'Uncles'' Visit Draws Close Mainland/Hong Kong Ties

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, August 03, 2003

'Uncles'' Visit Draws Close Mainland/Hong Kong Ties

China's rapid economic growth has not only brought about great changes in the way of life of the Chinese people, but also improved ties among the fellow countrymen.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

China's rapid economic growth has not only brought about great changes in the way of life of the Chinese people, but also improved ties among the fellow countrymen.

Once nick-named "uncles" by overseas Chinese, especially by those in Hong Kong, quite a number of Chinese mainland travelers to Hong Kong had been taken and treated as "poor relatives from the rural areas" over 20 years ago.

When "uncles" go shopping, having dinners at restaurants or go sight-seeing at that time, they sometimes would receive unpleasant treatment as they spoke Mandarin and were dressed not as fashionable as Hong Kong residents.

With the rapid and steady economic growth since China started implementation of reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s, more and more "uncles" have chances to visit Hong Kong and spend much more money buying goods in Hong Kong, the world-class "Shopping Center."

Claire Lau, senior executive of Corporate Communications and Public Relations of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, said, "Only in 2002 alone, out of 16.5 million travelers to Hong Kong, 6.82 million Chinese mainland residents paid visits to Hong Kong, and their average per capita spending ranked top among all visitors to Hong Kong."

The "uncles" have already become the largest travel source to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong people then began to look at visitors from the Chinese mainland with "new eyes" and "uncles" are more welcomed than before.

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has hit Hong Kong's tourism, retail, hotel and catering sectors heavily. Only a limited number of visitors came to Hong Kong from Mid-March to Mid-May.

Businessmen in those sectors really felt pains -- days without "uncles were indeed very "lonely." Jewelry shops experienced almost two-month-long slack business -- passers-by could see shop attendants all looking outside, hoping against hope that customers would drop in.

Belmon Cheng, director of group product procurement and trading of the TSL, said earlier that about one third of the group's customers came from the Chinese mainland.

Other brand jewelry shops also have similar amount of Chinese mainland customers.

SARS made many Hong Kong companies and businessmen realize that without the visits of "uncles," their business volume would drop markedly, their business links with the Chinese mainland is crucial for their business development.

The signing of the Mainland/Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) at the end of June was welcomed by people from various walks of life, especially the industrial and business sectors in Hong Kong, which have already had close relations with their Chinese mainland counterparts.

Not only Hong Kong businessmen are calculating how big the percentage of the CEPA "cake" can belong to them, but also the US and European companies are seeking investment opportunities for sharing the big "cake."

A group of businessmen from 51 French companies led by French Delegate Minister for Foreign Trade Francois Loos just paid a two-day visit to the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region at the end of July, looking for future investment opportunities after the rule of origin (of goods) is determined.

Internationally, even the transnational groups have adjusted their strategic development plans and are eyeing the Chinese mainland market that has great potential.

The practice of allowing residents in Dongguan, Foshan, Jiangmen and Zhongshan, four cities in Guangdong province that is adjacent to Hong Kong, to apply for permits to travel to Hong Kong on an individual basis (or solo HK trips) as of July 28 has also greatly encouraged the tourism related sectors. Residents of Beijing and Shanghai are expected to enjoy the same treatment soon.

It is estimated that a total of 1 million Guangdong residents are expected to pay solo HK trips in the coming 12 months and the province's total number of travelers to HK may reach 4 million in the following 12 months.

Encouraged by the good news, the prices of retail and tourism-related stocks surged between 1.4 percent and 7 percent on July 28.

Facing the rare "golden" opportunities, the mass media are eager to make their suggestions on how to well receive "uncles" from the Chinese mainland and make the tourism sector "a hen laying golden eggs" in long terms.

Wen Wei Po said in an editorial on its July 28 issue, titled "Chinese mainland tourists are no longer 'peasants'," that the tourism-related sectors and even the public should treat Chinese mainland tourists more friendly.

It said the Chinese mainland tourists were not treated as good as foreign tourists during the busy tourism season as May 1 festival period in the past few years.

It said Chinese mainland tourists, especially those from Beijing and Shanghai, are well-educated, have a good taste in consumption and a strong sense of self-respect.

"If we still treat them as 'peasants', it is cutting down the source of revenue," it stressed.

Other newspapers suggested improving the border check-point installations quickly and turning more unsold real estate projectsinto cheaper hotels for tourists' benefit.

In fact, "uncles," no matter whether they speak Mandarin or English, are welcomed by Hong Kong commercial establishments everywhere, be they department stores or small shops.

"Even you are not rich enough to buy a Western style suit in Gucci or Hermes, a fashion bag in Louis Vuitton, a skirt in Versace, you can enter their doors straight with your plain clothes on, you will not be treated with disdain," a Hong Kong-based Chinese mainland correspondent said.

More and more Chinese mainland visitors go shopping in the world top brand shops, and Hong Kong people often see mainland travelers flocking to Time Square shops to buy Western style suits.

In Lane Crawford, people can often see young ladies from Shanghai each trying two or three pairs of expensive shoes in a queue and saleswomen taking one pair after another with smiles.

In many big department stores and chain stores, people can see the sign of "welcome to use Renminbi" and small exchange shops are scattered in downtown areas.

In Hong Kong, the hotlines for customers, weather, banks and many service departments serve people with Cantonese, English and Mandarin.

Claire Lau said, as the Chinese mainland tourists are major tourism sources for the Hong Kong Tourism sector, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has already sent invitations to 150 correspondents in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen and some other big cities.They will come to Hong Kong to attend the "Hospitality Day" slated for Aug. 17 during the two-month "Hospitality Months" starting on July 13.

Advertisements targeting "uncles" are to be aired via television stations, newspapers and electronic media, attracting them to pay a visit to Hong Kong. According to the adds of prizes,Chinese mainland tourists have chances to win an expensive apartment, a Benz brand car, free air tickets and coupons by spending a small amount of money in several different tourism related sectors, together with Hong Kong residents.

Now, learning to speak Mandarin has become a fashion in the service sector as speaking fluent Mandarin can help raise sales income.

"Uncles" have already been totally different from those two decades ago, treating "uncles" friendly will not only be good for "uncles" but also for businessmen and all Hong Kong people as well, analysts here said.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Chinese Mainland, HK Vows to Forge Closer Economic Ties

Major Points of Premier Wen's Speech

Taiwan Ties Mar Japan's China Interests: News Analysis ( 36 Messages)

Shortage of Electric Power, an Ordeal for China's Economy ( 4 Messages)

Using "E-mail" Concerns Chinese Purification & National Dignity? ( 22 Messages)

US, China Co-operate to Fight Taiwan Referendum Plan ( 3 Messages)

60 Chinese Senior Officials to Be Trained in Harvard University ( 3 Messages)