Following the success of the ‘pictures of babies in civil service offices’ idea, lawmakers come up with new exciting suggestions: some all-patriots are proposing that young people should be able to draw on their MPF funds for down payments on overpriced tiny apartments. The idea was floated back in 2017. Officials were not keen then, not least because it would simply push the cost of supply-limited homes even higher. But maybe they would find that attractive now. Developers would love it. The MPF fund managers would hate it. So for the rest of us – mixed feelings.
From LinguaSinica, more on Beijing-backed newspapers’ criticism of Johnnie To…
“Film censorship is a common practice in many countries,” Ta Kung Pao wrote, defending the growing censorship regime that has seen numerous films banned from public screening since Beijing imposed a national security law on the city in 2020. On Monday, its sister newspaper Wen Wei Po (文匯報) interviewed the chairman of the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA), who told them that the industry’s recent downturn had nothing to do with censorship. “Those who make normal films won’t feel any restrictions,” he said, “only those that badmouth Hong Kong will say there’s no freedom of expression.” The MPIA, as a litmus test of their loyalties, earlier warned its members to “think twice” before attending Taiwan’s Golden Horse film awards.
The solution to To’s troubles? It’s simple, according to the Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po: produce movies that the government would like to see. “The film he should have made is The Gangster Jimmy Lai!” (黑社會之肥佬黎) they suggest, referring to the founder of the pro-democracy Apple Daily (蘋果日報). Lai has been in jail awaiting trial on national security charges since 2020, while his newspaper was shut down by authorities the following year.
Also in the newsletter – for those who want to keep up with these things – lots on the latest ‘Several Somethings’…
The “Two Creates” — referring, respectively, to “creative transformation and innovative (creative) development” (创造性转化和创新性发展) — are the means by which China’s culture has endured for thousands of years. It is through these “Two Creates” that traditional Chinese culture is still around to serve as the “soul and root” and realize the Two Combines in the New Era ushered in by Xi Jinping.
Are the “two combines” what farmers in China wish they had as far as equipment?
“Developers would love it. The MPF fund managers would hate it.” Would this mean those that are denied access to their MPF funds for doing such traitorous things like emigrating abroad might have a “backdoor” way to accessing their money as well as showing a smidge of patriotism: buying property in HK??
I imagine there would be horrendous conditions attached:
1. You can buy, but you cannot sell (for 10 years or something like that);
2. Sign a declaration of loyalty to the party;
3. Swear an oath to remain in Hong Kong;
4. Surrender your BNO passport;
5. Hang baby pictures in your new home;
6. Play more ‘badminton’.
In terms of “two combines”, refer to #5 and #6…