For many years, this Fairbank Report has been critical of Hong Kongers' hateful attitude toward their Mainland brethren. We had accused them of being self-hating slaves who still worshipped their English overlords. We are sure there's a small tranche of the HK population that fits this mold. But now, we realize that the Hong Kongers' description of their Mainland cousins as locusts may not be that far-fetched. The problem with the Chinese is their sheer number. China's middle class -- at 500 million people -- is larger than the entire population of North America. The number is larger than the entire population of the European continent!
So, when these "locusts" are on the move, they are terribly disruptive. They raise property prices, buy up all daily necessities (such as baby formula, over-the-counter medicine, toiletry, etc.), take up hospital beds and university seats, and clog up the transportation systems. It's not that they are individually terrible or objectionable. In fact, they can be very nice and friendly. And China's post-1990 generation is quite sexy and alluring.
But collectively in their large numbers, Mainland Chinese cause significant disruption, displacement, and inconvenience to the locals wherever they show up. Throw in the general lack of sophistication (they've been rich for only 20 years), and we can easily see the Hong Kongers' angst. In fact, people in Australia, New Zealand, and North America are beginning to experience the effects of the Chinese locusts, something that Hong Kongers have been dealing with for at least ten years. We are beginning to feel the Hong Kongers' pain and experiencing their angst...
