Category Archives: Blog

Sesame Street over the last 20 years was brought to you by the word ‘heavyweight’. As in ‘pro-Beijing…’. The South China Morning Post reaches yet again for the trusty compound noun to categorize property tycoon Peter Woo, whose inconsequential remarks are … Continue reading →

Before the handover: government officials appeared live on stage with rock bands… …and almost looked born to it. Today: government officials cover up statues of Queen Victoria with tacky banners… …and then wet themselves like panic-stricken weasels and change their … Continue reading →

Flicking through my bedside copy of Aliway – Alibaba’s glossy manual of corporate culture – I find inspiring tales of employees’ heroic achievements. The cloud services personnel who protected international leaders from cyberattacks, boss Jack Ma’s globe-trotting and advice for … Continue reading →

Hong Kong’s Handover 20th Anniversary celebrations officially begin with surrealist performance art on a scale worthy of Bulgarian installation artist Christo. I’m not thinking of activists draping a black shroud over the tacky Golden Bauhinia… …meaningful and heart-warming though it … Continue reading →

To make the week complete and wish everyone a very merry 20th Hong Kong Handover Anniversary, former perhaps-recently-exhumed Beijing official Zhou Nan cheerily suggests re-education for Hong Kong people who stubbornly refuse to keep up with the latest, brand-new, wacky, who’d-have-guessed-it? … Continue reading →

The Communist Party demanded dullards who can’t do much but will do it unquestioningly – and they got them. Even fervent pro-establishment figures struggle to sound enthusiastic about soon-to-be-Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s cabinet line-up. The lady’s own glowing descriptions of … Continue reading →

In case you didn’t notice – too busy eagerly preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the handover, perhaps – Chinese officials are bombarding Hong Kong with a new series of their ever-popular ‘You Are Worthless and Powerless Ingrate Scum’ … Continue reading →

The South China Morning Post asks why Hong Kong’s soon-to-be Chief Executive Carrie Lam is apparently finding it so hard to assemble a ruling team that is even vaguely fresh. The paper quotes various lawmakers and academics about the local … Continue reading →

Hong Kong’s next Chief Executive Carrie Lam announces that she has finalized her team of top officials. Rather than find fresh talent, she has decided to be ‘practical’ and go for fellow veteran bureaucrats. To such similes as ‘faster than … Continue reading →

That rumbling noise in the distance is an avalanche of clichés heading our way. The international media’s nostalgic reminiscing about that rainy day 20 years ago – the Union Flag being lowered for the last time, Prince Charles taking the … Continue reading →