Having spent her entire working life in Hong Kong, it is not surprising Elizabeth Thomson feels a part of the community. But recently, the Canadian-born owner of a taxation consultancy has begun wondering whether she will always feel at home in Hong Kong.
'I hope an 'us' and 'you' attitude won't come up - a sort of motherland-homeland thing that we are Chinese and you are not,' she says.
'I hope a situation won't come up when I would consider it intolerable to live or do business [here].' Despite Hong Kong's reputation as an international hub, where many shops, restaurants and department stores cater for English-speaking customers, Ms Thomson worries that she and other non-Chinese residents may not continue to enjoy the respect of Hong Kongers.
Her worries are not totally unfounded. At recent social functions, she was upset by people referring to those present who were not ethnically Chinese as 'foreigners'.
'I've been here 20 years. I don't consider myself a foreigner here,' she says. 'I own my own home, my own business and I employ 40 people.' Ms Thomson, who joined in the handover-related celebrations, adds: 'I don't think I'd want to stay here if I start to feel like an outsider rather than a belonger.' As a former chairperson of the Women Business Owners' Club, she is rightly concerned about the prospects of owners of small and medium-sized businesses hiring the staff they need.
A triggering factor was her recent, frustrating battle with the Immigration Department over her attempt to hire an Australian woman to be a marketing executive for her booming business.