Hong Kong youths

As the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover draws near, Hong Konger Thomas Chan reflects on the changes that have taken place over the last few years and the real and pressing issue of residents, especially the young, drifting away. Most are seeking better prospects abroad in a wry turn of events from a time when the city was viewed as the land of opportunity. Now, amid dreary skies and Telegram alerts announcing yet another citizen-police chase, the city stands forlorn as it watches its people leave.

Hong Kong’s incoming Chief Executive John Lee has nominated the next batch of senior officials, who have been duly appointed by China’s State Council. Many “new Hong Kongers” are gradually making their way into politics through various channels, facilitated by the central government in Beijing, who are not satisfied with the pro-establishment camp in Hong Kong. But can these new Hong Kongers show that they have the interests of all Hong Kongers at heart?

The Hong Kong government has announced that it is considering blocking Telegram in response to doxxing content on the social media platform. The app has also been accused of playing a key role in facilitating social and democratic movements. But if Hong Kong bans Telegram, will that be the city's first step towards conforming with the mainland’s internet censorship rules?

As the pandemic drags on with the new Omicron variant, Hong Kongers’ mistrust of the government is far from concealed. Some of them have taken to “resisting” government efforts in containing the pandemic. They, for example, have stopped using contact tracing apps or provided false information. Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing reports.

Two presidents of prominent universities in Hong Kong have tendered their resignations in quick succession. Were these simply out of personal reasons or had they more to do with their stance on political issues in Hong Kong? If this trend continues, will we see more candidates with mainland Chinese backgrounds taking the helm at top Hong Kong universities? Zaobao’s China Desk finds out.

With a strong push by the pro-establishment camp, the Hong Kong government has made a breakthrough in legislative efforts against discrimination against mainlanders. But negative feelings did not happen overnight. With increasing mainland arrivals over the years, Hong Kongers have been feeling that their space, rights and even property are being encroached upon. Without solving the underlying issues, will legislation improve the situation much?

Amid taunts of being a “malignant tumour” by Chinese state media and being effectively blacklisted by Hong Kong’s education bureau, the Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union (HKPTU) has announced its dissolution. While it is a professional organisation, it has long been associated with being a pro-democracy advocate. Is the HKPTU among the long line of those to fall in Beijing’s efforts to “cleanse“ various Hong Kong sectors? Who will be next? Zaobao’s China Desk finds out more.

The Hong Kong national security law was implemented in June last year, not least to quell the wave of protests that had taken hold of the city. And indeed, it is clear that the new law has worked to restore order. But Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing notes that the peaceful situation may not extend below the surface and more needs to be done to tackle deep-seated issues.

Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong has said that Hong Kong should only be governed by “patriots”. Zaobao journalist Tai Hing Shing asks: How do we tell apart the patriots and the pseudo-patriots?