Jake'S View | Opinion: Macau is no example for Hong Kong to follow, Mr Zhang
While Macau has been one of the biggest accomplices in the laundering of corruption money from China, it got off lightly
China’s No 3 official yesterday heaped praise on Macau for its patriotism, pragmatism and regard for national security, holding up the former Portuguese enclave as an example to Hong Kong on how to meet Beijing’s expectations.
SCMP, May 10
The message is as unchanging as the physical appearance of the messenger whenever someone big from Beijing deigns to pay Macau a visit – Macau good, Hong Kong bad. Hong Kong had better watch it. You hear that, Hong Kong?
The message is different from the common Shanghai-good-Hong Kong-bad variant in which we are chided for our backwardness in technology and education. In the Macau version we are chided for our politically deviant ways and unwillingness to listen to the word of Go... oops, I mean Beijing.
But let’s examine a little more closely just what a faithful servant Macau is to Beijing. As I understand the doings of the last few years, the top item on the Beijing’s national security priority list was, and still is, the anti-corruption drive.
Now, I am not trying to exonerate Hong Kong from its own share of guilt for laundering the proceeds of mainland corruption but surely the biggest and most blatant launderers in this part of the world are the Macau casinos.
