Hong Kong 16 Years Later: One Country, One Dictator, and Not Even Close to Two Systems

Thursday July 04, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The people of Hong Kong celebrated their takeover by China (1997) with yet another protest and call for democracy. The day when the PRC began its "one country-two systems" takeover seems ages ago; the promises of democracy in twenty years seemed no closer to realization as well. As a matter of fact the Hong Kong experience has been the opposite.

Beijing has continued to meddle in the affairs of Hong Kong; it insists on controlling the majority of seats in its law-making body; it insists on appointing a Beijing man as chief. And as for benefits, all the people of Hong Kong have seen are the "locusts" coming across the border from China to grab up hospital space and other privileges. And of course there has been the Beijing professor telling the people of Hong Kong that they are running dogs of the West. They should stop complaining about the bad manners and uncouth behavior that Chinese practice on the streets and on the MRT. Ironically of course protesters in Hong Kong are saying that they would rather go back to the more benign colonialism of the UK.

Anyone want to take any bets on whether the "ungrateful" people of Hong Kong will have their promised democracy in the next four years??

And as a further insult to the intelligence of Taiwanese, who won their democracy as a result of a hard fought struggle, some are advocating that they should consider the great "one country, two systems" model. Go figure.