Happy Birthday China

One of the fascinating things about living in Hong Kong has been watching Hong Kong’s views and take on China. It’s a bit of an interesting nexus because Hong Kong is definitely Chinese, but for 150 years it was not part of China. In 1997, Hong Kong was ceded back to China, but Hong Kong has been allowed to retain much of her autonomy. The official line has been “One Nation. Two systems.”

In my brief time here, it seems to me that Hong Kong is glad to be reunited with China but is also quite happy to observe China with a watchful eye from a safe distance.

I have started grabbing day-old, Hong Kong newspapers from our school library. It has proven to be a great way to get a feel for Hong Kong’s complex attitude toward the Mainland. In the same issue Monday, I read an editorial that was highly critical of the iron fist with which Beijing still rules China, and an op ed piece that waxed poet about how China’s command-and-control economy has recently proven superior to the free markets of the West. (A pretty presumptuous conclusion after just five winning quarters out-performing the West which have come after five decades of a slow-motion economic train wreck with untold casualties)

Today, October 1, China is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Communist regime by Mao Zedong. This year –which is not always the case- the anniversary happens to coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival. So as you can imagine, Beijing is pulling out all the stops. Rumor has it that tonight’s firework display is going to be the biggest ever in the history of the universe.

Because it’s the mother country and because they love a good party, Hong Kong seems to be joining in on the celebration despite their antipathy toward the Communist leadership in Beijing. But just to make sure that Beijing doesn’t get the wrong message, Hong Kongers will get on board the 60th anniversary celebrations now, and then they will take to the streets in June to commemorate and protest the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

It’s a complex relationship.

Every year, the communist party leadership in Beijing commissions a film that re-tells some aspect of the founding of the nation in 1949. Most everyone in Hong Kong recognizes it for what it is: unrepentant propaganda. But it will still do half-way decently in the theaters here. This year’s movie “The Founding of a Republic” is a big-budget, star-studded event. More than a few people have confessed that they are going just to be able to pick out the 150-plus stars including Jacki Chan and Jet Li.

Me? I’m gonna go have another mooncake.

-Jack