On the 15 year anniversary of Hong Kong’s reverting back to the mainland, the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council issued its annual report on the overall developments in Hong Kong as well as the current relationship between Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the mainland.
The report expressed increased concern over the independence of Hong Kong’s media. According to the report, Hong Kong University recently conducted a public survey which found that the number of those surveyed who agreed that Hong Kong media lack independence and are unlikely to criticize Beijing was the highest since the 1997 date of reversion. The report also suggested that China has increased its involvement in the recent official elections in Hong Kong.
According to the report, the economic and manpower exchange between Hong Kong and the mainland has resulted in conflicts in the allocation of Hong Kong’s education and medical resources as well as in cultural differences. The examples included the increased number of mainland students studying in Hong Kong and the large number of pregnant women who come from the mainland to Hong Kong to give birth (a birth in Hong Kong results in Hong Kong residency for the child).
The report believes that the Hong Kong government will continue to face difficult challenges in the future.
Source: BBC Chinese Edition, July 1, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2012/07/120701_taiwan_hk_china.shtml