As the stock exchange bell ended the final day of trading under colonial rule, a visiting British radio journalist began his report: 'That bell you hear in the background could be the death knell of capitalism in Hong Kong.' If so, nobody has told Hong Kong investors.
They were too busy yesterday demonstrating their confidence in the territory's post-handover prospects by pushing the Hang Seng Index up 68.77 points in a late rally to a record high of 15,196.79.
In a case of symbolism that Hong Kong punters are bound to appreciate, if you round up the decimal points, the index's closing figure reads 15,197.
The international press corps gathered for the session did not appear impressed.
'It is too quiet for us,' complained an American reporter. 'We need a riot . . . can't somebody start a riot?' Others were disappointed by the apparent lack of activity among the 1,000 or so floor traders.
An Australian photographer described the dealers sitting in their cubicles as 'corporate battery hens, but with less room and not enough food'.
To the more experienced observer, it was obvious a last-minute buying frenzy was underway.
