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Controversy continued to dog his time in office, however, most notably in March 2003, with the government’s failure to contain the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic at an early stage, provoking a torrent of blame. The outbreak killed 299 people, infected 1755 and all but closed Hong Kong down for weeks.

In July 2003 the government came under fire yet again over a deeply unpopular piece of new legislation when it tried to turn Article 23 of the Basic Law into legislation. The bill dealt with acts ‘endangering public security’, such as treason, subversion and sedition, raising fears that Hong Kong’s press freedom and civil liberties would be undermined. In the face of massive public protests – of 500,000 people or more – the government shelved the bill indefinitely.

In March 2005 Tung announced his resignation as chief executive. His replacement was the bow-tie-wearing chief secretary Sir Donald Tsang, who straddled both Hong Kong’s regimes as financial secretary from 1995 to 2001.

Compared to Tung, Tsang was a welcome replacement for many. On good terms with the Beijing powerbrokers, he also sustained very high public approval ratings beyond the usual political honeymoon period. In 2007 Tsang stood again for election, and was elected with ease. He was the first chief executive not to stand unopposed. His rival, pro-democracy activist Alan Leong, came a distant second. However, Tsang soon suffered an erosion of public confidence when he was seen to renege on a series of promises, including delaying a highly anticipated consultation on reforming the electoral process for the chief executive and legislature to make the 2012 polls more democratic. Tsang’s explanation was that the current financial crisis meant democratic reforms should take a lower priority. This was seen by democratic lawmakers as a cover-up for incompetence and dishonesty.

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DOS & DON’TS

There aren’t many unusual rules of etiquette to follow in Hong Kong; in general, common sense will take you as far as you’ll need to go. But on matters of identity, appearance, gift-giving and the big neighbour to the north, local people might see things a little differently than you do. For pointers on how to conduct yourself at the table, see Click here.

Clothing – beyond the besuited realm of business, smart casual dress is acceptable even at swish restaurants, but save your bikini for the beach and keep your thongs/flip-flops in the hotel.

Colours – these are often symbolic to the Chinese. Red symbolises good luck and wealth (though writing in red can convey anger or unfriendliness). White symbolises death, so think twice before giving white flowers.

Face – think status and respect (both receiving and showing): keep your cool, be polite and order a glass of vintage champagne at the Pen or Mandarin. That’ll show ‘em.

Gifts – if you want to give flowers, chocolates or wine as a gift to someone, they may appear reluctant for fear of seeming greedy, but insist and they’ll give in. Don’t be surprised if they don’t open a gift-wrapped present in front of you, though; to do so would be impolite. Cash is the preferred wedding gift and is given in the form of lai-si (Click here).

Name cards – Hong Kong is name-card crazy and in business circles they are a must. People simply won’t take you ser-iously unless you have one (be sure to offer it with both hands). Bilingual cards can usually be printed within 24 hours; try printers along Man Wa Lane in Sheung Wan or ask your hotel to direct you. Expect to pay about $200 for 100 cards.

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A ‘CHINESE’ CITY?

Visitors returning to Hong Kong since July 1997 would see and feel little material difference walking around the city today. Perhaps the most striking thing for returning visitors from the West is the influx of a new breed of visitor: mainland Chinese, who now make up more than half the territory’s visitor numbers. On the other hand, some 218,000 Hong Kong residents are working in mainland China. For better or worse, Hong Kong and