It is likely a mistake to believe the folks in HKG, those who choose to remain, are either cretins or are not able to move. Any moderately middle-class HKG family can secure 1-1.5M USD and move anywhere they might choose, as long as they have the skills / merit to make do.
It is similarly likely a mistake to believe communism is thriving in China.
It perhaps is the worst mistake to believe that the leadership of China are less capable or caring for the greater good of the people than any other governing authority.
Mathematical logic should easily pierce the misperceptions but not accounting for unsupported bias, and that is what likely happened in the recent Alaska monologues.
(1) Re <<Why would anyone want to move to Hong Kong permanently unless they were forced to for business purposes?>>
I am guessing ...
(1-i) government of HK is small, and minds its own business, mostly, and effectively, and that be fire & public safety, emergency services, public part of the healthcare, education, and such same systems
(1-ii) food is good
(1-iii) climate okay
(1-iv) schools are good
(1-v) taxes are zero for everything except on-shore salary and on-shore profit
(1-vi) regulations are simple and therefore clear (our tax form is one page filled out for one by the government computer, because it is only on on-shore salary) and as I only take dividends from on-shore activities and work active off-shore I have not seen a tax form in eons, like never
(1-vii) investment / capital gains, dividends, interests, premium, etc etc incomes are tax-free
(1-ix) do not need to renounce and can legally hold as many different flavours of travel documents as we might be able to carry, plus pack
(1-viii) free to vote with feet at anytime without suffering indignities and depravity of exit taxation
There might be more reasons but above ought to be sufficient for most freedom seeking sorts.
Plus, better, we cannot be sued frivolously, because loser pays all cost, and we are allowed to ask for dates without danger of #MeTo
Oh, almost forgot, no inheritance tax.
IOW, we are free.
(2) Re <<Even I wouldn't want to experience the totalitarianism of China's government. That's not freedom to me and I am very liberal, some would say a Democratic socialist.>>
Am unsure you and I are speaking of the same Hong Kong. You might be referring to the protestors that is serving duty to keep the governing authorities in check. We wait to see Team USA taking the lead on your version of protestors 2020, and am guessing 2022, 2024.
(3) Re <<I only mention this because I have literally spoken to thousands of Cantonese in NYC and they all cited the Chinese government take over as the reason they moved out of Hong Kong. And I wouldn't argue with them then and I certainly cannot argue with them now.>>
Some of them over there might be having second thoughts, and some I know are anguishing over the obstruction placed before them to get rid of Team USA travel papers, willing to spend 7 figures to extricate.
The problem with China China China narratives is that much does not stand up to delving.
(4) Re <<Freedom is a good reason to move to another country>>
First and second order detailing might clarify further what be freedom.
Firstly is capability to move to another country unhindered by originating country, and unlike the USSR, China / HK both allow emigration without fuss and certainly without insulting exit tax.
Secondly is the capacity to gather wherewithal to emigrate and explore. Hong Kong is fantabulous for gathering wherewithal.
(5) Re <<As for the Cantonese designation, it was meant to apply to all citizens of Hong Kong and Guangzhou>> I figured as much. I noted the Hakka designation to make clear that your general designation mask detailing that might be important, and to highlight Hakkas everywhere and that the world needs more Hakkas.
(6) Re <<At this point, I am sure there are lots of people who use to live in Mainland China who now live in Hong Kong. And I am sure some are communist sympathizers and quite tolerant and forgiving of China's rule.>>
Likely a mistaken belief, because the mainlanders come to Hong Kong to partake in the goodness that is Hong Kong, and therefore must help to protect Hong Kong, and enough realise that protection likely does not mean setting fires to subways, disrupting schools, attacking old people on streets, and deadlocking the legislative process. Such people are setting up political parties to protect Hong Kong.
IOW, the CNN, Fox, WSJ, NYT, WaPo are all wrong.
It is not a surprise to me that there be so little sympathy for the nativists and fire-bombers and their enablers here in HK even as many appreciate their effort to help maintain the balance of nature. All very Zen / QiGong / Tao.
(7) Re <<All I am saying is that the free-spirited Cantonese with $$$ left a long time ago because they knew the Chinese take over would not suit their lifestyle and values.>>
Comparing the Cantonese of NYC to same in HK likely would show the former, relatively speaking, has no $$$.
When I was 15 in 1975, I was asked what I wished to do once independent, I responded, "live next to the ocean in HK and work (to transform) China" - did and doing that, suiting my life style and values, maintaining free-spirit, and whilst do not know about $$$ but should do okay in the longer run, as still running.
If NYC is gold, then HKG is bitgold, for now, as freedom-seeking folks pile in - I just hope our paltry real estate inventory can take the strain of the crush of people.
UK offered up 300,000 immigration pass to HK, but the takers are too few even for the MSM to make hay.
Given that HKG has a very extremely liquid real estate market, since forever ago, and very liberal immigration regime (fly in, register company, show wherewithal, sponsor self to live here, or, alternatively, based on merit, secure a job, and move right on in), our real estate price is in truth a market price for freedom, and on that score, freedom doing fine in HKG
hongkongfp.com
HK$459.4 million Hong Kong flat sale sets new Asia record
The onset of tokenisation allowing for partial ownership of real estate asset class might do very interesting things for freedom-seekers and freedom-defenders
scmp.com
 |
