typical shenanigans you'd expect from the ruling party to try and discredit opponents and gerrymander -- this is common in many countries regardless of type of rule.
But Hong Kong's future is only being written by one source with Constitution amendment bending over backwards to accomplish it, and there is no guarantee of fair trial nor hope of appeal if shit hits the fan.
Even if 99% of their rulings were to be fair (spoilers: really not even close), if any of the criticisms against the Party came with risk of the secret police whisking you away into a limbo state just like SG's controversial internal security law allowed in the '60s (or Soviet KGB stuff if you prefer)... no one will have confidence in impartiality of law anymore.
This is why many Singaporeans were baited into supporting in principle the pro-CCP media tune of 'but we have plenty of restrictive rules and emphasis on law and order in SG and that is good for us!'.
Most in SG are used to a benevolent law and order out of the goodwill of those in power, and don't understand the nuance that separates the brand of SG's order which is a generally pleasant and fair success despite some degree of controversy, and China's demented 'law is optional' version.
Quick edit -- my opinion against SG's version of internal security law is quite mild, considering they have been doing what they claimed for a long time: just keeping the archaic laws from general 'kiasu' cowardice not wanting to be the politician who abolished something with averse unintended outcome--this is normal SG-brand politics given the circumstances.
It was something the people agreed they could live with in the '60s to avoid a Communist revolution in SG, and now we don't support having this back-door in this era anymore. Simple back-and-forth debate in a democracy. Not the irony of people getting arrested without trial trying to raise awareness about itself.
I, a little man born after the handover in Hong Kong, didn't see the prosperity of this city. SARS in my early childhood, followed by the financial crisis in 2008. The city has been occupied by the mandarin mainlanders since then. The central government has committed the Hong Kongers and the rest of the world that we could have a general election and we would be all good for 50 years but they showed their ambition to run the communistic control over Hong Kong, as expected, yet not expected to be that early in 2019.
Me and my relatives, my friends are leaving or has left the city to the west: the UK, Canada, Australia etc. Those who are staying either they can't or they think there is still something holding them, not because they are optimistic to the future of the city.
I don't identify my self as a patriot. However, whenever someone does a video like this, I can't hold my tears.
@Itsuki220 HK failed to uphold their mini-constitution. That is why Beijing had to be involved. Beijings non-involvement is only assumed if HK upholds their end of the bargain.
And the "prosperity" you spoke of was an exploitation of HK being the "gateway" to China when it came to trade. Once China became bigger and more open, HK lost its status as its "gateway" to China. That golden period was merely an exploitation of the times.
Moreover, for the most of HKs history under British rule, there _was_ no election. Yet HK did great. Let that sink in.
@@yerri5567 whatever you say, comrade. how does it feel being a whore for the CCP
港灿NMSL😂😂😂
What is a "Communistic control"? China has not practised Communism since 1979.
Hong Kong's economic decline is due to not cultivating science and tech industries, while China did.
the Hong Kong service industry has also been suffering as many locals prefer to travel to shenzhen for cheaper goods. So not only are large conglomerates moving out, smaller businesses like restaurants are also suffering
I would like to add that in terms of both price and quality, Hong Kong is falling further behind than ever before compared to mainland.
As someone who grew up here, you walk out to the street and most restaurants are unappealing and/or expensive. There’s a severe lack of activities to spend time on. Everything is closed by 9pm.
It is very self-closing and somewhat entitled for HK people to claim that mainland is “stealing business” when most HK businesses aren’t even trying.
@@lieutenanteclipse9975 don't forget the 10% service fee after 6pm
The real impact is from the disappearance of the middle class and spending families. They are no longer in Hong Kong or willing to spend money in Hong Kong. Everyone is saving up for the chance to leave Hong Kong.
Crossborder spending is but a narrative to deny the influence of the wave of immigration.
@@lieutenanteclipse9975 Some Hong Kongers have a very sick self-defeating nihilist mindset. They will jeer whenever things go badly and say China did it to us, and they will shout down anything positive that happens in Hong Kong as propaganda or inconsequential because the bad thing also happened the other time.
If Chinese competition cannot make Hong Kong improve its attitude, then I am really sad to say that my fellow Hong Kongers are mostly incapable of saving themselves and fighting for their survival. They will then sink in the sea, angrily pointing at the land for not saving them.
"cheaper goods". Walmart says hi.
As a Hong Konger, this video made me feel sad. I would like to pay condolence to my home-town😥
Do you still live in Hong Kong?
As a Hong Konger, this video made me angry, but that might not be a bad thing.
As a Canadian, this whole situation just makes everyone feel _so dang_ helpless & well, real angry. I'm so sorry that you & your countrymen are going through this. Hope that you are safe & as far away from China & its monsters as you can get. Stay strong my friend. ❤❤❤
@@Digitalhunny those monsters built your laptop, your shoes, your bicycle, your smartphone...
@@DigitalhunnyYou say this while supporting Israel
What's deeply frustrating is that the businesses that benefited the most from the independent system of hk chose to side with China, and then quiety decided to pack their bags and leave. Businesses have disproportionate control of the city, and chose the worst outcome.
maybe the entire idea and existence of HK was a mistake?
They do not have a choice, do they? They have to openly proclaim that they support the CCP's position to remain in business. But have to leave eventually when they realise they can no longer operate under the current environment.
Because businesses only care about $$$, why did you even put faith into them
That's why private interests should not drive public policy. Voters should be extra wary of businessmen trying to enter politics, because a government's bottom line is not profit but continuity.
@@doujinflip I'm fine with private interests if, and ONLY if, the people of said private organization are your people. Private interests in the westernized nations are bad because it's just jews hiding behind the countless organizations they made, rather than the actual people of whatever country they're in.
It’s heartbreaking to watch. As an avid follower of all of Sam’s channels, and a locally born-and-raised Hong Konger now living abroad and not looking back, I’ve always thought that the story of my hometown would be a great fit for this channel. And now this video has actually happened, it literally pained me to see that notification on my phone and took me three days to actually get around to watching this video. I must say it is one of the best videos on the topic, stating the situation in a matter-of-fact way, and one that elaborated in a clear and precise manner how the ‘hopelessness’ of the situation stems from how the system was established in a way that serves Beijing interest instead of our own. We were never going to succeed, it was clear from the start and on the constitutional papers, but I was still grateful to have lived and participated in the brief moments of resistance, those were moments when we dared to dream that we could make a difference and defeat fate. It is insane how big of a difference a few years can and have made, but we will never forget the true culprits who killed our homeland. I’m grateful and honoured to be born in this city, and to have benefited from the status it once was, received the high level of education and the international cultural exposure that allowed me to settle into my new country with ease. But I will always care for Hong Kong, my hometown, and put every effort into boycotting China state-backed businesses and ventures and supporting every resistance where I can.
Dude has to cry essays about HK to get a green card. Meanwhile the Chinese city and businesses still exist without them.
You are what we called a traitor to your own kind.
incorrect
But wasn't the old Hong Kong not in the same way a system run for the benefit of great Britain?
It was an Imperial dependency after all.
shabi
One of the wildest things for me is seeing old Hong Kong movies and seeing Barristers in full robe and wig in Hong Kong, because they used the British legal system. Such a culture clash, but is such a cool mix of worlds. Hong Kong and Kowloon will always have my interest.
I've seen Hong Kong Chinese bagpipe players wearing Scottish kilts! Obviously the idea of colonies is seen negatively now but I love the architecture and imagery you get in them, like British phone boxes and double decker buses in a tropical environment or Spanish style buildings in South America.
@@jpaulc441 Why not like British style things in Britain? Why does it have to somewhere else? You people are literally insane.
@@NatCo-Supremacist Insane? Im sure he appreciates these things in Britain too, its just interesting to see cultural influences colliding where you wouldnt expect.
@@repippeas I would expect cultural influences to collide where they shouldn't be colliding, though. I'm not sure he appreciates the British culture in Britain at all.
@@NatCo-Supremacist what culture? you mean New Pakistan with Londonobad as its capital?
Hong Kong might’ve only been a semi-democracy for a few decades, but imo the more important factor for businesses to stay there was adherence to predictable laws, which is what I believe Singapore has the advantage in.
Singapore is not at all a liberal democracy, but whenever it acts, it’s with little to no corruption and all the rules are stated outright. To businesses, unambiguity, fairness, predictability, and stability trumps democracy.
Singapore is one of the few countries where the law is above everything. You have to go through the legal way to do something as a business (no backpaying, collusions).
This is bad if you're old conglomerate with connections to the government, but very goo if you're just starting out.
Thing is, you are not winning against Amazon/Google, they will just pay the judge and you're fucked.
Not only that, Singapore will act in its own best interest, so you are guaranteed stability. HK doesn't have a say of its own and everything is decided by a regime 1000 miles in the north that have no experience with what made HK succesfull in the first place. This is why investors go to Singapore instead.
@@MarkGor-x8k That doesn't explain businesses relocating to Shanghai.
Democracy has no guarantee of freedom, fair business, or anything else
@@Alexius1Komnenos it has more of a guarantee that there is more stability. A dictator can change his plans on a whim and nobody can oppose them.
From someone having lived in both HK and the mainland for quite a while: some of the items mentioned here are factually true, many are also wrong, and I would disagree on the overall analysis. A few points below:
- Some of the things presented are also factually challengeable: not an important one but a good example: while indeed the traditional way to drink tea (in both HK and mainland) is hot water + tea leaves, milk tea is extremely popular in the mainland, maybe more than in HK, considering the quantity of milk tea shops in China as an indicator.
- "Western-level of democracy": not true on many accounts. For most of the colonial period, HK had 0 democracy. Only in the mid-1980s was an improvement, most these were more made to bother the communist mainland than by animated by proper willingness to have democracy. It has been described later in the video but would not call this "closer and closer" to the universal suffrage.
- The point on the HK-ZH-MA bridge being more of a symbolic project: not really, just looking at the numbers of vehicles taking the bridge, with more vehicles going from HK to the mainland than the other way around. Besides, key point of this bridge is for the transit of goods.
- Similarly on the West Kowloon Station: "controversial" but widely used in real life by HKers. Having mainland Chinese immigration in HK makes more sense than having 1 border checkpoint in the dozens and dozens of mainland cities the train station services. the arrests at the train station in HK are just the results of the individual being flagged at the border: they would have gotten arrested on the other side if the checkpoint was on the other side as well, so technically not changing a thing.
- Palace museum in HK (also always filled with HKers): what would be the difference between it and the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, or the Pompidou Museum in Shanghai?
- For having experienced the covid pandemic from HK, a quick comment: it was tough and long, granted, but I would not call it a copy of the one in the mainland. A good example is the comparison with Macau, which was really a copy of the Mainland's model, which allowed for traveling between Mainland and Macau, while the border between HK and Mainland remained closed until mid-2023... if it was aligned with the Mainland, then surely the border would have been opened at the same time as Macau. Comparing the death rate in Hong Kong vs Singapore or other countries is also unfair: HK is the place in the world with the highest proportion of elderly and an extremely high densities. The relationship of these 2 factors and the number of deaths is not linear, so it makes sense the death proportion is higher.
- Singapore vs Hong Kong as being competitors is not so much related to the relationship with China, but more, as highlighted, by the creation of a better ecosystem in Singapore, for the below reasons:
1) HK has barely evolved on many aspects for the past 10 years: financial capital of Asia with many places (and taxis) still only accepting cash and sometimes Octopus (transportation card that is used also for payments). Though people speak a better English than the mainland, nothing compares with the English levels in Singapore. City is aging with super high costs for mostly bad apartments (while Singapore is super expensive as well but for much better housing). While when you know HKers personally they are super nice, the average random person in the street is far from being nice... this reduces greatly the attractivity of the city to many foreigners, much more than the National Security Law according to the polls made on the expats community. Granted that the main advantage of HK over Singapore is the nature and presence of so many mountains, beaches and islands to spend time on weekends
2) As far as corporations as concerned, better level of English + better tech ecosystem + physically closer to the new high growth countries of Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia) is much more attractive, especially in a tense geopolitical context with the US, the level of protectionism of the Chinese market and the competition on this market. These are purely business decisions, more than being closer to China
3) Shanghai on so many aspects is a much better choice than HK for most of the China onshore business: better connected (largest port in the world, many rail lines to go anywhere in the country, kind of on the median between North and South), extremely well trained pool of professionals (though not as proficient in English, which is less needed for the growth of the onshore business, but does qualify the city out for some regional offices purpose), much lower operating costs than HK (even if slightly higher tax rate), and personal opinion: much more comfortable to live than HK.
- Real estate market declining: more a correction from extreme heights, one would say. This is also explained by a stall in the salaries of the younger generation in a super expensive environment making is almost impossible for most to afford property and the lack of good housing (most private properties in terms of volume are very old buildings that would be sub-standard both in developed countries but also in the mainland)
Excellent analysis!
100%
A very good analysis, for which many thanks. But one thing you do not mention is the decline in freedom of speech, the right to vote even for local representatives, and the general decline of autonomy.
The salty Hong Kongers in here won’t let your facts and analysis influence their hatred and xenophobia, and desire to simultaneously blame everything on China yet also refuse to do anything about it, claiming “oppression”!! 😂😂😂
Well. I missed HK, lived there for 10 years and grew up literally there, but since the mainland gov. imposed so many laws that are basically restricting our freedom, which is one of the reason for the protest, it just didn't feel like home anymore and we couldn't breathe, so that's one of the reason I had to return back home in Canada. Also, if you didn't know, the HK gov is literally asking everyone to smile to "make it seem like a happier place" now.
Update: not replying to anymore comments. My opinion is my opinion.
@@AdenMills-d9g stop being a bootlicker
@@AdenMills-d9g what a brain dead comment
Why are you saying "our" when you are Canadian?
@@GrigRP what's your point? You love China don't you?
@@GrigRP Technically yes, I am Canadian but have lived in HK for 10 years, and when I'm referring to "our", I meant when I was living there as a resident/citizen as many other people too. I still retain my permanent residence in HK though.
Forgot to mention the replacement of liberal studies to CSD , aka propaganda studies in Hong Kong schools , and as a local , Hk shops and restaurants are also losing big business due to net migration. It’s like the city became ripped from its soul.
im from the west and liberalism SUCKS ( as well as communism) . We are infected with Wokeness and debate on how many genders there are.
As a student that literally just finished my first year with this subject, i can confidently say its a shitshow, especially since most of what we learned in F.4(10th grade) was complete propaganda, and just telling us that China’s policies are amazing, and that OCTS still works. Furthermore, as a subject thats MANDATORY, theres little to no material to use to study at all when time comes to the DSE(basically the SAT or GCSE in HK) in terms of past papers, which if you’ve studied in HK you know students study them religiously. Either way, this subject only teaches about china and not issues internationally, especially now with Art. 23 and the NSL.
There was no liberal democracy in hong Kong until 1991. The British didn’t really take democracy seriously, but you expect China to?
@@the_idiot_destroyerAs someone who grew up at the end of the colonial era, I sympathise both with China’s security concerns in Hong Kong as well as the HKSAR’s own local sh*tshow in areas such as education.
Keep your head up and slog through the dry material, and move on to focus on things that you really want to learn. We’re in a period of transition but those materials have no bearing on your future career, and HKers having good careers is the true mark of success or failure. Don’t let those partisan politics waste too much of your time. HK’s narrow job market is also why I left many years ago. But I come back all the time because I miss the place so much! See you around.
@@aluisious i dont take democracy seriously and i live in an EU country Lmfao. Democracy is an excuse for demonizing opponents and clinging to power. We have democracy on paper mostly. The money and the media are the ones who decide who is going to win elections mostly.
I actually knew a tailor from Hong Kong that came here to Romania, passed away from Covid, a horrible twist of fate, good guy, he told me once "don't let those bastards take your city or they will take your food and burn your house with you in it when they are cold"
Wonder if he endured Mao’s era. Lots of Hong Kongers were from those days, where they might had be penalized for being a business owner or landlord.
@@funpau7549 Yes because a free-ranging tailor that learned skill is a threat, the same BS happened after 1945, farmers and shop keepers lost everything
This is the most absurd statement I have heard so far. You are suitable for writing novels
@@yuan0o-o6s Do you know how many former Hong Kong Chinese fled in the 90s here in Romania, Turkey, France & Britain, some even swearing oaths of fealty to the nation that adopted in,
Trust hard times are the last of our worries,
@@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723 People should look forward, adapt to the times, not live in the past, but in the present. It is meaningless to lament how good the past was, recognize the current situation, objectively view development, and do what they can do. In addition, the media has been smearing China, and you need to understand for yourself the current development speed. Living in mainland China, there will be major changes in a few months, with many new technological things emerging and often astonishing. 'Falling behind will lead to being beaten' is a lesson learned by China, make money now
HK is on her own before 2019 without much interference from China. You can’t blame China, it just because of the shortsighted old generations of HK people. They only chose Property and finance businesses, and took much of the happiness from young generation by high house prices. Learn from Singapore, develop more business like electric tech, biotechnology, chemistry etc…
Meanwhile official claims that democracy failed in Hong Kong.
It was never allowed to succeed
@@PutXi_Whipped no shit, it's being attacked from within and without by autocratic forces and their sympathizers.
@@PutXi_Whipped oh really, it's still doing a lot better than authoritarianism
The fake democracy that overthrows countries into chaos & poverty? No, China won't let that happen to its people.
@@PutXi_WhippedTrue, but because it's been sabotaged from within
I was from Hong Kong, but chose to study abroad after the protest in 2019. Last time I went back there, streets were more quiet, shops closed unusually early. It seemed nothing has changed at all, yet it is dead with its former shell left, with the cog wheels left keep the city running, not alive.
And there’s a “taboo” feeling that people are very cautious of expressing themselves.
Or I call it, too quiet!
Mainland China was similarly much more vibrant until the XJP administration sterilized the whole place.
In 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong. Since then, authorities have arrested dozens of pro-democracy activists, lawmakers, and journalists; curbed voting rights; and limited freedoms of the press and speech. Perhaps you didn't get the memo.
National Insecurity Law.
國惡法。
Former Hongkonger here. It's important to mention that the political unrest started way before the extradition law fiasco. Ever since the takeover, the CCP would basically pre-pick a handful of pro-CCP candidates for HK's chief executive position before HKers get to vote on them. They've also stacked the legislative council with pro-CCP representatives, which is why the government devolved into a form that no longer represented the wishes of the people. Housing cost was on the rise and the legislative council did nothing to stop mainlanders from invest in HK housing and drying up supply for HKers, forcing a good number of HKers to be priced out of HK and forced to move to mainland if they didn't have the means to move overseas. The CCP used all the years before the extradition incident and the security law going into effect to slowly dismantle the democratic system and systematically drive up socioeconomic inequality to force HKers to merge with mainland China, and the rich and famous (people like Jackie Chan, but we HKers think of him as a traitor) became puppets to promote pro-CCP sentiments.
True. Thus can’t understand the comparison to Singapore, which is a parliamentary democratic republic. Hong Kong is just a helicopter dad’s or a control freak mom’s kid.
@@funpau7549 Hong Kong is a former British Colony, and now worse, Chinese Colony.
LMFAO when were you every allowed to vote for the British governor when the Brits were in control?
@@ibcyt At least the district election were meaningful and anyone can be elected. British imperialism wasn't famous for being good, but somehow the Chinese government managed to do worse. There was a good joke running around former British colonies: You know how bad the Chinese are doing when the Hongkongers miss British Governance. Luckily tho, most if not all other former colonies got to vote for their future, going independent or keeping its British status. Hong Kong was skewed.
港灿NMSL😂😂😂
China: no HK don’t you dare protest
Also China: why Taiwan why don’t you love me
China isn't saying either of these silly things. Stop pretending China is hypocritical or dumb, that's just all of you people.
@@NatCo-Supremacist They're literally saying in various ways, just beating about the bush, you wumao
@@NatCo-Supremacist Aight bot (or government employee).
@@NatCo-Supremacist actually that is indeed the viewpoint of quite a lot of mainlanders. Especially pertaining to the Taiwan issue, there are plenty of mainlanders who cannot fathom why Taiwan would want to stay out of the greatest nation on Earth and forsake the opportunity to be filthy rich.
No need to pretend they do not have such viewpoints just to save face.
@@huaiwei I don't think you know what the common conception of the average mainlander in China is on these issues.
Taiwan and HK will be absorbed into China, mark my words
As a Nigerian I know how it feels to have somewhat decent democracy, then watch it fade away slowly as time goes on… praying for both of our ‘countries’ 🇳🇬🇭🇰
It's nice to know a Nigerian who is not pro-Beijing.
democracy never worked in Nigeria , and your country is slowly dissolving under ethnic/religious tensions , and nigerian people have low trust in democracy and politicians because of the continious corruption since independence until today ...
right now , nigeria is in a precarious situation because the government can't even afford a balanced annual budget because all the oil money get stolen by the democratically elected corrupt politicians and officials , and that's why nigeria opted for the easy way which not fighting rampant corruption , but getting loans from IMF
@@ziedyacoub8488fascist sympathizers will always find excuses to not have democracy
@@ziedyacoub8488
are you describing nigeria, or the US?
I recently spent a week in Hong Kong. The last time I'd been was in 2019 and the city has changed a fair bit since then, but it's still very much alive. You can see a clear divide between the official narrative and the cultural reality on the ground: official spaces like the royal palace museum emphasize the unity between HK and China and attempt to blur the line between Hong Kong citizens and mainlanders. Outside of those spaces, however, the city is still incredibly diverse-a clear melting pot of cultures that bears all the evidence of colonialist rule, including great pride in their individuality, unique history, and singular cultural identity. And natives of Hong Kong still distinguish themselves and their history from mainland China. While I saw a lot of publicly backed propaganda, I also saw a lot of new community and privately built spaces that sought to preserve the history and traditions of Hong Kong.
Anyway, I say the international community should not give up on Hong Kong just yet. Because if we do, there truly is no hope.
I think it's worth some thought. Propaganda works both ways and there is no way to argue about HK with someone who has the preconceived notion "China = bad". Pragmatically, HK is the same for everyday people as it was in 2018.
@@thistamndypo I would say that some things are the same. Some things are different.
Thank you for mentioning the people that still try to preserve genuine Hong Kong history and culture amidst the increasing hardship. They deserve recognition for their passion and love to the city.
You've been very observant and you wrapped up the cultural characteristics of HK in a very accurate way!
That’s a scarily accurate description coming from a tourist! You have elaborated it better than me, a local Hongkonger. Thank you for your support!
Taught in Shenzhen China back in 2019 - 2020. I was told by the school to never talk about Taiwan, Tibet, or HK. Students would try to get my opinion on the subject and it was always awkward.
Why do you think they asked you that? Serious question :^o
@@Arausitabecause Chinese think foreign teacher would mislead the students.west help them independ while Chinese think they are all belong to china
If you don't let people vote at the ballot box or in the street then they'll vote with their feet and you'll lose all your best people.
Many of the people who left were far from being “the best”
@@Larry-Lobster yeah, no one wants to keep thugs who throw bricks at people and block roads all day
There’s also been a significant talent drain with regards to high quality jobs such as doctors and pilots.
Medical schools here have been loosening requirements, as well as airlines here.
A lot of cadet pilots here lack professionalism, and basic English proficiency. And the same goes for the next generation of doctors here.
It’s not livable here unless you live with family.
Brain drain is the definition of your best people voting with their feet, happens everywhere that has garbage enough government that people don’t see a future there. The people with the resources to leave and set up shop in another country are consistently the ones with valuable skills that aren’t getting paid their worth
@user-tr1zj While research shows otherwise, the ones leaving are the ones having the highest education backgrounds.
To everyone who don’t understand the reason why many Hong Kongers left. The PRC or China passed the “NSL, National Security Law” which means that if you go anything to overthrow the government whether doing protest, showing slogans, Chanting about Free Hong Kong, “YOU CAN FACE LIFE IMPRISONMENT”. The PRC consider it as a terror ism act.
Do you indicates that US or UK do not have the National Security Law?
@@UserbabalababaThe NSL in the US and UK do not repress peaceful protests as much but they are still awful.
@@aphilosophicalnaturalist6245 Oh, Peaceful prrotest. So you mean it is preaceful protest for those protesters in Hongkong who killing police, innocent people, and destory subway station, train, universities?
Hong kong was such a cool place in the 90s, it was vibrant, diverse and full of energy.. Last time I was there, it was.... not the same. I'd still recommend visiting if you've never been there before but if you have seen it in the 90s you'd be dissapointed..
Thank you for publishing this. Also quite a coincidence that it's more or less the 5 year anniversary of the summer when our protests started. This was a great video and a great reminder of what we had been fighting against.
The extradition law, right? That was the last time 1+ million people protested. And the law was cancelled, so the protesters went home.
Or are you talking about the riots that came afterwards?
As a Hong Konger, I can say this video is a very accurate portrait of the past and current situation. It is very sad to witness this in person but thank you for bringing this issue to the world.
You are welcome in the UK
@@hc1324-m7wThat really means a lot to us coming to the UK. Thank you!
The fall of Hong Kong is an extreme capitalism which made the economy over rely on financial, property and tourism sectors. The 2 political rivalries only focus on ideological arguements, but lack of deep review of all social problems. Unaffordable property price has annoyed the city for 20 years but no solutions, citizens worry about their living standard every day and night which hindered innovation and creativity, coz everyone want to play safe and the cost of losing is too high which will ruin your entire life. Not to mention the aging problem and lack of mobility for the youth.
Was it really that slow or quiet? The umbrella revolution and then the "national security act" in 2019 with the incredible public support and now the massive backslide in democracy since
HK sold its citizens on behalf of large corporations, eager to sip some juice from the mainland, get lower interest loans and go for a large market next door.
The youth in HK has been disenfranchised politically due to the concentration of wealth among some groups. As that tale said, Money is power after all...
@@naervern2107
> "HK sold its citizens on behalf of large corporations, eager to sip some juice from the mainland, get lower interest loans and go for a large market next door."
I like you how you say this and then somehow blame the mainland, as if the British weren't doing the same thing before 1997, and then didn't enshrine business rights into Hong Kong's constitution.
@@flyerton99 the mainland did stuff and it's hard to argue against that, but to your credit, I did recognise the stage left by the Brits as being the facilitator for what followed - the second paragraph of my comment.
@@naervern2107 The entire Western business world skipped Hong Kong and went into the mainland China market directly, along with the HK business elites.
However Hong Kong locals choose to govern this city has substantially no effect in overturning this massive trend around the world.
it is quiet cuz we cover our mouth now and just mind our own business, not the place. it is slow cuz the place is slowly bleeding out but it wont die or collapse at once. people keep leaving i think we have negative population growth for a few years now.
Quote from a reply from Chinese forum. In 1949, they made Hong Kong a great city. In 2019, they made Singapore a great country.
Sam, good work on the topic and the video.
My 2 cent as a HKer who left over a decade ago, and something no one outside of HK would ever know and understand:-
The middle aged and senior people in HK are selfish to their own benefits, and stripped everything the youngster deserves, diverse and international opportunities, fair pay that support ownership of housing and family formation (the HK birth rate speaks for itself). This is short sighted. The short sightedness led to their demise and corruption. CCP orchestrated the downfall, and the majority of the HKers who hold the wealth and the say played along.
It would be interesting if you could cover the downfall of the Hong Kong housing market, commercial and retail real estate market, taxi and minibus license market. Humankind needs a recent example of a downfall. A downfall driven by selfishness.
Don’t pretend such things doesn’t exist in the west. From a local who still leaves here. Of course blame game always works better
The short sightedness in the HK government is what many western countries are facing. Democracy seem fair, but it comes with lobbying where rich elites have bigger say in the politics. This would result in really silly policy (E.g US gun laws still havent been fixed)
What does the CCP gain by "orchestrating" a downfall?
Does the CCP make money by clamping down on violent unrest? Making constitutional amendments to sideline the politicians who supported the violence? Keeping Jimmy Lai in jail? Where is the money stream for them that would make them as enthusiastic about ruining Hong Kong as you are implying?
@@alanwong9550 It does exist in the West, worse actually. Give me a like.
@@canto_v12 You need to tell us the truth.
As someone born and raised in Hong Kong, still living here, this video deeply resonates with me. It's difficult to express the sadness I feel watching my beloved city - and yes, I consider Hong Kong my country - going through such challenging times. However, I believe it's crucial for the world to understand what's happening here, and this video does an excellent job of that.
I'm truly impressed by how comprehensive yet accessible this explanation of Hong Kong's situation is. The way it breaks down the changes to our political system, especially the reforms to LegCo (Legislative Council), is remarkably clear. It's not easy to convey these complex political changes in an understandable way, but this video manages to do so effectively.
Living through these changes, I can attest to the accuracy of the video's portrayal. It captures the essence of what's happening in our city in a way that even many locals struggle to articulate. This video serves as an important resource for anyone wanting to understand the current state of Hong Kong.
The depth and clarity of this explanation make it invaluable. For us Hong Kongers, seeing our story told with such accuracy and care means a great deal.
just assimilate with China ? Stop resistanc
Hong Kong is not a country.
HK Egg Tarts are actually derived from Portuguese Egg Tarts that were popular in nearby Macao. They changed the filling to be more of a smooth custard to fit local tastes.
yes, this video is all one big inaccuracy. Sounds like the script was written by someone who has never been to Hong Kong.
The video is full of revisionist history as seen through the lens of a white guy that has never been to China or HK.
I’m British and those egg custard tarts are identical to the ones we have here and definitely look different to pastel de natas so I think Sam is correct
The point is that Hong Kong has big cultural identity alignment with Western societies
HK egg tart is not derived from Portuguese egg tart
We also sell Portuguese egg tart which is same in Macau.
But HK egg tart more derived from English custard TART.
It is not because Hongkong being handover to China made hongkong fall, it is because the rapid developing China cities are replacing Hongkong as a financial and technology hub.
Listening to this retelling honestly triggered PTSD. I spent 20 years living and working in the city which comprised almost all of my adult life. Married a local HKer, have 3 Cantonese and English bilingual children. I was all in for HK. But what happened from 2019-2022 was a hellscape. It breaks my heart at what has been done and is being done to my beloved city. My family and I found that life there was no long quality or tenable and that the children were being punished daily by the policies. We left and had to restart our lives. While this video gives the facts and figures…there’s no way to really articulate what it has been like to live it in person.
where did u move? are u happy with where u are now?
That was true. But people from surrounding region were flocking to HK before the actual signing of the Treaty of Nanking for better job prospects and life. The British allowed most of her colonies gradually to have referendums and most chose to be independent after the WWII as an international trend (and perhaps also because of her declining power). The British treated essentially the same to HK. In fact the HK governor was pushing for more self-governing after WWII too. But Beijing warned the British not to do so or they could “walk over” the next day. I believe that this continued until the 1970s. The recently declassified documents from the UK government recorded all these. As one of the former colonies, residents of HK was never given a chance of referendum as other.
@tekinfomedi Seems that you lack the ability to read. It was because of CCP's interference that the British dared not give HK democracy. The CCP would have simply "liberated" HK.
Thank you for covering this. It’s like the title says, slow and quiet. I feel no one talks about it enough and how many hong kongers mourn the loss of a beautiful homeland
As someone who’s from Hong Kong and has lived here most of my life, it is sad to see the way it is going and to see the projections for what may come of this city, it’s really great that Sam covered this and I’m thankful about it
Hong Kong has never been in the 100 year master plan of CPP if there ever was one. It was like a bastard waiting to be returned to the motherland. XJP lack of understanding in economics might have precipitated what the party has been long waiting for. Of course, this also can be taken in the lens of Taiwan return to mainland. These last years could be just a rehearsal like some pundits explained. The fact is Shenzhen and Shanghai were built to replace Hong Kong way before Covid happened. So the loss wouldn't be too great for China. China doesn't need HK as much as HK needs the mainland. The thing most people are missing is that Hong Kong success was built during this one country two systems policy that saw Mafia laundered billions of USD from Taiwan, Hong Kong into Shenzhen in the 1990 when Deng launched the economic reform. Many families controlled HK. Democracy was but an illusion. XJP hated the influence of a few families on HK destiny and I believe it precipitated his decision.
You’re right, I’m glad there’s someone out there who actually thinks of the problem instead of saying ‘communism is the best’ type stuff.
As an AvGeek, I’ve been a long long long time Wendover viewer, and I never knew I’d be sobbing over your videos. Hong Kong is my hometown and recognizing its slow death by my favorite TH-cam channel.. is heart wrenching.
There is a traditional saying in Hong Kong - wealth does not pass through 3 generations. And here comes the time. Thanks a lot Sam for covering this topic and thanks to everyone staying or leaving. Every decision is tough
a sobering and difficult video, but one that resonated deeply with me. thanks sam.
This is really sad. I remember visiting HK around 10 years ago and it was one of the best places I've seen. I always used to describe it to my friends who didnt go as " London in the tropics" - it was so familiar, yet so different and unique. It really pains me that I wont be able to go and enjoy the city the way I did in the past.
Sadly we felt and feel the same way. 😢
man, i love your video all these years, so informative and content rich, always learning so much from your video. one thing i never expect is to burst into tears watching your video. I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and i am proud to be a Hong Konger, and because of all these, i now moved to the UK to start a new life. Thanks for all the effort to put together this video, not just telling the world what Hong Kong has become, and honestly you helped preserve our true history and story, which has been under never ending attack from China. You are legend.
go away bye
光復香港 時代革命
I was there during the protests in November 2019. Was insanely organized and civil, but also wild. The streets were alive.
Great Video, it truly hurts seeing the city you grew up in and love so much fall into ruins…
Thank you for making this video. I spent my childhood and early teenage years in the once great Hong Kong and now the good days are gone like a dream. My friends left one by one to foreign nations where they would be free to express themselves freely. Whenever I think about the changes happened in the past 5 years it gives me chills.
We are old enough to witness how a relatively functioning democracy would bring prosperity, and yet, we are also the diaspora generation whose memories forever stay in the past.
There SHOULD absolutely be more videos like this as a form of dissent to bring Hong Kong people's plight into the world.
10 years ago: Hong Kong, by far, (economically and socially) was better than Singapore
Today: Singapore is by far better than Hong Kong (economically and socially)
that's saying something because singapore is the "happiest police state on earth". social cohesion is mandatory!
Alright alright... Let's say the 2019 protests took place in Singapore: These so-called pro-democracy protesters sabotaging the local parliament, setting fire to the metro station, setting up bombs inside a university campus, setting roadblocks to the city's main transport lanes, stabbing policemen with a knife, beating up pedestrian with umbrellas and sticks, killing an innocent worker with bricks and rocks, and the list goes on..
You honestly think the Singaporean government will sit back and watch these brats destroy Lee Kuan-yew's legacy?? Nah.....Hong Kong's national security law today is still not as strict Singapore's national security laws to begin with. It's a joke to claim Hong Kong is dead as a result of 'security bill that killed freedom of speech'. It simply took the mobsters under control, that's all😅😅
@@esgee3829singapore is a flawed democracy, hong kong is a hybrid regime according to the democracy index, hong kong is by far the police state, not singapore.
@@90taetaeya Singapore is just full authoritarian if you know how their election works.
I was not born in HK but I was born to HK parents so I feel very connected to the place through heritage and language (I speak Cantonese pretty well) but because of my own political beliefs and morals, after the NSL passed and we saw HKers flee. I decided that for as long as the CCP controls HK, I will never set foot there ever again. It's a sad realisation that the place that holds a special place in my heart is now just a memory but it's the reality of the situation on the ground.
As long as you don't have a HK passport they've no reason to detain you and take your passport away, you're more safe to travel to Hong Kong than those who do. I'd say visit HK while you still can - before everything good is gone.
not like CCP invite you to come right?
@@attackeyebrows3649 I have visited HK multiple times to see family and to reconnect with my roots. My last trip was in 2018 and I will forever treasure the memories that I have of the place but from what I have heard from the ground, the HK that I knew is now nothing more than a memory.
Originally, I planned a trip out in 2021 but the pandemic and later NSL put a stop to those plans.
So now you are working in onlyfans or waiter job in the west😂
@@UCantSeeemeee Is that really the best insult you can think of?
I hope you enjoy that 50 cent.
(Btw, I'm not a waiter or on OnlyFans)
A very, very well-researched video Wendover, I've been a big fan of the channel for years. As a teenager born in Hong Kong who grew up here, it is truly sad to see the change of the city over the past 5 years. Though this video is titled 'the slow, quiet death of Hong Kong', it's really surprising how quickly things have changed. "The destruction of a once-great city out of fear to what democracy could do to Beijing" at the end of the video - really sums up the whole situation.
as someone who was born and raised in hong kong, it's truly sad to see what the goverment is doing.
Yep, gov approved by the father cannot be doing much
+1
As a Hongkonger I am so sad to depart from my home, hope wherever stay or disperse, all of us will be safe.
4:27 minor translation error: when we say 一百零三萬人 in Chinese, we mean 1.03mil people, not 130k
wait, wait, do you hit 10k, then start counting ten-thousands? we have the same thing in Japan (万 = 10,000), with each subsequent set being another 4 digits instead of the 3-digit deliniations found in English (億 = 10,000x10,000, etc)
I guess I know where Japan got that system from now 😅
@@FreedomIII yup, the counting system in Japanese (and I assume Korean too) definitely has Chinese roots, just as the corresponding languages do!
even the kanji (漢字, literally Chinese characters) that represents 10k (万), 100m (億) is the same as 萬 and 億 respectively in Chinese
I literally thought this is a PolyMatter Video
Many love from Hong Kong
Hong Kong never die. Hong Kong spirit and people are most hard work , smart and willing to learn in the world.we will bright and Shine again. Support HK❤️
I visited HK (from the US) in early 2016 because a friend, who visited HK 3-4 times a year for the previous 25 yrs, said that I needed to go sooner rather than later because the CCP was slowly changing it, and HK was losing what it was. I have since been watching stories like this through that lens. HK was a fascinating mix of China and Britain and I wish I would have visited it sooner.
according to TH-cam Hongkong has been in a state of constant collapse for the last 15 years, just like China. Meanwhile they completed a 484m building, built high speed rail and are finishing a 20 billion dollar airport expansion.
@@DominikPlaylists and yet rent and property prices are at an all time high. Local businesses continues to close down. Multiple municipal policies are drafted and pushed without detailed planning and abandoned midway. While China looks to further expanding internationally Hong Kong only back pedals and looks back into integrating with China.
@@DominikPlaylists Where the developer is a Chinese firm with the lowest initial bid plus a long over-budget invoice. It is just pumping Hong Kong money into China's pocket. The extended part of the airport has not been put to use yet.
@@lieutenanteclipse9975 Speaking of expanding internationally, new government announcements suggest that they are seeking financial collaboration with Laos and Cambodia...
I once tasted freedom...I am sorry I cannot finish the whole video cuz my tears wont stop dropping
咋了 舔不了洋就不自由是吧😅
As a 16ys old kid, i cried watching this. Watching the city slowly losing its grace is an incredibly painful thing to see.
Especially I am planning to move to Australia soon for Uni....
I'll miss Hong Kong, the hometown i lost...
As a Hongkonger in my late 20s, it matters a great deal to me to know you "young 'uns" still have critical thinking and continue to be moved by the city's changes. I always remind myself, HK is wherever us Hongkongers are, and will "exist" as long as we keep faith :') hoping you'll "keep a piece of HK" in Australia, and wishing you all the best!
Hey Wendover, I know you are interested in the economics of trains. You should do a video on the economics of locomotive manufacturing. Can be interesting especially when you look at the new battery technology that’s replacing diesel engines. You can look at manufacturers like Wabtec in US. It would also be interesting to see differences in manufacturing for passenger trains vs freight trains.
Thank you, as a Hong Konger, I hope more and more people can realize what HK is going through and what it will be in the future
This video is too pessimistic and doesn't reflect the reality of Hong Kong. While nothing presented in the video is technically false, the takeaways that Hong Kong is "dead" are not realistic. The economy remains robust and is pivoting to the Middle East, there are still strong development initiatives, and the salary levels across many industries are high and stable. The British rule of law (tort) remains and the city remains free from crime.
The HK legislature will indeed be pro-Beijing for the foreseeable future, and extreme political action will not be tolerated. But then it comes down to trade-offs. Could one say that they would rather live in a "democracy" like the US where the rich have control of the government through lobbying, or rather live in Canada where the far left have completely and systematically dismantled the country (poor economy, poor security, poor drug control), or go through uncontrolled cost of living crises in the UK due to poor Conservative policies? It is not clear-cut.
Hong Kong is far from dead. I imagine it will continue to shine for many decades to come.
I've visited HK more than a dozen times from 1987 to 2018, and again in December 2023. HK is not yet dead but far from what it used to be; it feels stale and controlled.
"The British rule of law remains...The HK legislature will indeed be pro-Beijing...and extreme political action will not be tolerated." Do you not see the contradictions of your words? How could the British rules of law be intact if the Chinese controls the HK government with the mainland's authoritarian rules?
@@producer169 I do not feel that HK is "stale and controlled". This is more of a Western narrative seeking to counter the rise of China.
The CCP does not control the HK government. Laws are still enacted and enforced by the HKG. It is more so the CCP sets red lines that the HKG cannot cross. While this is still a form of oversight, it is simply a trade-off to living in a safe and secure society.
British common law systems are still in place which means that for civil and commercial infractions one would still be tried in a HK court of law where the Western legal principles apply.
The only time the Chinese government has bypassed the HK legislature is with the implementation of the national security law. That is the only example of "Chinese control". While the legislative council is indeed completely pro-Beijing, and this is not ideal, a government that tends to enact Beijing-friendly economic policies is completely different from an actual authoritarian government.
@@producer169
I think someone up there summed it up very clearly (if I understood him correctly)
British rule was "do whatever I say, say whatever you want"
Chinese rule is "do whatever you want, but say whatever I want you to say"
Before the violence, China never touched HK at all. Even when an entire generation was taught to hate China, or the first governor single handedly ruined HK, nothing was done. But now when it became violent, which has never been done before, they had to intervene.
To be fair, some democracies made worse national security rules than the one imposed on HK.
And tbh, "Pro-Beijing" parties and "Pro-'democracy'" parties aren't that different in terms of quality. They're all bad. Bring HK someone who has long term sights, and things will be clearer and better.
Glad someone mentioned HK. But this documentary missing the most important fact that HK government starting to arrest activists and close down press with different opinions after the 2019 movement. And that's why HK citizens were silented when CCP passed the national security law over HK
You are attempting to spread falsehoods. The government did not close those press. Those press closed themselves because their leaders were caught being secessionists or being foreign-funded.
Stop spreading lies. HK government didn’t “shut down” any press, those “press” and “freelance journalists” shut themselves down when they or their officers were found financing and organising the violent unrest.
i was just there for 3 months from march to may. it feels SO different from the last time i was there in summer 2018 :/
I just went back to Shenzhen and stayed in HK for 2 days. It makes me sad seeing what HK has become. The vibrant, lively, and energetic HK is long gone. Same as the diversity of the culture. It was depressing. And I honestly cannot see how this can be turned around.
Cap, you haven't stayed here for two days, I know because I return regularly (and am here right now) and it's much the same in terms of daily life and vibrancy. Notwithstanding the issues mentioned in this video, don't spread the extreme narrative that everything good in Hong Kong has vanished.
Trustmebro used 3 synonyms to really cry about the Chinese city being long gone. Just go to another token Asian city dude.
@@shamalandromadaWestern countries are suffering due to inequality. People in NYC are going out less and less since 2019 because of the drastic cost of living increased, same with HK. Theres also the fact that people who visited HK have gotten older and the local party scene has changed. I see the same arguments being said about NYC from transplants or people who visit occasionally. This also doesn’t even take to the account of the newly found negative bias that these people developed for HK in the last 5 years.
As a HongKonger. it hurts my heart watching this video but i genuinely appreciate you for covering this. This feels like looking at history of a fallen country
Except Hong Kong is neither fallen nor a country. Things have changed, which may be difficult for some. But the old economic model of Hong Kong became clearly no longer sustainable, and HK will need to find a new niche and role in order to revitalize itself.
不移民的應該被割韭菜
I was born and raised in Hong Kong and educated in the UK. I love Hong Kong a lot, and despite the changes it has undergone, I have no intention of leaving the city. Hong Kong is my home, whether in times of prosperity or adversity. I want to tell the rest of the world: "Don't judge a book by its cover." Don't just listen to and believe what people or the media tell you. Come and see for yourself. Hong Kong will always welcome anyone from any country because we are all part of one world.
你真係以為你係同一個世界？係絶大部份西方國家都可以批評領導人﹐你試下批評習近平？
Last time i was in HK was 1998. Even 1998 was different from 1997. Can't imagine how different it is now. Sad story.
On the contrary, Hong Kong has profited from the mainland for so many years in the 1960s, 70s, 80s 90s, and even after the colonisers left because of the western trade policies. Today Hong Kong has to reinvent itself and they have to compete worldwide. There will always be those who are not happy and they should certainly leave Hong Kong.
That poor guy who started all this. All he wanted to do was get away with murder and now it's basically killed his hometown.
He’s now living in a taxpayer funded safe house “waiting” for the day when he can be extradited to Taiwan (that will never happen)
He will always be a social pariah, but currently has no want for materialistic pursuits, defended by a former Anglican priest of all people! 😡
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People in Hong Kong are now talking about this video. Get ready for the "5-cents" and the government's "Rebuttal team"...
I am sure half (if not more) of the people claiming to be from Xianggang (its future official name) are just bots.
No one can recognize that name as Hong Kong. Can’t they give it a better pinyin? Guess they have no choice.
I appreciate how this video summarises and describes the situation of Hong Kong rn. A significant change from 2019 to now in Hong Kong is that in 2019, when the china extradition bill came out, everyone was full of anger, especially the young generation. Most protestors who fought with the police were still studying in uni, high schools and even elementary schools. At the peak, there were over 2 million people joining a single protest in a day, there were people from different backgrounds and countries, but all of us chose to stand out and fight bcs we love this city and it’s painful to see how china is corrupting this city slowly. However, rn in this city. Therere no more protests bcs of the new law. Police can arrest anyone without any reason and keep ppl in the station and refuse to let the lawyer enter for the first 48hrs, while suspects can only be stayed in the station for 48hrs if theres no further evidence before and has been extended to a week. All these changes have made us tired, we understood it’s impossible to fight with such a cruel, violent government. Therefore, most ppl chose not to care abt it anymore, we refuse to spend money in hk, to stay in hk, many chose to immigrate, even some who dont, will go travelling on holidays and refuse to spend money in hk. Although we can’t win in a violent war, the financial system is based on the ppl, if we refuse to spend money, the system will eventually collapse one day.
OMG? Corporations voting for their own interests and not the interests of democracy? Who could have ever seen this coming?
I get making labor unions vote, but why corporations? Corporations don't represent the majority of the people.
But corporations represent majority of money and sadly money is power
The most ridiculous bit of this is that a FOREIGN company can vote while a local cannot
There's Lufthansa on the list
The influence of labor unions is just as antithetical to "democracy" as that of corporations. Just look at teachers' unions in the US.
Blame the british for implementing this wacky system instead of universal suffrage
Hong kong is akways city of money... prc seems to killing it... badnfor asia
Although I am not originally from Hong Kong, I have lived here for a long time. I lived here in the mid-90s before the 1997 Handover and from 2004 to the present day. This is a pretty accurate analysis. In daily life, you probably won't notice a huge difference, especially if you're working and just trying to make a living. It feels like a massive difference if you are involved in journalism, law, and politics. HK is definitely changing, and probably not for the better in the eyes of most HK locals.
As a Hong Konger I can confirm this video is legit & 100% true about Hong Kong
This video is basically the sequel of "how kong changed countries" video lol.
Thank you for covering this. We appreciate it very much
As a Hongkonger, it is sad and angry enough just to watch the video, I’m even angrier and disgusted by the Chinese propaganda in the comment section
You're probably also angry at the comments from Hong Kongers who did not support the violent unrest, diluting your narrative. We are no less entitled than you are to express our views and fight for our city in our own way.
@@canto_v12 you are not entitled to express your views if you do not support democracy and freedom of speech, just get the fk out of HK
@@hkpfalldiehahahaha. I didn’t say any of that-you did. All I said was I oppose violent unrest.
Hypocrisy at its finest. Rules for them, not for you. You’d make a good dictator.
@@canto_v12 you don’t entitle to express any of your shit simply because you don’t support democracy and freedom of speech
@@hkpfalldie Again. You are proposing that freedom only applies to people who agree with you.
Never knew how bad things have gotten for HK, I feel awful for all the Hong Kongers having to go through this with how China is slowly taking over, it was always somewhere I wanted to visit when I was younger and I had friends growing up who were from HK who would talk about it to me. I hope somehow things work out better for the Hong Kongers, both for any staying in HK and any who are emigrating to other countries, I hope the people and culture can stay strong even through this shite. I wish you all the best HK.
Thanks for your effort to make a such accurate presentation of Hong Kong's current dire situation. As a Hongkonger, the constant deterioration of Hong Kong's political and economic environment in recent years deeply saddens me. The heartbroken downfall of Hong Kong showcases what would happen after a free society falls into the grip of an authoritarian regime. Here's a clear warning alarm to the world, and hopefully the world will get the message.
Childish comment. Typical communist response to anything. Claiming anything fascist doesn't makes anyone fascist otherwise ccp is more suitable for that term which you ironically use it to defend them@@nullptr3
Regarding the rail line, what they should've done was copy the US customs pre-clearance system found at some airports in countries like Canada. In the Canadian situation, travellers clear US customs on Canadian soil but are still under Canadian law (and RCMP still hold jurisdiction) until they leave. At West Kowloon station, there is a mainland Chinese police station and mainland Chinese law applies past the customs point, despite being on Hong Kong soil. That feels like a vital mistake that leaves room for a lot of bad moves. And to be honest, the US pre-clearance system has worked well for decades and should've been a model to follow anyhow.
It wouldn’t matter, china does whatever it wants to anyways. Us and Canada are 2 different country, vs HK is now part of China.
As a Hongkonger, I can tell how Hong Kong is becoming a city no more ordinary than any Chinese city. The cultural and economic infusion facilitated by the exodus of Hong Kong people to Shenzhen during the holiday season is one good example.
My fiancé moved to HK when she was little and she sadly left in 2019 to become a Canadian, she loves her home but feels odd about it all