How Hong Kong is forever changed

I'VE JUST ARRIVED IN CHINA [MUSIC] EXCEPT  THIS ISN'T REALLY CHINA BECAUSE IF I WANT   TO TAKE A TRAIN HERE IN HONG KONG TO MAINLAND  CHINA IT'S NOT THAT EASY IF I WANT TO GO PAST   THAT TURN STYLE I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET A VISA  SEE YOU CAN WALK RIGHT INTO HONG KONG WITH A   U.S PASSPORT BUT YOU'LL NEED TO APPLY FOR A  VISA TO ENTER MAINLAND CHINA AND IF I WANT   TO BUY SOMETHING HONG KONG USES HONG KONG  DOLLAR MAINLAND CHINA USES THE CHINESE YUAN   AND HERE IN HONG KONG I CAN USE APPS LIKE  YOUTUBE AND FACEBOOK BUT NOT SO MUCH IN   MAINLAND CHINA WHERE THOSE APPS ARE BANNED  HONG KONG LOCALS HAVE EXTRA FREEDOMS OPEN   INTERNET FREE SPEECH IT'S BEEN A SOURCE OF  PRIDE FOR THE 7 MILLION PEOPLE OF HONG KONG BUT NOW ALL OF THAT IS CHANGING ECONOMY IS NOT  DOING THAT WELL HERE UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH OVER   THE PAST FEW YEARS THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT  HAPPENED IN HONG KONG WE HAD THE KOVID AND ALSO A   LOT OF CHANGES IN TERMS OF THE POLITICAL POLICIES  THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING OUT MORE THAN 100   000 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY LEFT HONG KONG ITS  POPULATION HAS DECLINED FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW   THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS  THEY LEFT HONG KONG A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD LEFT WE   HAVE FRIENDS THAT LEFT FOR SINGAPORE MY FRIENDS  THEY IMMIGRATE TO THE UK TO CANADA TO NEW ZEALAND   TO AUSTRALIA TO THE STATES HONG KONG IS CALLED  A GLOBAL FINANCIAL HUB BUT ALL OF THAT IS BEING   THREATENED THAT PRESENTS A VERY NEGATIVE VIBE  FOR US JUST WALKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND   SEEING A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS CLOSE DOWN I  THINK HONG KONG HAS CHANGED IN ALMOST ALL ASPECTS   POPULATION POLITICS CIVIL SOCIETY MANY EXPATS LEFT  HONG KONG BECAUSE THE KOVID POLICY SEES WERE SOME   OF THE STRICTESTS IN THE WORLD AND LOCALS LEFT  BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY THEIR FREEDOMS   WERE SLIPPING AWAY BUT TO UNDERSTAND THIS STORY  YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS HONG KONG IS DESTINED TO   BE FULLY PART OF CHINA ONE DAY BUT THE DEBATE IS  WHEN EXACTLY SEE HONG KONG WAS UNDER BRITISH RULE   UNTIL 1997. THEN DURING A BIG CEREMONY HONG KONG  WAS HANDED BACK TO CHINA'S RULE BUT THE AGREEMENT   WAS THAT IT WOULD REMAIN ITS OWN SEMI-AUTONOMOUS  REGION FOR 50 YEARS THE ARRANGEMENT WAS CALLED   ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS BUT BEIJING DOESN'T WANT  TO WAIT UNTIL 2047 IT WANTS HONG KONG TO BE FULLY   INTEGRATED AND PART OF CHINA SO THE HONG KONG  DOLLAR COULD ONE DAY BE ELIMINATED AND REMEMBER   THAT IMMIGRATION SECURITY AT THE TRAIN STATION  THAT TOO COULD BE GONE YEAH IT'S LIKE IN THE U.S   YOU HAVE PEOPLE SUPPORT TRUMP YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT  DO NOT SUPPORT TRUMP SO IT'S THE SAME HERE BUT   MAYBE THE LIKE IN THE THE WESTERN MEDIA WILL ONLY  TELL THE STORY ABOUT LIKE ON ONE SIDE OF THE STORY   THIS STORY IS PERSONAL SEE I MOVED TO HONG KONG IN  2018. IT WAS THE MOST FUN CITY I HAD EVER BEEN TO   IT WAS A VIBRANT CITY WHERE HE WOULD WAKE UP EARLY  AND STAY UP LATE HONG KONG'S AMBITIOUS ENERGY WAS   EVEN STRONGER THAN NEW YORK'S BUT THE NEXT YEAR IN  2019 HONG KONG BROKE OUT INTO CHAOS PROTESTS BROKE   OUT OVER A CONTROVERSIAL BILL WHICH WOULD SEND  SOME CRIMINAL SUSPECTS TO MAINLAND CHINA WHICH   HAS A MUCH LESS OPEN JUDICIAL SYSTEM THAN IN HONG  KONG THE PROTESTS WERE SO CRAZY THAT ON ONE SINGLE   DAY AN ESTIMATED ONE MILLION PEOPLE CAME OUT TO  PROTEST ONE NIGHT IN LATE 2019 I WALKED BY THIS   STARBUCKS AND SAW WINDOWS WERE SMASHED PROTESTERS  BELIEVED THAT THE PEOPLE WHO OPERATED STARBUCKS   HONG KONG WERE PRO-BEIJING SUPPORTERS THIS IS  THAT SAME STARBUCKS AND I REMEMBER VERY VERY   VIVIDLY THAT NIGHT THESE DOORS WERE SMASHED IN I  MEAN YOU COULD LITERALLY WALK INTO THE STARBUCKS   AND LIKE GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE BECAUSE NOBODY HAD  BOARDED IT UP NOBODY HAD EVEN SHOWN UP THAT SAME   DAY TWO BOARDED UP THIS STARBUCKS IN HONG KONG IS  COMPLETELY SHATTERED AS YOU CAN SEE THE GLASS HAS   COMPLETELY BEEN SHATTERED AND THE THERE'S SPRAY  PAINT THAT SAYS DON'T YOU FEEL GUILTY SIPPING THE   COFFEE AFTER MONTHS OF PROTESTS AND VIOLENCE HONG  KONG DROPPED ITS PROPOSAL OF SENDING CRIMINALS TO   MAINLAND CHINA BUT IT WAS TOO LATE PEOPLE WERE  UPSET I WAS IN HONG KONG WHEN IT GOT ITS FIRST   COVID CASE WHICH MEANT THE PROTESTS WOULD CALM  DOWN AND IN SUMMER OF 2020 BEIJING TOOK ITS MOST   AGGRESSIVE ACTION YET AGAINST THE PROTESTERS WITH  THE NATIONAL SECURITY LAW WHICH BASICALLY BANNED   PROTESTING COMPLETELY AND SAID NO MORE TALKING  BAD ABOUT CHINA AND THAT LAW WAS PASSED JUNE   30TH 2020. I WAS STILL LIVING HERE AT THE TIME  AND IT WAS VERY VERY CONTROVERSIAL AS YOU CAN   IMAGINE IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THE PROTESTS VIRTUALLY  OVERNIGHT DISAPPEARED A LOT OF COUNTRIES ACTUALLY   SPOKE OUT AGAINST THAT LAW INCLUDING THE UK AND  JAPAN SAYING THAT IT TOTALLY BREACHED THE RULE   THAT HONG KONG WOULD HAVE ITS AUTONOMY FOR 50  YEARS CRITICS SAY THE NATIONAL SECURITY LAW WAS   THE NAIL IN THE COFFIN THAT WOULD CHANGE HONG  KONG FOREVER AND SOON AFTER THAT MORE THAN 100   000 PEOPLE WOULD MOVE OUT OF HONG KONG FOR GOOD  MANY HEADED FOR AUSTRALIA OR THE UK THEY WANTED TO   MOVE PERMANENTLY AWAY FROM HONG KONG AND SET UP A  NEW LIFE SOME OF MY FRIENDS THEY LEFT ALSO BECAUSE   THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT POLITICAL STANCE VERSUS  WHAT THE GOVERNMENT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OR   THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT PLANNING FOR HONG KONG  SLOWLY YOU CAN SEE HOW MAINLAND CHINA IS YOU   KNOW INFLUENCING THE HONG KONG AND THEN PUTTING  A PRESSURE AND ALSO THE POLITICS SO I HAD ALWAYS   KNOWN HONG KONG FOR ITS FREEDOM OF SPEECH BUT  SINCE I LEFT IN 2020 THINGS HAVE CHANGED COMING   HERE NOW THOUGH I NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHAT I SAY OR  POST TO HELP UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES I VISIT THIS   BOOKSTORE THE LAST TIME I WAS AT THIS BOOKSTORE  THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE THERE WAS A BIG WALL   OF PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTESTS PAINTINGS AND SIGNS  OF SUPPORT OF THE PROTEST BUT NOW ALL OF THAT   HAS BEEN WIPED OUT THINGS HAVE CHANGED THE MOOD  HAS CHANGED I ASK IF I CAN INTERVIEW THE SAME   CURATOR OF THE STORE AND HOW ABOUT BOOKS AND STUFF  HAVE THERE BEEN ANY BOOKS THAT YOU'VE HAD TO NOT   SELL ANYMORE UH WELL UM I I THINK UM WE WANT TO  EMPHASIZE THAT WE FOLLOW THE LAW WE YEAH BECAUSE   UM YEAH THE LAW IS HAS CHANGED SO WE HAVE TO  FOLLOW SO WE WE DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT YOU   KNOW VIOLATE THE LAW YEAH BUT WE STILL WANT TO WE  WE DON'T WANT TO UM YOU KNOW PUT THE RED LINE BY   OURSELVES AS HE TOLD ME A LOT OF SCHOLARS HAVE  LEFT A LOT OF ARTISTS HAVE LEFT IT ISN'T JUST   US BOOKSTORES BUT SCHOOLS TOO THE CURRICULUM  FOR STUDENTS HERE IS CHANGING SEE NOW THERE'S   AN INCREASING EMPHASIS ON MAINLAND CHINA'S VALUES  AND EDUCATION SYSTEM AND EVEN LANGUAGE SEE MOST OF   CHINA SPEAKS MANDARIN WHILE THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE  OF HONG KONG IS CANTONESE CHINESE WAS TAUGHT IN   CANTONESE SO THE LANGUAGE HERE IN HONG KONG THE  REGIONAL LANGUAGE BUT I THINK INCREASINGLY FROM   THE PAST FEW YEARS IT HAS BEEN REPLACED SO YOU  CAN CHOOSE TO LEARN FROM CANTONESE ON MANDARIN   DEPENDING ON THE SCHOOLS BUT BEFORE AT MY AT MY  GENERATION LIKE MANDARIN CLASS IS ONLY LIKE FOR   ONE HOUR PER WEEK SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT  OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS HONG KONG HAS GONE FROM   CONTRIBUTING ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF CHINA'S OVERALL  ECONOMY TO JUST ABOUT TWO PERCENT TODAY SEEK   TRADITIONALLY A BIG COMPANY FROM LET'S SAY THE US  OR EUROPE MIGHT SET UP HEADQUARTERS IN HONG KONG   AS AN EASY WAY TO ACCESS MAINLAND CHINA AND EVEN  THE REST OF ASIA BUT TODAY MANY OF THOSE COMPANIES   CAN NOW GO DIRECTLY INTO SHANGHAI OR SHENZHEN  AND TO REACH THE REST OF ASIA THEY MIGHT SET UP   IN SINGAPORE OR OTHER CITIES THAT UNLIKE HONG KONG  DON'T HAVE THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE REAL ESTATE   SO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HONG KONG IS JUST GOING  DOWN THE ECONOMY IS NOT DOING THAT WELL HERE YOU   KNOW UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGH PEOPLE MIGRATED TO ALL  OVERSEAS YEAH THAT HAPPENED YOU KNOW IN THE LAST   FEW YEARS I ACTUALLY DON'T REALLY SEE THE PROS  MAYBE THE ONLY PRO WOULD BE LIKE WE CAN GO TO   CHINA MORE EASILY THE THE BORDERS ARE ACTUALLY  THEY'RE STILL THERE BUT LIKE IT'S EASIER FOR   EVEN LIKE EXPATS OR FOREIGNERS TO GO TO CHINA BUT  CONS WOULD BE LIKE UM CHINA IT'S STILL THE BEHIND   THE COMMUNIST PARTY HONESTLY I FEEL FOR THE HONG  KONG PEOPLE BECAUSE I THINK FOR THEM IT'S A LOT OF   CHANGES A LOT OF NEW POLICIES THAT IMPLEMENTED  DURING THE COVET PERIOD THAT CAN ACTUALLY MAKE   THE HONG KONG PEOPLE VARIED ABOUT THE FUTURE RIGHT  BUT HONG KONG IS STILL ONE OF THE EASIEST PLACES   TO DO BUSINESS AND IT HAS LOW TAXES WELL PEOPLE  GET AROUND THE HONG KONG STORY IS THAT HONG KONG   STILL HAS ITS OWN FREEDOM IT'S VERY SAFE HERE WE  OPERATE WITH GREAT YOU KNOW GREAT TAX BENEFITS AS   ENTREPRENEURS BUT HOWEVER HERE IN TERMS OF THE  FOCUS IS NOT TO BE POLITICALLY FOCUSED BUT TO   BE INTENSIVELY A SUPER CAPITALIST MAKE YOUR MONEY  HERE DO YOUR OWN THING IT BECOMES A GREAT CITY OF   FULLY 100 COMMERCE AS HONG KONG'S POPULATION GOES  DOWN SO DO THE REAL ESTATE PRICES THIS IS USUALLY   NOT A VERY GOOD SIGN WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY FLOORS  THAT ARE FOR LEASE I MEAN EVEN THIS LITTLE AD   SPACE RIGHT HERE ISN'T GETTING SOLD ON A SUNDAY  I ARRIVED TO A REAL ESTATE EVENT HERE THEY'RE   ENCOURAGING HONG KONG LOCALS TO INVEST THEIR MONEY  IN REAL ESTATE PROJECTS ABROAD ESSENTIALLY GETTING   MONEY INTO PLACES LIKE THAILAND OR LONDON A  LOT OF TIMES THE SAME DAY OF THE EVENT PEOPLE   ARE ACTUALLY BUYING A UNIT THEY EVEN SHOW YOU  THE FLOOR PLAN THE DIFFERENT SQUARE FOOTAGE THE   AMENITIES SO IMAGINE YOU'RE IN HONG KONG YOU WAKE  UP ON A SATURDAY OR A SUNDAY YOU COME HERE YOU   ACTUALLY BUY A PROPERTY ABROAD ALL FROM JUST THIS  ONE HOUR EVENT KINGSTON TELLS ME THE WAY PEOPLE   LIVE AND WORK HERE HAS BEEN CHANGING DEFINITELY  DEFINITELY ACTUALLY WE SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING   ABOUT WORKING YOU KNOW OUTSIDE OF HONG KONG WE  TALK ABOUT DIGITAL NOMAD THAILAND IS A REALLY   GOOD PLACE WELL HONG KONG HAS CHANGED IS BECAUSE  EVERY DAY WE USED TO BE CONGESTED WITH TRAFFIC   AND NOW THERE'S JUST LESS PEOPLE RIGHT BECAUSE OF  LESS TOURISM LESS PEOPLE AT THE CONVENTION SO LESS   BUSINESS PEOPLE SO IN TERMS OF COMMUTING IT'S BEEN  GLORIOUS BUT WHAT'S NOT REALLY GLORIOUS IS SEEING   WHAT WE CALL GUT POLE WHICH IS THE EMPTY STORES  THAT ARE NOW SHUTTING DOWN SO NOW THAT HONG KONG   IS INTEGRATING INTO MAINLAND CHINA THE GOVERNMENT  IS SPENDING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO CONNECT THEM   AND NOT JUST METAPHORICALLY THEY TRY TO INTEGRATE  US WITH SHENZHEN AND THE SURROUNDING AREA TO MAKE   IT THE GREATER BAY AREA THE GREATER BAY AREA IS  THE BIGGEST EFFORT YET BUILDING THIS MULTI-BILLION   DOLLAR BRIDGE AND THIS TRAIN STATION WHICH  CONNECTS HONG KONG WITH ITS NEIGHBOR MACAU AND   WITH THIS TRAIN STATION IT'S NOW SUPER FAST TO GET  TO SHENZHEN THE MAJOR TECH HUB OF CHINA LOCATED   JUST OVER THE BORDER WITH HONG KONG ECONOMIC WISE  I THINK IT'S STILL A VERY WELL PLAYED LOCATION I   THINK CHINA IS GOING TO PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS  ON THIS REGION OF CHINA SO INCLUDING HONG KONG   AS WELL SO I STILL BELIEVE HONG KONG ECONOMIC  WISE IS GOING TO GO VERY WELL OBVIOUSLY AND IN   TERMS OF POLITICAL STANCE EVERYONE HAS THEIR LIKE  OWN PREFERENCE RIGHT THIS TRAIN STATION WAS MEANT   TO BRIDGE THAT GAP AND BRING HONG KONG CLOSER  AND EASIER INTO MAINLAND CHINA IT USED TO TAKE   ABOUT TWO HOURS TO GET TO MAINLAND CHINA NOW WITH  THIS TRAIN YOU CAN GET THERE IN ABOUT 45 MINUTES   WHEN THE TRAIN FIRST OPENED I'VE TAKEN IT MULTIPLE  TIMES THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY REALLY AMAZING I MEAN   IT WAS FAST IT WAS CONVENIENT IT WAS SMOOTH AND  THINK ABOUT THAT WITHIN 45 MINUTES YOU'RE YOU'RE   THERE YOU'RE IN MAINLAND CHINA AND AT THE TIME IT  WAS QUITE CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME   YOU WOULD HAVE MAINLAND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS  HERE ON HONG KONG SOIL WHICH SOME PEOPLE WERE   UPSET ABOUT BUT IT ALSO SIGNIFIED CHANGES IN 1997  THE AGREEMENT WAS PUT IN WRITING HONG KONG COULD   EVENTUALLY BECOME A FULLY INTEGRATED PART OF  CHINA AND REMEMBER THE PEOPLE THAT I'M MEETING   HERE IN HONG KONG ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CHOOSING  TO STAY HERE RIGHT NOW ALL THE RESTRICTIONS HAVE   BEEN LIFTED AND THINGS ARE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL  AND I DO SEE A LOT MORE PEOPLE CAME BACK TO HONG   KONG AND THEN TO ACTUALLY BUILD THEIR BUSINESSES  AND START THEIR LIFE HERE SO I THINK IT'S GOING   TO GET BETTER I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT  OPPORTUNITIES SO THAT'S WHY I'M SITTING RIGHT   HERE IN THE MIDDLE IT'S EUROPE OR IN THE U.S  THE INFLATION RATES HAVE DRASTICALLY INCREASED   I'M COMING FROM POLAND IN POLAND'S INFLATION  INCREASED BY 20 HONG KONG'S GOVERNMENT HUNGRY   FOR TOURISTS HAS COMMITTED TO GIVING AWAY 500  000 FREE FLIGHTS FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT THE SALARY   IN HONG KONG IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD USUALLY  PEOPLE WOULD THINK ABOUT MOVING TO THE UK OR   EUROPE THE JOBS ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE SO  SECURE HONG KONG WILL STILL HAVE ITS IMPORTANCE   HERE BECAUSE CHINA STILL WANT TO SHOWCASE  ALL THE WORLD THAT HONG KONG IS STILL AN   INTERNATIONAL HUB FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY LIKE GIVE  UP HONG KONG I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN   I'M CURRENTLY HAPPY THAT I'M IN HONG KONG BUT I'M  ALSO LOOKING FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ELSEWHERE.

Channel: Uptin

Views: 176,669

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Id: RF3cYiaa4hY

Length: 13min 20sec (800 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 09 2023