Category Archives: Blog

You can always tell when a hyped-up fad has jumped the shark and started to plunge into inevitable oblivion: the Hong Kong government establishes a mega-bureaucracy with responsibility for it. Accidentally perusing the classified ads on Saturday, I spotted a … Continue reading →

As curbs on speech and other freedoms loom after the Andy Chan/FCC lunch, an interesting question: What cost should Hong Kong pay to make Xi feel safe? The article goes on to say: “…it seems impossible for [Beijing officials] to … Continue reading →

Who in Hong Kong can fail to be impressed by former Chief Executive CY Leung’s limitless energy? (By ‘energy’, we mean ‘volatility’, which is in turn a euphemism for ‘thin-skinned, frenzied, simultaneously-tormented-and-tormenting, mouth-frothing, tyrannical wacko berserk-ness’.) The Communist Party-idolizing half-Transylvanian … Continue reading →

That ugly popping noise coming down from Kennedy Road yesterday afternoon was the sound of blood vessels bursting at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs office. Andy Chan’s remarks (also here, pix here) at the Foreign Correspondents Club didn’t cover … Continue reading →

Storm clouds and pro-Beijing protestors gather outside the Foreign Correspondents Club ahead of Andy Chan’s subversive lunch talk. Meanwhile, a reminder of how former Chief Executive CY Leung started the Hong Kong Independence scare/meme/fad. And for acrobatics fans, a South … Continue reading →

A South China Morning Post column attacks the ‘cult of expertise’ behind the MTR’s scandals and related cover-ups and responsibility-ducking. The word ‘expertise’ is of course ironic. MTR Chairman Fred Ma and Transport and Housing Secretary Frank Chan are in … Continue reading →

Each step in the Mainlandization of Hong Kong is too small to warrant a major fuss. Political prosecution of demonstrators? It’s a few kids. Disqualification of lawmakers? They could have read the oath properly. Erosion of legislators’ powers? Tedious details. … Continue reading →

Beijing’s attempt to halt pro-independence activist Andy Chan’s forthcoming talk at the Foreign Correspondents Club is turning into a more glorious mess that anyone dared expect. A South China Morning Post columnist breaks with the party line apparently out of … Continue reading →

A distinct extra whiff of shoe-shine is in the air, as Chinese Communist Party apologists plead for the Foreign Correspondents Club to see sense and bar Hong Kong National Party activist Andy Chan from speaking there. The South China Morning … Continue reading →

Most thinking people in Hong Kong probably already have an opinion on the Andy Chan/Foreign Correspondents Club controversy. You are either pro-free speech, or pro-Communist Party/anti-troublemaker. But in case anyone was undecided, along comes former Chief Executive CY Leung, determined … Continue reading →