Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Technically there is nothing called "Hong Kong citizenship". There are only:
(1) Hong Kong permanent residents -- many foreign expatriates, with the exception of nannies, no matter they work as CEO or chef, can almost automatically be eligible after working for seven years in the City.
(2) Chinese citizenship with Hong Kong permanent residency -- Not too many foreigners take this option since permanent residency is usually good enough for them. But still some do and the criteria for naturalization is based on how much tie the applicant has with the City (not with Mainland China). Once becoming naturalized, the applicant becomes a Chinese citizen and is eligible for a SAR passport and a Home Return Permit.
A SAR passport is basically another type of PRC passport that is renewable in PRC embassy/consulate when you are overseas but unlike authentic PRC passport, it has visa free access to about 147 countries (PRC authentic passport has only 51). In addition, the naturalized citizen who holds the Home Return Permit can go to Mainland China to work, start business, live there indefinitely no matter in Beijing or Shanghai without the requirement of hukou.
And a naturalized Chinese citizen in Hong Kong can hold dual citizenship. The caveat is that he doesn't declare his foreign citizenship to the Immigration Department.
I don't know what will happen in 2047 when "One Country Two Systems" is supposedly to end. But given that all the Who and Who in Mainland China have all acquired permanent residency in the City, i.e. Jack Ma of Alibaba and Pony Ma of Tencent, I don't think that they intend to integrate it politically as some fellow posters think.
This is interesting info. I knew of the Permanent Residency. I didn't know about the Chinese citizenship.
Many foreigners in HK are anti China, most foreigners don't apply for Chinese nationality.
Many look down on both HK and mainland Chinese.
Another reason is HK, Macau and Mainland China require naturalising foreigners renounce original nationalities before becoming Chinese nationals.
Occasionally you can see white, south Asian and black people representing HK in international sports, singing China's national anthem before matches. These people have Chinese nationality and travel with HKSAR passports.
Many foreigners in HK are anti China, most foreigners don't apply for Chinese nationality.
Another reason is HK, Macau and Mainland China require naturalising foreigners renounce original nationalities before becoming Chinese nationals.
Occasionally you can see white, south Asian and black people representing HK in international sports, singing China's national anthem before matches. These people have Chinese nationality and travel with HKSAR passports.
True. There are few rights in China for a foreigner-perspective, and little 'Rule of Law' - an easy place to lose any investments, with little protection from the China gov't.
So, yeah, China would need to be foreigner-welcoming for them to want citizenship. That being said, there are foreigners that have been in HK for generations, and some do go that direction. I have seen Portuguese from Macau moving into Zhuhai for various reasons - usually more affordability.
It's hard to generalize, but yeah, in general, China doesn't offer many protections for foreigners to warrant them trying to gain Chinese citizenship. Which I guess is why we seldom hear about those who do.
I don't agree.
I don't want to become off topic and discuss these matters in this thread.
The focus should be foreigners speaking which language in hk
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger Beer
True. There are few rights in China for a foreigner-perspective, and little 'Rule of Law' - an easy place to lose any investments, with little protection from the China gov't.
It's hard to generalize, but yeah, in general, China doesn't offer many protections for foreigners to warrant them trying to gain Chinese citizenship. Which I guess is why we seldom hear about those who do.
That is easy to understand. Portuguese in Macau are not as rich as HK and Macau Chinese business people and most foreign people in HK, excluding foreign domestic helpers.
Those non ethnic Chinese having Chinese nationality in HK and Macau are more liked by the ethnic Chinese, they learn more Chinese language than the anti China or arrogant foreigners in the same cities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger Beer
, there are foreigners that have been in HK for generations, and some do go that direction. I have seen Portuguese from Macau moving into Zhuhai for various reasons - usually more affordability.
That is easy to understand. Portuguese in Macau are not as rich as HK and Macau Chinese business people and most foreign people in HK, excluding foreign domestic helpers.
Those non ethnic Chinese having Chinese nationality in HK and Macau are more liked by the ethnic Chinese, they learn more Chinese language than the anti China or arrogant foreigners in the same cities.
I guess we all observe different things. Are you Chinese? Is this feeling related to the HK protests?
I've been to HK often, and I observe that HK Chinese and white in HK seem to get along really well, in my observation.
Or are you saying that Mainlander Chinese dislike HK white people? If so I guess because of the TV news in China right now? In general, Mainlanders know little about white people - it's more common to get staring or amazement at the sight of white people, more than hatred.
I've definitely noticed the tensions between HK and the Mainland though - mostly over citizen rights (politics) and public behaviors (social etiquette).
Mainland Chinese don't know about HK's foreign people.
Some were surprised to see many southeast Asians, south Asians, Africans and whites when they first went to HK.
On the surface quite well, actually foreigners in HK are quite tolerated with less serious race issues than western countries. Similar to the mainland Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, HK people don't look down on white people but they talk about white and other non Chinese people in own circles, not always positively. Foreigners can hardly join the conversation and know the meaning in English. For example, men don't view HK women with foreign bfs or husbands positively. Women in HK are generally friendlier than men to foreigners. Since the political link with the U.K was cut, Chinese nationalism has risen in HK and Macau, and HK Chinese with western education and love of China as government officials. The British never forced British identity on HK Chinese is a major reason why most HK people identify with Chinese culture instead of western. Once out of central and wan chai, you can see most HK Chinese hanging out within their own instead of those more western friendly English speaking locals in central and wan chai. HK isn't a very foreigner friendly city anyway, like Tokyo ,Seoul and Singapore. Bangkok and Manila should be more foreigner friendly.
Mainland Chinese don't know about HK's foreign people.
Some were surprised to see many southeast Asians, south Asians, Africans and whites when they first went to HK.
On the surface quite well, actually foreigners in HK are quite tolerated with less serious race issues than western countries. Similar to the mainland Chinese, Japanese and Koreans, HK people don't look down on white people but they talk about white and other non Chinese people in own circles, not always positively. Foreigners can hardly join the conversation and know the meaning in English. For example, men don't view HK women with foreign bfs or husbands positively. Women in HK are generally friendlier than men to foreigners. Since the political link with the U.K was cut, Chinese nationalism has risen in HK and Macau, and HK Chinese with western education and love of China as government officials. The British never forced British identity on HK Chinese is a major reason why most HK people identify with Chinese culture instead of western. Once out of central and wan chai, you can see most HK Chinese hanging out within their own instead of those more western friendly English speaking locals in central and wan chai. HK isn't a very foreigner friendly city anyway, like Tokyo ,Seoul and Singapore. Bangkok and Manila should be more foreigner friendly.
We definitely have different perspectives.
I've lived in Asia since 1996, including significant time in both Japan and Korea. I've also spent a lot time in both in Phils and Thailand. I'd say the treatment of 'other' is fairly universal everywhere, and in general, HK is way more accepting of non-chinese than most. Particularly compared to when I lived in South Korea, and Koreans would often verbally say things to white men who intermarry with Koreans, and even worse when they had mixed kids. HK is not like that at all. The displayed racism is way worse in South Korea. Significantly so. It's almost non-existant in HK.
I do agree that Chinese that aren't used to foreigners; the Mainland Emigrants are uncomfortable with foreigners in HK. I notice that all the time when I go to the Northern Territories, and I feel like I'm in the Mainland with unfounded stares that I don't expect typical in HK.
I definitely agree with the China Nationalism. But, I don't agree that Chinese HKers are racists or hate foreigners or hate white people. That is not my experience at all in HK. It's true that the closer you get to Shenzhen, more 'Mainlanderized' it feels though, and if there is a hatred or dislike of whites in HK, I would think that might be the place. But it's not typical of the typical HKer at all.
Racism in HK exists like elsewhere and is very mild.
Like elsewhere, people in HK also have stereotype views on foreigners. Different people have different preferences when searching for an employee or lover.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
