Podcasts about special administrative region

Last time we spoke about the first Tientsin Incident. In September 1931, as tensions rose between China and Japan, Commander Zhang Xueliang enjoyed an opera in Beiping, unaware of the impending Mukden Incident. With senior commanders absent, Japanese forces quickly gained local support. Chiang Kai-shek ordered non-resistance, fearing conflict would ruin Northeast China. Meanwhile, Japanese officials plotted to install Puyi as a puppet emperor. Covert riots erupted in Tianjin, orchestrated by the Japanese, leaving the city in chaos as Zhang's forces struggled to maintain order against the well-armed attackers. In a tense standoff at Haiguang Temple, the Japanese military issued an ultimatum to Chinese security forces, citing threats to overseas Chinese. Wang Shuchang ordered a strategic withdrawal, but the Japanese escalated with artillery fire. Despite fierce resistance, the plainclothes attackers regrouped, leading to ongoing skirmishes. Amidst the chaos, Puyi was covertly extracted by Japanese forces, paving the way for the establishment of the puppet state of Manchukuo. Ultimately, Japan's aggression continued, deepening tensions in China.   #142 the Jinzhou Operation  Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. When the Mukden Incident occurred, Zhang Xueliang was in Beiping serving in his capacity as the commander of the North China garrison. On the night of September 18, he was at the opera enjoying a performance by the famous singer Mei Lanfang. His deputies were also away from Shenyang: Wan Fulin was in Beiping, and Zhang Zuoxiang was attending his father's funeral in Jinzhou. With the absence of the senior provincial commanders during the Incident, the Japanese quickly gained cooperation from the acting commanders. In Shenyang, Yu Zhishan, the commander of the Eastern Borders Garrison, and in Changchun, acting provincial forces commander Xi Xia, both swiftly aligned themselves with the Japanese. Although the Northeastern Army had approximately 130,000 troops in the region compared to a Japanese force of 40,000 to 50,000, Chiang Kai-shek urgently issued a non-resistance order to the Northeastern troops, which Zhang Xueliang confirmed. It was actually his stance prior to September 18th, as there had been other incidents such as the Wanbaoshan Incident whereupon Zhang Xueliang sent a secret telegram to his subordinates starting on July 6, "If we go to war with Japan at this time, we will surely be defeated. If we lose, Japan will demand that we cede territory and pay compensation, and Northeast China will be ruined. We should avoid conflict as soon as possible and deal with it in the name of justice." A month after this Chiang Kai-Shek sent a telegram to Zhang Xueliang on August 16th "No matter how the Japanese army seeks trouble in Northeast China in the future, we should not resist and avoid conflict. My brother, please do not act out of anger and disregard the country and the nation. I hope you will follow my instructions." As the tensions between China and Japan increased on September 6th Zhang Xueliang sent this telegram to his subordinates "It has been found that the Japanese diplomatic situation is becoming increasingly tense. We must deal with everything and strive for stability. No matter how the Japanese try to cause trouble, we must be tolerant and not resist them to avoid causing trouble. I hope you will send a secret telegram to all your subordinates to pay close attention to this matter." Thus the Manchurian commanders were already well versed in what their stance would be. Chiang Kai-shek's hesitation to engage in combat is understandable; he was concerned about factions opposing him in South China, the potential reformation of the alliance between Feng Yuxiang and Yan Xishan in North China, and the threat posed by the CCP in Jiangxi, leaving him unable to confront another adversary. Zhang Xueliang's situation was also not as advantageous as it might seem. Although he commanded nearly 250,000 men, only 100,000 to 130,000 were stationed in the Northeast, with the remainder in Hebei. Both Chiang Kai-Shek and Zhang Xueliang most likely believed the League of Nations or the Wakatsuki government in Tokyo would restrain the occupiers eventually, so they were biding their time. According to Nelson Johnson, the American Minister in China, Counselor Yano of the Japanese Legation in Beiping had informal discussions with Zhang, suggesting that Jinzhou would inevitably succumb to the Japanese and that “the Tokyo Foreign Office would gain prestige and be better able to shape events to China's advantage if the Chinese avoided a clash by withdrawing voluntarily.” It was also implied that some of Zhang's supporters might be reinstated in official roles in the new government in Shenyang. Johnson concluded, “Chang is believed to have been led to his present decision by these inducements, along with the bitter hostility toward him at Nanking and the lack of support from that quarter.” In essence, Zhang was effectively coerced into non-resistance by both sides. Certainly, in December 1931, with no hope for international intervention and the Nanjing government in turmoil following Chiang Kai-shek's temporary resignation, Zhang's options were severely limited. The Kwantung Army received clear instructions not to move beyond the South Manchurian railway zone, which hindered the plans of Lt. Colonel Ishiwara Kanji, the architect of the Manchurian invasion. After securing the region around the South Manchurian railway, Ishiwara focused his attention on Jinzhou. Following the fall of Mukden, Jinzhou became the administrative headquarters and civil government of Zhang Xueliang, making it a focal point for Chinese forces. Jinzhou is the southernmost part of Liaoning province, directly enroute to Shanhaiguan, the critical pass that separates Manchuria from China proper. It was the furthest point Zhang Xueliang could establish an HQ while still holding foot within Manchuria and thus became the defacto “last stand” or “guanwai” outside the Shanhaiguan pass for Zhang Xueliangs Northeastern army. Japanese sources indicate that Zhang Xueliang began covertly instructing local governments in Manchuria to comply with and pay taxes to Jinzhou. He also dispatched spies to Japanese-occupied territories and was conspiring to assassinate Japanese officials and those opposed to Chiang Kai-shek. Obviously Jinzhou had to be seized to control Liaoning and thus all of Manchuria. The Japanese first tried to bully Jinzhou into submission by bombing it. On October 8th, Ishiwara commanded five captured Chinese aircraft from the 10th Independent Air Squadron, flying from Mukden to conduct a raid on Jinzhou, claiming it was merely a reconnaissance mission. They flew over Jinzhou at approximately 1:40 PM and dropped 75 bombs weighing 25 kg each, targeting the barracks of the 28th Division, government buildings, and Zhang Xueliang's residence. Additionally, they took photographs of the Chinese defensive positions. The attack served two main purposes: to intimidate Zhang Xueliang and to send a message to Tokyo HQ. The bombing of Jinzhou caused an uproar in Tokyo and shocked the League of Nations, which had previously been indifferent to the situation. Consequently, Tokyo HQ felt compelled to retroactively approve the Kwantung attacks while simultaneously demanding an end to further actions. Rumors began to circulate that Ishiwara and his associate Itagaki aimed to establish an independent Manchuria as a base for a coup d'état against the Japanese government, intending to initiate a Showa Restoration. On October 18th, War Minister Minami Jiro sent a telegram to the Kwantung Army, ordering them to halt offensives in Manchuria and dispatched Colonel Imamura Hitoshi to ensure Ishiwara and Itagaki ceased their reckless operations. However, when Hitoshi met with the two men at a restaurant in Mukden, they dismissed him. In reality, Ishiwara and Itagaki's plans were in jeopardy, but in early November, they found a pretext for action after Ma Zhanshan's forces damaged the Nenjiang railway bridge. This hostility provided them with justification to invade Heilongjiang alongside their allies, led by General Zhang Haipeng. Following the occupation of the north, a new opportunity arose in the southwest. The "first Tientsin incident" erupted on November 9th, initiated by Colonel Doihara Kenji with assistance from some Anti-Chiang Kai-shek Chinese. A small contingent launched an attack on the peace preservation corps in Tientsin. Doihara devised this plan with the intention of creating chaos to kidnap the former Manchu emperor Puyi, allowing the Kwantung army to later install him as the ruler of a new Manchurian state. Although Doihara sought reinforcements from Tokyo HQ, his request was denied, prompting him to turn to the Kwantung army for support. They agreed to coordinate an attack on Tientsin but insisted that a pretext be established first. To execute this plan, they would need to capture Jinzhou initially. A second Tientsin incident occurred on November 26th, when Chinese soldiers attacked the Japanese barracks in Tientsin at 8:20 PM, marking another false flag operation orchestrated by Doihara. Upon hearing the news, General Honjo Shigeru chose to support the Tientsin army, which they believed was in peril. The 4th Mixed Brigade and the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 2nd Division, comprising 10,000 troops, advanced toward 13 armored vehicles stationed along the Peiping-Mukden railway. The Kwantung Army also requested assistance from the Korean Army, and Commander Hayashi organized a mixed brigade to cross the border. Of course in order to provide assistance at Tientsin meant heading through the Shanhaiguan pass and this meant going through Jinzhou. Tokyo General HQ was yet again thrown into consternation by the latest aggravation of the Manchurian crisis. Incensed by the Kwantung Army's “lack of sincerity in submitting to the discipline of Tokyo”. The force got within 30km of Jinzhou when War Minister General Jiro Minami ordered them to immediately withdraw to a line east of the Liao river. Ironically what actually made the Kwantung Army comply was not so much Tokyo's authority but rather the refusal or foot dragging of the Korea Army, who sent a message that they were unwilling to attack Jinzhou. The Kwantung army continued on getting into some skirmishes with Chinese defenders around the Taling River and Takushan as Tokyo HQ sent countless furious messages demanding they withdraw from the Jinzhou area and by the 28th they finally did. Facing the real possibility that the Jinzhou operation might devolve into a fiasco without reinforcements, Ishiwara relented, remarking at the time “Tokyo has collapsed before Jinzhou”. There was another factor at play as well. Some have speculated Ishiwara tossed his hand on the field initiative because he was playing for time, expecting the Japanese government to fall and the substitution of a new team at central army HQ, one perhaps more compliant to the aggressive Kwantung Army.    While the Japanese forces pulled back into the SMR zone, Prime Minister Wakatsuki Reijiro began negotiations with Chiang Kai-Shek's Nanjing government, through the League of Nations, suggesting the Jinzhou area be declared a neutral area. The Chinese initially refused, and while the Kwantung Army declared they would not attack, they still sent aircraft to circle Jinzhou. The Chinese, British, American, and French governments were willing to withdraw their troops from Jinzhou to Shanhaiguan if the Manchurian incident was resolved and Japan committed to not infringing upon the area.    Consequently, Tokyo's headquarters supported this approach and instructed the Kwantung Army to withdraw. Although Zhang Xueliang had assured that his forces would leave Jinzhou by December 7th, this did not occur. As a result, the Japanese began discussions to establish Jinzhou as a neutral zone. The Kwantung army intercepted two Chinese telegrams indicating Zhang Xueliang was strengthening the defenses at Jinzhou and that Nanjing was requesting he not pull his men out. The telegrams were sent to Tokyo HQ who agreed the Chinese were acting in a treacherous manner. The Japanese ambassador then told US Secretary Henry Stimson  “it would be very difficult to withhold the army from advancing again.” Stimson replied “ such actions would convince the American public that Japan's excuse for her incursions, namely that she was combating bandit attacks, was a ruse to destroy the last fragment of Chinese authority in Manchuria. It would be extremely difficult to ask China to withdraw her army from her own territory.” Thus began the Jinzhou Crisis.   On the same day the Japanese ambassador was meeting Stimson in Washington, the Nationalist minister of finance, T.V Soong sent a telegram to Zhang Xueliang advising “any Japanese attack on Jinzhou should be offered utmost resistance.” Also the American Minister in China, Nelson Johnson publicly expressed the view that Zhang Xueliang would resist at Jinzhou if attacked “if only to reassure the students and public in general, some of whom clamor for military action, despite the attitude of his old generals of the Fengtian clique who desire his resignation to enable them to sell out to the Japanese”.   It had become clear to all observers that the Japanese were intent on capturing Jinzhou, whether they were justified to do so or not. Their tactics of intimidation became even bolder as they began dropping air torpedoes on disused sections of railway track on December 10th, disrupting traffic along the Beiping-Shenyang rail route and hinting that the nearby populated areas might be next. Ishiwara's hopes came true on December 13th, whence Prime Minister Wakatsuki resigned on December 11th, having failed to control the Kwantung Army. A new cabinet was formed under Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai, whom resumed negotiations with Nanjing, but then on December 15th, Chiang Kai-Shek resigned as chairman of the Nanjing government, leading Sun Ke to lead a weak interim government. Preoccupied with its own survival, the Nanjing government had no time to deal with the Jinzhou crisis.   Meanwhile War Minister Minami and Chief of staff Kanaya who had tried to moderate the Kwantung Army's aggressive initiatives had been replaced by Araki Sadao, a significantly more aggressive leader who happened to be the leading figure of the Kodoha faction. His counterpart was Prince Kan'in. With these new appointments, the atmosphere in Tokyo general HQ had changed dramatically. The new team elected to change the framing of the situation, they were not performing offensives against Chinese forces, but rather “suppressing bandits”. On December 15th, Tokyo HQ telegraphed Mukden instructing the Kwantung Army to “synchronize an assault on Jinzhou with an attack upon bandits”. Tokyo HQ even agreed to send some reinforcements from Korea and Japan. The 20th IJA division, the 38th mixed brigade of the 19th division crossed the border from Korea and the 8th mixed brigade, 10th division came over from Japan. With this the Kwantung army had been bolstered to around 60,450men.    On December 17th, the Japanese launched attacks on what they referred to as "soldier bandits" in Fak'u and Ch'angtuhsien, which was actually a precursor to their assault on Jinzhou. The following day, December 18th, Japanese aircraft bombed Daonglio, resulting in the deaths of three Chinese civilians and causing widespread panic in the city. The Japanese actions were all the more effective when concentrated with the absolute paralysis that had gripped China. Sun Ke was too preoccupied with the survival of his own government and had neither the time nor resources to spare for Manchuria. In addition, Stimson's strong words in private to the Japanese ambassador belied the State Department's public attitude toward interference in the conflict. On December 21st Hawkling Yen, the Chinese charge in Washington met with Stanley Hornback, the chief of the department of Far Eastern Affairs. Yen told Hornback that a Japanese attack on Jinzhou was imminent and asked the US to “protest in anticipate of it”. Hornbeck refused, stating the State Department was “already publicly on record with regard to the matter”. No other Western power was ready to advocate any strong measures against the Japanese either.   On the 22nd, the Japanese HQ at Shenyang announced they would soon begin an anti-bandit advance west of the Liao River and would remove any who interfered with said operation. They also added that if any Chinese forces at Jinzhou withdrew they would be left unmolested. By December 26th, all preparations for the assault on Jinzhou were finalized. On December 28th, Honjo initiated an "anti-bandit" campaign west of the Liao River. While Honjo publicly claimed they were merely "clearing the country of bandits,”. As the Japanese forces and their collaborationist allies spread across the South Manchurian railway area to eliminate remaining pockets of resistance, the 12th Division, led by Lt. General Jiro Tamon advanced from Mukden toward Jinzhou, supported by numerous bomber squadrons. Japanese intelligence estimated that Zhang Xueliang had 84,000 troops defending the city, along with 58 artillery pieces and two distinct defensive lines. The first line, located 20 miles north of Jinzhou, consisted of trenches designed to impede the Japanese advance at the Taling River Bridge on the Peiping-Mukden Railway. The second line was a series of earthworks and fortifications completely surrounding Jinzhou. The temperature was -30 degrees, and the Imperial Japanese Army troops were dressed in white winter camouflage uniforms. IJA reconnaissance aircraft reported approximately 3,000 Honghuzi were waiting to ambush them in Panshan County. Tamon's forces quickly overcame the alleged Honghuzi in a series of small skirmishes and continued their march toward Goubangzi, 50 km north of Jinzhou. It should be noted, many question whether the Honghuzi were real or simply local Chinese the Japanese coerced into action to justify their advance. By December 31, the Japanese vanguard had reached within 15 km of Jinzhou, along the banks of the Talin River. Tamon paused to allow the rest of the 2nd Division to catch up. Subsequently, Tamon's troops began setting up an intricate system of microphones to broadcast the sounds of the impending battle to Tokyo. This tactic appeared to be an attempt to demoralize the defenders, which proved effective as Zhang Xueliang's forces began to withdraw. On December 30, Zhang Xueliang had issued the order to retreat from Jinzhou. Two days later, the American Minister in China, Nelson Johnson, reported the following scene: “Jinzhou Railway station resembles beehive, every possible car being pressed into service and loaded with troops, animals, baggage, to last inch space.” The last Chinese troop train departed Jingzhou at 11 am on January 1st carrying away the final remnants of Zhang Xueliang's authority in Manchuria. The assault on Jinzhou occurred at a particularly inopportune moment for China. Chiang Kai-shek was temporarily out of office, lacking the full support of the Nanjing government and many generals. It is likely that Chiang Kai-shek understood that Zhang Xueliang's forces in Jinzhou would be significantly outmatched and could be annihilated. His priority was to prevent the situation from escalating into an official war, allowing him to strengthen China's military capabilities for a counteroffensive. Following the fall of Jinzhou, the northern China army retreated south of the Great Wall into Hebei Province. The Japanese then occupied Shanhaiguan, securing complete control over southern Manchuria. Despite the fall of Jinzhou there was still one last holdout in Manchuria. After Ma Zhanshan was driven out of Qiqihar by the Japanese, he led his troops northeast to establish a new HQ in Hailun where he was still technically ruling Heilongjiang province. Ma Zhanshan had gained international recognition as a resistance hero following his ill-fated battle at Qiqihar. The Kwantung Army took note of his fame and adjusted their strategies accordingly. Komai Tokuzo, the head of the Kwantung Board of Control, suggested that bringing Ma Zhanshan into their ranks would provide a significant propaganda advantage. To persuade him to negotiate with the Kwantung Army, they sent a local factory owner, Han Yunje. On December 7th, Colonel Itagaki Seishiro met with Ma Zhanshan in Hailun. Itagaki expressed that the Japanese aimed for two objectives: peace in East Asia and full cooperation between the Chinese and Japanese. He also mentioned that the officers of the Kwantung Army were impressed by Ma's remarkable bravery and were willing to grant him military command over Heilongjiang, provided they reached an agreement. In response, Ma Zhanshan stated that his forces had acted solely in self-defense and that he was bound by the orders of the Nanjing government. Itagaki then suggested Ma Zhanshan might be appointed military commander of the province under the provincial governor in Qiqihar, Zhang Jinghui. To this Ma Zhanshan replied “as Hailun is not very far from Harbin, he could consult with General Zhang Jinghui over the telephone or pay a call on the latter in person, and that a second trip to Hailun by the Japanese representative would not be necessary.” Despite Ma's position, Itagaki felt satisfied with the meeting, believing that Ma Zhanshan might align with them. However, he was constrained by anti-Japanese colleagues like his chief of staff Xie Ke and battalion commander Tang Fengjia. The situation shifted significantly for Ma Zhanshan when Zhang Xueliang withdrew his forces from Jinzhou. On December 7th, Itagaki and Ma met once more, during which Ma expressed his desire to serve as both the military leader and governor of Heilongjiang. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, Ma Zhanshan was secretly in discussions with another resistance leader, General Ding Chao. When Ma Zhanshan initiated his resistance against the Japanese, Ding Chao decided to take similar action in the northern city of Harbin. Harbin serves as the gateway to Northeast China and is the political, economic, and cultural hub of North Manchuria. It functions not only as the center of the Sino-Soviet co-managed Middle East Railway but also as an international marketplace where Chinese and foreigners coexist. The city houses the Special Administrative Region of the Three Eastern Provinces (with Daoli under this region and Daowai belonging to Jilin Province). Following the Mukden Incident, the Japanese army considered attacking Harbin; however, concerns about potential Soviet interference led to the plan being halted by Army Minister Minami Jiro. Harbin had largely remained peaceful, and the Japanese maintained control by appointing the puppet General Xi Qia as the governor of Kirin province. Together with Li Du, Xing Zhangqing, Zhao Yi, and Feng Zhanhai, Ding Chao formed the Kirin self-defense army to thwart the takeover of Harbin and Kirin province. Ma Zhanshan supported Ding Chao, and both generals kept in touch with Zhang Xueliang and Chiang Kai-shek, who could only offer limited support. In November of the same year, the Jilin Provincial Anti-Japanese Government, chaired by Cheng Yun, was established in Bin County. Feng Zhanhai, the head of the guard regiment at the Northeast Frontier Defense Army's deputy commander-in-chief office in Jilin, refused to surrender to the Japanese forces. He rallied over 3,000 members of his regiment to resist the Japanese and rebel forces. They marched from Yongji County in Jilin Province to Shulan County, where they joined forces with the national salvation armies led by Gong Changhai and Yao Bingqian, which were based on green forest armed groups, to create the Jilin Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army, with Feng as the commander. On November 12, the Jilin Provincial Provisional Government was established in Bin County . Feng Zhanhai was appointed as the garrison commander and commander of the 1st Brigade. The units led by Gong and Yao were reorganized into cavalry brigades under Feng's command. This series of anti-Japanese actions significantly boosted the fighting spirit of the people in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. To launch an attack on Harbin, the Japanese Kwantung Army first needed to "punish" the anti-Japanese armed forces by force. To eliminate Feng's anti-Japanese forces, the Japanese puppet authorities dispatched Yu Shencheng, the commander of the Jilin "bandit suppression" unit, to lead the puppet army in an offensive aimed at seizing Harbin as a base to control the Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces. Feng Zhanhai's troops strategically abandoned Shulan City to lure the enemy deeper into the area. The puppet army fell into a trap and launched a major assault on Yao Bingqian's brigade stationed in Shuiquliu, which fiercely resisted the attack. On the same day, Gong Changhai's brigade maneuvered around to the rear of the puppet army for a surprise attack, while Yao's brigade counterattacked from the front. The puppet army's Ma Xilin brigade retreated, unable to be halted by the Japanese supervisory team. At this point, Feng Zhanhai led another brigade into the fray, pursuing Ma's brigade. After another seven hours of intense fighting, Shulan was retaken. In this battle, the garrison inflicted nearly 1,000 casualties on Japanese and puppet troops, captured hundreds, and saw many puppet soldiers defect. The battles of Shuiqu and Shulan were thus victorious. On the 16th, Yu Shencheng's puppet forces were defeated by the 25th Brigade of the Northeast Army in Yushu. Due to the precarious situation in Shulan, Feng Zhanhai had no choice but to abandon Shulan City and retreat his troops north of Wuchang. On the 19th, seeking urgently needed funds for his troops, Feng Zhanhai led a battalion from Acheng to Lalinkang, where they were surrounded by a significant number of Japanese and puppet troops. The following day, with the help of reinforcements, they managed to repel the Japanese and puppet forces. However, the troops suffered over 200 casualties and were compelled to leave Lalinkang and return to Acheng. On the 25th, Feng and Li moved their forces to the eastern suburbs of Harbin, with the 22nd, 26th, and 28th Brigades announcing their support in succession.On the morning of the 26th, Feng and Li entered the city from four directions, forcibly disarming five police brigades and seizing more than 3,000 firearms along with a number of heavy weapons. They stationed the 26th and 28th Brigades and one regiment in the Shanghao area, while Feng Zhanhai's four brigades and two detachments were positioned in the Sankeshu and Nangang areas. The 22nd Brigade was assigned to Shuangchengbao, preparing to defend against a Japanese assault.  Meanwhile the Japanese were still trying to win over Ma Zhanshan. This prompted our old friend Doihara to ask Xi Qia to advance his new “Jilin Army” to Harbin and then to Hailun. However in their way was the Jilin Self-Defense force of General Ding Chao and General Li Du had deployed his forces between Xi Qia and Harbin. On the 24th, representatives from Li Du and Ding Chao participated in a meeting with Ma Zhanshan's officers, convincing them to attempt to retake Qiqihar and defend Harbin for the resistance. When Xiqia's "New Jilin Army" finally advanced to Shuangcheng on the 25th, Zhang Xueliang instructed Ma Zhanshan and Ding Chao to abandon negotiations and begin fighting on the morning of the 26th. Kenji Doihara ultimately failed to intimidate the Chinese further, as his ally Xicha's troops encountered stiff resistance from Ding Chao's troops. Later that afternoon, Japanese aircraft dropped leaflets over Harbin, openly demanding that the anti-Japanese forces withdraw from the city immediately. The Japanese Consulate in Harbin also issued a notice to various foreign consulates, stating that the Japanese army would enter Harbin at 3:00 PM on the 28th. As the New Jilin army advanced towards Shuangcheng, this signaled to the Chinese resistance fighters that an attack was imminent. Zhang Xueliang instructed Generals Ma Zhanshan and Ding Chao to halt negotiations and prepare to make a stand. By late January, the Kirin Self-Defense Corps had grown to 30,000 members, organized into six brigades. Ding Chao fortified defensive positions between General Xi Qia's advancing troops and Harbin. Xi Qia was caught off guard by the well-organized resistance forces, resulting in heavy losses for his army, which was unable to break through. In desperation, Xi Qia sought assistance from the Kwantung Army, but they needed a justification to intervene. Once again, Colonel Doihara Kenji orchestrated a false flag operation. He incited a riot in Harbin that resulted in the deaths of one Japanese individual and three Koreans. Using the pretext that Japanese citizens were in danger, the 2nd Division under Lt. General Jiro Tamon began its advance toward Harbin from Jinzhou on the 28th. However, severe winter weather delayed their transportation. To complicate matters further, the Soviets denied Japanese trains access to Harbin via their section of the Chinese Eastern Railway, citing a breach of neutrality. The entire Manchurian incident had escalated tensions between the USSR and Japan. When they invaded Heilongjiang, there were genuine concerns about potential Soviet intervention, especially with their presence in Harbin. However, at the last moment, the Soviets agreed to allow transit on January 30th. Back on the 26, 1932, Feng Zhanhai and Li Du, the commander of the Yilan garrison, entered Harbin. Early on the 27th, Yu Shencheng, the commander of the puppet Jilin "bandit suppression," ordered two brigades to attack the Shanghao, Sankeshu, and Nangang areas. Japanese aircraft bombed the Sankeshu and Nangang regions. The two brigades tasked with defending the area fought valiantly, resulting in intense combat. Soon after, Feng Zhanhai and his reserve team joined the fray, launching a political offensive alongside their fierce attacks. The puppet army struggled to hold its ground and retreated to Lalincang. The defending troops in Shanghao fought tenaciously, inflicting heavy casualties on both Japanese and puppet forces, shooting down one plane, and attempting to persuade puppet army commander Tian Desheng to lead a revolt. By evening, the puppet army had been driven back. On the morning of the 28th, the anti-Japanese forces advanced to the Jile Temple and Confucian Temple, capturing advantageous positions near Xinfatun with artillery support. The cavalry brigade flanked the puppet army and launched a vigorous assault, leading to the collapse and retreat of the puppet forces towards Acheng. Gong Changhai led the cavalry in pursuit for 15 kilometers, capturing a significant number of puppet troops. After two days of fierce fighting on the 27th and 28th, the initial invasion of Harbin by Japanese and puppet troops was successfully repelled. Due to the defeat of Yu Shencheng and other puppet forces, the Japanese Kwantung Army launched a direct assault on Harbin on the morning of the28th, under the pretext of "protecting overseas Chinese." They ordered Hasebe, commander of the 3rd Brigade of the Kwantung Army, to lead the 4th Regiment, an artillery battalion, and two tanks on a train from Changchun to Harbin for combat. On the29th, another combat order was issued: the 2nd Division was to assemble in Changchun and then be transported to Harbin by truck. Part of the 4th Mixed Brigade was also moved from Qiqihar to Anda and Zhaodong by truck to support the 2nd Division from the north of Harbin. The 1st, 3rd, 8th, and 9th Squadrons of the Kwantung Army Flying Team were tasked with covering the assembly, advance, and attack of the 2nd Division. Hasebe's 4th Regiment departed from Changchun by train, but due to extensive damage to the railway caused by the Northeast Army, their train was attacked by the Northeast Army at dawn on the 29th as it reached the Laoshaogou area on the south bank of the Songhua River. The Japanese forces quickly shifted to an offensive strategy and, despite ongoing resistance, managed to reach Shitouchengzi Village north of the Sancha River that night. On the night of January 29, Zhao Yi's brigade received word of the Japanese assault on Harbin and immediately prepared for battle. At dawn on January 30, Brigade Commander Zhao Yi led six battalions in a light advance, launching a surprise attack on Shilipu, where they decisively defeated the puppet army's Liu Baolin Brigade, capturing over 700 soldiers and seizing more than 600 weapons. They then returned to Shuangchengbao to prepare for the annihilation of the advancing Japanese forces. Around 8:00 PM, the 3rd Brigade of the Japanese Army, along with the Changgu Detachment and two military vehicles, arrived at Shuangcheng Station, intending to camp there and attack Harbin the following day. Zhao Yi's troops set up an ambush in the area. As the Japanese forces disembarked and assembled to plan their attack on Harbin, the ambushing troops took advantage of their unpreparedness, launching a surprise attack from three sides. They unleashed heavy firepower, forcing the enemy back onto the platform before engaging in close combat with bayonets and grenades. The Japanese were caught off guard and suffered significant casualties. The next day, the Japanese dispatched reinforcements from Changchun, supported by aircraft, artillery, and tanks, to assault Shuangchengbao. Brigade Zhao found himself trapped in the isolated city, suffering over 600 casualties, including the regiment commander, and was ultimately forced to abandon Shuangchengbao and retreat to Harbin. With Shuangcheng captured, Harbin was left vulnerable. The Self-Defense Army stationed the majority of its troops in the southern, southeastern, and southwestern regions of Harbin, including Guxiangyuetun, Bingyuan Street, Old Harbin City, and Lalatun. On the same day, several commanders convened: Li Du, the garrison commander of Yilan and leader of the 24th Brigade; Feng Zhanhai, commander of the Jilin Provincial Security Army; Xing Zhanqing, commander of the 26th Brigade; Zhao Yi, commander of the 22nd Brigade; Ding Chao, acting commander of the Railway Protection Army and leader of the 28th Brigade; and Wang Zhiyou, director of the Jilin Police Department. They agreed to establish the Jilin Provincial Self-Defense Army, appointing Li Du as commander, Feng Zhanhai as deputy commander, and Wang Zhiyou as the commander-in-chief of the front line. They decided to utilize the 22nd, 24th, 26th, and 28th Brigades for the defense of Harbin, while Feng Zhanhai would lead the 1st Brigade and other units in a flanking maneuver against Jilin and Changchun to thwart the Japanese advance. On February 3, 1932, various units of the Japanese 2nd Division arrived in the Weitanggou River area. Under the command of Duomen, the division initiated an assault on the Self-Defense Army's outposts located outside Harbin. The 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Division, alongside Yu Shencheng, the commander of the pseudo-Jilin "bandit suppression" forces, led an attack with five brigades as the right flank against Chinese defenders in the Qinjiagang, Nangang, and Shanghao regions. Meanwhile, the 15th Infantry Brigade of the Japanese Army formed the left flank, targeting Guxiangtun via Balibao along the Songhua River. Following the conflict, all outposts of the Self-Defense Army were lost, forcing them to retreat to their primary positions. On the morning of February 4th, the Japanese forces launched a full-scale attack, engaging the Self-Defense Army in battle. By afternoon, the Japanese had positioned themselves on both sides of the railway, south of Guxiang Yuetun, Yongfatun, and Yangmajia. The 3rd Brigade was stationed east of the railway, while the 15th Brigade took position to the west. After a preparatory artillery barrage, the Japanese forces commenced their assault. The Jilin Self-Defense Army defended tenaciously, utilizing fortifications and village structures, and concentrated their artillery fire on the advancing enemy, inflicting significant casualties.   Despite their efforts, the Japanese attack was initially repelled, prompting them to adopt a defensive stance. By 16:00, the area from Yangmajia to Yongfatun had fallen to the Japanese. The Self-Defense Army continued to resist fiercely, but the Japanese intensified their assaults. The left flank launched a vigorous attack on Guxiangtun. The 28th Brigade of the Self-Defense Army, defending this area, utilized civilian structures and walls for their defense. However, brigade commander Wang Ruihua fled under pressure, leading to a loss of command and forcing the troops to abandon their positions and retreat into the city. Simultaneously, the Japanese right flank aggressively targeted the defense of the 26th Brigade of the Self-Defense Army. Despite the desperate efforts of brigade commander Xing Zhanqing and his troops, they were ultimately compelled to retreat to the river dam at Shiliudao Street due to inferior equipment. Around this time, the western and southern defense lines under Wang Zhiyou's command began to fall one after another. In this critical situation, Commander-in-Chief Li Du personally went to the front lines to organize the troops and establish a third defensive line on the city's edge. They fought until nightfall, successfully halting the Japanese advance. At dawn on February 5th the Self-Defense Army initiated a counteroffensive. The artillery first conducted preparatory fire, targeting the positions of the Japanese 3rd Brigade located east of the railway. Following this, the infantry launched their attack. The Japanese troops on the front lines found themselves in a precarious situation. In response, Jiro Tamon, the commander of the 2nd Division, urgently ordered artillery to intercept the Self-Defense Army's counterattack and deployed the tank and reserve units to assist. Four squadrons from the air force took off from a temporary forward airfield in Shuangcheng, alternating between bombing and strafing to support the ground troops. The battle was intensely fierce, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Lacking air support and facing significant threats from Japanese aircraft, the Self-Defense Army retreated to the area east of Harbin by the afternoon of the 5th. The Japanese forces then entered Harbin, leading to its immediate capture. On the 6th, the remaining self-defense forces learned of Harbin's fall and decided to abandon their original plan for a surprise attack against the Japanese army. Instead, they returned to Binxian and Fangzheng. During their retreat, they gathered some stragglers who had fled from Harbin and proceeded to Fangzheng County to regroup with Li Du. General Ding Chao's forces were compelled to retreat northeast along the Sungari River, while Japanese aircraft attacked them from above. After a grueling 17-hour battle, Ding Chao's army ultimately faced defeat. Following this loss, Ma Zhanshan made the decision to defect. On February 16, General Honjo held a conference for the Northeast Political Affairs Committee in Mukden, attended by senior Chinese officials of the new regime, including Zhang Jinghui, Ma Zhanshan, Zang Shiyi, Xi Qia, and others. The conference aimed to assign delegates to roles in the soon-to-be-established “Manchukuo.” On February 14, Ma Zhanshan was appointed governor of Heilongjiang province and received gold worth one million dollars. On February 27th, Ding Chao proposed a ceasefire, marking the official end of Chinese resistance in Manchuria. On March 1st, Puyi would be installed as the ruler of the new state of Manchukuo. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. With the fall of Jinzhou, Zhang Xueliang had effectively been kicked out of Manchuria. With the loss of Harbin, came the loss of any significant resistance to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Japan had conquered the northeast and now would enthrone the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty forming the puppet state of Manchukuo. 

Located on a peninsula and series of islands off the southeastern coast of China lies what is today called the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong.  Hong Kong didn't play a central role in the thousands of years of Chinese history. However, it has played a pivotal role in the region for the last 200 years.  It went from being a backwater to becoming one of the most important financial and business hubs in the world.  Learn more about Hong Kong, its past, present and future on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Available nationally, look for a bottle of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond at your local store. Find out more at heavenhilldistillery.com/hh-bottled-in-bond.php Sign up today at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to choose your free offer and get $20 off. Visit BetterHelp.com/everywhere today to get 10% off your first month. Use the code EverythingEverywhere for a 20% discount on a subscription at Newspapers.com. Subscribe to the podcast!  https://link.chtbl.com/EverythingEverywhere?sid=ShowNotes -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Benji Long & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Update your podcast app at newpodcastapps.com Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walter Jennings, Founder of Asia Insight Circle Walter is a branding and communications veteran – and someone who has increasingly become a voice of influence in Hong Kong's FinTech and Web3 scene over the past decade. He currently owns and manages Asia Insight Circle, a private members group of C-suite executives. The group meets monthly for frank discussions on critical local business issues and its membership roster represents a diverse swath of the city's commercial players. Prior to that he was head of branding and communications at Finnoverse, which until 2022 was the organiser of Hong Kong FinTech Week. While there he was responsible for leading the company's communications strategy and its branded events worldwide. Walter has extensive expertise in emerging financial services technologies – including regulated digital assets, blockchain and 5G. He also hosts a podcast called Waves in the Finnoverse and earlier, Crypto Savvy, which explored and decoded all things relating to cryptocurrencies, digital assets and FinTech. With his experience in communicating why new technologies matter and helping companies grow globally, as well as in marketing across Web3, virtual assets and traditional finance, Walter is well situated to speak on a great many of the topics that the territory is grappling with as it charts a course for itself in the digital economy of the 21st century. He's also a savvy operator in institutional and regulated environments, and has advised decentralized finance (DeFi) start-ups.  Additionally, he did a stint in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, offering his counsel to the Kingdom on its experimental city of the future – NEOM. Before that, he was Huawei's vice president for global corporate communications in Shenzhen where he looked after the phone giant's worldwide reputation. He chats with Regulatory Ramblings host Ajay Shamdasani about how he transitioned from the world of public relations to learning more about the role of digital technology in our daily lives, to being one of its most enthusiastic advocates – not least in its application to financial services and the way we transact. Walter stresses the importance of Web3 and why everyone should engage with the technology rather than fear it. He also shares some of the challenges he's faced as an entrepreneur and his thoughts on doing business in the East versus the West. Most poignantly, despite all the tumult and uncertainty Hong Kong has faced in recent years, he explains why he is one of this city's most stalwart defenders and promoters; ever the eternal optimist, Walter believes the Special Administrative Region's best days are ahead of it.   A key point he emphasizes, however, is that Hong Kong must have the right kind of regulatory policy for FinTech, virtual assets and Web 3 to thrive and create opportunities for society at large. On a more personal level, Walter also shares a little bit about his roots, growing up in small town New Jersey, being captivated by the big city life of New York, how he got into public relations and his penchant for the theatre – being a faithful Broadway afficionado: to say nothing of being an ardent Francophile who calls Rouen, Normandy his second home after the SAR. HKU FinTech is the leading fintech research and education in Asia. Learn more at www.hkufintech.com.

How did the first newspaper in Macau come into being? What was the first foreign language newspaper on Chinese soil about? How was the dynamic between the Chinese and Portuguese press in the former Portuguese colony and now China's Special Administrative Region? Hugo Pinto speaks about A Abelha da China (A Bee from China), the first newspaper in Macau, operated from September 1822 to August 1823. In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candidate at Karlstad University, Sweden, and an affiliated PhD student at NIAS, Hugo Pinto speaks about the book project on A Abelha da China to commemorate it 200th anniversary. Co-edited with Duarte Drumond Braga, the book A Abelha da China nos seus 200 Anos. Casos, Personagens e Confrontos na Experiência Liberal de Macau (The China Bee in its 200 Years. Cases, Characters and Confrontations in the Liberal Experience of Macau) was published by the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau in 2022. Reflecting the complete historical background of its time, A Abelha da China would be taken up by other political agents. However, its legacy of insubordination would eventually live on. A newspaper that served as an official bulletin, and also as an arena for political confrontation, did not neglect a cultural and even literary dimension, as it carried within itself the mission of instructing its readers and denouncing the absolutist tyranny that, later, in reflux, would take over the newspaper itself. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. About NIAS: http://www.nias.ku.dk/ Transcripts of the Nordic Asia Podcasts: http://www.nias.ku.dk/nordic-asia-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How did the first newspaper in Macau come into being? What was the first foreign language newspaper on Chinese soil about? How was the dynamic between the Chinese and Portuguese press in the former Portuguese colony and now China's Special Administrative Region? Hugo Pinto speaks about A Abelha da China (A Bee from China), the first newspaper in Macau, operated from September 1822 to August 1823. In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candidate at Karlstad University, Sweden, and an affiliated PhD student at NIAS, Hugo Pinto speaks about the book project on A Abelha da China to commemorate it 200th anniversary. Co-edited with Duarte Drumond Braga, the book A Abelha da China nos seus 200 Anos. Casos, Personagens e Confrontos na Experiência Liberal de Macau (The China Bee in its 200 Years. Cases, Characters and Confrontations in the Liberal Experience of Macau) was published by the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau in 2022. Reflecting the complete historical background of its time, A Abelha da China would be taken up by other political agents. However, its legacy of insubordination would eventually live on. A newspaper that served as an official bulletin, and also as an arena for political confrontation, did not neglect a cultural and even literary dimension, as it carried within itself the mission of instructing its readers and denouncing the absolutist tyranny that, later, in reflux, would take over the newspaper itself. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. About NIAS: http://www.nias.ku.dk/ Transcripts of the Nordic Asia Podcasts: http://www.nias.ku.dk/nordic-asia-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

How did the first newspaper in Macau come into being? What was the first foreign language newspaper on Chinese soil about? How was the dynamic between the Chinese and Portuguese press in the former Portuguese colony and now China's Special Administrative Region? Hugo Pinto speaks about A Abelha da China (A Bee from China), the first newspaper in Macau, operated from September 1822 to August 1823. In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candidate at Karlstad University, Sweden, and an affiliated PhD student at NIAS, Hugo Pinto speaks about the book project on A Abelha da China to commemorate it 200th anniversary. Co-edited with Duarte Drumond Braga, the book A Abelha da China nos seus 200 Anos. Casos, Personagens e Confrontos na Experiência Liberal de Macau (The China Bee in its 200 Years. Cases, Characters and Confrontations in the Liberal Experience of Macau) was published by the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau in 2022. Reflecting the complete historical background of its time, A Abelha da China would be taken up by other political agents. However, its legacy of insubordination would eventually live on. A newspaper that served as an official bulletin, and also as an arena for political confrontation, did not neglect a cultural and even literary dimension, as it carried within itself the mission of instructing its readers and denouncing the absolutist tyranny that, later, in reflux, would take over the newspaper itself. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. About NIAS: http://www.nias.ku.dk/ Transcripts of the Nordic Asia Podcasts: http://www.nias.ku.dk/nordic-asia-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

How did the first newspaper in Macau come into being? What was the first foreign language newspaper on Chinese soil about? How was the dynamic between the Chinese and Portuguese press in the former Portuguese colony and now China's Special Administrative Region? Hugo Pinto speaks about A Abelha da China (A Bee from China), the first newspaper in Macau, operated from September 1822 to August 1823. In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candidate at Karlstad University, Sweden, and an affiliated PhD student at NIAS, Hugo Pinto speaks about the book project on A Abelha da China to commemorate it 200th anniversary. Co-edited with Duarte Drumond Braga, the book A Abelha da China nos seus 200 Anos. Casos, Personagens e Confrontos na Experiência Liberal de Macau (The China Bee in its 200 Years. Cases, Characters and Confrontations in the Liberal Experience of Macau) was published by the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau in 2022. Reflecting the complete historical background of its time, A Abelha da China would be taken up by other political agents. However, its legacy of insubordination would eventually live on. A newspaper that served as an official bulletin, and also as an arena for political confrontation, did not neglect a cultural and even literary dimension, as it carried within itself the mission of instructing its readers and denouncing the absolutist tyranny that, later, in reflux, would take over the newspaper itself. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. About NIAS: http://www.nias.ku.dk/ Transcripts of the Nordic Asia Podcasts: http://www.nias.ku.dk/nordic-asia-podcast

How did the first newspaper in Macau come into being? What was the first foreign language newspaper on Chinese soil about? How was the dynamic between the Chinese and Portuguese press in the former Portuguese colony and now China's Special Administrative Region? Hugo Pinto speaks about A Abelha da China (A Bee from China), the first newspaper in Macau, operated from September 1822 to August 1823. In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candidate at Karlstad University, Sweden, and an affiliated PhD student at NIAS, Hugo Pinto speaks about the book project on A Abelha da China to commemorate it 200th anniversary. Co-edited with Duarte Drumond Braga, the book A Abelha da China nos seus 200 Anos. Casos, Personagens e Confrontos na Experiência Liberal de Macau (The China Bee in its 200 Years. Cases, Characters and Confrontations in the Liberal Experience of Macau) was published by the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau in 2022. Reflecting the complete historical background of its time, A Abelha da China would be taken up by other political agents. However, its legacy of insubordination would eventually live on. A newspaper that served as an official bulletin, and also as an arena for political confrontation, did not neglect a cultural and even literary dimension, as it carried within itself the mission of instructing its readers and denouncing the absolutist tyranny that, later, in reflux, would take over the newspaper itself. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. About NIAS: http://www.nias.ku.dk/ Transcripts of the Nordic Asia Podcasts: http://www.nias.ku.dk/nordic-asia-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

How did the first newspaper in Macau come into being? What was the first foreign language newspaper on Chinese soil about? How was the dynamic between the Chinese and Portuguese press in the former Portuguese colony and now China's Special Administrative Region? Hugo Pinto speaks about A Abelha da China (A Bee from China), the first newspaper in Macau, operated from September 1822 to August 1823. In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candidate at Karlstad University, Sweden, and an affiliated PhD student at NIAS, Hugo Pinto speaks about the book project on A Abelha da China to commemorate it 200th anniversary. Co-edited with Duarte Drumond Braga, the book A Abelha da China nos seus 200 Anos. Casos, Personagens e Confrontos na Experiência Liberal de Macau (The China Bee in its 200 Years. Cases, Characters and Confrontations in the Liberal Experience of Macau) was published by the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau in 2022. Reflecting the complete historical background of its time, A Abelha da China would be taken up by other political agents. However, its legacy of insubordination would eventually live on. A newspaper that served as an official bulletin, and also as an arena for political confrontation, did not neglect a cultural and even literary dimension, as it carried within itself the mission of instructing its readers and denouncing the absolutist tyranny that, later, in reflux, would take over the newspaper itself. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. About NIAS: http://www.nias.ku.dk/ Transcripts of the Nordic Asia Podcasts: http://www.nias.ku.dk/nordic-asia-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did the first newspaper in Macau come into being? What was the first foreign language newspaper on Chinese soil about? How was the dynamic between the Chinese and Portuguese press in the former Portuguese colony and now China's Special Administrative Region? Hugo Pinto speaks about A Abelha da China (A Bee from China), the first newspaper in Macau, operated from September 1822 to August 1823. In a conversation with Joanne Kuai, PhD candidate at Karlstad University, Sweden, and an affiliated PhD student at NIAS, Hugo Pinto speaks about the book project on A Abelha da China to commemorate it 200th anniversary. Co-edited with Duarte Drumond Braga, the book A Abelha da China nos seus 200 Anos. Casos, Personagens e Confrontos na Experiência Liberal de Macau (The China Bee in its 200 Years. Cases, Characters and Confrontations in the Liberal Experience of Macau) was published by the Scientific and Cultural Center of Macau in 2022. Reflecting the complete historical background of its time, A Abelha da China would be taken up by other political agents. However, its legacy of insubordination would eventually live on. A newspaper that served as an official bulletin, and also as an arena for political confrontation, did not neglect a cultural and even literary dimension, as it carried within itself the mission of instructing its readers and denouncing the absolutist tyranny that, later, in reflux, would take over the newspaper itself. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS) based at the University of Copenhagen, along with our academic partners: the Centre for East Asian Studies at the University of Turku, Asianettverket at the University of Oslo, and the Stockholm Centre for Global Asia at Stockholm University. We aim to produce timely, topical, and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. About NIAS: http://www.nias.ku.dk/ Transcripts of the Nordic Asia Podcasts: http://www.nias.ku.dk/nordic-asia-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism

In this episode, I'm speaking with Steve Vines, who was a journalist based in Hong Kong for 35 years until he recently left for political reasons in 2021. Steve shares the rapid series of events that ultimately led to his departure from the country he called “home.” Steve sheds light on the current situation in Hong Kong by looking back at its history and the resilient spirit of Hong Kong, which he has studied in depth for his new book, Defying the Dragon: Hong Kong and the World's Largest Dictatorship. He discusses how there was once a high degree of liberty and low democracy in Hong Kong, but now both are non-existent. Later in the episode, we hear a fictional story about the oppression and propaganda that is prevalent in Hong Kong. White Terror - A Fictional Story in Print IN THIS EPISODE: [01:11] Steve's departure from Hong Kong [07:39] White Terror explained [10:20] Democracy, Liberty and the Special Administrative Region [18:30] The incredible spirit of Hong Kong [23:00] What other societies can learn from the situation in Hong Kong [30:29] FICTION: White Terror [33:33] Bob defies the warnings to stay in at night [37:00] Bob leaves Hong Kong after witnessing something terrible KEY TAKEAWAYS: White Terror refers to the suppression of the democracy movement by the Taiwanwese government after they left the main Chinese mainland and installed a regime on the island of Taiwan. It's what is similarly happening in Hong Kong now. The Special Administrative Region claimed that Hong Kong would be a fully-fledged capitalist society until 2047. If we look back more carefully, the mainland never really saw one country or two systems applying to the political orient. The narrative that is spun in Hong Kong by the Chinese communist party is that the terrible people of Hong Kong brought all these troubles on themselves by provoking the mainland. Hong Kong survived the 1960s and came back stronger. Hong Kong has survived enormous economic recessions, and many, many things but come back stronger. So the question is, will the spirit of Hong Kong survive this?   BIO: Stephen Vines was a Hong Kong based journalist, writer and businessman until 2021 when he was forced to leave for political reasons. He is the author of Defying the Dragon – Hong Kong and the World's Largest Dictatorship. In Hong Kong, he was the founding Chief Editor of ‘Eastern Express,' a groundbreaking daily newspaper published in Hong Kong. He was also a founder and publisher of Spike magazine. He presented a weekly current affairs television programme – The Pulse – produced by RTHK and is a frequent broadcaster and commentator on business and political affairs for newspapers and a number of international radio and TV stations. Vines combined writing with founding and running a number of companies, mainly in the food sector and this has enabled him to learn a lot more about how business really works. He is the author of a number of books including ‘Hong Kong: China's New Colony' and a study of the Asian financial crisis called ‘The Years of Living Dangerously'. He is also author of the multi-edition ‘Market Panic' and ‘Food Gurus.' Stephen Vines was the Deputy Business Editor of The Observer and has worked for The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times, and the BBC.    LINKS: https://stephenvines-author.com/ White Terror - A Fictional Story in PrintOur Sponsors:* Check out HelloFresh and use my code 50truefictionproject for a great deal: https://www.hellofresh.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Finally back to it with the long awaited Hong Kong episode. Hong Kong is probably most erroneously thought of as an island, which there is an island of Hong Kong, but Hong Kong includes mainland and other islands as regards the Special Administrative Region. This SAR now allows for only "patriots" in elections as the 50 year independence from China begins to evaporate a little early. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citizencork/support

一、五大核武国发布联合声明|Nations Say Nuclear War UnwinnableLeaders of five nuclear-armed states reaffirmed on Monday none of their nuclear weapons are targeted at each other or any other state, emphasizing a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. In a joint statement issued by China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States－the first of its kind－the leaders said they consider the avoidance of war between nuclear states and the reduction of strategic risk as their utmost responsibility.1月3日，中国、法国、俄罗斯、美国、英国五大核武器国家领导人共同发表《关于防止核战争与避免军备竞赛的联合声明》。联合声明称，“避免核武器国家间爆发战争和减少战略风险是我们的首要责任”，强调核战争打不赢也打不得，重申不将核武器瞄准彼此或其他任何国家。这是五国领导人首次就核武器问题发表声明。 "As nuclear use would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm nuclear weapons－for as long as they continue to exist－should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression and prevent war," they said in the statement, adding further proliferation of such weapons must be prevented.联合声明称：“鉴于核武器使用将造成影响深远的后果，我们也申明，只要核武器继续存在，就应该服务于防御目的、慑止侵略和防止战争。我们坚信必须防止核武器进一步扩散。”二、“团圆”行动找回被拐儿童1万余名|10,000 Missing, Abducted Children Found in 2021Chinese police helped a total of 10,932 missing or abducted children return home in 2021 via a nationwide special campaign, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The "Tuanyuan" campaign, meaning "reunion" in Chinese, brought home 2,538 victims who had been separated from their families for 20 to 30 years, as well as 1,812 victims for 30 to 40 years, 371 victims for 40 to 50 years, 190 victims for 50 to 60 years, and 110 victims for more than 60 years.来自公安部的消息，2021年全国公安机关深入开展“团圆”行动，累计找回10932名历年失踪被拐儿童，其中，失踪20年至30年的有2538名，失踪30年至40年的有1812名，失踪40年至50年的有371名，失踪50年至60年的有190名，失踪60年以上的有110名。 Since the launch of the campaign, Chinese police have resolved more than 350 long pending cases involving child abduction, and 890 suspects have been caught, the ministry said.“团圆”行动开展以来，公安机关共侦破拐卖儿童积案350余起，抓获拐卖犯罪嫌疑人890名。三、新一届香港立法会议员宣誓|New Lawmakers of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Sworn inNinety lawmakers in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region were sworn into office at a ceremony on Monday. They took the oath of office in front of the national emblem for the first time in the Special Administrative Region's history. Administering the process, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor determined all of the oaths were valid. During the ceremony, the new members of the Legislative Council, who are the first lawmakers elected under the revamped electoral system, swore allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and its Basic Law.1月3日，香港特别行政区第七届立法会议员宣誓就职仪式举行，90位新任议员首次在国徽下庄严宣誓，表示拥护《中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法》，效忠中华人民共和国香港特别行政区。监誓人特区行政长官林郑月娥确定全体90位候任立法会议员的宣誓为有效宣誓。这是香港特区完善选举制度后产生的首届立法会。 The seventh-term Legislative Council started its four-year term of office on Saturday.香港特区第七届立法会任期自2022年1月1日开始，任期4年。It is scheduled to have its first session on Jan 12.按照议程，本届立法会将在1月12日举行首次会议。四、全国平均气温创60年新高|Average Temperature Hits New HighChina's national average temperature was 10.7 C in 2021, 1 C higher than usual and the highest reading in 60 years, according to the China Meteorological Administration.中国气象局发布的数据显示，2021年全国平均气温10.7℃，较常年偏高1℃，为1961年以来历史最高。 More extreme weather events were recorded in China last year, with stronger intensity and higher frequency, said Song Shanyun, spokesperson for the administration.据中国气象局新闻发言人宋善允介绍，2021年我国极端天气气候事件广发、频发、强发、并发。The national average precipitation was 671.3 mm last year, 6.8 percent more than usual.2021年全国平均降水量671.3毫米，较常年偏多6.8%；In particular, northern China saw average precipitation reach 697.9 mm, the second-highest figure in history and 40.6 percent more than previous years.北方地区平均降水量697.9毫米，较常年偏多40.6%，为历史第二多。China also saw 12 days of hot weather on average last year, the second highest in the last six decades. The country also experienced stronger typhoons, dust storms and cold waves last year, Song said.2021年，全国平均高温日数达到12天，是1961年以来历史次多。据介绍，去年我国还出现了超强台风、沙尘和寒潮天气。abduct英 [æbˈdʌkt]；美[æbˈdʌkt] vt. 诱拐；劫持；绑架pending英 [ˈpendɪŋ]；美[ˈpendɪŋ] adj. 悬而未决的；待定；即将发生的revamp英 [ˈriːvæmp , ˌriːˈvæmp]；美[ˈriːvæmp , ˌriːˈvæmp] vt. 改造；修改；改变；（通常指）改进外观，翻新n. 改进；换新鞋面meteorological英 [ˌmiːtiərəˈlɒdʒɪkl]；美[ˌmiːtiərəˈlɑːdʒɪkl] adj. 气象的；气象学的precipitation英 [prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn]；美[prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃn] n. 降水；沉淀；降水量（包括雨、雪、冰等）；淀析

Rhett and David, back at it again!  Enjoy the show as retired US Diplomat to 5 different nations  David Hunter shares his knowledge, passion, interest, and experience. 1)  Hong Kong and Communist China:  On June 30, 1997 the British,--- who had controlled HK as a territory for 156 years----, transferred sovereignty over to the Peoples Republic of China. While it's true HK was sort of a democracy under the British colonial rule, and had liberal freedoms, it wasn't a truly independent country before having it's fate transferred to China, where it became a Special Administrative Region. So does Communist China have rights to control Hong Kong?2)  Evergrande Real Estate in China --- Will it Default?  Evergrande, one of Communist China's largest real estate developers, is on the edge of defaulting on billions of dollars of projects under construction.  There are some who claim the PRC Government will keep it from collapse, as it is 'too big to fail' and would bring about systemic trouble. Can China's Pres. Xi fix this? 3)  Ghislaine Maxwell is Found Guilty for Child  Sex Trafficking:  Jeffrey Epstine's alleged 'madam'--- who assisted him in Palm Beach, NYC, New Mexico, US Virgin Islands, even Paris and London in procuring and trafficking young  minor females for sex, ---was just found guilty on multiple counts.  The work of victims Virginia  Roberts Giuffre and Anne Farmer were instrumental in getting the conviction.  Will Britain's Royal Prince Andrew, who was photographed together w/ Virginia and Ms. Maxwell, be the next to fall? What about famous Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz? 4) Why is Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz going to work for US billionaire Peter Thiel?:  Chancellor Kurz will serve as a 'global strategist' for Thiel's company Thiel Capital.  Thiel, who made billions as co-founder of PayPal, also owns Palantir Group,  a  big data analysis/cyber spying company w/ links to CIA, which uses big data scraping  to create 'profiles' of individuals that can be targeted for security,  influence or manipulation.   Thiel  in 2018 also created a new facial recognition company 'Clearview AI' which Time magazine named one of the 100 most influential companies of the year in 2021.   What do you think Kurz's involvement with Thiel really mean? Your JUNK MONKEYS are just a click away! Don't let your junk drive you bananas!

In this episode leading Hong Kong lawyer Rosita Lau, Partner with Ince & Co, discusses developments in the sphere of maritime law in the Special Administrative Region in 2020. Talking with Seatrade Maritime News Editor Marcus Hand, Ince's Rosita Lau highlights two major developments related to maritime law in Hong Kong this year. Rosita Lau discusses the territory's new ship leasing tax concession initiative and its significance to Hong Kong's maritime community and future growth. She also gives details on the inclusion of Hong Kong as named place of arbitration by BIMCO in its new shortened arbitration clause in its contracts widely used throughout the global shipping industry.

In June of 2019, a proposed amendment to Hong Kong’s Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, sparked widespread protests across the region. Protestors saw in the bill a threat to the judicial independence that Hong Kong has enjoyed since its return to China from the United Kingdom in 1997. The Special Administrative Region plunged into turmoil as disaffected youth combined the ideology the Arab Spring with their fluency in emerging digital tools to organize and mobilize a seemingly leaderless movement. The demonstrations which continue into 2020 have challenged the city’s government, universities, and communities and even test families and friendships. On the first anniversary of the beginning of this wave of anti-government protests, South China Morning Post released a new book Rebel City: Hong Kong’s Year of Water and Fire (World Scientific, 2020) Rebel City presents some of the most comprehensive coverage of Hong Kong’s political unrest. Editors Zuraidah Ibrahim and Jeffie Lam masterfully weave together the perspectives gathered by the intrepid reporters of Hong Kong’s newspaper of record. The book is not only a carefully curated selection of contemporaneous news coverage, but it also offers thoughtful reflections and penetrating insight into a pivotal moment for Hong Kong.

In June of 2019, a proposed amendment to Hong Kong’s Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, sparked widespread protests across the region. Protestors saw in the bill a threat to the judicial independence that Hong Kong has enjoyed since its return to China from the United Kingdom in 1997. The Special Administrative Region plunged into turmoil as disaffected youth combined the ideology the Arab Spring with their fluency in emerging digital tools to organize and mobilize a seemingly leaderless movement. The demonstrations which continue into 2020 have challenged the city’s government, universities, and communities and even test families and friendships. On the first anniversary of the beginning of this wave of anti-government protests, South China Morning Post released a new book Rebel City: Hong Kong's Year of Water and Fire (World Scientific, 2020) Rebel City presents some of the most comprehensive coverage of Hong Kong’s political unrest. Editors Zuraidah Ibrahim and Jeffie Lam masterfully weave together the perspectives gathered by the intrepid reporters of Hong Kong’s newspaper of record. The book is not only a carefully curated selection of contemporaneous news coverage, but it also offers thoughtful reflections and penetrating insight into a pivotal moment for Hong Kong. Nick Pozek is the Assistant Director of the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law at Columbia University in the City of New York and a host of New Books in Law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June of 2019, a proposed amendment to Hong Kong’s Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, sparked widespread protests across the region. Protestors saw in the bill a threat to the judicial independence that Hong Kong has enjoyed since its return to China from the United Kingdom in 1997. The Special Administrative Region plunged into turmoil as disaffected youth combined the ideology the Arab Spring with their fluency in emerging digital tools to organize and mobilize a seemingly leaderless movement. The demonstrations which continue into 2020 have challenged the city’s government, universities, and communities and even test families and friendships. On the first anniversary of the beginning of this wave of anti-government protests, South China Morning Post released a new book Rebel City: Hong Kong's Year of Water and Fire (World Scientific, 2020) Rebel City presents some of the most comprehensive coverage of Hong Kong’s political unrest. Editors Zuraidah Ibrahim and Jeffie Lam masterfully weave together the perspectives gathered by the intrepid reporters of Hong Kong’s newspaper of record. The book is not only a carefully curated selection of contemporaneous news coverage, but it also offers thoughtful reflections and penetrating insight into a pivotal moment for Hong Kong. Nick Pozek is the Assistant Director of the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law at Columbia University in the City of New York and a host of New Books in Law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June of 2019, a proposed amendment to Hong Kong’s Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, sparked widespread protests across the region. Protestors saw in the bill a threat to the judicial independence that Hong Kong has enjoyed since its return to China from the United Kingdom in 1997. The Special Administrative Region plunged into turmoil as disaffected youth combined the ideology the Arab Spring with their fluency in emerging digital tools to organize and mobilize a seemingly leaderless movement. The demonstrations which continue into 2020 have challenged the city’s government, universities, and communities and even test families and friendships. On the first anniversary of the beginning of this wave of anti-government protests, South China Morning Post released a new book Rebel City: Hong Kong's Year of Water and Fire (World Scientific, 2020) Rebel City presents some of the most comprehensive coverage of Hong Kong’s political unrest. Editors Zuraidah Ibrahim and Jeffie Lam masterfully weave together the perspectives gathered by the intrepid reporters of Hong Kong’s newspaper of record. The book is not only a carefully curated selection of contemporaneous news coverage, but it also offers thoughtful reflections and penetrating insight into a pivotal moment for Hong Kong. Nick Pozek is the Assistant Director of the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law at Columbia University in the City of New York and a host of New Books in Law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In June of 2019, a proposed amendment to Hong Kong’s Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, sparked widespread protests across the region. Protestors saw in the bill a threat to the judicial independence that Hong Kong has enjoyed since its return to China from the United Kingdom in 1997. The Special Administrative Region plunged into turmoil as disaffected youth combined the ideology the Arab Spring with their fluency in emerging digital tools to organize and mobilize a seemingly leaderless movement. The demonstrations which continue into 2020 have challenged the city’s government, universities, and communities and even test families and friendships. On the first anniversary of the beginning of this wave of anti-government protests, South China Morning Post released a new book Rebel City: Hong Kong's Year of Water and Fire (World Scientific, 2020) Rebel City presents some of the most comprehensive coverage of Hong Kong’s political unrest. Editors Zuraidah Ibrahim and Jeffie Lam masterfully weave together the perspectives gathered by the intrepid reporters of Hong Kong’s newspaper of record. The book is not only a carefully curated selection of contemporaneous news coverage, but it also offers thoughtful reflections and penetrating insight into a pivotal moment for Hong Kong. Nick Pozek is the Assistant Director of the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law at Columbia University in the City of New York and a host of New Books in Law. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hong Kong is a vibrant metropolis where Chinese and Western influences blend. The former British colony is now a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The region has a high degree of autonomy and is governed under the "one country, two systems" principle. However, in recent years, Chinese interference in Hong Kong affairs has rapidly grown. In this episode Maitland Murray, Alvin and Toby Purce join me to converse about the current situation and how it came to be. We look at Hong Kong's history, its current system of governance and Hong Kong identity. Furthermore, we discuss the controversial Chinese interference and why protesting is the only means Hongkongers have to fight for their liberties and democracy. We also talk through the international community's response and what we can expect moving forward.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carry Lam announced the Special Administrative Region would postpone its September 6 election by a year. While she said the decision went beyond the concerns of public safety, and was intended to ensure free and fair elections. But Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers have accused the government of using the pandemic as an excuse.

On this episode of The Critical Hour, co-hosts Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon talk with Dr. Yolandra Hancock about the newest US states to require masks in public places. "The Central Intelligence Agency has conducted a series of covert cyber operations against Iran and other targets since winning a secret victory in 2018 when President Trump signed what amounts to a sweeping authorization for such activities, according to former US officials with direct knowledge of the matter," Yahoo News reported Wednesday. Is the US escalating cyberwarfare or responsibly responding to the new battlefield? "The Twitter accounts of major companies and individuals have been compromised in one of the most widespread and confounding hacks the platform has ever seen, all in service of promoting a bitcoin scam that appears to be earning its creator quite a bit of money," The Verge reported Wednesday. Among those whose accounts were hacked were former US President Barack Obama, former US Vice President Joe Biden, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Apple, Uber and music star Kanye West. We knew this was coming, and now we are here. Technology and security analyst Patricia Gorky gives commentary. In a speech at the White House's Rose Garden on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced new sanctions on China under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, due to Beijing's “interference” in its own Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. The president said that he was placing “massive tariffs” on Beijing and that he had signed an executive order mandating that Hong Kong would now be "treated the same as mainland China," with “no special privileges, no special economic treatment and no export of sensitive technologies.” What's the real motivation behind all of this? "Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a top Trump donor who has given more than $2 million to the GOP, warned employees that the agency needed to make 'difficult' decisions to stay afloat," Salon reported Wednesday, citing an article in the Washington Post. Some of these decisions could impact the timing of mail delivery and affect requests for absentee ballots and how they are returned. Is this an attempt to steal the upcoming November election? "US consumers boosted spending at stores and auto dealerships in June for the second straight month as states reopened for business, but the recent increase in coronavirus cases could again damp job growth and retail spending," the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Is this really a positive indicator for the US economy? A Wednesday headline in The Grayzone read: "Assange's father speaks out, calls oppression of WikiLeaks founder a 'great crime of 21st century.'” Journalist and author Daniel Lazare elaborates."The May 25 killing of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota shocked the world and set off mass protests against racism and police brutality in dozens of cities from the mid-western United States to the European Union, all in the midst of a global pandemic," journalist Max Parry wrote in June. "In the Twin Cities, what began as spontaneous, peaceful demonstrations against the local police quickly transformed into vandalism, arson and looting after the use of rubber bullets and chemical irritants by law enforcement against the protesters, while the initial incitement for the riots was likely the work of apparent agent provocateurs among the marchers." How concerned should we be?GUESTS:Dr. Yolandra Hancock - Board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist Mark Sleboda - Moscow-based international relations security analyst Patricia Gorky - Political organizer and technology and security analyst Michael Wong - Vice president of the San Francisco chapter of Veterans for Peace Greg Palast - Investigative reporter Dr. Dania Francis - Professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Boston Daniel Lazare - Investigative journalist Wyatt Reed - Sputnik News analyst and producer for By Any Means Necessary

On October 1 as Beijing celebrated the seventieth anniversary of the foundation of the People's Republic of China, pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong intensified. This was the 184th day of action by the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement. Despite the Extradition Bill being recently rescinded, the protests show no sign of stopping. You might be one of the Google users who made ‘Hong Kong' among the most searched endings to the Google question ‘What's going on in…?' Our latest Behind the Headlines discussion seeks to answer that question, focusing on the escalating protests in the former British colony and exploring Hong Kong's turbulent relationship with China. Speakers Padraig Gallagher lived in Hong Kong for 10 years during the 90s and more recently from 2007 - 2009. He is a former Managing Director Global Banking & Markets with HSBC in Hong Kong. He will look at the economic impact of the events of recent months and will also look at the reaction of the different sections of the Hong Kong business community to the present situation. He will also look at the international reaction to the crisis, especially from corporates with operations in Asia / Hong Kong. Dr Isabella Jackson is an Assistant Professor in Chinese Studies at Trinity's School of Histories and Humanities. She will look at how Beijing has framed the current protests in the context of foreign interference, and how this is a legacy of China's century of national humiliation – the period of imperialism by western powers in China. Dr Peter E Hamilton is an Assistant Professor of Modern Chinese History in the Department of History, Trinity College Dublin. He will provide an historical overview of the 1980s-1990s handover process that led the United Kingdom to return this former colony to China as a Special Administrative Region on July 1, 1997. He will explain how the handover process defined the ‘One Country, Two Systems' policy and set terms for today's conflict. Dr Chung Kam Kwok is a Research Fellow based in the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, researching in the area of language and identity. As a Hong Kong native, he will talk about the motivations of a generation of protesters trying to voice Hong Kong's frustration at Chinese control in the region. Looking at the intensifying protest movement, he will ask how will Hong Kong become governable again? The Trinity Long Room Hub Behind the Headlines series is supported by the John Pollard Foundation.

An October fright: global stocks see red and the Dow wipes out all of its third-quarter gains on the opening day of Q4 after U.S. manufacturing activity hits a decade-low. In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to reveal his final Brexit ultimatum to the European Union, ruling out asking for any extension should Brussels turn down his offer. Hong Kong experiences further unrest overnight following the police shooting of a teenaged pro-democracy demonstrator. The violence is some of the worst the Special Administrative Region has seen since anti-Beijing protests erupted 17 weeks ago. And in Silicon Valley, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has panned Democratic presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren’s plans to break up large tech companies should she reach the White House, saying that he fancies his chances in any subsequent legal battle.

“Reputational damage” – Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam survives the spying scandal, but the bank’s COO resigns following an internal probe that finds he acted alone in ordering the surveillance of former wealth management chief Iqbal Khan. We report from Zurich as the lender apologises for the affair that has gripped the Swiss banking community. We are also live from Hong Kong and Beijing, where President Xi Jinping pledges peaceful development as China marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, while the Special Administrative Region braces for more mass pro-democracy protests. We speak exclusively to the boss of Deutsche Post DHL, as the logistics giant boosts investments despite the economic slowdown in air freight.

Hong Kong the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China has seen 13 consecutive weeks of protests to preserve the regions democracy and civil rights.  These protests were set off by opposition to a proposed extradition bill which had the potential to see residents of Hong Kong face the mainland Chinese government's legal system. Last Wednesday evening the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam announced she was withdrawing the extradition bill. The Hong Kong-China dispute has spilled over into Australian cities. Not just because of our high Chinese immigrant population but because of activities and espionage the Chinese Communist Party engages in Australia. Pro Hong Kong protests have been flooded by pro-China activists, with some turning violent. It is concerning that we are supposed to be all Australians yet we are increasingly seeing another state, a totalitarian one as well infiltrate our population and politics. Last month Liberal backbencher Andrew Hastie wrote an op-ed in the Fairfax newspapers outlining why China's global ambitions threaten Australia's future.  We have seen our politicians come under the influence of Chinese Communist Party agents, normally businessmen in recent times. The most famous of course was former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari. His NSW Labor Party was exposed at the Independent Commission Against Corruption of accepting an illegal $100,00 donation from Chinese business Huang Xiangmao who has been banned from Australia The ABC has revealed that the two Chinese-Australian candidates for the inner Melbourne seat of Chisholm at the just passed federal election, the Liberals Gladys Lui, the now elected MP for the seat, and her Labor opponent Jennifer Yang were both members of a Chinese association that upon investigation ultimately had links to the Chinese government. Australia is in the middle of a shit sandwich as we depend on China significantly when it comes to trade. Our leaders have kicked the can down the road with China, but are now slowly getting their heads out of the sand. They know something must be done, but have no idea what? To gain and greater understand of how deep the Chinese communist party influence is in Australia, plus the various human rights abuses they are committing on their own people is Shan Ju Lin. She is from Taiwan which China would like to annex. Shan ran in the Queensland state election in 2017 as an independent candidate for the seat of Bundamba in her town of Ipswich. She is known throughout her area for holding the annual World Harmony Day. She's been on the show before, given unique insight I thought she would be the perfect person to go to discuss the current China crisis in Australia. The Unshackled Links: Website: https://www.theunshackled.net Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TUnshackled Twitter: https://twitter.com/Un_shackled Gab: https://gab.ai/theunshackled Telegram: https://t.me/theunshackled Free eBook: http://theunshackledbattlefield.net/ Unshackled Productions: The Unshackled Waves: http://www.theunshackledwaves.net Debt Nation: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKEHuAGzwVtIEIFW3cZOPg The Report from Tiger Mountain: https://www.theunshackled.net/reportfromtigermountain/ The Uncuckables: http://theuncuckables.com/ Rational Rise TV: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKKEHuAGzwVtIEIFW3cZOPg Support Our Work:  Membership: http://www.theunshackled.net/membership Donate: https://www.theunshackled.net/donate/ Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/theunshackled Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theunshackled Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/TheUnshackled Store: https://www.theunshackled.net/store/ Other Social Links Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theunshackled/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/the_unshackled Minds: https://www.minds.com/The_Unshackled MeWe: https://mewe.com/p/theunshackled Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/theunshackled/ Theme Mus

Boris blocked. Conservative Party rebels and opposition lawmakers deliver U.K. Prime Minister Johnson a double defeat in the House of Commons, taking a no-deal Brexit off the table and also refusing to allow him to call a snap general election. We are live from Westminster with the latest. In Asia, markets rally on confirmation from the Chinese commerce ministry that trade talks between Washington and Beijing are set to resume in October. The Hang Seng enjoys extended gains following Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam's withdrawal of the controversial extradition bill, which is hoped will stem the violent protests in the Special Administrative Region. Over in the U.S., two-year treasuries slump to their lowest point since 2017, while we hear exclusively from Goldman Sachs CFO Stephen Scherr who says anxieties over a recession are becoming increasingly apparent.

The 7.4 million citizens of Hong Kong are living their most serious political event since the 1997 handover to mainland China. The spark of a protest over an extradition bill has morphed into a broader search for democratic rule in Hong Kong – with major geopolitical implications for China and the United States. Scott Kennedy, Freeman Chair in China Studies and Director for the Project on Chinese Business and Political Economy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), discusses what’s next for the “Special Administrative Region.” https://altamar.us/hong-kong-crisis-goes-global/ Follow us on Twitter and Facebook    ----- Produced by Simpler Media

As the twentieth century drew to a close, Hong Kong, recently transformed into a Special Administrative Region of the PRC, seemed a city totally unlike any of its neighbors. Many observers were surprised by how light a touch Beijing seemed to be exerting in the wake of the 1997 handover, and the striking contrast between what could be said, done, and published in Hong Kong, compared to mainland metropolitan cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen. Since the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to Chinese rule in 2017, controls have tightened dramatically amid fears of tighter political censorship and enhanced self-censorship. However, with the anniversary of the June 4th Massacre approaching, Hong Kong is still the only place on PRC soil where it can be discussed and marked in public. In 2019, what was once a chasm between civic life in Hong Kong and cities such as Guangzhou and Beijing is rapidly closing. What does the future hold for Hong Kong? Will it become just another Chinese city that makes up the Greater Bay Area? The speakers, who have been tracking issues relating to higher education, journalism, protest, and the arts, address Hong Kong's future under Chinese rule. Denise Y. Ho is assistant professor of twentieth-century Chinese history at Yale University. She is an historian of modern China, with a particular focus on the social and cultural history of the Mao period (1949-1976). Her first book, Curating Revolution: Politics on Display in Mao’s China, appeared with Cambridge University Press in 2018. She is also co-editing a volume with Jennifer Altehenger of King’s College London on the material culture of the Mao period. Dr. Ho is currently at work on a new research project on Hong Kong and China, entitled Cross-Border Relations. Louisa Lim is an award-winning journalist who grew up in Hong Kong and reported from China for a decade for NPR and the BBC. She is a senior lecturer in audiovisual journalism at the University of Melbourne, and is currently a visiting fellow at the University of Hong Kong. She also co-hosts The Little Red Podcast, a podcast about China beyond the Beijing beltway, which won the News & Current Affairs award at the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. Her writing about Hong Kong has appeared in the anthology Hong Kong 20/20: Reflections from a Borrowed Place, as well as The New York Times and The New Yorker, and she is the author of The People’s Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited (Oxford University Press, 2014), which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize and the Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism. Jeffrey Wasserstrom is Chancellor’s Professor of History at UC Irvine. His most recent book is the third edition of China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford, 2018), which he coauthored with Maura Cunningham. In addition to contributing to academic venues, he has written many reviews and commentaries for newspapers, magazines, and journals of opinion, including pieces on Hong Kong that have appeared in The Atlantic, The Nation, the Los Angeles Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. He is on the editorial board of Dissent magazine, serves as an academic editor for the China Channel of the Los Angeles Review of Books, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.

Jet Lag In talking with my videographer friend he mentioned jet lag. My flight gets in to HK around 4:00 p.m. and I’ll spend some time going through customs and such. It’ll likely be about 7 by the time I get to my hotel. I figured unless something ultra-strange is happening I’ll be fine with it and I’ll just go to bed, wake up maybe a bit late the next day and all should be good. HK is about 15 hours ahead of my timezone, which is Pacific. Or that would be about 9 hours behind if you were to look at it that way. Anyway, it’s a significant change. My friend is coming from eastern timezone, so he’s got 12 hours difference there. One thing he mentioned was to consider fasting during your travel as that will help adjust the body’s natural internal clock. I thought this was very interesting, so I had to do some research. The only solid item I found was in the New England Journal of Medicine, but you have to be a paying customer to get it. So I found anecdotal stuff here and there, but nothing really deep. He was saying that the basic idea is to simply not eat until you have to a breakfast time of your destination. For me it’ll be great since I can land, get to bed and then wake up and have breakfast. For him, he’s arriving at about 7:00 a.m. So he’ll fast on the plane then eat once he lands. And then since we’ll be starting the day, hopefully he won’t be too groggy to be at least coherent. But I still found other things that I wanted to share. Some of it is rather “out there” so if I sound rather judgmental on these things is more about how I can’t ever see myself doing them, not necessarily thinking someone is foolish for doing it themselves. Here we go. I found an article on CNN, the link is here in the show notes. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/9-alternative-jet-lag-strategies/index.html It’s called “9 alternative jet lag strategies.” First up is to use the hormone Melatonin. The body creates this naturally, but increasing the presence of Melatonin should help the circadian rhythm get adjusted more quickly. They recommend not taking it while in the air, but to do it at bed time once you’ve landed. It’s widely available at drug stores and of course, as with all things medically oriented, it’s best to talk with your doctor before you do anything like this. Just needing to cover myself there. This remedy is not for me. I’m just not one to hop on the drug bandwagon all that quickly. Even when I get a headache, I’d rather tough it out than take a Tylenol. I’ll pop the pill when needed for sure, but my preference is to not do anything. The next item is fasting, of all things. We’ve already talked about this, but this particular article only talks about a few items here, I’d love to have a much deeper article. If you know of one, please forward it on to me. They recommend refrain eating or drinking anything but water and herbal tea if you are looking to minimize jet lag. I won’t fast the whole flight but I’ll do at least half of it so I can go to bed on an empty stomach and hopefully awake ready for a huge breakfast. The next item up is called “earthing.” Well, these were “alternative” ways, right? Basically, the point here is to literally touch the earth at your destination. Take off your shoes and walk in the grass, the beach, whatever. It’ll change your mood and outlook. Seems more psychological than anything else, which can help, don’t get me wrong. But I look at this a bit oddly since it’s more along the lines of something I try to do naturally anyway. So, to have it as a suggestion for something different, to me, is more of a statement on society than anything else. As in, why isn’t this normal behavior already? Watsu is the next one. It’s a water-based relaxation therapy that is similar to a Japanese Shiatsu massage. They go into some detail, but quite frankly, getting relaxed and destressing is the point. If you can do that by just laying on the bed, or getting a massage then go for it. Another is Restricted Environment Stimulation Therapy. Basically, you’re in a light and soundproof tank, floating in 93.5 degree water, that’s Fahrenheit by the way, the temp of most people’s skin. And it’s supposed to be relaxing. My only question is, where do you find stuff like this? And this is the third item that is just focused on relaxation and destressing. Why not just say that and then say, “here’s a few ways of doing that?” And then the next item on the list is Onsens, or a hot spring. OK, just another way to relax, and it’s water-based too. No surprise. I’m happy to do it, love a hot tub soak. Just not sure I’m going to find that at my destination since I’m too cheap and my hotel is less than $30 a night! And finally, the last two are IV infusions and sound healing. I’ll never do the IV infusion thing as I hate needles and I’ll suffer any jet lag three times over before I get stuck with a needle. And the sound healing thing sounds too new agey to me. They suggest that it’s been shown that sound frequencies at 528hz have been shown to heal the body’s DNA. What? I didn’t know DNA could be healed. I fully understand there’s people out there listening that probably know a lot more about this stuff than I do. I’m usually open to listening to these new ideas, but when it comes to something like this, I just need a better article I suppose. They end by saying if you’re in Dubrovnik, go to Villa Dubrovnik, where they say you can get into a “diamond cocoon, where guests lie in a dark, enclosed chamber atop a bed of bubbling warm water as a journey of light and sounds aim to help them relax and get a better night’s sleep.” Sorry, that’s not for me. My whole take on this thing is I’m going to try the fasting. I’ve not heard of that one before. But I always give myself a lighter schedule when I first get somewhere so I can give my body time to adjust. And I listen to what my body is telling me. If I’m by myself, I don’t mind sleeping in or going to bed early. Or forcing myself up when I need to make the change. I may miss a few shots, and that would stink for sure. But I’ve found that my health suffers and if that happens I miss even more shots (thinking back to my time in Chile where I twisted my ankle and got sick and missed out on about three days because health reasons) I take one day at a time and I roll with it. But I’m certainly looking forward to this journey to try a few new things out. I’ll add some relaxing in there too, when I go to bed J Hong Kong I’m going to Hong Kong. And I’m so excited about this journey. It came about because a few weeks ago I found out that I would not be able to participate in a mission trip to India in November. Taking that much time off work just won’t work. So I had a backup plan which was seriously, to go “somewhere.” Literally, you can ask my wife, I didn’t care where, it was just somewhere cool. I scoured a few flight websites and settled on flights.google.com for the ease of use and easy variety of locations that I can explore as well as date options for departures and returns. So I found this ticket on Delta direct from Seattle for less than $560. Round trip. The wife said, “Yes you should go, but remember your son has a birthday…” So I found an itinerary that will get me home in time and has me there for about 16 days. Wow. So I bought the tickets and then started planning. I already had a Lonely planet guide book from when I spent 2.5 days there way back in 2002. I was returning from India, a different mission oriented trip, and had a layover in Hong Kong. The agent making the flight arrangements apologized terribly for the inconvenience and I was like, “are you kidding. This is awesome!” So I bought an updated book and I read it cover to cover, highlighted various things and what not, then I got a message from a long-time friend that has wanted to have me let him know whenever I’m going someplace exciting. He saw my post on facebook and I was like (crickets) Oh yeah,, un I forgot about that… So, he’s a videographer. I had an idea to make a photography course and shoot it over there in HK and he agreed to do the video. So that threw a whole other set of planning into the mix. So now I’m not only planning for 16 days (14 really since I don’t shoot on Saturdays) of shooting, but now I need to come up with scripts and a plan for how to teach photography at each of the locations we’re going to. And let’s not forget I’m shutting down my gear rental company during this as well, (only about half the gear has been sold, still some great pieces to be had) and finishing up a project for the university that involves about six videos to be posted to my YouTube channel this summer. It’s a professional development project and it just has to get done this summer. That’s all there is to it. So I’m scrambling to keep up with the podcasting, family, help my church still plan for this mission trip to India that I’m no longer going on, 16 days in Hong Kong, create my print and creativity course and now this beginner/intermediate course… I’m getting exhausted just thinking about it. So let’s focus. On HK. I’m going to tell you the plan, and then while there I’ll plan to record an episode and then I’ll tell you how it went once I get back. I’ll do my best not to bore you too much or be too repitively redundant. So I’m starting out on Lantau Island. I’ll stay in Mui Wo. There’s a waterfall in the Silvermine Bay area. I’ll get to that and then I’ll take the bus to the big Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery. That’ll be during the mid day so we’ll see what kind of light I get. Thankfully there’s a vegetarian restaurant at the monastery and that’s where I’ll have lunch. I’ll then either take the bus or walk to Tai O. A fishing village. The next day I’ll repeat the plan, but I’m going to walk it on the trails that cover the mountainous island. It should make for a great hike and with the hot and humid and sometimes rainy weather I’ll experience in August, well, we’ll see how good my umbrella is and the rain cover on the backpack. My videographer gets in a couple days after I get there, so I’ll wake up early, get to the small island of Peng Chau, hike around for a few hours, and then take the mid morning ferry back to meet him at the dock. We’ll then move on to Causeway Bay area where our joint room will be. Some of the other places we will go are, Lamma Island, Po Toi island, the Peak, of course, and Central and Kowloon Peninsula. But we’ll also get to many of the less traveled too places in the New Territories. This is the interesting part about Hong Kong. It was handed over to the Chinese in 1997, but the British didn’t have to give all of HK up. It was just the New Territories that were under the temporary agreement, so those sections were scheduled to go back to China control, but Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island as well as several other outlying islands could have stayed in the British Empire. But logistically, it just wouldn’t have worked. So they handed the entire territory over to China. It’s interesting how they treat it now. It’s a Special Administrative region of China. As a US citizen, I don’t need a visa to go there for stays up to 90 days. HK is rather small, but that’s why I love it for travel photography. The public transport is amazing. There’s a bunch of very high quality sites to get to and they’re all, or at least most of them are, very accessible via public transport. Macau is the same way, though it was Portuguese. But it’s also a Special Administrative Region. My goal with this journey is to get out and hike. To see the natural wonders that HK has and show them to you and whomever else is interested. And to shoot some training videos of course.  My approach, however, is to not get too bent out of shape if the videos don’t work out. I’m writing my scripts, and I have good outlines of what I want to talk about. I just need to keep that handy so I can apply a lesson to what I’m shooting. And I’ve got a documentary videographer coming along too, so I’ll probably be fine. We’ll go to some markets, there’s a night market on Kowloon peninsula, and the Stanley market is supposed to be good as well. And one thing I love about HK is the lack of regulation on production like this. We contacted the film office because it seems that the way their website is written we might have to get permits. But they basically laughed (if that’s possible to ascertain through email) at our request since it’s such a small production. So we figure we’re good. And finally, after my videographer friend leaves I have five more days. So I decided I’m going to China. I’ve got my visa application ready to go. I just need to get my Global Entry interview done first, then I’ll FedEx my passport down to SFO for processing. I really, really wanted to go to Detian falls. Also known as Ban Gioc falls. It’s the fourth largest waterfall on an international border. It’s on the border of China and Viet Nam. I probably could have made it, but the connections and times it takes to get out there makes it nearly impossible. I don’t have confidence in the timing of bus schedules and the like, and most hotels in that area aren’t bookable online. I mostly use booking.com and they have one that’s kind of sort of close to the falls, but it’s out in the middle of nowhere, and it’d be not only tough to get there but getting around is tough too. I did find one at the falls itself, but then it’s just the getting there that was making it very difficult. And then getting back on time to be sure I don’t miss my flight. It just wasn’t working out. So I decided to go to the tourist trap of Guilin instead. I may hire a guide, I may just kick back a little. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens. That part is still rather undefined. But I’m going, that part I know. (so long as I get a visa from the Chinese government. Fingers crossed) That wraps it up for now. Thanks so much for listening. Remember to search for and find the other podcasts in the Master Photography group. They are Portrait Session, Photo Taco and Thoughts on Photography, which is still being resurrected by Brian McGuckin. Until next time, Happy shooting. Use this link for excellent gear at the Peak Design website. It helps support my podcasting efforts. Thanks! Use this link to get a free gift at checkout, plus it helps support my podcasting efforts. Thanks!

The just-held 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has conferred President Xi Jinping with unprecedented authority. He is now the Party’s second more powerful leader after Mao Zedong. Xi has solid control over the Party, the State and the People’s Liberation Army. It looks probable that Xi will remain China’s paramount leader at least until 2027, if not 2032. Questions remain, however, as to whether Xi, who is an arch-conservative and unabashed Maoist, will use his powers for political, social and economic reforms. Given his top priority of maintaining the CCP as China’s “perennial ruling party” – and in light of his insistence on the Party’s control over key economic sectors as well as the civil society – what are the prospects for thorough-going reforms? Dr Willy Lam (Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Jamestown Foundation) looks into these questions and addresses Xi’s ambitious foreign-policy agenda, including likely changes in Beijing’s policy toward the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. This lecture was held as part of Sydney Ideas program on 8 November 2017: http://sydney.edu.au/sydney_ideas/lectures/2017/dr_willy_lam.shtml

When they picture Hong Kong, most people imagine the incredible bustle around its great harbor. But the Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China has many quieter corners as well.

Found this interesting montage while searching for something else. It's a show we did from Hong Kong looking ahead to how the Special Administrative Region would change when HK was handed back to the Chinese in July 1997. It's interesting as is currently chairman of the BBC Trust. That quote at the start of the programme is rather appropriate in the UK at the moment. Between now and July 1st 1997, an estimated 8000 journalists will be passing through Hong Kong examining basically the same story. In January 1841, China and Britain signed a Convention which ceded Hong Kong island to Britain, a year later Kowloon was ceded too and in 1898 the land north of the Kowloon peninsula was leased by the British from the Chinese. Now that lease is coming to an end. As sovereignty of the whole of this area changes from British to Chinese, what will happen to life in Hong Kong as it becomes a special administrative territory. Around 2000 Dutch speaking families are part of the international community living here, most of them working in the banking or electronics sector.  We've been talking to them as well as to Chinese and English speakers to find out what they think will happen. The answer is the same. China has pledged to preserve Hong Kong's capitalist economy, currency and freemarket policies until the year 2047. But with economy booming in the Peoples Republic of China, home to 1.2 billion people, its no wonder some doubt whether the government in Beijing really needs or cares about the long term fate of 6.3 million packed into the tiny space called Hong Kong. And since the public media is government controlled, many feel than any changes will first be heard over the airwaves. Hong Kong's governor, Chris Patten, stressed this during the recent meeting of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. Radio TV Hong Kong puts out a continuous relay of BBC WS in English on 675 kHz.The majority speak of the residents speak Cantonese. Next year, though RTHK will start programmes in a new languageThe name Hong Kong comes from the Cantonese which means "fragrant harbour". Its not so fragrant these days, more rather choppy as hundreds of boats criss-cross across Victoria Harbour between the island of Hong Kong and the mainland tip of Kowloon. The Star Ferry charges 2 Hong Kong Dollars to cross from one side to the other. That means the upperdeck trip costs a mere 28 US cents. It's one of the cheapest rides in the world. It also allows you to escape for a few minutes from the continuous traffic and watch the high-rise skyline. The travel brochures encourage you to shop till you drop and the shops in both Kowloon and Hong Kong island stay open until 10 at night. Shop windows bulge with famous name fashions, electronics and photo goods. Tourists from Europe comment that Hong Kong's relatively expensive. But depends what you're looking for. Shifty looking characters on many street corners near Nathan Road near Tsim Sha Tsui hiss at foreigners in loud whispers. Copy watches, fake clothing? And if you're willing to disappear up three flights of stairs into a dimly-lit backroom, you too can bargain for a fully functional Rolex-looking watch for less than 80 dollars. Its backed by a lifetime money-back guarantee. If you value your life, you won't try and claim your money back. Police in Kowloon at least at currently cracking down on the counterfeits.But if you take a few stops north on the super efficient underground railway, the MTR, get off at Sham Shui Po. The high rise buildings are the same. But the shop and street signs are only in Cantonese and there are fewer Western faces. Passengers splurge from the high-speed escalators onto the pavement. Across the road, the Golden Arcade has a scruffy sign about the Internet which is flapping in the upward breeze generated by the humid air and exhaust fumes. Inside are three vast floors of computer and video hardware. A sign strongly discourages you to take photographs. Once your eyes adjust to the off-white fluorescent bulbs, you find stand after stand of software. It looks genuine. But its a copy. Often the CD-ROM covers are empty. If you decide to purchase just about all the Internet publishing software available on one CD-ROM, expect to pay 7 dollars, to watch the stall holder call someone on a mobile phone and 20 minutes later someone else taps you on the shoulder and shoves a wafer thin plastic bag at you. Inside, there's a shiny CD with the software you wanted. Further inside, someone is selling software manuals. A sign claims they're original. A man standing in a tiny shop front tries to tempt us to step inside and buy a multi-media PC. It looks like it might work. But is what you see anything like what you get? For there's such a fine line between fake and genuine. Even with bargaining, the real hardware is still expensive by most standards. The illegal software of course costs a few cents to mass produce. Most of it is coming from factories across the border in China. Will the tide really stop in 1997? Making money seems to be more important that authors rights. The packaging often turns out to be more impressive than the contents. The video CD of the latest Walt Disney block buster is the result of someone taking a consumer video into a cinema and filming the screen from his backrow seat. That maybe the hunchback of notre dame shuffling across the TV screen. Its difficult to tell after a videos been copied so many time. And the soundtrack is muffled by the sound of someone munching popcorn and giggling in Cantonese. Short-wave portables from Philips, Grundig and Sangean are easy to find in Hong Kong. Shop salesmen know what they're talking about too. Three hours drive from Hong Kong into Ghanghou province of China, you'll find the joint venture factories making many of the budget portables. China may have diplomatic problems with Taiwan. But more than 10,000 Taiwanese are running factories in Southern China and exporting the products out of the peoples republic. They'd like to exploit the vast domestic Chinese market too. But that's more difficult and means finding more influential friends.