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I was born in Hong Kong. I went to high school here, then university in Canada.
When I was little, I wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. So I became one.
I was in Canada for 15 years. [Newspaper corporation] Sing Tao gave me a job offer, so I came back. I was the director of business development.
I did it for a long time, then other opportunities came along. It was fate, really. I became a business consultant.
The “Tai-pan” name came because I was the publisher of Playboy and Forbes. I wore a bow tie.
At the time, Hong Kong’s magazines were very primitive. I thought they should be modernized, so I brought American publications over.
I got fired [from Commercial Radio], so I branched out on my own. I couldn’t get a license, so I did it on the internet.
The biggest challenge for me right now is how to make D100 survive.
I hope D100 will turn into a social enterprise. I want to leave a non-profit public broadcast behind for the people.
We’re no longer the people who are in the spotlight. My work is behind the scenes now.
Hong Kong’s new crop of opposition in the future will be made up of the students. We’re happy to see that we have successors who are better than the past generation.
When Hong Kong was developing, people had more opportunities. Now that everything has advanced—and is monopolized by cartels—it is very hard to be in business.
Hong Kong has an identity crisis. At first, people accepted that they were Chinese. But now everyone is coming out to say they’re a Hongkonger. The communists have CY Leung to thank for that.
I don’t trust “One Country, Two Systems.” There has to be democratic development in China for Hong Kong to have the same.
If China maintains its current system of one party being in power, then Hong Kong is not going to have “One Country, Two Systems.” Hong Kong is only going to become another Chinese city.
Of course, I think that humans will progress. China has to change eventually.
Ever since CY Leung came into power, Hong Kong’s ethics and core values have deteriorated. One of them is the rule of law. Look at how the police are now. How they are functioning, the double standards that they have, and the way they outsource their duties—it’s very dangerous.
If CY Leung has any kind of dignity or ethics, he should step down. He is the most hated person in Hong Kong.
In 2005, I should have supported Donald Tsang’s political reforms. But I didn’t have the guts to, because my peers in the Democratic Party disagreed with him. But you can see now: if they had gone through, our system would have improved.
When you are in politics, you have to just do what you think is right—plus be able to face criticism.
Hong Kong’s press freedom is a lot worse than it used to be.
The most important factor is self-censorship. Mainstream media have all been bought out by big businesses.
It’s a reality that can’t be changed. This is just how Hong Kong is going to be.
I don’t want to get involved in Occupy Central, because it is too complicated. There is no leadership or organization.
There’s no point in me going, because people are just going to say I’m taking advantage of the situation. If I were to go, I wouldn’t be able to leave. I would either have to sleep there, or be arrested. Simply walking around would only be for attention.
Hong Kong has given me money and fame. But if I had stayed in Canada, I would have become a minister.
That might have been even better. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back.
The excitement in life is learning from your mistakes. If you look back with hindsight, everyone could have become Li Ka-shing.
I started working when I was 17 and have really never stopped. It’s about time I stop and enjoy life.
When you reach the age of 70, if you are fortunate, you can still stay active. You can drive, travel, and wine and dine. Then you start to deteriorate at 80.
People like me can’t retire completely, though. If I don’t go looking for trouble, trouble comes looking for me.
I still want to run for Chief Executive. If they let me, I would definitely do it.


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Albert Cheng

Magazines

Albert Cheng, also known as “Tai-pan,” is a current affairs commentator and the founder of internet radio station D100. He brought Playboy and Forbes magazines to Hong Kong, was a talk show host on Commercial Radio for 10 years and a member of Legco for four. He talks to Andrea Lo about young people in Hong Kong, his political regrets, and why he won’t go to Occupy Central.
