My Take | The conversion of Hong Kong to ‘just another mainland city’ is speeding up
Like it or not, the pace of integration is getting faster. Perhaps this is the ‘rainbow after the storm’ that Beijing’s top man in Hong Kong recently trumpeted
Beijing was once willing to wait half a century before fully integrating Hong Kong with the rest of the country. Now, that time frame is clearly off the table. Patience is not among President Xi Jinping’s personal traits.
In terms of national policy and economic development, Hong Kong is increasingly cited as an integral part by the central government. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has just concluded a trip to Beijing where she met senior officials from 16 ministries and state organisations, including the People’s Bank of China and financial regulators, as well as foreign minister Wang Yi.