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。 8 k* s+ B' y3 \# b# @, W6 ] 2 p" M2 l* R& B+ q . u/ r; }: v4 E4 U3 h 2 R. w4 G/ t$ q1 L6 C6 _; p$ E8 F1 m. L# L4 u9 y
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。 9 K' {# x) ?, D7 X& |" i T, I 3 i! ?! e5 k. _: Q2 j* u
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。 $ x2 l! o3 X6 [6 `9 O* P% h! v / ?( h; U- A/ C L; P4 p9 A0 `4 O3 ~& p July 1, 1997: After 156 years of British rule, China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong. ' p5 ^7 a" y! j% e2 A- Y$ Q1 m D; b1 l: _8 X1 X( h- o8 {* s6 \ " g" q7 r! u* o0 f- |/ Z 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./ z, M9 Z. `' h8 S
1 e9 T$ _# b3 X+ S8 L% X" b; R; \: O3 c
% p; `5 @9 m x4 V/ j" x 9 ?7 |3 m$ K. Y9 x2 |March 10, 2005: After weeks of rumors, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa abruptly resigns, citing his declining health. , D/ J2 V: m$ ~0 [! b4 w6 ]% ^& o2 z2 Y% E( r5 G, V 6 ~3 S/ i% R9 \. H; p o( k& KThe Expat Exodus ! Z* ~) }0 N4 _& a! i2 p; L4 w
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. 7 k5 M$ A9 s1 U0 e + F# }2 h, k$ j; [1 a" m7 G 9 e2 I5 {( ?# I & [( W, p7 F7 R& H4 z' o1 g2 S9 OEmigration 9 }) V. j2 t% Z; FJittery about political crackdowns and economic slowdown, thousands of Hong Kong residents left town in the years before the handover. 8 E8 F$ r( B. m% p % Z' }) o% C8 B# e( ` / y, |. p7 p) j1 W1 r
《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。 / \$ ]' a& l9 } - V% P. n8 I7 u5 @: D1 b& s 《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。7 Z. K1 _3 v( h6 Z0 _( b* l" A
! E0 Z- V1 I. _作者: 日月光 时间: 2007-6-9 08:41
+ _/ p/ U7 }5 U8 l3 I) eThe People's Liberation Army [# w+ N" m9 M4 G
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. , W$ j. }% b0 n
& L% D: Z; K+ @( _/ M7 a2 |. J4 d9 z- C. r9 T) s ; R" j, z4 J% L% R% r+ N
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. - @) a; j; v$ N2 e# U
% g; {' p! \, Z( w
( y: s0 h% e4 b, a ; E8 i0 L! E- F9 O" f6 s0 XMilton 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. 6 e; |4 Y9 A# i
- p" o* T) |! e1 q: d6 D" ]
' U. F# X. ~. S, ~2 y z3 o, {2 _; D6 ]! G7 r
With its black robes and horsehair wigs, Hong Kong's court system is an obvious inheritance from Britain. Little has changed since the handover.& ~9 ?; h+ l, i1 D
* U$ G7 |+ w0 c* Z( C ! o) @0 b, }- n: x9 EHong Kong made itself fabulously wealthy by acting as the lone conduit between China and the world, funneling goods and investment in both directions. ) u" p! S h- u' X! J
" s, G! h6 ?( u4 s$ X5 C; e& d: T. p( r 5 |5 v) O* r: c4 o# i
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.
; P4 p9 A0 `4 O3 ~& p
" g" q7 r! u* o0 f- |/ Z
; R" j, z4 J% L% R% r+ N
z3 o, {2 _; D6 ]! G7 r
5 |5 v) O* r: c4 o# i