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Letters

HK and Israel have much in common
I took my children to Admiralty to the scene of the Occupy Central protests to teach them lessons about passion and persistence. I admired the incredible spirit, civility and intelligence of the protesters, but one sight saddened me.
I understand that in a movement for democracy there are many voices and a multitude of messages. People are fighting for the right to be heard. I respect this but I need to voice my own opinion.
This message isn't to all of those who were involved in the protests but to the creator of the banner that made the analogy: Israel equals China/Hong Kong equals Gaza.
It's highly unlikely that the person who made the banner had ever been to Israel and it's plainly apparent that they didn't understand its politics or its governance.
I am a permanent resident of Hong Kong. I am not an Israeli citizen. I have spent a significant amount of time in both places. I love them both and consider them both my home. Should the words scrawled on this banner have any truth, this wouldn't be possible.
There are facts the person who made this banner needs to know about Israel before making such an analogy. Israel is a democracy. Its population is roughly the size of Hong Kong's. Nearly 20 per cent of Israel's citizens are Arabs who have equal voting rights, political parties, serve in the Israeli Knesset, cabinet and supreme court, and are diplomats. They, like all Israeli citizens, are granted all fundamental civil liberties, including freedoms of religion, speech and assembly.
Despite what the banner maker may have read, Israel does not occupy Gaza. It unilaterally withdrew every soldier and civilian from Gaza in 2005. It continues to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza without a legal obligation to do so. And yet thousands of missile attacks against Israeli citizens have originated in Gaza over the past 10 years from a group that has avowed death to all Jews.
This summer, the people of Israel protected my family from missiles and ensured that we were escorted to shelters when alarms went off. Similarly, the people of Hong Kong have protected us by warning us when they thought things might get dangerous in the protest areas.
People should choose their words wisely. Based on shared values, Israel and Hong Kong have a friendship that runs deep.
Erica Lyons, founder/editor-in-chief, Asian Jewish Life
 
Create more pedestrian only areas
The last two weeks have transformed Central. Instead of the usual canyons of traffic and pollution, we have pedestrians owning the road.
Let's see this as a positive experiment and consider closing some roads to cars and making them for pedestrians only, as progressive cities have done.
I understand that there is a proposal to make Des Voeux Road pedestrian and tram only. I'm sure that we can all reach a consensus around this type of change for Hong Kong.
Jim Hildebrandt, The Peak
 
Mainland mothers good for economy
I am writing to express my views on the article ("Thousands of mainland mums-to-be turned away", September, 25).
I disagree with the total ban on pregnant mainlanders who are not married to Hong Kong men as there are also advantages to their coming.
First, there is an economic benefit as they might go shopping before or after the birth of their child, helping to bring prosperity to Hong Kong by boosting retail sales.
Also, as Hong Kong has a lot of double income families that don't have children, the birth rate is declining rapidly and the labour force is predicted to shrink as a result.
The city needs more young residents. Particularly considering the additional problem of a rapidly ageing population that is increasing the government's welfare burden.
Moreover, considering the cultural conflicts between mainlanders and Hongkongers recently, if a new generation of mainlanders grows up in Hong Kong it will increase awareness of cultural differences and lead to greater harmony by encouraging integration.
In addition, it helps to promote Hong Kong as a safe cosmopolitan city. The reason mainlanders come to Hong Kong to give birth is not just the proximity of Hong Kong, but also its reputation as a modern city with a reliable, sophisticated medical system.
Projecting an image of safety and reliability will help to increase investor confidence and boost the Hong Kong economy.
Michelle Wong, Hung Hom
 
Lack of trust driving out China's rich
It has been claimed that many of the mainland's millionaires are planning to leave China in the near future ("Half of China's millionaires 'plan to leave country within five years'", September 15).
According to a Barclays Wealth report, around half of China's rich aim to move to another country within the next five years.
The report said that a growing number of high net worth individuals were becoming more international in their outlook and behaviour around the world, and they were moving more frequently from country to country.
This indicates that high net worth individuals are interested in quality of life and it also reveals that some Chinese people have no confidence in their own country.
In stark contrast to the respondents from the other 16 places in the survey, the number of millionaires from China who said they wanted to leave was 47 per cent, compared with 23 per cent in Singapore, the next highest, 20 per cent in the United Kingdom and only 6 per cent in the US.
China is experiencing a prosperous period of development, so why do so many millionaires want to leave? The reasons cited in the survey for planning or considering a move to a different country included political security and economic security. Corruption is a serious problem in China.
The government of China needs to take steps to gain people's trust and improve their confidence in the system.
Since President Xi Jinping took office, his anti-graft campaign has done much to tackle this problem and bolster people's confidence. If Beijing wants to solve the problem of millionaires leaving the country and taking their money with them, it must do more to regain the trust of the Chinese people.
Bonnie He, Tsuen Wan
 
Hypocritical over parallel traders
In recent years, conflicts between Hong Kong and the mainland have become more serious. One of the reasons is parallel trading, which causes shortages and drives up prices.
However, Hongkongers engaging in iPhone speculation may now welcome more parallel traders. There are now so many iPhone6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices on the market, resale prices have dropped, causing some mobile phone shops to stop orders. Speculators who want to sell their new iPhones may lose out. No doubt they hope to sell their phones to parallel traders and still make money.
Hongkongers always complain about parallel traders, but change their tune when they see a business opportunity. They focus too much on making a profit.
Jessie Cheung Ho-wun, Tsing Yi


Letters to the Editor, October 12, 2014

Arabs in Israel are represented in the Knesset. Photo: AP

Thousands of mainland mums-to-be turned away

The Immigration Department turned away 3,532 mainland mothers-to-be in the first eight months of this year alone. Photo: Sam Tsang

Half of China's millionaires 'plan to leave country within five years'

47 per cent of Chinese high net worth individuals said they planned to move abroad within the next five years, with 30 per cent citing Hong Kong as their preferred destination. Photo: Bloomberg

Opinion

I took my children to Admiralty to the scene of the Occupy Central protests to teach them lessons about passion and persistence. I admired the incredible spirit, civility and intelligence of the protesters, but one sight saddened me.
