South China Morning Post reporter, Willy Lo-lap Lam feels there is an increase in Restrictions, mainly self-censorship. Hong Kong Journalists Association conducted a survey on media freedom at the end of June. The findings range from not reporting the protest staged by US citizens to support Tibet independence on Jiang Zemin's visit to the United States, the interviews with pro independence of Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, the results have not been published in Hong Kong newspapers.
Lam said that reporting activities are ended if reporters are listed on the China's black list. China blocked an anti-China newspaper, Apple Daily, China reportedly tries to collapse the newspaper by leaking valuable information to its major competitor, Dong Bau (East Daily), Tokyo Shimbun reported. (18)
Jiji Press quoted South China Morning Post as Taiwan aviation chief was refused a visa from China, who was invited by the Hong Kong Executive Council for the opening ceremony of the newly built international Hong Kong airport. The ceremony was attended by Jiang Zemin and high-ranking central committee members. Governor of the Central Bank of Taiwan also was refused permission to attend the IMF World Bank conference held September, 1997 in Hong Kong. (19)
One year after the Hong Kong handover, the first legislative election drew a surprisingly high voting rate, 53%. Tung Chee-hwa, Chief Executive called the high voting a sign of confidence in the current excessive office meanwhile, Martin Lee, head of the largest opposition party analyzed the trend to the contrary saying that the voters urged the executive office to pursue democracy even against the Chinese central government.
Many Hong Kong newspapers supported Martin Lee's evaluation in connection with the intention of the voters. Among them East Daily urged the executive office to promote the realization of democracy which has been protected in the Basic Law. However, Anson Chan, Administrative Secretary expressed a negative view that consensus for altering the Basic Law to enable the people to participate in the direct election for their representatives has not been established. The adjustment of Hong Kong social economic system and the Asian economic crisis hit Hong Kong seriously. There has been speculation that the Chinese government will devalue its Ranminbi in order to cope with the present economic crisis. The future of Hong Kong economy seems to depend on the central government's financial policy rather than its own highly autonomous operation.
When the central government commitment in Hong Kong's economy increases, independence of Hong Kong will be hurt, World Weekly reported. (20)
