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。 0 y+ O% c8 m+ b) ?+ N - n' W/ X6 }, c; q4 d5 v1 M9 S9 x: [
$ e6 _/ M. A/ k/ ? 9 p) K- d! C; G+ p) [% S! K0 t0 P 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 d, @) t9 s8 |/ `1 {$ C( }. e8 Z % F) z9 R7 Q/ o
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。! c' s' ^0 H2 o: j# D; p
2 f2 l* I8 A, n& [- @, N, _ * _3 i, ^1 h2 Q6 LJuly 1, 1997: After 156 years of British rule, China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong.( ~3 J+ o K1 @; Q3 ?+ ?& d4 N! [
: s2 V" L V5 O1 h # k: o( X$ p7 |6 LFeb. 19, 2002: Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, appointed by Beijing in 1997 to serve as Hong Kong's first post-colonial leader, is reelected. ( ], {: v# d' N6 F: k1 J n8 F3 `* T- @1 x0 L3 Z
+ i/ X+ m3 ]+ ^ % a: D5 j1 f2 v6 e, d2 XMarch 10, 2005: After weeks of rumors, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa abruptly resigns, citing his declining health. 6 v2 g- i! @6 N0 P( O# ?
2 e5 o9 A* X( Q& x" K$ V5 [# o$ s ! Y7 e% s9 A5 T$ y The Expat Exodus & r' s {3 g. p- J% TOn 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. 9 \3 ^. L( X0 V# x* d* C; F6 P ( W/ C$ [1 R. r8 B- Z3 O - `* A. C# S$ p7 v9 H % G- H2 g8 `, V- w) G( z& m8 I# m Emigration * ? P* ^% c# I6 x/ Q x1 x
Jittery about political crackdowns and economic slowdown, thousands of Hong Kong residents left town in the years before the handover. $ y& {7 M9 @( g+ g
# L' t7 d3 g, u, r
2 R9 ]9 T! p: I4 e/ R# [; v$ T
《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。 " c) W7 c' F& P. P: s, Z % @+ U3 B% X3 X7 b" T* B) Z 《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。 + u2 m9 t( B y! d * T; a+ S- ~& ~5 {* n: c" l 作者: 日月光 时间: 2007-6-9 08:41
! X% h6 S- @8 }5 |8 _ The People's Liberation Army ( D4 M" V) w# A7 N( O5 @- t4 UA 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. , q) h1 ?* a5 w! s# T) U
' O% B7 D( V4 E$ V/ r- x+ f
" c- S8 s" \+ U 6 o. Q( H* X- U, N( G% L ]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. ( C1 c+ ~) V$ K5 ?/ F * V' Y8 ?; t8 m6 x4 h- D4 }+ z/ W 4 u' k% A9 }& i' X4 dMilton 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. 7 c) |6 f1 c5 w4 F
) g f4 x0 I8 _4 j
) g5 h& u$ B" `) `0 q, w' l& W v; Y1 n$ h" Q' `7 a3 W
With its black robes and horsehair wigs, Hong Kong's court system is an obvious inheritance from Britain. Little has changed since the handover.( G8 \9 x6 d' f% e' Z
7 D5 c7 u \8 h ^& v ) z; u! B9 S3 c8 ~; SHong Kong made itself fabulously wealthy by acting as the lone conduit between China and the world, funneling goods and investment in both directions. 8 o4 T' \2 K# s8 K; U4 o8 @. I/ v% V+ e
8 G% J/ R9 U1 \) ~, w4 q$ x2 y W) j3 n$ H. J4 m
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.
! Y7 e% s9 A5 T$ y
% G- H2 g8 `, V- w) G( z& m8 I# m
! X% h6 S- @8 }5 |8 _
' l& W v; Y1 n$ h" Q' `7 a3 W
) j3 n$ H. J4 m