UK extends visa rights to 3 million Hong Kongers

[Sheilbh]

Yeah - Mono's point may describe Hong Kong up to the 80s but that doesn't explain its success for the last few decades.

[Monoriu]

I continue to have confidence in Hong Kong's prosperity.  The real question is who benefits from it. 

[Tamas]

I continue to have confidence in Hong Kong's prosperity.  The real question is who benefits from it.

Well the police are working hard to ensure that gets answered, don't they.

[Josquius]

I continue to have confidence in Hong Kong's prosperity.  The real question is who benefits from it. 

Serious question now that you brought it up though. Don't you worry about the Chinese internet filters being stretched over to HK?
Oh sure, you can always use a vpn, probably do already... But I've also heard the Chinese government has a habit of occasionally shutting down popular VPNs. If they made a habit of that...

[Monoriu]

I continue to have confidence in Hong Kong's prosperity.  The real question is who benefits from it. 

Serious question now that you brought it up though. Don't you worry about the Chinese internet filters being stretched over to HK?
Oh sure, you can always use a vpn, probably do already... But I've also heard the Chinese government has a habit of occasionally shutting down popular VPNs. If they made a habit of that...

Internet filter would probably endanger HK's financial status much more so than the National Security Law.  Beijing understands that. 

No, I don't use VPN. 

[HVC]

I continue to have confidence in Hong Kong's prosperity.  The real question is who benefits from it. 

Serious question now that you brought it up though. Don't you worry about the Chinese internet filters being stretched over to HK?
Oh sure, you can always use a vpn, probably do already... But I've also heard the Chinese government has a habit of occasionally shutting down popular VPNs. If they made a habit of that...

Internet filter would probably endanger HK's financial status much more so than the National Security Law.  Beijing understands that. 

No, I don't use VPN. 

But the more HK becomes China why would it keep it financial status over the long term? At least Macau has its gambling to keep it special.

[Monoriu]

Because it is in Beijing's interest to keep HK's financial status.  The majority of foreign capital flow into China still goes through Hong Kong.  Beijing has tried many times to build an alternative financial hub, and so far it has failed. 

[HVC]

It might actually work now. Hasn't worked in the past because HK was a viable, stable, alternative. That isn't the case anymore.

[Monoriu]

It might actually work now. Hasn't worked in the past because HK was a viable, stable, alternative. That isn't the case anymore.

Hong Kong is still the best place in China for a financial hub.  Maybe a little less attractive than before, but people will still pick HK over say Shanghai as far as financial services go. 

[Sheilbh]

It might actually work now. Hasn't worked in the past because HK was a viable, stable, alternative. That isn't the case anymore.

Yeah I mean Hong Kong will still be better than any Chinese city. The bigger threat I think is Singapore.

[Monoriu]

It might actually work now. Hasn't worked in the past because HK was a viable, stable, alternative. That isn't the case anymore.

Yeah I mean Hong Kong will still be better than any Chinese city. The bigger threat I think is Singapore.

The problem with Singapore is that it isn't China.  Hong Kong's greatest strength is stock listing of Mainland companies.  They will choose HK over Singapore and Shanghai.  They may choose New York or London, but now that the US and the UK don't get along with China anymore, more companies will choose HK. 

[Monoriu]

As far as stability goes, I think the National Security Law will help. 

Stable places are either democratic or autocratic.  Hong Kong is somewhere in between, and that's not a recipe for stability.  There is a written promise to go democratic, something which the government has no intention of fulfilling.  The people want to go democratic, but the government want to go the other way.  It was a stalemate in the past two decades.  The Law confirms which direction HK will go, and that, in the long-term, will reduce uncertainty. 

[Duque de Bragança]

It might actually work now. Hasn't worked in the past because HK was a viable, stable, alternative. That isn't the case anymore.

Yeah I mean Hong Kong will still be better than any Chinese city. The bigger threat I think is Singapore.

The problem with Singapore is that it isn't China.  Hong Kong's greatest strength is stock listing of Mainland companies.  They will choose HK over Singapore and Shanghai.  They may choose New York or London, but now that the US and the UK don't get along with China anymore, more companies will choose HK.

Not being China is also one of Singapore advantages. 

[Monoriu]

It might actually work now. Hasn't worked in the past because HK was a viable, stable, alternative. That isn't the case anymore.

Yeah I mean Hong Kong will still be better than any Chinese city. The bigger threat I think is Singapore.

The problem with Singapore is that it isn't China.  Hong Kong's greatest strength is stock listing of Mainland companies.  They will choose HK over Singapore and Shanghai.  They may choose New York or London, but now that the US and the UK don't get along with China anymore, more companies will choose HK.

Not being China is also one of Singapore advantages. 

Sure.  But if you were the party chief of say PetroChina or the China Construction Bank and you want to go public, do you tell the Politburo that you want to list in Hong Kong or Singapore? 

[Duque de Bragança]

It might actually work now. Hasn't worked in the past because HK was a viable, stable, alternative. That isn't the case anymore.

Yeah I mean Hong Kong will still be better than any Chinese city. The bigger threat I think is Singapore.

The problem with Singapore is that it isn't China.  Hong Kong's greatest strength is stock listing of Mainland companies.  They will choose HK over Singapore and Shanghai.  They may choose New York or London, but now that the US and the UK don't get along with China anymore, more companies will choose HK.

Not being China is also one of Singapore advantages. 

Sure.  But if you were the party chief of say PetroChina or the China Construction Bank and you want to go public, do you tell the Politburo that you want to list in Hong Kong or Singapore?

Depends if tax fraud, embezzlement of public funds enter into account.