Like others who cannot leave Hong Kong, Liu is taking a wait-and-see attitude. "Now I don't want to leave, and neither do my friends and relatives. Not because we have confidence in the future of Hong Kong, but because of life in other countries. For example, if I moved to Taipei, the living standard there would be too high for me to afford. As for Singapore, recently a TV program showed that it is still imposing a lot of restrictions on its people. They can't criticize or say anything against the government. If it's not that free there, then what's the difference between living under that government and under Communist China's rule?"
The U.S. and Canada as future homes lack appeal as well. "A lot of TV programs interviewing immigrants there show that you have to learn the basic labor skills before leaving here because it's really hard to find a job there," Liu says. "We're so young. We have a lot of opportunities. Why should we do this?"
In view of the waves of reforms engulfing Eastern Europe, she draws some comfort from the hope that communism will sooner or later disappear, which is one reason she considers the chances of good things happening in Hong Kong after 1997 have a probability of 70 percent.
Mr. Yeung, a former researcher at the mainland Chinese Academy of Sciences: Yeung returned to Hong Kong about eight years ago. In 1962, when Communist China was actively developing the so-called united front in the country, Yeung was attracted by its slogans. Besides, he "disliked Hong Kong businessmen." He decided to enter college on the mainland, and for four years he endured heavy indoctrination in the theories of communism. He says that even now he cannot free himself from its way of thinking, although he long ago figured out that the ideology of communism contradicted his experience.
Now that he is going to face Communist China again, Yeung has mixed feelings. "Before June 4th, I thought that it would be no problem for me to face them again," he says. "It seemed that Teng Hsiao-ping and his group were really carrying through some reforms. But after June 4th, even I—who has come through the Cultural Revolution and other movements—consider China hopeless this time. I don't have any confidence. The situation now is even worse than during the Cultural Revolution. Although things were turned upside down during that time, it was not as serious as the total confusion of right and wrong today."
Yeung is especially distressed about the disregard of the Peking leaders for anything besides their own power. "Even though the world saw thousands of students being killed, the Chinese authorities still deny everything," he says. "The fact is that as long as they feel insecure about their political power, they may go so far as to sacrifice everything. So things like the Basic Law or the Bill of Rights are useless. I think the only bargaining chip Hong Kong has now is its strong economy. This is dependent on how much the Hong Kong people cooperate in strengthening it. If they grab their money and run before anything happens, then Hong Kong will be no better than Tibet."
Yeung is even more pessimistic about the prospects for freedom of speech after 1997. He recalls that his brother was once purged because of talking boastfully, and his brother's daughters were even asked to keep a record of what he said. In spite of this, Yeung and his wife are not that eager to leave Hong Kong, but if there is a chance, he says he would let their daughter leave.
Maria Cheung—"We can't afford to have our dream destroyed."
Maria Cheung, Shipping Manager of Colgate-Palmolive (H.K.) Ltd.: Cheung and her husband were born and grew up in Hong Kong. They started from next to nothing, and after 30 years of hard work have built a good life for themselves and their children. Now that their dream has come true, they are reluctant to leave.
"Although we really don't want to leave Hong Kong where we have our roots, we can't afford to have our dream destroyed," she says. "For years, we have been working hard to own a comfortable home, although not a luxurious one. Even though the situation might not be that bad after 1997, we are still going to emigrate to Canada in a few years."
Cheung says that most of the workers she knows in her company are pessimistic about the future: "What they want is a stable life, work, and education for their children. They don't care much about the other things. Since they know they can't leave, they don't complain. They might even make fun about the place being not so crowded during horse racing day in the future."
But Cheung says she was moved by the words of her niece and nephew, who refuse to emigrate with her. They told her: "The Hong Kong government contributed a lot to our education. Now that many people are leaving, why don't we serve the remaining people in return? It would be much better than to go abroad and serve a foreign government."
Andy Woo, currently an assistant manager in the marketing department of a China-based hotel in Hong Kong: Woo lived in Britain for five years, and when he compares that experience with his life in Hong Kong, he says that life in Britain was boring and narrow. Worse, he says that he could never imagine that Chinese would be accepted by the British. When he first reached Britain, life was harsh. He worked as manager in a Chinese restaurant, but he had to work 18 hours a day and be responsible for everything. Taxes were high, at about 33 percent, and promotion was hard for a Chinese. Woo was depressed with the whole setup and he made up his mind to return to Hong Kong with his family.
But his experience with mainland China was not much better. "Before I went to Britain, I worked in a hotel in Canton for two years. That's why I understand the mainland Chinese and their attitudes very well. Before working in Canton, I had never imagined things were so bad there: there was a great shortage of professionals, and the high officials there were uneducated and didn't have too much common sense. If communism continues in mainland China, I don't have any hope for it, and if Hong Kong is going to be under such a government, things will surely go from bad to worse."
Joseph Kwok, already living abroad with his family in Scarborough, Canada: Kwok emigrated more than two years ago, but he says it had nothing to do with the approach of 1997. He was educated in Canada, enjoyed the peaceful life, and wanted to return. But his experience demonstrates that emigration does not necessarily mean a better life than what Hong Kong has to offer.
"When we first arrived, I found it hard to find a job. My wife and I didn't have much money, and we had to rent an apartment and worry about one thing after another. Even now, although I've got a job in a bank, the salary is low. Frankly, the prospects aren't good at all. It's hard for a person to make it big here."
Kwok's wife says: "If I could choose again, I wouldn't leave Hong Kong. I don't think the situation is that bad. Even if things get worse, I really would rather stay there, even if the experience is bad. Unlike our ancestors, our generation has never encountered anything like this before. My belief is still the same: people don't need to worry as much as they do because the situation won't be that bad."