[国际新闻] 《时代》25页篇幅认错:回归没令香港死亡

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。人在德国 社区% ]. }8 F! a2 c# y( M+ e
人在德国 社区4 @4 |! @* ^% D
: X4 g6 j9 L$ \1 M' G

! |+ Y- t) M8 q3 O
- P' ?  a. I2 |8 R  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。
5 |# N& V7 ~4 F* \# t0 k! u5 E人在德国 社区 3 Q, `0 _' I' }! p
  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。
0 U7 N' @! d3 G! J0 _rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de , `1 Z* c- o, `# Z- L0 m# u! ]
: p8 T5 j( v) A7 k
July 1, 1997: After 156 years of British rule, China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong.& ~5 d, e7 \3 Q5 o( f. c
" h8 B& u1 L8 t3 \9 N, S
rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de5 y% y) ~( u. N) r8 v! _
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.rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de$ H8 W5 m- y0 h6 ]8 y  m! n  d( x

  u% {1 f. h2 [- m* ^* ^
" e  e3 e2 g7 M* T6 M# ]1 @% Nrs238848.rs.hosteurope.ders238848.rs.hosteurope.de! A9 s' f2 i9 W- U! J7 [+ D+ f9 g+ m' |
March 10, 2005: After weeks of rumors, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa abruptly resigns, citing his declining health. ) |4 f  O+ `3 s5 ~  @4 h! B
rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de* a. |: C$ j  {. {
5 [! J* b' _9 ~/ [5 g
The Expat Exodus
# E5 e6 c; b! E. r& ?  d人在德国 社区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.
3 _/ u& X/ S* B- Q- n $ D, v* C4 y- P+ ]1 w. X" b
人在德国 社区+ P' h" O6 o3 m  ]  J6 @2 V6 U

0 \, ~" x/ Z* H4 l: C& v: N/ |- w人在德国 社区Emigration
$ E9 t/ X& h; W) ?  T7 [" z) a( a: qJittery about political crackdowns and economic slowdown, thousands of Hong Kong residents left town in the years before the handover. 0 \2 R( o+ r4 E' H5 s
# v; z/ O2 |! A3 v, c
" r3 {5 d8 _6 f. Y$ 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。
% P" R' s3 z* ]' Z: _) l' v rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de8 y( P) j- S3 J, e! L( o* v1 b
  《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。
% _0 p4 S+ s) \" F( P" n! Ers238848.rs.hosteurope.de 3 F# s% C& N9 C! q2 P) U7 f" v* E
Share |
Share


% r2 B6 @8 K) w2 g0 r+ DThe People's Liberation Army
8 M! y  v& J0 J9 ~. |, ?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. 5 G" v  i& `9 F  [( Z, l
人在德国 社区4 U) u4 o- \8 y5 m
rs238848.rs.hosteurope.de/ y+ ^+ q1 B$ g3 T) L  B
人在德国 社区, _$ m) d) `, @+ O# z: q% n' H
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. 7 c3 X& F; d& n. L3 d7 z8 t4 _
人在德国 社区  z! ]1 g2 C. C

6 y4 e- D( \; Z. m* t* h3 ~. \4 P( T- w$ ^1 I; K! y, f
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. & u. ~5 B  z6 v$ o2 p. d

+ b$ I4 B% l7 _* z+ f# C, s0 \$ @+ M1 Q8 B6 a7 X2 P

* n3 q$ Q- v9 r  XWith its black robes and horsehair wigs, Hong Kong's court system is an obvious inheritance from Britain. Little has changed since the handover.% e' I) q5 _7 C& w; p1 F
' J! S# V3 z0 X* Q" _. E/ G
- S& V* X7 d/ M+ d. G8 v4 r8 G& B
Hong Kong made itself fabulously wealthy by acting as the lone conduit between China and the world, funneling goods and investment in both directions. 人在德国 社区4 }, e& r6 o$ V6 n

6 g3 d( i2 S. @% B6 z- P: Z  [& Ors238848.rs.hosteurope.ders238848.rs.hosteurope.de  N+ }# a6 [! H1 m# D1 O: P
( E: }' _9 Y6 c4 Y! g" Z1 [8 R) l, _
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.

TOP