It's a rout - is the old order on the way out?

[CXRAndy]

Yes, HK does have quite strict entry procedures, possibly due to it's size. I had to jump through hoops of fire in 2013 to get my first visa but, once you're here, renewing is a breeze as long as you're employed and haven't broken the law.

Perfectly reasonable admission rules and for continued permission.

Incoming workers should be rigorously vetted and kicked out if they don't follow the rules

 

[cookiemonster]

Perfectly reasonable admission rules and for continued permission.

Incoming workers should be rigorously vetted and kicked out if they don't follow the rules

They do that here but there is a world of difference between the UK and HK so I wouldn't compare the two.

 

[icowden]

Perfectly reasonable admission rules and for continued permission.
Incoming workers should be rigorously vetted and kicked out if they don't follow the rules

Are you also prepared to adopt automatic imprisonment of dissidents (anyone who says anything bad about the supreme leader or the party), the end of democratic elections etc etc?

Oddly enough we already check incoming migrants and deport them if they don't follow the rules.

 

[CXRAndy]

They do that here but there is a world of difference between the UK and HK so I wouldn't compare the two.

Why is there, both islands, highly populated. One has strict admission policy, the other can't stop anyone wandering in

 

[cookiemonster]

Are you also prepared to adopt automatic imprisonment of dissidents (anyone who says anything bad about the supreme leader or the party), the end of democratic elections etc etc?

Oddly enough we already check incoming migrants and deport them if they don't follow the rules.

Erm... that's bollox.

A tip from someone who lives here, don't believe anything printed in the western media about HK as it's crap.

If HK was as bad as it's made out to be, I would've bailed out by now.

It's not perfect, nowhere is, but not anything like portrayed in the press.

 

[cookiemonster]

Why is there, both islands, highly populated. One has strict admission policy, the other can't stop anyone wandering in

There is a massive difference in size for a start. Not much room here.

 

[CXRAndy]

Are you also prepared to adopt automatic imprisonment of dissidents (anyone who says anything bad about the supreme leader or the party), the end of democratic elections etc etc?

Oddly enough we already check incoming migrants and deport them if they don't follow the rules.

I'm not talking about political prisoners/opposition

I'm on about immigration policy

I'm aware of China's extremely brutal control of the state

 

[icowden]

I'm not talking about political prisoners/opposition
I'm on about immigration policy
I'm aware of China's extremely brutal control of the state

But it's their brutal control of the state which creates the immigration policy. you can't have one without the other.

 

[CXRAndy]

There is a massive difference in size for a start. Not much room here.

Still Australia has a strict immigration policy

 

[icowden]

Erm... that's bollox.

No it isn't. Democracy was ended in 2025 with the dissolution of the Hong Kong Democratic Party. The leader of Hong Kong was appointed by China, not elected.

If HK was as bad as it's made out to be, I would've bailed out by now.
It's not perfect, nowhere is, but not anything like portrayed in the press.

Fair point. BUt

• National Security Law:
  This law, introduced in response to the 2019 protests, broadly defines national security offenses, allowing for the arrest and prosecution of individuals for actions deemed subversive, secessionist, or in collusion with foreign forces. Critics argue it has created a climate of fear and stifled political activism.
  Article 23:
  This new legislation, passed in March 2024, expands on the National Security Law by criminalizing a wider range of activities, including external interference, and allows for trials to be held behind closed doors. It has raised concerns about further curtailing civil liberties and enabling law enforcement agencies to intimidate or harass companies.
  Electoral Reforms:
  The 2021 overhaul of the electoral system, which now requires all candidates to receive government approval, has effectively eliminated democratic representation and ensured Beijing's control over the selection of Hong Kong authorities.
  Freedom of Speech and Press:
  The implementation of the National Security Law and the prosecution of journalists and media outlets have significantly restricted freedom of speech and press.
  Targeting of Civil Society Groups:
  Authorities have targeted civil society groups, activists, media, political parties, labor unions, academics, and student groups accused of being connected to the pro-democracy movement or critical of the government.

I find this to be quite objective also:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-52765838

I'm quite sure that as a foreign national minding your own business, things are absolutely fine.

 

[CXRAndy]

But it's their brutal control of the state which creates the immigration policy. you can't have one without the other.

Yes you can look at Australia

 

[cookiemonster]

No it isn't. Democracy was ended in 2025 with the dissolution of the Hong Kong Democratic Party. The leader of Hong Kong was appointed by China, not elected.

Fair point. BUt


I find this to be quite objective also:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-52765838

I'm quite sure that as a foreign national minding your own business, things are absolutely fine.

Democracy still does exist here in HK, not in the western sense. Pre-1997, there was NO democracy at all. There are elections although the candidates are approved by Beijing. The HK Dem Party were very very quiet in 2019 when HK was turned into a warzone where people were killed and beaten into a bloody pulp for opposing the 'protesters, ' ie 'thugs' actions so I won't miss them.

The leader of HK is appointed by Beijing and that has been the case since 1997.

The BBC, as well as other media outlets in the west, are not objective when it comes to HK. I see their reporting and look around me and wonder what HK they're describing. I have even shown some of these reports to friends here and they cannot believe what's being reported.

I do mind my own business but I do have eyes and a brain and I saw what these people did in 2019 and how it's been reported. These thugs were to democracy what Harold Shipman was to geriatric medicine.

The National Security Law in HK is, believe it or not, the same as the National Security Law that the UK introduced in 2023 . The SCMP here in HK as well as the Straits Times in Singapore (the west's favourite dictatorship) pointed this out.

i'm quite sure as someone who wasn't here in HK between July and December 2019, or since, will think HK is a hellhole. But that's the media for you.

Also, I did say it's not perfect but nowhere near as bad as is reported.

 

[Stevo 666]

Well I haven't lived in the UK for 12 years so why should I pay UK tax?

Also, I left the UK for job opportunities that I wasn't getting in the UK. Many people have done similar.

So how does that make me nasty?

I've never called myself an expat and I never will.

More a reference to the bleating sometimes seen on here about those who allegedly 'don't pay their fair share' of UK tax, rather than a dig at your tax position, which I know nothing about apart from what you said above.

Now that said, ATFQ 😉

 

[Stevo 666]

There are two types of ex-pat:

• British citizen who has moved abroad, works abroad and pays tax abroad.
• British citizen who has moved abroad for the minimum party of the year required, along with their money but still works in the UK via offshore companies and holding companies to avoid paying tax.

In your view of course. It's probably more complicated than that.

 

[cookiemonster]

In your view of course. It's probably more complicated than that.

IMO, it isn't complicated at all.