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。 , h# T2 ~, {+ M2 X, k ! |) r$ P5 C6 J7 I6 T# b 9 R2 z# C) R, ?3 ` ( @) K( i% m% K 9 w3 P7 u5 h. w9 `7 }0 H 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。6 {/ t2 o( G: T* s1 R9 i" b
2 ~2 S8 ?; b4 w& m
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。8 @" E. F0 T, \7 Y M; f$ T1 f6 P
$ i' X" m' d7 F, B {" n7 a/ b. V% K2 S# f% Y July 1, 1997: After 156 years of British rule, China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong.# `( X5 T7 r. F( W: @( M3 ?3 L
, j" h" d, I* `; g( ]! O5 t3 T `) k) r $ T1 j4 h7 N9 X) ~, A- V) X( K 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.. T/ j4 w# p3 p+ j1 W, |& X
" L* g* P7 x) h& P9 w1 r, X2 h+ u& W- a & G8 F' l# z& V5 o March 10, 2005: After weeks of rumors, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa abruptly resigns, citing his declining health. 9 q- }' H. w* Y2 S6 H2 r0 @ 5 o1 j: r9 p* C6 F- s* Y( N+ j7 f- f 5 Y6 r, l! L' b8 ]. KThe Expat Exodus 9 a& }) z3 V( q+ z7 A$ P
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. ' M. q, O" `/ v2 T1 o ( X2 [$ D0 w$ T/ i' x2 ^, a9 i5 O; y5 ?1 x 9 R, g \4 d) y! U3 F C9 m+ Y" V + Q# W. X( Z5 I# C" @9 {Emigration ! t; `. [ X, S! p" DJittery about political crackdowns and economic slowdown, thousands of Hong Kong residents left town in the years before the handover. " s: q, ^" F( G |# l1 j
; a! b- t/ ]5 Z% ?& s. D5 w5 Q
4 k0 k" G6 u* `5 Q c
《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。 ' l/ I/ H8 l( o ) @& ^; a+ N( i1 l$ [9 G
《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。 * d0 f* E: |* n5 b0 J ! z2 M: g- Z9 I: t5 }! y: F 作者: 日月光 时间: 2007-6-9 08:41
- J" [: O/ l7 A0 D, m The People's Liberation Army ! W) z- z0 g! W* O8 A3 @' e, k0 ^
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. ) s7 u; e. y: h/ m# B+ l
1 ]" _. K8 l* b( Q ! W5 ?8 \+ U( S0 S' @! V! \! A" f- d( i
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. l( Y+ w/ j7 m; I
% Z' U2 m4 n' }; }- x0 v. e2 S3 z
# X% b8 h: q+ m M* P " w* z6 J2 b) sMilton 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. # ~0 }4 |" J: W9 \
# t4 H3 c# A- C/ z: H' {6 `, X) S# S+ }# N' k# ? / F. o$ Q j' R& q; @
With its black robes and horsehair wigs, Hong Kong's court system is an obvious inheritance from Britain. Little has changed since the handover. 3 H' a! q( A; ?% g8 g- d $ O4 `6 d& f- U9 l. [; l1 ` 0 [+ Q8 Q2 T/ [/ @. OHong Kong made itself fabulously wealthy by acting as the lone conduit between China and the world, funneling goods and investment in both directions. a& p* r# j+ Q/ u2 v
7 N+ [- ~9 H- x n6 M2 n2 I
/ i7 G$ x0 X& S' S ( c$ L8 B i2 J1 j
Contrary to dire predictions, Hong Kong hasn't yet lost its economic edge to cheaper cities on the mainland or to cleaner, more orderly Singapore.
" n7 a/ b. V% K2 S# f% Y
$ T1 j4 h7 N9 X) ~, A- V) X( K
& G8 F' l# z& V5 o
- J" [: O/ l7 A0 D, m
! \! A" f- d( i
/ F. o$ Q j' R& q; @
( c$ L8 B i2 J1 j