San Diego: Batiquitos Lagoon

Dark clouds threatened rain, and there were light showers

Thinking we were getting away from the cold temperatures in Vancouver by flying to San Diego, we were shocked to discover it was chilly in this part of California. Temperatures ranged from 17 degrees Celsius during the day and 7 degrees Celsius at night -- it was the wind that made it feel cold.

On the day I went for a walk along Batiquitos Lagoon, it was a bit overcast and then light showers! Luckily I had brought my mini umbrella with me and pulled it out a few times.

A tree shedding its bark

First off it's good to know that batiquitos means "little watering hole" in Spanish, and the one here dates back 9,000 years ago. The area is looked after by the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation, where volunteers help maintain it with help from sponsors. 

The lagoon is a short walk from where I was staying and the path is a long thin strip along a lagoon that's 1.6 miles (2.57km). People are walking their dogs, or with friends, or jogging. There are one or two avid bird watchers with long-lens cameras and binoculars. 

Perhaps because it's winter, in terms of greenery there wasn't much to see and the birds that were out there in the lagoon were too far to see clearly. 

Some of the birds that can be found in the lagoon include "swimming divers" that swim into deep water to find fish. These include ruddy ducks, buffleheads, and redheads.

There are "surface swimmers" who feed near shallow water, like mallards, northern shovelers, northern pintail, green-winged teal and American wigeon.

"Flight feeders" forage over deep water and then when they spy their prey, they plunge into the water. Examples are osprey and phoebes.

Osprey (left) and great blue heron on chairs

Another kind of bird are "walkers/runners" who search for food while they walk or run across mud or sand flats, or through shallow water. Sandpipers like western and least sandpipers, willets, long-billed curlews, and marbled godwits are spotted at this lagoon.

Finally "waders/fishers" are herons like great egret, snowy egret, and great blue heron.

Funnily enough as I was walking back to where I was staying, I saw a flock of ducks hanging out on the golf course!

The path for walkers is mostly sandy, and towards one end of the walk is the Nature Center where visitors can have a bathroom break and check out souvenirs; they are also encouraged to make a donation to the lagoon via buying a brick and there are many with people's and family's names on them.

There's also a pair of wooden beach chairs that are beautifully painted birds, one with an osprey, the other with a great blue heron.

While it's nice there is a protected area for these birds, it's sad to see just across from the lagoon a very busy highway and the noise from the fast-moving vehicles must detract many more birds from going there... 

Dismaying to see birds so close to the highway

Batiquitos Lagoon

It's located east of Interstate 5 at the end of Gabbiano Lane and goes most of the way to El Camino Real on the east end of the lagoon. Visitors can park in one of five parking lots, one by the Nature Center and four on Batiquitos Drive.

Picture of the Day: Discounts Galore

Want to get outfitted for Christmas 2023?

My friend and I went to a shopping mall and checked out some stores we would normally not walk into, like Forever 21 -- cause we're no where near 21 anymore!

In the back of the store was one of several discount racks where I spied this dress left over from Christmas...

Anyone want to pick up their ugly Christmas outfit now in February?

This one's only US$15.00...

It's shocking how much unwanted clothing there is, and how low they have been marked down. At H&M there were T-shirts for under US$6.

There has to be a way to figure out how much meeds to be produced and at a decent price otherwise retailers can't make as much of a profit when it's marked down so much.

More HKers Leaving Continues for Third Year

Children under 10 have biggest drop, followed by those in 20s

In yet another sign that Hong Kong is seeing more people leave the city, its population has dropped for a third consecutive year, with a net outflow of 60,000 residents to 7.33 million in 2022.

According to official figures released on Thursday, the population dipped 0.9 percent from the year before, and births were a record low to 32,500. About 62,100 deaths were recorded in 2022, outweighing births by 29,600.

Send-offs all too common at the airport everyday

The net outflow of 60,000 residents as reported by the Census and Statistics Department indicates emigration from Hong Kong continues. This compares to 27,300 in 2021, when countries like the United Kingdom and Canada introduced dedicated pathways for Hongkongers.

The Hong Kong government would only say people left Hong Kong for various reasons including work, study and migration.

"The breakdown of figures is not available. Hong Kong residents travelling abroad are not required to declare to the government their purpose of travel. Therefore, the government does not have direct statistics on emigration of Hong Kong residents," the Census and Statistics Department said.

According to the UK Home Office earlier this month, 144,500 Hongkongers have successfully applied for British National (Overseas) visas to settle in the UK since the scheme's launch in 2021.

Countries like the UK welcome Hongkongers

Canada has seen nearly 17,400 get work permits or extensions since the start of the scheme since February 2021 until October 2022.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has launched a global campaign to attract top talent to Hong Kong, with a special visa for those who earn HK$2.5 million or more annually and graduates from the world's top 100 universities with relevant experience. So far 10,810 applications were received nearly two months after the launch.

It's elitist to think Hong Kong only needs these top tier talent -- it also needs the general workforce too... even if you attract top CEOs and such, who's going to executive their brilliant plans?

HK to Broadcast Patriotic Programs

Broadcasters must show 30 mins of patriotic content per week

The Hong Kong government is further regulating what people can watch and hear on local airwaves, stipulating that free-to-air broadcasters must include at least 30 minutes per week of content promoting national security and patriotism.

Not only that but this content needs to be presented in a light-hearted, funny and creative way.

Free-to-air broadcasters like TVB, ViuTV, and HOY TV, as well as radio stations Commercial Radio and Metro Broadcast must include this content as part of a licensing requirement on top of 90 minutes of current affairs programs.

The content must be shown in a light-hearted way

All five broadcasters accepted the change in policy.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah said broadcasters could decide how they presented the topics.

"It's a general licensing requirement. It's up to the broadcasting company to come up with their individual program," he said.

"According to the licensing requirement, we can closely monitor how the content is delivered and review it from time to time."

A government source said it did not have concrete ideas on how the broadcasters could fulfil the new rule.

"It's up to the stations regarding the format and programs. We seldom put restrictions on that. They only have to tell us what they have done to comply with the requirement," the source said.

So the government wants more patriotic content but doesn't know how it should be presented, except in a light-hearted way?

How can NSL be made into a funny topic? 

How is national security a topic one can be creative with when it is so vague that anyone can get into trouble violating it?

Interestingly this requirement does not apply to private TV stations, such as foreign programs and sports channels.

Well... if they are broadcasting local games then the Chinese national anthem is played, right? That's patriotic content, is it not?

According to a Legislative Council paper published on Wednesday, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said safeguarding sovereignty and security, as well as promoting a sense of national identity, were among the current administration's policies and deemed the new rule "necessary and timely".

One lawmaker, Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, suggested that topics like national education and patriotism should be taught in schools, not on the TV, but added that perhaps these topics could be presented in "dynamic" and "varied" formats such as game shows and singing competitions to prevent them from being too boring.

Seriously?

It's the blind leading the blind, while the broadcasters have no choice but to follow along...

Retail Boom Days may be Over in Hong Kong

Mainland shoppers hauling purchases from Hermes in TST

The cancellation of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests for visitors before arriving into Hong Kong did not result in hoards of mainlanders flooding into the city as shop owners had hoped.

Several shop owners, particularly pharmacies lamented that business only increased by 10 percent.

Chanel is a popular luxury brand for Chinese

"During the pandemic, the economy and lifestyle of the mainlanders changed... They have become reliant on online shopping," said pharmacy owner Tony Lee.

"Before the pandemic, there used to be lines of customers queuing outside my shop and this street was full of tourists," he said of San Hong Street in Sheung Shui, across the border from Shenzhen. 

Lee worried business would not go back to pre-pandemic levels because consumers seemed used to shopping online than going to physical stores like his.

While mainland tourists have noticed many shops have shuttered since the pandemic, the biggest winners so far seem to be luxury brands.

Mainlanders believe HK products are real

Mainlanders are still keen to shop at Dior, Louis Vuitton and Chanel because they believe the goods are genuine -- they still perceive the same products in shops in China are fake...

Is this the only thing going for Hong Kong these days?

Feds Inject $1.8M to Beautify Vancouver's Chinatown

When will the crowds return to Chinatown, not just for CNY?

After Vancouver's mayor announced the city will spend CAD$2.1 million to clean up Chinatown, which has deteriorated in recent years with vandalism, graffiti and homeless people as well as drug addicts hanging out in front of businesses, the federal government is pitching in to beautify the neighbourhood.

Today Harjit Saijan, minister responsible for the Pacific economic development agency of Canada pledged CAD$1.8 million to fix up shop fronts with signage and awnings, add planters and flower boxes, install energy-efficient lighting, and modernise buildings such as the Chinese Cultural Centre, The Chinatown Storytelling Centre and Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Gardens.

Lee (left) talks to Saijan at announcement today

About CAD$500,000 of the money will also be plowed into the Light Up Chinatown festival held in September that will bring 50 new jobs. 

Carol Lee, chair of the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, says the federal funding marks a "turning point for the neighbourhood," but notes that though it is a step in the right direction, it is "not the solution."

"There has been a significant increase in graffiti and vandalism, a steep rise in anti-Asian racism, random attacks on our seniors, [and] a rise in property crime, which has made Chinatown a place that people no longer feel safe to come to," Lee said.

She added the financial injection by the federal and municipal governments provide the basis for a "renewed economic vitality,"

The foundation applied for and was granted the funding through the federal government's PacifiCan Tourism Fund, which launched in the summer of 2021 and provides CAD$500 million over two years to help tourism businesses and organisations.

Liu hopes more will be done to help Chinatown

For William Liu of Kam Wai Dim Sum, the help can't come soon enough. "We are struggling and fighting for our lives," he says. 

"I understand the direction they are going, but it's just not enough for us. We really need a lot more support at this point. There are still a lot of people living on the streets that we really need help with."

Joey Wong of Dollar Meat Store, which has been around for over 50 years, echoes in agreement. "We do need a lot more help in say helping the legacy businesses, or even opening up new shops in Chinatown."

While these businesses appreciate the governments' help, they hope it's just the beginning of Chinatown's revival.

Although it's good to get the money to clean up the neighbourhood and beautify it, what about tackling the real issue next door in the Downtown Eastside -- the homeless and drug addiction issue that's spilling over into Chinatown?

Graffiti is one of several issues in Chinatown

Who is going to roll up their sleeves and really fix this problem that has been left to fester for decades with more and more dangerous drugs like opioids?

Until that happens, Chinatown will continue to be subjected to vandalism, crime, graffiti, while faeces, urine and dirty needles are strewn on sidewalks despite the regular cleanups. New planters, signage and awnings are just going to be destroyed over and over again.

Vanity Plates in HK for a Price

Just some of the thousands of vanity plates in Hong Kong

If you want a personalised license plate in Hong Kong you need to bid for it, even if you're quite sure you're the only person who's going to want it.

I found this out through a friend of mine who absolutely adores rabbits and so she wanted the license plate "wabbit" as in Bugs Bunny.

Some license plates are just plain amusing...

She had to attend the auction when her license plate came up and (luckily) no one else wanted to compete against her to bid for it so she paid the HK$5,000 (US$640).

But what if it's a license place other people want? 

The other day the Transport Department held an auction the other day of lucky license plates after the Lunar New Year.

The ones up for grabs were:

1388

UU 88

TT 888

VV 8888

292

And one with just the letter "R", considered a lucky plate because it is related to racing cars and the first letter denoting the Year of the Rabbit, raked in a whopping HK$25 million (US$3.18 million).

It is the second-highest amount paid for vanity plates.

Other plates are strictly for the privileged...

Bidding for "R" started at the base price of HK$5,000 and several bidders soon pushed the price up to HK$2 million then HK$9 million. It was finally after 60 rounds that it was finally sold for HK$25.5 million, about 5,200 times the opening price.

Some people commenting on the news story remarked how this was a great way for the government to collect more coffers from the rich rather than further burdening the poor, while others pointed out the pandemic hasn't hurt the wealthy at all. 

The money apparently goes to charities around the city.

With other personalised plates like "God", "Wanker", "I Know", and "U Wish" hints the personalities of the car owners who wanted them -- at any price...

Picture of the Day: Lineup for Security at YVR

Down the hall and to the left to security

Why is Vancouver International Airport so busy?

Yes people are traveling again but to the point where the security line goes on forever?

We arrived at YVR at 6.35am (thank goodness the Uber driver was really early) and then there was a massive line for checking-in luggage. Luckily Air Canada staff were on hand to man the kiosks and she helped us print out the luggage tags and put them on our bags, which took less than five minutes.

Then we lined up to put our luggage on the conveyor belt, and then our oversized baggage at another conveyor belt that was relatively straight forward.

But then it was time to go through the security line and it not only came out the main door of the security room, but down the hallway and into the check-in area near the entrance of the airport.

That was at 6.55am.

So many people have early flights to Honolulu, Denver, Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas... and those were only some of them before or at 9am.

The line did move, but it was a real test of patience just to finally inch our way into the security area. A woman in uniform waved us to follow her, thinking she would get us ahead of some people, but instead we were swabbed and placed back in the line -- far behind the people who were in front of us before.

People can jump the queue if they have Nexus card, or if they book for a time slot in advance online with YVR, but I have tried that and it is always booked up. 

Thank goodness our Uber driver was early so we had more than enough time to get through security and then US passport control in over an hour to have over half an hour to spare at the gate...

Statistics of the Day: Hong Kong Visitor Numbers

Kwok dances his way down Pottinger Street in Central

We may now know why Hong Kong is coy about the free ticket giveaway in the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign -- it is targeted at mainlanders.

Maybe that explains the TVB dancers, all men centre stage at the official launch, and using the likes of such Cantopop stars as Sammi Cheng Sau-man, Kelly Chen Wai-lam and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing...

Chen serves up some cha chaan teng food

And why?

Over the 65 million visitors to Hong Kong in 2018 before the anti-extradition protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, 78 percent were from mainland China.

The second-largest group of visitors were from Southeast Asia. Both demographics do not care much about civil liberties.

Only 3 percent of Hong Kong's visitors were from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. 

So looking at these numbers, perhaps less than 5 percent of tickets will go to North America?

Slim pickings.

RCMP Investigating Chinese Police Stations in Canada

Lucki says complaints of Chinese police stations have dropped

Remember those Chinese police stations operating in Canada? The RCMP have been investigating them since October.

RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki says they sent their vehicles to these stations to show their presence, and that they are watching them. In some cases, Lucki said they spoke to people involved with these so-called police stations that apparently provide domestic services to residents who are mainland Chinese.

However, human rights group Safeguard Defenders claims these police stations persuade people to return to China to face charges through harassment, intimidation and coercion. There are at least 102 of these such stations in 53 countries, of which three of them are in Toronto, one in Vancouver (Richmond).

RCMP vehicle in front of a "station" in Richmond

Lucki says the RCMP is investigating all four stations, but cannot comment further as she spoke before a special committee for Canada-China relations.

She explained the stations are in locations where there is a legitimate business in the front. "In some of these cases, it could be as simple as a room behind a commercial retail store."

So far, she says the strategy of showing the RCMP's presence has been successful. "We haven't heard very many new complaints on those three stations in Toronto and the one in Vancouver as a result of the disruption we have done," she said.

And because of the overt RCMP presence, Lucki adds people have come forward to give information. 

She did not give a timeline of when the investigation would conclude, but that Canada was working with local police, Five Eyes allies and other law enforcement agencies around the world.

While we appreciate the RCMP conducting a thorough investigation, time is of the essence -- the longer the stations are in Canada, the longer they feel entitled to stay.

Mulroney warns of more Chinese interference

Meanwhile in a separate meeting of the House procedure and house affairs committee Tuesday, former Canadian diplomats to China warned MPs to take foreign interference seriously.

Former ambassador David Mulroney said Chinese interference in Canadian elections was an "increasingly serious problem."

"I worry that we have yet to address this threat with the urgency it deserves," he said.

He suggested Canadian police "need to be more present in diaspora communities and better informed" about Chinese interference. Police also need to be able to "act as if they are to protect people who are being harassed and silenced by the Chinese state in Canada.

Charles Burton, former ambassador and now senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, pointed out no Chinese diplomat has been expelled and "no agents of the Chinese regime have been brought before a Canadian court to be accountable for alleged criminal activity."

He said this lack of action would have consequences. "This emboldens the Chinese regime to do much more of it in the next election," he warned.

"In other words, the longer we remain passive and ineffective, the more encouraged they'll be that they can do more of this and get away with it."

Will Canadian lawmakers listen to these admonitions and take them seriously?

Hong Kong's Hello Half-Baked

Lim was long on giveaways and short on free ticket details

This morning the Hong Kong Tourism Board director for Canada, Central and South Americas Michael Lim talked to the CBC Vancouver morning show about the "Hello Hong Kong" campaign.

He seemed to read out the endless list of giveaways from restaurant vouchers to welcome drinks and even transportation, as well as some of the new tourist spots to check out.

When the host asked how many tickets would be given out and when, Lim replied it was not clear yet but details would be coming soon.

Campaign not enough to lure visitors to the city

If you launch a global campaign and want to promote it, surely you need to know all the details? It sounds half-baked.

And then when he was challenged about how how Hong Kong has changed so much in the last few years, with its rights and freedoms seriously eroded, how would visitors see the city now, Lim completely ignored it and went on about how much it has to offer. 

Lucky for him the interview was short, but it would have been more interesting to grill him further about the authorities suddenly letting go of strict Covid-19 policies, and how come masks are still mandatory?

Or how about the campaign coincides with the trial of 47 pro-democracy activists and lawmakers that will last for 90 days?

But really, when Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled this massive extravaganza, all everyone wants to know is how they can sign up for a chance to win free airline tickets.

Gotta keep those masks on. All the time.

It's interesting that Hong Kong is keen to invite tourists from Southeast Asia first, from March 1 -- why not earlier? Followed by Mainland China in April, northeast Asia and all other markets in May. What's also bizarre is outbound tickets from Hong Kong will also be given away. 

Tourism officials claimed it was a way for Hongkongers to spread the word about their hometown being open for business... 

Meanwhile looking at the HKTB website, users are greeted with two warnings:

The first invites people to come visit -- including from Taiwan -- without quarantine, isolation or even vaccination requirements, and the second is a friendly reminder that CBD or cannabidiol is a "dangerous drug in Hong Kong".

However despite claiming all pandemic restrictions are gone, the mask mandate is still there, but there is no friendly reminder that masks are mandatory. Guess you find that out when you get there...

Canada Opening Arms Wider

Canada becoming the favoured destination over the UK

Canada is becoming more enticing for Hongkongers now that it has extended the special work permit that can fast track them to permanent residency that was supposed to expire on February 7 by two years.

Those who graduate from eligible post-secondary educational institutions in the past 10 years -- previously it was five -- will be able to get a three-year open work permit that will allow them to apply for permanent residency.

Fraser welcomes more people from Hong Kong

"Expanding the open work permit program from my perspective is a win-win, as it gives Hong Kong residents more opportunity to gain work experience here in Canada, but it also allows us to support the Canadian economy by bringing workers at a time when they're needed most," said Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship on Monday.

The open work permit allows eligible graduates to apply without securing a job first, and spouses and dependents of permit holders can also move to Canada.

Thos with an open work permit must work full-time for at least a year, or accumulate 1,560 hours of employment to qualify for permanent residency.

The scheme, which was introduced in 2021 was extended until February 2025.

Since the launch of the scheme until October last year, nearly 17,400 open work permits or extensions were issued to Hongkongers.

Vast majority are young people in their 20s

Young people were the majority, with 72 percent in their 20s, 20 percent in their 30s, and 6 percent in their 40s. Only 1 percent are over 50 or under 20.

So the steady stream of Hongkongers fleeing further repression and gaslighting may increase in the coming months and years as Canada welcomes these people with open arms.

Review: Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong

This book is part history, part memoir

There are several books about the 2019 protests and Louisa Lim's Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong combines numerous threads that are subtly woven through the chapters and then magically come together into a striking record. 

One thread is Lim's family history and childhood in Hong Kong, another is her interest in a crazy artist nicknamed the King of Kowloon who painted childlike graffiti all over the city, and the last thread about Hong Kong's history and how the once barren rock transformed into an international metropolis thanks to British policies and the sheer hard labour of the Chinese, mostly refugees.

Throughout its entire history, Hong Kong's people were never given a say of their fate. In the negotiations leading up to the signing of the 1984 Joint Declaration by British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, there was another group tangentially involved -- the Unofficials.

Author and journalist Louisa Lim

They were a small group of local elites who tried to advise the British to not trust the Chinese, but they were completely sidestepped and felt betrayed. 

The proof is in a series of confidential interviews these Unofficials gave to Hong Kong political scientist Steve Tsang in the 1980s and 1990s with the promise they would be kept secret until 30 years later, which is now.

Lim read every single page and distills how the Unofficials felt at the time, betrayed by the British despite their loyalty, and trying to keep a brave face in front of the public as all their negotiations were to be top secret -- not even their wives or friends were to know what was discussed.

And it is interesting to note how these Unofficials' fears of what would happen to Hong Kong have come true, how the vagueness of the Basic Law would lead to Beijing interpreting it, and not give Hongkongers the rights they were promised, which have led us to where we are today.

Another fascinating read is when she recalls the time she was a reporter at TVB during the 1997 handover. The TV station had planned programming to the minute for up until the handover ceremonies were held, but then were completely lost the following days afterwards as to what they should focus on, much like the city trying to feel its way with the Basic Law as its new constitution.

She also interviews the last governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, now decades later on looking back on what happened to the city. His response was far from the polished politician he usually is.

Tsang with his numerous graffiti writings

The book then moves fast forward to 2014 and the Umbrella Movement, how it was such an extraordinary protest at the time for the city, but also marked the beginning of the authorities using lawfare -- weaponising the law against defendants like Benny Tai Yiu-ting and Joshua Wong Chi-fung.

Lim notes how the movement, which paralysed the city for 79 days, ended so abruptly that protesters found it difficult to process and figure out what to do next.

That came five years later in the 2019 extradition protests that exploded into months of protests on the streets. Lim shuttled back and forth between Melbourne and Hong Kong to cover the protests periodically. Not only was she trying to cover them as a journalist, Lim was trying to process it all as a Hongkonger -- what was happening to her city?

It's something many of us were grappling with as we watched the street battles, the violent clashes, the blank-faced government officials and the determined protesters day after day. 

Meanwhile Lim also weaves into the book her obsession with Tsang Tsou-choi, a poorly-educated man who believed Kowloon belonged to his ancestors and thus him, and began protesting by painting crude Chinese calligraphy on government property. In a way it was also his way of marking his territory.

She recalls how he was written off as a madman and then suddenly became a superstar, his work even exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2003 and auctioned off by Sotheby's the following year. 

The early extradition protests in June 2019

To Lim in a quirky way he represented Hongkongers fighting for their rights, and how he is an important part of the city's art development and culture.

Sadly she notes how Beijing has a strong hand over Hong Kong in the last few years, observing how the government labelled the protesters as "rioters", thus changing the narrative, and brutal police tactics seemed to have repeated how protests in Chengdu were shut down in 1989.

And she mourns how press freedom ended the day Jimmy Lai Chee-ying was arrested, followed by the swift demise of his paper, Apple Daily.

"A million copies were printed for this city of 7.5 million. They sold out. The next day the newspaper's entire archive vanished from the internet. As Beijing imposed its narrative control by force, it was simply too dangerous for other versions of the past to exist," she writes.

Indelible City is an incredible book, deftly weaving these threads together to create a page turner for anyone who is interested in Hong Kong and its history. 

Many times I found myself nodding my head in agreement or thrilled to read someone else had come to a similar observation or conclusion as me. I was not the only one.

Balloon-gate Ends with a Bang

The moment the balloon was shot down by an F-22 fighter jet

The deed was done -- an F-22 fighter jet shot down the giant Chinese so-called weather balloon as it was hovering over the Atlantic Ocean, six miles off the coast of South Carolina.

Thus came the end of the balloon saga, following US President Joe Biden's order.

"I told them to shoot it down," he said on his way to Camp David. "They said to me, let's wait until the safest place to do it."

Biden gave a statement after the ballon was shot

And so it was shot down at 2.39pm EST, and the Pentagon said the Navy and Coast Guard would recover as much of the debris for further examination.

Meanwhile the Chinese expressed its "strong discontent and protest" about the downing of the balloon, repeating its explanation that it was a civilian aircraft that had inadvertently strayed into North American air space.

"In these circumstances, for the United States to insist on using armed force is clearly an excessive reaction that seriously violates international convention," the Chinese foreign ministry statement said. 

"China will resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of the enterprise involved, and retains the right to respond further."

The US told the Chinese the possibility of them shooting down the balloon -- it was floating over the US for seven days, thus giving the Chinese several opportunities to own up to the incident, but apparently its reason was not convincing enough.

The debris is being recovered for examination

Some experts say the balloon may have been literally a trial balloon to see how the US would react, and others say perhaps Beijing is testing its latest surveillance capabilities.

In any event, there is now a second balloon flying over South America... 

What is hard to understand is why this balloon mission was given the green light at this time, further ratcheting up tensions between China and the US. Is Xi Jinping looking for a fight on the last day of the Lunar New Year?

Blinken Cancels China Trip over Balloon

The errant Chinese balloon was spotted over Montana

All the talk in the last 48 hours has been about a gigantic white balloon the size of three buses that was spotted over Billings, Montana.

The Pentagon sent up F-22 fighters to check it out and later identified it as a Chinese spy balloon which raised even more eyebrows.

But that large floating blob caused US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to cancel his highly anticipated trip to Beijing on the weekend.

Why?

Because the Chinese authorities claimed the civilian weather balloon used for meteorological readings blew off course and mistakenly entered US territory. For the record is also crossed British Columbia from north to south.

The US side didn't buy China's reasoning and Blinken immediately kyboshed his trip.

For the Chinese to claim the balloon is civilian is laughable as civilians would not be allowed to even launch weather balloons like this in China. Besides, US atmospheric sciences professors say it is preposterous the Chinese would not know the balloon would end up in North America.

The balloon was flying at 60,000 feet, the height at which many commercial airliners fly, which is how someone spotted it in the first place -- on a plane.

The incident caused China experts to research all they could about weather balloons and modes of espionage -- this is not the first time a giant balloon has been used for spying -- and a lot of questions as to why the balloon was not just shot down (it is too high up and there were concerns about debris scattering everywhere).

However there is the option of shooting it down later when it is above water, probably the Atlantic Ocean, where the balloon seems to be heading.

Blinken was supposed to fly to Beijing 

As China expert Bill Bishop points out, this should really be the time Blinken goes to China to have a dialogue about this incident, but China's explanation for the errant balloon did not make it conducive for him to go to Beijing for a friendly chat. 

On Friday Blinken called Wang Yi, China's top foreign affairs official to cancel the trip and said he would come "when conditions allow".

Wang's response included the line: "China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international law," according to the Chinese foreign ministry's website.

Sino-US relations sour over a balloon... and that will be recorded in the history books.

Hong Kong Activists Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Hong Kong activists have been nominated for the Nobel prize

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers have nominated several Hong Kong pro-democracy activists for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

They include Cardinal Joseph Zen, Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, and Joshua Wong Chi-fung of the now defunct Demosisto.

New Jersey Republican representative Christopher Smith, and Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, nominated the group "because they are ardent champions of Hong Kong's autonomy, human rights and the rule of law", according to the statement by the lawmakers.

Smith and Rubio are part of the CECC

Smith and Merkley lead the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which advises the US Congress on policy towards China. Other members of the group include representative Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, and Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican.

They also nominated journalist-turned-politician Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, Tonyee Chow Hang-tung, a lawyer for a disbanded civil society group, and labour activist Lee Cheuk-yan.

"The nominees are representative of millions of Hongkongers who peacefully opposed the steady erosion of the city's democratic freedoms by the Hong Kong government and the government of the People's Republic of China," said the statement.

"Through the nomination, the members of Congress seek to honour all those in Hong Kong whose bravery and determination in the face of repression has inspired the world."

All the nominees have been charged under the national security law that was imposed on Hong Kong in July 2020.

Wong and Zen are two of the Nobel nominees

This is not the first time Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize -- Rubio and other CECC lawmakers nominated the entire opposition movement in 2021 in response to the national security law.

If anything this announcement brings attention to the plight of these nominees, almost all of them still in jail for around two years with no chance of bail, except for Zen. The 91-year-old was recently allowed to attend former Pope Benedict's funeral in the Vatican; after Zen returned he was in hospital for a few days because of breathing difficulties.

Hong Kong's Splashy Welcome

Were TVB dancers recruited to kick off the presentation?

Hong Kong's back, baby!

That's what the Hong Kong government wants the world to know.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has just launched a HK$2 billion (US$255.2 million) campaign called "Hello Hong Kong" where 500,000 free airline tickets will be given away along with free welcome drinks at select bars and restaurants across the city. One would assume champagne and cocktails, not Hong Kong-style milk tea at a cha chaan teng...

Lee all smiles in launching HK$2B campaign

At the kick-off event held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dane Cheng Ting-yat, head of the Tourism Board, also boasted some 250 events will be held in the city, including Clockenflap, Rugby Sevens, and Art Basel.

The Tourism Board will also give away 1 million vouchers for welcome drinks, discounts on attractions as well as food and drinks and transportation. Do they mean Uber or the Star Ferry?

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po also talked about Hong Kong entering a new development phase.

"We are actively returning to normalcy. Nothing can stop us from bouncing back... We eagerly welcome friends from around the world to come, see and experience for themselves the vibrancy and dynamics of our city."

He also says the government will provide accurate information about Hong Kong to the world as people overseas might have misunderstandings about the city.

"We will try our best to explain," Chan says, adding he wants visitors to come and "feel Hong Kong's loveable sides".

Where's the women in this stage?

Since when was the city cuddly?

More importantly how can the government erase the stark 2019 images of police with batons hitting protesters holding up umbrellas, and officers shooting rounds of teargas? With over 300,000 people leaving Hong Kong for the United Kingdom alone in the last two years, surely it's a sign they cannot live in their own hometown anymore, while some 1,300 political prisoners are still languishing in jail.

But this is the Chinese way of doing things -- moving on and pretending it never happened, wallpapering over the problem in the hopes no one remembers.

Will this flashy campaign actually work? It depends on who the government wants to target. There are those who have missed coming to Hong Kong for three years, while others have yet to discover the place.

Those who have recently visited tell me it feels different from before, but can't quite put their finger on it. They know the city has been hit hard by Covid-19, but don't really know or understand how the national security law has dismantled the city as they knew it before.

But hey -- no need to worry about that now, Hong Kong's back, baby!

Grandpa Chan Faces Hefty $510K Legal Bill

Chan hugs a protester, worried about his safety in 2019

The Hong Kong Department of Justice has no qualms about weaponising the law in prosecuting as many people as possible related to the 2019 protests, and even before that in the Umbrella Movement in 2014.

One senior tried to use the law to hold the Hong Kong Police Force to account by legally challenging it over displaying identification during the 2019 protests.

Chan Ki-kau is known as Grandpa Chan, and he and his group, "Protect Our Kids" made up of other middle-aged and elderly people, tried to stand between the protesters and the police for several months in 2019. 

"Raptors" did not wear identifiable ID numbers

He would wear a cylindrical hat around his head that he fashioned himself out of paper, googles, and a plastic raincoat as he and others tried to convince the police not to physically harm the young people on the streets.

Sometimes members of the group would get tear-gassed and pepper sprayed, and young protesters would help them, including Chan get medical attention. "Protect Our Kids" and Chan also got a lot of attention, showing that even seniors were out on the streets.

One observation during the protests was that the police Special Tactical Contingent (STC) also known as "raptors" did not wear their individual identification badges -- only vague code numbers. That made it impossible for residents to file complaints about specific officers -- and Chan felt this was illegal.

In June 2019 he filed the initial challenge and alleged that it was "unlawful and/or unconstitutional" for the police STC not to display their unique identification numbers during operations on June 12, 2019.

Chan's legal challenge was dismissed

However, in November 2020, Judge Anderson Chow dismissed Chan's application, citing evidence that STC had never been required to display individual identification.

Chan was later ordered to pay the Department of Justice's court fees by January 17 this year.

The DoJ initially asked for HK$510,000 in legal fees, though Master Dick Ho at the High Court decided Chan should pay HK$2,000 less.

Does Chan even have that money to pay such hefty fees? Did the DoJ really spend over half a million dollars in preparing for this case?

Even if people tried to crowdfund to raise money to help Chan pay the fees, it might be considered an illegal act.

That was demonstrated in February last year when an expat wanted to help domestic helpers pay Covid-19 fines for gathering. The fines were HK$5,000, more than the monthly salary of these helpers, but the then secretary for labour and welfare Law Chi-kwong said helping to pay these fines could be considered as "abetting a crime".

Many seniors tried to mediate with the police

There is no word on how Chan will pay this massive legal bill, but the heavy-handedness of the punishment seems overboard to the extreme. The case wasn't even tried in court...