not really, it has a western judicial system so it's a safe place for international companies to park their companies while doing business with China

but its importance has waned over the years, and now with the erosion of its judicial independence as we approach 2047, it'll become less a hub and more just another Chinese city (but with good financial infrastructure)

It's gone down significantly since the early 90s

1993 = 27% of China's GDP
1997 = 18.4% (after reverting back to China)
2019 = 2.7%

They've dropped 90% of their overall GDP importance to China over the past 26 years

Forbes: How China's Economic Boom Eclipsed Hong Kong [Infographic]

"Back in 1993, Hong Kong's economy was more than a quarter the size of China's. It had a GDP of $120 billion, more than many industrialized nations, while Chinese GDP was approximately $445 billion, according to the World Bank. Fast forward to 2018 and the emergence of megacities such as Chongqing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Chengdu and Harbin has powered the country's GDP to $13.6 trillion. While Hong Kong remains a key Asian economic powerhouse, its GDP now stands at just 2.7% of China's - $364 billion."

Reuters: How important is Hong Kong to the rest of China?

"The size of Hong Kong’s economy may only be equivalent to 2.7% of mainland China’s now, down from 18.4% in 1997 when it reverted to Chinese rule, but the territory punches above its weight due to its world-class financial and legal systems."

Like it or not Hong King’s economical status and western countries taste for the city is due to its ability to tap into the mainland market. Something Taiwan lacks.

I don’t know what count as success for a revolution but this has considerably fast forward china’s complete take over of Hong Kong.

Before the revolution you are free to print all the anti governmental material you want.

Now it’s officially outlaw. I would say as a honger you have considerable less freedom (legally) than before the revolution. Adding to the complete and total destruction of the city’s economy.

Who won here? Not sure. But it seems like the biggest loser here is the Hong Kong people themselves.

Actually CCP started kidnapping HKers who were doing that. That's what started this whole fucking thing.

HK people, and the rest of the free world, were ALWAYS going to lose, once the handover agreement was signed. This just sped things up. And because China depends on them, they will lose too. The whole world lost, and could have been avoided if the CCP had just stuck to the agreement as promised. If they started doing this shit in 2047, it might not be so ugly since the HK people don't really have the legal grounds to stand on. Not many free countries would support that kind of revolution. The way they're doing it now, they just literally ignore the legal grounds. The free world will support people fighting against that.

China had plans to take over the world, is it too late to stop them? If they still depend greatly on exports, then probably not. If their plans were to develop Africa to become their new source of exports, then it's probably too early for that.

I think China’s world domination plan is to target the poorest countries and region and lift them out of poverty the same way they did with their own people.

Freedom by economic vs the freedom by democracy employed by west.

Only Time will tell if this will work.

If these countries see how they treated their people after "lifting them out of poverty" they may prefer to stay in poverty LUL Or at least something in between. I doubt many people WANT to live under oppression if they have the choice.

I think Chinese people will start to realize it too; only so much information can be blocked for so long.

And once all this money disappears, they will be looking for reasons why.

If you are able to rule with tyranny because of strong economy, what are you left with when the economy disappears? Just tyranny like before. Chinese people may not have a lot of information available to them, but they aren't stupid cowards either. And I think the free thinking world will help them if they want it.

I still dunno where you get the idea that Chinese people have no idea what going on in the country. If chinese people wanted to gave up the economic propensity for the same kind of of freedom the west has. They would have over throw this dynasty By utter force long time ago. If anything the coronavirus May have damage china’s reputation on the world stage. It has strengthen their own people’s unity.

The money isn’t disappearing that the issue. China is on track to overtake US in terms on GDP in no more than 5 years. With the current messiness of USA’s democratic environment. It might take even less time.

And we are talking about it utter poverty here. The so call freedom we treasure means dogshit to someone that can’t even get clean water.

Thinking freedom > eating is such a first world point of view only us with food in the belly can spare the energy to ponder about.

Anybody else following the CCP’s first real attempt at an “Democracy” within the country. Looks like they are release a country wide system to report unjust laws, and to suggest changes the system.

Will see how this actually works out. But I thought it’s interesting they are release this system now.

They may not have to give up economic prosperity if it's taken from them. When that happens, what are they left with? All of the bad, none of the good.

And I'm sorry you took my joke about poverty seriously. I thought the smiley would have given a stronger clue that I was joking about it.

My main point is, you can only step one peoples' throats for so long before they stop accepting it. Especially if they can no longer live a comfortable middle class lifestyle. China lifted their grip around the throats for the 2000's but are now crushing down harder than ever. You're right, we'll see what happens. Hong Kong may be a small preview sample, which is why china is risking everything to try to put an end to it ASAP. HK never even had a true democracy in their history, and look how hard they are fighting for it now.

It all seems eerily familiar.
The world would do good to recall what happened the last time it allowed a tyrannical government to continue to defy international law to amass its power for attempted global domination.
Those democratic countries thought it wise to wield the pen over the sword then as well.

In case there's doubt that this stops at Hong Kong...
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/poli...-reunification

It begins

US looking at imposing the same tariffs on HK as they do with China. Also, US Secretary of State no longer considers HK an autonomous region.

Good. they should all bar any of the DAB , pro-government official and their children who blame foreign influence on HK as the cause of this new Law. Chances are, a lot of their kids will have to leave US colleges/work.

Well they did it. China threw it all away, because they kept "losing face" when HKers would boo their national anthem. The entire world is in turmoil because of jealousy and bitter hatred towards free thinking. Can't wait until 2047 to ruin Hong Kong, giving the rest of the world a chance to adapt. They have to do it right now. Can't admit that a bad virus started spreading through Wuhan, that would make them "lose face". Better cover it up until it becomes a problem everywhere...

I used to think China had an action plan to become a world leader - build the economy, build up Africa, and be the top power in the world. Not necessarily "take over the world" but be important. Be a country that others have to and want to work with to progress as society. Aside from politics, I wouldn't mind that really. I obviously have no issue with Chinese culture or their people.

However I have realized that they really have no idea what they are doing. They are basically turning into North Korea right before our eyes. They are overwriting Chinese culture with CCP culture. They are throwing everything away, all in order to "save face" and have the appearance of power. It's actually batshit crazy if you think about it.

I know there are people here who think China can do no wrong, because a lot of people got rich. Maybe family members went from being poor to being rich. Don't know, don't care. Keep those comments to yourself please, because so far no good counter points have been made. Just excuses.

beijing wants to take retaliation against UK for extending rights for overseas passports LUL

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...nterfere-trump

Tell China to send all their overseas university students in UK back to China.

UK loses tons of tuition money, and lots of rich brats will whine to their CCP parents about how they don't want to be stuck in China at home.

I’ve been waiting for some updates in this thread. The whole Hong long security bill thing sounds mental

Edit: carry Lam sounds like a fucking idiot

The line "This is purely an internal matter and no one has the right to interfere" is infuriating because it is telling how shitty they treat people and see humanity as a whole.

It's akin to saying "Yea, I beat the shit out of my wife and kids at home but that's my internal family issue"

Isn't that what the Amish and a bunch of wackjob churches try to do in the US?

PRC Foreign Ministry spokesperson trolling America on twitter


Is this real life? WutFace

(btw twitter is banned in China, so technically they don't even expect their people to ever see this)

foreign diplomacy with Chinese characteristics

Gotta admit though, that was a hilarious response.

haha so true

many chinese friends whom I knew never use twitter / facebook / whatsapp at all. Intead they use the filtered wechat where they considered as "news"

Countries getting together, with a bi-partisan (hell multi partisan) alliance on how to deal with China moving forward. This way, it's not just a bunch of voices shouting in all different directions...