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July 1998
Dear Friends,
Things happen fast in Hong Kong. I learned this first-hand when
I returned to Hong Kong after two months in the United States
on home assignment. The economy, which wasn't doing very well
when I left in April, had declined even further. Legislative elections
had taken place in May, so there was a lot of news about who was
in, who was out, who was doing what. It seemed so many events,
big and small, had taken place and I didn't have a sense of how
it all fit together. It has taken the better part of a month to
get back into "the swing" of things.
Besides the economy, the biggest news headlines for the past
couple of months have been the visit by U.S. President Bill Clinton
to China and Hong Kong, the one-year anniversary of the handover
(with the usual nostalgia), and the chaos at the opening of the
new airport, Chek Lap Kok.
The mood in Hong Kong is subdued, even depressed, as people try
to find ways to cope—economically, emotionally and spiritually.
Everyone is being very careful with their spending. There is the
on-going fear of losing one's job, with the unemployment rate
hitting its highest level in 14 years (over 4 percent). Businesses
are closing down and shop owners are asking for rent reductions.
There is growing criticism of the Hong Kong SAR Government and
the civil service. People worry whether Hong Kong is losing its
reputation for efficiency and competitiveness.
The church has been affected as well. Besides facing the reality
of no longer having the privileged status it had under British
rule, the church has tried to find ways to help people hard-hit
by the recession. They are offering support, counseling, and even
some financial help for church members who are unemployed. Unlike
in the past, many of the unemployed in Hong Kong this time are
professionals and middle-managers. Para-church agencies are experiencing
special difficulties as they depend on the grassroots for much
of their funding.
So, one year after the handover, it is not all a rosy picture
for the SAR. As one magazine said, the problem turned out not
to be communism but rather capitalism. That is true up to a point,
but many of the changes in Hong Kong were inevitable. Our economy
(and the dollar peg) is now vitally linked to decisions made in
Beijing. Our dependence on China has grown, and Hong Kong will
be affected by the developments in China to a greater degree than
China is affected by developments in Hong Kong.
While there is grumbling about all the negative things that have
gone on over the past year—such as the downturn in the stock
market, the fall of the property market, the bird flu crisis,
the recession, the airport mess—it is all too easy to blame
it on the change of sovereignty. Hong Kong needs to see itself
as part of the nation of China. Hong Kong needs to take responsibility
for sharing in the hard times, not just enjoying the fat of the
land in the good times. And the Hong Kong church more than ever
needs to find ways to give people hope and vision for God's mission
in difficult times. This is what they did in the run-up to 1997,
and I trust the Lord will help them again in 1998 and beyond.
Judy Chan
1998 Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study, page 164
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