美国权威杂志《财富》（《Fortune》）于1995年一度预言，回归将令香港死亡。但回归十年后，最新出版的《时代》周刊，终在十三年后为此言论来了个迟来的大平反，不仅承认其姊妹杂志《财富》当年报道错误，更直认香港比从前更有活力。9 p7 g& ~" I4 {3 i/ e- A
: @2 b* T) j9 [3 f4 c# u! v7 V l1 L" e! S5 j - O% J& b$ l- E6 R. h' q+ E2 q- C 5 U( [! N0 E5 X6 _ 最新出版的《时代》周刊，以25页的篇幅探讨回归十年香港的变化，并以“阳光灿烂中见阴霾（Sunshine with Clouds）”为点题。对于《财富》杂志当年惊世的《香港之死》报道，《时代》坦诚认错，承认姊妹杂志完全是“错误地”及“差劣地”作出推测。《时代》解释香港过去十年经历金融风暴、禽流感、SARS、市民为基本法廿三条上街示威等……当世人以为香港贵为福地的气数已尽，香港却一一熬过来。 $ d) W0 N: }5 ~ $ Y3 g, z. K2 X* @ 离回归十周年尚余三个星期，《时代》指出香港近期的股市屡创新高，物业格价亦稳步上扬，正值阳光灿烂时，不过晴空之中却有阴霾：香港前景仍受许多不明朗因素影响。# ]) r, |) l6 k0 r' g0 D
1 Q/ c5 H7 C0 v8 ~, ~, L+ q; Z, L' F July 1, 1997: After 156 years of British rule, China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong.2 g' I. ^! v+ x! x4 g
; M" _- G) M6 Q |1 w4 o% v' X; H L) m6 i. D- A, c, U Feb. 19, 2002: Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, appointed by Beijing in 1997 to serve as Hong Kong's first post-colonial leader, is reelected. 2 H- n2 p1 ?2 T. v+ `0 t' T5 C3 ~2 m) X1 s
- d Q# M1 I6 q0 [5 H$ ]& h% n6 H : F' K0 L. d- f8 K" Z3 rMarch 10, 2005: After weeks of rumors, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa abruptly resigns, citing his declining health. " u: g/ [& x5 {: V
1 L" E9 q+ V" `1 K0 R 9 D1 J* X2 q! o7 ]* z4 C. {The Expat Exodus ]1 q* `" \3 s9 @On July 1, 1997, as Hong Kong waved goodbye to its colonial rulers on board the HMS Britannia, pessimists predicted the city's expatriate professionals would follow. 2 V9 F2 {+ _2 _* R8 M: s7 { 0 M, _) P1 I. t. h3 [, v 0 \" z2 [% p2 z' @) E* n) M* t; J Emigration & m/ M, P: t5 H3 I( F
Jittery about political crackdowns and economic slowdown, thousands of Hong Kong residents left town in the years before the handover. + y! F( Y. A ]7 O 1 A" q# \! [$ r. h) o9 k6 S) X4 } 8 p4 i/ k: b( `7 e/ _
《时代》分析，香港人仍在身份认同及定位上感到迷失。港人对祖国又敬又怕，进而希望争取民主独立，这种心态却令政策陷于胶着状态。保守派与民主派的对立，造成政治麻痹：上至经济下至污染的议题，双方都不愿妥协。& t+ K4 u+ T( b
) F/ t% H, H2 o
《时代》称，港人在争取民主方面的想法过于“实际”。有权投票选行政长官的八百名选委，大部分来自商界，他们普遍认为普选特首会引入平民领导人、令香港变成福利社会；另一方面又怕惹怒中央，影响自身利益。 : }9 c' J1 r" b* z ! \$ W: f9 ?: P& u9 O% U% Q 作者: 日月光 时间: 2007-6-9 08:41
+ c) l* X( y6 RThe People's Liberation Army $ L' |5 M3 Q( W% M% B" U' \A 1995 Fortune magazine article famously predicted the "Death of Hong Kong" following the handover, prophesying that PLA soldiers would be a visible, ominous presence on Hong Kong's streets. z' B/ Q2 [. S3 ]# C8 ^# W+ M; S' L7 P+ X
" s; i) b; B7 `; ~6 }6 y, A6 I . B+ l. N2 }( y9 m2 U: E4 A- V
Victoria Park. Queen's Pier. Stanley. While many symbols of British rule vanished overnight after the handover — teams of workmen removed the royal seal from post offices, police stations and institutions like the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club — Hong Kong's colonial place names endure. % K+ W( D! V2 s' H/ @( K* X4 P6 H2 a. Q3 V* }
, `2 Y6 ]! q4 x9 ~* E* x6 ^9 a9 }$ s4 n5 @
Milton Friedman, the late Nobel Prize-winning economist, predicted that within two years of the handover China would introduce capital controls and replace the territory's currency. Wrong. # d9 |% y2 C0 K2 t9 d% x; `8 N
9 T/ v- Q3 S% W m+ k' x* k' q! C: D5 i- s- r % u0 O$ e) z" l
With its black robes and horsehair wigs, Hong Kong's court system is an obvious inheritance from Britain. Little has changed since the handover.- |* C; s5 c7 f, U' Q- Z; @
$ c* j, Q" c4 u _ 3 U1 V9 c( ~/ }
Hong Kong made itself fabulously wealthy by acting as the lone conduit between China and the world, funneling goods and investment in both directions. ' j+ C; v5 K: U' l7 B! l # M8 c8 X$ c/ R& s0 b$ I& ^- ]( i) _2 Y7 G- T8 P: A, G ; Y, c% N, \; d2 dContrary to dire predictions, Hong Kong hasn't yet lost its economic edge to cheaper cities on the mainland or to cleaner, more orderly Singapore.
, ~, L+ q; Z, L' F
L) m6 i. D- A, c, U
' @) E* n) M* t; J
. B+ l. N2 }( y9 m2 U: E4 A- V
* x6 ^9 a9 }$ s4 n5 @
% u0 O$ e) z" l
3 U1 V9 c( ~/ }