Here’s my perspective. Maybe it’s being too idealistic. But if a region wants to be independent then, like, you don’t really have any moral claim on keeping it occupied. So if 80ish per cent of HKers wanted to not be a part of China, then I’d be for HK independence.
What does this mean in practice, though? Does Hong Kong become Singapore? Does it become Israel? And what happens to the 20% of HKers that wanted to remain a part of China? Can they peal their chunk of the city off and declare it independent in turn?
How do you weight the demands of non-citizens, like migrants? Or the transient whims of a public easily manipulated by false information? Like with the folks who voted Brexit thinking it was going to save the NHS. Or the assholes down in Texas who insist they can secede every time their team doesn't win the Presidency. Does society reorient itself every election cycle? Every business cycle? Every media cycle?
And of course, most HKers, whatever their disagreements may be with the CPC, still consider themselves Chinese. It’s the idealistic students who are in love with the idea of a “free, liberal West” and the millionaires who push those dreams on the young who want to “free HK”.
One big reason why stems from migration of Shenzhen residents and Hong Kong residents across the border. Even then, there's definitely a distinct "HKer" identity, particularly among English-speaking and English-educated residents. The UK was enjoying a similar blurred border situation prior to Brexit, and one of the prevailing criticisms aimed at its EU membership was the dissolution of "Britishness" in favor of "Europeanness". I suspect we'll see the departure reverse that trend as the island grows increasingly insular.
But had Hong Kong remained politically isolated for another generation? Or ten generations? I suspect we'd see a serious emergence of a distinct political identity, particularly if the economic situations of the mainland versus the colony diverged.
Again, I'd point to Israel versus Palestine. Or the crack-up of Yugoslavia and subsequent genocide. Or the violence between North and South Sudan.
I don't think it's enough to simply say "If people want to Balkinize then that's ok, because its their right to do so." Usually, balkinization is a reaction to some far more serious underlying problems. And I rarely see the split resolve those problems.
What does this mean in practice, though? Does Hong Kong become Singapore? Does it become Israel? And what happens to the 20% of HKers that wanted to remain a part of China? Can they peal their chunk of the city off and declare it independent in turn?
How do you weight the demands of non-citizens, like migrants? Or the transient whims of a public easily manipulated by false information? Like with the folks who voted Brexit thinking it was going to save the NHS. Or the assholes down in Texas who insist they can secede every time their team doesn't win the Presidency. Does society reorient itself every election cycle? Every business cycle? Every media cycle?
One big reason why stems from migration of Shenzhen residents and Hong Kong residents across the border. Even then, there's definitely a distinct "HKer" identity, particularly among English-speaking and English-educated residents. The UK was enjoying a similar blurred border situation prior to Brexit, and one of the prevailing criticisms aimed at its EU membership was the dissolution of "Britishness" in favor of "Europeanness". I suspect we'll see the departure reverse that trend as the island grows increasingly insular.
But had Hong Kong remained politically isolated for another generation? Or ten generations? I suspect we'd see a serious emergence of a distinct political identity, particularly if the economic situations of the mainland versus the colony diverged.
Again, I'd point to Israel versus Palestine. Or the crack-up of Yugoslavia and subsequent genocide. Or the violence between North and South Sudan.
I don't think it's enough to simply say "If people want to Balkinize then that's ok, because its their right to do so." Usually, balkinization is a reaction to some far more serious underlying problems. And I rarely see the split resolve those problems.