When I was planning my solo trip to the mountains this year, I had no idea I would meet this inspiring Hong Kong citizen along the way who only a few months later became my best friend. Around this time my Bachelor’s program consisted of classes related to Hong Kong protests, too. Touched by this coincidental connection, I decided to unravel some of the day-to-day obstacles Hong Kong citizens have to deal with in order to break free from the growing Chinese occupation.
Hong Kong’s political landscape is shaped by its unique status as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework. This arrangement was established after the 1997 handover from British rule to Chinese sovereignty. It was designed to guarantee autonomy, separate legal and economic systems, and freedoms not available in mainland China for 50 years. People fear 2047 since it is the year when Hong Kong will legally become a part of China.
The 2019 protests that arose after the introduction of the Extradition Bill highlighted the divisions between pro-democracy activists and the pro-Beijing government. In response, Beijing imposed the 2020 National Security Law which is now controlling the state by not letting people show any kind of national identity in public. Citizens are not allowed to display any kind of pro-Hong Kong symbols. Aryan Galani, a Hong Kong citizen whom I was interviewing, shared his perspective on these changes. When I asked him about the attitudes toward the national symbols, he said that there is a drastic change between how it was during his childhood, and now. “During the protests, the flag was used as a political weapon”, he said. Not only can’t people display the national flag, but it’s also difficult to find it at regional souvenir shops. Nowadays, pro-Hong Kong souvenirs have been replaced by the traditional Chinese memorabilia that tourists are now purchasing.
When I asked him about the presence of solidarity within the people of Hong Kong, he instantly denied it. I was curious - after all, the failed protests should have united people and given them hope for a better future together. However, the reality seems to be different.
“Even if the police don’t find you, the neighbors will report you”, he said.
There are cash prizes for citizens who report the ones who do not abide by the censorship. “It is breaking us apart”, he said sadly.
When we talked about the resistance, Aryan mentioned the recent news. In November, a Hong Kong court sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to jail. “People can’t do anything without being arrested or taken away for questioning. (…) When the head figures of the protests are arrested, it definitely feels like the momentum is slowed instead of pushing forward the Hong Kong sovereignty”. When I asked the question if people fear 2047, he answered: “I wouldn’t say it’s fear – it’s frustration. The only option for many is to leave”.
Silent suffering was a frequent term in our conversation. There is hope that the citizens can delay the imposition of China’s power over Hong Kong, but there are no drastic moves anymore. Some people are learning to accept reality only because of their and the country’s good economic situation.
How has China been displaying power over Hong Kong so far? Firstly, weakening the border laws between the countries. Access is easy, and “international” transportation and travel have become unnoticeable. “Hong Kong is treated as an extension of China”, Aryan said. Travel permits in the form of cards are being introduced, allowing non-Chinese citizens of Hong Kong to travel freely to the Mainland. The process is way smoother than earlier.
Another day-to-day thing that is slowly making Hong Kong unrecognizable as a separate entity from China is accepting different forms of payments, especially the typical Chinese ones, such as WeChat, or Alipay. Hong Kong is preparing itself for the diversity of remittances in the future.
The last one, probably the saddest, is language. Hong Kong's native language is Cantonese. However, nowadays in schools, Mandarin – the language of mainland China – is starting to be widely incorporated into the main language curriculum in Hong Kong schools. The younger generation learns to communicate in Mandarin despite it not being the prominent local language. “That is how China prepares Hong Kong for the inevitable. They want Hong Kong society to slowly become Chinese”, Aryan said. “We’re speaking like them, we’re paying like them. It feels now, more than ever like we live in China”.
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