Of Births and Borders part 1 of 3

Ever since the handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997, people both inside and outside of Hong Kong have been speculating about just how much Beijing has been calling the shots from behind the scenes. According to the 1997 handover agreement, Hong Kong is to be a Special Administrative Region (SAR) for the next fifty years. One nation, two systems. Hong Kong is to enjoy a large amount of autonomy even though she has been reunited with China.

The more leery citizens of Hong Kong claim Beijing exerts a whole lot more control over Hong Kong than she publically lets on. Every so often something comes up that indicates that this may very well be the case.

In 2010, over 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong hospitals. 41,000 of them –almost half- were born to mainland mothers who had come over for the express purpose of having their babies here. One of the biggest draws is that children of Chinese parents born in Hong Kong are immediately granted permanent residency status – a process that otherwise requires seven years of residency in Hong Kong.

Last month, 800 Hong Kong labor and delivery doctors signed a petition calling for tighter restrictions on use of the Hong Kong health care system. They said they are overworked and resources are being spread too thin.

Hong Kong has ways to clamp down on this massive influx of expecting mothers, but for some reason is choosing not to. This is what has caused some to speculate that there is more going on than meets that eye.

From Hong Kong’s perspective, there’s a problem. But from Beijing’s perspective –one could argue- there is no problem. Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong . . . it’s all part of China. If citizens from one city want to go to another city to have their baby because it has more modern facilities, so be it.

In fact, from a politburo’s perspective sitting up in Beijing, it might actually look like a good thing.