Before 1997, many Hong Kong people were uncertain what it would
be after the city's handover to the motherland and a large batch of
them moved to the overseas, forming an emigration tide. Ten years
past, many were drawn back by the stability and prosperity of Hong
Kong.
Following her parent's will, Renee Chu migrated to Australia in
1990 when she was still a middle school student. She came back with
her family after the handover and now works as an assistant
computer officer in the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Renee's parents decided to go overseas in 1989, also moving
together were her two siblings. "At that time, they concerned about
Hong Kong's future and wanted to allow us to receive better
education abroad," she told Xinhua in a recent interview.
After graduating from university, Renee went back in 2000 to
Hong Kong where she believed will offer her better job
opportunities, and after all these years she has settled down her
career here.
Hong Kong was hit by economic downturn and outbreak of SARS
after 1997, but that did not stopped the Chu's family from coming
back. "There are always good and bad times for a place," said
Renee.
Without involving herself much in current affairs, Renee still
pays attention to Hong Kong's development. Her confidence was
further strengthened when seeing the policies taken place by the
Central Government of China in support of Hong Kong's economy.
Life in Australia is stable and quiet, but it cannot compare
with Hong Kong's vivid and energetic environment. The older
generation always yearn for the lifestyle of their own culture.
"My parents fly back to Australia now and then after coming
back," Renee said, "but the period they stay there becomes shorter,
and now they spend more time in Hong Kong and the mainland.”
Among those emigrants, some showed their confidence in Hong Kong
by coming back long before 1997 came. Native-born Victor Yeh, who
migrated to Canada in the 1980s together with his parents and
younger sister, was one of them.
Victor ran a restaurant owned by his family at the beginning and
then found a job himself in the retail industry. Although
discrimination did not really happen to him, Victor said in some
occasions immigrants there were inevitably treated as second-class
citizens, for example, "when you look for a job, employers often
entertain native-born people first."
"Canada is an ideal place for leisure life but not career
development," said Victor who went back to Hong Kong in 1993 and
started to work in his brother's trading company.
After the handover, Victor has got more and more business
dealing with the mainland and there he gradually set up his
interpersonal network. His company also sees the mainland as a
suitable production base for architectural materials and invested
about 8 million HK dollars (about US$3 million) in three factories
there.
When asked if he ever thought of going back to Canada due to the
setbacks Hong Kong experienced after the handover, Victor answered
"never" in a definite tone.
"The mainland is rich in talented people and natural resources,
giving businessman like us great confidence and opportunity,"
Victor explained.
Victor also said that his parents and sister are now all in Hong
Kong simply because they are happy with the place.
(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2007)