Sam's Club Muscles its Way into Hong Kong

Sam's Club will extend shopping and delivery to Hong Kong

Hong Kong retailers will have massive competition coming soon, as warehouse megastore Sam's Club, owned by Walmart, will begin offering online shopping and delivery services, with free delivery for purchases over 599 yuan (US$83).

"So far there has not been online shopping for Hong Kong people. There will be a roll-out of such service with direct delivery within two months. But customers need to be a member... and memberships can't be shared with others," an employee familiar with the matter said.

The membership offers a one-year membership for two people at 260 yuan, while a premium membership at 600 yuan offers more benefits.

HKers already shop in Shenzhen for deals

The news of this retail development had some industry observers describing it as "a retail crisis".

Many Hongkongers are going north on the weekends to shop at Costco and Sam's Club already, and the latter's new service will make it even more convenient to take advantage of really cheap goods, from toilet paper to snacks and electronic goods.

The first Sam's Club outlet in China opened in 1996 in Shenzhen, and today it was 44 shops in 25 cities across the country.

Economist Simon Lee Siu-po, an honorary fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Asia-Pacific Institute of Business believes Sam's Club's new service will be a severe blow to local supermarket chains and HKTVmall, an online shopping platform.

"Sam's Club's offering is bulk purchase with cheap deals. With online shopping and delivery for Hongkongers, they no longer need to stock up food or necessities in local stores," he said.

People buy snacks, toilet paper, electronic goods

"Supermarkets and online platform HKTVmall will be hard hit. Coupled with internal troubles, this will be an aggression from abroad. I am afraid this will cause a retail crisis in Hong Kong."

He believed the only way to protect the local retail industry is to impose a sales tax.

Indeed HKTVmall has already taken a big hit -- its net profit fell 78.65 percent to HK$45.3 million (US$5.8 million) last year from HK$212.2 million in 2022.

In March company vice-chairman Ricky Wong Wai-hay predicted a fall in local consumption amid weakened sentiment.

"In parallel with the influence from the external and global economic and political environment, we anticipate a decline in the local consumer market... growth as in the past will be unlikely," he said.

It's going to be a tough road ahead for Hong Kong retailers. Local residents just want the cheapest stuff they can get as their priority; supporting local businesses has gone out the window...

Statistic of the Day: HK Students Contemplating Suicide

Some 2.8 percent of student surveyed had suicidal thoughts

It's tragic to discover thousands of primary and secondary students tried to commit suicide in the last school year.

The Department of Health released a survey of 233,000 primary and 97,000 secondary pupils, asking them about their growth, vision, hearing, psychosocial health, and behaviour.

In the results the department found 2.8 percent of the children reported thinking about committing suicide in the last academic year, while 1.3 percent -- or almost 4,300 -- said they actually attempted to take their own lives.

Chinese University psychiatry professor Sandra Chan says the resumption of face-to-face classes after the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in increased emotional stress among students.

"You can easily see that in the real-world situation when students' academic demands are rising, especially in the post-Covid [era] and when schools actually are catching up on schedule and the curriculum that they have missed in the past few years... You can imagine the kind of adjustment coupled with academic stress," she said.

Chan said more needed to be done to make mental health services more accessible.

"There must be some multi-level collaboration to prioritise mental well-being as part of the core education initiative, so that will help our family and students address their needs and use the resources available. The priority really is to have policies at school level, at health care level to make these resources accessible and trusted."

While catching up on academics and having difficulty in performing well on tests may be one issue, the other is how the school system has evolved to include more national education, seeing friends and relatives leaving Hong Kong and wondering what hope they have left for their future in the city.

Children are very sensitive, and their emotions need to be recognised and addressed... unless the government doesn't think they are the future of Hong Kong...

Hong Kong Policy Address A Buffet of Words

A record-long policy address with few highlights

Yesterday Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu delivered his policy address in the Legislative Council, which took him a record three hours and 22 minutes to deliver -- sitting down.

One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, compared this number to the statistics of runners in the 2023 Standard Chartered Marathon. It seems 377 runners were faster than Lee giving his speech.

CE supporters wore green ties and scarves

Another observation was that the pro-Beijing camp wore green neckties or scarves as a show of solidarity with the chief executive.

Some critics described the policy address as lacking focus, comparing it to an all-you-can-eat meal.

"It is like a buffet dinner, it needs a theme such as Tasmania Oyster or Argentinian steak to attract diners. If the investment theme is about everything, it is hard to attract investors," said Simon Lee, co-director of the International Business and Chinese Enterprise program at Chinese University.

Centrist lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen described the policies for the welfare sector as "putting old wine into a new bottle."

"It seems like the city leader copied and pasted welfare measures proposed by different parties and NGOs to his policy address. You cannot see a well-designed strategy, with timetable and priorities, presented inside the blueprint," he said.

Tik says Lee's speech on welfare had no strategy

One policy that shows how out of touch the Lee administration is, is the attempt to boost the city's birthrate by promising parents of newborns will be given a one-off amount of HK$20,000 and would be prioritised for subsidised housing (as long as they don't make more than HK$62,000 a month).

Compare this proposal with Singapore, which is handing out the equivalent of HK$62,000.

Does Lee not know how much it costs to raise a family, or how much rent is these days? HK$20,000 is a drop in the bucket and will hardly push the birthrate up...

Insatiable Demand for Yo-Yo Ma

Ma returns to Hong Kong next month after a 7-year absence

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be performing in Hong Kong on November 8 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, but demand for tickets to the concert is so intense on the secondary market that they cost as much as HK$17,000 (US$2,170).

The last time he was in Hong Kong was in 2016, which may partly explain why fans are willing to pay premium prices to see him -- though now local audiences are also competing with wealthy mainlanders in the Greater Bay Area who are more than able to shell out.

Ma (left) performed in Hong Kong in 2016

"Bay area billionaires want tickets," a source said, referring to Beijing's initiative to combine Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong into an economic hub.

Tickets were originally sold out on August, and now some people are trying to profit on the demand to see the virtuoso live. 

"If a fan pays HK$17,000 for a concert ticket, he or she may be better off by buying an air ticket to fly to the United States, book a nice hotel and join his concert," remarked Hong Kong cellist Eric Yip Chun-hei. 

Originally the tickets ranged from HK$480 to HK$1,980 and the concert is to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Chinese University. Ma has a personal connection to the university, as his late uncle, Li Choh-ming was its founding vice-chancellor, and the cellist also received an honorary doctorate of literature by the university.

Ma with pianist Stott

However, Ma's fans will have another opportunity to hear him as he will be performing two days earlier on November 6 in a duet recital with pianist Kathryn Stott at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Tickets for this concert go on sale October 18.

There will probably be yet another mad rush for these tickets...

HK Libraries Censor June 4 Books

Libraries have removed books related to Tiananmen Square

This year marks the 34th anniversary of the June 4th massacre, and should we be surprised that in Hong Kong, people cannot hold a candlelight vigil for the fourth consecutive year, and now they can't read about it in libraries anymore.

Practically any book or documentary related to the Tiananmen Square crackdown have been pulled from the shelves due to national security concerns.

But critics worry this is yet another sign of the city becoming closer aligned with the mainland, and that the free-flow of information for which Hong Kong was known for is fast disappearing.

Chu says the move impacts government credibility

Simon Chu Fook-keung was the former acting director of the city government's archives from 1999 to 2003. He said the censorship of books was not uncommon in many places, but to remove them from the shelves without explanation could have consequences for government credibility.

"If a government cannot even convince its people why certain books -- including those apparently non-political -- are banned, it might have difficulties in winning trust on other issues," he warned.

However, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said public libraries had well-established policies when it came to book selection. 

"I'm also sure that safeguarding national security is high on the agenda of each and every individual department and bureau," he said.

Government auditors have asked public libraries to step up efforts to root out works "manifestly contrary" to national security.

Previously Chinese media reported 149 works that dealt with the events of June 4, 1989 were available in libraries, now almost all of them are gone. 

Ma's novel is still available in the library

One of the few relevant books still on the shelves include Beijing Coma by Chinese-born, British writer Ma Jian. The English-language novel published in 2008 is censored in the mainland, but still available in five city libraries. Perhaps because it's fiction?

A 30-year-old who was interviewed by a reporter at the library and asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said they feared children in the future would question if the crackdown had actually happened if they could not find out about it in libraries.

Ma Ngok, a political scientist at Chinese University who specialises in local elections, said the continued removal of books would affect the city's reputation.

"Hong Kong has been known for its free access to information in the past decades. Are the ongoing moves by authorities contradicting their own goal of 'telling good Hong Kong stories'?" he said.

Sadly the crackdown on what can and can't be read in the city continues -- no one know when or if it will end. Eventually the libraries are going to be empty...

Frustration Boils Over HK Govt's Covid-19 Restrictions

Everyone wearing a mask while crossing the street in Central

After seeing the rest of the world open up and resume their lives post-Covid-19, Hongkongers are agitating for some semblance of normalcy too.

A recent survey has found 70 percent of Hong Kong residents believe the government should further relax Covid-19 curbs, while about half are against having a vaccine pass for children aged five to 11.

Interest in getting vaccinated has dropped off

The survey was conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong between September 29 and October 14, interviewing 705 residents above the age of 18.

While it's a tiny data set, it does give a good indication of how people feel about Hong Kong being in a state of limbo. People must wear masks once they walk out of their homes, scan the dreaded LeaveHomeSafe app anywhere they go, and are constantly told to get vaccinated.

Here are the highlights of the survey:

38.5 percent of respondents were infected with Covid-19 this year;

52 percent said they had never contracted the virus;

62 percent said they were not worried about being infected;

68.9 percent believe the government should relax anti-pandemic curbs, while 10 percent prefer the measures to stay;

Less than 5 percent support further tightening the rules;

Respondents tired of scanning QR codes 

49 percent do not support the government's move to extend coverage of the vaccine pass to children aged five to 11;

56 percent are against forced mandatory vaccination on elderly people in care homes.

Many people complain about the effectiveness of the LeaveHomeSafe app, while others have said they traveled abroad without wearing a mask and didn't get infected -- so they are frustrated having to mask up when they are back in Hong Kong. 

Here in Vancouver there is a slight increase in people wearing masks, not quite half, but they are young and elderly, concerned about the Omicron variant that is spreading here now. They are wearing masks mostly on public transit and in enclosed areas like libraries and shops.

It's an informed choice people can make rather than it being forced on them -- British Columbia health officials feel they can only strongly advise people to wear masks in indoor spaces because a mask mandate will only cause more resistance to comply.

However across the Pacific in Hong Kong, everyone is forced to be compliant which only makes them grumble even more -- behind their masks!

NSL Indoctrination Begins

University students must now pass a class on NSL to graduate

The Hong Kong Education Bureau is making sure students are learning about the national security law with university students having to take a non-credit course on the subject in order to graduate.

In an email sent to all University of Hong Kong students on Monday, students must enrol in a course titled "Introduction to the Constitution, the Basic Law and the National Security Law" from the 2022-23 academic year.

HKU will offer the course in September

The HKU course will be taught online with a "self-directed learning approach" -- whatever that means.

"Students will have the flexibility to take this course in any semester throughout their period of study and there is NO NEED TO ENROL in this course during the upcoming course selection and/or add/drop period," the notice says, adding students just need to pass the course without further details.

It's not just this university but also the other seven that will launch or have already started offering national security courses.

Ming Pao reported that the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University will begin offering the NSL course the upcoming school year.

Baptist U has incorporated NSL in seminars

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Baptist University, the Education University of Hong Kong, Lingnan University and City University of Hong Kong have already incorporated national security content into their curriculum in the format of seminars and workshops, according to Ming Pao.

But don't think that young children have escaped the opportunity to learn about NSL -- the Education Bureau has collaborated with the Security Bureau to create picture books for pupils in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools "to raise the sense of national security," said Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin.

"... [the Education Bureau], together with the Security Bureau will gift all secondary and primary schools, and kindergartens, a picture book titled 'Our Country, Our Safety', and introduce a sense of national security and raise students' awareness and sense of responsibility of maintaining national security through various themes and real-life examples."

Wonder what examples Choi has in mind...

Kindergarten pupils to get NSL picture books

She added the EDB will also provide subsidies of around HK$50 million for secondary and primary schools, and HK$10 million for kindergartens to promote reading. 

Ostensibly reading NSL-and patriotic education-related materials...

Is He or Isn't He?

Xi has yet to announce if he's attending in person or not

Hong Kong has had over 1,000 Covid-19 cases a day, today there are over 1,700. The Centre for Health Protection has warned it could go over the 2,000 mark soon.

It seemed the chances of Chinese President Xi Jinping coming to Hong Kong would be slimmer by the day.

So it was very surprising to the territory that a few hours ago Xinhua announced that Xi will attend the 25th anniversary of the handover celebrations and swear in John Lee Ka-chiu as the next chief executive.

Chan (left) and Tsang have tested positive

The key word is "attend", as it was not clear if he would come in person, or participate virtually. Zoom, perhaps?

Originally guests attending the event would have to quarantine in the hotels near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre for seven days, but that has been cut to one day, but not the battery of PCR tests.

It was also reported yesterday that incoming chief secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and constitutional and mainland affairs minister Erick Tsang Kwok-wai both tested positive for Covid-19. 

There were concerns that Chan may have infected Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor as he spoke to her on Monday, but the media was told that both were wearing masks and at a distance from each other so she was not considered a close contact.

No Penny's Bay for her...

Leung advises swearing-in ceremony kept simple

Infectious disease expert Leung Chi-chiu of Chinese University says it's hard to tell how quickly Chan and Tsang will recover and if they can attend the July 1 ceremony.

"Because most of our senior officials have been undergoing Covid-19 testing regularly, their recent positive tests might indicate that they have just developed the disease. For that, because of the new onset disease, it's difficult to tell at this moment whether their disease course will be short enough to have completed recovery by July 1," Leung said.

He suggested that the ceremony next week be kept as simple as possible, and everyone have their masks on and avoid mingling too much. 

But back to Xi... what are the chances of him actually coming in person next Friday? 

John Lee to Decide Hong Kong's Pandemic Fate

Hongkongers are vaccinated enough to open to the world

Hong Kong's Covid-19 case numbers are rising again. Today it logged over 850 cases, but one of its government advisors on the pandemic says the city is in good shape to open up its borders.

Professor David Hui Shu-cheong of Chinese University says Hong Kong's high vaccination rates means it could be less strict about international arrivals -- perhaps shorter hotel quarantine times or even do away with it altogether -- but it depended on what incoming Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu had in mind.

Hui says Hong Kong is ready to open its borders

"Currently we have achieved reasonably high vaccination rates so we do have the capacity to reconnect with the outside world," he said. "However to a lot of people, opening the border with the mainland is also very important -- they have business there, they have families there -- so I think the new government has to renegotiate with the National Health Commission on the criteria for reopening the border and then work out from there."

Hui played down the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, saying it was not surprising since social-distancing measures have been relaxed. He added there are more people being vaccinated and the infected cases were mild.

So what will it be, Mr Lee? More strict quarantine measures till at least 2023, or finally opening up to the world to ramp up Hong Kong's economy?

Meanwhile incumbent leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is so glad she doesn't have to deal with all of the frustrations around the pandemic, the constant arrests over the national security law, and having verbal jousts with reporters anymore -- she will finally be relieved of her duties on June 30.

Lam will be relieved of her duties in weeks

"Everything comes to an end. I feel greatly relieved... Whatever happens in Hong Kong after July 1 is none of my business, you can't imagine how relaxed I feel," she said.

While Lam can't leave fast enough, Hongkongers are dreading their next leader. 

Is it me, or is each successive July 1 seems gloomier than the previous one...

33 Years Later Remembering June 4

The Goddess of Democracy at UBC

On the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, Hong Kong police were out in force around Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, making sure nobody was doing anything to commemorate June 4th.

Meanwhile the pitches were empty, even though there were claims someone had booked them. 

Police officers in Causeway Bay near Victoria Park

For many, the thought of possibly being arrested near Victoria Park was not worth it, or would rather mark the sad anniversary at home with candles. The ability to congregate as a group in the tens of thousands and focus on the victims was something people did for 30 years in Hong Kong, but no more.

An activist, Lau Shan-ching, was arrested for wearing a mask and T-shirt that said: "Commemorate June 4th Victoria Park 2022" for allegedly uttering inciting words and participating in unauthorised assembly. Others weren't even allowed to leave flowers at the park. 

One woman was detained briefly for wearing a T-shirt that had these words written on the back: "You cannot fight against the future." She was warned the message may constitute illegal assembly. 

Right...

US consulate had candles on the windowsills

University campuses in Hong Kong have also taken down any kind of memorials to the event, from the Pillar of Shame at the University of Hong Kong, the Goddess of Democracy at Chinese University, slogans written on walls and sidewalks have all been painted over.

This is the way Beijing wants it to be -- whitewashed from history and forgotten while fewer people come out publicly to mark the anniversary.

Beijing even asked consulates not to commemorate the event, but many defied the request and lit candles that were placed on window sills for people to see. It was a peaceful yet firm act of resistance.

This afternoon I went to the University of British Columbia to see the Goddess of Democracy statue which is near Brock Hall. I was heartened to see some flowers already placed there, and some white candles had already burned out, but another one was lit.

Activist Lau Shan-ching was arrested by police

There were also some umbrellas placed there in reference to the 2019 protests.

One on side of the base of the statue was a plaque with the headline, "The Empty Chair". It read:

"Liu Xiaobo was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China." As he was imprisoned in China at the time, his award was presented to an empty chair at the ceremony in Oslo.

"In 2017, LIU became the second Nobel Peace Prize laureate to die in government custody."

A man in black wearing a yellow mask handed me a piece of paper with lyrics to songs that would have been sung at the candlelight vigil at Victoria Park.

I explained I had just recently moved back. "I did too, I moved here a year ago," he said.

Flowers and umbrellas by statue

He was by himself and seemed happy to sing songs, including Glory to Hong Kong in English.

Most people walked by him, a few people stopped to take pictures.

Just over a year ago the June 4 Museum in Hong Kong was abruptly shut down. It was not unexpected but it was still shocking to see happen. I had just visited the day before because it was the next logical place to commemorate the incident after Victoria Park was shut down.

But now the place to visit is the Hong Kong News-Expo near PMQ above Sheung Wan, where there are copies of newspaper front pages of June 4.

It's ironic considering it's a government building and funded with taxpayer money...

June 4 Erased from Hong Kong

The candlelight vigils in Victoria Park in HK are no more

The 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown is this Saturday. Earlier this year the Pillar of Shame, a statue dedicated to the victims of the June 4 massacre in Beijing was quietly taken down in the middle of the night in the University of Hong Kong, and last December, the Goddess of Democracy removed from Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Days before the anniversary last year, the June 4th Museum in Mong Kok was forcibly shut down, its display items removed by the police, and the mass gathering in Victoria Park where participants shouted slogans, sang songs and lit white candles is no more.

This statue has been carted off into storage

The Hong Kong Alliance, organisers of the previously annual event were arrested and charged with being "foreign agents" over incitement to subversion.

Now because of fears of violating the national security law, churches in Hong Kong did not hold mass to commemorate the June 4 anniversary, ending the 33-year tradition.

"We find it very difficult under the current social atmosphere," said Reverend Martin Ip, chaplain of the Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students, one of the organisers.

"Our bottom line is that we don't want to breach any law in Hong Kong," he said.

But luckily in Vancouver this past weekend, commemorations already began. 

At the University of British Columbia there is a Goddess of Democracy statue between the main study hall and the bus loop.

Materials from the June 4 Museum confiscated

"It's been happening in China for 33 years -- no one can say something about June 4," says Mabel Tung, of the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement. 

"Right now, they say May 35 as representing June 4. Because they try to erase June 4. Young people in China, they don't know what happened June 4 because their parents didn't want them to know. They would be in trouble if they talk about that in Mainland China," she said.

The group will also hold a march and vigil in front of the Chinese consulate on June 4.

Tung says Beijing is afraid of June 4.

"They try to erase history," she said. "So they try to erase any image related to June 4 because Hong Kong is the one city in the world that still remembered June 4 every year with a candlelight vigil. Almost 200,000 people in the park... and now it's gone. So we have to keep the spirit here."

The Goddess of Democracy at UBC campus

Tung never thought the vigil would be banned in 2022 because Hong Kong was supposed to have 50 years of no change until 2047. 

But here we are. Reminders from statues to slogans painted on sidewalks and walls have pretty much been physically scrubbed away from the city, but the victims will forever be remembered in people's hearts and minds.