As doors to China open, will Taiwan become another HK?

China Post ^ | 09/06/2013 | China Post

[TexGrill]

Is Taiwan falling into the same predicament as Hong Kong, in the sense that it is also being threatened by some of the major problems that the former British colony has faced since returning to Chinese rule? Some Hong Kong residents obviously think so. A few hundred pro-democracy activists ran an advertising campaign in newspapers in both Hong Kong and Taiwan earlier this week, demanding that unpopular Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying step down because of his failure to solve these problems.

They also warned Taiwan of the risks of opening its doors wider to China. They said for Hong Kong, Taiwan is the “last fortress” defending democracy, and “without Taiwan, Hong Kong's existence will become meaningless.”

That is both a great compliment to Taiwan's democratic institutions and an indictment of President Ma Ying-jeou's China-friendly policies, which the pro-democracy Hong Kong activists imply are being implemented at the cost of Taiwan's fundamental values — both political and social.

Whether or not their observations and apprehensions are founded in reality, the campaign does reflect the people of Hong Kong's increasing affection for Taiwan.

Back in the 70s, Hong Kong residents knew very little about Taiwan, except for, perhaps, the fact that it was ruled by the Kuomintang, that there were “Alishan girls” and that its beef jerky was delicious.

But times have changed. The number of Hong Kong tourists has been rising fast in recent years and their understanding of this island republic has also been growing in depth.

[TexGrill]

Global business tip

[2ndDivisionVet]

Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea are already the main economic engines in that region, with the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia developing.

[GeronL]

I was saying that if China wanted to knock down one of its competitors and remove some US troops from the region it would just topple the commies in North Korea.

A hastily united Korea would probably impoverish Korea and remove the pretense for US troops on the peninsula. Not only that they could probably get a promise from Korea not to put any Korean forces north of the ‘38 to boot.

[TexGrill]

I like that idea.

[ckilmer]

The problem is that the Chinese are looking to slowly annex north korea over time. the north koreans are supine and the chinese like it that way.

Any unification of Korea would come at the loss of Chinese direct power on the penninsula because north korea would be energized by their countrymen and family from the south and push a potential competitor to China right up to their border.