All Articles
Evergrande: The Grand Plan Behind the Fall of China’s Property Industry
Peace Far Away: On the Recurrent Turmoil in Afghanistan
Phoebe Chen analyses the reasons behind the tumult in Afghanistan and the factors behind the Taliban’s quick rise to power.
Afghanistan: The Foreign Powers’ Reactions to the Crisis are Ironically Inward-Oriented
How has the world reacted to the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan? Ana Givran from France shines the spotlight on three different regions and their responses.
‘An Insider’s Perspective’: Immigrants in Malaysia
Initially, I was rather proud of my country’s response to this pandemic...However, this show of solidarity in handling a crisis could not be more starkly contrasted to Malaysia’s treatment of immigrants and refugees.
One Year Ago Today: Hong Kong’s Extradition Bill
To mark the finale of our ‘Hong Kong: One Year Ago Today’ initiative as well as the significance of last year’s event, we reveal to you our final Opinion piece, ‘One Year Ago Today: Hong Kong’s Extradition Bill’. Reflecting on the events of last year, the article revisits ‘the rationale, the content of the bill that started it all, as well as the reasons for its widespread opposition.’
Hong Kong’s Role as ‘A Mere Pawn’ in the Game of US-China Relations
It has often been critiqued that the Hong Kong people’s trustful calls for the US President Donald Trump to ‘save’ the city during the current climate of crisis as futile and redundant in their approach. Not only are the demonstrators being used to ‘further their own ruin’ but are simply deluded by the apparent support from the Western media, equating maximum media exposure as shows of solidarity and support.
'Hong Kong Nationalism': why 'national identification' cannot be directly equated with independence
From socio-cultural identification to the collectivisation of separatism, localism, nationalism, demands for self-autonomous rule and democracy under the same motivations of ‘Hong Kong independence,’ the article, complemented with a summary of Hong Kong’s historical past, aims to highlight the differences behind all these terms and focus on Hong Kong’s ‘core values’ and related merits.
The ‘Hong Kong problem’ and the current socio-political climate: the chicken or the egg debate
Over the last two decades, the city has witnessed a series of social conflicts over issues such as competition for school entry quotas and milk powder scandals, most of which saw clashes between ‘New Immigrants’ and members of the local community. Closer analysis reveals that events relating to promotions of ‘One China’ have repeatedly brought about clashes in Hong Kong’s society. Whilst this identity was predetermined by its historic past, the escalation of social conflicts into the current climate of social unrest suggests that conflicting interests are no longer result of cultural differences but a contradiction with local interests and Hong Kong’s ‘core values.’
Chinese Nationalism, Supporters of British Colonialism and ‘Localism’: A lack of national sentiment
The lack of collective unity felt in Hong Kong owes massively to its historical and cultural background. Having undergone a turbulent 20th century, characterised by two regime changes in China in 1949 and 1966 respectively and later the end to British colonial rule in 1997, whilst nationalist sentiments were arguably present, they were never powerful enough to stimulate a political movement.
Is this the end? – What future holds for Hong Kongers
From initial emigration waves in 1980s and the handover of sovereignty from Britain to China in 1997 to the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the Extradition Bill Crisis of 2019, Hong Kong has had its fair share of uncertainties throughout its history and has come out on top against all odds. However, recent events, such as the implementation of the National Security Bill, greatly threatens to compromise the city’s long-standing merits.