HONG KONG NEAR TIME FOR TURNOVER
By Bob Van Leer

  (HONG KONG, Oct. 25, 1991) - Today was a day of relaxation and sightseeing.

  This was the first day on the tour we haven't had a morning meeting time. Betty and I and Joanne Buckley, NNA tour leader, took the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island and then took a bus to the south side of the island to Stanley Market.

  Stanley Market is a contrast to the Kowloon shopping area which is small stores side by side with frequent arcades.

  But all are stores with doors and windows and in buildings. Stanley Market is a rabbit warren of stalls and small buildings. There is less bargaining at Stanley Market than on Nathan Street, the main shopping street in Kowloon. Perhaps the prices are closer to reality.

Will Keep Promise

  We talked with a Chinese store proprietor on her views of the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong in 1997. The Chinese have promised Hong Kong can keep its system of government for at least 50 years. She believes China will keep the promise and had a good reason.

  She said China also wants to take over Taiwan and the small enclave of Macau. China's keeping its word on Hong Kong will be advantageous to China in efforts to take over Taiwan.

  We had the impression of Hong Kong before coming here as a single island plus the Kowloon territories.

  Actually there are quite a number of islands here.

  The reception this evening in Hong Kong was decided to be too cumbersome with the traffic so the evening's activities were confined to a dinner at the Kowloon Club.

Lo Fung Society

  The dinner was officially sponsored by the Lo Fung Learned Society and one of our hosts, Dr. Chien Chih-Yung, said the organization is composed of scholars from universities in Hong Kong and industrialists to facilitate an exchange of ideas.

  However, we were given a packet of materials all about Taiwan, including an address from Lee Teng-hui, president of the Republic of China (ROC).

  The ROC actually governs Taiwan only. It is the legacy of the old Kuomintang led by Chiang Kai-shek which was driven out of China in 1949 by the Communists.

  Chiang and his remaining troops moved to Taiwan and the remnants of the Kuomintang have been there running things ever since.

  Pres. Lee, in his address of Oct. 10, put the bravest face on the situation by saying, "The chapter on Communism in China's history is drawing to a close".

  Our hosts this evening were more sophisticated than those we had been meeting in the Peoples Republic of China, the mainland government. All spoke English and some spoke it extremely well.

  Many of them had spent years in the U.S. Dr. Chien, who spent 30 years in the U.S. criticised education on China in the U.S. He said in the 10th grade China is talked about for three weeks using old materials.

  "How can the U.S. understand China?" Our hosts bristled when asked if there was any future for the Taiwanese government. They also said the ROC is moving towards a more democratic government.

  Dr. Lieu, a professor educated at Michigan University, said it was too early to have a reconciliation with mainland China. He said the Taiwan government can last a thousand years or a decade.

  Lieu said the future of Hong Kong is mainly in the hands of the Chinese but he thinks it will continue to grow. Lieu said Taiwan didn't have a democracy until a few years ago because of the threat from the mainland.

  He said comments from our group were talking about social freedom, not political freedom. He said Taiwan and Hong Kong jointly produce 75 percent as much Gross National Product with 25 million people as the mainland does wit over a billion.

Shark Fin Soup

  The dinner again was composed of dishes many we hadn't had before on this tour, for instance shark fin soup.

  Some of our members have raised eyebrows about some of the dishes. Jay Griggs of Wisconsin said he has two new eating rules. One is to stay away from anything so slippery it goes down without being swallowed.

  A second is not to eat anything that looks back at you.

  We concluded the meal with another of the frequent toasts, "gan bay", the Chinese way to say "bottoms up".

  The dinner is the last formal activity of this study mission. Tomorrow it is time to go home. We are to catch a Japan Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo where our party will again split up into two groups, one going to Los Angeles and the other to Chicago.

  Our Los Angeles group will continue on from Tokyo and go on the next day.

  Because of time zone and the International Date Line, our flight will get to Los Angeles 15 minutes before it left Hong Kong.