Tsang's planned move to Shenzhen pad has everyone guessing
One of the curiosities surrounding our chief executive's recently discovered retirement palace, is why would Donald Tsang want to live in Shenzhen? He has a house in Hong Kong, which admittedly is only 1,800 square feet, compared with the 6,500 sq ft penthouse in Shenzhen and a small flat in London. Some have suggested that it's a vestige of the colonial civil service mentality. When you've finished the job, you leave. Others are not so convinced, believing that maybe Tsang thinks his talent for making money has not received sufficient recognition while in government, and retirement offers the opportunity to become a player. In Shenzhen he will be able to come and go without having to face press scrutiny.
But why rent? Why not buy? What does Shenzhen offer over Hong Kong? It has all of Hong Kong's downsides, the dirty air, overcrowding and so on, but none of its upside - an orderly society governed by the rule of law. So many questions but so few answers. It's all very suspect.
Just who are you defending, Henry?
We had to smile at Henry Tang's latest words of wisdom on his website. He complained of 'unprecedented attacks on his reputation'. Unprecedented perhaps, but he has yet to show they are untrue. He goes on to say that 'In the next few months, I will be fighting an uphill battle since it is no longer purely a chief executive election or a battle to save my personal reputation. This is actually a battle to defend Hong Kong's core values.' So what's going on here? Tang is saying that his campaign has now become a crusade to protect Hong Kong's core values, against what - C.Y. Leung's influence? On the face of it, the core values Tang appears to be trying to protect are the rights of the rich to break the law and build illegal basements in their homes, and to have extramarital relationships, without the hassle of having it all splashed over the press. Dear Henry, don't you know? Core values, like charity, start at home.
All quiet on the regulation front