While traveling thru Hong Kong and Guangzhou I talked to quite a few people about politics. The age ranged from 30 year old taxi driver to 80 year old friends of my in laws. Their politics range from conservative to liberal, democratic ideals to socialist leanings. Interestingly nobody, even in China, was afraid to speak their mind. In fact nobody I spoke to endorsed communism. Conservatives believe that Hong Kong's youth are wrong to protest about lack of freedom. They point out that life is so much better now and the youths never went thru the hard times under British rule. The conservatives don't endorse communism but believe that HK has more freedom now than under colonial rule and that protests are just bad for the capitalistic economy. Ironically, I heard old people in China say that despite the improvement in the economy of the country, they do not forget how the cultural revolution caused great pain and suffering in the past and that young people tend to forget that!
But regardless whatever political beliefs they have, everyone I spoke to think that Trump is bad for the U.S. and the world. Some of the words, among others, they use to describe him are incompetent, immature, stupid, and immoral. Young or old, they all shake their heads when I mentioned Trump. Given what happened at the G7 summit this weekend, I think the HK and China's take on Trump will be universal. His only friends will be Saudi Arabia, Russia and some other dictators.
Most people I talked to still admire the U.S. despite Trump. Most still believe that the U.S. lead the world in innovations and that HK and China still need to learn from the U.S. There were a few that ask me if everyone in America carries a gun. They don't understand the gun violence in the country. They don't understand how such an advanced country can be so uncivilized. I can't defend the U.S. in this except to say that not everyone in America has guns and that there are many who are against how easy it is to obtain guns.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
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Did HK have a different feel to you than in other times? I can't believe things are better there with the Chinese government overseeing things. It doesn't surprise me that most if not everyone you spoke with didn't think much of Trump. I will say though, that relations with China are strained because of his stance on things. I'm sure he looks like a bad guy in the eyes of the Chinese. I do wonder where the people who his daughter and son in-law were trying to deal with stand or think of Trump. It would be interesting to poll business people who have the ability to gain because of a Trump administration. Money talks, but sometimes you still do business with people you think are immature and incompetent.
ReplyDeleteI just finished watching the documentary on PBS about the Chinese Exclusion Act. It was pretty good and interesting. There are some parallel things from the past that are happening now, so we have not learned from our mistakes it seems.
-LBOAYM
I don't see much difference in HK compared to 10 years ago. I think all the day to day things in HK are still run by HK people. The Chinese government generally does not interfere unless there are big protests. I don't think there is blockage of internet and in the hotels you can get CNN, BBC, Japanese, German, France and Australian stations. The top English newspaper in HK, The South China Morning Post, is now owned by a mainland Chinese tycoon. There has been some rumpling about SCMP of being afraid to criticize China. But from what I read during the time I was there, SCMP seems to be on the liberal side. That could be for foreigners consumption. But obviously the overwhelming majority of its readers are not foreigners but intellectual HK Chinese. So right now, I would say that it does not appear that China is controlling the English press at least.
ReplyDeleteI did not rub elbows with any rich people who maybe doing business with the Trump family! There are also, I am sure, people who would buy things because of the Trump name. But these types of people are far and few in between. I can see where Tump's "America first" plays well to his base. Xi Jinping's goal of making China the number one power also plays well with a lot of people in HK. But while most Chinese I talked to think that Trump is dangerous to the world with his tough rhetoric, they believe that Xi's use of soft power such as the Belt and Road Initiative, will help the world.
I will try to see the documentary. I think for all Chinese who are against illegal immigrants from Mexico and other places, they should watch this and see the parallel.