We Absolutely Must Not Do Something as Foolish as Using Mainland Resources to Rescue Hong Kong

This young lady's Cantonese is superb, and she loves Stephen Chow comedies. As for Hong Kong food and clothes, she is equally fond. But it still must be said: we absolutely must not do something as foolish as using mainland resources to rescue Hong Kong.

The reason Hong Kong became Hong Kong is primarily due to the bravery of the people of Guangzhou. Everyone should know about the Sanyuanli anti-British resistance. Originally, the British wanted Guangzhou, but they were constantly hunted down there -- they couldn't even keep the tiny Shamian Island safe and had to cordon it off. In the end, they settled for Hong Kong just for some peace and quiet. Before the Cultural Revolution, Hong Kong was nothing compared to Guangzhou. The Cultural Revolution swapped their positions. If you have the chance to meet real Guangzhou people, they all know this, because virtually every Guangzhou native has relatives in Hong Kong, and how those relatives got there is an open secret.

But Hong Kong's real prosperity came from certain systemic features of the mainland after reform -- anyone who has been in business knows exactly what I mean. However, because money came too easily, Hong Kong people developed bad habits. The British also played many dirty tricks before leaving, further complicating Hong Kong's problems. Yet the biggest issue remains Hong Kong people's mentality. In recent years, Guangzhou's aggressive development, especially the Grand Nansha strategy, has made Hong Kong people feel even more pressure. In the long run, the dragon head of the Pearl River Delta will certainly be Guangzhou -- culture, history, and geography all dictate this. But Hong Kong people still refuse to face this, unable to accept the reality that fortune shifts from east to west every thirty years, finding all manner of excuses, spending all day trying to leverage politics for economic advantage.

Hong Kong's future has only one direction: integration into the Greater Pearl River Delta. Otherwise, it will ultimately be discarded by history. We absolutely must not do something as foolish as using mainland resources to rescue Hong Kong. The fundamental approach, standing on the perspective of historical economic development, is to help Hong Kong people understand sooner that integration is the only way out. Before economics, everything else is meaningless.

Hong Kong need not be saved, nor can it be saved, because only Hong Kong people can save themselves. Saving themselves means swallowing their pride quickly and integrating into the strategic development of the Greater Pearl River Delta as soon as possible -- that is the bright road ahead. With so much time spent on marches and protests, why not work harder to find more business opportunities? Think about it: the Greater Pearl River Delta will connect South China, Central China, Southwest China, and Southeast Asia, inevitably becoming Asia's "Tokyo Bay" from a global economic perspective -- its status may even surpass Tokyo Bay's role in the Japanese economy. Instead of building this blueprint, is it really fun to quarrel all day? Where has your Cantonese culture's spirit of pragmatism gone? Have you eaten the British opium again?

Wake up, Hong Kong people. Otherwise, when the boat has sailed past Suzhou, there's no catching it -- and regrets will be useless then.